Cubism Review

Benjamin T. Shirrell Painting 1 April 2010 The most interesting statement I found in my exploration of Cubism was from historian John Golding: Cubism was perhaps the most important and certainly the most complete and radical artistic revolution since the Renaissance. New forms of society, changing patronage, varying geographic conditions, all these things have gone to produce over the past five hundred years a succession of different schools, different styles, different pictorial idioms. But none of these has so altered the principles, so shaken the foundations of Western painting, as did Cubism. _ This statement put emphasis on the Cubist period, a time, which was of vast importance and developing style. Seeing the works and taking the time to understand them are two contributors that make these artists more significant. Picasso created a work in 1907, known as one of the century’s most important Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Important in the sense that it moved other influential artists, but also because of deeper meaning in style and message. Although Picasso didn’t create his fully developed Cubist paintings in 1907, his work of that year instigated the cubist revolution. A brand-new approach representing space and the construction of form that was later a defying Cubists’ most important qualities. An important concept I learned understanding cubism understood the difference in experimental artists and conceptual artists. Experimental artists develop their contributions gradually and have a maturing style while conceptual artists put a more random thought provoked effort. Picasso’s initial goal was to describe knowledge of objects rather than their appearance. Before Demoiselles d’ Avignon, came a number of preparatory sketches. I was able to find a gallery of some sketches online, the most fascinating in my opinion. I noticed sketches from hard lines up to incorporation of color and later incorporation of instruments. I was greatly influenced by these sketches in my most recent works.

Cars today Essay

Cars today are very common but about 200 years ago they were thought to be just some kind of crazy invention. The origin of the automobile can be traced back to Europe, but it became a major form of transportation in the United States. Most European cars were hand made, and they were very expensive so not that many people could afford to buy the cars. Nicolas Joseph Cugnot a French military engineer built the first steam car or a self propelled vehicle in 1769. One was designed to carry passengers, while the other was a three-wheeled steam tractor for hauling very heavy artillery. In 1801 and 1803 another inventor Richard Trevithick of the United Kingdom demonstrated four-wheeled steam propelled vehicles to carry passengers. Unfortunately, he lacked the money to continue his work in the United States. In 1805 an inventor named Oliver Evans demonstrated a steam operated dredge, which was mounted on a boat. He built the dredge to deepen and clean the Philadelphia waterfront. Evans put wheels on the boat and drove it. This machine weighed about 18 tons. During the 1860’s another American inventor Sylvester H. Roper developed a much smaller steam operated vehicle. This vehicle looked similar to present day vehicles. This attracted a lot of public attention and was even displayed in a circus. Steam cars had many disadvantages. In the beginning, it took a very long time for the fire to heat the boiler. This was bad because you would have to wait around a long time and by the time it heated up you could have walked to the place you wanted to go. The inventors solved that problem, but many others remained. The steam engines had to be small to be practical for cars, so they had to be high pressured engines to produce the required power. However, such engines cost much to build and maintain. Numerous attempts in the United Kingdom to promote the use and development of steam cars failed because of the competition from railroad and stagecoach  companies. Early steam cars damaged roads and sometimes even blew up. They also made a terrible noise, dirtied the air, smoked, and frightened horses (which were the main mode of transportation at the time). In 1865 the Red Flag Law ended further development of automobiles in the United Kingdom for about thirty years. Under this law the few steam cars could not go any faster than four miles an hour in the country, and two miles per hour in town. Also to warn of its approach, a signalman had to walk ahead of the vehicle, by swinging a red flag by day and red lantern by night. And the steam powered car gradually disappeared. In 1924, the Stanley brother’s (the brothers who made the famous Stanley Steamer Company) company one of the last steam car manufacturers went bankrupt. The electric car was first invented around 1891. William Morrison built the first successful American electric cars. They were powered by batteries from under. The seat they were quiet and easy to operate thus they quickly became popular. But the batteries limited to how far they could go. Few electric cars could travel faster than twenty miles per hour and the batteries had to be recharged every 50 miles. The gasoline car the automobile as we know it today resulted from the development of the internal combustion engine Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir a Belgian living in France, patented the first commercially successful internal combustion engine in 1860. It burned coke oven gas(a gas that was usually used to heat ovens) and was noisy and inefficient. He still sold several hundred engines, which powered printing presses, lathes, and water pumps. He also installed one in a crude motorcar. In 1885 Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, two Germans working separately developed the first successful 4 stroke gasoline engine. Their engines led to the development of the engines used in cars today. Many early European manufacturers turned out cars based on Daimler’s and Benz’s work and patents. In 1891 a French company Panhard et Levassor created a basic design  that remained largely unchanged for nearly 100 years. The firm placed a Daimler engine in to the front of the car and used a revolving chain to transfer powers into the rear wheels. Most cars had a front engine and rear wheel drive until the mid 1980’s when the front wheel drive became popular. A French rubber making firm Michelin, introduced the first tires filled with compressed air for use on cars in 1895 Michelin developed such pneumatic tires under license from a British manufacturer of bicycle tires. Many people believe that the automobile became a practical means of transportation because of, first, the invention of the internal combustion engine and, second the development of the pneumatic tire. The birth of the automobile industry occurred in 1885, the year that Dailmer and Benz built their successful gasoline engines, until 1900 Europe led the world in automobile development and production. Many present day European car companies began in the late 1800’s. For example, Peugeot, a French firm started to make automobiles in 1890. Another French company Renault began producing cars in 1898. Fiat of Italy dates from, 1899. France and Germany became the first large production centers. The Duryea brother, Charles E and J Frank, built the first successful gasoline car in the United States. They drove the car on the streets of Springfield, Mass, in the years 1893 and 1894. The brothers founded the Duryea Motor Company, the first U.S firm. The United States took the lead in car making form Europe because it had a larger potential market. In 1910, the United States population was 92 million people, compared, with about 65 million people in Germany, 41 million people in Britain, and 34 million people in France. Americans also enjoyed a higher income, and so more of them could afford to buy cars. The discovery of huge oil fields in eastern Texas in 1901 helped to contribute to the rapid growth of the U.S Auto industry. The discovery caused a sharp drop in the price of gasoline, and plentiful, cheap fuel made cars relatively inexpensive to operate. Another factor aiding the U.S. auto industry was the application of mass-production techniques to the  manufacture of automobiles. Prior to 1900, carmakers had used skilled workers to assemble each automobile, but American manufacturers had been using mass-production techniques since the mid-1800’s to make such products as firearms and farm equipment, and it was inevitable that they would apply this process to car making. Once established, mass production brought the price of U.S. cars down to a level that many people could afford. By the early 1900’s, a buyer in the United States could choose among a variety of cars costing less than $1,000, while elegant European models, most of which were still handcrafted, sold for more than $2,000 in U.S. dollars. Conclusion The history of cars has been through trial and error mostly and now cars are the most used transportation in the world. What at first was thought to be a just a crazy invention but now it is something almost everyone in the world has or uses today. Today the cars that we have pollute the environment around us and many people have noticed that and now the electric cars are making a comeback. We are not sure what the future of cars will be like but we will probably make some kind of car that will be user friendly, safe, reliable, and wont pollute the environment. Personal Response I like cars a lot and I liked doing a research paper on this. I’m surprised that there were so many inventions that were failures had much to do with cars today and that today’s cars were based on these old steam cars that were very bad. I hope to see that the cars in the future will be better than the ones that we have that pollute the environment and also ones that are safer. These problems have been partially solved like using electric cars instead of using gas powered cars. And we have antilock brakes to stop faster but this won’t save you if you drive off a cliff. But in the future I’m positive that we will make some kind of car that doesn’t need tires it will hover above the ground and that way we wont run over small little  animals that are everywhere on the street dead.

Arizona v. Gant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arizona v. Gant - Essay Example Meanwhile, in his house were two persons and one of them was caught in his possession with a crack pile. The Arizona police officers who responded thought Gant has discerned their arrival but found him at his house driveway. An officer shone a flashlight in his hand over the car and saw Gant in it. When Gant saw the police officer, he voluntarily vacates the said car (â€Å"Arizona v. Gant,† n.d.). Meanwhile, the officer immediately gets into the car and made a search. Later, he found some pieces of drugs and a handgun. Gant was then arrested and brought to the police station for his case. Before the Court could move into the trial proper, the suspect asked the judge regarding the evidences that the Arizona police had acquired into his possession, to declare it unconstitutional. Gant stated that those evidences taken against him were fruit of an illegal search. He further contended that the police officer should have secured a search warrant before they could enter and search into his premises. In addition, he argued that the search was in violation of the Fourth Amendment under the provision which strongly prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures (â€Å"Arizona v. Gant,† n.d.). But to his surprise the trial judge denied the motion he has moved. After that, Gant’s case was given verdict by the trial court. ... Gant,† n.d.). Issue: The case has posed a question whether or not the police officer can arrest the recent occupant of the vehicle who did not make any signs of trouble and get out voluntarily. And in regard to the manner of conducting a search, the issue is whether or not the police can make a search on a certain premises without first securing a valid search warrant (â€Å"Arizona v. Gant,† n.d.). Court Decision A. The Court of Appeals gave merit on the case in favor of the suspect. It ruled that the suspect had been denied of his right against unreasonable searches and seizures. The evidences gathered (drugs and drug paraphernalia) were sought after an illegal search. In addition, the search made to the vehicle did not justify and connect to the arrest of the suspect. Thus, disagreeing to the decision of the trial court and proving the invalidity and unconstitutionality of the search made (â€Å"Arizona v. Gant,† n.d.). B. Although the decision was reversed in the Court of Appeals, actually it was not the final resort or the final verdict. The case was brought to the highest court--Supreme Court. On May 24, 2004, the court gave its say and decision to the case. It held that police officers can make a search on a vehicle despite the fact that the occupant has already vacated it voluntarily. Thus, rendering the decision of the Court of Appeals invalid and proving the issue as constitutional. In addition, a search can be made warrantless if it is incidental to a valid arrest (â€Å"Arizona v. Gant,† n.d.). Evaluation of the Decision’s Constitutional Significance In the case of Arizona v. Gant, the Supreme Court’s decision was considered the final verdict. Although it had been contended and appealed by the suspect before

Issues with Chinese goods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Issues with Chinese goods - Research Paper Example If there is no regulation set in place by the Chinese regarding their exported goods, this will do nothing to solve the problem. It is evident that toxins found in Chinese goods are a problem. In a recent article it is found that in China 800,000 children are affected by lead each year. This number is alarming compared to the 1% that affects American children (PureLivingChina2011). When China is not doing their part to raise awareness levels in China, the goods brought into the United States will continue to be unsafe. Since the creator of the products is not willing to change the regulation on exported goods, the United States needs to change the regulation on imported goods. It is likely that when the Chinese sees a decrease in sales that this will force a new regulation. It really has to start with those in charge becoming concerned. It is not cost effective to run tests on all products coming in from China. China needs to be the one performing the tests and providing reports befo re a trade is initiated. Works Cited Check4Lead. "Effects Of Lead Poisoning | Check4Lead.com." Effects of Lead Poisoning. Check 4 Lead. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. PureLivingChina. "Lead Exposure | PureLiving China." PureLiving China | Indoor Environmental Solutions. CNN.

