Difference between women now and centuries ago Essay

Women are important asset in one’s life even if you are living in the 1800’s, 1900’s or nowadays. The difference between women living years ago and now might varies, such as cultural, social, and fashionable differences. Have you ever wondered what women’s role in life was? Well this depends on the perspective of the person whether a male or a female, it also depends on the time zone. At various time throughout history, working women were viewed as cruel and not devoted to help their children and family. This is wrong; women should develop, gain rights, and become more independent because ignorance kills the identity of a person. What’s the difference between women’s life nowadays and before? Men considered women in ancient societies to be only wives who cook, and take care of their house and children; on the other hand nowadays men look at women as a respectful hard worker and an important asset to our society. Examples of change, women in ancient societies were forbidden to vote. Yet, a brave woman Lydia Taft was courageous enough to be the first women who breaks the rule and vote , after this courageous act New Zealand decided to allow women to vote , since then women made a great change and made their rights approximately equal. Women in the earlier centuries were not allowed to be sociable, they were not allowed to walk on the streets alone or even travel alone, and on the other hand women recently are free to do whatever they like. Even marriage has different aspects many years ago women didn’t have a choice who to marry or to see his face. Marriage took place through tribal processes and father’s decision, but Nowadays women might marry without even caring what her parent’ point of view. This gave the freedom of choice, and by this way less family divorces will occur. Job opportunities for women differ from back then and now. What comes in mind when someone first asks you what is the gender of an engineer instantly what comes in mind is a man. Nowadays this all changed women have many unlimited opportunities in jobs. They can get paid sometimes more than men, they can now run companies, and unlike many years ago their best job is to be teachers. Another aspect is their clothing. Women were extremely cautious when it comes to what to wear. Back then it was rude to wear like nowadays small skirts, Shorts that show thighs, and much more. Education plays an important role to portray how women nowadays differ than women lived centuries ago. Education back then was only offered to men, this lead huge inequality between sexes. This made illiteracy rate high and affect the society negatively making only one brain in the family working rather than two brains. Education is the core of life. Nowadays education is a must and societies are in a good shape due to both sexes educated. Due to the publisher Cox, Matthews & Associates, Inc., from a journal of an unknown author, his point of view stands with that education for women is a vital role that has high opportunities unlike women that didn’t get educated centuries ago. â€Å"Many of us here at Diverse have been privileged to meet dynamic women in the world of higher education and beyond. They lead some of the most demanding and consequential organizations and programs on the planet. No longer sitting on the decision-making sidelines, they have shattered the glass ceiling and, subsequently, have introduced new ways of thinking about and approaching leadership.† Women that are recognized and entered history books will always be praised and remembered as heroes; unlike women living centuries ago that are illiterate. Example from Belle S.Wheelan , president of the accrediting body since 2005, it also means â€Å"Students Are Central to Success,† a fitting description for what motivates her on the job. Wheelan is the first African American and the first woman to lead SACS.† Women struggled a lot in the earlier centuries, but as time passes everything changes. Women achieved a lot and made it into the highest rank in over society. A wise man once said â€Å"Every brave warrior was once a defenseless baby and every building was once a picture it’s not about where you are today but where you’ll reach tomorrow†. Reference: 25 WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE. (2012). Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 29(2), 10-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/928543490?accountid=8555

Physical Abuse Letter

Shondra Gant 91-1413 Halahua St. Kapolei, HI 96707 (123)456-7890 [email  protected] com October 7, 2012 Theo Bark Writer TheBoomBox. com 770 Broadway New York, NY 10003 Dear Mr. Bark, Your article written on October 5, 2012 concerning the Chris Brown and Rihanna matter, writing how her father approves of their reconciliation is not a subject that should just be taken lightly.Abusive relationships are a serious matter and stating that it is okay to continue a relationship with your abuser is the wrong message to be sending to people, including those that are in abusive relationships and won't speak up about what they go through. Considering that 80% of girls in abusive relationships continue to be in the relationship with their abuser( Bhatti paragraph 7, statistic 2), ending a relationship and starting it back up again is the same circumstance. Writing this article IS NOT the correct message that you should be sending.That ultimately the people that hurt you once can change and won 't hurt you again, â€Å"He used to hit her†¦. He swore that it wouldn't happen again but it only got worse;†( Sparks, P. 64). 33% of teenagers do not speak up if they are being abused( Bhatti paragraph 6, statistic 3), 24% of women ages 18-35 haven't said if they were being harmed in an abusive relationship( Glamour magazine). When Rihanna spoke up about he matter, they said goodbye, there was a hearing, and they stopped speaking.Now these rumors of a reconciliation are bringing up memories and making this a hot topic again. And now coming out, saying her father approves of this, that this event between them is just a ‘mistake, and everyone should be forgiven once'( Bark, paragraph 3). People who continue to forgive abusers realize they shouldn't have, and by writing this article this is what you are saying: Just go ahead and forgive! Abusive relationships are a major issue, but seeing how these are music professionals that people listen to and look up to, this hi ts home much more.The children that look up to these individuals will think, â€Å"well she took him back! I can too!!! † Do you have kids Mr. Bark? I don't, but I have 6 younger siblings, seeing your article that a family member approves of an abuser getting back together with the abused, and every other article stating they are back together IS NOT something I want my siblings thinking is acceptable in society. Thank you for your time in reading my letter on what I thought of your article. Sincerely yours, Shondra Gant

How Market, and Societal, Trends and Pressures are reflected in the Speech or Presentation

How Market, and Societal, Trends and Pressures are reflected in the Contemporary Facility - Speech or Presentation Example Hospitality industry is undergoing transformation such that new designs strive to achieve higher levels of needs. Maslow’s model (Goff, 2005) Competition between small and big hotels for market share fueled mass movement from offering the basic needs to high standards by the big hotels (Goff, 2005). Design of high class beds, sophisticated shower systems, high quality towels and entire upgrade of the accommodation facilities was adopted by big hotels among them Hilton and Marriott. In the past many people while traveling, what came first when choosing a place to stay was whether basic things such as safety, security and comfort. However the modern guest focuses on facilities such as affordable Wi-Fi hotspot (Goff, 2005). Therefore, there is a need for the interior designer of hospitality to cater for the high level needs of such guests. This trend clearly justifies analysis based on the Maslow’s model and every design of old or new facility in the hospitality industry s hould be founded on it. Introduction Contemporary hospitality facilities such as hotels have moved from being just accommodation and recreation places to being fully integrated guest experience that caters for unique tastes and preference of every individual. Currently, hotel architectural designs deal with customer experience because hospitality consumers have power to information and they get exactly what they want thanks to social media. Projects are recognized as innovative and forward looking based on the ability to address customer experience. They should be thoroughly thought and well designed to achieve the unique touch, taste and experience of individual guests. First impression is always crucial and design of places like lobby is given priority. For example most guests prefer natural light and hotels lately adopt natural lighting designs. Modern designs also have to meet the taste of the employees. This brings about employee motivation and thus impacting on a good customer service and improve the overall image of the hotel .Historically focus was put on the public sections of a hotel facility but recently more emphasis has been put in other areas like the support space. Concentrating on uplifting the standards of living of the staff creates a sense of belonging and gives confidence and enough time for them to help guest achieve their experience. The relationship between the three people in a hospitality setting that is the employer, staff and the guests is very crucial. Self-actualization should influence hospitality facility design in such a manner that all these people satisfy their experiences and needs. In the emerging markets, namely; China, India and Brazil, provision of up-scale products may lead to oversupply and there is a need to design new products for instance mid-market and budget products (Gustafson, 2001). During economic recession demand for such products is high and companies in the hospitality industry should shift focus to this are a in order to tap the potential of a booming business brought about by middle-income earners and people living within budget and still want to explore hospitality products and services. It should be noted that almost half of the people in the world are middle class and they all need hotels and other hospitality facilities. Hospitality multinational groups are moving towards the emerging mark

Training and Development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development - Coursework Example Knowledgeable and skilled workers are an asset to any organization. They create invaluable competitive advantage since they ensure that their employers can achieve their goals and objectives faster and more effectively than their rivals. Competitive advantage is inspired by a number of organizational processes, and adequate and effective training is one of them. Others like effective financial management and strategic planning are also part of the whole, but training is the most important. In the 21st century business environment, employee training is a weapon that is used to outmuscle and dominate rivals in any industry (Tarique, 2014). It is a crucial component of corporate strategic management because it allows its exponents to compete on a higher level than others. In-house training is particularly important because apart from equipping workers with the latest skills and knowledge in their areas of specialization, it acquaints them with the DNA of their organization. This instills in them an appreciation of their work and then enables them to exploit their skills to demonstrate this appreciation. Apart from competing with other firms, the organization needs to meet its own needs first. There is no point in challenging perceived rivals when it cannot even achieve its own goals. Training and development will allow the organization to attain internal goals and objectives and to operate optimally (Peters & Carr, 2013). This will then provide it with a firm foundation from which it can then launch assaults against its competitors. The 21st century business arena demands that all business operations be executed in the most efficient and affordable manner. This cannot be achieved with ill-equipped and misinformed employees. Training and development put employees in a constant standby mode, ready to execute tasks in the least time possible and at the least expense to their employers. Ongoing

