Discuss the role of purchasing function in cost control and value Assignment

Discuss the role of purchasing function in cost control and value implementation for a business. Include examples to illustrate your answers - Assignment Example The goal is increasing the value of what they offer and eliminate any non-value adding activities. A function that is poised to deliver this value due its crucial role on organisations going forward is purchasing. Through inputs such as analysis of markets, contract sourcing and negotiations, the purchasing function plays a value adding role to organisations. The outputs of an effective purchasing function include good quality on products, services offered and materials procured. Through these outputs the purchasing function is better placed to deliver a competitive edge that is much needed in the business environment of today. Procurement and purchasing functions in the modern organisations go beyond the traditional buying role by paying attention to the bigger organisational objectives. Through the shift of focus, the purchase function can add value by placing emphasis on supplier quality and reliability. Extraction and automation of key processes in procumbent for example can release time for the workforce to attend other functions of sourcing which may be central to the needs of the business (KPMT, 2012). Balancing long-term visions with short term goals is another way through which organisations can harness value from the purchasing function. In driving value for the organisation purchasing function can no longer wait for the exit of a supplier or rush for speciality materials in the final hours of a product launch (Santala and Syrjanen, 2010). ATMI is one organization that has eye on the long terms objectives but with tools in place to respond to changes in the short term. It is able to give value by aggressively managing risks, analysing markets and feeding the entire system short term changes needed in the long term plans. Success in the purchasing function appreciates the need for sourcing strategically and purchasing tactically. Value can be unlocked out of the purchasing function by focussing on strategic sourcing and

Idealistic Politics Essay Example for Free

Idealistic Politics Essay The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles, said Karl Marx, who is considered to be one of the worlds most seminal thinkers. Marx categorized these classes in two broad categories; the bourgeoisie versus the proletariats, the upper class opposed to the lower class and the caste that have access to the factors of production against everybody else who are compelled to sell their labor. In political terms the bourgeois were the committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie (Marx, 20) and in order to reduce any friction, tension or resistance towards their supremacy they then laid down a set of ideals and values for all classes and citizens. The ultimate goal of having a monotonous set of principles was to disintegrate existing ideals and values by instigating the proletariats to fully accept the bourgeois set of principles by suspending their own. History, however, has yet to see such an outcome where the bourgeois triumph in instigating such circumstances successfully. What occurs in such circumstances instead is a conflict due to inconsistency that occurs between the dogmas of both classes; whereby the reality based ideals of the proletariats clashes with the idealistic values of the bourgeoisie. These conflicts in turn affect the political ideologies and actions since the politics is the arena where the battle of principles occurs, primarily due to two reasons. The first being that these conflicts will not surface in the first place except in the political arena due to the austere nature and secondly the outcomes will not be accepted unless at a level were they are made public and irreversible. Evidence of these conflicts exists in our texts and films, however in differing contexts. In Antigone, Creon represents the bourgeoisie and Antigone the proletariats; in A Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences the arts and sciences were the corrupting vales instigated by the intellectuals whilst the savage being was the unlearned and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve proletariat, and finally in Marxs Communist Manifesto where the distinctions are extremely clear among the two classes. In the course of my paper I wish to examine the strength and weakness of each of these ideal societies and their implications to political ideology and action. The values of Karl Marxs idealist communist society may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property (Marx, 34). He believed that once private ownership was abolished people would change, and this would finally end the history of all class struggles. Communism to Marx was an extension or a purer form of socialism, whereby the people owned everything and everybody worked for the system, hence no form of personal interests was vested in the system. This assumption was made by placing a gamble on human behavior, probably the most unpredictable factor to place any form of wager on. Marx was assuming that among a whole class of people no interests [were] separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole (Marx, 33). The society that Marx visualized was one where all the citizens desired only the interests of the society by not desiring to satisfy their personal interests. History, however, does not have a basis for pure communism where a group of people have ceased to exist without any possessions and have lived only by the idea; the closest analogy one could give would be of hunter-gatherer societies. These societies, however, existed during the prehistoric times where human attitudes and behaviours were not being constantly reshaped by the changing economic systems in which people find themselves nowadays, which Marx himself mentions as there being no such thing as fixed human nature. Therefore, communism could never work because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative. Moreover, the possibility for revolution to occur where the bourgeoisie were to come down in their social status to the level of the proletariats and the proletariats rise to eminence of the bourgeoisies could only occur if human nature were to be dismantled, self memories be wiped out and in other words for the revolution to occur success fully in needs to be self induced. Marx in an indirect manner implies how ones self worth has decreased with the current system when he discusses the dynamics of wage labour and whether it creates property for the laborer. He states that the system is self-defeating for the laborers, which cannot increase except upon condition of begetting a new supply of wage-laborer for fresh exploitation (Marx 34). If we were to refer back to the analogy hunter-gatherer societies the fruits of ones labour were immediate; when an individual hunted his reward was immediate and did not wait for his fruits or live only in so far as the interest of the ruling class requires it (Marx. 35). In short mans worth and dignity has been demoralized and every individual has been converted in paid wage laborersand has reducedrelations[s] to a mere money relations (Marx, 21). Individuals were not bounded by the social status hunter-gatherer since everyone shared and everyone knew their worth. The advantage of this system is that it does not create any room for friction to occur because it does not include the idea of individuals desiring to wish to control the environment or vest any personal interests into the system. This can primarily be attributed to the value the system advocates of not wishing to differentiate people under any circumstances; the system does not know race, ethnicity and differences of age and sex no longer [have] any distinctive social validity (Marx, 26), a trait of hunter-gatherer societies, which Marx so dearly desires. These values would in turn affect the political ideologies of a system trying to covert to communism by picking on the one essential condition for the existenceof the bourgeois class, the formation and the augmentation of capital: the condition for capital is wage labour (Marx, 32). Therefore, the conflicts that would arise would be those that regarding wage labour and its supply; the bourgeoisie would advocate any action that would enhance the competition between laborers the key behind keeping a continuous supply of wage labour opposed to the proletariats immediate aim of cutting off this supply and by doing so ensuring its immediate aim of overthrowing the bourgeois supremacy. Any decline in wage labour would threaten the bourgeoisies capital by reducing its turnover, hence weakening their foothold in the marketplace in turn inhibiting their ability to constantly revolutionize the instruments of production in order to exist and survive (Marx, 21). The bourgeoisie quest to seek a continuous wage labour would see a shift in their political ideology; they would seek to manipulate cities, provinces and other nations that are weak cause them to become dependent on them. The consequence of such political centralization would lead to the epidemic of overproduction, whereby the only manner in which the crises can be overcome is by the conquest of new markets, and by the and by the more through exploitation of the old ones (Marx, 25). However, such exploitation of markets can occur only to a certain limit, until other nations impose regulations confiding the system to resort to desperate measures and turmoil, which occurred with China. Chinese products flooded the world market until recently and now they have been rejected entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and do not enjoy the benefits of free trade. Therefore, China have used enforced destruction of a mass of productive forces (Marx, 25) to decrease their output, which has lead to a lot of turmoil inside the country with dogmas of the government political stability and international recognition and the working class subsistence and a better life clashing against each other further depressing the situation. Like Karl Marx, J.J. Rousseau also painted a picture of ideal society. In his Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences he condemns how societies have succumbed to arts and sciences that have molded our behavior, and taught our passions to speak an artificial language (Rousseau, 6) with the desire to please one another with performances worthy of their mutual approbation (Rousseau, 4). He believed that individuals were imprisoned in the values and ideals of society that the arts and sciences strengthened, whereby everyone followed and nobody dared to be prompted by their inner selves in order not be seen as outcasts, resulting in man losing his individuality. In a nutshell, Rousseau believed that the arts and sciences had tainted origins and they reinforced our crimes by fostering our desire for comfort by transforming individuals into sugar coated pills, whereby jealousy, suspicion, fear, coldness, reserve, hate and fraud lie constantly concealed under the uniform and deceitful veil of politeness (Rousseau, 7). He in turn pictured a society were he believed man was innately pious was not restrained by societys decorum therefore abandoning the possibilities o the vices that evolve in modern societies are nonexistent. He understood virtue in terms of bravery, courage and strength in other words he saw it in raw military power. The weaknesses in Rousseaus painting of the ideal society are the assumptions that are embedded in the question that he was addressing Whether the restoration of the arts and sciences has had the effect of purifying or corrupting morals? Rousseau has to assume that there has been a revival in the arts as well as assume a relationship between abstract and applied knowledge with morality that being the human behavior and customs a society embraces. Such assumptions lead Rousseau to base his argument on a set of contradictions. He idealized the values of the Persians, Germans and Spartans who had an unusual social structure where there was no study of abstract education, no accumulation of property and military virtues were emphasized. The idealizations of such societies contradicted his resentment for etiquette or what he referred to as the veil of politeness, since there exists no organization whereby more discipline, etiquette or order to our rude but natural morals is required than military organizations. Throughout the discourse the theme of man becoming corrupt once he enters society and losing his individuality because they all act the same under the same circumstances alike (Rousseau, 6) is repeatedly emphasized. This argument in itself is self-defeating because if it is the grouping of people that induces people to conceal themselves and live among uncertainty, Rousseaus ideal society would truly only function for isolated individuals since such a level of purity could not occur in the natural dynamics of human societies. When individuals interact, the views and ideals of others will indeed affect the way the individual will live his life, since it is part of human nature to conform to the rules and regulations of others, which are a collection of ideals and values that compromise the principles of society. For a society to function in harmony there has to be some common ground whereby all the different members of that society must conform to and must sacrifice some of their individual ideals for the betterment of the society. Rousseau argues that man would not have to sacrifice his own ideals if he was not placed in the blasphemies of modern societies since he assumes humans are sincerely good and everyone would approve of the actions of others. This in itself breaks Rousseaus argument since there is exists no yardstick to measure good and even if there were to exist such a measure, differences on which good is appropriate would in turn cause conflicts. The simplicity of the society Rousseau describes is its initial strength; the simpler ones life, the palette on which he is to express his bad perspectives becomes less like the American savageswho live entirely on the products of the chase[and] yoke, indeed, [cannot] be imposed on men who stand in need of nothing (Rousseau,5). In a society where the needs do not exceed the basic physiological, safety and social needs and are readily satisfied the room for corruption becomes minimal. Therefore, I believe Rousseaus attack on the arts and sciences is not so much on their origins or sources but more so on how it manages to widen our needs to include self-actualization and self-realization needs, which are needs that are satisfied by luxuries and how we appear in relation to the people surrounding us; a need where the veil and corruption required to have those needs satisfied. Rousseaus painting of such an ideal society would not require a political system, however if all his assumptions were suspended the political implications would be drastic. In politics rarely is something said literally and in a society where the members innately believe that everyone is sincerely good, would not be capable of reading between the lines and would end up in turmoil since other nations would manipulate their naivety. Furthermore, in a society where abstract knowledge such a geometry and economics is not taught the politicians will be incapable of drawing upon actions that will be favour their society, since politics is the evil of all sciences and without a good base in its basic terminology that being the abstract sciences one will be incapable of mastering it and using it to his advantage. Speak from their heartoffend someone.do not take care In Antigone the Greek tragedy, morals, egos, and gender issues were the epics around which principles were based upon. Follow one man Harun Al Rashid..Mamluks..they use to be all loyal Lower class has less say in the political era in order to stop the formation of proletariats which is so important for the revolution to occur. Political laws that protect private property Enhance competitiveness (p.21) Dependence of poor countries on rich ([.23) Eradicate opposition immediately Strength of prletarits p.28 trade unions p.32 existence remains on capital 1) Basecaus they lay down ideals that seem utopian only to them, they forget 2) Might have noticed that there are more cons than pros Several of our texts paint images of ideal human society. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these imagined societies. How do these imagined ideal societies interact with political ideology and political action. Bibliography Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: Bantam, 1992. Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays Antigone, Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1977. Communism Could Never work Because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative. http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/nature.html

Essay --

Children are our future and they should be given every possible opportunity to succeed in life even if they are born into disadvantaged situations. Sometimes the families of certain children can’t provide as much as other children’s families and this can create a gap in the achievement and development of these children. Those disadvantaged children need special programing that accommodates for the lack of cognitive and social development that if not properly addressed could lead to poor school performance and delinquency. The Head Start program was created to address this shortcoming that some children face and to catch them up with their more advantaged peers. (Garces, 2002, p. 999) Head Start was originally designed to provide a nurturing environment that would provide children with preschool education, positive social interaction, and nutritious snacks and meals to help compensate for the lack of those things in the children’s lives. Head Start does an adequate job at meeting the needs of children in the manner in which it was originally founded. The Head Start program is not bad and should not be done away with. But, from what I have learned through this study, amendments could be made to increase the longevity of the desired results. In this paper I will discuss the Head Start program. How Head Start has succeeded. The way it attempts to influence children’s behaviors. I will also discuss some of the shortcomings of the Head Start program and ways to make the program more effective. Discussion: Early intervention into the lives of children has been proven to prevent delinquency. At an early age it is an effective means of changing the course of children’s lives for the better. The most commonly agreed upon age to begin e... ...have health concerns as well. Perhaps an upgrade with some of the standards of the Perry Preschool Project would be a sound investment in the lives of children. This investment would serve to better achieve a reduction in crime and delinquency. This upgrade would be relatively simple since the current policy is similar to the Perry Project. Another very important reminder, and something that I became aware of through this project, is to always consider the individuals who will be impacted by this policy. The investment in their lives is extremely important because at the ages that early intervention deals with, they may not have anyone else to fight for them. The policy that is implemented should really have the best possible outcomes for children associated with it. Head Start and other early childhood interventions are important for the children that they impact. Essay -- Children are our future and they should be given every possible opportunity to succeed in life even if they are born into disadvantaged situations. Sometimes the families of certain children can’t provide as much as other children’s families and this can create a gap in the achievement and development of these children. Those disadvantaged children need special programing that accommodates for the lack of cognitive and social development that if not properly addressed could lead to poor school performance and delinquency. The Head Start program was created to address this shortcoming that some children face and to catch them up with their more advantaged peers. (Garces, 2002, p. 999) Head Start was originally designed to provide a nurturing environment that would provide children with preschool education, positive social interaction, and nutritious snacks and meals to help compensate for the lack of those things in the children’s lives. Head Start does an adequate job at meeting the needs of children in the manner in which it was originally founded. The Head Start program is not bad and should not be done away with. But, from what I have learned through this study, amendments could be made to increase the longevity of the desired results. In this paper I will discuss the Head Start program. How Head Start has succeeded. The way it attempts to influence children’s behaviors. I will also discuss some of the shortcomings of the Head Start program and ways to make the program more effective. Discussion: Early intervention into the lives of children has been proven to prevent delinquency. At an early age it is an effective means of changing the course of children’s lives for the better. The most commonly agreed upon age to begin e... ...have health concerns as well. Perhaps an upgrade with some of the standards of the Perry Preschool Project would be a sound investment in the lives of children. This investment would serve to better achieve a reduction in crime and delinquency. This upgrade would be relatively simple since the current policy is similar to the Perry Project. Another very important reminder, and something that I became aware of through this project, is to always consider the individuals who will be impacted by this policy. The investment in their lives is extremely important because at the ages that early intervention deals with, they may not have anyone else to fight for them. The policy that is implemented should really have the best possible outcomes for children associated with it. Head Start and other early childhood interventions are important for the children that they impact.

Economic Changes of the Ju/’Hoansi

The Ju'/hoansi started as a food foraging society, a mode of subsistence involving some combination of hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plant foods. During the early days, these people would travel long distances within a restricted territory and make seasonal moves to tap into naturally available food sources. Men and women were both equally important in work as well as necessary for survival. Although the men were usually the hunters and women the gatherers, it was not out of character for both sexes to do both jobs. Women were able to share the food they collected with whomever they wanted.Men on the other hand had different rules and constraints they had to go by in distribution of meat. The sharing was done in units of 25 people rather than just one family, they didn't have to share with everyone but no one went hungry within the unit. One way of preserving large amounts of meat was to make jerky. When hunting and killing an elephant would bring many pounds of meat, it would be stored by drying it out in long strips and could be packed easily as they moved to the next camp. In the 1970's the Ju'/hoansi were taken from their homeland, which caused a social change in their people.Jobs were given and paid for with monies. Men were given more jobs then women, which caused a significant change in the economy. Women were given welfare by the government and were isolated at their homes with nothing to do. Their purpose was diminished and they had too much time on their hands. Disease hit the people causing many deaths and tragedy. The South African Government came bringing liquor and many men fought each other, killing off their own people. The change brought to the Ju'/hoansi was a tragedy, they were not accustomed to this new way of life, nor had they been brought up by this kind of culture to be able to adjust.Some of the people went back to their homeland, never to be the same as the early days of foraging for food. They tried to shift to agriculture whic h called for a different understanding than what they were used to. Pre-planning and organization was needed for agriculture. The people had been hunting and gathering, which they did while traveling without planning. It was a different way of life, although some success came for a few, it was not common. Like many others of their kind, they were edged out of their traditional habitats and the foraging cultures have nearly disappeared.

A Sense of Belonging Essay

â€Å"Ð  sense of belonging† is a book that nobody should miss! It provides students with the opportunity to examine different writing models and techniques while raising their awareness of different issues such as racial discrimination and racial abuse. Many of my friends found it interesting to read and could not stop reading the whole book although we were told to finish only four stories and only stopped flipping and reading till the last page! I personally find the book worth a read and would like to recommend it to all the secondary 3 and 4 students. Stories in the book include â€Å"a sense of belonging† and â€Å"The Test† which are about racial differences and a lady that was very mindful of her race. It does not merely elaborate on racial discrimination which can be very common but also tells us to be more sensitive towards other people and to be aware of our actions, as our words have the ability to hurt others. This is especially applicable to students of our age as we often meet friends of different races in school, and it reminds us that we should be considerate to others â€Å"The limits of trooghaft† highlights the plight of animals as humans are being treated the way we treat animals during the period of time we dominated the world. It serves as a reminder for us to put ourselves in others’ shoes and also consider the fact that animals have feelings and should not be abused like the way many are being treated now because animals have their own rights. This is a relatively important value in life that people need to constantly reinforce, so that we do not end up treating other people the way we do not want them to treat us. â€Å"a sound of thunder† talks about small mistakes leading to dire consequences and reminds us not to neglect the small details in life, because they can be important as well. After reading the book I personally found these four stories very inspiring and interesting. They allowed me to understand more about the common issues and problems faced, while learning moral values and reflecting on my daily life as we can easily relate to some of the stories in the book The important messages and lessons I learnt were invaluable to me and will accompany me for the rest of my life. Therefore I would strongly recommend this book to all upper secondary students as it can help them approach then own writing with more confidence and understanding, while teaching them life values at the same time.

Same-Sex Marriage

Same-Sex Marriage Same-Sex MarriageSame-sex marriage is something that should be legal everywhere. The discrimination against homosexuals in the sense of marriage is a denial of equality and it is immoral to deny them of this right. Same-sex marriage is just as sacred as heterosexual marriage, so why is it illegal?Same-sex marriages should be just as legal as heterosexual marriages. Just because something is different, doesn't make it immoral. Although many people view same-sex marriage as "unnatural" and "abnormal," there are many things that people value that are unnatural in some sense. Everyone deviates from the norm in some way whether it be their clothing, their political views, or their hobbies. Banning something that deviates from the norm makes no logical sense. Therefore, banning same-sex marriage for deviating from the norm is wrong because not everything that is unnatural is immoral. The norm, in this sense, is traditional marriage. The definition of marriage is "A formal union that exists between a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife."Same Sex MarriageObviously most people engage in heterosexual relationships, but does it follow that it is wrong to engage in homosexual relationships? Very few people are ambidextrous, fluent in 5 different languages, play the triangle, or breed goats, yet none of these are immoral because they are unusual. Many may say that since some of these are things that people choose to do, then that means that homosexuality must also be a choice.Homosexuality is not a choice. Homosexuals are born the way that they are, therefore it is natural and good to form homosexual relationships. Relationships that should eventually be allowed to be recognized by law. To deny homosexuals of something that is natural and good is discriminatory and wicked. Although this argument is strong, it...

Determinants of Demand essays

Determinants of Demand essays In economics, we have learned that price is the major factor on the quantity demanded. Many decisions and results have often depended only on prices of goods and services. However, passages of time allow factors other than price to influence demand significantly. These factors are called the determinants of demand and they include consumer tastes and preferences, market size, income, prices of related goods, and consumer expectation. Change in any one of theses determinants can cause a change in the overall demand of a good or a service. Changes in consumer tastes and preferences can have a major impact on demand for products. For example, if BMW has a new model of the 7 series that is just released, the popularity of the car will be high and thus making an increase on the demand of the product. After a period of time, especially new car models are released quite often, the tastes and preferences of the 7-series might dropped and thus causing a decrease on the demand. There is a direct relationship between the consumer tastes Changes in the market size tend to affect demand. As a market expands, it more consumers thus creating a larger potential on demand. An opposite relationship goes along if the market contracts. Markets expand and contract for several reasons. Decisions by private business are one cause of changes in market size. For example, private business like BMW can spend a great deal of money on advertising their new 7-series model on television national wide. With its effect, more people know about the new product and thus likely to enlarge the market size because there is a higher demand. Government sometimes makes decisions that would affect market size. For example, government that puts high taxes on imported cars will cause market size of imported cars to contract. Lastly, new technology is also a force that would affect market size. The new technology is making more inve...

If the French Supposer Hypothesizes, Add Subjunctive

If the French Supposer Hypothesizes, Add Subjunctive When  supposer  (to  suppose or to assume) is used with a dependent clause beginning with  que, the dependent clause may use a subjunctive verb, depending on how supposer is used. When it expresses an assumption, no:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je suppose quil le fait.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I assume that he is doing it. When the subject is presenting a hypothesis, yes:      Supposons quil le fasse.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets suppose that he does it. Supposer que joins a long list of similar verbs and expressions of doubt, possibility, supposition, and opinion; they all also need the subjunctive in the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹que  subordinate clause. Supposer and Supposer Que Supposer que,  when used to express an hypothesis,  fulfills the subjunctives underlying requirement  of  expressing actions or ideas that are subjective or otherwise uncertain. As with  this use of supposer  que,  the French subjunctive  is nearly always found in dependent clauses introduced by  que  or  qui, and the subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different, as in:      Je veux que tu le fasses.  Ã‚  Ã‚  I want you to do it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Il faut que nous partions.  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is necessary that we leave. French Verbs and Expressions Similar to Supposer Que Here are other verbs and expressions that, like  supposer que,  can communicate  doubt, possibility, supposition, and opinion. They all require the subjunctive in the dependent clause that  begins with  que.  There are many other types of constructions that need the French subjunctive as well, which are explained and listed in the full-on  subjunctivator  (our term). accepter que   to acceptsattendre ce que  Ã‚  to expect thatchercher ... qui*  Ã‚  to look fordà ©tester que  Ã‚  to hate thatdouter que**  Ã‚  to doubt thatil est convenable que  Ã‚  it is proper/fitting/appropriate thatil est douteux que**  Ã‚  it is doubtful thatil est faux que  Ã‚  it is false thatil est impossible que  Ã‚  it is impossible thatil est improbable que  Ã‚  it is improbable thatil est juste que  Ã‚  it is right/fair thatil est possible que  Ã‚  it is possible thatil est peu probable que  Ã‚  it is not very likely  thatil nest pas certain que  Ã‚  it is not certain thatil nest pas clair que  Ã‚  it is not clear thatil nest pas à ©vident que  Ã‚  it is not obvious thatil nest pas exact que  Ã‚  it is not correct thatil nest pas probable que  Ã‚  it is unlikely thatil nest pas sà »r que  Ã‚  it is not certain thatil nest pas vrai que  Ã‚  it is not true thatil semble que  Ã‚  it seems thatil se peut que  Ã‚  it may be t hatle fait que  Ã‚  the fact thatnier que***  Ã‚  to deny thatrefuser que  Ã‚  to refusesupposer que  Ã‚  to suppose / assume; to hypothesize *When you are looking for someone who may not exist, this indicates doubt and therefore requires the subjunctive in the dependent clause:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je cherche un homme qui sache la và ©rità ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Im looking for a man who knows the truth. **These do not take the subjunctive when they are used negatively:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je doute quil vienne. I  doubt hes coming.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Je ne doute pas quil vient.   I dont doubt hes coming. ***When  nier  is in the negative, its followed by the the more formal ne explà ©tif, which uses only ne  (without pas).      Il na pas nià © quelle ne soit partie.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He didnt deny that she left. Additional Resources The SubjunctivatorQuiz: Subjunctive or indicative?

Techniques in Financial Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Techniques in Financial Analysis - Essay Example Naked DSL was named the product of the year by the Australian PC Magazine. IIN has grown both organically through innovative product development and inorganically by merging with many smaller ISPs. (b) The company has experienced strong growth through the launch of telephony products and deployment of DSLAM infrastructure. With a range of telephony services that include add-on voice and broadband services, IIN offers their own telephone service resulting in a lower line rental price for its customers. In 2006, IIN introduced its DSLAM infrastructure into telephone exchanges across Australia. DSLAM allowed a speed of over 1.5 Mbit/s with a maximum download of 24 Mbit/s. The potential risk with the product development strategy is the possibility of changes in product line and pricing owing to close competition from other major players such as the regulatory conflict with Telstra. Another medium term growth strategy is the inorganic route of acquisitions. In the early 2000s, IIN expande d nationwide by acquiring RuralNet Tas Access, Granite Internet and so on. In 2003, the biggest acquisition of ihug Ltd. followed. Residential ISP business and trademarks of rival OzEmail followed in 2005. After a hiatus, IIN recommenced its acquisition strategy to acquire Perth-based ISPs, Up’n’away and Westnet. Potential risks for acquisition include synergy and funding risks. When IIN acquired OzEmail, the business side remained with its US-parent, MCI but the retail business was neglected. OzEmail moved very late into ADSL and by 2006, IIN had abandoned the OzEmail brand. Fund-raising for acquisitions is a major concern. In 2006, IIN requested a share trading halt after its share value slid by 50%. There was uncertainty from IIN’s bankers as the company had capital raising issues and thus, unable to honour the bank’s covenants. As the third largest ISP, IIN has utilised its brand for strategic purposes. To increase its market share in metros and regio nal Australia, the company has invested in the â€Å"Hallelujah† and the â€Å"Humanology† brand campaigns. A new hi-tech wireless home gateway, ‘BoB’, is featured in its â€Å"Hallelujah† campaign. The increased brand investment has led to increased sales across its businesses. The company has launched its next phase in brand expansion. A potential risk to the brand strategy of IIN is the existing competition in the ISP segment. There are over 600 ISPs in Australia with Telstra leading the market with 43% market share. The second largest player, Optus holds 11% market share. IIN with its 8% share will need to increase its footprint in Australia to compete with the large players and aid its brand recall with customers. Question 2: Liquidity (136/150 words) (a) 2009 Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities ($’000) = 46,939/81,763 = 0.6 2008 Current Ratio = 34,494/77,511 = 0.4 2009 Acid Test Ratio = Current Assets–Inventories-P repayments/Current ($’000) Liabilities-Bank Overdraft = 46,939–1,078-13,981/81,763-501 = 0.4 2008 Acid Test Ratio = 34,494-1,073-8,922/77,511-2,846 = 0.3 (b) IIN’s availability of cash and other current assets to cover accounts payable, short-term debt and other liabilities stands at 0.6 in 2009. The current ratio has improved from 0.4 in 2008 to 0.6 There is an increase in the acid-test ratio from 0.3 in 2008 to 0.4 in 2009. The acid test ratio is a more stringent test, incorporating only those assets that can be converted to cash quickly. Current and

Information Technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Technology - Assignment Example They are only sent by the agent to the manager entity. It is also in the unconfirmed class whereby operations are not acknowledged (Mauro, 2005). 3. It does not have a presentation layer (Goshima, 2011). Machine architecture simply means modes by which data and information is stored and represented in computers, circuits and the CPU. Bits, which are binary digit, are the basic unit for storage and presentation of information in the machine. They operate in two ways, either false or true, which are in the form of 0s or 1s. Characters and integers representation in computers are all represented by a sequence of binary digits. The presentation layer is used to compress, translate, and encrypt data to the required form, so it is responsible for data displaying and managing how data is presented to the application level from the lower levels. In the internet, data sources through the application layer, are represented by unique numeric number called internet protocol addresses. Each machine or computer connected to the internet, is assigned its own IP address to use in a computer network, therefore, forming a sharing ability of available resources and information. When one of the computer s needs to access some information, the user will enter the documents name, but the machine will automatically convert it into an address that will enable the machine to identify the document. This way of representing data creates web pages, location of files and authentic sources, sending of emails and proxy availability (lammle, 2011). 4. Lastname::=OCTET STRING {weight, 277} Weight::= INTEGER {lastname, â€Å"greg†} 3 2 2 2 g e r g 4 4 Combining the two, weight and name, we will establish a set that has both the integer and the IA5string. Set is a collection of one or more types and is represented by a â€Å"31 14† in the encoding rules. G r e g 04 71 82 69 71 In BER encoding using hexadecimal like in the word

British Common Law is Effective for Protecting the Environment Term Paper

British Common Law is Effective for Protecting the Environment - Term Paper Example There is a need to promote a pattern of development that will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs as the current generation strives to meet her current needs. This development perspective is known as â€Å"sustainable development† (International Institute for Sustainable Development 2007, p. 3).   Zhang et al. (2007, p. 105) reported that the â€Å"worldwide food problem could not be overall resolved by 2030.†   Hirsch (2007, 6-20) reported that several forecasts/estimates pointed out a peaking in world oil production very soon. Earlier, in 2005, Hirsch estimated that world oil demand will increase by 50% in 2025 from the 2005 level (p. 3). This implies that the world’s resources would have to be recycled rather than wasted wantonly. Second, there is a need to conserve biodiversity or the biodiversity of flora and fauna worldwide.   Unfortunately, however, about a tenth of the world species and about one-fourth of the world’s mammals are being threatened with extinction (International Union for the Conservation of Nature 2002 as cited by The Royal Society 2003, p. 1).   From 0.5 to 1% of the world’s tropical forests are being lost annually (Food and Agriculture Office 2001 as cited by The Royal Society of London 2003, p. 1). Wild vertebrae populations have declined by about 33% since 1970 (Loh 2002 as cited The Royal Society 2003, p.1).   Because the lives of species are interrelated, these developments have likely impacts on food as well as on the availability of materials that can be developed for drugs or medicines. As The Royal Society has stated in 2003, â€Å"our dependence on biodiversity is absolute: without it humans would not be able to survive† (p. 1). Related to protecting b iodiversity worldwide, the United Nations has identified more than 18 million square kilometers of the earth’s surface whose biodiversity must be protected (United Nations 2003, p. 23).

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example Success can be measured by ensuring that the output is as per the desired estimation from the pre-decided input and effort (Rathore, 2009; Siddiqui, 2006). In such situation, responsibility accounting signifies classifying the financial information that is related to the areas associated with the organisational activity. After considering these financial aspects the responsibilities are allocated for controlling different areas of operations. These areas are also known as responsibility centres. There are various types of responsibility centres, such as cost centre, profit centre, revenue centre, and investment centre (Rao, 2007). The financial performance in the organisation are measured and monitored by the managers by considering the relative measures of profitability. ROI is also a relative measure of financial performance that can be utilised for comparison with the other investments. It also assists in providing a summary of the post return on the capital employed. The concept of ROI is based on the yield or benefit that investors reap on investments (Megginson and Smart, 2008). ROI = (Revenue – Investment) / Investment * 100 (Jupri, n. ... The focus of ROI is towards profit, and the data required for such calculating is easily available. Apart from this, the size of the divisions does not affect the calculation, and the managers can easily choose the projects with higher ROI. However, ROI ignores various risks, and considers historic measures. In this case the projects which have slow payoff are generally rejected. This also encourages managers to shift their focus towards short-run than long-run (Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso, 2008). Apart from ROI, EVA is another tool for measuring financial performance that has become popular among the managers. In this case the performance is calculated on the basis of the residual wealth of the organisation that is deducted by the cost of capital from the operating profit. This is also referred as the economic profit. The formula for calculating EAV is stated below EVA = NOPAT (Net Operating Profit after Taxes) – (Capital * Cost of Capital) The organisation having a positive E VA is said to have yielded profit or wealth, while organisation with negative EVA is said to have consumed the capital. The strength of EVA is that it acts as a major indicator of wealth creation and accordingly assists the managers in streamlining the goals of the division or plant with the corporate goals (Ingram, Albright and Ingram, 2006). However, there are certain limitations in this method, especially when it comes to the size of the division or organisation, or financial orientations. Both the methods discussed here suffer from the drawback of tempting managers with short-term profits. EVA is particularly used for aspects like incentive compensation, investor relations, and resource allocation. The premise in this case is

Pop-culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pop-culture - Essay Example The print and the electronic media, entertainment tools like music and television, have done absolute justice to the job of brainwashing the impressionable minds of youth. Traditional culture and ideology have traditionally been the binding forces of the society, but in the contemporary age, spirit of the youth is being systematically destroyed by the onslaught of popular culture. The traditionalists and the modernists are permanently at war over approaches to social issues. While the modernists are positive that their endeavors are directed at development of a new society, the traditionalists lament about the steady demise of the indigenous values. A world of interconnectedness is slowly emerging and no one can precisely estimate how circumstances would shape up in the future. However, a strong view prevails that this interconnectedness is heading toward decay of moral and ethical values rather than leading to the path of cohesion and prosperity. In its attempt to pursue individual happiness, the younger generation has compromised societal values and become distracted and clueless. Ill effects of their activities mostly outweigh their honest dispositions and merits. An offshoot of the popular culture viz. the growth of Jazz provides an example. Jazz music arrived like an avalanche on the American media and became omnipresent in no time. Its growth was not contemplated, like the spread of greenery in the thick jungles of Amazon. The sapling of Jazz grew as it was watered with the agony of the black people. The roots of jazz can be traced back to the times of slavery when slave work songs were made as ‘call-and-response’ to narrate stories for pastime. These songs reflected the blacks’ internal rebellion against the sufferings and cruelties inflicted on them by the white race. Black people brought with them jazz to the big cities as they started to migrate to Chicago and New York with

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Management Accounting - Essay Example Success can be measured by ensuring that the output is as per the desired estimation from the pre-decided input and effort (Rathore, 2009; Siddiqui, 2006). In such situation, responsibility accounting signifies classifying the financial information that is related to the areas associated with the organisational activity. After considering these financial aspects the responsibilities are allocated for controlling different areas of operations. These areas are also known as responsibility centres. There are various types of responsibility centres, such as cost centre, profit centre, revenue centre, and investment centre (Rao, 2007). The financial performance in the organisation are measured and monitored by the managers by considering the relative measures of profitability. ROI is also a relative measure of financial performance that can be utilised for comparison with the other investments. It also assists in providing a summary of the post return on the capital employed. The concept of ROI is based on the yield or benefit that investors reap on investments (Megginson and Smart, 2008). ROI = (Revenue – Investment) / Investment * 100 (Jupri, n. ... The focus of ROI is towards profit, and the data required for such calculating is easily available. Apart from this, the size of the divisions does not affect the calculation, and the managers can easily choose the projects with higher ROI. However, ROI ignores various risks, and considers historic measures. In this case the projects which have slow payoff are generally rejected. This also encourages managers to shift their focus towards short-run than long-run (Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso, 2008). Apart from ROI, EVA is another tool for measuring financial performance that has become popular among the managers. In this case the performance is calculated on the basis of the residual wealth of the organisation that is deducted by the cost of capital from the operating profit. This is also referred as the economic profit. The formula for calculating EAV is stated below EVA = NOPAT (Net Operating Profit after Taxes) – (Capital * Cost of Capital) The organisation having a positive E VA is said to have yielded profit or wealth, while organisation with negative EVA is said to have consumed the capital. The strength of EVA is that it acts as a major indicator of wealth creation and accordingly assists the managers in streamlining the goals of the division or plant with the corporate goals (Ingram, Albright and Ingram, 2006). However, there are certain limitations in this method, especially when it comes to the size of the division or organisation, or financial orientations. Both the methods discussed here suffer from the drawback of tempting managers with short-term profits. EVA is particularly used for aspects like incentive compensation, investor relations, and resource allocation. The premise in this case is

Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory Essay

Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory - Essay Example This essay will focus on the â€Å"multi-store model of memory developed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin in the year 1968† (Kipp & Shaffer, pp. 300, 2009). Multi-store memory model revolves around three basic types of memories, namely, â€Å"sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory† (Nash & Bernstein, pp. 209, 2006). Therefore, it is essential to understand the types in detail. Many a times, one realizes that they have seen an object and have a picture of it in their mind. However, within a fraction of a second, it fades away. Other times, one asks another to repeat a certain thing just to realize they know it already. These instances depict the sensory memory. According to an experiment, when subjects are asked to report all the three letters they can see in a brief flash of a letter array, they usually can report only four of five letters. The number of reported letters is independent of the number of displayed letters. However, according to demonstration of a partial-report procedure, subjects are able to store a dozen or more items in a very short-term memory" (Gegenfurtner & Sperling, pp. 1, 1999). Another type of memory is the short-term memory. Whenever a person is thinking about a certain situation, their short-term memory begins its functioning. At any one time, the short-term memory may get its input from the external environment i.e. the surroundings of a person or from the long-term memory of that individual. An example of the former case may be a thought process of a conversation a person is into while the example of the latter may be the thoughts occurring about an event that happened in the distant past, which may be stored in the long-term memory. The short-term memory of any individual may show increment by recoding information. â€Å"Miller (1956) summarized evidence that people can remember about seven chunks in short-term

A Brothers Love Essay Example for Free

A Brothers Love Essay When you compare Louis Erdrichs story The Red Convertible and James Baldwins story Sonnys Blues, they seem like completely different stories. The Red Convertible is about two brothers, Lyman and Henry, who grow up on a Native American reservation in North Dakota. The two brothers share a strong bond that is personified through their love for a certain red car that they share. They go through an amazing Journey and discover a lot about each other. On the other hand, Sonnys Blues is also about two brothers, however their Journey goes a completely different oute than Lyman and Henrys. In Sonnys Blues, the narrator and his little brother, Sonny, start out as distant and forgotten family members. Through Sonnys love for music, and his older brothers gradual acceptance, the two grow a stronger bond than ever before. Although the two are indeed about different topics, there are some parallels to recognize as well. The Red Convertible and Sonnys Blues are alike for many reasons, but the most prominent similarity is the theme of brotherhood. For instance, in Sonnys Blues, the dynamic between the two brothers changes from eing completely distant to finally understanding each other, despite their differences. The growth of a relationship is an important factor in true brotherhood. An example of the two brothers taking a step in the right direction is when they meet after Sonny is let out of prison. It has been a while since they have spoken last, and the older brother narrates, miet, when he smiled, when we shook hands, the baby brother Id never known looked out from the depths of his private life, like an animal waiting to be coaxed into the light. (Baldwin, 312) The other brother is realizing that e has never really known his baby brother because his true self was always buried beneath the mask of his drug addiction. We can see here that the other brother is seeing that Sonny is trying to let himself into the light, or trying to finally get himself to a better place in life. The turning point in the story where Sonnys love for music gets truly understood by his brother, is at the end of the story when he is playing his gig. The older brother states, For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isnt any other tale to tell, its the only light weve got in all this darkness. (Baldwin, 324) This statement by Sonnys older brother shows that he has finally opened up his heart to accept that his little brother is getting better and expressing himself through music. Like in Sonnys Blues, Henry and Lyman go through a similar Journey in The Red Convertible, where they discover their own Journey through brotherhood. Unlike Sonnys progression of his relationship with his brother, Henry and Lymans relationship starts out ver y strong but dies out in the end. Although the two stories have different outcomes, the core theme of brotherhood is the same. In The Red Convertible, Henry and Lyman are best friends, and spend every moment hanging out with each other. They are inseparable, until Henrys decision to Join the army for three years tears them apart. When Henry returns, Lyman is concerned as he remembers the times wed sat still for the whole afternoon, Henry always had a Joke, then, too, and now you couldnt get him to laugh (Erdrich, 74). Lyman is realizing that his brother nas changed and is disassociated wit n his tormer selt. Lyman is pain stricken because the strength of their brotherhood was slipping through his fingers. Overall, both stories express the motivation and strength that a brotherhood can give. Despite their similarities in overall theme, the two stories are different regarding the symbols that connect the brothers. In Sonnys Blues, the factor that allowed Sonny and his brother to break the barrier between them was his music. Living in Harlem, there isnt many ways to express yourself or let yourself be heard, so music was an escape. Through Sonnys infatuation with music, his brother was able o see beyond his drug addiction and begin to start the re-birth of their relationship. At the end of the story, Sonnys brother was watching him play, But Just before they started playing again, Sonny sipped from it and looked toward me, and nodded (Baldwin, 326). At this point, it is as if Sonnys brother accepted him through the music and finally feels that connection that only brothers can share. Music is a central symbol in Sonnys Blues and creates a stepping stone for the two brothers relationship to grow. On the other hand, we have The Red Convertible, which has a uch different object that directs the story. In The Red Convertible, Henry and Lymans relationship is driven by their love for their red car they had bought together. The red flashy car resembles the boys resilient and carefree view on life, and the strength of the bond they shared in the beginning of the story. However, after Henry returns from Vietnam, he is a changed man and according to Lyman, The change was no good. (Erdrich, 72) Lyman hopes that the car might bring the old Henry back somehow (Erdrich, 75), but is let down when Henry shows no interest in he car. Ironically, Henry ends up destroying the car which, symbolically, destroys the relationship between the two brothers as well. Like the music in Sonnys Blues, the red car in The Red Convertible was a symbol for the change in the brothers relationship. The relationship between two brothers can be transitive, whether it starts distant and grow close like in Sonnys Blues, or the other way around as we saw in The Red Convertible. While each story may have different symbols and storylines, we still see the theme of both the true nature of brotherhood.

Childcare Management Systems | Literature Review

Childcare Management Systems | Literature Review CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 OVERVIEW Literature reviews are conducted in order to fully understand a topic being researched about. By doing so, we could define and establish our area of study, as in my topic childcare management systems. Reviews are done on existing systems by explore how existing childcare or daycare centers management systems have been introduced, implemented and evolved. Comparisons of the systems are made for better understanding of systems functions. Advantages and disadvantages of the systems have to be understood as well. Section 2.1 depicts background study of three existing childcare management systems which are analyzed for better understand of this project. Section 2.2 summarizes the proposed system which will be designed and developed on later stages of this project. The features have been tabulated in Table 2.1. 2.1 BACKGROUND STUDY Nowadays the need of daycare and childcare centers are increasing due to working parents and need of proper care of children. The management has to be efficient to keep up with these demands. In order to ease the work done in the centers, owners purchase or subscribe childcare management system software. There are so many different types and quality level of childcare management system software in the market. Even though each of them is used for similar purpose that is to manage a daycare centers but the design of functions and implementations of the systems are different. A system that provides all important functions needed by childcare centers will be the top priority in the market. Following existing systems have been choosing for comparison because they have higher market value and many customers favor them. In order to understand the similarities and differences of existing systems in different platform as well, comparison have been made between fully web based system, software based system and mobile application based system. Exploring the systems have been done by understand fully how the systems works and finally list out the advantages and disadvantages. 2.1.1 Centers Online (https://www.centresonline.com/index) Centers online is an online childcare management system designed for both long and short day care centers. Centers Online provides childcare services with simple and easy to use online software for daily reporting and communication needs. The site updated continually and modified to ease users needs. The management system also helps every parent receives frequent updates about their child instantly. Centers Online provides a login interface for childcare centers and parents that is easy to use allowing parents to continually be aware of their childrens activities. Centers Online applications are available for all smartphones and tablets. Centers Online is designed to be used by three types of users which are admin/owner of the childcare centers, teachers and parents. All of the users have their own login ids and viewing page. The owner can access, view, create users and create rooms. They also can manage events and contact parents. Teachers can update all information regarding children in their room such as feeding schedule, activities, performance, health condition and etc. Parents get instant update regarding their children. They can view daily activities, update parent profile, view event details and view pictures uploaded by teachers of their children. Figure 2.1 shows user management page where the owner or admin of the childcare center manages users profile such as registration of students, parents profile and assigning teachers to classes. The panel on left side gives access to all functions for users. Figure 2.1: Display of User Management Page Figure 2.2 shows the group permission page which grants owner or admin of childcare center to categorize users and their level of permissions on using the service. For instance, parents have limited access on site and more focus in viewing children’s update. Senior teachers have additional permissions since they have extra work to be done compared to new teachers. Figure 2.2: Display of Group Permission Page Figure 2.3 shows children management page where all profile of children will be managed. Teachers and sometimes owners will assign children to classes according to their ages here. Status of students can be viewed here. All reports can be saved as pdf and excel files for reference or print out. Figure 2.3: Display of Children Management Page Figure 2.4 shows the calendar in schedule management of the system. All the activities that are carried out in the daycare center are recorded in the calendar. Upcoming events will be marked as well for easy reference and updates. Admin and teachers can access and view all the events and activities carried out on particular day. Parents only have access to view marked activities by teachers for their children. Parents will not fall behind knowing important dates of events. Figure 2.4: Display of Calendar Page Advantages: Easy to use GUI (graphical user interface) The user interface is friendly and understandable. free access via website to parents account Parents who register with childcare that use Centers Online will get free access to get updates from the center. no server needed No server and IT maintenance needed since it is web based software. The service provider maintains all the data and all data are secured. register and use The childcare center owner that is interested using this system simply registers with the service provider and start using. application for smartphones and tablets The service provider also has created application for devices such as smartphones in order to give an easy access and portability for users. Disadvantages: compulsory need of internet connection Since it is a web-based software system internet connection needed in order to use the service provided and no offline option is given for the users to work offline. 2.1.2 The Pre-School Partner (http://www.on-qsoftware.com/pspscreens.html) The Pre-School Partner is a software-based childcare management system. The software is available for a single PC or buyer could choose to take a package contains of license key for up to 20 personal computers which labeled as Network (1- 20). The software is obtained by either getting an installation CD or e-mail link to download and install. It facilitates the daily functions andmanagementof the center by tracking and instantly making available all family, child and staff related information. It is complete and up to date with emergency contacts, guardians, drop off/pick up contacts, family and children notes, medical information, vaccination management, billing, accounts receivable, remote terminal logging and child scheduling and attendance. All the reports are easy to manage and printable for additional purpose. The software also has feature to manage staffs. The owner can keep track of staffs training histories. Figure 2.5 shows children registration page where owner or staff at childcare center can register new children with the system. Children’s full detail such as full name, age and family information required for registration. Picture of registered children will be uploaded in the profile as well. Figure 2.5: Display of Children Registration Page Figure 2.6 shows family or sponsor info page where all details of parents or sponsor are added such as contact details and address. Detail about particular people not permitted to be close to children added here as well to increase awareness of management. All records of drop off and pick up are keyed in here as well. Figure 2.6: Display of Family/Sponsor Info Page Figure 2.7 shows guardians detail page where all information of child parents registered with the daycare center will be recorded and updated regularly. Contact details of parents given importance in order to get hold of them in case of emergency. Picture of the parent will be added as well. Figure 2.7: Display of Guardians Detail Page Figure 2.8 shows invoice record page where all invoices for the parents or sponsor of children registered recorded. All details of payments such as dates, amount and identification will be recorded accordingly for easier reference and record keeping. Figure 2.8: Display of Invoice Page Advantages: user friendly screens The GUI (graphical user interface) of the software is designed well by placing all the essential keys and buttons in easy accessible and understandable way. larger scale of choice, more detailed and more functional The software provides all essential functions that needed to run a daycare center. User has the option to choose use functions only they required. work can be done offline (online only needed for cloud backup and sync) No internet connection needed to use pre-school partner Disadvantages: one software one pc The software is limited to one personal computer unless the owner buys a network package. Even though the network package consists of a maximum of 20 key licenses for personal computers the portability of the software is still limited. sever maintenance The server of the software installed has to be maintained regularly. The files saved have to be fragmented to remove bad sectors. Firewall, virus and spyware protection needs regular review and management. minimum requirements The software installed needs hardware specifications that meets its minimum requirements in order to function well and fully. Operating System : Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2) Processor : Pentium 4 with Hyper-Threading, 2GHz Ram : 512MB minimum Disk Capacity : 80GB 2.1.3 Tadpoles (http://www.frogsquared.com) Tadpoles is a web-based application aided childcare management system. The use of smartphone application is integrated with the system for easy and effective use. Tadpoles is revolutionizing the childcare market by helping to streamline operations and parent communication through mobile technology. Tadpoles focuses more on the importance of parent involvement in the learning process. Teachers are able to share photos and videos to parents throughout the day. They could record meals, activities, naps and more to daily reports. Teachers also could prepare lesson plans up to four weeks ahead. Directors are able to view real time counts per class. They can manage classroom, children and employees. All the pictures and videos teachers send to parents have to be approved by directors or owners. They can view charts and graphs of reports on children progress under their care. They are able to send official letters to parents and emergency alerts as well. Parents can receive daily update of their children via email. They can download and share the photos and videos of their children. In case of emergency, they will receive text message first before further notice for a head start. Parents also can view their children’s profile using mobile application provided and they also able to mark their child sick or on vacation. Figure 2.9 shows classroom page in tadpoles application where teachers can view all the children in their class accordingly. The children will be categorized by their age. Teachers can choose and update information on children from here. They could edit notes for their teachings and send photo to parents as well. Figure 2.9: Classroom Page Figure 2.10 shows children profile page where a children’s profile can be viewed by selecting a child. All detail about meal taken, sleeping time and activities done by children will be added here by the teacher. They can tag category of the child for easier reference. Figure 2.10: Children Profile Page Figure 2.11 shows the dashboard which offers a live view of the activity in the center. The classroom counts, attendance, and parent communications updates in real time without refreshing. The owners or directors can view the update anywhere and anytime. Figure 2.11: Live Dashboard Figure 2.12 shows communication page where owner can notify all parents by text messages in case of emergency, school closings or other urgent messages. This method is effective and fast compare to individual notification. Figure 2.12: Communication Panel Figure 2.13 shows email snapshot parents receive from the daycare center with all current detail of their children, activities they are doing, sleeping times, meals and more. Pictures that are taken for their children during activities are attached as well. Parents are able to get update on their children anywhere anytime through their email. Figure 2.13: Display of Parent Email Advantages: children information up to date for parents via email Teachers and owners update children’s profile throughout the day by updating profile, uploading pictures and updating schedules. Parents get the updates via their email and mobile application. application for teachers The designed application is easy to use and give better functionalities for teachers in carrying out their daily activities. All details of children, schedule and study plans can be accessed almost instantly. live view and real time updating for directors and owners The directors and owners are up to date with activities carried out in centers and children’s statuses. All without software installations and no per-user licenses. They can check on things easily and securely even while away from the center. portable Since it is an application on device, it gives more portability to teachers. All children’s attendance and emergency details are within teachers’ reach when they bring children to playground or field trip. Pictures and videos taken can be uploaded instantly. Disadvantages: limitation of devices can be used The application is only designed for apple products with IOS. The teachers are encouraged to use devices such as ipad mini or ipad only for easy access and portability. 2.2 PROPOSED SYSTEM The proposed childcare center management system is a web-based system that has all the features stated in Table 2.1. The name of the system would be Kool-Child Childcare Management System. Kool-Child provides all functions needed to manage a childcare or daycare center efficiently. With Kool-Child, child care centers are able to record down feedings, nursing, milestones, activities children are doing such as playing, sleeping and others. Apart from that, they are allowed to make photo galleries of the children. Parents will be updated with all their children information. Kool-Child provides tuition/billing management as well. The billing is done automatically with little information about chargers and individual child’s program. With Kool-Child, owner of the childcare center will be able to manage employee profile by record and update personal details of employee. Parents also will be able to log in into Kool-Child with limited access to view their children’s schedule. Kool-Child also will have chat space where all parents could share ideas and get to know each other. Kool-Child will also provide simple tutorials on how to use the system for the customers. Customer support is also available to assist customer and receive feedbacks. Table 2.1 Features Comparison FEATURES Centers Online Pre-School Partner Tadpoles Kool-Child 1 Classroom and Schedule Management √ √ X √ 2 Food Program records √ √ √ √ 3 Immunization Records √ √ X √ 4 Daily Activities Planning √ √ √ √ 5 Photo Gallery √ √ √ √ 6 Billing Management X √ X √ 7 Online Registration √ X X √ 8 Employee Database X √ X √ 9 Customer Support √ √ √ √ 10 Parents Update √ X √ √ 11 Reports Management √ √ √ √ New Feature 12 Chat Space X X X √ Table 2.1 shows the comparison in features of Centers Online, Pre-School Partner, Tadpoles and the proposed system Kool-Child. All three existing systems have important features which are classroom management, food program records, photo gallery and customer support. Pre-School Partner is only a system among three that has billing management and employee management features which needed by most childcare centers to ease their workload. Chat space is an additional feature that will be implemented in Kool-Child. All twelve features will be integrated in Kool-Child to maximize functionality of the system.

What Kind of God is He? :: Religion, Genesis, Trials

God puts trials upon everyone, and in Genesis twenty-two he sets Abraham out on his own journey, to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. After all the struggle Abraham and Sarah had to conceive the child, God decides that the boy should be sacrificed to him. And without an even a moment of procrastination or a murmur of woe (Gen 22:3) the man sets off to do God’s bidding. What sort of God would ask a loyal man such as Abraham to do this appalling deed? I believe firmly, that God did not do this so that Abraham would be deprived of the wonders of his offspring, or to have a human burnt offering for his own good, but to gain our trust and show how trustworthy he is. And also to show that if we just listen to what he has to say that we too, will have everything â€Å"provided† for us when urgent times come. He trusted in Adam and Eve, whose adversity started when they turned their ears away from Him and ate the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:6). Or in the story of Cain and Abel, Cain chooses not to listen to God and committed homicide against his brother Abel (Gen 4:8) and is then sent out to Nod. Yet again, another misfortune happened when Lot’s wife ignored the commands of the Lord and looked back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, only to be turned into a pillar of salt (Gen 19:26). All these stories show how much God trusts in humanity but we either do not listen to his wishes or trust in Him, and because of this disobedience there are severe penalties. And this trend only continues throughout the bible. Abraham, on the other hand, conceded to his rules and does as he is told without even the slightest hesitation. He made his slow venture up the mountain, to the exact place God had shown him, and, builds the altar then ties his son up and getting him ready for the sacrificing (Gen 22:9). But at this point the Lord stopped him. Without shame, for he did as he was told, he announced â€Å"Here I am† (Gen 22 :11). This is unlike Adam whom has to hide himself for going against the Lords will earlier in chapter three of Genesis. And unlike in chapter three, instead of getting reprimanded and punished, Abraham is blessed by the Lord (Gen 22 :16-19), for he did what he was told even though it was a great loss in his family.

Car Bumper Design – materials and specifications

Bumpers are safety features fixed to the front and back of vehicles. They are design to take a certain amount of impact from a collision by acting as dampers. To improve efficiency and performance modern bumpers are design to be aerodynamic and cheap. By developing wind channels in the bumper air can be used to provide more grip and stability for a safer drive. Modern bumpers are also design to be interchangeable after impacts for low cost repair. Car manufactures tend to design their bumpers from thermoplastics as it is cheaply made and adsorbs impacts more effectively. To design an efficient bumper all possible environmental and unforeseen circumstances most be taken into account. Material specification Since metal components were more used in the design of larger vehicles a polymer based material was selected. This allowed for cheaper and easier manufacture components. To select the appropriate polymer for the bumper the fallowing applications had to be look at to obtain an overall purpose of the bumper. * Vehicle car crash Frontal-impact tests To protect pedestrians from low speed frontal-impacts standard test are performed on the front of cars. Bumpers are subject to impacting a dummy at knee height. If there isn't enough impact absorption in the bumper resulting in a broken leg test failure will occur. To combat this application material's with high absorption and tensile strength is look at first. [1] * Environmental factor Environmental factor involves a range of different topics for this project the main ones will be focus on o Recycling or disposal of the material safely and cheaply. A polymer that is commonly recyclable with low disposal costs. o Protection of the material for weather conditions. Nearly all plastic experience UV degrading from the sun or micro fractures occurring from frost over time. Finding the highest resilient polymer and adding additives should solve this problem for a suitable polymer. * Manufacturing Process During the manufacturing process the polymer will have to undergo heat treatment, compression and shearing processes. Preferably a polymer with a high melt flow index and a low melting temperature. This would allow for cheaper heating cost and quicker cycle times. Mechanical Properties To obtain the required specification of the polymer required the fallowing standard tests are performed. Property ASTM * Melt flow index D1238 * Tensile strength D638 * Tensile modulus D638 * Flexural strength D790 * Flexural Modulus D790 * Notched Izod impact test D256 Material Selection After researching different polymers and comparing mechanical properties it was found that Polypropylene polymer was mainly used in manufacturing of bumpers. PP (Polypropylene) Polypropylene is highly common material in manufacturing from furniture to carpets. The reason for its popularity is its low cost, making it suitable for the production of bumpers. Manufacturing methods: PP is suitable for extrusion, injection moulding and vacuum forming. It has a high melt flow index which allows for quicker flow through the mould. This optimises time between granulated polymer entering and leaving as a component. Its low melting point allows for cheaper heating costs. Mechanical properties: The mechanical properties for PP show high impact resistance even in low temperatures. The material is stiff, and the properties are kept over a wide temperature range. These properties allow for the polymer to experience enough flexibility to absorb small impacts while returning to its original shape. Average Melt flow index 26.8 g/10min Tensile strength 33.0 MPa Flexural strength 49.0 MPa Notched Izod impact test 2.00 kJ/mà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Melting point 159 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C Table 1 Environmental factor PP experience small amount of UV degradation but this is relatively small compared to other polymer to solve this additives are added. Though this adds further costs the benefits of the other properties compensates for loses. [3] PP is considered a type 5 plastic for recycling. It is commonly recycled fulfilling the environmental factor. Disadvantages When coating and painting the finished component it is found that polypropylene is hard to work with. Colours and dies have to be added at the right time and temperature for quality assured product. Alternative ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) exhibits a lot of PP properties. But due to high UV degradation additives are added increasing costs. Process selection Manufacturing of polymer components involve a verity of different ways. Through research injection-compression moulding was the most commonly used form of manufacturing a bumper. Injection-compression moulding Fig [1] 1. Support wall for injection and apposing compression clamp of mould 2. Mould with coolant attached 3. Main clamping forcing that applies pressure on the mould to counter react the force of injection 4. Second clamping forcing applied after injection mould process is complete. This further compresses the polymer in the mould. Due to a larger surface area more pressure is exerted completely filling the mould. 5. Secondary hydraulic ram 6. Locking levers 7. Tie Bar for supporting movement of clamp 8. Lock of point 9. Primary Hydraulic ram 10. Back support wall Injection Moulding Injection moulding involves the feeding in of granulated ABS into the feed hopper. As it is funnelled down the polymer enters the cork screw were it is slowly force up the shaft. During this process the polymer is slowly heat by the heaters surrounding the shaft. At the end the polymer is heated enough to melting temperature allowing for flow to occur. By the cork screw constantly compressing the polymer all air bubbles are force out resulting in a uniform flow of polymer been extruded through the sprue into mould. Compression moulding On entering the mould the polymer is forced to spread out to fill the mould. In conventional injection moulding the polymer would only fill about 96% of the mould. By having a partial opened mould the existing polymer in the mould can then be compress completely filling the mould. [2] By combing these two process techniques compression-injection moulding is performed. Properties Moulding machines with clamping range from 8000KN to 13000KN and a shot capacity up to 4000g m/s. Suppliers Engel, Demag, Klockner, Windsor http://www.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu/products/ Alternative Thermoforming forming of the product by place a heated blank sheet of the polymer over the mould and through suction creating the component Bumper drawings The fallowing drawings show the basic model of the part been produced. The overall thickness of the bumper throughout was taken as 10mm. The part had to be design to suit the mould so the polymer could flow easy. This involved keeping a constant flow of lines so no corners would be create and fairly uniform surface Fig. 1 Auxiliary view of bumper Fig. 2 Bumper Mould design Designing and constructing the mould requires highly precise work in both physical and theatrical ends of the process. To break even on cost a mould has to withstand a prolong cycle time. To achieve this length of time attention product quality most be reliable. Fig. 3 Mould and bumper Creating the mould involve the fallowing design parameters * Shape of bumper and tolerances * Mould had to be design for injection process * Direct gate hot runner injection system for funnelling the melted polymer from the injection system to the mould. By insulating the mould from the runner the temperature of the sprue can be maintained allowing the same left over material to be injected into the next product. * A draft angle throughout the mould and the sprue to allow for easy release. 1à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ per side of the sprue * Cooling system to allow for uniform temperature during cooling * It was desire not to have sharp corners in the mould as it reduces the bumper strength while creating mould flow problems * Type of tool steel * Surface finish Mould drawings To gain a full understanding of the environment in the mould finite element modelling would have to be applied. This would give a computer aided design of the melt flow analysis throughout the mould, expected expansion and compression forces exerted during the process and cycle time prediction Fig. 4 Top of mould designed so internal dimensions of the bumper was taken Fig. 5 Bottom of mould designed so external dimensions of the bumper was taken Fig. 6 Assembly of mould Bumper Mould specification Steel Type Steel H13 was selected as it has long cycle life and shows great resistance to constant temperatures, wear, cracking and thermal shock. All these properties are associated with the manufacturing process. [5] Injection system Direct gate system. Reduces risk of blockage and allows for easy maintenance. Ejection System Robotic machine to extract the bumper from the mould with the use of suction pads. This allow for constant machine operation. Surface Finishing High gloss finish to ensure a polished surface on bumper and reduction of the bumper sticking in the mould. Mould Cycle Time: It is estimate from the polypropylene entering the mould, till extraction a time cycle of 45s exists. Cycle life If run at constant rate it is estimate that a cycle life time for the mould of a 100,000 components produced exists. Treatment Coolant channels create to maintain steady temperature. Mould coated with oil to prevent rust. Assumptions It was assumed that due to high compress and prolonged cycle times the mould would have to be highly strong and rigid. This involved making a highly thick walled and solid mould. On cooling of the polymer it was assumed that a shrinkage allowance of 0.5mm would have to be taken into account in the design of the mould. Manufacturing set-up Before production begins a manufacturing process is set. This takes into account standard working procedures and outside factors. This creates a more safe and quality assured environment. Procure material Granulated PP is source from a reliant and efficient supplier Treatment Polypropylene is dehumidified. Excess water is extracted before production occurs. This involves a pre-heating process. Feeding Granulated Polypropylene is brought to feed hopper where it is either manual feed in or through a conveyer belt machine system. Mould Top and bottom of the mould are load onto the clamps were their securely fixed. This involves crane operation and coordinated procedure as the moulds are highly heavy and can't afford to get damaged. Appropriate tonnage is applied compressing the mould. Clean Earlier material is purge out from the machine. Final check of machine operation is covered Production Polypropylene is slowly released into the cork screw and gradually begins to fill and compress. Fine tuning is performed on injection speeds, heaters, coolant temperatures, etc.. Tuning is performed till maximum efficiency is maintained. After the bumper is complete the mould is opened and the bumper is removed. Customer Bumper is deflash of excess polypropylene where injection occurs. This is either done robotically or by human intervention. The bumper is then sent off for packaging and storage where it will then go out to the customer. Factory layout Fig. 7 Factory layout from a plan view Material usage per annum It was assumed a cycle time of 45s between polymer entering and leaving mould. By taking into account other assumptions an overall estimate of components per year was found. Assumptions * Average time of 12 work hours per day * Maintenance of machinery, loading of material, organising and other factors estimate of 1 component every minute. (Estimate of 720 a day) * Average of 200000 bumpers per year. (Estimate 260 work days) * Mass of bumper 15kg Material usage per annum 3000 (metric) tons

Plight of U.S. Farmers and Workers

The structure and style of politics in the late nineteenth century were evolving based on what party held power in our government. Social, religious, ethnic and regional factors determined party ties but third parties were emerging. Consider the conditions In America on the eve of the 20th Century.Write a minimum of two paragraphs for the following discussion prompt: What problems did U. S. Farmers and workers face In the sass and how did they try to solve them? The prices of the crops were falling and were at an low and there wasn't end in sight due to things as of the weather and other death rising factors like materials being over produced in the North and the East while the West and the South struggled. Goldfield, 2014) This added so much hardship for so many farmers that most could not afford to pay for the cost for using the railroad to ship their goods and as crops failed, It made It Impossible for the farmers to pay off their debts and many farmers lost their farms, lands, cr ops and all other sources of income forcing many onto sharecropping, (Goldfield, 2014) This led a need for change and people started looking for other options.They pleaded for help from the Government, but showing that they cared little to none and by doing nothing to help the people left planning and coming up with their own solution, â€Å"Farmers Alliance† (Goldfield, 2014) This was a big playoff with so much against such Like many to most people were still separated by race and neither could grow past the pettiness to try to think of even helping each there with such preformed alliance and even with such like economic and political reform smoothly for most more deeper separation based on race.Made this a long sighted has black farmers, including the leaders that were colored and section of the Farmers Alliance were killed an of the Farmers Alliance that came followed by depression and it was one out for themselves. The Government had no control with more violence that rul ed the people and the streets. The railroad had over expended, hundreds of banks closed, along with thousands of businesses. (Goldfield, 2014) Since o much money stopped flowing at one time there was no way for the economy to come back to life.In order for the depression to end, the people needed jobs and they needed farms that could support the Nation. They had to have banks that could provide lines of credit to get the Nation Jump started. With the fall of the economy In other Nations only added to our turmoil and they cost too much to use as export markets. Which Is reason exporting trade system came right with or after. References Goldfield, D. , Abbot, C. Anderson, V. Reselling,J. Argentines, P, Barney (2014).

Lord of the Ants- Notes and Paper on E. O. Wilson

Lord of the Ants Ed Wilson Was hit in the eye by the dorsal fin of a Pin fish and went partially blind, so he turned his interest to animals small enough for him to see entirely and up close, something small enough for him to hold between his thumb and pointer finger to inspect. Pheidole Jim Watson- Newly appointed head at Harvard Watson inspired Wilson to apply chemistry to how ants stay so organized Chemical trail ants leave to direct and guide other ants towards food, away from an enemy, a new home, and so on. Pheromones Sociobiology Many protested his theory of sociobiology Encyclopedia of Life E. O.Wilson was   intrigued by nature at a very young age, growing up in Alabama offered him a natural world, rich in plants, insects, and plenty other species just waiting to be discovered. He had a true passion for understanding the natural world that we inhabit. As a young boy,   he was hit in the eye by the dorsal fin of a Pin fish and went partially blind. He didn't let this hold him back, instead he focused his interest to animals small enough for him to see entirely and up close, something small enough for him to hold between his thumb and pointer finger to inspect. Wilson's interest in nature grew with his age, he  earned his B.S. and M. S. degrees at the University of Alabama, and went on to earn his Ph. D. from Harvard University. Wilson wrote  On Human Nature, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book on his theory of Sociobiology, explaining how the many characteristics of human and society can be explained from an evolutionary point of view. He explained that all animal behavior, including human behavior, is the outcome of hereditary factors, environmental stimuli, and past experiences. His work faced much resistance from many, as a lot of critics had a hard time accepting his theory as it applied to humans.His theory rejects the previously established doctrine of tabula rasa,  which holds that human beings are born a clean slate, and that culture function s to aid in human knowledge, survival, and success. Island biogeography is a field of biogeography that studies species richness in isolated natural areas. This theory examines extinction and migration patterns of different species to isolated areas. Wilson's work has lead to the understanding and need for species conservation. His theory led to establishing national parks and the development of habitat corridors.

Analyse the 2 articles about Amazon, consider how strategy is Case Study

Analyse the 2 articles about Amazon, consider how strategy is developed and implemented from an emergent and deliberate perspect - Case Study Example Article 1 essentially revolves around the work culture of Amazon. The article deals with the recruitment, selection and absorption process of the organisation. The company after setting its office in Rugely, started recruiting in huge numbers. The company hired Randstad as its major recruiting agency. The hired workers were known as associates and were kept under a training period of minimum three months before they were absorbed by the company. The main objective behind this strategy was to find the top performing temporary associates for the available permanent vacancy. The company achieved creative advantage by following the kaizan approach to increase the efficiency of workforce. Every warehouse was appointed with a continuous improvement manager whose job was to look for any kind of hindrance or delay, and solve them. The company also appointed mobile problem solvers who continuously patrolled the warehouse to look for issues slowing down the operational process and fix them. Am azon started its operations as an online bookseller. Once the company became a prominent leader in the online book selling category, it started diversifying its operations into other sectors. From article 2, it is clear that product differentiation and diversification has provided a competitive advantage to the company (Ehmke, 2010). The company has also invested in technology to remain competitive in the market. The products of Amazon are essentially simple and easy to operate, which increases the customer preference. The company’s continuous investment in new and creative areas such as technology, cloud computing etc., has provided a competitive edge to the company. Strategy Development and Implementation A strategy can be defined as a scope and direction for the organisation, which is profitable to the organisation in the long run, makes the best and most efficient use of the resources, meet the needs and demands of the market and satisfy the stakeholder expectations (Anon ymous, 2006). Different strategies are applied in different stages of business, such as corporate strategy, business strategy and operational strategy. Amazon is one the prominent leaders in the retail business. Article 1 reflects the overall operational strategy of the organisation. An operational strategy aims in efficient management of each operational unit of the company and to efficiently utilise the tangible and intangible resources of the company to generate maximum profits (Datta and Roy, 2011). To maximise the efficiency of its operational processes, the company has applied many strategies. The recruitment and selection process of the company is strict and rigorous. To optimise the efficiency of workforce and increase the cost-effectiveness, the company follows the strategy of recruiting and maintaining the best talent among the temporary job positions. Amazon’s efficient software helps workers to reach the target destination in least time and distance covered. To fu rther monitor the work flow in the warehouse, kaizan strategy has been applied extensively. In kaizan approach every warehouse was appointed with a continuous improvement manager whose job was to look for any kind of hindrance or delay, and solve them. The company also appointed mobile problem solvers who continuously patrolled the warehouse to look for issues slowing down the operational proces

Nude Descending a Staircase versus Mystery and Melancholy of the Assignment

Nude Descending a Staircase versus Mystery and Melancholy of the Street - Assignment Example The paper "Nude Descending a Staircase versus Mystery and Melancholy of the Street" focuses on the contrast of two paintings by Marcel Duchamp and Giorgio De Chirico. The painting has dark outlines, which serve as motion lines and provide limitations of the body contours. The motion lines in the painting are significant because they provide emphasis on the moving figure. The painting also has dotted lines of accented arcs. The lines are effective in showing motion because of the ease to detect from the painting that the movement rotated in an anticlockwise direction, which is from the upper left to the lower right corner. Similarly, Melancholy and Mystery of a Street painting focus on contours because of the great color use. The artist did the work with great preciseness to set a seemingly void atmosphere. The painting shows, at the bottom corner, a peaceful girl in the play mood with her bicycle rim and a stick, which balances her perfectly with the entire painting. In the painting, De Chirico uses lines and contours to portray elongated shadows, empty arcades, mannequins, and towers. He excels in his arrangements to create the images of emptiness, as well as forlornness. Consequently, the painting succeeds in conveying the mood and feeling of freedom and power in a paradoxical manner. The contours color and lines help to explain shows a distinction between shadows and the clear sunshine that suggests a clear sky. Consequently, the shadows and sunlight create an apparent mental illusion.