Global health issues(focus on AIDS) Literature review

Global health issues(focus on AIDS) - Literature review Example Mondal and Shitan (2013) present a different point of view, proposing that the factors contributing to the rapid spread of AIDS include higher adolescent fertility, which increases the risk of HIV. The factors limiting the spread of the disease include cultural restrictions like those of Muslims and the sufficiency of medical personnel. Coovadia and Hadingham (2005) and Milbank Memorial Fund (2004) point out that the search for solutions to the AIDS pandemic has included the formation of different international funds; the major target of these efforts has been poorer regions, but the mitigation measures seem not to reverse the rapid spread of AIDS. In particular, Milbank Memorial Fund (2004) discussed the efforts of the US towards combating the AIDS pandemic, where it pledged to given USD 15 billion, over the 5-year period that started in 2003. Mondal and Shitan (2013) and Alfsen (2004) point out that, the efforts of combating the crisis have included increasing the numbers of physicians in practice, as well as relying on religious restrictions. Alfsen (2004), Morrison (2001) and WHO (2011) in particular, stated that the national efforts aimed at addressing the problem include the introduction of antiretroviral therapy. In addition to the supply of antiretroviral medication and treatment, the World Health Organizat ion has partnered with national government in preventing the spread, through the initiation of behavior change programs; care delivery, strengthening healthcare systems and increasing the availability of HIV/AIDS information (WHO, 2014). CDC (2012) and Alfsen (2004) point out that, more advanced medical-related efforts of addressing the spread of AIDS have included the funding of research, with the aim of developing virucides and microbicides. The AIDS pandemic has been intensifying globally, despite that some regions are affected more. Lewis,

Developing Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developing Manager - Assignment Example In this respect, it can be recognised that the company follows transformational style of leadership and management However, in the present competitive business scenario, the company is identified to face different unavoidable challenges relative to its employment aspect, ineffective customer services, lack of appropriate advertisement and pricing policies. The company also faced immense challenges in meeting the requirements of disabled customers. In this regard, there are several management and leadership styles that can be adopted by the company in order to effectively deal with the identified challenges and issues. Few prominent leadership styles that can be integrated by the company are discussed below: Leaders following authoritarian leadership style develop effective policies and ensure that the employees conduct their operations in accordance with the formulated policies. The leaders develop policies along with procedures on the basis of which employees should be managed. Additionally, the leaders are also entrusted with the responsibility of determining that the objectives are accomplished suitably. The leaders scrutinise the activities of the employees and in this regard, the employees are unable to perform in an autonomous manner (SAGE Publications, 2012). Contextually, this leadership might be suitable for Ryanair as the leaders will possess utmost authority is devising policies, values, missions and visions that are to be accomplished in order to ensure that the company performs effectively along with better profitability. However, this leadership style is identified to develop hostile situation due to conflicts, employee turnover and guarded communication among others. Res pectively, this leadership style might not be efficient in improving the productivity of the company owing to the challenges it faces presently (Warrick,

Does the efficient market theory apply on the forex market Fundamental Literature review

Does the efficient market theory apply on the forex market Fundamental analysis Vs. Technical analysis - Literature review Example In the international trade, the buyer or seller of the products wants to have payment in his home currency. This needs an exchange of currencies from that of a seller to that of a buyer. Any international trade will involve in any two instantaneous transactions: Exchange of the products in a physical form Sale or purchase of foreign currency In any international trade, the sale or purchase of any product will affect only one the parties in the foreign exchange. Suppose, If a British importer buy ? 100,000 worth of products from an American manufacturer, and the invoice is billed in US$, the burden falls on the British importer to buy ? to complete that business transaction and vice-versa. Thus, the party assumes the risk that the exchange rate on that specific date of conversion is positive to that party. (James, Neelankavil & Rai 2009:246). The Forex market is operating on an international basis where currency of each nation is bought and sold freely. The forex system was introduced in the 1970s at the time of introduction of free exchange rates and the price of one currency, and the price of one currency against another that happens from demand and supply that are only decided by the market participants.(Dicks 2010: 5). Forex market can be termed as a perfect market as it cannot be either monopolised or controlled by any of its participants. Due to ever increasing number of transactions on a daily basis makes it as the biggest liquid financial market and as per an estimate, money transaction involves in the forex market form up to US$ 6 trillion per day. This figure is only a tentative figure as the exact amount cannot be quantified due to the transactions are not centralised on a forex single exchange. With the help of telecommunication, trading is carried over all over the globe and with electronic networks with five days in week and 24 hours a day and there are dealers quoting currencies in each time zone through the main central markets: New York, London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New Zealand and Australia. (Dicks 2010: 5). The forex market is being able to maintain its goal and avoid being manipulated or controlled by any few or one of its participants since the volume transacted is so high that if any of them would want to distort by changing price at their volition, they have to operate with hundreds of billions of dollars. That is why forex market cannot be swayed by any single participant and even though, there are scenarios where large transactions can appear to assume control of the forex market for a few minutes, the balance is restored again instantly due to the great liquidity associated. This also permits traders to derive revenues by closing and opening positions within a few seconds. (Dicks 2010: 5). The place or venue for the sale and purchase of foreign currency is called as the foreign exchange market. This research essay will make a complete literature review on an efficient market hypothesis of forex market, inc luding fundamental and technical analysis, also offers a brief history on the forex market and overview of the market in an exhaustive manner. Definition of Foreign Currency A foreign currency rate denotes to the price any person pays in one currency to buy another currency. It is to be observed that a currency is analogous to any other product namely food or gold; its price is decided by the supply or demand for the said product. For instance, if a forex dealer quotes US$ 1.35 per ?, then he is quoting US$1.35 for the sale or purchase of per ?. (James, Neelankavil & Rai 2009:247). Quotes for exchange rates are available either for instant release or for the future delivery. For the immediate delivery, the price of foreign currency is known as spot rate. Due to introduction of advanced IT in the forex transactions, now it is made possible for a spot transaction to be cleared or settled on the same day is possible. The largest consortium of the

Nestle's Commitment to Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nestle's Commitment to Africa - Essay Example Nestle has worked hard to overcome the injury caused by its mistakes. Nestle has done certain things to improve its image in Africa. It continues to employ over 10,000 people on the continent, and its partners employ another 50,000. Moreover, Nestle contributes to UN development projects meaning to eliminate poverty and hunger as well as combating disease. No one can turn back the clock, but people can try to make a better tomorrow. 3. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. Nestle may be able to improve its commitment in Africa. It could do so by directly addressing the 30 year old errors in had made. If it has not done so already, it would be wise to publicly admit and explain the course of its mistakes. In so doing, Nestle could also set an example to make genuinely self-imposed restitution to the injured parties and communities. Ultimately, it people should take care to do what is right in any

Business law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business law - Case Study Example He did not go to them to cause him injury and pain. If these three people had been more vigilant, they would have realized the impact of the adhesive they would on his body. The surgeon was particularly negligent when he had the realization that the insulating layer would cause harm but did nothing about it. Karl must therefore ask the three people through his claim to account for their stewardship and the pain they caused to him. Claim of employing the wrong people can also be laid against the hospital. This is because the hospital is the employing agency for the three people who put Karl’s life at risk. If the hospital officials who were in charge of recruitment and placement had been proactive in their duty, they would have known the kind of practitioners the three persons are. Claim could therefore be made for the refund of Karl’s money and any extra amount to cater for the pain he is presently going through and the pain he is likely to suffer in the future. On the part of the manufacturers, Karl can contend that the company leaving out an insulating layer from the pad. This act amounts to negligence of duty on the part of the manufacturers. The applicable defenses can work for the surgeon, nurse and anesthesiologist is that they needed to rely on the ECR to get the surgery completed and that the major cause of the injury was the absence of the insulating layer and not necessarily the adhesive

Environmental policy and governance Annotated Bibliography - 1

Environmental policy and governance - Annotated Bibliography Example e clean development mechanisms to include the quest for clean energy resources have destabilized the production and consumption of oil and other non-conservative energy sources. The author argues that the use of oil and other polluting forms of energy have declined to the consideration of a sustainable future and reduce environmental health issues and deficits. He considers a policy to govern the use of oil in the industry globally and encourage the use of clean sources of energy. He hints at the involvement of the private energy sectors and other stakeholders to help in the implementation of such policies with the intention of reducing energy related pollution of the environment. The increase of oil prices has improved commitments in the policy formulations for clean energy developments. The author proposes the use of clean energies to be compulsory in the primary levels. This will increase sustainability. Sanoh, A, et al, 2014, The economics of clean energy resource development and grid interconnection in Africa, Renewable Energy: An International Journal, 62, pp. 598-609. Retrieved from: http://yadda.icm.edu.pl/yadda/element/bwmeta1.element.elsevier-d7564474-4ff8-336b-8d14-69dc77c028fb The authors argue that the use of clean energy resources within the developing regions like Africa will trigger economic development as this will come with economic benefits to the people. They explains that most clean energy resources are eco friendly, non pollutant consequently absolutely nothing is to be spent on the cleanup of the impacts of clean energy resources. Unlike oil, clean energy does not cause climate changes, variations in the rainfall pattern and therefore the loss of agricultural output in these regions. Agricultural out is linked to the economic development in these regions. He consequently argues that policy formulators should involve environmental aspects and future development in planning for the energy to be used in these regions. Tobin, M, &

