Smu Solved Assignments

MB0044 – Production & Operations Management Assignment set – 1 1. What are the components of systems productivity? Explain how CAD and CIM help in improving productivity. Production management encompasses all activities which go into conversion of a sate of inputs into outputs which are useful to meet human needs. It involves the identification of the perquisite materials, knowledge of the processes, and installation of equipments necessary to convert or transform the materials to products. System productivity is generally expressed as the ratio of outputs to inputs.Productivity can be calculated for a single operation, a functional unit, a department division or a plant. It is a measure of the efficiency of the system and looks at the economies achieved during the processes. Every process will have number of contributors-people machines, facilitating goods, ancillary equipments, technology, etc. Which help in achieving maximum productivity – each element attempt ing to enhance the contribution of other elements? Enhancement of productivity is achieved by either reducing the inputs for the same output or increasing the output by using the same input. Opportunities exist at all stages of the workflow.The entire system of introduce measures for increasing productivity. However in actual manufacturing situations, the inefficiencies will have cascading effect in hampering productivity. Communication, effective review processes and innovative methods will ensure optimization of resources. Capital productivity: Capital deployed in plant, machinery, buildings and the distribution system as well as working capital are components of the oust of manufacture and need to be productive. Demand fluctuations, uncertainties of production owing to breakdowns and inventories being crated drag the productivity down.Therefore, strategies are needed to maximize the utilization of the funds allotted towards capital. Adapting to new technologies, outsourcing and b alancing of the workstations to reduce the proportion of idle times on equipments are the focus of this section. Computers in design and manufacturing applications make it possible to remove much of the tedium and manual labor involved. For example, the many design specifications, blueprints, material lists, and other documents needed to build complex machines can require thousands of highly technical and accurate drawings and charts.If the engineers decide structural components need to be changed, all of these plans and drawings must be changed. Prior to CAD/CAM, human designers and draftspersons had to change them manually, a time consuming and error-prone process. When a CAD system is used, the computer can automatically evaluate and change all corresponding documents instantly. In addition, by using interactive graphics workstations, designers, engineers, and architects can create models or drawings, increase or decrease sizes, rotate or change them at will, and see results inst antly on screen.CAD is particularly valuable in space programs, where many unknown design variables are involved. Previously, engineers depended upon trial-and-error testing and modification, a time consuming and possibly life-threatening process. However, when aided by computer simulation and testing, a great deal of time, money, and possibly lives can be saved. Besides its use in the military, CAD is also used in civil aeronautics, automotive, and data processing industries. CAM, commonly utilized in conjunction with CAD, uses computers to communicate instructions to automated machinery.CAM techniques are especially suited for manufacturing plants, where tasks are repetitive, tedious, or dangerous for human workers. Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), a term popularized by Joseph Harrington in 1975, is also known as Autofacturing. CIM is a programmable manufacturing method designed to link CAD, CAM, industrial robotics, and machine manufacturing using unattended processing wo rkstations. CIM offers uninterrupted operation from raw materials to finished product, with the added benefits of quality assurance and automated assembly. 2. What do you understand by ‘industry best practice’?Briefly explain different types of Benchmarking. Industry best practice: Each industry would have developed over years or decades. Materials would have changed, processes would have changed. As all products or services are meant to serve needs of the customers, they undergo continuous changes – both in shapes and features. Because of research that is conducted, materials and methods go on improve incessarily. The companies that were at the force innovate to stay in business as new entrants would be adopting the latest techniques that the pioneers had taken decades to establish.So the practices adopted by various firms in any industry would end up adopting almost similar methods of getting an output required. Such practices would get refined to great extent giving rise what we call industry best practices. These tend to get stabilized or changed owning to the development of new equipments which are designed and manufacturers of those with an eye on growing markets which demand higher quality and reduced prices. Competition benefits those who can use all these to their advantage. Industry best practices open up the field for benchmarking by companies which need to improve their performance.Bench Marking: It is a method of measuring a company’s processes, methods, procedures and in a way all functions in great detail. Benchmarking is used to understand how these got into the system and what circumstances brought them about. It is a learning process with a few to find out whether some of the reasons have changed and bring in new processes for improvement.. The metrics that could be used are – number of pieces per hour, cost per unit, number of breakdowns per week, customer alienation during a week, return on investment, numb er of returns from customers in a month, inventory turnover, and many others.As can be seen the figures as found above determine the efficiency of the organisation. To keep focused, many organizations, especially the large ones, select a few processes for purposes of benchmarking. This helps in ensuring constant and deep attention to those aspects which are to be dealt with. The following are the types of benchmarking firms consider. Types of benchmarking: †¢ Process benchmarking – the initiating firm focuses its observation and investigation of business processes with a goal of identifying and observing the best practices from one or more benchmark firms.Activity analysis will be required where the objective is to benchmark cost and efficiency; increasingly applied to back-office processes where outsourcing may be a consideration. †¢ Financial benchmarking – performing a financial analysis and comparing the results in an effort to assess your overall competi tiveness and productivity. †¢ Benchmarking from an investor perspective- extending the benchmarking universe to also compare to peer companies that can be considered alternative investment opportunities from the perspective of an investor. Performance benchmarking – allows the initiator firm to assess their competitive position by comparing products and services with those of target firms. †¢ Product benchmarking – the process of designing new products or upgrades to current ones. This process can sometimes involve reverse engineering which is taking apart competitors products to find strengths and weaknesses. †¢ Strategic benchmarking – involves observing how others compete. This type is usually not industry specific, meaning it is best to look at other industries. Functional benchmarking – a company will focus its benchmarking on a single function to improve the operation of that particular function. Complex functions such as Human Resour ces, Finance and Accounting and Information and Communication Technology are unlikely to be directly comparable in cost and efficiency terms and may need to be disaggregated into processes to make valid comparison. †¢ Best-in-class benchmarking – involves studying the leading competitor or the company that best carries out a specific function. Operational benchmarking – embraces everything from staffing and productivity to office flow and analysis of procedures performed. 3. List out the various automated systems for transfer of materials in the production plant. What do you understand by Line Balancing? Explain with an example. About the automated flow lines we can say it is a machine which is linked by a transfer system which moves the parts by using handling machines which are also automated, we have an automated flow line. Human intervention ma is needed to verify that the operations ate taking place according to standards.When these can be achieved with the h elp of automation and the processes are conducted with self regulation, we will have automated flow lines established. In fixed automation or hard automation, where one component is manufactured using services operations and machines it is possible to achieve this condition. We assume that product life cycles are sufficiently stable to interest heavily on the automate flow lines to achieve reduces cast per unit. Product layouts ate designed so that the assembly tasks are performed in the sequence they are designed at each station continuously.The finished item came out at the end of the line. In automated assembly lines the moving pallets move the materials from station to station and moving arms pick up parts, place them at specified place and system them by perusing, riveting, & crewing or even welding. Sensors will keep track of their activities and move the assembles to the next stage. The machines are arranged in a sequence to perform operations according to the technical requi rements. The tools are loaded, movements are effected, speeds controlled automatically without the need for worker’s involvement.The flexibility leads to better utilization of the equipments. It reduces the numbers of systems and rids in reduction of investment as well as a space needed to install them. One of the major cancers of modern manufacturing systems is to be able to respond to market demands which have uncertainties. Prototyping is a process by which a new product is developed in small number so as to determine the suitability of the materials, study the various methods of manufactured, type of machinery required and develop techniques to over come problems that my be encountered when full scale manufacture is undertaken.Prototypes do meet the specification of the component that enters a product and performance can be measured on these. It helps in con be reforming the design and any shortcomings can be rectified at low cost. Flexibility has three dimensions in the manufacturing field. They are variety, volume and time. There demands will have to be satisfied. In that sense they become constraints which restrict the maximization of productivity. Every business will have to meet the market demands of its various products in variety volumes of different time.Flexibility is also needed to be able to develop new products or make improvements in the products fast enough to cater to shifting marker needs. Manufacturing systems have flexibility built into them to enable organization meet global demand. You have understood how the latest trends in manufacturing when implemented help firms to stay a head in business. 