Sap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sap - Essay Example Pan African Health Organization (PAHO) gave the process of vaccine and the types even the challenges of vaccine as a response to preventing the outbreak. CHARACTERISTICS: Cholera is an asymptomatic infection because by the time the symptoms appear, the disease is already widespread. It affects young children, older ones and even adults. Its characterized by watery diarrhea , creamps in the limbs and it leads to dehydration of the patient. Treatment: Vaccination is recommended to those at risk of being infected. Those infected should have continued eating speeds to recover the normal intestinal function. Its treated with Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT). ORT is the easiest and simplest way of treatment since its effective and safe. "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362HYPERLINK "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362&cat=field-news"&HYPERLINK "http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=6362&cat=field-news"cat=field-news" For Haitians, Cholera Remains a Major Public Health Problem, Medecins Sans Frontieres. PROBLEMS: Cholera in Haiti continues to be widespread due to reduced international funding which has slowed down the delivery of medical care and provision of clean water and sanitation services. Measures taken to prevent and treat cholera are not enough because its still far from being

Barclays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Barclays - Essay Example Any partner can go out through a defined process and even a new partner can be admitted to an existing partnership. Partners are fully liable for any debt due in the name of the firm. A company is a legal entity having the status of an individual. This means that a company can sue and can be sued on its own name. A â€Å"private limited company† is for small business setup but the entrepreneur may offer some of the shares to the investors in return for capital, while retaining the major shareholding. Only a â€Å"public limited company† can offer its shares to general public through stock exchange. A well-designed business plan focuses on various factors including budgets. It figures out all the expected costs and revenues that are expected to be incurred and generated respectively. All the planning about how the business is to be carried out, how the sales are to be made and how the funds are to be raised to meet up the expected costs, all are laid down in that plan sheet. While making budget, Tim ONeill must have kept in mind that how much money is needed and for what purposes. Assumptions should also be considered for some variable factors like interest rates, volume of sales and cost of goods. Cash flow is another important factor to be considered so that one can foresee if the business’ income will cover its expenditure. It is very rare that a business starts earning profit from its maiden year only. Difficulties do arise to establish a business and goodwill. Any business that needs to be set up requires a large amount of finance to arrange premises, equipments, stock and other essential items. After bringing in the capital by the owners, partners or shareholders, the owners of the business seek different sources to obtain finance to meet their day-to-day expenses and payment of bills. Some sources are given below: This service enables the account holder to go beyond its available funds up to a certain

Human Resource Management at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Resource Management at Work - Essay Example In this situation, it is essential that employees perceive constant organizational support and are motivated to improve their workplace performance. HR leadership and management strategies will play the vital role in bringing organizations in the leisure industry toward their strategic goals. That HRM decisions produce a multitude of effects on the quality of performance in organizations is a well-known fact. Brendon Jones, Ltd is no exception. In its current situation, the company has several strategic options to choose from. While the company is losing its market position and experiences a rapid decline in consumer satisfaction, its principal task is to improve its stability and position in the leisure industry and retain its consumers. Also, the company must ensure that the number of new consumers constantly increases and, most importantly, that new and existing consumers are satisfied with the quality of its entertainment services. Advertising looks like the primary and the most promising solution to the customer issues: while Brendon Jones, Ltd is losing its consumers, a well-developed advertising campaign could help it to revive its brand and popularity and attract new customers. Attractive as it may look, advertising and brand revival will not resolve the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s organizational issues from within. Advertising is just an instrument of popularity and competitiveness in a short-term perspective. In no way does advertising help to raise the efficiency of business operations at Brendon Jones, Ltd. Therefore, the organization could try to reconsider its budget and financial expenses, to open new parks or develop new, sophisticated attractions. Apparently, the success of the leisure industry organizations is in whether they can surprise their consumers. The more surprising and sophisticated attractions are the more interested

Relationship between work patterns and family patterns of Asian Essay

Relationship between work patterns and family patterns of Asian Americans - Essay Example This means that both parents often have to work in order for them to meet the financial obligations of the family. Moreover, with the better levels of education that are available to both men and women, the modern woman is often faced with the dilemma between having a family or building a career. And the case is that often the modern woman does not wish to entirely give up her career to have a family. These pressures on families are experienced across the board irrespective of the ethnic background of the families. Asian Americans, like other minorities in America, are aware that they have to use hard work and employment if they are to achieve socioeconomic mobility in the United States. And coming from a cultural background that encourages hard work (Gladwell 239) it is no surprise that Asian Americans have adapted to and developed innovative strategies to enable them attain the much desired socioeconomic mobility. In America today, Asian Americans have the highest rate of college and university degrees. Many of them have realized impressive occupational successes and are poised to become prominent members of their respective industries. However, it is important to note that the Asian American population within itself is culturally diverse because of their different countries of origin.

Nation under God Essay Example for Free

Nation under God Essay The argument regarding the use of the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance is not a new one. In fact, this argument stems from the long standing principle of separation between the church and the state which is embodied in the First Amendment of the United States constitution. Under this principle, the government and the church are to be kept separate from each other. The government is prohibited from encouraging or advancing any of the interests of a single religion. This means that the government cannot promote a single religion or impose upon its people which religion to follow (Clark 1965). It is a blanket prohibition that prevents the government from intervening in the religious beliefs of people. The second aspect of this principle recognizes that the government will invariably have to deal with religious institutions one way or the other (Clark 1965). The doctrine on the separation of church and state therefore also regulates the dealings between the church and state such that there should only be a minimal and incidental interference from the government. This is also known as the rule on excessive entanglement between the church and the state. The problem with the use of the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance is considered as a violation of the doctrine on the separation of the church and state because many religious groups claim that the use of the term God favors the Christian religion which prominently uses the term God for the Supreme Being. Other groups on the other hand argue that the word God as used in the Pledge of Allegiance is not an advancement of the Christian religion but rather an acknowledgment of some higher being that is common to all religions. This short discourse will seek to shed more light on the issue of the use of the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance. The first part will cover the historical background of the insertion of the word God in an attempt to understand the original meaning of the word God as used in the Pledge of Allegiance. The next segments will cover the points of view from the perspective of the state as contrasted to the perspective of the church on the issue. Historical Background of the Insertion of the Word God: There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the use of the word God in the Pledge of Allegiance particularly with its mandatory recitation in the public school classrooms. Most of controversy revolves around the use of the phrase â€Å"under God. † It was not until June 14, 1954 however that this highly contested phrase was inserted (Whitsitt 1896). The original tenor of the pledge of allegiance which was created by Francis Bellamy on September 7, 1892 read as follows: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Historical Changes of the Pledge of Allegiance 1892: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. 1892 to 1923: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. 1923 to 1954: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. 1954 to Present: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. The original tenor of the Pledge of Allegiance did not contain any reference to any deity whatsoever. In response to this, the Knights of Columbus of New York City urged the assemblies to insert a reference to a deity since they felt that it was incomplete without one. The deity to which the Knights of Columbus referred to was the same one that was referred to in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (Whitsitt 1896). The words â€Å"under God† as used in Lincoln’s address, according to the Knights of Columbus, was the most appropriate one to add to the Pledge of Allegiance. It is important to note however that the phrase â€Å"under God† was never contained in the original text of the Gettysburg Address. By April 22 of the year 1951, the Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus formally adopted a resolution to amend the recitation of Pledge of Allegiance by the members of the Knights of Columbus at the opening of each of the meetings of the 800 Fourth Degree Assemblies of the Knights of Columbus by addition of the words under God after the words one nation (Whitsitt 1896). It was not long before the whole organization had adopted the same resolution as the idea spread throughout the other Knights of Columbus organizations nationwide. On August 21, 1952, the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus adopted a resolution at its annual meeting recommending the that the change in the Pledge of Allegiance be made universal and soon petitions and copies of the resolution were sent to the Office of the President, the Vice President, who was the Presiding Officer of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. While the attempts of the Knights of Columbus were unsuccessful, they were able to convince a majority of the relevance of inserting such a phrase and soon the movement began to gain momentum (Whitsitt 1896). It was not until Senator Homer Ferguson who in his report to the United States Congress on March 10, 1954 that the movement had begun to make significant progress. In this privileged speech, Senator Ferguson said, The introduction of this joint resolution was suggested to me by a sermon given recently by the Rev. George M. Docherty, of Washington, D. C. , who is pastor of the church at which Lincoln worshipped. By this time Congress concurred with the Oakman-Ferguson resolution, and Eisenhower opted to sign the bill into law on Flag Day, June 14, 1954. The rationale for the approval and adoption of the phrase â€Å"under God† was clarified by President Eisenhower in a letter which he wrote in August of 1954 (Bradley 1996). These words [â€Å"under God†] will remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded. This was actually taken from the sermon of Docherty to which President Eisenhower had taken a great interest in (Whitsitt 1896). It was eventually published by Harper Bros. in New York in 1958 and President Eisenhower took the opportunity to write to Dr. Docherty with gratitude for the opportunity to once again read the fateful sermon. Finally, on Flag Day, June 14, 1954, Congress passed the legislation that add the phrase under God to the Pledge of Allegiance. At this point, it can be argued that the insertion of the word God into the Pledge of Allegiance was actually motivated by some religious influence, particularly the Christian religion. In order to have a better understanding of the issue at hand however it is important to briefly examine the import of the doctrine of the Separation of the Church and the State. Doctrine of the Separation of Church and State: The phrase, â€Å"separation of Church and State†, is actually from a letter that was written by one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, to a group that called themselves the Danbury Baptists. In the letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that, â€Å"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. † This was of course in reference to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution (Whitsitt 1896). The basic precept of this doctrine is founded on a firm belief that religion and state should be separate. It covers a very wide spectrum, as mentioned in the previous sections of this discussion, ranging from the secularization or elimination of the church to theocracy wherein the state works in tandem with a religion in order to govern over the acts of people (Bradley 1996). The Secularist Perspective: The secularist perspective is that the state should be kept distant from religion and that, in the same vein, the religious institutions should also be free from any governmental interferences. This follows the second aspect of the Doctrine of the Separation of Church and State that dictates that there should be no entanglement between the Church and the State (Bradley 1996). In this perspective, the government is prohibited from citing the authority or influence of a specific religious institution for the justification of its authority (Bradley 1996). While there are some governments that claim religious justifications for their powers such as the Muslim states, the justification for such is based on the emphasis of the relationship for ceremonial and rhetorical purposes only. The acts done by the government are not meant to further the cause of any single religion but are actually for the general welfare and the benefit of the state. The state therefore does not conform to any particular religious doctrine but in fact caters to its own doctrine as mandated by the will of the people and of the Constitution (Clark 1965). Acts such as exemptions from taxation or providing funds for education and charities, though viewed as supporting religion, are in fact welfare based or â€Å"faith based† according to secularists. This reflects the view that temporal authority and spiritual authority should properly operate in complimentary spheres. The spheres where they overlap such as in moral values or property rights are areas where neither should take authority over the other but should instead offer a framework in which society can work these issues out without subjugating a religion to the state or vice versa (Bradley 1996).