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Example for Free

Oliver Cromwell and Opinions of Him Essay Interpretations of Oliver Cromwell have changed over time, from a mass murderer to a hero. These interpretations have changed over time as a result of; -Certain events that affected people; laws etc: e.g. the execution of Charles I and the massacres of Drogheda and Welford etc. -The country they were in and how the people who had most of the power thought of him: e.g. Charles II etc. -What type of person you were classed as: e.g. lord, servant etc. -What religion you were and what experiences that religion have had: e.g. Catholic, Puritan etc. These are the main things that affected what people thought and how they acted towards him. So what did people think of him over times? In most of his earlier years Oliver Cromwell was a middle class citizen, however this changed when he received an inheritance from his uncle. This not only changed him financially but from then on he was recognised as a wealthy man who owned land and money. To add to this he also joined parliament which soon lead to him being in the civil war, making him recognised as a hero and a great cavalry leader by most of the public. This soon meant that he was one of many to sign the letter for the execution of Charles I for high treason and were recognised as heroes. Soon after he helped England become a common wealth county with the rest of the parliamentarians. Meaning he was recognised as a saviour of England! When Oliver Cromwell was in the army he was a cavalry leader and became known as a great one because of his knowledge and it was this that lead him to win many battles against rebels and many other armies, making him known as a hero but by some a murderous tyrant. He was also known for treating his army men well as well as respecting them for example when some of his own men rebelled he did not kill them but only the four ringleaders to set an example. This made people think that he was a powerful and proud military leader. However he was accused for ordering the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in Drogheda and 2000 in Welford both in Ireland because they were Catholic. This changed the thoughts of people to become twisted about Oliver Cromwell and made him seem more like a murderous tyrant than a hero. When Oliver Cromwell grew in power he created laws which some people liked and others disliked. These laws obeyed the daily laws in which a puritan lives their lives. Although the puritans liked it, many people felt offended because they had to obey the rules of a religion in which they did not worship and felt as if they were ordered to do it. To add to this some of the laws were outstandingly strict, for example you were not allowed to walk for leisure. This made people think of him as a saviour to some but a tyrant to others. When Oliver Cromwell was awarded the role of Lord Protector many people like the Puritans liked it although the Catholics disliked it. In this role he had the task of ‘healing and controlling’ the land. Also although people did not like this they could not argue as he was the ‘Lord Protector’. When Oliver Cromwell died many people mourned including his family and many Puritans, however other people celebrated such as the Catholics. Although the funeral was the most important part of it because it would show how important he was and because his funeral costed nearly  £70,000 he was mourned upon by many people as this costed more than some kings’ funerals. And so to some then he was remembered as a murderous tyrant however to others he was remembered as a hero. When Charles II came to power he mocked Oliver Cromwell in every way he could because he was one of many MPs to sign the treaty to accuse his father of high treason. To add to this the Dutch were on his side, as he fled there for his life when his father was executed and spread rumours of Cromwell bringing corruption in England, Scotland and Ireland. This made people think that Oliver Cromwell was evil and had changed some of their interpretation by rumouring. In the Victorian era Oliver Cromwell was hated and despised upon by many people because many people who worked in most of England’s more liberating jobs were Irish. And so on one occasion when Queen Victoria was planning to visit Manchester she did not because there was a statue of Oliver Cromwell situated there, this was a bad thing because if she went she might be despised by the Irish for liking him as a person making Oliver Cromwell seem a tyrant. This also occurred in the 1900 when Oliver Cromwell was compared to Hitler and mocked upon. In the twenty first century we have mixed thoughts about him because although comments have been made about him we cannot justify most things such as the massacre in Ireland as there was no proof that he ordered the soldiers to kill the people or that he was even involved in any of this. And so we can sometimes only have opinions that have no justifications. In my opinion Oliver Cromwell was a stern puritan although he did revolutionize most things and even become Lord Protector. So I think he was a noble man who was wrongly mocked and despised of!!!

Nepals Participation In UN Peacekeeping

Nepals Participation In UN Peacekeeping Nepal has been taking part in UN peacekeeping missions since three years after it became a member of the UN, and has contributed numerous peacekeepers in multiple missions. Nepal commemorated 50 years of participation in UN peace support operations in 2008 and was the fourth largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in 2004 and fifth largest in 2009.  [1]  Nepal considers its contribution to UN peacekeeping operations as a tool for implementing Nepalese foreign policy, which is guided by the principles of UN Charter.  [2]   Historically, Nepals shift towards internalization was an effort to pursue foreign policy goals. The Nepalese Armys peacekeeping participation was part and parcel of that effort. The UN has provided an important forum for smaller countries like Nepal to pursue its national interests and exercise foreign policy with dignity and sovereignty.  [3]  It has also provided small countries with moral and physical security from aggression, interference, and encroachment.  [4]   Nepals major engagement in UN peacekeeping operations came during the second democratic period, 1990-2005. Nepal started sending troops under the provision of Chapter VII of UN Charter, when its troops participated in peace enforcement mission in Somalia in 1993. The Nepalese Army (NA) acquired some experience and professionalism by operating with other professional armies. Taking part in UN peacekeeping missions is also an opportunity to be operational in the field.  [5]  Before its involvement in counterinsurgency operations in Nepal in 2001, the NA had a very few opportunities to deploy its soldiers in the field to hone their skills. In addition, working with civilians during peacekeeping missions has considerably altered its approach to deal with different problems. However, from 1990 through the end of 2000 was a decade characterized by policy inconsistencies between the militarys internationalism and the governments internal orientation. The NA was solely focused on its international peacekeeping mission, while the political parties were entangled in domestic politics. There was a clear gap between the states approach and the functioning of one of the instrument of national power, the military. At the strategic level, Nepal lacked a coherent policy that would allow it to institutionalize the experience gained in international missions. Even after political change of 2005, this trend seems unceasing. My effort in this paper would be to analyze this divergence in Nepal. Before dwell upon the core issue, I attempt to give a brief account of the Nepalese peacekeeping participation in different political scenarios. Nepalese Participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions in Different Periods After becoming a member of the UN in 1955, Nepal participated in the 1958 peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNOGIL. Nepal has since contributed to UN missions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. The first Nepalese battalion-sized contingent, the Purano Gorakh Battalion, was deployed in Egypt with UNEF II in 1974. Throughout the whole Panchayat period, the NA participated in six different peacekeeping missions.  [6]  Nepalese peacekeepers have since made major contributions. There was a surge in NA participation in peacekeeping missions after the establishment of multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy in 1990.  [7]  The establishment of a multiparty democratic system in Nepal was a result of the worldwide third wave of democratization. Other parts of the world saw similar political agitation, conflict and transformation. During this period, the majority of NA troops were deployed in peace enforcement and multidimensional peacekeeping operations in wh ich internal armed conflicts constituted the major problems. When the Maoists launched an armed struggle against the government, the NA faced a challenge to continue participating in peacekeeping missions. However, with the gradual increase in the size of the NA after its involvement in counterinsurgency operations, participation in peacekeeping operations was no longer hindered. Nepal has taken part in peacekeeping missions in various conflict zones, and some of the NAs high ranking officers have filled key appointments in peacekeeping missions. Not only various force commanders and high-ranking officials who directly monitor and supervise international peacekeeping in the field say that the NAs mission performance is commendable, but also UN Secretary General has praised Nepalese peacekeepers.  [8]  Its peacekeeping contributions allowed Nepal to become an organizational committee member of the UN Peace Building Commission for 2008/2009 in the category of troop-contributing countries.  [9]   As of May 2010, Nepal has contributed 76,610 troops in 35 missions around the globe, and at present, the NA has deployed more than 4,420 peacekeepers in 12 different missions in the capacity of military observers, military liaison officers, staff officers in mission headquarters, and as contingent members. The government of Nepal has signed to make 5,000 troops available, as and when requested, to the UN Standby Arrangement System (UNSAS).  [10]   There has been no change in the trend of Nepalese peacekeeping participation since its first involvement. However, Nepal faces some challenges in peacekeeping. Apart from some logistical and management difficulties, allegations of human rights violations are also causing some problems in recent years.  [11]  Despite these problems, peacekeeping participation has been continuing. The interim government led by the Nepali Congress party, the Maoist-led government, and the CPN (UML) government all emphasized and praised the Nepals peacekeeping participation wholeheartedly. Most NA members have participated in a UN peacekeeping mission at least once in their military career. After serving for a few years in the army, almost all NA officers participate in UN peacekeeping missions more than once. Participating in UN peacekeeping is an opportunity for professional enhancement for many Nepalese soldiers. Apart from gaining experience, Nepalese Army personnel also receive monetary benefits that help raise their living standards and keep them motivated during peacekeeping activities and in their own country. The UN allowance is four to eight times higher than a standard salary in Nepal. At the institutional level, economic benefits from peacekeeping have become an important source for the welfare fund. At national level it has significantly contributed to national economy and foreign currency deposit. This shows that peacekeeping missions have become the NAs one of the major roles.  [12]  The Nepalese Armys uninterrupted participation in peacekeeping miss ions during two major political revolutions in 1990 and 2006 and during its active involvement in counterinsurgency operations indicate that the NA has been transforming into a peacekeeper military as described by Paul Shemella.  [13]   In its many years of UN peacekeeping missions, Nepal has undergone through various experiences and evolution processes. The concept of peacekeeping missions emerged from the concept of collective security founded in the concept of collective defense that seeks to form alliances against any state which commits an act of aggression. During the Cold War, peacekeeping was limited to interposing troops between belligerent parties, supervising and verifying cease-fires, and observing, monitoring, and reporting. Peacekeeping duties were limited to maintaining the status quo, and emphasis was given on impartiality and minimum use of the force, in which neutral countries like Nepal, rather than the permanent members of the UN Security Council, played a crucial role.  [14]  These missions were mandated by Chapter VI of UN charter. Nepal contributed peacekeepers to missions under Chapter VI. The mere presence of blue helmets was enough to restrain the conflicting parties from further hostil ities. Non-enforcement was the norm of traditional peacekeeping. Parties were deterred from relying on force; deployment of peacekeepers began after fighting halted; peacekeepers used to create buffers without seizing territory; and rather than taking territory, peacekeepers aimed to restore order or defend the territory. During those days national contingents did not have to make their own logistical arrangements, as the Wet Lease provision provided everything from toilet paper to tanks. Such arrangements made UN peacekeeping participation less challenging to developing countries like Nepal. Government and armed forces peacekeeping responsibilities were limited to making political or operational decisions to participate in particular missions. The nature of conflict changed with the end of the Cold War, requiring a new approach to peacekeeping missions and the advent of the second and third generations of peacekeeping missions.  [15]  The new multidimensional peacekeeping operations focused on facilitating political processes; creating a secure and stable environment and strengthening state security apparatus; and providing a framework for ensuring that all UN and other actors pursue their activities with close civil and military cooperation as the key to success. Although Nepal participates in most of the multidimensional peacekeeping missions, the lack of civilian participation in the Nepalese Armys peacekeeping efforts has impeded the most needed changes in the present context of multi-dimensional peacekeeping efforts. The government treats Nepalese peacekeeping participation as the sole prerogative of the NA, showing a lack of enthusiasm to coordinate and supervise these activities. The Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not been active enough in managing peacekeeping efforts. The process of selecting, training, equipping, projecting and maintaining peacekeepers in conflict zones has not been very effective in the changing context.  [16]  This is one of the reasons why, despite long and successful involvement in international missions and interactions with other professional armed forces, the NA could not become as efficient as it should have been. The inability to bring prompt synergic effect of peacekeeping and diplomatic efforts on the recent allegation of cholera outbreak in Haiti may have long term implications on Nepalese peacekeeping. These problems can cause a great setback in peacekeeping efforts by tarnishing the image of Nepal and the NA. The inability to demonstrate the desirable competence of civilian and military institutions has resulted in inadequate performances in diplomatic as well as operational aspects of peacekeeping.  [17]  Also, lacking a symbiotic relationship between the military and civilians with regard to peacekeeping involvement, foreign policy and security, Nepal has not been able to achieve maximum output. Foreign Policy Aspects of the Nepalese Peacekeeping The Interim Constitution of Nepal (2007) states, the Foreign Policy of Nepal shall be guided by the principles of UN Charter, nonalignment, the Panchasheel, International law and the norms of world peace.  [18]  The previous Nepalese constitution, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (1990), also states that the UN Charter shall be one of the five guiding principles of Nepalese foreign policy.  [19]  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that Nepal has consistently supported UN efforts to maintain peace and security by its continued participation in the UN.  [20]   The first democratic period from 1950 through 1960 was a time of political upheaval and transformation in Nepal. This was also the period of establishing national identity and preserving national integrity and sovereignty. The political parties and leaders considered the UN to be the protector and the guarantor of national identity, integrity, independence and sovereignty.  [21]  Thus, the decision to participate in UN peacekeeping missions in 1958 was a crucial one, a watershed moment in Nepalese foreign policy. When Nepal sought UN membership in 1949, the Soviet Union raised the question of Nepalese sovereignty. Nonetheless, Nepal became a UN member in 1955.  [22]  The fluid domestic, regional and international political situation made Nepals survival as a nation state of primary importance during 1950s and 1960s. In an address to the 15th Session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Bisheswar Prasad Koirala said: The foreign policy of Nepal is wholly inspired by the purposes and principles of UN. We regard UN not only as a bulwark of our independence and security, but also as the protector of our rights and freedomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We believe in the independent exercise of our judgment in considering international issuesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦While we welcome and are grateful for the help that is being given to us by friendly governments-those of India, the United States, China, the USSR, the United Kingdom and others-as well as by UN, we do not want any country to tell us how we should think, or how we should conduct our internal affairs.  [23]   After the Rana rule and until 1960, the various governments in Nepal had different foreign policy preferences.  [24]  But the king wanted to have a balanced relationship between the two giant neighbors and to maintain the sovereignty of Nepal. While the king was searching for opportunities, he found that participating in international peacekeeping missions under the aegis of the UN was the best way to retain sovereignty and national independence. From 1961 through 1971, King Mahendra played a key role in shaping and implementing foreign policy, seeking to achieve three main objectives: maximization, diversification and mobilization. He first tried to expand the playing field of foreign policy by exploiting the preferences and the clash of interests between India, China and other major powers. Then he sought to go beyond a limited reliance on a few resources. Finally, he utilized Nepals active participation in international forums like UN and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to pressure and mobilize regional and international powers in Nepals favor.  [25]   To utilize peacekeeping participation as a tool to protect Nepals sovereignty, the king dovetailed the armys peacekeeping efforts with countrys foreign policy objectives, adopting an internationalist approach to foreign policy.  [26]  This internationalist approach produced a synergic outcome by effectively utilizing the NAs peacekeeping participation to search for Nepals space in international forums. The internationalism came to fruition when Nepal was chosen for important responsibilities in the UN. For instance, Nepal led the Commission of Investigation into the Conditions and Circumstances resulting in the tragic death of then Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who was killed in a plane crash at Ndola in Lusaka in 1961.  [27]  The internationalist approach also helped Nepal to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 1969-70 and in 1988-89 by an overwhelming majority. Nepals Zone of Peace Proposal, based on Panchasheel, was a reflection of Nepals aspi ration to achieve and maintain its sovereignty, integrity and independence without interference from neighboring countries.  [28]  A total of 116 countries supported the proposal, including four permanent members of the UN Security Council. Additionally, this approach helped Nepal to project its image to the international community and to maintain its sovereignty, independence and national integrity. The outcome of the internationalist approach during 1970s and 1980s was positive and significant.  [29]  But the democratic government formed after 1990 could not formulate any new policy or vision for employing the army in peacekeeping missions, nor did it wholeheartedly continue existing policies. Thus the internationalist approach became dormant. The NAs profound contribution to UN peacekeeping missions could not be fully utilized to support foreign policy objectives and national interests. The Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also kept a low profile. Without a dedicated defense minister and without the Ministry playing an effective role in peacekeeping activities, peacekeeping remained solely the armys private domain. Since political attention to the internationalist approach was not sufficient, the NAs participation in UN peacekeeping missions continued without meaningful political-diplomatic congruity.  [30]  This resulted in diplomatic setbacks. For instance, by eliminating Nepal, Indonesia was elected as the UN Security Councils non-permanent member for a two years term starting in January 2007.  [31]  There could be many reasons for this failure including the weakening of Nepali diplomacy on various fronts. However, some posit that it also points to the ineffectiveness of recent Nepalese peacekeeping initiatives. Chiran Thapa writes, Despite Nepals contribution to numerous UN led peace operations, the rejection of Nepals candidacy by an overwhelming majority at the General Assembly clearly suggests that the international community deems Nepal as less capable of serving global security interests.  [32]  In the face of Nepals widely lauded participation in peacekeeping, why Nepal is less capable in international forums is a serious issue. Conclusion Over fifty years, the NAs participation in UN peacekeeping has been remarkable. Although Nepals first democratic period (1950-1960) was full of chaos, the political forces in the country realized the necessity of taking an internationalist approach. Therefore, this period was a watershed in Nepals peacekeeping participation as well as its approach to foreign policy. Although an authoritative regime, the Panchayat period was an extension and consolidation of the same policies with enhanced participation. The positive outcome of the peacekeeping effort was seen during the 1970s and 1980s. After the reestablishment of democracy in 1990, Nepalese peacekeeping efforts increased tremendously, but foreign policy did not go along the peacekeeping contribution. The democratic forces could not fill in the authoritative vacuum created by the political change between the two instruments of national power, military and diplomacy. Despite some shortcomings, Nepals performance in peacekeeping missi ons has been very successful and widely acclaimed. Nepal could have benefitted highly, both diplomatically and politically, but did not. Nepals peacekeeping participation is being continued in the same pace even after the establishment of republic system. Despite many political ups and downs and changes in political system, there is no difference in opinion in Nepal about its participation in peacekeeping operations. This clearly indicates that there is a consensus among the Nepalese political parties that peacekeeping participation contributes to Nepals vital interests. Therefore, the time has come to reassess the gap between the Nepalese peacekeeping participation and foreign policy goal and rectify existing inconsistencies and digressions before it becomes too late.