4. Explain the different types of Quality Control Tools with examples? How do Crosby’s absolutes of quality differ from Deming’s principles?Quality Control (QC) is a system of routine technical activities, to measure and control the quality of the inventory as it is being developed. The QC system is designed to: Provide routi ne and consistent checks to ensure data integrity, correctness, and completeness; Identify and address errors and omissions; Document and archive inventory material and record all QC activities. The following seven are considered basic tools for achieving quality. Flow Chart Check sheet Histogram Pareto Analysis Scatter Diagram Control Chart Cause and Effect Diagram Flow Chart It is a visual representation of process showing the various steps.It helps in locating the points at which a problem exists or an improvement is possible. Detailed data can be collected, analyzed and methods for correction can be developed. A sample is shown below lists out the various steps or activities in a particular job. It classifies them as a procedure or a decision. Each decision point generates alternatives. Criteria and Consequences that go with decision are amenable to evaluation for purposes of assessing quality. The flow chart helps in pin-pointing the exact at which errors have crept in. A simpl e chart is shown below. Check SheetThese are used to record the number of defects, types of defects, locations at which they are occurring, times at which they are occurring, workmen by whom they are occurring. It keeps a record of the frequencies of occurrence with reference to possible defect causing parameter. It helps to implement a corrective procedure at the point where the frequencies are more, so that the benefit of correct will be maximum. A sample sheet is shown below. Histogram Histograms are graphical representations of distribution of data. They are generally used to record huge volumes of data about a process.They reveal whether the pattern of distribution – whether there is a single peak, or many peak and also the extent of variation around the peak value. This helps in identifying whether the problem is serious. When used in conjunction with comparable parameters, the visual patterns help us to identify the problem which should be attended to. Pareto Analysis This is a tool for classifying problem areas according to the degree of importance and attending to the most important. Pareto principle, also called 80-20 rule, states that 80 percent of the problems that we encounter arise out of 20 percent of items.If we find that, in a day, we have 184 assemblies have given problems and there are 11 possible causes, it is observed that 80 per cent of them i. e. 147 of them have been caused by just 2 or 3 of them. It will be easy to focus on these 2 or three and reduce the number of defects to a great extent. When the cause of these defects have been attended, we will observe that some other defect Scatter Diagram These are used when we have two variables and want to know the degree of relationship between them. We can determine if there is cause and effect relationship between and its extent over a range of values.Sometimes, we can observe that there is no relationship, in which we can change one parameter being sure that it has no effect on the other parameter. Control Charts These are used to verify whether a process is under control. Variables when they remain within a range will render the product maintain the specifications. This is the quality of conformance. The range of permitted deviations is determined by design parameters. Samples are taken and the mean and range of the variable of each sample (subgroup) is recorded. The mean of the means of the samples gives the control lines. Assuming normal distribution, we expect 99. 7 per cent of all values to lie within the UCL when we take 3 standard deviations – Upper Control Limit – and LCL – Lower Control Limit. The graphical representation of data helps in changing settings to bring back the process closer to the target. Cause and Effect Diagram This is a diagram in which all possible causes are classified on quality characteristics which lead to a defect. These are arranged in such a way that different branches — the causes are – le ading the stem in the direction of the discovery of the problem. When each of them is investigated thoroughly we will be able to pinpoint some factors which cause the problem.We will also observe that a few of them will have cumulative effect or even a cascading effect. Deming Wheel Deming’s approach is summarized in his 14 points. Constancy of purpose for continuous improvement Adopt the TQM philosophy for economic purposes Do not depend on inspection to deliver quality Do not award any business based on price alone Improve the system of production and service constantly Conduct meaningful training on the job Adopt modern methods of supervision and leadership Remove fear from the minds of everyone connected with the organisation Remove barriers between departments and peopleDo not exhort, repeat slogans and put up posters. Do not set up numerical quotas and work standards Give pride of workmanship to the workmen Education and training to be given vigorously State and exhibit top management’s commitment for quality and productivity Using the above principles, Deming gave a four step approach to ensure a purposeful journey of TQM. The slope is shown to indicate that if efforts are let up the program will roll back Plan – means that a problem is identified, processes are determined and relevant theories are checked out. Do – means that the plan is implemented on a trial basis.All inputs are correctly measured and recorded. Check/Study/Analyze – means that the trials taken according to the plan are in accordance with the expected results. Act – When all the above steps are satisfactory regular production is started so that quality outcomes are assured Crosby’s Absolutes of Quality Like Deming, he also lays emphasis on top management commitment and responsibility for designing the system so that defects are not inevitable. He urged that there be no restriction on spending for achieving quality. In the long run, main taining quality is more economical rather than compromising on its achievement.His absolutes can be listed as under. Quality is conformance to requirements – not ‘goodness’. Prevention, not appraisal, is the path to quality. Quality is measured as the price paid for non-conformance and as indexes. Quality originates in all factions – not quality department. There are no quality problems people, design, process create problems. Crosby also has given 14 points similar to those of Deming. His approach emphasizes on measurement of quality, increasing awareness, corrective action, error cause removal and continuously reinforcing the system, so that advantages derived are not lost over time.He desires that the quality management regimen should improve the overall health of the organization and prescribed a vaccine. The ingredients are: Integrity – honesty and commitment to produce everything right first time, every time. Communication – Flow of inf ormation between departments, suppliers, customers – helps in identifying opportunities. Systems and operations – These should bring in a quality environment – so that nobody is comfortable with anything less than the best. 5. Define project cycle, project management, and scope of project. List the various project management knowledge areas?What are the reasons for failure of a project? Project Cycle – A project cycle basically consists of the various activities of operations, resources and the limitations imposed on them. Definition of â€Å"Project Management† It is the practice of controlling the use of resources, such as cost, time, manpower, hardware and software involved in a project, that start with a problem statement and end with delivery of a complete product. Project management involves understanding its scope and various processes in the project cycle. Project Management DefinitionAs per PMBOK (Project Management — Body of Knowle dge, defined by PMI – Project Management Institute) : â€Å"Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. As per DIN 69901 (German Organization for Standardization): â€Å"Project management is the complete set of tasks, techniques, tools applied during project execution† Scope – It refers to the various parameters that affect the project in its planning, formulation and executions, Like:- The range of one's perceptions, thoughts, or actions.Breadth or opportunity to function. See Synonyms at room. The area covered by a given activity or subject. See Synonyms at range. The length or sweep of a mooring cable. Informal A viewing instrument such as a periscope, microscope, or telescope. Before knowing the reasons of failure we have to know about project. Project is a set of activities which are networked in order and aimed towards achieving goal of a project. Now, the reasons ar e project failure: Incidence of Project failure Projects being initiated of random at all levels Project objective not in line with business objectiveProject management not observed Project manager with no prior experience in the related project Non- dedicated team Lack of complete support from clients Factors contributing to project success not emphasized: Project objective in alignment with business objective Working within the framework of project management methodology Effective scoping planning, estimation, execution, controls and reviews, project bottlenecks Communication and managing expectations effectively with clients, team merits and stake holders Prior expectance of PM in a similar projectOverview of information and communication Technologies (ICT) project: Involve information and communication technologies such as the word wide web, e-mail, fiber-optics satellites. ii) Enable societies to produce, access, adapt and apply information in greater amount, more rapidly and a t reduce casts. iii) Offer enormous opportunities for enhancing business and economic viability. iv) Common problems encountered during projects. v) No prioritization of project activity from an organizational position. vi) One or more of the stages in the project mishandled. vii) Less qualified non-dedicated manpower. iii) Absence of smooth flow of communication between the involved parties. These basic reasons lead a project to failures. In the project failures business management and project management is directly involved. From the management point of view it is basic things to care above topics to success of a project. Project is the core business of a company. 6. Explain the various phases in project management life cycle. Explain the necessity and objectives of SCM. This is the initial phase of any project. In this phase information is collected from the customer pertaining to the project and the requirements are analyzed.The entire project has to be planned and it should be done in a strategic manner. The project manager conducts the analysis of the problem and submits a detailed report to the top project justification, details on what the problem is a method of solving the problem, list of the objectives to be achieved, project budget and the success rate of completing the project. The report must also contain information and the project feasibility, and the risks involved in the project. Project management life cycle is the integrated part of management. It is attach with project responsibility or failure of a project.The important tasks of this phase are as follows: Specification Requirements Analysis (SRA): It has to be conducted to determine the essential requirements of a project in order to achieve the target. Feasibility study: To analyze whether the project is technically, economically and practically feasible to be undertaken. Trade off analysis: To understand and examine the various alternatives which could be considered. Estimation: To esti mate the project cost, effort requires for the project and functionality of various process in the project. System design: Choose a general design that can fusil the requirements.Project evolution: Evaluate the project in terms of expected profit, cost and risks involved marketing phase. A project proposal is prepared by a group of people including the project manager. This proposal has to contain the strategies adopted to market the product to the customers. Design phase: This phase involves the study of inputs and outputs of the various project stages. Execution phase: In this phase the project manager and the teams members work on the project objectives as per the plan. At every stage during the execution reports are prepared. Control: Inspecting, Testing and Delivery phase during this phase.The project team works under the guidance of the project manager. The project manager has to ensure that the team working under his, implements the project designs accurately, the project man ager has to ensure ways of managing the customer, perform quality control work. Closure and post completion analysis phase upon satisfactory completion and delivery of the intended product or service the staff performance has to be evaluated. Document the lessons from the project. Prepare the reports on project feedback analysis followed by the project execution report. The phase which involve in the above are:The preparation stage involves the preparation and approval of project outline, project plan and project budget. The next stage involves selecting and briefing the project team about the proposals followed by discussions on the roles and responsibility of the project member and the organization. The project management life cycle: A Life cycle of a project consists of the following: Understanding the scope of the project Establishing objectives of the project Formulating and planning various activities Project execution and Monitor and control the project resources. Risk Manage ment:-Risk is defined in ISO 31000 as the effect of uncertainty on objectives (whether positive or negative). Risk management can therefore be considered the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from uncertainty in financial markets, project failures, legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters as well as deliberate attacks from an adversary.Several risk management standards have been developed including the Project Management Institute, the National Institute of Science and Technology, actuarial societies, and ISO standards. Methods, definitions and goals vary widely according to whether the risk management method is in the context of project management, security, engineering, industrial processes, financial portfolios, actua rial assessments, or public health and safety. The strategies to manage risk include transferring the risk to another party, avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk.Certain aspects of many of the risk management standards have come under criticism for having no measurable improvement on risk even though the confidence in estimates and decisions increase. Necessity and objectives of SCM:- SCM is the abbreviation of supply chain Management. It is considered by many express worldwide as the ultimate solution towards efficient enterprise management. SCM is required by and enterprise as a tow to enhance management effectiveness with a following organizational objective: Reduction of inventory:-Enactment in functional effectiveness of existing systems like ERP, Accounting.Software and Documentation like financial reports statements ISO 9000 Documents etc. Enhancement of participation level and empowerm ent level:- Effective integration of multiple systems like ERP, communication systems, documentation system and secure, Design R systems etc. Better utilization of resources- men, material, equipment and money. Optimization of money flow cycle within the organization as well as to and from external agencies. Enhancement of value of products, operations and services and consequently, enhancements of profitability.Enhancement of satisfaction level of customer and clients, supporting institutions, statutory control agencies, supporting institutions, statutory control agencies, suppliers and vendors, employees and executives . Enhancement of flexibility in the organization to help in easy implementation of schemes involving modernization, expansion and divestment, merges and acquisitions Enhancement of coverage and accuracy of management information systems. With the objectives of SCM its implementation are required.Implementation is in the form of various functional blocks of an organi zation interpenetrated through which a smooth flow of the product development is possible. A relatively new SCM option involves web based software with a browser interface. Several electronic marketplaces for buying and selling goods and materials. Steps involved in the implementation of SCM:- There is many steps which involved in SCM implementation are- Business Process, sales and marketing.Logistics, costing, demand planning, trade- off analysis, environmental requirement, process stability, integrated supply, supplier management, product design, suppliers, customers, material specifications, etc. Some important aspect of SCM- The level of competition existing in the market and the impact of competitive forces on the product development. Designing and working on a strategic logic for better growth through value invention. Working out new value curve in the product development along with necessary break point. Using it to analyze markets and the economies in product design.Time, cu stomer, quality of product and the concept of survival of fittest. Steps of SCM principals: Group customer by need: Effective SCM groups, customer by tie tinct service meets those particular segment. Customize the logistics networks: In designing their logistics network, companies need to focus on the service requirement and profit potential of the customer segments identified. Listen to signals of market demand and plan accordingly- sales and operations planners must monitor the entire supply chain to detect early warning signals of changing customer demand and needs.Differentiate the product closer to the customer: companies today no longer can afford to stock pile inventory to compensate for possible forecasting errors, instead, they need to postpone product differentiation in the manufacturing. Process closer to actual customer demand. Strategically manage the source of supply: by working closely with their key suppliers to reduce the overall casts of owning materials and servic es; SCM maximizes profit margins both for themselves, and their supplies.Develop a supply chain wide technology strategy: as one of the cornerstones of successful SCM information technology must be able to support multiple levels of decision making. Adopt channel spanning performance measures- Excellent supply performance measurement systems do more than just monitor internal functions. They apply performance criteria that embrace bathe service and financial metrics, including as such as each accounts true profitability. MB0045 – Financial Management Assignment set – 1 Q. 1 Write the short notes on 1. Financial management 2. Financial planning 3. Capital structure 4. Cost of capital 5. Trading on equity.Ans: 1. Financial Management Financial Management is Planning, directing, monitoring, organizing, and controlling of the monetary resources of an organization. The management of the finances of a business / organization in order to achieve financial objectives. Financia l Management is the efficient and effective planning and controlling of financial resources so as to maximize profitability and ensuring liquidity for an individual(called personal finance), government(called public finance) and for profit and non-profit organization/firm (called corporate or managerial finance). Generally, it involves balancing risks and profitability.The decision function of financial management can be divided into the following 3 major areas: INVESTMENT DECISION 1. Determine the total amount of assets needed by a firm hence closely tied to the allocation of funds 2. Two type of investment decisions namely: †¢ Capital Investment decisions re: large sums, non routine, longer term, critical to the business like purchase of plant and machinery or factory †¢ Working Capital Investment decisions re: more routine in nature, short term but are also very critical decisions like how much and how long to invest in inventories or receivables   FINANCING DECISION . After deciding on the amount and type of assets to buy, the financial manager needs to decide on HOW TO FINANCE these assets with the sources of fund 2. Financing decisions for example: †¢ Whether to use external borrowings/debts or share capital or retained earnings †¢ Whether to borrow short, medium or long term †¢ What sort of mix – all borrowings or part debts part share capital or 100% share capital †¢ The needs to determine how much dividend to pay out as this will directly affects the financial decision.Financial Planning Financial Planning is an exercise aimed to ensure availability of right amount of money at the right time to meet the individual’s financial goals Concept of Financial Planning Financial Goals refer to the dreams of the investor articulated in financial terms. Each dream implies a purpose, and a schedule of funds requirements for realising the purpose Asset Allocation refers to the distribution of the investor’s wea lth between different asset classes (gold, property, equity, debt etc. Portfolio Re-balancing is the process of changing the investor’s asset allocation Risk Tolerance / Risk Preference refers to the appetite of the investor for investment risk viz. risk of loss Financial Plan Is a road map, a blue print that lists the investors’ financial goals and outlines a strategy for realising them Quality of the Financial Plan is a function of how much information the prospect shares, which in turn depends on comfort that the planner inspires Capital Structure Capital structure of a firm is a reflection of the overall investment and financing strategy of the firm.Capital structure can be of various kinds as described below: – Horizontal capital structure: the firm has zero debt component in the structure mix. Expansion of the firm takes through equity or retained earnings only. – Vertical capital structure: the base of the structure is formed by a small amount of e quity share capital. This base serves as the foundation on which the super structure of preference share capital and debt is built. – Pyramid shaped capital structure: this has a large proportion consisting of equity capita; and retained earnings. Inverted pyramid shaped capital structure: this has a small component of equity capital, reasonable level of retained earnings but an ever-increasing component of debt. SIGNIFICANCE OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE: – Reflects the firm’s strategy – Indicator of the risk profile of the firm – Acts as a tax management tool – Helps to brighten the image of the firm. FACTORS INFLUENCING CAPITAL STRUCTURE: – Corporate strategy – Nature of the industry – Current and past capital structure Cost of Capital Cost of capital is the rate of return the firm requires from investment in order to increase the value of the firm in the market place.In economic sense, it is the cost of raising funds required to finance the proposed project, the borrowing rate of the firm. Thus under economic terms, the cost of capital may be defined as the weighted average cost of each type of capital. There are three basic aspects about the concept of cost 1. It is not a cost as such: The cost of capital of a firm is the rate of return which it requires on the projects. That is why; it is a ‘hurdle’ rate. 2. It is the minimum rate of return: A firm’s cost of capital represents the minimum rate of return which is required to maintain at least the market value of equity shares. . It consists of three components. A firm’s cost of capital includes three components a. Return at Zero Risk Level: It relates to the expected rate of return when a project involves no financial or business risks. b. Business Risk Premium: Business risk relates to the variability in operating profit (earnings before interest and taxes) by virtue of changes in sales. Business risk premium is determined b y the capital budgeting decisions for investment proposals. c. Financial Risk Premium: Financial risk relates to the pattern of capital structure (i. e. debt-equity mix) of the firm, In general, a firm which has higher debt content in its capital structure should have more risk than a firm which has comparatively low debt content. This is because the former should have a greater operating profit with a view to covering the periodic interest payment and repayment of principal at the time of maturity than the latter. Trading on Equity When a co. uses fixed interest bearing capital along with owned capital in raising finance, is said â€Å"Trading on Equity†. (Owned Capital = Equity Share Capital + Free Reserves )Trading on equity represents an arrangement under which a company uses funds carrying fixed interest or dividend in such a way as to increase the rate of return on equity shares. It is possible to raise the rate of dividend on equity capital only when the rate of intere st on fixed – interest – bearing – security is less than the rate of return earned in business. †¢Two other terms: †¢Trading on Thick Equity :-  When borrowed capital is less than owned capital †¢Trading on Thin Equity :-  When borrowed capital is more than owned capital, it is called Trading on thin Equity.Q. 2 a. Write the features of interim divined and also write the factors (08 Marks) Influencing divined policy? b. What is reorder level? Ans: a) Usually, board of directors of  company  declares  dividend  in annual general meeting after finding the real net profit position. If boards of directors give dividend for current year before closing of that year, then it is called interim dividend. This dividend is declared between two annual general meetings. Before declaring interim dividend, board of directors should estimate the net profit which will be in future.They should also estimate the amount of  reserves  which will deduct from net profit in  profit and loss appropriation account. If they think that it is sufficient for operating of business after declaring such dividend. They can issue but after completing the year, if profits are less than estimates, then they have to pay the amount of declared dividend. For this, they will have to take loan. Therefore, it is the duty of directors to deliberate with financial consultant before taking this decision.Accounting treatment of interim dividend in final accounts of company:- # First Case  : Interim dividend is shown both in profit and loss appropriation account and balance sheet , if it is outside the  trial balance  in given question. ( a) It will go to debit side of profit and loss appropriation account (b) It will also go to current liabilities head in liabilities side. # Second Case:  Interim dividend is shown only in profit and loss appropriation account, if it is shown in trial balance. ( a) It will go only to debit side of profit and loss appropriation account.If in final declaration is given outside of trial balance and this will be proposed dividend and interim dividend in trial balance will be deducted for writing proposed dividend in profit and loss appropriation account and balance sheet of company, because if we will not deducted interim dividend, then it will be double   deducted from net profit that is wrong and error shows when we will   match balance sheets assets with liabilities. Factors affecting dividend policy. The dividend decision is difficult decision because of conflicting objectives and also because of lack of specific decision-making techniques.It is not easy to lay down an optimum dividend policy which would maximize the long-run wealth of the shareholders. The factors affecting dividend policy are grouped into two broad categories. 