Outcast Essay Example for Free

Outcast Essay Outcast The novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a 9th grade girl called Melinda Sordino whose life is being terrorized by her memories from a bad incident at an end-of-the-summer party. It is the first day of 9th grade for Melinda at Merry Weather High School, nobody likes her because she called the cops at the party, making her an outcast and speechless. By the end of the novel Melinda finally speaks to her mom and her ex-friends about the party, and the narrator learns that having the confidence to speak and speaking up can make somebody feel better. Anderson uses the Title Speak to help show the theme of the novel. Early in the story, Melinda is going to her first day of 9th grade. Melinda is not having a great 1st day of High School, and than she soon refuses to speak Its easier to not say anything (9). Melinda first shows her behavior when she is no longer speaking. On this part of the novel the problem is firstly presented but the theme is still not represented in this part of the novel. As the story continues, Melinda is going thru her life in High School but in a way nobody likes. Melindas ex-friends hate her due to the incident. But, she meets a girl named Heather who is new to the state, and become friends. Heather speaks a lot to Melinda but Melinda becomes anti-social with her. In Melindas art class she is picked to paint a tree but she starts poorly. Later in the story Melinda becomes more closed and her life becomes worse. Melinda: you mean we are not friends anymore? Heather: We were not really, really friends. (105). Speaking now symbolizes how difficult or how struggling it is to keep a friend and to achieve something.

Dells Just In Time Inventory Management system

Dells Just In Time Inventory Management system Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing is specific type of inventory production strategy that is used to improve a companys return on investment through a cutback of stock held. The primary goal of JIT is the achievement of zero inventory, not just with within the confines of a singe organisation but ultimately throughout the entire supply chain (Hutchins 1988). Many companies are making the transition into adopting JIT manufacturing; however it was the automotive industry sector that initially pioneered the principle. It was first developed by Toyota in the 1980s and it is now frequently used within the production of a diverse range of different goods. Nowadays companys inventories are shrinking to almost nothing mainly because of the large increase of JIT manufacturing. Dell is probably the most well known business that had implemented the lean manufacturing process. Therefore for the purpose of this report I am going to focus on how Dell the computer producer has integrated JIT, a parti cular type of inventory management into their firm. 2.1 Dell company analysis The Dell Computer Corporation is one of the leading sellers of PCs with its main rival being the Hewlett Packard Company. (Mintel 2009) claims that Dell is the the number two supplier worldwide. It is a very successful firm that has gained exceptional sales accomplishments because of its unique direct marketing model. They have had the right amount of resources within their business to develop an extremely successful inventory production model. As a result Dell has gained competitive edge and many rival computer companies are now starting to replicate Dell. However simply imitating Dells strategy without fully researching the management theory behind it is not an ideal approach for other firms to adopt. Most of the enterprises that have tried to do this have not succeeded, to much of a degree that Dell has. The competitive advantages of Dell over its competitors are that Dell has well thought out JIT inventory system and very good supplier integration. This has helped in cutting down inventory costs within the business and has also reduced the lead time in serving customer orders for computers and laptops. This had caused Dell to gain a very successful process improvement within their enterprise. 2.2 Dell JIT strategy It is quite clear that these JIT inventory systems have evolved over the years. (Helo 2004) states that JIT is believed to enhance productivity and build a leaner manufacturing system which minimises inventories. This is because Just-in-time makes production operations much more efficient compared with other methods of production, as it is a cost effective approach. Dell realised that this would be a excellent opportunity for their business processes before any other computer firms did and have therefore have cut their inventories from having 20 to 25 days of inventory to having no warehousesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and no more than two hours of inventory in its factories (Mishra 2009). By doing this Dell reached one of their main goals of constantly improving performance of their business. They also recognized that they could reduce expenditure by integrating and optimizing their computer manufacturing system. Overall such a system builds a leaner supply chain for Dell, so that their inventor ies are minimized. 2.3 Requirements for JIT manufacturing Establishing a JIT company like Dell requires commitment from every department and a lot of support from the companys strategic management team. A pull production method of work flow needs to be put into practice for JIT systems to be useful within Dell. The entire supply chain system is built around the flexibility and speed therefore customer demand is the factor that activates production of Dell computers. Normally this is fine within Dells business as they use the direct marketing model to sell their computers. However sometimes demand for computers can rapidly increase without any significant explanation. Dell has to have a contingency plan in place in case this happens unexpectedly. Even though inventory is low Dell still have the ability to stretch and push the factory processes to the capacity at times when demand succeeds supply. Table 1. Key Requirements for JIT Production (Lubben 1988) 1.High quality standards 2.Demand or pull scheduling 3.Level production schedules 4.Sufficient lead time (minimum setup time) to change to new products 5.Long term contract commitments from customers and with suppliers 6.Contiuous improvement of the production process 7.Minimum inventory in the manufacturing system 2.4 Advantages of Dell adopting a JIT system There are a wide range of benefits that JIT manufacturing can have on an enterprise. Firstly JIT appeals to a wide variety of businesses as it helps to prevent manufacturers from getting stuck with outdated or unusable inventory. Dell only has 2 hours worth of inventory in their manufacturing plants. This ensures that they are controlling their production of computers fully. In addition to this it has been found that JIT adoption has significant positive results on the financial figures of a business. Dell has achieved a cash conversion cycle from implementing JIT systems. This allows a healthy flow of money within their business, which will have an encouraging impact on their profitability. Another one of the many advantages to just-in-time manufacturing is the reduced cost. This is only achieved after the JIT systems has been in place for quite while, but it reduces capital tied up in stock, which allows a company like Dell to spend money on other areas of the business such as adve rtising and marketing. Just-in-time also has a much faster setup and saves resources by streamlining production systems. This as a result prevents overproduction of computers, which will therefore help Dell with the elimination of waste within their company. As a further point JIT systems also abolishes costs of warehouse space and storage facilities. This also allows Dell to inject cash into other parts of their enterprise and can also keep travel costs to a minimum. 2.5 Limitations of a company such as Dell implementing JIT manufacturing Just as JIT manufacturing has many strong points, there are some weaknesses as well. The Just-in-Time system may not suit every business, thorough research needed to be done by Dell to ensure such inventory management would work in the way they wanted it to, before they executed it. This would have been a very long process as they would have needed to weigh up the risks it could have on their business. In addition to this it is difficult and very expensive to introduce as there is possible large initial set up costs, which may put some businesses off. This did not put Dell off as they knew the long term benefits would mean that they would become more profitable if they introduce this method. They also found that it would allow them to gain continuous improvement within their business practices in the future, which could allow them to become the superior computer manufacturer over the Hewlett Packard Company who currently has the top spot in the industry. It is also true that JIT proc esses can become vulnerable to market demand fluctuations and unforeseen production interruptions. Again Dell had to look in depth into the buying patterns of their customer base, before investing in JIT systems within their firm. Conclusion Just in time manufacturing can have a positive influence on an enterprise such as Dell and by utilizing JIT systems they have gained a competitive edge against similar rivals in the computer industry. The direct selling model compliments their JIT systems which could in the future make them the worldwide leader in computer manufacturing. However as an important point inventory management systems do not appear to be consistent across all industries. Dell Computer Corporation must critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of implementing Just-in-time systems within their operations. Nevertheless Dell has done their research correctly and as a result JIT is rather successful within computer manufacturers. It is true that the computer industries do not have the experience of JIT systems that the automotive industry has, but it has successfully implemented JIT principles over the past 20 years and will continue to in the future. In addition to this implementing a new concept such as JIT systems requires a constant support from each and every aspect of the organization. It demands complete support from every department operating in the organisation. If a company like Dell accomplishes the implementation of JIT purchasing systems it can result in improved productivity. Despite JIT process it self is not complicated, the implementation stage is not easy to face at all. However it is possible the system can bring high levels of competitiveness to big companies such as Dell and they have proved this with their financial status in the market. The most important factor Dell has to remember, is that they have to sustain good working relationships with their suppliers for JIT to work within their organisation in the first place. For the reasons highlighted in the paper above I can come to the conclusion that Dell have successfully implemented JIT inventory management within their business processes and they are using continuous improvement within their company to mai ntain to be one the leading manufacturers of computers and software. References ALPHABETICALLY Helo (2004) Managing agility and productivity in the electronics industry Industrial Management Data Systems Hutchins (1988) Overview of JIT Just in Time Lubben (1988) Pull production system Just-in-time Manufacturing Mintel (2009) PCs and Laptops [online] Available at: http://academic.mintel.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/showHYPERLINK http://academic.mintel.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=474522/display/id=475761#hit1HYPERLINK http://academic.mintel.com.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=474522/display/id=475761#hit1/display/id=474522/display/id=475761#hit1 [Accessed 30 April 2010] Mishra (2009) Just-In-Time production: the Dell Way [online] Available at: http://penofaparanoid.blogspot.com/2009/06/just-in-time-production-dell-way_18.html [Accessed 30 April 2010] http://www.ehow.com/about_5099120_pro-just-time-inventory-system.html

Dell SWOT Essay -- Dell Inc Swot Analysis Case Study Computers

Dell INC Executive summary Is the dell's direct model working? Last year, the company gave up the PC market share lead to Hewlett-Packard. Dell was the only top computer company to lose worldwide PC market share. This analysis identified Dell's problems and provided strategic moves for the PC maker firm. Company Background The company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell, now the company is one of the world's largest suppliers of personal computers and related products. It designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services personal computers, servers, printers and other products. The company primarily operates in the Americas. It is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas and employs about 66,000 people. Dell's simple concept focus on selling personal computer systems directly to the customer in that way Dell could best understand their needs, and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. The company announced plans to begin selling through retail stores. Vision: Dell's vision is to be the most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve. Recommendation for the vision statement: A vision statement focuses on the on how the world would be ideal without mention the organization. In this vision Dell mention its product, I recommend a vision that would say: There will be a personal computer for each individual in the world. Justification: Dell aspire that every individual in the world owns a computer. Computers are part of everyday life in the twenty-first century. Computers have changed the way humans work and live. We live in a world where technology is rapidly increasing, and new discoveries are being made every day. Comp... ...III, the most common approaches are Market development and innovation, with these strategies Dell can broad its operations and introduced those in new segments or new customer groups. They have the necessity to invest more in innovation. More R&D, more and unique products will make the difference against the competition. References Pearce&Robinson, Strategic Management, 10e, 2007 McGraw-Hill Dell.com.2007 from: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/en/commitment?c=us&l=en&s=corp By Jeordan Legon "is The Dude Steven Done For;Wednesday, October 16, 2002 Posted: 3:50 PM EDT (1950 GMT) from: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/10/16/dude.dell/ Chang, Althea "Is All well with Dell?, August 17 2007: 2:20 PM EDT.From: http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/17/markets/spotlight_dell/index.htm Holzner, Steven, How Dell Does it, McGraw-Hill, 2006

The Life of Billy Pilgrim in Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five or The Chil

The Life of Billy Pilgrim in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marked by two world wars and the anxiety that accompanies humanity's knowledge of the ability to destroy itself, the Twentieth Century has produced literature that attempts to depict the plight of the modern man living in a modern waste land. If this sounds dismal and bleak, it is. And that is precisely why the dark humor of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. shines through our post-modern age. The devastating bombing of Dresden, Germany at the close of World War II is the subject of Vonnegut's most highly acclaimed work, Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death. Vonnegut's experience as an American POW in Dresden fuels the narrative that unconventionally defines his generation through the life and death of Billy Pilgrim. The survival of Billy Pilgrim at Dresden and his re-entry to the shell-shocked world reveal a modern day journey of the anti-hero. Vonnegut's unusual style and black satire provide a refreshing backdrop for a vehement anti-war theme and enhance his adept ability to depict the face of humanity complete with all of its beauty and blemishes. Likewise, Vonnegut adds his own philosophy concerning time, our place in it, and connection (or disconnection) to it and one other. Perhaps the most crucial step in understanding this intriguing work is to start with its title, which holds the key to Vonnegut's most prevailing theme.    Vonnegut addresses the writing of his work about the bombing of Dresden in the first chapter, detailing the stress he felt when faced with such a laborious task. The carnage of Dresden does not haunt those who were not there. The combined efforts of the A... ...dons the glimmer of hope that accompanies the fact that life has its moments of grandeur. He encourages the modern reader to escape the question "why me" and urges us to embrace a philosophy that consistently reminds us that even in the midst of the most cruel (and the most celebrated) events, humanity retains all of its virtue and vice. So it goes. Vonnegut allows us to laugh out loud, despite the tragedies of war and the anxiety of the post-modern world. His picture of the modern man is simultaneously dismal and hopeful. His unique style, satiric overview and astute ability to capture the multiple faces of mankind, properly place him in the realm of the most accomplished authors of the Twentieth Century.    Works Cited Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A duty Dance with Death. New York; Random House, 1969.   

Bill Bryson †“Notes from a small Island” Essay

What features make it amusing? â€Å"Notes From A Small Island† is Bill Bryson’s accounts from travelling around Britain. He writes in a very distinctive style. He compared this journey to a similar one that he took in 1973. He begins the book by recalling his first sight of England â€Å"on a foggy March night in 1973.† This is in the prologue. He begins chapter one by comparing Britain in 1973 to the time when he revisited it. The humour in this passage is how he complains about England. Through out Bryson’s accounts of his trip he portrays a lot of Irony. The Irony is that it is over twenty years since his last visit Britain has actually changed surprisingly little. In his accounts of Dover he has noticed that there are a lot of similarities to Dover in 1973, â€Å"†¦found myself square in front of Mrs Smegma’s establishment. It was still a hotel and looked substantially unchanged, as far as I could remember†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is the Ironic features that makes parts of â€Å"Notes from a small island† amusing. The reason that Bryson’s books are so funny is because they are so true and honest. I especially find the chapters about London funny because I have been there so many times my self. I love the part where he talks about multi – story car parks, â€Å"You drive around for ages, and then spend a small eternity shunting into a space exactly two inches wider than the average car.† Another reason why we laugh at Bryson’s books is because it is a common instinct to laugh at other’s misfortunes. This especially occurs when we have been in a similar situation, in the past, our selves. â€Å"Notes from a small island† is written in first person. Bryson uses Elision and Ellipsis in his writing. This makes his writing seem more personal and it also seems like he is actually telling his stories to the reader themselves. He also uses similes and many adjectives to create images in the reader’s mind. The use of modifiers is included in his writing. He has included dialect into his writing as well. Bryson has used both compound and complex sentences. He also uses â€Å"Tongue in Cheek Tone,† â€Å"†¦a sprig of artificial lilies instantly informed me that the food would be mediocre but present with a certain well – practiced flourish.† The use of â€Å"Tongue in cheek† creates more humour in Bryson’s writing. The potential audience for this book is people whom whish to travel or generally people who like reading comedy. It is a travel book merged with humour. The purpose of â€Å"Notes from a small island† is to inform the readers about the different places but also entertain and amuse them. His lexical field is effective. Through out the book Bryson makes many observations, â€Å"†¦between them consumed the last of the profiteroles and the black forest gateau from the sweet trolley. The boy, I noticed, had a double heap of both, the greedy fat pig.† In this quotation Bryson has basically written about what the majority of us think but do not actually say. Bryson’s ability to put into words his travelling experiences so they can be read and enjoyed are not achieved all that often by others. He appears to have an open mind and as a result gives extensive reviews of his experiences. In these reviews provide entertainment for the reader, as they are very funny.

American History Essay

In the aftermath of the wars waged with the other European countries, vying with each other to subjugate and exploit the American continent, Britain emerged as the sole Imperial Power in North America. Nevertheless, the cost was prohibitive and this compelled the British to impose additional taxes, which were very much resented by the people in the colonies. The authorities who had been appointed by the government in England, made it very clear that taxes would be imposed by England and that the colonial subjects would perforce have to abide with such legislation (Johnson and Woloch). The colonies had elected assemblies and these were deemed to be protection against the avaricious British and the governors appointed by them. A major objective of these assemblies was to mitigate the power of the British over them. The grouse of the colonists was that after having fought in the wars, provided most of the finances for the war and having sustained losses, they would once again have to pay taxes to prop up the profligate British. Moreover, the colonists were fiercely independent and brooked no interference in their affairs. Accordingly, they were unwilling to pay taxes to the British and felt that the only taxes that they had to pay should go into the coffers of their own colonies (Johnson and Woloch). To this end the British government introduced the Stamp Act, which levied a tax on commercial transactions, newspapers and gambling. This act was strongly opposed by the colonists and had to be eventually abandoned in the year 1766. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Townshend, introduced a number of taxes in 1767. These were to be imposed on the import of tea, glass, lead, paper and paint. Moreover, such imports could only be made from Britain. When the colonists agitated against these taxes, their assemblies were dissolved and repressive measures were adopted against them, resulting in the death of civilians in Boston, on whom the Redcoats fired indiscriminately. Most of these taxes were subsequently, repealed, with the exception of that on tea. The redoubtable colonists boycotted tea (Johnson and Woloch). In 1773, a shipload of tea was dumped into the sea at Boston. This increased the brutality of the British, who brought about legislation that was clearly meant to crush the colonists. In 1774, the colonist responded to this British barbarism, by inaugurating a Colonial Congress at Philadelphia. The resolution passed at this congress, which was conveyed to the despots back home in England, was that taxation and other legislation was to be enacted only by the colonial assemblies and not the British Parliament. The English retaliated by declaring the colonies as being in rebellion and deployed its hated army. The colonists fought tooth and nail against their oppressors and managed to drive the British army out of their colonies. To compound the felony, the English hired some thirty thousand odd German mercenaries to fight against the colonists (Johnson and Woloch). This was the last nail in the coffin, and the colonists decided to secede from the overbearing British. Accordingly, the declaration of independence was formulated in 1776. The British had a large, well armed, well trained and highly experienced force at its disposal. However, as the colonists had only to demonstrate that they could not be defeated and as the terrain was not only unfamiliar but also vast, the British failed to make significant headway against them. The British tasted defeat at Saratoga and this prompted the French to provide support to the colonists. Finally at Yorktown, the Red Coats, led by Cornwallis were besieged on land by the glorious American troops led by that paragon of virtue, George Washington; on the sea the French Navy ensured that the despicable British could not make good their escape. The oppressors were forced to surrender before the valor and indomitable spirit of the Americans. In 1783, the loathsome and rapacious British recognized America as an independent country, much to their chagrin (Johnson and Woloch). Right from the inception of measures to rescind the rule of the British, the colonies had unanimously rejected the British Constitution. The different states of the Union were in favor of implementing their own constitutions. Since, the federal government was in favor of a uniform constitution, this led to quite a few disputes between the states and the federal government. After the revolutionary war had ended a wide range of disputes arose between the states and the federal government. In addition, there were a few disputes between several states of the budding nation. There were economic disputes, political disputes and differences in the ideologies of these states. The disputes had emerged as an aftereffect of the French Revolution and hence there was an immediate need to resolve them. President Jefferson had undertaken several measures to resolve these issues, but was unable to sort them out entirely. This led the rulers of the US to review the situation and it was established that the US had to rescind its relations with Europe and renovate the entire code of administration, which had a European background. It was realized that the fundamental issues to be adopted were self reliance and an enterprising spirit (GREAT BRITAIN-U. S. RELATIONS , 1991). The incomparable James Madison was the fourth US President. He was the greatest political theorist of his time. The efforts extended by him towards the success of the American Revolution were prodigious. He also strived hard to strengthen the US in its early days. His was the principal impetus to the implementation of the US Constitution. Madison was the leader of the Republican Party. His main objective was to establish a national government that represented the people and not the states. In this endeavor he represented the aspiration of the states to oppose any measure to control their respective administrative powers. His vision was that such a national government would resolve the disputes effectively between the states of the union. He contributed vastly to the establishment of federalist governance, and he was successful in achieving his goal. The first ten Constitutional Amendments were introduced by him and they are known as the bill of rights. These amendments, serve as a check on federal power. The states of the Union have been protected to a major extent by the bill of rights (Madison, James, 1991). The economies of some of the southern states were mainly agrarian and dependent on slavery. The northern states had become wealthy due to industrialization. In that situation, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the US President. He liberated the slaves through his Proclamation of Emancipation. This drastic measure resulted in the US Civil War in the year 1861. The Civil War lasted for four years. Eventually, in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted, which ended the practice of slavery. The Civil War also came to an end during that time (abolitionism, 2005). Subsequently, the political system became fortified and democracy was well established in that period. The common man’s rights were protected through the Bill of Rights introduced by James Madison. All the political parties, without exception, cooperated in the process of nation building. These efforts resulted in a United States, which is the only superpower in the world. In this manner, the citizens of the US had always opposed measures by the government to curtail their rights.First the British and then the federal government, had to countenance the wrath of the American populace in this regard. Works Cited abolitionism . 2005. 16 December 2007 < http://www. credoreference. com/entry. jsp? xrefid=6400501&secid=. 2. -abolitionism>. GREAT BRITAIN-U. S. RELATIONS . 1991. 16 December 2007 . Johnson, Paul E and Nancy Woloch. â€Å"United States History . † Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Madison, James. 1991. 16 December 2007 .

Batas Militar Essay

Batas Militar, commonly known in its English translation as â€Å"Martial Law†. As stated in the 1973 Constitution of the Philippine Republic that the Prime Minister as the Commander-in-Chief may declare Martial Law under the same conditions, â€Å"in case of invasion, insurrection or rebellion, or imminent danger thereof, the public safety requires it. This proclamation also suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus, this suspends the human rights of an accused person to be fight for what he believe is right in front of an authority, but instead his fate depends upon the attitude of the President towards him. On the first days of this proclamation, I believe the country responded well, because they also believe that the Philippines is sick, rebellion against the government has been in power in some rural places and communist armed forces are trying to invade the nation. But I also believed that the authority who is Ferdinand Marcos during that time exceeded to his limitations as t he head of state. During the Martial law, Marcos amended the constitution for several times and I believe he used this for his own good. Democracy has been ceased and no news opposing the Marcos administration can be seen in broadsheet and even in the broadcast media such as radio and television, they also put into closure those media stations that attack the wrong doings and failures of the Marcos administration. They put into prison those people whose only objective is to say what they think is right and what they think is best for the nation. Democracy and human rights has been violated during this time, not to mention the allegations of corruption and violation of its own constitution has been brought to President Marcos. I certainly believed that during the Martial Law era, not to mention the good things that this proclamation brought to us such as discipline, obedience and loyalty to the one who is in power. This proclamation of Martial law has been used by the authorities in such a way that the citizens of this nation will hate them, violating their own constitution, corrupting the money of the people, corrupting the rights of the citizens, corrupting the minds of the military whose prime objective is to defend the nation and not to hurt the citizens. Human Rights should not be sacrificed just to obtain a common goal. In order for us to move forward, we should set our goals and vision with due respect to the rights of the citizens and respect to our own constitution.

Koutons Retail India Limited Essay

The company went public in early 2006 and thereby became Koutons Retail India Limited (KRIL) with effect from June27, 2006. KRIL is primarily an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company in India. They are in the business of designing, manufacturing and retailing under the brand names Koutons and Charlie Outlaw. Their main target customers are middle class consumers who are keen to trying out new fashions falling in the age group of 22 – 45 years. Find below a brief timeline of Koutons. 1991- Started as Charlie denim jeans showroom 1994 – Incorporated as Charlie Creations Pvt. Ltd 1997 – Diversified in non-denim apparel, awarded with Best Menswear Collection 1998 – Brand Koutons was launched 2002 – First exclusive brand outlet of Koutons opened 2006 – IPO. Name changed to Koutons Retail India ltd in June 27, 2006 2007 – Listed on BSE and NSE Koutons Financials Koutons has reported the fastest growth in its sales and profits among its listed and closest peers partly due to a smaller base. The Company’s restated total income and profit after tax were Rs 4036. 17 million and Rs 344. 87 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2007 compared to Rs 1583. 85 million and Rs 131. 8 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2006. (Exhibit 1). Koutons do not have any stock option scheme or stock purchase scheme for the employees of the company. Industry Overview The Indian retail sector, which is believed to be at an inflexion point, is valued at USD 270 billion (2006) with Food and Grocery being the dominant sector followed by clothing, textiles and fashion accessories which contributes nearly 9. 5%. The organized retail sector on the other hand has grown with a CAGR of 30% and stands at about USD 12. 4 billion (2006) which is only 4. 6% of the total retail market thus demonstrating its huge future otential. In the organized retail sector the major share is held by the clothing and accessories sector (39%) growing at a rate of 30. 3% during 2005-06, followed by food and grocery (11%). The Indian apparel retail industry(which mainly consists of sale of all menswear, womenswear and infantswear) grew by 12. 3% in 2006 to reach a value of $20 billion (INR 880. 9 billion); the CAGR growth for the period 2002-06 being 11%(Exhibit 2). The share of the organized apparel retail has grown steadily to reach 18. 9% in 2006. Considering an anticipated CAGR of 10%, the apparel retail industry in India is expected to reach USD 32. billion by end of 2011. Fuelled by strong economic growth, favorable demographics, easy availability of credits, availability of retail space, rising level of disposable income, rise in dual income families and shift of life style pattern, organized retail in India is expected to grow tremendously in the next few years. The emergence of the mall culture in India acts as catalyst in this growth story. By the end of 2007 approximately 68 million sqft of mall space is expected to come in India, majority being equally shared between North Zone (39%) and West Zone (33%). According to a 2005 KPMG retail survey report, the Specialty and Super Market format have the highest potential for growth (45%) followed by Hypermarkets(36%) and Discount Stores (27%). In terms of opening up of new retail outlets, the apparel retailers and brands attained a growth of 113% in 2006 compared to 84% in 2005. As on 2006, major share in the Indian apparel retail market is accounted for by Menswear (45%), followed by Womenswear (36. 1%), Infantswear (18. 8%). While the Menswear has witnessed a growth of 12% by value and 3. 9% by volume, Womenswear has grown 14. 9% by value and 5. 4% by volume. Almost comparable growth has also happened in the Infantswear sector (11. 5% by value and 3. 8% by volume). Competitive Landscape in Apparel Retail Porter’s Five Forces Model The competitive nature of the Indian apparel retail sector can be very well analyzed using the famous Five Forces Model as suggested by Michael Porter. Fig: Porter’s Five Force Model Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers becomes weak because of three main reasons. First, majority of the buyers are individual consumers and hence has limited purchasing power. Second, the retailers can very easily differentiate their products. Third, only the retailers can provide the consumers with a wide variety of quality products. On the other hand, the fact that buyers have very low switching cost and retailers are obliged to act according to buyer needs provides the buyer with some bargaining power. Infact, it is believed that in Indian apparel retail, brand loyalty exists mostly for the brands and less for the retailers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The sourcing happens mostly from the clothing manufacturers and the wholesalers. The manufacturing industry is highly fragmented in nature inducing a price war. Low product diversity on the part of the suppliers reduces the switching cost for the retailers. However, the only drawback of moving to a low cost supplier might be the threat of not being able to live up to the highly volatile trend of changing fashion. Entry Barrier Entry barrier is comparatively low, like any other retail sector. The industry itself is highly fragmented and requires low capital investment. The policy taken by the Government to open up the retail sector to foreign investments will definitely encourage entry of other foreign players. Threat of Substitutes We can identify three major threats to the apparel retail. First, with e-buying becoming popular with every passing day there may be an opportunity of buying directly from the manufacturers. Homemade apparels though can be a substitute has a very low threat mainly because of the ever changing fashion needs of the generation and the substantial increase in disposable income. The last and the biggest threat for substitute come from the sale of counterfeit apparels. Competitors The Indian apparel retail industry is highly fragmented in nature. Within the readymade segment there are both branded and unbranded players. There are many foreign brands that have established themselves successfully in the Indian apparel retail market using different channels. While brands like Allen Solly and Arrow have taken the licensing route, Benetton have entered the market through tie-up with domestic players. Again brands like Tommy Hilfliger, Mark’s and Spencers and Speedo have taken up the franchisee channel. On the other hand, Metro entered the market through cash and carry wholesale trading route. The private labels, by virtue of providing higher margins to the retailer and lower cost to the customers have also become extreme popular. Some of the well known private labels are John Miller, Bare and Stop. Although competition in the retail apparel segment is heating up, the inherent advantage of Koutons model – backward integration, positioning and first mover advantage – is not easy to replicate within a short period of time. On the back of the company? s aggressive rollout plan and diversification to high-margin segments, the company enjoys better valuations than its peers like Kewal Kiran and Zodiac Clothing, although not strictly comparable. There are approximately 23 major players in the branded apparel retail segment in India with Koutons coming next to Raymond Ltd. Exhibit 3 ; 4). Pentagon-Triangle Model Koutons mainly works on pentagon model. The key attributes of the pentagon model fit as follows: Place Size and Location: Out of 999 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs as Aug 20, 2007) 531 EBOs were present in northern region. West and east India has about 29 and 38 stores respectively. Koutons has o ver 1000 company managed stores and 18 manufacturing units. By August 2007 they owned 14 warehouse facilities spread around Gurgaon. They are present mainly in northern and north western region. By March 2006, there was no presence of Koutons in southern region. They have started slowly moving into southern region. Layout and Design: Koutons generally operate through a franchisee model. Traditionally, Koutons outlets used to store men? s apparel. But recently they have extended their product portfolio to include women? s and kid wear as well. Generally, the size of a Koutons outlet ranges from 1000 sq feet to 2000 sq feet; variations happening depending on the location, real estate rates and host of other factors as well. Their flagship stores have a size of 3000-5000 sqft. Koutons outlets may be single storied or multi storied. The outlets are generally spacious and display caters to need of middle class Indian customer segment. (Exhibit 5: Koutons EBO, Calicut). Product Style and Fashion: Go with latest fashion trends. Mainly target high fashion aspirants of the age group 22-45 years. If any type of fashion becomes obsolete, still Koutons tries to attract customers, but ultimately if situation does not improve they also stop keeping such fashioned garments and go with new trends and fashions. Assortment: Wide variety of men? s wear including shirts, trousers, jeans, jackets, T-shirts. Limited variety of kids and women? s wear. The assortment also depends on region. An EBO in north India might have little different assortment compared to one in south. Value Price: Low brand value. It sometimes offers 70% discounts which have diminished its brand value to a large extent causing a barrier in the way of moving up the value chain. Koutons follows a unique discounting policy wherein they claim to give a discount of x% + y% which is often criticized as a marketing gimmick and a way to mislead the customer. For example, a discount of 50%+40% often gives the customer the impression of availing a 90% discount – whereas effectively it means a 70% discount. Quality: Mixed conception among customers. Most people think its product quality goes down with increase in discounts. It has failed to maintain same quality of products throughout its EBOs across all regions. People Service: Koutons mainly deal with men? s apparels. But recently have started making garments for women also. Knowledge: For managerial position they mainly look for experienced people (at least 2-3 years of experience in apparel business). Climate: Koutons generally stocks apparel which are all-weather. Few varieties differ with region, e. g. sweaters are stocked in north EBOs but not in south. But most of the stock can be sold in all weathers. Communication Positional: Koutons have positioned themselves as „„value for money, but high on fashion†. They mainly target pro-fashion customers who are very much willing to try new fashion trends at nominal prices. They often offer attractive discount policies to attract middle class fashion minded customers. T heir target customers belong to age group 22 to 45 years. Promotional: Koutons mainly advertise through newspapers and they have a well designed website. They incur minimum advertising expense and rarely goes for any celebrity endorsement. Their presence in 450 cities of India is believed to have created an automatic brand visibility. Business Processes The two major business processes at Koutons are Manufacturing and Sales operations. The diagram below shows the processes involved in manufacturing. Some of the key differentiating factors involved in the business processes are : Procurement of raw materials: Procurement of raw material from India, China, Taiwan and Italy using third party suppliers. Third party manufacturers: To cater to the growing demand for outsourcing of manufacturing is also done. For this, the Company has executed 211 agreements with 211 fabricators. Manufacture of production sample: A product sample is produced in house according to the specifications provided for the range of products for a particular season. The first production report is prepared on the basis of this sample. All apparent and intricate corrections are made in the sample so as to make it error free. Accordingly, a detailed production plan is devised. Fabric cutting and stitching: A layout for cutting the respective products is done with the help of CAD plotter machines. Sales and distribution The company has a dedicated â€Å"Sales and Marketing† team which consists of 90 employees. Competitive Strengths The key strengths of Koutons are: ? Exclusive brand outlets ? Wide network of retail stores ? Low-cost sourcing capabilities (diminishing the cost of material as well as that of the final products hence resulting in low cost products) ? Proper brand positioning (identifying the proper target customer segment and meeting their requirements) ? Expertise in designing and merchandise (core competency) ? Efficient management ? Wide apparel range (customers can choose their required things from a well chosen stock) ? Efficient utilization of IT and making it a differentiating factor compared to other retailers. Koutons always follows proper strategic planning before taking any business decision. They are planning to increase their geographic penetration by increasing the number of brand outlets to distant areas, enhancing manufacturing capabilities, targeting new customer segments. Positioning the Koutons brand strongly (exporting apparels under the brand name), making potential mergers and acquisitions and most importantly constantly improving the cost structure. Some of the key differentiating strengths of Koutons are described in detail. Exclusive Brand Outlets: The majority of the apparel manufacturers cum retailers in India operate through a combination of retailing through exclusive outlets, national chain stores and multi brand outlets. This entails supplies being managed directly and through distribution agents. Koutons operate on a model of marketing apparel directly through a chain of exclusive brand outlets and thus are independent of external marketing pressures attributable to the national chain stores, multi brand outlets and other intermediaries. This enables them to focus quality maintenance and customer satisfaction without the interference of any external agency. This model also enhances the brand equity and recall as the shelf space on each of the exclusive brand outlets is controlled by company. In the process, Koutons has developed a greater brand visibility and an identity of its own and has thus reduced the chances of brand dilution. As of August, 2007, the â€Å"Koutons† brand was sold through 566 exclusive brand outlets and the â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand was sold through 433 exclusive brand outlets. The wide coverage of exclusive brand outlets from metros to tier II towns and through the various regions in India, allows them the flexibility to hedge against fashion changes given the general time lag in fashion trends between metro and tier II towns. The table below shows the growth in number of Koutons EBOs. The company? s brands are marketed through three outlet models ? Company owned / leased and company operated (COCO) ? Company owned / leased and franchisee operated (COFO) ? Franchisee owned / leased and franchisee operated (FOFO) The company had 17 outlets, 124 outlets and 858 outlets under COCO, COFO and FOFO models, respectively, on 20 August 2007. To accommodate all EBOs (Exclusive Brand Outlets) the company is also looking for spaces for extension. It has been allotted a manufacturing facility in Gurgaon at a total project cost of Rs 301. 85 million. Koutons has benefitted heavily by following a franchisee model as often large scale operation as theirs often becomes tough to be controlled by themselves alone. Also it helps Koutons in availing real estate easily. Besides, the franchisee owners bring in entreprenual energy to the business. This model has also helped Koutons in tackling to some extent the inherent attrition problem in the retail sector and cut down on loses happening due to staff related pilferage. Koutons, in the process, has also realized cost cutting by relieving themselves of the responsibility of bearing the social security liability of the employees. Koutons franchisee model is different from its peers as it offers its franchisee minimum guaranteed payments covering lease rentals, employee costs, and other establishment costs apart from incentivized sales. Products are consigned to the franchisees, who do not bear the inventory risk except for pilferage–the risk of unsold stock remains with Koutons. The company collects a security deposit (bearing nominal interest rate) from the franchisee towards the apparels that the latter stocks at the outlet. This model is highly attractive for franchisees who seek security and low investment, which is reflected in the rapid ramp up as well as the fact that franchisee churn rate has cumulatively been less than 1. 5 per cent since inception. Koutons has planned to expand their franchisee retail model to other products like home linen and furnishing and toys. Integrated player with low-cost sourcing capabilities: Koutons is an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company with capabilities across the entire value chain of manufacturing and retailing. One of the major strengths includes in-house finishing facilities and rigid quality controls. Extensive logistics and supply chain management systems is put in place to maintain maximum flexibility, which enables them to meet needs in an efficient manner without relying on any one vendor, factory or country. The centralized purchasing system helps in achieving the standardization in quality control systems. Their involvement at every stage of the value chain has helped them successfully cut down on the intermediary costs. Unique brand positioning: Koutons positions itself as a „High Fashion Value for Money? brand. The â€Å"Koutons† brand is positioned in the middle to high fashion segment, offering a complete range of man? wardrobe (in the age group of 22 to 45 years). The â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand is a casual brand targeted at fashion conscious youngsters in the age group of 14 to 25 years. Foreign brands mostly target a niche market while Koutons cater to mass market. Koutons score over foreign brands in terms of fit and size they offer to Indian cons umers. Design and merchandising expertise, with a pulse on fashion: A team of designers and merchandisers who are supported by a staff of 40 professionals, including assistant designers and technical designers. Specialized design teams for each apparel categories are formed. Wide apparel range: A wide apparel portfolio which ranges from shirts, non denim trousers, denims, suits, blazers, T- shirts, cargos, capris, sweaters etc. It has also recently launched a range of apparel for women and children. IT Infrastructure: Until now Koutons has been using a specially developed computerized system (customized) to keep all records related to sales and inventories. To keep pace with the market competition and to make its operations more efficient, it has recently started using an enterprise resource planning system using advanced computer systems with the help of Ramco systems. This advanced system will help them to reduce inventory related problems (such as decreasing the inventory lead time, planning delivery schedules better), improving transparency and reducing redundancy. State of the art information flow system to maintain records relating to sales and inventory and integrate key work flows. In 2006 the company also installed a state of the art enterprise resource planning system. The company has been working on enhancing its IT capabilities for better management. This has helped it to bring down the average inventory days from 213 in FY07 to 202 in FY08. Huge sales per store due to hefty discounts offered by the stores. Weaknesses ? COFO model problems: Opening up manufacturing as well as retail outlets needs huge capital investments and hence limits the company? s ability to expand fast, as well as react to the changing market scenario. ? The company is not able to distribute from the multibrand shops and malls. This shuts it off from a major business opportunity and capitalizes on the retail revolution. ? Inventory problem: 340 days of inventory in an apparel industry where demand is seasonal. (Poor inventory turnover) ? Low Brand Value: Koutons stores only stock their own brands and perennial 70% discounts have completely eroded its brand value. This will prevent the company to move up the value chain. ? Concerns due to the nature of its business, Koutons finds large sum of money blocked up in the form of working capital. In FY08, working capital amounted to almost 68 per cent of annual sales which is on the higher side in retail sector. Acquisitions On January 2008, the Board of Directors decided to acquire 51% or more share in Touchwood International Pvt Ltd. , a Rs. 5 crore company and the owner of the brand „Upper Class?. The company has its presence in the ladies segments. „Upper Class? has its major presence in Delhi and has a strong foothold in the ladies garments segment. The brand specializes in casual bottom wear for women and has its presence in Multi brand outlets (MBOs) like Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Globus. Besides, it has its presence in the European market as well. Wh ile the acquisition will definitely give Koutons an exposure to the European market, it will help „Upper Class? gain a retail presence in the domestic retail market. Koutons has planned to open up 400 outlets of „Upper Class? by 2010. Expansion Koutons earlier was exporting Koutons and Charlie brand apparels to the Middle East. But it was halted in 2004 in 2004 as a part of the management strategy to focus more on the domestic market. But now that it has made its mark in the domestic market, it is actively trying to tap the exports market by 2008 with a view to target the Indian population in the Middle East region. It has initiated talks with large retail networks based in West Asia, whereby it plans to open 30 EBOs each of Koutons and Charlie brand by 2009. Koutons plans to enter the market through the route of Joint Venture wherein the majority stake will be retained by Koutons. While the designing, branding and production will be done by Koutons, their local partners will manage the supply chain and logistics. Koutons has already earmarked Rs 40 crores for rolling out the stores. Their first outlet is planned to come up in Dubai by 2008. The other cities under consideration are Abu Dhabi, Sarjah, Doha and Qatar. They also have plans to enter the Chinese market by 2008 and enter the European market very soon. All these would definitely provide the company with immense global visibility. Going Forward The company is aggressively rolling out its EBOs in southern India. Koutons would be enlarging its product portfolio in FY09 by adding categories like accessories and handbags for women along with belts for men and footwear collection for both men and kids by 2008. It is being done with a view to increase the footfalls in the outlets and thereby assist cross-selling and also to make it a one-stop-shop. The company has plans to introduce a new line of women? wear (Les Femme brand) and kids? wear. Koutons plans to open up 150 Koutons Junior and 200 Les Femme stores by 2009-10. To lessen the risk of stock obsolescence, the company has been deploying the strategy of shifting the unsold stock from metros to tier III towns to leverage the time lag in fashion trends between metros and tier III towns. For the year 2008-09, Koutons has planned to grow through the ladies wear and kids wear segments whi ch though being high margin segments are currently being dominated mostly by the regional players. Koutons plans to revolutionize these two segments by providing value for money products – which all throughout have been their core competency. The entry of foreign players in the Indian apparel market has one hand brought the threat the increased competition and on the other hand has increased the fashion awareness amongst the Indian population. However, which target mostly target the mass market can avoid direct confrontation with the foreign players who are more into niche segments. With the rising inflation and increasing cotton price, Koutons definitely has a challenge in their hands in the years to come.

Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights Essay In 1791, the Bill of Rights Essay, consisting of 10 amendments, was ratified into the constitution. The documents purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights became the cause for a huge debate between two different factions: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were those who thought that there should be a new Union created with a strong centralized government and individual regional governments. They felt that it was not necessary for there to be a bill of rights because it was implied that those rights the Constitution did not specifically state would be handed down to the states. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were opposed to such a form of government on the grounds that the Constitution, in which it was outlined, lacked clarity in the protections of the individuals. The Anti-Federalistswhose memory of British oppression was still fresh in their mindswanted certain rights and guarantees that were to be apart of the constitution (Glasser 1991). A clear demonstration of the Anti-Federalist attitude was performed by Samuel Bryan, who published a series of essays named the Cenitnal Essays, which assailed the sweeping power of the central government, the usurpation of state sovereignty, and the absence of a bill of rights guaranteeing individual liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion (Bran 1986). Of course, the freedoms stated above are a portion and not the whole of The Bill of Rights. Ultimately, The Bill of Rights was adopted to appease the Anti-Federalists, whose support was necessary to ratify the constitution, and who believed that without the liberties granted therein, the new constitutionthat they thought was vague and granted too much power to the central governmentwould give way to an elite tyrannical government. The purpose of The Bill of Rights is to protect U. S. citizens from abuse of power that may be committed by the different areas of their government. It does this by expressing clear restrictions on the three braches of government laid out previously in the Constitution. As stated by Hugo Black, Associate Justice to the Supreme Court: The bill of rights protects people by clearly stating what government cant do by describing the procedures that government must follow when bringing its powers to bear against any person with a view to depriving him of his life, liberty, or property (Black 1960).' Each amendment either states what the government cannot do or limits its powers by providing certain procedures that it must abide by. To provide a few examples, one must take a closer look at some of these amendments. The First Amendment to the Constitution dictates that Congress shall make no law, which establishes a national religion, prohibits free speech or press, or which prevents the right to assemble or petition the government. In the language used, it expressly prohibits the legislative branch from making laws which would impose on the rights that were given to the people. According to Hugo Black, The Framers were well aware that the individual rights they sought to protect might be easily nullified if subordinated to the general powers granted to Congress. One of the reasons for adoption of the Bill of Rights was to prevent just that (Black 1960). The Third Amendment states that the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure shall not be infringed. Again, this amendment is laying down restrictions on what government has power to do. Amendment Six provides the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, and to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have Assistance of Counsel for his defense. This amendment states that if you are accused of a crime, you must have certain rights reserved which the courts are obliged to uphold. Furthermore, it outlines regulations that they must follow in order to protect those rights, such as obtaining witnesses and providing an impartial jury. The Eighth Amendment prevents the government from imposing excessive bail or fines and says cruel or unusual punishments, shall .

Term project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Term project - Assignment Example Kansas was first settled by European Americans in the 1830s, but the pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over the slavery issue. When it was officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government in 1854, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would become a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas grew rapidly, when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing high yields of wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers. Kansas is the 15th most extensive and the 33rd most populous of the 50 United States. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. The state is divided into 105 counties with 628 cities, and is located equidistant from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous states is located in Smith County near Lebanon. The geodetic center of North America was located in Meades Ranch, Kansas, Osborne County until 1983. This spot was used until that date as the central reference point for all maps of North America produced by the U.S. government. The geographic center of Kansas is located in Barton County. Kansas is underlain by a sequence of horizontal to gently westward dipping sedimentary rocks. A sequence of Mississippian, Pennsylvanian and Permian rocks outcrop in the eastern and southern part of the state. The western half of the state has exposures of Cretaceous through Tertiary sediments, the latter

Week 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 4 - Research Paper Example It will also discuss the barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them. Additionally, the paper will define the correlation of leaders, organizational politics and stakeholder groups. In the Aristotle model, communication is described as a linear process. He further claimed that the packaging of messages is either in emotion (pathos), logic (logos) or character (ethos) (Palta, 2006). The model comprises the sender, the content, the message, the medium and the receiver. The sender is the individual from whom the message will come from. The content refers to what the message contains. The message could be in form of goods or just verbal information. The medium refers to the mode in which the message will be moved from the sender to the receiver. Mediums of sending messages include through telephones, through written letters, telegrams or just personal delivery. This model forms the basis of all communication models that are established today. The model covered all the aspects of communication and very minimal additions are made to the model. In modern day communication theories, there is the inclusion of distortion. However, distortion is only an inclusion to the Aristotle model of communication. Communication theorists come up with models which revolve around the Aristotle model. In many modern communication models, the goals and the objective of the message are usually defined. It is at this juncture that distortion comes into play. In case of distortion, the objective and goal of the message will not be achieved (Caputo, 2003). The modern model borrows from Aristotle model in that it defines the capability of the medium. After the medium, the model follows the Aristotle model to the receiver then to the feedback. Different barriers affect the effectiveness of communication models. The five barriers of communication are difference in perception, difficulties

Environmental Paper, Our Stolen Future, Chapter 4 Hormone Havoc Term Paper

Environmental , Our Stolen Future, Chapter 4 Hormone Havoc - Term Paper Example Such experiment was conducted at a time while Brit scientist and physician Edward Charles Dodds presented diethylstilbestrol (DES), a man-made estrogen, as wonder drug that could help resolve the miscarriages and premature births. It was prescribed to 5 million pregnant women in major continents of the world, which was apparently thought of as massive experimentation of medicines' impact. It was later given to women as medicine preventive of miscarriage and was later publicized in 1957 as booster for babies. DES production and marketing expanded in broader areas as physicians prescribed the medicine to cease lactation after child's birth, as treatment for prostrate cancer, and for medication to acne, gonorrhea in children, and to suppress the growth of youths with towering heights. It later became a fattening agent for live stocks, such as chicken and cows. Researchers thereafter concluded that advancement of technologies can produce miracles by producing synthetic chemicals. For the m, such breakthrough meant unending possibilities to tinker with the limitations of life. However, is the discovery and anent impact of synthetic medicines’ prescription scientifically carried out and are publicly known about? First, rats, as object of medical experiments does not totally represent the hormonal composition of human body, especially that of pregnant females. Second, scientists unconscientiously and unprofessionally introduced DES to the market and prescribed it practically to all pregnant women in major continents of the world and making use of them as experimental objects at the same time. Scientists grossly violated and disregarded the negative impact of massively experimenting pregnant women’s hormone because of the absence of solid proof about DES’ effectiveness before these are prescribed and made available in the market. Kramer (2011) pointed that the functions of human body and its adaptability to natural immunity to maintain better health depended on balance hormone. For instance, problems on prostrate and breast cancer arise due to hormonal issues. But the pervasive entry of synthetic chemicals in world market, which tinker on human hormones, has numerous studies which pointed that these are damaging to human health and to wildlife, the latter being used as objects of experimental tests and studies. Kramer (2011) said that DES is a synthetic estrogen which has a bad side too. Research proved that DES caused reproductive damages to minks fed with offal sourced from chicken subjected to DES treatment (p. 1). As a bad forecast, DES significantly impacted to children born from women who suffered disorders in reproduction as cancer became observable to these children when they reached teen age. Although DES was pulled out in the market in 1971, this was however continually used to fatten livestocks, e.g. poultry and cattle, in the 80s although this was replaced with similar kind of synthetic hormone-related medicines. C ontinuous exposure of human beings to these meats with DES may hinder body's reproductive capacity and natural processes on metabolism. Such negative and dangerous impact should be seriously. Kramer (2011) pointed that these problems could be handed down to succeeding generations subtly but with such devastating effects. DES and those of similar composition, such as estradiol, does not only affect women but men's natural hormonal balance, too. It does not potentially cause cancer but

NEC ECC Contracts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

NEC ECC Contracts - Assignment Example General Construction. Contract Principles The Housing Grants, Reconstruction and Regeneration Act 1996 (HGRRA) focuses on payments under a construction contract. Specifically, the Act states that, when a construction contract is for 45 days or more that the party to the construction contract is entitled to installment payments (HGRRA 1996 Â §109). Section 111 of the HGRRA 1996 states that a construction contract shall stipulate the dates of the payments, and when the final sum comes due. Section 112 forms the basis on when and why one party may not pay the other party. Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 gives further protections to contractors. Another provision of this Act, section 142, appears to address the issue of subcontractors. Specifically, it states that any provision where payment is conditional upon performance of obligations under another contract, or a decision made by another person as to whether the obligations under another contract have been performed, is void. The terms are void, in that the time to make payment to the contractor cannot depend upon the performance of the other contract. This seems to specifically address subcontractors, and any kind of clause which might state that the general contractor will get paid if the subcontractor has performed his duties. The Design of the NEC3 ECC Contract. Main Options. The main options that would be used in this project would be Option C– the reason why Option C is appropriate in this case is because the work is only planned, and there is not an indication that there is a design in place. Option A assumes that there is a design in place, therefore the contractor would provide the works that are described in the contract. In Option B, the employer assumes the risk of the correctness of quantities, because the Contractor is the person who prices the bill of quantities and is responsible for the remeasurement of quantities if not correct. Therefore, this option is not appropriate for a design and build contract, as this contract appears to be. Option D also has a greater risk for the employer, as the target price is adjusted for changes in quantities and for compensation of events. Option E is not appropriate because it is only used when the work is not defined at the outset, and, since the pro ject is defined, this option shouldn't be used as it presents greater risks to the employer. Option F is inappropriate, because this option assumes that subcontactors do most of the work (Yuet, 1993). Option C is appropriate because, while there is a planned project in place, there is not yet a finished design. The employer can provide an activity schedule and the target price can be set according to this schedule. Moreover, costs are minimised to the employer, because the payments are made according to the actual costs that are incurred by the Contractor, and risks are shared by the Contractor and the Employer, because each party shares the burden of over-runs and each party also shares the benefits of savings. This also leads to fewer disputes. Secondary Options There are a number of secondary options which should be used, in order for disputes to be minimized. One of these is, Option P which should be negotiated, as this option provides for additional financial security should th e contractor not complete any part of the works, and other contractors have to complete the works. Option Q might be used as an incentive for the contractor to complete the work early, as Option Q provides for a bonus for early completion. This might be appropriate if the University is motivated to open the centre early for the students to enjoy, especially if this centre is going to be one of the selling points for the University. By the