Operation management of Primark and Atlas Honda

Operation management of Primark and Atlas Honda INTRODUCTION The report describes the operation management of PRIMARK and the ATLAS HONDA LIMITED PAKISTAN which are two different companies in two different industries. PRIMARK in garment industry is a big retailer in the high streets for the readymade cloths which is basically belongs to tertiary sector (service) in which it distribute/sell the manufactured goods(cloths)in his retail stores and the ATLAS HONDA is a joint venture which manufacture and sell automobiles which is in manufacturing industry. This report is structured in a way that describe both companies 1: Competitive priority 2: Marketing strategy and also compare and contrast their operations in their industries and report also include the analysis of their internal factors as capacity planning, inventory management, quality control and the external factors as environment, innovation. After the report we will be able to understand the operating management of the two different industries which help us to gain knowledge to design one best operating model which help us in both industries. Before forwarding to the report structure as discuss above we need to know about both companies to be familiar with their operations. PRIMARK PRIMARK is the subsidiary company within the ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS and one of the biggest retailer in UK who sell readymade clothes with stylish fashion, design and variety at affordable prices. It focus on womenwear, menwear, childrenwear and home products. In 1969 the first store opened in DUBLIN(IRELAND) in the name of first Pennys store and till 1973 the number of stores reached at18 in all around the IRELAND, in the following year it expanded to GREAT BRITAIN and opened his first stores in DERBY and BRISTOL and in within next 10 years the number of stores become 22 in each. After expansion to GREAT BRITAIN, in 1995 PRIMAK applies the acquisition policy in his expansion and acquire first BHS ONE-UP discount chain in UK 16 stores,then CO-OP with 11 stores, 11stores from retreat ion of A C. After 2005 PIMARK moved to Europe for more expansion and opened stores in SPAIN,PORTUGAL,HOLLAND,GERMANY,BELGIUM. Till September 2010 it has 150 stores in UK. Its competitors are NEXT, ZARA, GAP, RIVER ISLAND etc which compete in different bases of competitive advantage. We take only UK market for the Primark business operation. http://www.primark.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=eb44df4565934edca627dac6ec12145a Last access 10th march 2011 ATLAS HONDA LIMITED (AHL) PAKISTAN ATLAS HONDA LIMITED PAKISTAN is a joint venture of ATLAS GROUP and HONDA MOTOR CO.LTD which manufacture and sell motorcycles. The company was created by the merger of Panjdayar LTD and Atlas Autos LTD, in 1988. AHL manufactures and markets Honda motorcycles in collaboration with Honda Motor Company. The Company also manufactures various hi-tech components in-house in collaboration with leading parts manufacturers like Showa Atsumitech, Nippon Denso and Toyo Denso. Honda motorcycles are by far the largest selling motorcycles in the country with an unmatched reputation for high quality, reliability and after-sales-service. ATLAS HONDA manufactures four models of motorcycles 1: CD 70 2: CD 100 3: CG 125 4: CG 125 DELUXE Company has two big inhouse manufacturing capability at Karachi (Sindh) which manufactures 300 units of CD 70 only and Sheikupura (Punjab) plants which manufactures all four models. A vast and growing network of over 1600 sales service and spare parts dealers has been established in all over the country. Company has more than 60% of market share in Pakistan motorbike industry, it exports the products to Bangladesh and Afghanistan. http://www.atlashonda.com.pk/company. Last access 10th of march 2011 COMPARISON/CONTRAST OPERATIONS IN BOTH ENTITIES In any organization the operation function is the part of organization which produces the products and services for that entity, it is not called with same name all the time but it is concerned with managing the core purpose of organization which produce some mix of products and services. nigel slack, stuart chambers, robert johnston , alan betts (2009).operations and process management. 2nd ed. england: pearson education limited. 1-1. In another words the operation is defined as the systematic design, direction and control of process that transform input into services and products for internal, as well as external. Primark and Atlas Honda are two different companies in two different industries, one is a retailer in service industry and 2nd is in manufacturing industry. the service sector create value or add value to the product and manufacture industry produce the tangible product so some similarities and contrast appeared in their operations which can be analyzed and criticize on the basis of their marketing strategy and their competitive priority. MARKETING STRATEGY Market strategy is developed by the entities to fill the gap between current performance and the forecasted performance which is the objective/targets of the entity to achieve, so the company develop the marketing strategy for its product in target market for targeted customers to make them aware to the products and service it provides. Cim,bpp, 76-77 2008 We can use the Ansoffs growth model which is used to analyze the product and market of the company in its marketing strategy. cim (2007). professional diploma in marketing. 3rd ed. london: BPP. 76-78.http://franteractive.net/resources/Ansoff-Matrix.GIF We will use this model to define and criticize the marketing strategy of the Primark and Atlas Honda. MARKETING STRATEGY STRATEGY PRIMARK AHL Market penetration Y N Product development Y Y Market development Y Y Diversification N N Primark has its objective of DELIVERING VALUES AND TRADE ETHICALLY http://www.primark.co.uk/ethical/values last access 10th march 2011 Primark use the leaflets drop, ads on bus shelters, the London Underground and radio ads. university of wales, marketing, database source complete Above marketing strategy used by Primark for his new stores in BRITAIN and it opened six more new stores one of which is in the oxford circus. According to Ansoff model we can explain the marketing strategy of Primark as follows Market development strategy which is in new market in existing product so the entry from Ireland and to Britain and other European countries is the example of entry in new market. Product development is in new product in new market, so Primark products are women, men, child wears but it include homemade garments as well, product development strategy basically elicited the customers to come in the store for all his garment needs. But the problem in market development strategy is the high distribution cost which Primark used to distribute his merchandise which it get form Asian countries and distribute them to his different stores which cost him high and reduce his profit. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2009/gb20090616%5f4 498429.htm. Market penetration is to enter in the market with the low price to compete in the market as the GILLETTE company sell his MACH 3 new product in the market on 60% of cost which is the best example of market penetration to enter in the market with low price, so the entrance of Primark in the BRITAIN garment industry is the market penetration in the presence of GAP,NEXT etc, with low cost strategy, but market penetration strategy has the main criticize is that it starts the price war in the market and through the small entities out of business Diversification is to diversify from the industry to another industry which comes into unrelated diversification so the parent company of Primark ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOOD, who diversify from food to garment is the unrelated diversification. But Primark has it self not any diversified activity in any other industries. ATLAS HONDA use mostly the electronic media for his products marketing as internet, television ads, salesmen etc. For CD 70 and CD 100 Atlas Honda target middle income families and mostly these bikes used in villages due to the brand loyalty and durability. CG 125 and CG125 DELUXE these both bikes target the special segment of market with the customers who want to pay more for high speed and beauty of the products. DIVERSIFIATION is the Honda joints venture in Pakistan as Atlas Honda is his related diversification in motorbike industry. The problem with Atlas Honda in his joint venture is that it manufacturing units in Pakistan and the changing political parties and insecurity affecting its this diversified product making units which affect the motorbike production and the business as well. Product Development is the four type of product CD 70, CD 100, CG125, CG125 DELUXE are the example in market for product development, the Atlas Honda believe in quality in return of high prices which opened the ways for his competitors with low cost and low price strategy like Chinese company STAR, SOHRAB, LIFAN etc. which affect the market share ( 63% in Pakistan) and the profit of the company. Market Development strategy of ATLAS HONDA is it exporting the products to Bangladesh and Afghanistan is its market development in other countries, this means the distribution cost will be high for Atlas Honda and affect his sale and profit in the market. COMPETITIVE PRIORITY Competitive priority include low cost operations, top quality, consistent quality, delivery speed, on time delivery, development speed, customization, variety and volume flexibility, these are the competitive priorities which set a company aside and superior to the rest of the companies in the industries by the result of his operations, it is not necessary that a company acquire all of them to compete but it can get any mixture of them to perform well. Under we show the similarity and contrast in the competitive priority of the PRIMAK and ATLAS HONDA LIMITED. It is need to be cleared that under the table the element of competitive priority is categorized in four broad concepts. COMPETITVE PRIORITY C.P PRIMARK ATLAS HONDA LTD QUALITY TOP QUALITY N Y CONSISTANT QUALITY Y Y COST LOW COST OPERATIONS Y N TIME DELIVERY SPEED N Y ONTIME DEIVERY N Y DEVELOPMENT SPEED Y Y FLEXIBILITY CUTOMISATION N Y VARIETY Y Y VOLUME FLEXIBILITY Y Y QUALITY Quality is different for different customers, quality is simply defined as the completeness of features, value for money, conformance of specification, reputation. Consistent quality In the case of Primark and the AHL both companies products have the similar feature of consistent quality as in the Primark in garment industry sell fashion cloths for men, women, children and homemade products and AHL in motorbike industry both meet their design and specifications on the continuous basis to maintain the consistent quality of their products Top quality on the other hand the AHL is manufacturing and selling the top quality motorbikes in the motorbike industry of Pakistan thats why AHL has 63% market share in the market but the Primark is selling low quality products in the garment industry of Britain against his major competitors GAP, NEXT, ZARA which is the major difference in both of companies. COST Cost feature include manufacturing cost, value added cost, running cost, service cost and selling price is included Low cost operations: Primark is the strategy of low cost on which it sell its outsourced garment products to the customers by adding its services with its efficiently designed and operation process (appendix 2).so this strategy in the motorbike industry of AHL in Pakistan is applied by Star company and Titan company is the example of low cost operations. So in the Primark business the low cost operations credit goes to its supplies from its suppliers who operating their activities in low wage and other low production cost countries like Bangladesh. But the AHL is differentiate strategy for its product so its premium charges for his products in the market and this example in the garment industry is the ZARA, NEXT, GAP etc in the garment industry of UK. AHL operations are in house system in which a efficient manufacturing process is undertaken with all new production and management techniques (JIT, MRP, TQM)and charge the highest price in the market. (appendix 1show the process of operation in both companies) TIME Time included the delivery time, manufacturing lead time, due date, frequency of delivery, rate of production of the entity. AHL has its two manufacturing plants one is in Karachi and 2nd is in Shekhupura, AHL has Karachi plant produce 300 units of motorcycle per day. AHL has design its process efficiently to minimize the manufacturing lead time and fulfill the customers orders on time but again this internal efficiency depend on suppliers relation and efficient supply chain. The production example given 300 units for Karachi plant is the best example of manufacturing speed which is short and good for the company and this in return help on time delivery system where demand occur. The Primark outsourced its garment products from ASIAN countries mainly from Bangladesh, so according to the nature of the business in its industry the Primark has face fast development speed in the products because its products become out of fashion very fast so Primark has need the good relationship with its supplier because of its fast changing industry nature so wants the continuous deliveries. AHL also used the product development in its manufacturing plants in KARACHI and SHEHUPURA for introduction of new products. FLEXIBILITY Flexibility include the customization, variety and the volume of the production. The AHL production have all the customization, variety and volume features are included for example the four different products it produce is one feature of customization, variety and volume in production process is to support larger volume production and quickly manage within fluctuating demand which is again come in AHL production system in which it produce four type of customized motorbikes for targeted customers market with the production capacity of 600000 per year. The variety and volume flexibility is also seen in the Primark retail stores in which large amount of fashion cloths for all men, women and children are on the shelf and in the warehouses but the customization is in the product is not inside its process because it sell the products TO general public in the market. B: criticize 1: CAPACITY MANAGEMENT Capacity information is used by the companies to analyze and maximize their output, understand the companies capacity cushion and use the information for long and short term decision for expansion strategies. Capacity planning is a systematic approach to three issues pertaining to capacity,estimating the amount of capacity required, evaluating the alternative methods to augmenting the capacity and devising methods to use capacity effectively. b.mahadeven (2007). operations management theory and practice. new delhi: dorling kindersley. 219-221. The firm go through the situation of overcapacity, appropriate capacity and inappropriate capacity. The size, time and capacity become the constrains in the organizations. The company use the expansion and see and wait policy to cope when they face the constrains for example the BRITISH AIRLINE use the seats as his capacity, PRIMARK floor space and the ATLAS HONDA use his machines or the process in the one constrain theory as a capacity which become the constrain at the time of demand. In short time company use to manage itself within capacity but in long term it use to expand by acquisition or investment in the operation process. The capacity management take long time to manage if it applied by expansion policy with the large investment in operations to cope with demand but in short term lose the increased demand. Capacity planning included the judgment with based on the experience and the capacity planning used to get the economy of scale but after an specific point this benefit turns into the marginal increased unit cost which start to reducing the profit. b.mahadeven (2007). operations management theory and practice. new delhi: dorling kindersley. 219-235. Inventory management. Inventory management can be defined as Systems and processes that identify inventory requirements, set targets, provide replenishment techniques and report actual and projected inventory status. The companies use the different inventory methods for managing inventories 1: Just in time (JIT) In the JIT method the company use the pull strategy according to which it place orders when it requires for production or demand by customer. CIMA P7, CIMA PUBLISHER,2005 2: Economic Order Quantity(EOQ) The EOQ system is a quantitative method for inventory management , which minimize the inventory holding cost and ordering cost by use of a formula : à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡2*A*CP/CH 3: SAFETY STOCK Is a PUSH POLICY, safety stock is normally used traditionally to cope with unanticipated demand so the large buffer stock is retained in the big warehouses to manage with the unforeseen demand otherwise the company lose the sales and there will emerge the danger to lose the customer so company pay more to stock the inventory and pay more to stocking. 4: ABC INVENTORY is use to cauterize the inventory according to their value in organization . The companies used to manage their inventory because on average, 56 cents out of every dollar of revenue (i.e. 56 percent of revenue) to cover the direct cost of purchased goods, with this percentage figure being even higher for the typical wholesaler or retailer (Monczka et al., 2002; Handfield, 2002). Add to this figure the indirect cost of having to manage inventory of purchased goods (which has been estimated to be 30-35 percent of the value of purchased goods see Chase et al., 2004)and the total cost of purchased goods inventory can be quite alarming. The inventory management need the investment and warehouse which used by PRIMARK who received the outsourced supplies and distribute to other stores in Europe which cost him high and reduce profit. The inventory management polices as JIT and ABC systems want the basic changes in operation and the process and affect the emplyees as well to understand the them. New inventory policy as JIT want supplier commitment because it change the whole supply chain and want the amendment in suppliers system so it affect all supply chain system. organizational management and information system,2005,oxford,c.i.m.a The PRIMRK and the AHL need to decide the inventory management system before the decision of capacity management because the JIT system not need high investment on expansion policy. PERFORMANCE MEASURE Here we use two type of performance measure 1: Multidimensional performance measure Balance scorecard 2: Qualitative performance measure Matrices 1: BALANCE SCORECARD The balanced scorecard translates mission and strategy into objectives and measure into four different perspectives provide a framework, a language, to communicate mission and strategy, it uses measurement to inform employees about the drivers of current and future success. By articulating the outcomes the organization desires and the drivers of those outcomes, senior executives hope to channel the energies, the abilities, and the specific knowledge of people throughout the organization towards achieving long term goal. It should be used as a communication, informing, and learning system not controlling. (adopted, Kaplan and nortan, 1996, p.25) Balance scorecard does not lead to a single aggregate summary control for example if we use RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) it conveniently show how things are going. No clear relation between the BSC and shareholders value. Measure may give conflicting signals and confuse management. For example high customer satisfaction lead to falling financial indicators. BSC involves substantial shifts in corporate culture to implement. So if the AHL and the PRIMARK use the balance scorecard for their performance measure the above problems also occur in the system. So the capacity management and the inventory management comes in the internal business process part of the balance scorecard. Supply chain value Normally porters value chain model used for analyzing the operating process in manufacturing industry but we can use it in service industries as well. These activities are linked with each other to create value for the customer in the product and service. (appendix 1 shows the value chain of both companies). But the supply chain value add two more componenets in the value chain. Supply value chain à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ company value chain à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ customer value chain According to a July 16 report in The Wall Street Journal, Nissan Motor Co. halted production at four factories in Japan and at two auto manufacturing plants in the United States for three days in July due to a delay in the shipment of engine control units from supplier Hitachi Ltd. Hitachi officials said the delay was caused by a shortage of semiconductor chips from its suppliers. Nissan, which had adopted the Lean model about five years ago and dramatically reduced its inventory, said the production stoppage will reduce the companys output by 15,000 vehicles. However, Lean expert Matt Wrye, who writes the Beyond Lean blog (beyondlean.wordpress.com), said that Nissans issues were the result of a misapplication of Lean techniques. If you had hiccups in procurement, Lean behavior would ask questions around what are the hiccups in procurement, he wrote. Then Nissan would solve [these] problems, not arbitrarily start to add more suppliers just in case they have a similar hiccup in the future. http://www.isixsigma.com/index.php?option=com_k2view=itemid=1699Itemid=156 last access 22 march 2011 Total Quality management TQM is a process and philosophy of achieving best possible outcomes from the inputs, by using them effectively and efficiently in order to deliver best value for the customer, while achieving long term objectives of the organization. r.ashley.rawlins (2008). total quality management. london: authur house. 5-10. TQM involves the three main components Customer satisfaction involve conformance to specification, value, fitness for purpose, support, psychological impression Employee involvement include cultural change, teams. Continuous improvement is based on the philosophy of KAIZEN theory, to improve in each aspect of the entity. Quality as four type of cost Prevention example check the inbound logistic Appraisal example quality of inbounds Internal failure include cost of failure before sell to customers External failure example warrantee, guarantee TQM is the continuous improvement in the product and services which is not enough because the quality is what the customer so the AHL not only continuous improve the process but also make sure the customers needs in his products. TQM is not easy to apply but it needs a long time to internalize in the companies all aspect and it is also expensive for any company for example if Primark want the quality in his services it need to implement in each activity. TQM want the employee commitment so it is not easy to get the person to do what you want . TQM wants the cultural change in the organization which is a challenge for the organization and if not implemented successfully its become the danger for the companys survival. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n12_v47/ai_14858551/?tag=content;col1 last access 21 march 2011 1:

Napoleon :: essays research papers

The Napoleonic wars did have a large impact on industrialization in Europe as a result of realizations and actions taken to better their countries after the Napoleonic wars. Although the Industrial Revolution began in Britain during the 1700’s it was boosted in the early 1800’s after the Napoleonic wars because of reform that was needed. Industrialization then started spreading throughout Europe and into North America in the early 1800’s. By the mid-1800’s industrialization was widespread. This was all a result, somewhat indirectly of the Napoleonic wars. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain for several reasons. By the mid-1700's, the country had become the world's leading colonial power. Great Britain's colonies not only provided raw materials, but also provided markets for manufactured products. These colonial markets helped stimulate the textile and iron industries, which were probably the two most important industries during the Industrial Revolution. The demand for British goods grew rapidly during the late 1700's both in Britain and in other countries. This demand forced businesses to compete with each other for the limited supply of labor and raw materials, which raised production costs. The rising costs began to cut into profits. Further demand could not be satisfied until Britain enlarged its capacity to produce goods inexpensively. British merchants did not want to raise the prices of their goods and discourage demand. So, they sought more economical and efficient ways of using money and labor so the amount each worker produced would increase faster than the cost of production. The merchants achieved their goal through the development of factories, machines, and technical skills, thus, industrialization. The French Revolution began in 1789, after the start of industrialization. At first, many British approved the revolution as a triumph of liberty for the French people. But they changed their mind after the revolution grew more violent. Britain’s foreign policy was based on keeping the balance of power in Europe so that no country could gain control of another. This led them to form alliances with weak countries when they were in need. Therefore, when the new French government seized Belgium and threatened the Netherlands Britain protested and in 1793 they went to war. Napoleon Bonaparte led the French beginning in 1799. In 1803 he began to plan to invade Britain, but his naval power was crushed in the Battle of Trafalgar. He then tried to defeat them by ordering all of the countries under his command to close their markets off to Britain.

History of Percussion Instruments Essay -- Music

History of Percussion Instruments There are few certainties about the percussion family. No one can say how many instruments it contains; few have agreed on playing techniques; and few could name one orchestral piece specifically written with percussion in mind. However, one thing is certain, percussion has been shown over time that it is not merely a matter of beating out rhythm (â€Å" History of Percussion† 1). The family of percussion instruments is the first musical instrumentation introduced to the world. To this date there are countless percussion instruments. Each group of instruments has a different ethnic origin and history in different societies. From the shallow drums of fourth century B. C. to the giant cot rattles of the fifteenth century, percussion instruments have had a unique history. Percussion instruments have had an extensive background on many factors of their sound, and playing style. All percussion instruments fall into two main categories, idiophones and membranophones. Idiophones produce their sound from vibrations without the use of a stretched membrane. This could include castanets, rattles, and mallet instruments. Membranophones are those that produce a sound from the vibrations of a stretched membrane. These include any type of drum hit with a stick. Both of these instruments are tunable in many different ways and forms; therefore, these instruments can be used as melodic instruments (â€Å" Percussion† 653). Basic idiophones (also refereed to as concussion instruments) are struck together. This includes clappers, cymbals, stones, and castanets. Percussive idiophones are hit by nonsonorous strikers. These types of instruments include gongs, triangles, and xylophones. Shaken idiophones were usually cups or shells that contained rattles or pellets, the shaking of the shells and cups produced a sound. There are many other idiophones including scraped, split, and plucked kinds. (â€Å"Percussion† 653). These certain instruments are very important in the percussive arts field. Membranophones are commonly referred to as just drums. They fall into many categories such as kettledrums, bowl shaped drums, tubular drums, friction drums, and mirlitons. Kettledrums and tubular drums are sometimes tunable drums that can be played with hands or beaters. Friction drums are rubbed togethe... ...drum became a major advantage. It was believed that the Muslims invented the kettledrums (â€Å"Percussion† 659). Around the dawn of the seventh century, the use of drumsticks became a vital role in playing drums in Asia (â€Å"Percussion† 658). China and Japan invented a thunder drum, which is a drum that resembles the sounds of rolling thunder. These drums were used during large ceremonies and were played by many men at once. Drums played a vital role in Chinese and Korean orchestras. Some orchestras were just percussion orchestras. Around the twelfth century the first friction drums were used in Spain and Western Europe. The history of percussion is very unique and impressive. The origins of different percussion instruments are interesting to the mind. Many other musical instruments have a long history but the history of percussion is very unparagoned and compelling. Today, percussion instruments are widely used in orchestras and symphonies around the world, these instruments of the past have taken many different forms. The future of percussion instruments holds new innovative musical ideas, and an increase for the music appreciation endeavor.

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Essay -- essays research papers

Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by R. L Stevenson, a story of mischief and selfishness occurs. It's like this, there is a man called Dr. Jekyll he doesn't like who he is so one day he thinks of a potion that makes his good part split away from his bad part. That is when Mr. Hyde comes into the picture, he is the bad part of Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde likes to party have a good time and cares less about others, but Dr. Jekyll is a caring Doctor whom everybody adores and loves. Mr. Hyde gets himself into a lot of trouble in this story for example he gets a man killed and pushes down little girls for fun Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a friend of Dr. Jekyll's, finds something peculiar about Dr. Jekyll and decides to keep a close watch on him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day the potion stops working for Dr. Jekyll and he can't turn back into himself , he stays in the body of Mr. Hyde, the dreadful, ugly, little midget whom nobody likes. He decides to hide in his study upstairs and tells his servants that he is really sick and contagious and tells them to stay away from the study where hopefully nobody will see him. The only source of communication is the notes he writes to his servants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day Mr. Utterson and the servant break down the door of the study to find out if it really is Dr. Jekyll in that room. To their surprise it is Mr. Hyde with a bottle of poison. He had committed suicide bef... Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Essay -- essays research papers Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by R. L Stevenson, a story of mischief and selfishness occurs. It's like this, there is a man called Dr. Jekyll he doesn't like who he is so one day he thinks of a potion that makes his good part split away from his bad part. That is when Mr. Hyde comes into the picture, he is the bad part of Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde likes to party have a good time and cares less about others, but Dr. Jekyll is a caring Doctor whom everybody adores and loves. Mr. Hyde gets himself into a lot of trouble in this story for example he gets a man killed and pushes down little girls for fun Mr. Utterson, a lawyer and a friend of Dr. Jekyll's, finds something peculiar about Dr. Jekyll and decides to keep a close watch on him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day the potion stops working for Dr. Jekyll and he can't turn back into himself , he stays in the body of Mr. Hyde, the dreadful, ugly, little midget whom nobody likes. He decides to hide in his study upstairs and tells his servants that he is really sick and contagious and tells them to stay away from the study where hopefully nobody will see him. The only source of communication is the notes he writes to his servants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day Mr. Utterson and the servant break down the door of the study to find out if it really is Dr. Jekyll in that room. To their surprise it is Mr. Hyde with a bottle of poison. He had committed suicide bef...