1. Ownership considerations 2. Firm-oriented considerations Ownership considerations:  Where ownership is concentrated in few people, there are no problems in identifying ownership interests. However, if ownership is decentralized on a wide spectrum, the identification of their interests becomes difficult. Various groups of shareholders may have different desires and objectives.Investors gravitate to those companies which combine the mix of growth and desired dividends. Firm-oriented considerations:  Ownership interests alone may not determine the dividend policy. A firm’s needs are also an important consideration, which include the following: †¢ Contractual and legal restrictions †¢ Liquidity, credit-standing and working capital †¢ Needs of funds for immediate or future expansion †¢ Availability of external capital. †¢ Risk of losing control of organization †¢ Relative cost of external funds †¢ Business cycles †¢ Post dividend policies and stockholder relationships.The following factors affect the shaping of a dividend policy: Nature of Business:  Companies with unstable earnings adopt dividend policies which are different from those which have steady earnings. Composition of Shareholding:  In the case of a closely held company, the personal objectives of the directors and of a majority of shareholders may govern the decision. To the contrary, widely held companies may take a dividend decision with a greater sense of responsibility by adopting a more formal and scientific approach. Investment Opportunities:  Many companies retain earnings to facilitate planned expansion.Companies with low credit ratings may feel that they may not be able to sell their securities for raising necessary finance they would need for future expansion. So, they may adopt a policy for retaining larger portion of earnings. Similarly, is a company has lucrative opportunities for investing its funds and can earn a rate which is higher than its cost of capital, it may adopt a conservative dividend policy. Liquidity:  This is an important factor. There are companies, which are profitable but cannot generate sufficient cash, since profits are to be reinvested in fixed assets and working capital to boost sales.Restrictions by Financial Institutions:  Sometimes financial institutions which grant long-term loans to a company put a clause restricting dividend payment till the loan or a substantial part of it is repaid. Inflation:  In period of inflation, funds generated from depreciation may not be adequate to replace worn out equipment. Under inflationary situation, the firm has to depend upon retained earnings as a source of funds to make up for the shortfall. Consequently, the dividend pay out ratio will tend to be low. Other factors:  Age of the company has some effect on the dividend decision.The demand for capital expenditure, money supply, etc. , undergo great oscillations during the different stages of a business cycle. As a result, dividend policies may fluctuate from time to time. Ans b) Reorder Level This is that level of materials at which a new order for supply of materials is to be placed. In other words, at this level a purchase requisition is made out. This level is fixed somewhere between maximum and minimum levels. Order points are based on usage during time necessary to requisition order, and receive materials, plus an allowance for protection against stock out.The  order point  is reached when inventory on hand and quantities due in are equal to the lead time usage quantity plus the safety   stock quantity. Formula of Re-order Level or Ordering Point: The following two formulas are used for the calculation of  reorder level or point. Ordering point or re-order level = Maximum daily or weekly or monthly usage ? Lead time The above formula is used when usage and lead time are known with certainty; therefore, no safety stock is provided. When safety stock is provided then the following formula will be applicable: Ordering point or re-order level = Maximum daily or weekly or monthly usage ?Lead time + Safety stock Q. 3 Sales Rs. 400, 000 less returns Rs 10, 000, Cost of Goods Sold Rs 300,000, Administration and selling expenses Rs. 20, 000, Interest on loans Rs. 5000, Income tax Rs. 10000, preference dividend Rs. 15,000, Equity Share Capital Rs. 100, 000 @Rs. 10 per share. Find EPS. Sales Rs. 400, 000 less returns Rs 10, 000, Cost of Goods Sold Rs 300,000, Administration and selling expenses Rs. 20, 000, Interest on loans Rs. 5000, Income tax Rs. 10000, preference dividend Rs. 15,000, Equity Share Capital Rs. 100, 000 @Rs. 10 per share. Find EPS. Sales | | |400,000 | | |Less Returns | |10,000 |390,000 | | | | | | | |Less | | | | | |COGS | | |30,000 | | |S | | |20,000 | | |Int on Loan | | |5,000 | | |IT | | |10,000 |325,000 | |Div | | |15,000 | | |ESC | | |100,000 |@ 10/- | |NPAT – Pref Share Div | | | | |No of Shares | | | | | | | | | | |NPAT | | |55,000 | | |less Pref Share Div | |15,000 |40,000 | | | | | | | |EPS | | |40,000 |=Rs. 4/- | | | | |10,000 | | Q. 4 What are the techniques of evaluation of investment? Three steps are involved in the evaluation of an investment: †¢Estimation of cash flows †¢Estimation of the required rate of return (the opportunity cost of capital)   †¢Application of a decision rule for making the choice. The first two steps, discussed in the subsequent chapters, are assumed as given. Thus, our discussion in this chapter is confined to the third step. speifically, we focus on the merits and demerits of various decision rules. Investment decision ruleThe investment decision rules may be referred to as capital budgeting techniques, or investment criteria. A sound appraisal technique should be used to measure the economic worth of an investment project. The essential property of a sound technique is that it should maximize the shareholders’ wealth. The following other characteristics should also be possessed by a sound investment evaluation criterion. †¢ It should consider all cash flows to determine the true pro fitability of the project. †¢ It should provide for an objective and unambiguous way of separating good projects form bad projects. †¢ It should help ranking of projects according to their true profitability. It should recognize the fact that bigger cash flows true profitability. †¢ It should recognize the fact that bigger cash flows are preferable to smaller once and early cash flows are preferable to later ones. †¢ It should help top choose among mutually exclusive projects that project which maximizes the shareholders’ wealth. †¢ It should be a criterion which is applicable to any conceivable investment project independent of other. These conditions will be clarified as we discuss the features of various investment criteria in the following pages. Evaluation criteria A number of investments criteria (or capital budgeting techniques) are in use in proactive. They may be grouped in the following two categories: 1.Discounted cash flow (DCF) criteria à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Net present value (NPV) †¢ Internal rate of return (IIR) †¢ Profitability index (PI) 2. Non-discounted cash flow criteria †¢ Payback period (PB) †¢ Discounted payback period †¢ Accounting rate of return (ARR). Discounted payback is a variation of the payback method. It involves discounted cash flows, but as we shall see later, it is not a true measure of investment profitability. We will show in the following pages that the net present value criterion is the most valid technique of maximizing the shareholders wealth. Problems associated with inadequate working capital Working capital may be regarded as the life blood of business.Working capital is of major importance to internal and external analysis because of its close relationship with the current day-to-day operations of a business. Every business needs funds for two purposes. * Long term   funds are required   to create production facilities through purchase of fixed assets such as plants, ma chineries, lands, buildings & etc * Short term funds are required for the purchase of raw materials, payment of wages, and other day-to-day expenses. . It is other wise known as revolving or circulating capital It is nothing but the difference between current assets and current liabilities. i. e. Working Capital = Current Asset – Current Liability. Businesses use capital for construction, renovation, furniture, software, equipment, or machinery.It is also commonly used to purchase inventory, or to make payroll. Capital is also used often by businesses to put a down payment down on a piece of commercial real estate. Working capital is essential for any business to succeed. It is becoming increasingly important to have access to more working capital when we need it. Q. 5 What are the problems associated with inadequate working capital? A business firm must maintain an adequate level of working capital in order to run its business smoothly. It is worthy to note that both excessi ve and inadequate working capital positions are harmful. Working capital is just like the heart of business. If it becomes weak, the business can hardly prosper and survive.No business can run successfully without an adequate amount of working capital. Danger of inadequate working capital When working capital is inadequate, a firm faces the following problems. Fixed Assets cannot efficiently and effectively be utilized on account of lack of sufficient working capital. Low liquidity position may lead to liquidation of firm. When a firm is unable to meets its debts at maturity, there is an unsound position. Credit worthiness of the firm may be damaged because of lack of liquidity. Thus it will lose its reputation. There by, a firm may not be able to get credit facilities. It may not be able to take advantages of cash discount. Disadvantages of Redundant or Excessive Working Capital 1.Excessive Working Capital means ideal funds which earn no profits for the business and hence the busin ess cannot earn a proper rate of return on its investments. 2. When there is a redundant working capital, it may lead to unnecessary purchasing and accumulation of inventories causing more chances of theft, waste and losses. 3. Excessive working capital implies excessive debtors and defective credit policy which may cause higher incidence of bad debts. 4. It may result into overall inefficiency in the organization. 5. When there is excessive working capital, relations with banks and other financial institutions may not be maintained. 6. Due to low rate of return on investments, the value of shares may also fall. 7.The redundant working capital gives rise to speculative transactions. Disadvantages or Dangers of Inadequate Working Capital 1. A concern which has inadequate working capital cannot pay its short-term liabilities in time. Thus, it will lose its reputation and shall not be able to get good credit facilities. 2. It cannot buy its requirements in bulk and cannot avail of disc ounts, etc. 3. It becomes difficult for the firm to exploit favourable market conditions and undertake profitable projects due to lack of working capital. 4. The firm cannot pay day-to-day expenses of its operations and its creates inefficiencies, increases costs and reduces the profits of the business. 5.It becomes impossible to utilize efficiently the fixed assets due to non-availability of liquid funds. 6. The rate of return on investments also falls with the shortage of working capital. Disadvantages or Dangers of Inadequate or Short Working Capital †¢ Can’t pay off its short-term liabilities in time. †¢ Economies of scale are not possible. †¢ Difficult for the firm to exploit favourable market situations †¢ Day-to-day liquidity worsens †¢ Improper utilization the fixed assets and ROA/ROI falls sharply Q. 6 What is leverage? Compare and Contrast between operating Leverage and financial leverage (10 Marks) ‘Leverage’ is the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it; it also means ‘effectiveness’ or ‘power’.The common interpretation of leverage is derived from the use or manipulation of a tool or device termed as lever, which provides a substantive clue to the meaning and nature of financial leverage. When an organization is planning to raise its capital requirements (funds), these may be raised either by issuing debentures and securing long term loan 0r by issuing share-capital. Normally, a company is raising fund from both sources. When funds are raised from debts, the Co. investors will pay interest, which is a definite liability of the company. Whether the company is earning profits or not, it has to pay interest on debts. But one benefit of raising funds from debt is that interest paid on debts is allowed as deduction for income tax. When funds are raised by issue of shares (equity) , the investor are paid dividend on their investment. Dividends are paid only when th e Company is having sufficient amount of profit. In case of loss, dividends are not paid. But dividend is not allowed as deduction while computing tax on the income of the Company. In this way both way of raising funds are having some advantages and disadvantages. A Company has to decide that what will be its mix of Debt and Equity, considering the liability, cost of funds and expected rate of return on investment of fund. A Company should take a proper decision about such mix, otherwise it will face many financial problems.For the purpose of determination of mix of debt and equity, leverages are calculated and analyzed. Concept of Financial Leverage Leverage may be defined as the employment of an asset or funds for which the firm pays a fixed cost or fixed return. The fixed cost or return may, therefore be thought of as the full annum of a lever. Financial leverage implies the use of funds carrying fixed commitment charge with the objective of increasing returns to equity sharehold ers. Financial leverage or leverage factor is defined, as the ratio of total value of debt to total assets or the total value of the firm. For example, a firm having a total value of Rs. ,00,000 and a total debt of Rs. 1,00,000 would have a leverage factor of 50 percent. There are difficult measures of leverage such as. i. The ratio of debt to total capital ii. The ratio of debt to equity iii. The ratio of net operating income (earning before interest and taxes) to fixed’ charges) The first two measures of leverage can be expressed either in book v8lue or market value the debt of equity ratio as a measure of financial leverage is more popular in practice. â€Å" Risk & Financial Leverage: Effects of financial Leverage:  The use of leverage results in two obvious effects: i. Increasing the shareholders earning under favorable economic conditions, and ii.Increasing the financial risk of the firm. Suppose there are two companies each having a Rs. 1,00,000 capital structure. O ne company has borrowed half of its investment while the other company has only equity capital: Both earn Rs. 2,00,000 profit. The ratio of interest on the borrowed capital is 10%and the rate of corporate tax 50%. Let us calculate the effect of financial leverage, both in the shareholders earnings and the Company’s financial risk in these two companies. (a) Effect of Leverage on Shareholders Earnings: |  |   |  |Company A |  |Company B | | | | |Rs. | |Rs. |  |Profit before Interest and Taxes | |2,00,000 | |2,00,000 | |  |Equity | |10,00,000 | |5,00,000 | |  |Debt | |—- | |5,00,000 | |  |Interest (10%) | |—- | |50,000 | |  |Profit after interest but before Tax | |2,00,000 | |1,50,000 | |  |Taxes @ 50% | |1,00,000 | |75,000 | Rate of return on Equity of Company A Rs. 1,00,000/Rs. 10,00,000 = 10% Rate of return on Equity of Company B Rs. 75,000/Rs. 5,00,000 = 15% The above illustration points to the favorable effect of the leverage factor on ear nings of shareholders. The concept of leverage is 5 if one can earn more on the borrowed money that it costs but detrimental to the man who fails to do so far there is such a thing as a negative leverage i. e. borrowing money at 10% to find that, it can earn 5%. The difference comes out of the shareholders equity so leverage can be a double-edged sword. b) Effect of Leverage on the financial risk of the company:  Financial risk broadly defined includes both the risk of possible insolvency and the changes in the earnings available to equity shareholders. How does the leverage factor leads to the risk possible insolvency is self-explanatory. As defined earlier the inclusion of more and more debt in capital structure leads to increased fixed commitment charges on the part of the firm as the firm continues to lever itself, the changes of cash insolvency leading’ to legal bankruptcy increase because the financial ‘charges incurred, by the firm exceed the expected earnings. Obviously this leads to fluctuations in earnings’ available to the equity shareholders. Relationship: Financial and Operating leverage:Relationship between financial and operating leverage:  In business terminology, leverage is used in two senses: Financial leverage & Operating Leverage Financial leverage:  The effect which the use of debt funds produces on returns is called financial leverage. Operating leverage:  Operating leverage refers to the use of fixed costs in the operation of the firm. A firm has a high degree of operating leverage if it employs a greater amount of fixed costs. The degree of operating leverage may be defined as the percentage change in profit resulting from a percentage change in sales. This can be expressed as: = Percent Change in Profit/Percent Change in SalesThe degree of financial leverage is defined as the percent change in earnings available to common shareholders that is associated with a given percentage change in EBIT. Thus, operatin g leverage affects EBIT while financial leverage affects earnings after interest and taxes the earnings available to equity shareholders. For this reason operating leverage is sometimes referred to as first stage leverage and financial leverage as second stage leverage. Therefore, if a firm uses a considerable amount of both operating leverage and financial leverage even small changes in the level of sales will produce wide fluctuations in earnings per share (EPS).The combined effect of both these types of leverages is after called total leverage which, is closely tied to the firm’s total risk. MB0046 -Marketing Management Assignment Set – 1 Q. 1 ]a. Explain the different micro-environmental forces with examples. Forces in the micro environment [pic] 1 The Company Remember, in the previous unit we discussed about marketing mix and marketing plan. Safe Express, a leader in the supply chain management solution wants to hold its number one position in the US $ 90 billion Indian logistics market. The company plans to expand its service areas in the coming months. To meet the targets of the marketing plan, other departments of safe express also expanding their horizon.The Company is coming out with logistics parks in different cities; plans to hold seven million square feet of warehousing capacity in the next three years and invest Rs 10 billion in three years to meet those targets. The above example shows that the company’s marketing plan should be supported by the other functional departments also. 2 Intermediaries Marketing intermediaries: These are firms which distribute and sell the goods of the company to the consumer. Marketing intermediaries play an important role in the distribution, selling and promoting the goods and services. Stocking and delivering, bulk breaking, and selling the goods and services to customer are some of the major functions carried out by the middlemen.Retailers, wholesalers, agents, brokers, jobbers and carry for ward agents are few of the intermediaries. Retailers are final link between the company and the customers. Their role in the marketing of product is increasing every day. 3 Publics These are microenvironment groups, which help a company to generate the financial resources, creating the image, examining the companies’ policy and developing the attitude towards the product. We can identify six types of publics 1. Financial publics influence the company’s ability to obtain funds. For example, Banks, investment houses and stockholders are the major financial publics. 2. Media publics carry news and features about the company e. g.Deccan Herald 3. Advertisement regulation agencies, telecom regulation agency( TRAI), and insurance regulation agency(IRDA) of the government 4. Citizen action groups: Formed by the consumer or environmental groups. For example, people for ethical treatment of animals (PETA) or Greenpeace. 5. General publics: a compa

OPSU Admissions SAT Scores, Financial Aid More

OPSU has open admissions, meaning that generally all qualified applicants can be admitted. To apply, interested students will need to submit a completed application form, scores from the SAT or ACT, and official transcripts of high school work. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the campus, to take a tour and see if the school would be a good fit for them. For more information about applying, including important deadlines, check out the schools website, or get in touch with the admissions office at OPSU. Admissions Data (2016) Oklahoma Panhandle State University Acceptance Rate: - %Test Scores -- 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - /-SAT Math: - / -SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: - / -ACT English: - / -ACT Math: - / -What these ACT numbers mean OPSU Description In 1909, Oklahoma State Legislature decided to bring secondary agricultural education to the Panhandle area, and thus created the Pan-Handle Agricultural Institute, later called Oklahoma Panhandle State University. OPSU is a small, four-year, public university whose 1,400 students are supported by a student/faculty ratio of 16 to 1. The university offers a wide variety of programs and degrees through the schools of Science, Mathematics, and Learning; Agriculture; Liberal Arts; Business and Technology; and Education. Programs in health and agriculture areas are some of the most popular. Students stay busy outside of the classroom through OPSUs many student clubs and intramurals. The university has a nine-hole golf course, a swimming pool, an indoor track, and basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts. OPSU competes in the NCAA Division II  Heartland Conference  for ten intercollegiate sports. Men’s and women’s rodeo is also extremely popular, and the men’s team has won a total of four National Championships. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 1,207  (all undergraduate)Gender Breakdown: 49% Male / 51% Female73% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17) Tuition and Fees: $7,294 (in-state), $8,233 (out-of-state)Books: $582 (why so much?)Room and Board: $5,344Other Expenses: $4,115Total Cost: $17,335 (in-state), $18,274 OPSU Financial Aid (2015  - 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 92%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 87%Loans: 54%Average Amount of AidGrants: $4,205Loans: $5,363 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Agribusiness, Agronomy, Biology, Computer Information Systems, Health and Physical Education, Nursing, Psychology Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 59%Transfer Out Rate: 8%4-Year Graduation Rate: 27%6-Year Graduation Rate: 40% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Cross Country, Basketball, Football, Golf, BaseballWomens Sports:  Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Golf, Cross Country Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like OPSU, You May Also Like These Schools West Texas A M University: Profile  Oklahoma City University: Profile  New Mexico Highlands University: Profile  Colorado State University - Pueblo: Profile  Oklahoma State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Central Oklahoma: Profile  Oklahoma Wesleyan University: Profile  Cameron University: Profile  Eastern New Mexico University: Profile  Oklahoma Baptist University: Profile

Mental Illness Is Nothing But Brain Illness - 1466 Words

Mental Illness is Nothing But Brain Illness Is there anything more frustrating than finding out that scientific theories that were considered great ideas back then if applied to today’s world should be tossed away? These theories are not a secret and I can go on and on; but similar to these scientific theories, there is a theory about the mental illness are brain illnesses. This is not true because a mental illness is referred to as â€Å"a wide range of mental health conditions that affects your mood, thinking and behavior† (mayo clinic). In a recent edge article, Mental Illness is Nothing but Brain Illness†, which is written by Ian Gold and Joel Gold argue that mental illness and brain illness are two different things. For example, if we have a brain illness, it is only associated with the brain. In order to treat that brain illness, we just have to fix the damage done to the brain because the cause relies in the brain. On other hand, if we have a mental illnes s, it effects the brain; but it makes â€Å"references to the world outside the brain† (Gold). In order to understand and treat a mental illness, we have to â€Å"sometimes move outside the skull† because there are several causes (Gold). I agree with the writer that so much research is done on the brain, but none of it yet can help the mental illness’s patients. So, if we stop associating mental illness as brain illness and research on the main causes, we can prevent some people from getting a mental illness at all. ThisShow MoreRelatedMental Illness Is Nothing But Brain Illness938 Words   |  4 Pagescause of mental illness is our environment. Several environmental components can increase our chances of getting a mental illness. Factors like feeling low in self esteem or anxiety, living in poverty, death or divorce in the family, social or cultural expectations can deeply affect or shape our risks of getting a mental illness. 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EducatingRead MoreDepression: Facts vs. False1172 Words   |  5 Pagesas an illness, it affects men and women, young and old, black and white, both mentally and physically. Many believe that depression is simply a creative choice one’s mind, but mental and physical depression is a true debilitating condition. By dictionary definition, depression is a severe despondency and dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. In terms of science, depression is explained as a chemical unbalance of one’s brain. ThisRead MoreMental Illness Is A Social Problem1501 Words   |  7 PagesMental illness is a health condition that affects an individual’s moods and thinking in a way that changes how that person relates to other people in society. The functioning of the affected person is also altered and usually results in the person failing to perform some of the daily activities that the person has previously engaged in. Mental illness can be considered a combination of both social and health complications, affecting the social life of the people who fall victim in many ways (ElliottRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder1472 Words   |  6 Pagesdepressive phase. It is a brain disorder where you never know which o ne is going to show up for other people to deal with for the day, or maybe even weeks. Bipolar is a serious condition that can be harmful to the person who is dealing with the brain disorder, but as well as, for those people who are involved in the person’s life. It is very hard to diagnose someone with a bipolar, but what is a bipolar disorder? â€Å"Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes

Fetal Abnormality Case Study Essay - 852 Words

Fetal Abnormality Case Study The advancement of medical technology has made it possible to detect medical abnormalities while a child is still a fetus and can create difficult choices for parents to make if severe anomalies are discovered. There are many theories regarding the moral status of the fetus that can be applied when deciding how to proceed if these abnormalities are detected. In the fetal abnormality case study, Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson each have varying opinions on what course of action to take based on these different theories of moral status. Jessica is torn between her desire to be financially independent and her belief that all life has value. Her belief is what Sebo (n.d.) describes as moral status based on†¦show more content†¦Maria is absolutely opposed to any mention of termination. She views the moral status of the fetus based on Jessicas responsibility as a mother, or the theory of moral agency based on relationships (GCU, 2015). This theor y states that a person must not interfere with another person or must respect their rights because they have a relationship with them (GCU, 2015; Jaworska Tannenbaum, 2013). For example, the relationship between a parent and their child, or in this case their fetus, provides a particularly strong case for a parent not to kill their child or abort their fetus (Jaworska Tannenbaum, 2013). Aside from the relationship of Jessica and her fetus which may prevent her from terminating, this theory is also applicable in this case to Marco and Jessica, as he is going to support any decision that she makes based on their relationship. It can also be applied to the physician-patient relationship, so Dr. Wilson must respect Jessicas and Marcos rights as parents and their choice because of their relationship. Because moral status has to do with which beings have value or rights, I tend to agree with the theory of sentience. I believe that animals do have rights, especially in terms of biomedica l ethics and research. I may, however, seem hypocritical in this belief because I am not a vegetarian. But in this case, based on this theory I would be likely to terminate the pregnancy at this early stage due to the severe disability and likelihood forShow MoreRelatedHlt 310v Week 2 Case Study on Moral Status1425 Words   |  6 PagesHLT 310V WEEK 2 CASE STUDY ON MORAL STATUS To purchase this tutorial visit here: http://wiseamerican.us/product/hlt-310v-week-2-case-study-moral-status/ contact us at: SUPPORT@WISEAMERICAN.US Max Points: 80 Details: Write a 250-500 word analysis of â€Å"Case Study: Fetal Abnormality.† Be sure to address the following questions: 1. Which theory or theories are being used by Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson to determine the moral status of the fetus? Explain. 2. 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In this randomized, double blind trial, 50 patients were assigned to Captopril and 42 were assigned to placebo group. Over 2-week dosage titration and 10-week evaluation period, the Captopril group revealed improvement in exercise tolerance andRead MoreFetal Alcohol Syndrome1466 Words   |  6 PagesFetal Alcohol Syndrome â€Å"If women didn’t drink anymore during pregnancy, there would never be another baby born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect† (McCuen 33). This is a very powerful statement. It is also a very simple cure for an alarmingly high birth defect that all women have the power to stop. â€Å"Every year more than 40,000 American children are born with defects because their mother drank alcohol while pregnant â€Å" (McCuen 34). That is 1 to 3 per 1,000 live birthsRead MoreEffects Of The On Fetal Alcohol Syndrome1206 Words   |  5 Pagesincrease in alcohol intake. During this period, fetal and infant death rates were at it highest [1]. The medical society did not believe consumption of alcohol was the cause of the high rise in birth defects at the time. With the repeal of the prohibition on alcohol in 1933, doctors believed it had beneficial effects to the point of intravenous treatments with alcohol were used to delay preterm labor. In the 1950s to 1960s, there was another rise in fetal birth defects called the â€Å"thalidomide scare†Read More Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay1409 Words   |  6 Pages Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was found, named and treated in the late 1960’s. The term â€Å"Fetal Alcohol Syndrome† is used to describe a lifelong set of physical, mental and neurobehavioral birth defects associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Most women are not aware of the many complications that can occur during pregnancy. Many pregnant women continue drinking right throughout their pregnancy, ignoring the fact that they could damage, and pose problemsRead MoreFetal Alcohol Syndrome And Its Effects1712 Words   |  7 Pages Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its Effects On a Child’s Cognitive Development Dane D. Hrencher Kansas State University Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its Effects On a Child’s Cognitive Development Alcohol is known as one the most dangerous teratogens. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, she allows alcohol to enter her blood stream and make its way into the placenta. Unlike the mother, the fetus is unable to break down alcohol that makes the blood alcohol level of the fetus the same orRead MoreDetection of Heart Defects with Fetal Echocardiography1515 Words   |  6 PagesFetal echocardiography is indicated in high risk pregnancies where the chances of fetus having a congenital heart disease (CHD) are likely to be high - for exapmle, in a fetus with extracardiac anomalies picked up on obstetric ultrasound, those with a history of CHD in family, maternal diabetes and maternal connective tissue disorder (Srinivasan,2000). Congenital heart defects are abnormalities in the hearts structure that are present at birth. They are the most common congenital malformationsRead MoreEssay On Biotechnology1520 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the investigation and in-depth sequencing of the human genome particularly for the study of biological markers, translational research and genotyping. Upon discovery of cell-free DNA in maternal plasma, implementation of Non-invasive Prenatal Testing, or NIFTY/NIPT, has been actively performed throughout the globe to test for fetal chromosomal abnormalities, particularly Down’s syndrome. Detection rates of fetal aneuploidies can be done in the first and/or second trimester – as early as 4 weeks

American Way Free Essays

string(83) " to another school where the latter succeeded in writing but failed in arithmetic\." The present term paper will compare the life struggles of the two totally different American historical figures – Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895) and Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790). Although the were dissimilar in regard to their social backgrounds and characters, both of them praised knowledge as the most valid source of power, and were perseverant in their strivings for self-education. We will write a custom essay sample on American Way or any similar topic only for you Order Now Both successfully tried their hand in writing. The comparison of Douglass’ and Franklin’s lives will be supported by the quotes from their autobiographies. Before proceeding to the analysis part, it makes sense to overview the contributions which each of the men made to the United States history. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, more widely known as Frederick Douglass, was born a slave. He managed to cast off that yoke only at the age of twenty when he arranged false identification papers to take a long journey from Maryland to New York. Upon joining various abolitionist organizations in Massachusetts, Douglass had been delivering lectures on anti-slavery across the Eastern and Midwestern states as well as across the ocean from 1841 till 1846. In the late 1840s, he became active as a publisher. Acknowledging the Emancipation Proclamation (announced by President Lincoln in 1862) to be one of the most prominent documents in the American history since it declared the liberation of black slaves, the prominent abolitionist fought for granting equal rights to all American citizens regardless of sex and ethnicity. Benjamin Franklin acquired prominence as a writer, politician and scientist. Being born in a rather poor large family, he managed to make money on newspaper editing, printing, and commerce in Philadelphia. Franklin founded the first public lending library, fire department, and political discussion club in the United States. He refined the theory of electricity and invented many important utensils and instruments (i. e. the lightning rod, bifocals, the iron furnace stove, a carriage odometer, etc. ). He grew popular as a politician and civic leader after publicly speaking against the Stamp Act. During the American Revolution, Franklin, the diplomat, managed to chaffer military and financial aid from France. In his later period of life he supported the ideas of abolitionism. To return back to the comparison of Douglass’ and Franklin’s views on the importance of knowledge and education, both were never tired of improving their cognitive skills. Despite totally different social backgrounds, Douglass being a born slave, and Franklin, being the youngest son in the family of a tallow chandler of a British ancestry, were similarly deprived of the regular schooling. The wife of one of Douglass’ masters, Sophia Auld, started teaching Frederick the alphabet and elementary spelling. The woman unintentionally broke the law which forbade educating slaves. In his autobiography â€Å"Narrative of a Life,† Douglass reconstructed the speech of Sophia’s husband who raised his voice against literacy for slaves: If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master — to do as he is told to do. Learning would SPOIL the best nigger in the world. Now †¦ if you teach that nigger †¦ how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy. (Douglass 36) Although in a racist and humiliating form, the slave master emphasized the great role of knowledge and education for a human being. Having learnt to put letters into words, Frederick understood how right his master was concerning the importance of studies: It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty — to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. (Douglass 36) These thoughts of the famous abolitionist prove that literacy could expand mental horizons of Afro-Americans so that they were able to trace inequity in social life of the United States in the early 19th century. There colored people were degraded to the position of hard-laboring and powerless beasts. A talented boy had to continue his studies in secrecy, opposing to his masters’ intention of â€Å"shutting [him] up in mental darkness† (Douglass 36). Being sent on errands, Frederick used every opportunity to learn letters from the white poor boys in the neighborhoods. The young slave enjoyed reading because it â€Å"gave tongue to interesting thoughts of [his] own soul, which had frequently flashed through [his] mind, and died away for want of utterance† (Douglass 42). This happened when Frederick managed to read one of Sheridan’s speeches which inspired him to think over the nature of truth and its impact on conscience. Possessing a sharp wit, Douglass learnt to write as he watched the ship carpenters marking timbers. He also copied the Italics in Webster’s Spelling Book and finally succeeded in producing the letters correctly without peeping into the copy-book. Frederick dared even to take the copy-books of his masters’ son to practice in handwriting. One would admire the strong will and courage of the young slave who progressed in learning at the risk of being severely punished. Franklin’s path of education started in a less secret way. His father hoped that his son would make a career of a clergyman and sent the boy to the grammar-school at the age of eight. Benjamin showed a quick progress in learning so that he managed to jump from the first to the third class within one year. However, the senior Franklin found the cost of studying at that educational establishment too high and placed his son to another school where the latter succeeded in writing but failed in arithmetic. You read "American Way" in category "Papers" At ten Ben was taken home to assist his father in candle business. As Franklin recollected, he used to have â€Å"a thirst for knowledge† (14) and used every opportunity to expand his father’s small library by buying new books. He mentioned Plutarch’s â€Å"Lives,† Defoe’s â€Å"Essay on Projects,† and Dr. Mather’s â€Å"Essays to do Good† as the books which influenced his mind in the earlier period. The boy continued his self-education when he was made a printer’s apprentice. He borrowed books from booksellers’ apprentices and used to read at nights so that he could return them the following morning. When a wealthy tradesman Adams by name invited Benjamin to his library, the boy showed interest in poetry and attempted to write his own ballads. In the autobiography Franklin called his earlier verses â€Å"wretched stuff† (15) and explained that he preferred to master his writing skills in prose. Benjamin wrote a few letters to his friend to share some thoughts on women’s abilities for study, and the senior Franklin happened to read those letters. He praised the son for â€Å"correct spelling and pointing† but criticized for the flaws regarding â€Å"elegance of expression, †¦ method and †¦ perspicuity† (Franklin 16). The younger Franklin decided to train himself by imitating the style of the Spectator magazine that focused on political and current events and by turning some tales into poems. Thus Benjamin made a progress in expanding his vocabulary and arranging his thoughts in the better structured phrases. Finally the future ‘Founding Father† of the United States became satisfied with the results of his efforts: By comparing my work afterwards with the original, I discovered many faults and amended them; but I sometimes had the pleasure of fancying that, in certain particulars of small import, I had been lucky enough to improve the method or the language, and this encouraged me to think I might possibly in time come to be a tolerable English writer, of which I was extremely ambitious. (Franklin 17) Around the same period Franklin studied arithmetic and navigation. By attentively reading Xenophon’s â€Å"Memorable Things of Socrates† he practiced in the Socratic method of conducting disputes and refined his grammar. Benjamin aimed at â€Å"expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence† (Franklin 18) in his writings so that the argumentation contained both pros and contras related to the main thesis. At that time the perspective political theorist and polemicist designed an original concept of a good and authentic manner of writing. In his autobiography, Franklin emphasized that knowledge brought power to an educated man. Literate people could use their aptitude in eloquence and writing to persuade people into the things that would otherwise have been neglected or labeled as wrong. Since the scholar believed that â€Å"the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade†, he warned the men of letters against the whim of â€Å"express[ing] [themselves] as firmly fix’d in [their] present opinions† in â€Å"a positive and dogmatical manner† (Franklin 19). He suggested instead analyzing the issues under research in a critical and modest manner so that audiences were stimulated to think independently and freely without prejudices and cliches. It should be noticed that despite different manners of acquiring knowledge, Douglass and Franklin learnt similar lessons from their earlier exercises in reading and writing. Douglass observed that in a course of studies he started contemplating about human rights and the abnormal distribution of power between the master and the slave. On the one hand, as the author recalled, reading was a blessing because it enabled him to get the better command of the train of thoughts. On the other hand, however, it appeared to be a curse since it â€Å"had given [him] a view of [his] wretched condition, without the remedy† and â€Å"opened [his] eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out† (Douglass 42). It became evident to the boy that knowledge by itself could not ensure a person’s happiness and well-being and had to be supplied by civic acts. In his turn, Franklin arrived at the strong conviction that â€Å"truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life† (58). He had the enough independent mind to understand that †¦ certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by [Revelation], or good because it commanded them, yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered. (ibid. ) In other words, Franklin opposed the social structure as based on traditions and rigid rules which were imposed by the elite on the rest of citizens. Later those thoughts made the author of â€Å"Autobiography† to fight against any immorality or injustice caused by rich whites to people of another skin color. Douglass and Franklin displayed similar manners of life-long self-education and educating other people, although the results of those efforts for the each were different. Douglass became enough skillful in reading to teach other slaves to read the New Testament, and he was lucky to do that at a Sabbath school on Mr. Freeman’s plantation (the man who hired Douglass from his master). Over forty slaves had been attending lessons for about half a year. Freeman did not object to Douglass’ initiative but other slave-owners hated the very idea of Afro-Americans â€Å"behaving like intellectual, moral, and accountable beings† (Douglass 82). One Sunday a gang of whites attacked the pupils of the Sabbath school during their meeting and put a violent end to the enterprise. Franklin’s attempt to found a public subscription library ended more happily. In 1731, he and his colleagues from the Junto club created the Library Company of Philadelphia to engage people into reading. They sold the so-called â€Å"shares† to shareholders to buy books so that members borrowed them to their convenience. The goal Franklin et al. pursued was very noble: These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges. (70) In a course of time, another three public libraries emerged, thus forming a strong educational network in the United States of the 18th century. The foundation of the library provided Franklin with more opportunities to immerse into â€Å"constant study, for which [he] set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair’d in some degree the loss of the learned education† (79). As it is evident from researching Franklin’s autobiography, this prominent scholar possessed a skill of self-discipline and high self-organization. At the age of 27, this man of knowledge started learning French, Italian, and Spanish. He did it in a peculiar manner: one of Franklin’s friends often tempted him into playing chess, which game Benjamin was fond of. The scholar agreed to do it on the following condition: †¦ the victor in every game should have a right to impose a task, either in parts of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations, etc. , which tasks the vanquish’d was to perform upon honour, before our next meeting. As we play’d pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. (Franklin 99) His own linguistic experience gave Franklin the right to criticize the traditional approach to teaching foreign languages specifically and education in general. I would †¦ offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether, since many of those who begin with the Latin quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learnt becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost, it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, etc. ; for, tho’, after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that, being in modern use, might be serviceable to them in common life. (Franklin 100) As the abovementioned passage demonstrates, Franklin valued systematic education for its utility in everyday life. In his perception, knowledge was not only a collection of abstract truths about world order or human morals and ethics but also a very important tool in communication and career promotion. To summarize, education and knowledge were highly appraised by both Douglass and Franklin as it was evident from their writings. It is especially interesting that the men of the so different backgrounds arrived at the same conclusions despite living in different periods of the United States history. Franklin was one of the brightest minds of the 18th century when the country liberated itself from the British rule, and the American nation proclaimed its independence. Douglass belonged to the next age when the United States society became segregated by race, sex, and the issue of origin. Franklin represented the most literate and progressively thinking members of the privileged class which exercised power over poorer classes and people of the races other than White Caucasian. Douglass was the son of the degraded and oppressed folk of Afro-Americans who were formally liberated only upon the end of the Civil War. But, however different were the experiences of these two prominent figures of the United States history, both of them praised knowledge and education as efficient means of destroying inequality, ignorance, prejudice and rigidity of thinking. Both of them emphasized that education liberated the mind and soul from primitivism and barbarism. Both used every opportunity to acquire novel information that would widen their mental horizons and inspire other people to follow the path of knowledge. Douglass â€Å"Narrative of a Life† and Franklin’s â€Å"Autobiography† provide us with vivid and interesting-to-read examples of how human beings could refine themselves and society by being perseverant and enthusiastic in learning. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Charlottesville, Va. : University of Virginia Library, 1996. Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Charlottesville, Va. : University of Virginia Library, 1995. How to cite American Way, Papers

Supply Chain And Logistics Management †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Supply Chain And Logistics Management? Answer: Introducation DHL Express is German logistics giant and it provides international courier and parcel services (Dhl.co.in, 2017). A logistically linked system is used by DHL using two or more than transport methods with a single rate. The organisation follows mainly common handling characteristics that must be transferred between methods during movement. Transport management services are included procurement, strategic design, order management, track and trace, claims management and career management. Figure: Supply Network Identify and explain transportation choice HL Express has a special facility as they have an extensive road network across the globe and it has its own terminal. The transport of commodities needs high coordination and organisation among different modes of transport (Dekker et al., 2013). DHL mainly uses intermodal transportation. Intermodal transportation uses standardised containers in order to transport cargo on trucks, trains and ships. These containers are kept in rectangular boxes that are capable to shift in trailers. Intermodal can be described as the movement of cargo from the sources to the destination by using several transportation modes. Moreover, each of the transportation has different service providers and each has its own contract independently. Therefore, intermodal transport of supply chain has multiple carriers to be contracted in order to fulfil a single journey (Rushton, Croucher Baker, 2013). DHL intermodal tends to be rail and air segments, however, in between trucks are used frequently in order to connect them. These trucks are named as drayage' and these specialised trucks run between rail terminals and airports. These trucks are also run through inland shipping docks. First, a truck moves empty in order to load equipment and this equipment is loaded in the airport. These trucks then go to the railroad and this loaded equipment put into the trains (Christopher, 2016). The trains then go to destinations and the equipment is cleared off from the train. Then, the equipment is delivered by truck to the end customers. There are multiple parties involved in this system and each of the operation has independent contracts and each of the trucking system tries to meet customers expectations. DHL organisation organised the intermodal transport in its way with following the quantity and nature of the transported cargo. DHL mainly uses intermodal transport for finished goods and intermediate in load units. Moreover, sequencing the transportation modes is important as combination in transportation must follow the frequency of shipments. The process to increase the intermodal in its supply chains As stated by Craig, Blanco and Sheffi (2013), in the transport industry, the companies have various ways to move freight, however, ships, trucks and railroads are the backbones. DHL Express can increase the intermodality in transportation by following the first step to making rectangle containers and it makes helpful to ship items easily in trucks. DHL needs to establish goals and these should be in line with organisational objectives. DHL must research about the potential providers of transportation services and choose accordingly. In recent time, fuel cost is increasing and trucking can be used to connect line-haul' rail segments and airports of intermodal freight movement. Moreover, the trucking is facing the issues of the driver shortage and government regulations are another issue that is concerned with safety (Qu, Bekta? Bennell, 2016). In intermodal transport, the provision of service is based on one ticket (for passenger) and one bill of loading (for freight). DHL is going t o input Electronic Data Interchange that would help DHL to resolve the complex global transport process. In addition, DHL should leverage investment with technology and associated process in order to ensure a network of intermodality. DHL should contact with service providers and make clear about business requirements, scheduling, proof of delivery and en-route data. DHL can ask about the quality of transport, tight capacity and gravitate to the transport buyers. The intermodal network needs data integration from DHL and they should connect the pieces of the network in order to complete the work with consistency. Moreover, DHL makes the connection to service providers to the customers of the organisation; it is required to integrate data in both directions. The use of compartments demonstrates the complementarily between cargo transportation modes by offering a higher smoothness to developments and an institutionalisation of loads. The holder has considerably added to the selection and dispersion of multi-purpose transportation which has prompted significant transformations in the vehicle area (Woxenius, 2014). Through lessening of taking care of time, work expenses, and packing costs, compartment transportation permits impressive change in the productivity of transportation. Along these lines, the importance of holders isn't what they are - basic boxes - yet what they empower; intermodalism. Globalization couldn't have taken its present frame without containerisation. External and internal, both supply chain should be effective in order to make review lanes that DHL is going to use by trucks or rails. Shippers can determine in which direction and ways the trucks should be moving an opportunity to use intermodal cost saving. Lastly, DHL needs to develop lasting and strong relationship throughout the truck-based supply chain by using internet of things (IoT). Critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the new intermodal transportation choices Advantages: Intermodal transportation can influence the global economy by taking manipulative roles in goods management. Most importantly, DHL can get benefits to review the components of contract as intermodal transport allows making multiple contracts. In each contract, it is needed to review the reliability, schedule adherence, sustainability and punctuality of contract. DHL can have standard transport product and its dimension is ISO standard that must allow all vehicles. Management of DHL needs to standardise the dispatch process with working together consistently and efficiently. DHL can have more access to transit schedule and equipment and management can take the opportunity of reverse logistics. Intermodal transportation is reliable and it provides safety advantages. Flexibility of usage is another important factor in variety of goods ranging that can be transported. Freight intermodal transport provides benefits of saving the labour that takes responsibility in saving the time as well. Labours handle the trucks and goods from sources to destinations of the goods. DHL can use different types of containers in transportation like frozen goods, liquefied gases and mini containers for smaller trucks. Most importantly, truck transportation can provide help in carrying the heavy load in intermodal transport (Choong, Cole Kutanoglu, 2012). DHL uses mainly European roads and rail freight combined transports that provide advantages in efficient combination that optimises the lead times and reduce inventory costs. DHL can benefit to control the costs in different levels and it can reduce the carbon footprint of transportation. Different modes of transportations support environmental sustainability. Disadvantages: If roads through which the trucks pass are not good, the goods can get damaged. The items and goods can get damaged while sending through trucks as containers do not provide safety benefits. Most of the containers are old and they are not maintained properly. In order to maintain the damage, the cost can be increased. Truck transportation can delay the overall intermodal supply chain as DHLs trucks use congested areas. Labours can ask for demands and logistics process can get delayed. Intermodal transport can enhance the time spent in waiting for the new carrier to arrive and trucks to be unloaded (Arnold, Peeters Thomas, 2014). Different modes of transport require different materials and contracts in intermodal transport. Some of the trucks need refrigeration, chemical and larger loads, so the cost gets higher. Using diagram to illustrate warehouse floor plans and product movement Warehouse management should be good in order to provide best services to the customers. In each of the warehouses, Amazon keeps at least 10 thousand items and these can be delivered within an hour (Amazon.com, 2017). Amazon keeps these products in shelves and these shelves are organised. Sometimes, Amazons items are randomly stocked on purpose. Figure: Floor plan layout of warehouse Describe and examine the warehouse management Amazon typically uses storage type of warehousing. There are mainly five types of storage, pallet racking, shelving, mobile shelving, multi-tier racking and mezzanine flooring (Mulcahy, 2014). Amazon uses mainly shelving types of warehousing and this type is self-explanatory. These are mainly static shelves rather than mobile pallets. Shelving gives the help in tracking the products easily and it gives the opportunity to access quickly. Anything that is heavy and that is light can be kept in different places. Amazon mainly uses two types of shelving, first one is short span shelving and another one is long span shelving. Amazon mainly uses a warehouse in the US that is more than 10,000 square feet. Typical warehouses keep the similar products together and Amazon does the same. Amazon uses the technology of Warehouse Management System (WMS) technology in managing warehouse with RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification). WMS is a software application that is used for distribution. RFID uses to track the product tags through electromagnetic fields (Harmon, 2013). Amazon stores raw materials of products such as chemicals, food grains and minerals in the warehouse. Sometimes, Amazon also stores MRO inventory like large machines in the warehouse. Amazon mainly stores finished products and merchandises that are going to be shifted. Identify the companys strategic and operational factors Amazon provides delivery within just one hour of the orders in Prime Now services and it offers in 28 chosen cities in the US. Location of the warehouses mainly keeps near the airports and shipping dock. Physical locations of warehouses keep near the urban section and this place should have lease considerations. Amazon keeps their warehouses where labour forces are available. Cost of warehousing is high for Amazon as storage cost is incurred with this and it is related to the operations administrations (Aikens, 2015). Amazons warehouses are large and they are of 10,000 square feet. The capacity of warehouses is depended mainly set up of shelves for Amazon. All shelves are designed with 50*45*75; the theoretical capacity of warehouses would be 1000 shelves 82 cubic feet. There are more than 1000 shelves in Amazon warehouse. Service level is related to the expected probability of not hitting a stock out. Amazon daily sets the percentage to compute the safety stock (Staudt et al., 2015). Communication in a warehouse of Amazon mostly depended on mobile devices, VoIP calls help to communicate in warehouses. Communications are made to fulfil the order. Mobile device based system of MAS 90 is used in Amazon to communicate. Amazon uses WMS software based database in order to account stock movement through picking procedures and dock arrival times. Propose different order picking principles to suit the companys strategic and operational factors Amazon can use simple storage assignment strategy that is based on storage locations. Amazon can store better products in better locations and that would help in order picking system. Golden Zone concept tells that products must be kept in direct front of order picker and it is better than bend down to reach (Ivanov, Pavlov Sokolov, 2014). If one product is repeatedly needed, it is logical to keep the product near. Critically evaluate how the proposed order picking principles link Inventory types: Storage-based strategy would be helpful for Amazon warehouse as Amazon deals with finished goods. Amazon just delivers the finished goods to the customers. Golden zone concept would be applicable to Amazon as Amazon employees need to pick each item when delivery is needed (Jahre et al., 2014). Ergonomic consideration of the employees is forefront in picking the products in Amazon. Finished goods are kept in shelves of Amazon warehouse, if the goods are kept in direct front of the employees, it would be easier to the employees to access these. Utilisation space Amazon uses small containers in the warehouse that gives the opportunity to use extra space in the warehouse. The items are stored in shelves and containers are small, that give extra space to the employees to work. The employees put the products if the products are not packaged before they are stored in shelves. Golden zone strategy will maximise the warehouse space utilisation through using more labourers in the warehouse. If the products required the small place, it should not be placed in best' location just because it requires small space. Transit space can be used in terms of keeping the products for short time. Stock movement Employees of Amazon warehouse are responsible for the movement of the stock and goods. Management needs to establish operating stocks based on a rate of usage. Stock levels can be rechecked. The employees must ensure monthly stock in the warehouse. In assigning the products in each month and week, storage location must be good and easy to pick. Shelf dimension must be spacious and it would give a benefit of stock movement and it would help to keep monthly stock usage report. If the storage of the items is good then, in warehouses of Amazon, RFID technology is most used and in previous time barcode technology was used. RFID solutions help to identify the products even it is far from the warehouse and electromagnetic field helps to us in easier, faster and cost-effective manner. Amazon is one step further in picking the technology and they are using Augmented Reality Picking. Employees use glass and it gives benefit to identify the products with tags. Amazon also uses RF handheld scanners with ERP system enabled to scan the product to have most important information about products (Hbner, Holzapfel Kuhn, 2015). Location of picking Amazon uses Cube Matching technique that is helpful in storage the location. Location of picking is most important as it is related to the ergonomic consideration of the employees. Better location helps to employees in ergonomic access. The products can be stored in pick face of the employees that would give the advantage to pick the products smoothly. Reference List Arnold, P., Peeters, D., Thomas, I. (2014). Modelling a rail/road intermodal transportation system.Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review,40(3), 255-270. [Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1366554503000723] Carlo, H. J., Vis, I. F., Roodbergen, K. J. (2014). Transport operations in container terminals: Literature overview, trends, research directions and classification scheme.European Journal of Operational Research,236(1), 1-13. [Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221713009405] Choong, S. T., Cole, M. H., Kutanoglu, E. (2012). Empty container management for intermodal transportation networks.Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review,38(6), 423-438. [Available at: https://dis.unal.edu.co/~gjhernandezp/TOS/ServiceNetworkDesign/Empty_container_management_for_intermodal_transportation_network2002.pdf] Christopher, M. (2016).Logistics supply chain management. London: Pearson UK. 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