CSS Lean Operations Report The WritePass Journal

CSS Lean Operations Report 1. Executive Summary CSS Lean Operations Report ). When all these techniques are used, they help to keep operations chains flowing without unnecessary interruptions and of course this helps businesses to meet the demands of their clients. The unrelated nature of some of these techniques can be explained by the fact that the TPS continued to improve since 1948 (Chase et al, 2007). This happened because it responded to the problems it set out to resolve within its own production facilities. This pragmatic nature of the TPS has made it possible for operations strategies to continue to improve dramatically because they are built on first hand experiences and not theoretical models that are sometimes difficult to see in real life situations (Bicheno Holweg, 2009). Toyota believes that the main technique used to achieve leaning lies in the reduction of three types of wastes common in many operations systems (Pettersen, 2009). These include the muda (non-value-adding work), muri (overburden) and mura (unevenness) (Pettersen, 2009). When these methods are used, they help to expose systematic problems. In this respect, the tools are flexible and can be adapted to different situations. One of the objectives of lean is to get the right things to the right place on time and in the right quantity. When this is done, it helps to achieve perfect work flow which is necessary for optimum productivity.   Although much of the literature analysed above suggests that 3.   Operational Evaluation of CSS The design of the facility is not ideal to promote work flow. In the literature review above, the importance of work flow to the achievement of tasks has been clearly outlined. Work has to flow smoothly in order to identify mistakes and weaknesses in the system. The factory layout has to be designed in a way that one operation leads to the next one (Liker, 2008). When work is done in this manner, it makes it easier to notice mistakes and easily correct them on time. This is because when a mistake occurs, the item can be moved back to the previous stage where it can be easily sorted out without having to move from one end of the factory to the other. When workers have to move from one end of the factory to another, it creates loops in the flow of work and they end up spending some of their time wondering about in the factory giving room for items to start piling at their posts (Ballà ©, M. Ballà ©, 2009). In an ideal design, raw materials should get into the factory from one side m eanwhile the finished goods are moved out of the factory from a different exit point designed purposefully for the exit (Radnor Bucci, 2010). However, CSS factory lay out is not designed in line with the flow of the manufacturing processes. This can be costly for the company in terms of time and even financial costs. Based on the above information and a review of the CSS’s current information, a number of weaknesses have been identified that need to be addressed. 3.1 Transportation There   are some inefficiencies in the current transportation system which leads to waste in time and money which. After weld and manual assembly is complete, the frames are sent to goods outwards, where they are loaded to special jigs ( 15 per jig) to be sent to a plating sub-contractor. The normal quantity despatched is 600 (parts are not required to be common) and the despatch timing is sporadic, depending on when the stock is available to go out. The turnaround time is quoted as 2 days however, the process time is 30 minutes per batch. In this scenario, it better to deliver the frames in good quantity in order to cut down transportation costs. Considering that CSS has 20 working days in a month and the client only wants one shipment per day by lorry. At this rate, CSS needs to find a double carrier in order to be able to transport enough seats in one lorry shipment. It is ideal to deliver the shipments at night since the customers premises also operate night shifts. 3.2 Overproduction Again, given that 2520 seats are ordered monthly and a carrier can move 65 seats at a time, CSS has to put in place a strategy that will ensure that these chairs are delivered on time. CSS’s manufacturing facility is currently producing to mass production principles.   The machines have a functional layout and produce components in large batches. The company needs to suit its production to meet the demands. For instance, given that demand has dropped there is no need operating at full capacity. This results in waste of energy and keeps machines working to meet a small order given that the company has lost some of its businesses to overseas competitors. Now, it is important for the company to cut back on costs and even consider hiring part time labour that is required to meet the demands of its existing customers (Montgomery, 2012). The company has to adapt its machines to meet its current market situation. For instance, instead of operating its machines at full capacity, CSS has to consider adapting its machines to meet current market demand. The pressing machine can be used at full capacity to produce forming in order to have material that it will use for a reasonable period of time. In that case, employees at the forming operation have to be mainly part timers with just a few full time employees. This is because once they do forming and pressing of material that can be used for a considerable time, they can go on to their second jobs and only come back when there is need for forming and pressing. 3.3 Waiting CSS’s manufacturing process for the frame assemblies starts with pressing and forming. Because of the short cycle time and high set up times the batch size is high, 5000. The product is placed in stillages and transferred in a batch size of 1000. The output from the press shop should be of equal proportions of all products. However, currently this is not achieved as the output ratio depends on the set up of the presses. The press is a shared resource. Given that the press is a shared resource, it could lead to waiting that will stall the smooth movement of the operations. It is ideal to allocate different times for different. This is because shared resources help to cut costs and as such, it is important to allocate different times for employees to use shared resources in an effort to minimize instances when waiting has to occur. Waiting can have serious effects on the flow of operations and productivity. Lanchester Steels Ltd supplies sheet metal stock to CSS on Mondays. Meanwhile Coventry Covers supply rolls of cover on Wednesdays. This can affect the pace of work in the case where they fail to deliver their suppliers. CSS needs to review its supply arrangement with its suppliers. It will be ideal if its suppliers deliver these materials on Saturdays, so that even if there is some delay of any sort, it will not alter the flow of work and the company will still be able to deliver seats to its clients on time. Failure to supply on time can lead to a termination of contract if it is recurrent in the industry. This is because these seats are needed at the car assembly line and if they do not show up, the assembly line could stall at some point in time thereby affecting their clients schedule. For this reason, raw materials have to be sourced on time in order to ensure that CSS does not keep the customer waiting in the case where suppliers fail to meet up with raw material supplies. Wait ing has to be eliminated whenever it is possible. 3.4 Human Resources Keeping 200 employees to produce 2520 seats monthly could be too much for the company. This is a decision that most be clearly reconsidered in order to ensure that the company does not pay people who are doing nothing. The company needs to adopt a policy of using part time labour until it is able to pick up once more by winning new contracts in the sector. There is no point hiring too many workers when the company does not have many contracts. However, the company has to be looking for ways to grow. Growing can be done by gaining new markets. Since it has few markets, the company must keep just enough workers who are able to meet its customers’ demands. Secondly, it has to make sure that hires the right number of people at the right time to satisfy its customers’ needs. On the other hand, it must have a good bank of part timers whom it can call in at any time as soon as the market starts growing. 4. Discussion Leaning is very important in manufacturing businesses such as CSS. This is because it helps these businesses to keep work flowing from one process to the order by making the right arrangements with suppliers and hiring the right people to complete the different manufacturing processes (Chase et al, 2007). In the long term, CSS has to remain conscious of the needs to ensure that it is not wasting time or resources. Wastes can always hurt CSS’s profits. The company could be making profits, but because the operational system is characterised by wastes, the company will not make as much profits as it would have otherwise done. To begin with, lean operations have proven to reduce costs and improve productivity in the automobile industry in Japan (Pettersen, 2009) (Chase, 2008). This strategy was later on copied by many businesses in the manufacturing sectors that experienced similar positive results. In addition to eliminating wastes in many factories, lean operations have helped many companies to become more competitive after implementing lean strategies (Bicheno Holweg, 2009). CSS is a company that is currently struggling and needs to improve its performance. One of the ways it can do so is by adopting any strategies that will make it more competitive. Leaning is just one of many strategies available for the company. In order not to take any chances, the company needs to implement the leaning strategy that has been outlined in this report. Secondly, the key to success for CSS is to source the right quantity of raw materials on time in order to avoid shortage or waiting (Liker, 2008). Without raw materials, the company will be unable to meet the needs of its clients. Even with these raw materials, work schedules must be organised in a way that makes it possible to meet customers’ demands (Ballà ©, M. Ballà ©, 2009). For instance, machines must be in good conditions and regularly checked given that failure to do so can result in untimely break downs. Finally, appropriate transportation measures must be put in place to ensure that raw materials get to the factory on time (Radnor Bucci, 2010). The same is true for finished products that are needed by the client. If for instance, the chairs do not get to the client on time, it will affect the client’s flow of work (Chase et al, 2007; Montgomery, 2012). CSS has to put in place and effective transportation at every given moment that is able to get raw materials to the factories and finished seats to the customer at the lowest cost and on time to guarantee efficiency and profit making, which is the underlying mission of CSS.

Ornithocheirus - Facts and Figures

Ornithocheirus - Facts and Figures Name: Ornithocheirus (Greek for bird hand); pronounced OR-nith-oh-CARE-usHabitat: Shores of western Europe and South AmericaHistorical Period: Middle Cretaceous (100-95 million years ago)Size and Weight: Wingspans of 10-20 feet and weights of 50-100 poundsDiet: FishDistinguishing Characteristics: Large wingspan; long, thin snout with bony protuberance on end About Ornithocheirus Ornithocheirus wasnt the largest pterosaur ever to take to the skies during the Mesozoic Erathat honor belonged to the truly enormous Quetzalcoatlusbut it was certainly the biggest pterosaur of the middle Cretaceous period since Quetzalcoatlus didnt appear on the scene until shortly before the K/T Extinction Event. Aside from its 10- to 20-foot wingspan, what set Ornithocheirus apart from other pterosaurs was the bony keel on the end of its snout, which may have been used to crack open the shells of crustaceans, to intimidate other pterosaurs in search of the same prey, or to attract the opposite sex during mating season. Discovered in the early 19th century, Ornithocheirus occasioned its share of disputes among the famous paleontologists of the day. This pterosaur was officially named in 1870 by Harry Seeley, who chose its moniker (Greek for bird hand) because he assumed Ornithocheirus was ancestral to modern birds. He was wrongbirds actually descended from small theropod dinosaurs, probably multiple times during the later Mesozoic Erabut not as wrong as his rival Richard Owen, who at that time didnt accept the theory of evolution and thus didnt believe Ornithocheirus was ancestral to anything! The confusion Seeley generated over a century ago, no matter how well-meaning, persists today. At one time or another, there have been dozens of named Ornithocheirus species, most of them based on fragmentary and poorly preserved fossil specimens, of which only one, O. simus, remains in widespread use. Further complicating matters, the more recent discovery of large pterosaurs dating from late Cretaceous South Americasuch as Anhanguera and Tupuxuararaises the possibility that these genera should properly be assigned as Ornithocheirus species.

Film Treatment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Treatment - Essay Example Carolina seems to project the view that men can easily make advances to women that have received their olive branch. Since she is a newly married couple, she spends lavish lifestyle as they walk in the beach; however, she seems to be hiding her feelings about the fear she has against her fellow women that she has thought would backbite. Caroline exits the first scene leaving the viewer gauzing about events that would proceed. Act Two Carolina’s marriage is at stake owing to the fact that she is not comfortable with the lifestyle at the beach. Arguably, the beach has varied scenes ranging scenes that would attract one person to the other and situations that are not compromising. Beach life seems attract couples that have just wed. The playwright seems to suggest that couples that get married prefer beach resorts for their good times. Since this is the preexisting case, Carolina’s pronounced jealousy is not out of hand, because she has the noble duty to protect her marria ge. Carolina’s actions display the woes of a woman in protecting the treasures of marriage. Men are figures in marriage, yet they can quit at anytime. Thus, fear of protecting the marriage is not a strange phenomenon, but an aspect the society should prepare to face. Some two beam bums Davies and Rambo enters this thereby helping in developing conflict in the play. The action of the beach bums is the centre of conflict in this scene. Caroline’s is a treasured woman. Her presence in the beach seems to have the source of Caroline’s worry. At some point the bride is seen walking alone, yet she should be in the company of the bridegroom. The scene leaves the viewer gauzing the affair between Caroline’s niece and her husband. When Carolina’s rescues her niece, things no longer seems to be the way the viewer anticipated. The dramatic twist illustrates the extent to which love for someone would lead to jealousy. While watching the unfolding of events in t he movie, one would ask the feelings of a partner against the other. Displaying affection in the public is an instrumental aspect that seems to influence the perception of any given couples. In most instances, the playwright displays the sunken feeling about love and fear. It appears that the author intended to disapprove the feelings about romantic lifestyle. The suspicion of Carolina leads to the conflict in the conflict. However, the nature of conflicts depends on the thematic concern intended in each scene. First, when Carolina’s husband settles on helping his wife relative, the burning beauty does not seem to appear. However, after establishing a conflict, Carolina does not walk free anymore, but uses all the available instances to monitor the possible deceptions in case the husband goes out of the marital bed. The second conflict is the choice of Carolina’s husband to find the beautiful young woman that he had saved from drowning. The character that Caroline†™s husband saved from water magnifies the bellowing fire that was burning inside Carolina. When women protect their territories, it is not surprising because the fear of losing the partner seems to be detrimental. In this sense, both Carolina engage in activities that would display social conflict, but measures the magnitude of such interference. This trend sustains the main theme of jealousy. Jealous persons may fail to display it openly, but would wreath in pain and anguish whenever their opponents make a move that would engage the two

Issues affecting health care delivery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues affecting health care delivery - Essay Example The use of criminals for use in the Health Care system allows the Californian government to bring down the costs of the state government. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made a revelation that there was a twenty billion dollar budget deficient which needed to be cut down. By using those individuals who are not being hired by any other employer then this service can be hired by the IHSS program at a lesser rate than any other. With the help of this the budget for the 2010-2011 will be able to go down to 5.2 billion dollars which will be very effective in bringing down the costs of the entire scheme and help to promote the service (ANDERSON, 2010). There can be a debate as to whether the health care system will benefit from this type of a service. Having criminals take care of the elderly or other members of the community brings to mind serious questions regarding the safety of the public (Tim, 2010). This lowers the quality of the service but access may be higher as more people who have a criminal record will more likely go to join the program as a means to make money. This will allow more personnel on ground to be able to cater to the public. The issue allows for more of a challenge than anything else. The potential harm that individuals are put into as a result of the allowance for offenders to work with them will increase. There already have been cases where the previous offenders have shown signs and actions of relapse. There have been cases where the caregivers are being prosecuted for fraud, robbery and even identity theft (Blog, 2009). Behavior such as this shows that there are a large number of challenges that need to be overcome before the service is efficient and without fault. Opportunities are a lot less since there is a clear disdain for the court’s decision to allow convicts to work with elderly people. Investigators and other concerned parties have cried to the legislators to do something about the current hiring system to lessen the

Risk management at wellfleet bank Essay Example for Free

Risk management at wellfleet bank Essay The 2007-2010 ï ¬ nancial crisis has brought credit risk and default to the forefront of the regulatory and political discussion. This case illustrates risk management in the world of corporate lending which is quite diï ¬â‚¬erent from the retail, subprime, and mortgage lending at the root of the recent banking turmoil. It is also interesting because Wellï ¬â€šeet (actually, Standard Chartered PLC; ticker symbol: STAN) is one of the few banks which successfully weathered the 2007-2009 credit crisis. Chief executive Alastair Dowes has to decide if the risk governance process is adequate to uncover mega-risks in light of the current risk-assessment process and the credit decision regarding a bn loan application. Working for the Chief Credit Oï ¬Æ'cer (CCO) as a senior loan supervisor, you have been asked to assess and review the risks in the proposal and to make a credit recommendation, i.e., whether Wellï ¬â€šeet should accept the loan application or not. At the same time, you are worried about gray-area risk decisions and, in particular, the fact that risk-adjusted performance measurement can rarely be automated. Risk governance requires executives to strike a balance between risk modeling and qualitative business judgment—a holistic (rather than silo-based) view of risks. You are preparing either an executive memo to the CCO and CEO or a presentation to WellFleet’s credit committee. The following questions are meant to guide your analysis: 1. How much credit risk should banks take? What avenues do they have to manage credit risk ex ante and ex post? 2. Research the history of WellFleet = Standard Chartered. How well has Wellï ¬â€šeet performed? Why and how has it avoided major problems in its corporate loan portfolio? Was the bank lucky or smart? 3. Analyze the risk management process at WellFleet Bank. What suggestions might you make to the CEO about improving the process? (a) What are the objectives of loan oï ¬Æ'cers and supervisors, respectively? What about the risk management unit? (b) Are the incentives of line and risk management units aligned? Why or why not? (c) How would you organize origination and risk management activities? 4. What risk factors drive the credit exposure to Gatwick? Analyze what a credit bet on Gatwick really amounts to. (a) Download stock prices for pure gold-mining companies such as Barrick (ticker: ABX) and Newmont (ticker: NEM) as well as a gold prices and the SP 500. Calculate the instantaneous return Rit = ln PPit . it−1 (b) Compute the correlation matrix for the 4 variables. How would you interpret the results? (c) Run a CAPM-type regression of the gold-miner’s return Rit on a constant, the SP 500 return Rmt the gold return Gt by OLS, i.e., estimate the following model: Rit = ÃŽ ± + ÃŽ ²Rmt + ÃŽ ³Gt + ÃŽ µt How would you interpret the results? What does it tell you about the credit exposure? 5. Calculate the Expected Loss, Economic Revenue and Economic Proï ¬ t for both proposals. What would your decision regarding the two credit proposals be? Why? (a) What steps if any could Wellï ¬â€šeet take to reduce its credit exposure to Gatwick? (b) What avenues are open to the bank to manage its credit exposure ex ante (before and in the lending process) and ex post (after the loan went onto its books)? 6. Given Wellï ¬â€šeet’s new focus on large corporate deals and its need to recruit relationship managers from investment banks, what are the challenges for the risk culture of the organization, and its style of risk management in particular?

The Physics of an AM Radio Receiver :: Radio Technology Electronics Essays

The Physics of an AM Radio Receiver The AM Radio has been around for a long time. When the AM radio was first invented, it was not meant to be used to broadcast music. That is why today most music radio stations are on the FM band. Instead, the AM band was used to carry voice frequencies, thus, all the AM talk radio stations. Due to new technology, music is broadcast over the AM band but does not have the same sound quality as the FM band. According to the FCC regulations at www.fcc.gov, the AM broadcasters are only allowed 5 KHz each side of their carrier frequency for their side bands. These side bands will be explained in more detail later on. In order to understand an AM receiver, one must understand each stage and what it does. An AM receiver can be broken down into six stages. These stages will be explained one at a time. The first stage is the RF amplifier. The AM antenna runs into the RF amp where the desired frequency is selected. As stated by Grob (1997), the typical band for AM is 535 Hz to 1605 KHz. For the duration of the paper, we will assume that we are trying to receive a station that is located on 1290 KHz signal. The antenna used must be able to pick up all the stations on the AM dial. Knowing this, we need to select the one we want to hear. In this case, we want 1290 KHz or The Country KOWW. When the dial on the radio is turned to select 1290 KHz, it does two things. There are two variable capacitors The Physics of an AM Radio Receiver being adjusted. I will begin by discussing the first capacitor. This capacitor is connected in parallel with an inductor. While the capacitance changes as the dial is turned, the resonant frequency of the LC circuit also changes. This process is called inductor and capacitor in parallel. When the capacitor is in just the right spot, the resonant frequency will be 1290 KHz. This LC circuit is designed so that only the resonant frequency is passed. The 1290 KHz will now be passed on to the next stage and all other frequencies will be filtered out. The RF amp must also have good sensitivity, which according to Scott Rasmussen (2003), is the ability to amplify a very weak signal.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare †Ophelia Character Analysis Essay

Even as a minor character in the play Hamlet, the character Ophelia plays a vital part in the development of both the plot and thematic ideas. However, Ophelia is an extremely complicated character as she can be read in many different ways. This in effect causes the readers or audience to be more insightful and gain a greater understanding of the plot and thematic ideas in the play such as â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and â€Å"Madness.† When exploring the character of Ophelia we must take into consideration personal beliefs, knowledge and outside criticisms which may affect our reading of the character. For example, if the reader analyses Ophelia’s character from the perspective of feminism, concerned with the equal rights and fair treatment of women, or historical context, an understanding of what it was like in the period of time the play was both written and set; their views of the character will differ, which then causes the reader to have a more in depth unders tanding of the plot and themes. Ophelia is present in only a few scenes of the play. This is due to the fact that when the play was written in the Elizabethan period females were considered to be very â€Å"private† sort of people. There job was to stay home, look after the family and complete the housework. They were not allowed to perform and therefore there are very few female characters in Shakespeare’s plays. If a play did consist of female characters they were generally played by young boys, which effectively caused restrictions and limitations amongst characterisation. Using feminism makes it possible to believe that Ophelia is not to pose as a main character of the play, but to act as a â€Å"foil,† to help the audience understand the more important characters in the play. Hamlet’s madness and Ophelia’s feelings of love for both Hamlet and her father are prime examples of the use of Ophelia as a foil. In both instances she is being used to help the audience identify the emotions and discrepancies of Hamlet and her father. Unfortunately, as Ophelia’s presence is limited it is believed that her character, although important, is poorly developed and therefore provides readers with the opportunity to make up their own judgement. Ophelia can be argued as a character that despite her beauty is weak, frail and easily controlled. Her lack of self confidence makes her an easy target for Hamlet’s abuse. Ophelia has a very connected relationship with her brother, Laertes, and father, Polonius, but unfortunately she allows them to tell her how to live her life. An example of this is where Laertes warns Ophelia against having a relationship with Hamlet: _For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,_ _Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,_ _A violet in the youth of primy nature,_ _Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,_ _The perfume and suppliance of a minute,_ _No more._ (Act 1: Scene 3 lines 5-10) He suggests to Ophelia that Hamlet may not actually love her, he just wants a girlfriend because that is the â€Å"fashionable† thing to do. That is what everyone else his age is doing and therefore it is not true everlasting love. Furthermore, Polonius uses his â€Å"parental power† to convince Ophelia that she is too young and doesn’t understand that her decision to go with Hamlet would be a bad option. He also explains to Ophelia that as they are noble, continuing her relationship with hamlet will affect not only her life but also the lives of her family members: _Marry, well bethought._ _’Tis told me he hath very oft of late_ _Given private time to you, and you yourself_ _Have of your audience been most free and bounteous._ _If it be so – as so ’tis put on me,_ _And that in way of caution – I must tell you_ _You do not understand yourself so clearly_ _As it behoves my daughter and your honour._ _What is between you? Give me up the truth._ (Act 1: Scene 3 lines 90-98) These two situations both demonstrate the theme of â€Å"Love and Loyalty.† In both instances Ophelia is being warned against her love for Hamlet. She is put in the situation of having to choose between her love for Hamlet or her loyalty to her family. However, as the play continues so does the situation between â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and we begin to notice that Ophelia lacks an identity of her own. She is dependant on the men in her life as is evident in Act 3: Scene 2 (line 126), where she states â€Å"I think nothing, my Lord.† At this point she has been hurt so badly and is so confused that she doesn’t consider her thoughts to be important. Unfortunately, as time goes on the conflicts continue and Ophelia is forced to choose loyalty over love causing her to go into a state of madness. Madness is a theme evident throughout the entire text. It is evident in Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius and Laertes. When discussing Ophelia’s character, her madness is almost always at the centre of controversy. Some people believe that Ophelia’s madness was caused by â€Å"erotomania,† which the Elizabethans referred to as â€Å"female love-melancholy.† Ophelia has also been interpreted as a young girl who â€Å"felt† too much and somehow allowed theses feelings to overcome her. It would be quite simple for such an action to drive a person to madness, just as Ophelia was driven mad. If this was the  cause of her madness it suggests that it stemmed from some sort of frustrated erotic passion between herself and Hamlet. However, a more interesting suggestion is that Ophelia’s madness was caused by the death of her father or more importantly, the removal from all the male connections of the hierarchy. Ophelia was living in a patriarchal world where women were extremely dependant on men. Once all the men in Ophelia’s life were gone she could not cope as she relied on them for advice and direction. If this is the case Ophelia then becomes the victim. This type of madness no doubt causes a different reaction by the audience toward the character. Instead of being just some lovesick girl who drove herself insane, Ophelia becomes the â€Å"innocent† woman who loved her father so dearly that someone else has caused her grief and driven her mad. However, when taking the perspective of a feminist we begin to see the â€Å"madwoman† as a heroine, a powerful figure that rebels against both the family and social order. At first glance Ophelia seems like a simple character. However, an in depth reading of her character proves otherwise. Although Ophelia can be argued as a woman who is weak, frail and ultimately driven to madness by the death of her father and her love for Hamlet, an understanding of feminism and historical context helps the audience to better understand Ophelia’s complicated character which can have multiple readings. However, as a poorly developed character we are able to make our own judgement and hypothesise the plot and thematic ideas. In essence, Ophelia’s character is just like a book in which you â€Å"choose your own ending.† Her character is both limited and incomplete. Therefore, in order to gain an understanding of the plot and the thematic ideas of, â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and â€Å"Madness,† we must create a complete perception of Ophelia. However, no matter what interpretation you choose, you will still come out in the end with a wom an represented poorly.

Marketing and Pottery Barn Essay

1. If Williams-Sonoma continues with its’ present strategies and objectives, where will it be in 5 years? Given today’s economy, and the bleak economic outlook, I do not believe Williams-Sonoma will continue to exist with its’ current strategies and objectives to serve its’ below target market consumers. Bottom line is many consumers cannot afford the products being sold by the company. Although, the company’s target market is in the 10% of wealthiest consumers, and had total earnings of over 3.5 billion. (2010 shareholders meeting). Other avenues of generating revenue must be explored. I fear that even the 10% will eventually become more cost conscious in the years to come. On the lines of the company improving its’ position in the next five years, I think the company should continue to improve on concepts already in place. An example is the Pottery Barn Teen website. (pbteen.com). Williams-Sonoma had used the concept in moderation starting with WS bridal registry. The idea took flight and as a result, moved the concept to its’ retail operations such as Pottery Barn, resulting in a 500% jump in online sales generating over 1 billion in revenue. (Prophet.com). Still with all these profits and improvements, if WS cannot hold by decreasing its’ prices so that others not in the 10% range can afford their products, the company will fail like the housing market. Over the next five years, the company should consider expanding its’ product line to include bath dà ©cor to complement the already established retail home furnishings. 2. If you were CEO of Williams-Sonoma, what strategies would you recommend? There are so many recommendations. I would first build on the internet base I talked about earlier. If I can improve internet sales over 500% I certainly want to keep that going. I would incorporate interactive websites. Having the ability to talk to, chat with an associate while I’m shopping in my underwear is always helpful. Next I would improve my e-commerce presence by advertising on social media outlets and improve accessibility to shopping by posting web-apps. I would consider lowering price points so I could tap into the more than 10% of consumers without becoming â€Å"Wal-Mart†. Now the company did do something to increase its’ position that I found useful. That was to decrease its’ overall lease space by 2%. (2010 shareholders meeting). This reduction in retail occupancy costs attributed to the 1 billion dollars the company enjoyed last year. I would also consider expanding the company’s customer base by broadening the product line to similar to Home Goods or Bed Bath and beyond who currently double the revenue of Williams-Sonoma. (Redistribute assets earmarked for traditional cataloging to online accesses. Not only will this save money, but will also impact paper usage. I believe advertising in this was has all but outlived its’ usefulness. 3. Describe the competitive strategies used by each of Williams-Sonoma’s competitors. Which of these are most effective? Williams-Sonoma has six major competitors plus one more in their market. The company holds only 7.9% market share (FY10) to main competitor Bed, Bath and Beyond with an astonishing 34.4%. (William-sonoma.com/investors) BBB’s strategy is to offer competitive prices for quality products. Its’ target market is middle to upper middle class and this is the reason it fairs better in the current market. The Bombay Company’s strategy was to increase its’ footprint by increasing outlet store locations so it could offload clearance items and increase sales to the outlet mall customer base. (Homeaccentstoday.com). Crate and Barrel decided to complete a nationwide marketing campaign that targeted catalogs and websites. While Pier 1 Imports, in a bold move consolidated chains, and licensed their name to Sears in Puerto Rico. (turnaround.org). Door to Store decided to convert and market to style-minded customers at low prices capitalizing on web selling and shipping nationwide. (buyfurnitureyoulove.org). Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium switched most of its locations to upscale malls and targeted marketing thru websites and catalogs. While Restoration Hardware seemed to advertize to its wealthiest customers targeting the top 10%, attempting to expand its base. If I had to choose one of these strategies I would have to go with the one I mentioned first. I am aware that this was not a in the original case study but in researching I found the Bed Bath and Beyond strategy to be most formidable considering the company doubled the revenue of Williams-Sonoma last year. There is a reason why the company commands 35.4% market share in FY 09 while WS was at 7.9%. (Williams-sonoma.com/investors) Williams-Sonoma is only utilizing a portion of marketing power while watching other companies progress thru a tough recession and recover by constant restructuring. 4. How is Williams-Sonoma using the Internet as a distribution channel now, and how would you recommend that they us the Internet in the future? Williams-Sonoma launched a bridal registry as a test bed for furthering the use of the internet. (prophet.net).This shift was so successful it moved the use of the internet to Pottery Barn, and other retail outlets. The result was 500% increase in internet sales and a 1 billion dollar profit. They also used the web to launch PB Teen which focused on the gap in age between Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids. Each website is interactive now but PB Teen was the first with outstanding success. This appealed to dialed in kids wanting something to improve their own piece of sanity, their bedrooms. The interactive site allows the exchange of ideas, instant feedback and the customer has the ability to view products they like. Williams-Sonoma has already completed its’ internet shift. I feel they can rely more on the model by providing 24 hour online support to those consumers that have odd hours. Furthermore I believe the company should limit its’ use of hardcopy catalogs unless specifically requested because this focus had established itself as a business, does nothing for it in the future. Another approach is marketing thru social networking sites. This approach, along with direct marketing does have its’ costs and would show profit after the initial cost blast. If the company wishes to improve its’ position of 7.9% market share, it will need every edge it can possibly have.

Free Essays on Gods Ways Are Incomprehensible

God’s Ways Are Incomprehensible The lessons that can be learned through the teachings of Elihu and Eliphaz are extremely valuable as one searches for a meaning to the way God works. Eliphaz and Elihu both stress the fact that only God can truly understand why he does or does not do certain things. They also strongly believe God brings judgment on every individual throughout his or her lifetime, and that every circumstance that one encounters, whether it be good or bad, has a direct correlation to the way that individual lives his or her life. Eliphaz and Elihu state that God’s justification for imposing hardships on an individual come from the fact that, no matter what one may think, every person has a sinful nature and will commit multiple sins throughout his or her lifetime. According to Elihu and Eliphaz, this fact does not mean there is no point in living because one can repent to God and gain forgiveness for his or her sins. Both the speeches made by Eliphaz and those made by Elihu emphasize, in n early the same manner, that although God works in ways that are incomprehensible to human-beings, he does so in manner that is just and purposeful. The most important point Eliphaz makes is that God works in ways that are far beyond a normal person’s understanding. Eliphaz illustrates this point beautifully when he asks Job, â€Å"Were you brought forth before the hills? Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?† (15:7). Eliphaz is trying to help Job realize that he should not question the ways of God because God’s wisdom surpasses even the wisest person on the face of the Earth, and he will never be able to understand the way God works. Elihu is in complete agreement with Eliphaz stating, â€Å"Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable† (36:26). Elihu points out to Job that God has been around for longer then any individual can even begin t... Free Essays on God's Ways Are Incomprehensible Free Essays on God's Ways Are Incomprehensible God’s Ways Are Incomprehensible The lessons that can be learned through the teachings of Elihu and Eliphaz are extremely valuable as one searches for a meaning to the way God works. Eliphaz and Elihu both stress the fact that only God can truly understand why he does or does not do certain things. They also strongly believe God brings judgment on every individual throughout his or her lifetime, and that every circumstance that one encounters, whether it be good or bad, has a direct correlation to the way that individual lives his or her life. Eliphaz and Elihu state that God’s justification for imposing hardships on an individual come from the fact that, no matter what one may think, every person has a sinful nature and will commit multiple sins throughout his or her lifetime. According to Elihu and Eliphaz, this fact does not mean there is no point in living because one can repent to God and gain forgiveness for his or her sins. Both the speeches made by Eliphaz and those made by Elihu emphasize, in n early the same manner, that although God works in ways that are incomprehensible to human-beings, he does so in manner that is just and purposeful. The most important point Eliphaz makes is that God works in ways that are far beyond a normal person’s understanding. Eliphaz illustrates this point beautifully when he asks Job, â€Å"Were you brought forth before the hills? Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?† (15:7). Eliphaz is trying to help Job realize that he should not question the ways of God because God’s wisdom surpasses even the wisest person on the face of the Earth, and he will never be able to understand the way God works. Elihu is in complete agreement with Eliphaz stating, â€Å"Surely God is great, and we do not know him; the number of his years is unsearchable† (36:26). Elihu points out to Job that God has been around for longer then any individual can even begin t...

Famous Writerss Quotes About New Years Day

Famous Writerss Quotes About New Years Day The New Years holiday is all about reflecting on the year thats ending and planning for the year ahead. We gather with new and old friends alike, and make resolutions that may or may not last through January. One great way mankind has found to commemorate New Years Eve is by writing about the annual holiday, producing quotes like the ones listed below. As Sir Walter Scott puts it, Each age has deemed the new-born year // The fittest time for festal cheer, so celebrate your New Years by reading these  quotes from famous authors  like John Burroughs and Mark Twain, which explore everything from the time-honored tradition of making temporary resolutions to the importance of beginning each year - and indeed day - with a fresh outlook on life. Like T.S. Eliot says in Little Gidding: For last years words belong to last years language / And next years words await another voice. / And to make an end is to make a beginning. Quotes About New Years Resolutions The most popular tradition of New Years in the United States is that of making resolutions for the year ahead, promising oneself to eat fewer desserts or exercise regularly, only to break that promise a few months later as famously expressed by Helen Fielding in Bridget Joness Diary: I do think New Years resolutions cant technically be expected to begin on New Years Day, dont you? Since, because its an extension of New Years Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Years Day isnt a good idea as you cant eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. Some, like Andre Gide, also address the idea of resolutions with humor: But can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty-year-old habits. Others like Ellen Goodman approach it with a quiet optimism for real change: We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. Mark Twain described these resolutions with an air of contempt multiple times throughout his writing and public speaking career. He once famously wrote, New Years is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions. Another time, Twain wrote:  Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. Oscar Wilde, on the other hand, took the concept with a grain of salt and wrote about it with humor, Good  resolutions  are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. Quotes About Fresh Starts and New Beginnings Other writers believe in the tradition of New Years Day being one for a fresh start or a clean slate - in writers terms, a fresh piece of paper or a blank page - and as G.K. Chesterton puts it: The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Other writers find the fresh start a little easier that Chesterton, like John Burroughs who once said One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things, or Benjamin Franklin who once wrote Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Anaà ¯n Nin takes it one step further, saying every day is a resolution: I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. On the Passage of Time Some writers focus directly on the idea of time passing in their musing on the traditions of celebrating the New Years holiday. Charles Lamb once wrote, for instance, Of all sounds of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. Venetian writer  Thomas Mann  also appreciated the solemness of the passage of time and the meaninglessness of humans bells and whistles for celebrating the changing of one second to the next, which time cares nothing for: Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols. Two Short Poems About New Years Day Edith Lovejoy Pierce poetically described the first of the year as such: We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its  first chapter  is New Years Day. Edgar Guest and Thomas Hood, on the other hand, both wrote entire short poems dedicated to the passing of the old year into the new: A happy New Year! Grant that IMay bring no tear to any eyeWhen this New Year in time shall endLet it be said Ive played the friend,Have lived and loved and labored here,And made of it a happy year.- Edgar Guest And ye, who have met with Adversitys blast,And been bowd to the earth by its fury;To whom the Twelve Months, that have recently passdWere as harsh as a prejudiced jury- Still, fill to the Future! and join in our chime,The regrets of remembrance to cozen,And having obtained a New Trial of Time,Shout in hopes of a kindlier dozen.- Thomas Hood

Diversion Rate of California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversion Rate of California - Essay Example In efforts to increase diversion rates in California, in the year 2005, the state passed legislation that requires city and county jurisdictions to ensure that half of the solid wastes generated should not end up in landfills but rather are diverted through other means (Granger, 2009). Coleman (2012) highlights that there are many ways of diverting solid waste materials such as recycling, treating with compost, reusing and other acceptable waste conversion methods. With this view, California’s diversion rates have continually increased since 1990 due to enactment of stiff laws on waste management (Granger, 2009). In California, there is a national state agency called CalRecycle, which has authority on matters of recycling, waste reduction and waste reusing (Stephens, 2012). It has the main objective of overseeing waste management programs and guiding the use of resources by promoting innovativeness through technology, which encourages sustainable economy and environment. CalRecycle has initiated various legislations and rules regarding waste management (Schenkman, 2003). One of the regulations is the AB 939 Act enacted in 1989, which is focused on recycling. Its main objective was to reduce landfill waste capacity and reduce waste matter disposed off in them (Stephens, 2012). It demanded relevant agencies to ensure 25 percent diversion rates by the year 1995 and double of that t by the year 2000. AB 2020 or the California bottle bill is the second regulation to be used in California. This law provides mechanisms for minimum money refunds for qualified bottle containers. It seeks to reduce the number of bottles ending up in landfills rather than being recycled (Recycle works, 2009). The third legislation is the AB1305 or the newsprint Act. It has been in force since 1989, and it requires printers to use at least 40% of used newsprint material in half of their new newsprints. SB 2003 or the electronics-recycling bill is the other legislation