Epistemology: Logic and Knowledge Essay

What is knowledge? How do we know what we know? Do we really know anything at all? These questions, as well as multiple others that arise when searching for the answers are what epistemology is all about. Various philosophers present their own positions in which they try to provide answers to these questions. From externalism to internalism, empiricism to rationalism, and even skepticism, we are exposed to a wide variety of ways that these thinkers use to find the key to truly objective thinking. It can be said with little to no argument that knowledge implies truth. You can’t know something if it’s false; it just isn’t so. You can start by saying knowledge is true belief, but you need something more to prove your true belief. Philosophers call this something a warrant. Therefore we come to the conclusion that knowledge is warranted true belief. Now, this begs the question: what is warrant? This question leads us to a major division epistemological thinking; externalism and internalism. Internalists believe that a belief is warranted if it stands in the right sort of relation to other beliefs. They say that knowledge is justified true belief. Externalists believe that a belief is warranted if it stands in the right sort of relation to the world. They say that knowledge is true belief arising from a reliable process external to ourselves that connects us with the known (309). Every philosopher’s views fall into one of these two schools of thought. The externalist approach is very dominant in Indian philosophy. The Nyaya philosophers practiced Externalist Realism. According to Nyaya philosophy, knowledge is true belief produced by a source of knowledge, or pramana. There are four sources of knowledge that the Nyaya Sutra, the earliest form of Nyaya work, characterizes. These are perception, inference, analogy, and testimony (310). There are guidelines to determine that our source of knowledge we use to justify a belief is genuine. A perception must be veridical, must not be mediated by language, and must arise from a direct sensory relationship with the object known (310-311). There are three types of inference; inferring the effect from the cause, inferring the cause from  the effect, and inferring a general rule from its instances (311). For example, you see someone light a scented candle, so you infer the room will smell good. If the room smells good, you infer that a scented candle was lighted. From this, you infer that in general, when scented candles are lighted it makes the room smell good. We make inferences from things that we perceive, however, inference does not reduce to perception since it produces knowledge about things we do not immediately perceive (311). Analogy is restricted to the acquisition of vocabulary only because presumably one would learn of new objects through direct perception, reliable inference, or trustworthy testimony (notes class #4 9/4/13). We learn most of what we know from the testimony of others (what they say and write). Their telling us is the cause of us knowing it; we are made to know things by what other people say (311). A source of knowledge justifies both its result and itself; it is self-revealing like a self-illumining lamp. This is how they make a foundation for other knowledge to be justified by. Nagarjuna, a skeptic, rejects projects of epistemology. He believes in the Buddhist message of interdependent origination, which states that everything is interconnected, and emptiness, which states that everything is â€Å"without a reality of its own (314). † He rejects the idea of â€Å"knowledge sources,† because there is no source for the identification of those sources. If you look for one, then what is the source for that source? Nagarjuna calls this endless search for sources an infinite regress. In response to the argument of the sources being self-proving; he argues that something to be proved cannot be a prover. (316-317) For example, if a couple with a daughter has another child, a boy, then that daughter becomes a sister. At the same time, the boy becomes a brother. The girl is becoming a sister because the boy is born, but the boy is becoming a brother because the girl exists, so who produces whom? Gangesha, founder of the New Logic, states that a skeptic’s argument is self-defeating because it employs the very logical patterns that it denounces (317). If it is impossible to know anything as skeptics argue it is, then how can the skeptic know what they are talking about? Skeptics use inference to guide action, so why is not okay for philosophers to use it to support their theories (317)? Gangesha claims that skeptics are hypocrites because they doubt in the seminar room what they accept outside of it (318). They doubt a philosopher’s reasoning for believing that cars on the streets are real, but wouldn’t stand in front of one driving towards them. In Gangesha’s mind, a true skeptic is one who wouldn’t move out of the way of oncoming traffic, wondering whether it’s all a dream. Nargarjuna’s arguments are smart and make sense, but the realist’s argument of the four pramanas is strong enough to not be debunked by him. You have to be able to have a point where you can stop questioning and just trust your senses. If you see something that looks likes orange juice, smells like orange juice, feels like orange juice, and tastes like orange juice, your perception is enough to prove that is indeed orange juice. Gangesha also makes a very good point about the hypocrisy of skepticism because if skeptic’s truly believed that you could not know anything, how would they even know to believe that? It seems that a true skeptic would not be able to live sanely. On the other hand, there are the internalists. There are three traditions of internalism in Western philosophy: rationalism, empiricism, and skepticism. Plato begins the rationalist tradition which sustains that we can are able to attain knowledge independent of experience (604). He argues that our knowledge of the material world exists because of our prior acquaintance with forms (334). Forms are abstract universals that exist independent of us. They make things what they are, and enable us to think about things as they are (599). Knowledge is the subjective possession of an objective truth (notes class #7 9/11/13). Plato states that when we know something, we can reflect on our reasons for believing it and be able to provide an account that proves why we know what we know is true (334). According to the Meno, an account of X must meet at least three conditions. First, it must be applicable to all instances of X (not too narrow). Second, it must not be applicable to things that are not X (not too broad). And third, it must not be circular (not contain in the account itself any mention of that which is to be defined or explained) (335). An example of an account being circular would be defining a friendship as a relationship between two friends. In the Theaetetus, Plato rejects the definition of knowledge as perception as too narrow. He argues that knowledge is justified true belief and there are basic items, like letters, that we can’t justify by anything else, but still know more clearly and directly than anything else. These items are a foundation of knowledge that justify everything else. Plato’s idea of forms seems a little too out there to be legitimate. There is nothing tangible about them which makes them hard to believe in. It’s weird to use something so hard to prove the existences of as a basis of knowledge. Another rationalist is Rene Descartes. Descartes also uses a new strong skeptical argument to show that there is a foundation of certain beliefs on which all other knowledge rests (373). His goal is to stop the infinite regress by finding foundational truths that cannot be doubted. His method was to doubt literally everything possible to see if he could find an unquestionable foundation for knowledge. He believes that illusions and dreaming give us reason to doubt everything we have ever learned from our senses (374). Descartes finally found a secure foundation for knowledge in that you cannot doubt that you exist. There can be no strong skeptical arguments made against â€Å"I think† or â€Å"I am. † If you doubt that you exist, who is doing the doubting (374)? Descartes theory is very interesting. The way he doubts everything to prevent doubt makes it seem almost foolproof. The third rationalist is G. W. Leibniz. Leibniz believes that no matter how many instances there are that confirm a general truth, there are not enough to establish the universal necessity of the same truth (385). Leibniz believes in a foundation of knowledge that justifies everything else. The items in the foundation are known, they are necessary truths and in fact, some are innate to our minds (386). He states that objects of our intellectual ideas are immediate and always present in our understanding (386). The first philosopher of empiricism is Aristotle. Aristotle deals with the separation of the mind and body. He distinguishes sensation which happens through sense organs from thought which seems to be a function of mind, and argues that the mind is separable from the body (notes class #7 9/11/13). He that since everything is a possible object of thought, then that in the soul which is called mind is before it thinks, is not actually any real thing, and this is why it cannot reasonably be regarded as blended with the body (344). Empiricism claims that sense experience is the ultimate starting point for all knowledge. Aristotle states that forms are not constituents of reality like Plato believes, but rather products are the mind and the mind takes on form from experiences (notes class #7 9/11/13). While none of these philosophers ideas can ever be 100% proven, that’s exactly what is interesting about epistemology. It could be studied endlessly. The search for what constitutes knowledge and true belief is a difficult one and these novel ideas are still fascinating to minds of every generation.

Data and Information

DATA| INFORMATION| 123424331911| Your winning lottery ticket number| 140593| Your date of birth| Aaabbbccd| The grades you want in your GCSEs| Data and information Data, information & knowledge Data Data consist of raw facts and figures – it does not have any meaning until it is processed and turned into something useful. It comes in many forms, the main ones being letters, numbers, images, symbols and sound. It is essential that data is available because it is the first step in creating meaningful information.Ex; 123424331911; 140593; aaabbbccd, might not mean anything by themselves, but if it is processed and turned into (the chart below) they turn into something useful. Information Information is data that has been  processed  in such a way as to be  meaningful  to the person who receives it. INFORMATION = DATA + CONTEXT + MEANING INFORMATION = DATA + CONTEXT + MEANING Example of information DATA| 21041926| This has no meaning or context| CONTEXT| It is a British da te| This allows us to register it as 21st April 1926.It still has no meaning and is therefore not information| MEANING| The Birth date of Queen Elizabeth II| This gives usa ll the elements required dor it to be called ‘information’| Knowledge Knowledge is the ability of understanding the relationship between pieces of information and what to actually do with the information. Consider this scenario:  Person puts a finger into very hot water. Data gathered: Finger nerves sends pain data to the brain. Processing:  Brain considers the data and comes up with†¦ Information: Painful finger means it is not in a good place.Action: Brain tells finger to remove itself from hot water. Knowledge: Sticking finger in hot water is a bad idea. Knowledge is having an understanding of the ‘rules’ Types of data Data can be stored in many different formats called ‘data types’. When setting up a database or spreadsheet, it is important that the correct data type is selected for each field. This is because the data type will determine what can be done with the data held in that field e. g. sorting, searching, calculations etc. It also can determine the format in which data is displayed e. g. date/time data type will allow you to pick the format of your choice, 14/05/08, 14 May 2008, 14th May 2008 etc. Finally, some data types are able to automatically validate the data being entered. e. g. : When you use a date/time data type then each date will be automatically checked to ensure that it can actually exist. For example, you would not be able to enter the date 31/02/2008 – it would automatically be rejected or return an error message. Types of data: * Text * Number * Boolean * Date/Time * Image Text A text data type can hold any letter, number, symbol or punctuation mark.It is sometimes referred to as ‘alphanumeric' or ‘string'. The data can be pure text or a combination of text, numbers and symbols. * Name Joe Bloggs * Address 101, Any Street That Town TR34 9RT * Telephone Number 01234 567890 * Car Registration EA05 NXR * Car ColourBlue Telephone numbers need to be stored as a text/string data type because they often begin with a 0 and if they were stored as an integer then the leading zero would be discounted. You are never likely to want to add or multiply telephone numbers so there is no reason to store it as an integer data type. Number A number data type contains numbers.Example: * Weight in Kg12. 25, 19. 99, 199. 99 * Room measurement in metres14. 5 * Temperature (degrees Celsius)37. 5 Types of numbers: * Integers An integer stores whole numbers, either positive or negative. Integers however cannot store numbers with decimal places. * Real Your numerical data might need to be formatted with decimal places. This means it cannot be stored as an integer number. Instead it is known as a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœreal'  number. You can specify the number of decimal places that you need. * Currency When you choose to format numerical data as currency then it will automatically be given two decimal places.However, you can choose to format currency with 0 dp because in some circumstances it would not be appropriate to display the pence. Think of an estate agent, they might sell a house for ? 295,000. It would look daft displayed as ? 295,000. 00. The currency data type also allows you to display the correct currency symbol such as ? or $. Boolean Boolean data holds one of two values, for example: * Yes/no * True/false * 0/1 A Boolean data type is used to answer questions where there are exactly two options, three options would mean it was no longer boolean data.Examples of questions where the responses would be stored as boolean data: * Has the heating been turned on? | Yes / No| * Are you employed? | Yes / No| Data / Time A date / time data type is used to store any data that is related to date or time. The tricky thing about date / time is that there are so many ways of showing it. And some countries have a different way of representing a date. For example * 9/4/94 in the USA means 4th Sept 94 * 9/4/94 in the UK means 9th April 94 By using a date /time data type, you can choose the format for how you want your data to be automatically displayed.For example: 14/05/08, 14 May 2008, 14th May 2008 etc. Another reason to use a date /time data type is that it can provide some basic validation on the data being entered. For example, you would not be able to enter the date 31/02/2008 – it would automatically be rejected or return an error message. Image Databases allow graphical images such as photographs to be stored as a data type. Images are binary files rather than text or numbers which is why a specific data type is required. Different file types such as . bmp, . jpg, . tiff can be storedQuality of information Things that affect the quality of information Accuracy If the data that you have collected is inaccurate then the information it will produce will inev itably also be inaccurate. Examples of how innacurate data occurs: Questionnaries and surveys * questions might be poorly worded so that users misunderstand them * there may not have been enough people interviewed for any conclusions to be reliable. For example, asking just two people is not likely to be enough Human mistakes * if people are collecting the data manually e. g. ecording answers to questionnaires, writing down instrument measurements, they might make a mistake. Calibration of instruments * if data is being collected automatically by sensors or other instruments then the results could be inaccurate if the instruments were not correctly calibrated at the start of the data collection period Examples of information which would be of little use if it was inaccurate: Weather forecasts Many people check the weather forecast each day so that they can get an idea of what to wear. People have to have faith that the forecast will be reasonably accurate in order to make decisions. Supermarket prices When you go to a shop you probably know how much money you have to spend. You chek the prices of things you are buying on the shelves and will have an idea of how much it will cost by the time you have reached the till. If the peson entering the price details into the system has accidentally overpriced a couple of items, then this could mean that you don’t have enough money to pay for shopping and have to put something back. Businesses Businesses have to keep accurate records of all the money coming in and all of the money being paid out.If the accountants make a mistake and dont accurately entera ll of the money received then it could look like the company has not made as much profit that year. Or they havent recorded all the bills so it seems that the company is making more money tan it really is Relevance In order for information to be useful it must be relevant to you. School You have a great deal of information to learn for each of your exams. Each tim e you go to lessons you probably take a lot of notes and perhaps are given handouts by your teachers to read.What about if your teachers decided to spend a few weeks teaching you about things that particularly interested them? What they had taught you might have been very interesting to both them and you but it isn't relevant to what you needed at the time. You would find that you had spent a few very precious weeks learning about things that you didn't need to know in order to pass your exam. Weather forecasts Whilst it might be interesting to find out what the weather is like in Florida or Melbourne today, it isn't really relevant to your everyday life.It won't help you decide whether you need to take an umbrella with you before you leave home in the UK. Doctor’s appointments You might be feeling unwell and want to make an appointment to see your doctor. You phone up the local surgery to find out when the doctor has a spare appointment time. It wouldn't be very useful or re levant to you if the receptionist told you how many appointment times were available to see the nurse. House prices Perhaps your parents might be thinking of moving house. The first thing they would do would be to speak to an estate agent to find out how much their house was worth.It wouldn't be useful or relevant if the estate agent were to tell them how a similar house in a different part of the country might be worth. Up to date information In order to be useful, information needs to be up to date. In many cases information changes over time and so old or out of date information can be misleading or five you the wrong picture of what is happening. Exams As part of your revision, you have a go at practicing lots of exam questions before the big day and you work your way through the practice papers and model answers that your teacher has given you.However, some of the papers are over five years old. How useful are the model answers for questions such as ‘which storage device would you recommend? ‘ and ‘what is the average size of a hard disk? ‘ It is well known that things move very quickly in the world of ICT and hardware and software changes rapidly. What was a top-notch computer just three years ago is now probably a very low-spec machine. So the model answers are likely to be out-of-date. Holidays Choosing a holiday can be great fun. And you would probably go to the travel agent to get the latest brochures. Why?Well, because if you used last year's brochures the holiday may not even be available any more. And certainly the prices would be different. So you need up-to-date information House prices Your parents are still thinking of selling their house. They need an idea of how much their house is worth right now. It would be no use to them being told by the estate agent how much their house was worth five years ago. Completeness In order for information to be useful it needs to be complete. If part of the information is missing then you will not be able to make use of it or make accurate decisions.Exams Remember those exam papers that you were doing for revision during your study leave? Your teacher wanted you to work your way through them and check your answers against the model answers. What if you were only given the second half of the model answer and the first half was missing? How useful would it be to you? Weather forecast You still want to plan the family picnic for tomorrow. However when you check the weather forecast you are only told what the weather in the morning will be like. There is nothing about the afternoon.You can't really make a decision just based upon what the morning weather is likely to be. Doctor’s appointment Imagine you are feeling ill and you need to make an appointment to see your doctor. How useful would it be if the receptionist just told you that you could have an appointment at quarter past two? Does she mean today, tomorrow or next week? The information in incomplete. Quality of presentation Information which is presented in a disorganised way or in a manner that is hard to understand will be less useful to you Business dataIf you were asked to present some information in a business meeting. It is often better to present it graphically. People find it very hard to spot patterns in a table of data, but the same information presented as a graph makes it very easy. Buying a house Your parents want to buy a new house. It is much easier to pick a house if a photograph was available. Your parents can see instantly if the house would appeal to them and whether they would be interested in finding out more. Once they have decided they like the look of the house they would then want more detailed written information.However, giving them the written information first with no idea of what the house looks like would make it difficult for them to get an idea as to whether they would like it. Too mucho or too litle detail For information to be useful you need t he right amout of detail. There is a risk of having too much detail which makes the information overwhelming and difficult to extract the bits that you want to know about. Or there might not be enough detail in which case you wont understand the full picture. Example: baking a cake Too much detail| Not enough detail|Ingredients Not only telling you that you need fluor, but telling you all of the different brands of fluor and how the choice of each one would affect the rising of your cake| Ingredients Telling you that you need fluor but not the quantity you will need to weigh ouy| MethodTelling you exactly how many times you need to beat the eggs and for exatly how many seconds you need to fold in the fluor| MethodTelling you to mix the ingredients together but not informing you of the correct order in which to combine them| CookingTelling you the exact amount of minutes that the cake should be baked for every type of oven that is currently for sale| CookingTelling you the temperatur a to cook the cake but not how long to leave it in the oven for| Coding of data When you are designing a database system to hold data, one of the first decisions that you will need to make is about how the data will be collected and stored. You already know the term GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out).If you collect data and enter it into the system without careful consideration at the planning stage then the output from your system will be of little use. One of the things that you can consider is to code some or all of your data in order to improve the efficiency of your system. What is coding of data? Any system will need to have data collected, entered and stored. One method of storing data is to assign codes to it. This usually means shortening the original data in an agreed manner. The agreement is between the users of the system. This coding scheme could be part of the training of how to use the system, and it could also be documented within the system for new users.If the coding is completely obvious then there is no such need for formal documentation. For example if a field called ‘Gender' has only two values ‘M' and ‘F'. It should be obvious from the field name that this refers to Male and Female. Example 1 Original data: Monday; Tuesday; Wednesday; Thursday; Friday Coded data: Mon; Tues; Wed; Thurs; Fri Example 2 Original data: Xtra Large; Large; Medium; Small Coded data: XL; L; M; S Example 3 The above codes are fairly easy for anyone to recognise and understand. Some codes however are more complicated. What do you think the following codes might represent? RG935LR CV183TP The above examples could be postcodes.They represent a street name, a particular part of the street and the town where the street is located. Example 4 How about: SK12BN TR14GN These might be a little bit more difficult because the code is made up from different representative parts. Let's have a closer look. The first part represents a piece of clothing, so ‘SK' represented ‘Skirt' and ‘TR' represented ‘Trousers' The middle part of the code was the dress size. The final part of the code represented a colour, so ‘BN' represented ‘Brown' and ‘GN' represented ‘Green'. You should be able to see from that information that the first code is a size 12 brown skirt. What piece of clothing would the second code represent? Why might we want to code data?Much of the data that we collected and enter into our systems has some degree of repetition. Speeding up data entry Let's take the example of collecting data about a person's gender. People can be either ‘Male' or ‘Female'. Whilst these two options are easily understood by all, imagine having to enter the word ‘Male' and ‘Female' into a system many hundreds of times instead. It is a waste of time and effort because no extra information is contained in the full words compared to a single letter. Increase accuracy of data entry The other issue is that no matter how accurate a person is at data entry, at some stage they are likely to make a mistake and might spell ‘Male' as ‘Mail' or ‘Female' as ‘Femal'.This type of mistake will make any results from your database queries unreliable. Instead of entering ‘Male' or ‘Female' you could code the data and instead enter it as ‘M' or ‘F'. Simply having to enter one letter instead of a possible six will speed up data entry. It will also cut down on the risk of mistakes being made with spelling. Use of validation In our example, the words ‘Male' or ‘Female' have been coded so that they become ‘M' or ‘F'. When data has been coded it makes it easier to use validation to check if the data entered is sensible. With the example above, the person entering the data could still make a mistake and enter ‘S' instead of ‘M' or ‘F'.But if you set up validation so that the field will only accept the l etters ‘M' or ‘F' and absolutely nothing else then that should further cut down on possible mistakes. Note that validation can only check if the data is sensible and within reasonable limits, it cannot check whether the data is accurate. Somebody could still enter ‘F' instead of ‘M'. Less storage space required Every letter that you store in your database system will take at least one byte of storage. If you store ‘Female' as ‘F' then you will save five bytes of storage space. If the system belongs to a large organisation, there might be many thousands or millions of records stored – simply by coding one field, a huge amount of hard disk storage can be saved. Faster searching for dataIt stands to reason that the smaller the size of your database, the faster it will be to search and produce results. Thus by coding data and keeping the size of the system to a minimum the more time you can save in the long run when running queries. Coding exam ples In our everyday lives we come across many examples of how coding is used to represent data. Here are just a few more ideas: Country names The name of a country can be represented by two letters. For example: Great Britain – GB France – FR Canada – CA Problems caused by coding data Whilst coding data can bring many benefits it can also lead to some problems. Coarsening of data This means that during the coding process some of the subtle details in the data are lost. Look at the image below: