LEAN Principles Implemntation in Practice Essay

LEAN Principles Implemntation in Practice - Essay Example One of these methods is the Lean system, which was developed in Japan by Toyota automobile company to help improve its efficiency. Integration of the lean principles in a company’s operations is considered one of the potential approaches for improvement of organizational performance. The principles have been credited with improving manufacturing effectiveness in a number of Japanese companies but Toyota is still unrivalled in its application of Lean through its Toyota Production System (TPS). Many companies have learnt about Lean production principles both theoretically and practically from Toyota but many still face problems implementing Lean in their companies (Spear & Bowen, 1999). This paper explores the process of Lean implementation through all organization levels with the aim of improving performance. The paper starts by examining Lean principles and how they are applied in improvement of operations before discussing the implementation of the process in a construction company. While discussing the implementation of the model in the company, challenges that may be faced in the process will be highlighted as well as the limitation of the Lean approach in the construction industry. The paper proposes a potential perspective of the Lean approach that can be considered by managers in the construction industry for sustainable performance of companies. The Lean model of operations management first originated with Henry Ford when he developed a manufacturing concept that involved a continuous assembly line with workers playing specific roles in the process (Holweg, 2007). This was the first mass production approach in the automobile manufacture industry and it was aimed at improving efficiency as well as reducing fatigue of workers by letting them work on simpler repetitive tasks which they could master and become proficient in.

Control cycles-a general model Essay Example for Free

Control cycles-a general model Essay A general model of organizational control includes four components that can operate in a continuous cycle and can be represented as a wheel. These elements are: 1. Setting a goal. Project goal setting goes beyond overall scope development to include setting the project baseline plan. The project baseline is predicated on an accurate. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) process. Remember that WBS establishes all the deliverables and work packages associated with the project, assigns the personnel responsible for them, and creates a visual chart of the project from highest level down through the basic task and subtask levels. The project baseline is created as each task is laid out on a network diagram and resources and time durations are assigned to it. 2. Measuring progress. Effective control systems require accurate project measurement mechanisms. Project managers must have a system in place that will allow them to measure the ongoing status of various project activities in real time. We need a measurement system that can provide information as quickly as possible. What to measure also needs to be clearly defined. Any number of devices allow us to measure one aspect of the project or another; however, the larger question is whether or not we are getting the type of information we can really use. 3. Comparing actual with planned performance. When we have some sense of the original baseline (plan) and a method for accurately measuring progress, the next step is to compare the two pieces of information. A gap analysis can be used as a basis for testing the project’s status. Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals. The smaller the gaps between planned and actual performance, the better the outcome. In cases whe re we see obvious differences between what was planned an what was realized, we have a clear-cut warning signal. 4. Taking action. Once we detect significant deviations from the project plan, it becomes necessary to engage in some form of corrective action to minimize or remove the deviation. The process of taking corrective action is generally straightforward. Corrective action can either be relatively minor or may involve significant remedial steps. At its most extreme, corrective action may even involve scuttling a nonperforming project. After corrective action, the monitoring and control cycle begins again. The control cycle is continuous. As we create a plan, we begin measurement efforts to chart progress and compare stages against the baseline plan. Any indications of significant deviations from the plan should immediately trigger an appropriate response, leading to a reconfiguration of the plan, reassessment of progress, and so on. Project monitoring is continuous, full-time cycle of target setting, measuring, correcting, improving, and remeasuring. MONITORING PROJECT PERFORMANCE As we discovered in the chapters on project budgeting and resource management, once we have established a project baseline budget, one of the most important methods for indicating the ongoing status of the project is to evaluate it against the original budget projections. For project monitoring and control, both individual task budgets and the cumulative project budget are relevant. The cumulative budget can be broken down by time over the project’s projected duration. The Project S-Curve: A Basic Tool As a basis for evaluating project control techniques, let us consider a simple example. Assume a project (Project Sierra) with four work packages (Design, Engineering, Installation, and Testing), a budget to complete of $80,000, and an anticipated duration of 45 weeks. To determine project performance and status, a straightforward time/cost analysis is often our first choice. Here the project’s status is evaluated as a function of the accumulated costs and labor hours or quantities plotted against time for both budgeted and actual amounts. We can see that time (shown on the x, or horizontal, axis) is compared with money expended (shown on the y, or vertical, axis). The classic project S-curve represents the typical form of such a relationship. Budget expenditures are initially low and ramp up rapidly during the major project execution stage, before starting to level off again as the project gets nearer to its completion. Cumulative budget projections for Project Sierra have been plotted against the project’s schedule. The S-curve figure represents the project budget baseline against which budget expenditures are evaluated. Monitoring the status of a project using S-curves becomes a simple tracking problem. At the conclusion of each given time period (week, month, or quarter), we simply total the cumulative project budget expenditures to date and compare them with the anticipated spending patterns. Any significant deviations between actual and planned budget spent reveal a potential problem area. Simplicity is the key benefit of S-curve analysis. Because the projected project baseline is established in advance, the only additional data shown are the actual project budget expenditures. The S-curve also provides real-time tracking information in that budget expenditures can be constantly updated and the new values plotted on the graph. Project information can be visualized immediately and updated continuously, so S-curves offer an easy-to-read evaluation of the project’s status in a timely manner. (The information is not necessarily easily interpreted, however, as we shall see later.) Our Project Sierra example can also be used to illustrate how S-curve analysis is employed. Suppose that by week 21 in the project, the original budget projected expenditures of $50,000. However, our actual project expenditures totaled only $40,000. In effect, there is a $10,000 budget shortfall, or negative variance between the cumulative budgeted cost of the project and its cumulative actual cost. In the table it shows the track of budgeted expenditures with actual project costs, including identifying the negative variance shown at week 21. In this illustration, we see the value of S-curve analysis as a good visual method for linking project costs (both budgeted and actual) over the project’s schedule. S-CURVE DRAWBACKS When project teams consider using S-curves, they need to take the curve’s significant drawbacks into consideration as well as their strengths. S-curves can identify positive and negative variance (budget expenditures above or below projections), but they do not allow us to make reasonable interpretations as to the cause of variance. Consider the S-curve shown. The actual budget expenditures have been plotted to suggest that the project team has not spent the total planned budget money to date (there is negative   variance). However, the question is how to interpret this finding. The link between accumulated project costs and time is not always easily resolved. Is the project team behind schedule (given that they have not spent sufficient budget to date) or might there be alternative reasons for the negative variance? Assume that your organization tracks project costs employing an S-curve approach and uses that information to assess the status of an ongoing project. Also assume that the project is to be completed in 12 months and has a budget of $150,000. At the six-month checkup, you discover that the project S-curve shows significant shortfall; you have spent far less on the project to date than was originally budgeted. Is this good or bad news? On the surface, we might suppose that this is a sign of poor performance; we are lagging far behind in bringing the project along and the smaller the amount we have spent to date is evidence that our project is behind schedule. On the other hand, there are any number of reasons why this circumstance actually might be positive. For example, suppose that in running the project, you found a cost-effective method for doing some component of the work or came across a new technology that significantly cut down on expenses. In that case, the time/cost metric may not only be misused, but might lead to dramatically inaccurate conclusions. Likewise, positive variance is not always a sign of project progress. In fact, a team may have a serious problem with overexpenditures that could be interpreted as strong progress on the project when in reality it signals nothing more than their inefficient use of project capital resources. The bottom line is this: Simply evaluating a project’s status according to its performance on time versus budget expenditures may easily lead us into making inaccurate assumptions about project performance. Milestone Analysis Another method for monitoring project progress is milestone analysis. A milestone is an event or stage of the project that represents a significant accomplishment on the road to the project’s completion. Completion of a deliverable (a combination of multiple project tasks), an important activity on the project’s critical path, or even a calendar date can all be milestones. In effect, milestones are road markers that we observe on our travels along the project’s life cycle. There are several benefits to using milestones as a form of project control. 1. Milestones signal the completion of important project steps. A project’s milestones are an important indicator of the current status of the project under development. They give the project team a common language to use in discussing the ongoing status of the project. 2. Milestones can motivate the project team. In large projects lasting several years, motivation can flag as team members begin to have difficul ty seeing how the project is proceeding overall, what their specific contribution has been and continues to be, and how much longer the project is likely to take. Focusing attention on milestones helps team members become more aware of the project’s successes as well as its status, and they can begin to develop greater task identity regarding their work on the project. 3. Milestones offer points at which to reevaluate client needs and any potential change requests. A common problem with many types of projects is the nature of repetitive and constant change requests from clients. Using project review milestones as formal â€Å"stop points,† both the project team and the clients are clear on when they will take midcourse reviews of the project and how change requests will be handled. When clients are aware of these formal project review points, they are better able to present reasonable and well-considered feedback (and specification change requests) to the team. 4. Milestones help coordinate schedules with vendors and suppliers. Creating delivery dates that do not delay project activities is a common challenge in scheduling delivery of key project components. From a resource perspective, the project team needs to receive supplies before they are needed but not so far in advance that space limitations, holding and inventory costs, and in some cases spoilage are problems. Hence, to balance delays of late shipments against the costs associated with holding early deliveries, a well-considered system of milestones creates a scheduling and coordinating mechanism that identifies the key dates when supplies will be needed. 5. Milestones identify key project review gates. For many complex projects, a series of midterm project reviews are mandatory. For example, many proj ects that are developed for the U.S. government require periodic evaluation as a precondition to the project firm receiving some percentage of the contract award. Milestones allow for appropriate points for these review. Sometimes the logic behind when to hold such reviews is based on nothing more than the passage of time (â€Å"It is time for July 1 review†). For other projects, the review gates are determined based on completion of a series of key project steps (such as the evaluation of software results from the beta sites). 6. Milestones signal other team members when their participation is expected to begin. Many times projects require contributions from personnel who are not part of the project team. For example, a quality assurance individual may be needed to conduct systems tests or quality inspection and evaluations of work done to date. The quality supervisor needs to know when to assign a person to our project, or we may find when we reach that milestone that no on e’s available to help us. Because the QA person is not part of the project team, we need to coordinate his or her involvement in order to minimize disruption to the project schedule. 7. Milestones can delineate the various deliverables developed in the work breakdown structure and therefore enable the project team to develop a better overall view of the project. You then are able to refocus efforts and function-specific resources toward the deliverables that show signs of trouble, rather than simply allocating resources in a general manner. For example, indications that the initial project software programming milestone has been missed allows the project manager to specifically request additional programmers downstream, in order to make up time later in the project’s development. Problems with Milestones Milestones, in one form or another, are probably the simplest and most widely used of all project control devices. Their benefits lie in their clarity; it is usually easy for all project team members to relate to the idea of milestones as a project performance metric. The problem with them is that they are a reactive control system. You must first engage in project activities and then evaluate them relative to your goal. If you significantly underperform your work to that point, you are faced with having to correct what has already transpired. Imagine, for example, that a project team misses a milestone by a large margin. Not having received any progress reports up until the point that the bad news becomes public, the project manager is probably not in a position to craft an immediate remedy for the shortfall. Now, the problems compound. Due to delays in receiving the bad news, remedial steps are themselves delayed, pushing the project farther behind. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT An increasingly popular method used in project monitoring and control consists of a mechanism that has become known as Earned Value Management (EVM). The origins of EVM date to the late 1960s when U.S. government contracting agencies began to question the ability of contractors to accurately track their costs across the like of various projects. As a result, after 1967, the Department of Defense imposed 35 Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria that suggested, in effect, that any future projects procured by the U.S. government in which the risk of cost growth was to be retained by the government must satisfy these 35 criteria. In the more than 30 years since its origin, EVM has been practiced in multiple settings, by agencies from governments as diverse as Australia, Canada, and Sweden, as well as a host of project-based firms in numerous industries. Unlike previous project tracking approaches, EVM recognize that it is necessary to jointly consider the impact of time, cost, and project performance on any analysis of current project status. Put another way: Any monitoring system that only compares actual against budgeted cost numbers ignores the fact that the client is spending that money to accomplish something-create a project. Therefore, EVM reintroduces and stresses the importance of analyzing the time element in project status updates. Time is important because it becomes the basis for determining how much work should be accomplished at certain milestone points. EVM also allows the project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state. At any point in the project’s development we are able to calculate both schedule and budget efficiency factors (the efficiency with which budget is being used relative to the value that is being created) and use those values to make future projections about the estimated cost and schedule to project completion. We can illustrate the advance in the project control process that Earned Value represents by comparing it to the other project tracking mechanisms. If we consider the key metrics of project performance as those success criteria discussed in Chapter 1 (scheduling, budget, and performance), most project evaluation approaches tend to isolate some subset of the overall success measure. For example, project S-curve analysis directly links budget expenditures with the project schedule. Again, the obvious disadvantage to this approach is that it ignores the project performance linkage. Project control charts such as tracking Gantt charts link project performance with schedule but may give budget expenditures short shrift. The essence of a tracking approach to project status us to emphasize project performance over time. While the argument could be made that budget is implicitly assumed to be spent in some preconceived fashion, this metric does not directly apply a link between the use of time and performance factors with project cost. Earned value, on the other hand, directly links all three primary project success metrics (cost, schedule, and performance). This methodology is extremely valuable because it allows for regular updating of a time-phased budget to determine schedule and cost variances, as identified by the regular measurement of project performance. Terminology for Earned Value Following are some key concepts that allow us to calculate Earned Value and use its figures to make future project performance projections. PVPlanned value. A cost estimate of the budgeted resources scheduled across the project’s life cycle (cumulative baseline). EVEarned value. This is the real budgeted cost, or â€Å"value,† of the work that has actually been performed to date. ACActual cost of work performed. The cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various project work packages. SPISchedule Performance Index. The earned value to date divided by the planned value of work scheduled to be performed (EV/PV). This value allows us to calculate the projected schedule of the project to completion. CPICost Performance Index. The earned value divided by the actual, cumulative cost of the work performed to date (EV/AC). This value allows us to calculate the projected budget to completion. BACBudgeted cost at completion. This represents the total budget for a project. Creating Project Baselines The first step in developing an accurate control process is to create the project baselines against which progress can be measured. Baseline information is critical regardless of the control process we employ, but baselines are elemental when performing EVM. The first piece of information necessary for performing earned value is the planned value; that is, the project baseline. The PV should comprise all relevant project costs, the most important of which are personnel costs, equipment and materials, and project overhead, sometimes referred to as level of effort. Overhead costs (level of effort) can include a variety of fixed costs that must be included in the project budget, including administrative or technical support, computer work, and other staff expertise use (such as legal advice or marketing). The actual steps in establishing the project baseline are fairly straightforward and require two pieces of data: the Work Breakdown Structure and a time-phased project budget. 1. The W ork Breakdown Structure identified the individual work packages and tasks necessary to accomplish the project. As such, the WBS allowed us to first identify the individual tasks that would need to be performed. It also gave us some understanding of the hierarchy of tasks needed to set up work packages and identify personnel needs (human resources) in order to match the task requirements to the correct individuals capable of performing them. 2. The time-phased budget takes the WBS one step further: It allows us to identify the correct sequencing of tasks, but more importantly, it enables the project team to determine the points in the project when budget money is likely to be spent in pursuit of those tasks. Say, for example, that our project team determines that one project activity, Data Entry, will require a budget of $20,000 to be completed, and further, that the task is estimated to require 2 months to completion, with the majority of the work being done in the first month. A ti me-phased budget for this activity might resemble the following: Activity| Jan| Feb| †¦| Dec| Total| Data Entry| $14,000| $6,000| | -0-| $20,000| Once we have collected the WBS and applied a time-phased budget breakdown, we can create the project baseline. The result is an important component of earned value because it represents the standard against which we are going to compare all project performance, cost, and schedule data as we attempt to assess the viability of an ongoing project. This baseline, then, represents our best understanding of how the project should progress. How the project is actually doing, however, is, of course, another matter. Why Use Earned Value? Assume that it is now week 30 of the project and we are attempting to assess the project’s status. Also assume that there is no difference between the projected project costs and actual expenditures; that is, the project budget is being spent within the correct time frame. However, upon examination, suppose we were to discover that Installation was only half-completed and Project Testing had not yet begun. This example illustrates both a problem with S-curve analysis and the strength of EVM. Project status assessment is only relevant when some measure of performance is considered in addition to budget and elapsed schedule. Consider the revised data for Project Sierra. Note that as of week 30, work packages related to Design and Engineering have been totally completed, whereas the Installation is only 50% done, and Testing has not yet begun. These percentage values are given based on the project team or key individual’s assessment of the current status of work package completion. The question now is: What is the earned value of the project work done to date? As of week 30, what is the status of this project in terms of budget, schedule, and performance? Calculating the earned value for these work packages is a relatively straightforward process. We can modify the previous table to focus exclusively on the relevant information for determining earned value. The planned budget for each work package is multiplied by the percentage completed in order to determine the earned value to date for the work packages, as well as for the overall project. In this case, the earned value at the 30-week point is $51,000. We can compare the planned budget against the actual earned value using the original project budget baseline. This process allows us to assess a more realistic determination of the status of the project when the earned value is plotted against the budget baseline. Compare this figure with the alternative method, in which negative variance is calculated, with no supporting explanation as to the cause or any indication about whether this figure is meaningful or not. Recall that by the end of week 30, our original budget projections suggested that $68,000 should have been spent. Instead, we are projecting a shortfall of $17,000. In other words, we are not only showing a negative variance in terms of money spent on the project, but also in terms of value created (performance) of the project to date. Unlike the standard S-curve evaluation, EVM variance is meaningful because it is based not simply on budget spent, but value earned. A negative variance of $10,000 in budget expenditures may or may not signal cause for concern; however, a $17,000 shortfall in value earned on the project to date represents a variance of serious consequences. Steps in Earned Value Management There are five steps in Earned Value Management (EVM): 1. Clearly define each activity or task that will be performed on the project, including its resource needs as well as a detailed budget.As we demonstrated earlier, the Work Breakdown Structure allows project teams to identify all necessary project tasks. It further allows for each task to be assigned its own project resources, including equipment and materials costs, as well as personnel assignments. Finally, coupled with the task breakdown and resource assignments, it is possible to create the budget figure or cost estimate for each project task. 2. Create the activity and resource usage schedules. These will identify the proportion of the total budget allocated to each task across a project calendar. Determine how much of an activity’s budget is to be spent each month (or other appropriate time period) across the project’s projected development cycle. Coupled with the development of a project budget should be its direct linkage to the project schedule. The determination of how much budget money is to be allocated to project tasks is important. Equally important is the understanding of when the resources are to be employed across the project’s development cycle. 3. Develop a â€Å"time-phased† budget that shows expenditures across the projects life.The total (cumulative) amount of the budget becomes the project baseline and is referred to as the planned value (PV). In real terms, PV just means that we can identify the cumulative budget expenditures planned at any stage in the project’s life. The PV, as a cumulative value, is derived from addin g the planned budget expenditures for each preceding time period. 4. Total the actual costs of doing each task to arrive at the actual cost of work performed (AC).We can also compute the budgeted values for the tasks on which work is being performed. This is referred to as the earned value (EV) and is the origin of the term for this control process. 5. Calculate both a project’s budget variance and schedule variance while it is still in process.Once we have collected the three key pieces of data (PV, EV, and AC), it is possible to make these calculations. The schedule variance is calculated by the simple equation: SV = EV – PV, or the difference between the earned value to date minus the planned value of the work scheduled to be performed to date. The budget, or cost, variance is calculated as: CV = EV – AC, or the earned value minus the actual cost of work performed. USING EARNED VALUE TO MANAGE A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS Earned Value Management can work at the portfolio level as well as with individual projects. The process simply involves the aggregation of all earned value measures across the firm’s entire project portfolio in order to give an indication as to the efficiency with which a company is managing its projects. Other useful information contained in the Portfolio Earned Value Management table includes the total positive variances for both budget and schedule, as well as determination of the relative schedule and cost variances as a percentage of the total project portfolio. The use of Earned Value Management for portfolio tracking and control offers top management an excellent window into the firm’s ability to efficiently run projects, allows for comparisons across all projects currently in development, and isolates both the positive and negative variances as they occur. All of this is useful information for top-level management of multiple projects.

Anne Moodys Coming of Age in Mississippi Essay -- Mississippi Age Com

Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi Coming of Age in Mississippi is the amazing story of Anne Moody's unbreakable spirit and character throughout the first twenty-three years of her life. Time and time again she speaks of unthinkable odds and conditions and how she manages to keep excelling in her aspirations, yet she ends the book with a tone of hesitation, fear, and skepticism. While she continually fought the tide of society and her elders, suddenly in the end she is speaking as if it all may have been for not. It doesn?t take a literary genius nor a psychology major to figure out why. With all that was stacked against her cause, time and time again, it is easy to see why she would doubt the future of the civil rights movement in 1964 as she rode that Greyhound bus to Washington once again. The events that had occurred to her up to the point of the end of the book could clearly have disheartened anyone. Throughout the novel Moody shows displeasure with her family and fellow black citizens for simply accepting the circumstances and the position in which they lived. Multiple times she refers to the elder blacks as brainwashed by Mr. Charlie, referring to the white plantation owners. She condemns how anytime something clearly unacceptable happens, the black community hushes itself and moves along about their business. This is evident even when she is fourteen years old and just entering high school. Upon the murder of Emmett Till, she questions why was he murdered and what was going to be done about it. Her mother responds to her questions with hostility, and this upsets her more. She wonders why she should remain quite about the incident, pretending she doesn?t know. After learning that Emmett was murdered because he got out of line with a white woman, she questions this rationale. Does that make it OK to murder him? How were his actions any different from how young white me n treated black women? To ask these questions at this point in time were unthinkable to her mother and most anyone else she associated with. She was just a young black girl and should keep her concerns to herself. Moody clearly portrays herself as someone unwilling to accept society in its condition from a very early age, which obviously foreshadows her involvement in the activist?s community. I would argue that the mentality of African-Americans to... ...ndmother would not let her in her house for fear that she might cause trouble! At her mother?s birthday party no one would really speak with her, afraid of what she might say. While her sister and younger brother still respected her, to be shunned by the majority of ones own family would have to be a very traumatic experience. Seriously, how much can one person take on a mission and constantly have little or no success and maintain a positive outlook? Throughout the reading I was amazed and impressed with Moody?s determination and drive. I am thankful that I was not placed in her shoes, because I am not sure that I could have maintained her level of courage or optimism. I feel she has the right to be somewhat questionable towards the end of the book, if not for her own experiences, to encourage anyone who reads her book to never give up on one?s own dreams. With all her doubts, look at all that has been accomplished in the area of civil rights, and what might never have been if not for people like Anne Moody. Bibliography: Moody, Anne. ?Coming of Age in Mississippi.?Literary Cavalcade Apr. 2001 : 31-33. Proquest Kamiakin Library, Kennewick, Wa. 10 May 2001.

MIS group assignment- Mydin Essay

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of Mydin In the year 1918 marks the year Mydin was found by one Mr. Gulam Husen Jamal who was the father of Mr. Mydin. Mr. Gulam was managing his shop until ward world 11 which saw the end of Mr. Gulam’s shop in Penang which was burnt down by fire incidents and left them with nothing. In 1957 Mydin out of a strong determination and his ability to persist in life pushed forward and with the help of his immediate son in the year 1979 and 1989 respectively continue the trade his father started and his first shop selling toys and general merchandise with his own sweat he continued the trade of wholesaling, the business skyrocketed to different branches in the land of Malaysian. Today Mydin is now one of the largest discount retailers in the whole Malaysians with over 17 Mydin supermarket and wholesalers emporium’s centers located across the country and also among the competing supermarket with Tesco, Carrefour and others. 1.2 Mydin vision Mydin is the world leading distributor of competitive Halal goods and service. 1.3 Mission The mission of Mydin is to target the overall leading in the local wholesale and retail supermarket by his constant provision of service to his customers, provision of best valuable for money and assortment of goods and services through Excellency. Also they aim to encourage more Malaysians to open different outlet with their own proven success formula. 1.4 Product Mydin has so many products such as Softline for apparel, together with home furnishing and muslimin. They also specialize in hardline (do-it –yourself), household, electronics including all stationary and general merchandise, all types of gifts and Deco, sports, toys and games. Fresh; ready to eat and fresh produce of meat and poultry equally, all kinds of vege and fruits, chilled and frozen Grocery: different kinds of food and health including beauty material. 1.5 Mydin objectives The following are the objectives of Mydin Company To provide its products at the right time and at the right price to the right customer while ensuring excellent service. Secondly, achieve marketing speed, and overall efficiency of operations. And supply chain management, from the suppliers to the logistics and warehouse, to Mydin’s ground staff and to the management team, Thirdly to achieve efficiency and productivity which are important factors for timely and accurate decision making. Fourthly With so many strong competitors in the local retail outlets, one cannot afford to be tardy to differentiate itself, Mydin aim at redefining the value it brings to its customers Lastly to maintain it brand name which signifies convenience, quality and value for money through it looks into Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve these goals. 1.6 Organizational of Mydin structure 2.0 External and Internal Analysis 2.1 SWOT Analysis Based on the studies of Gorener A., Toker K., and Ulucay K., they mentioned that with SWOT analysis the regulated arrangement technique for estimating the internal and external environment of the business as well as analyze both environments in order to achieve systematic approach and support for decisions. Strength Low price strategy Mydin is famous designed for getting local and overseas goods with the reasonable pricing supplying into Malaysia. â€Å"Why pay more? Buy at wholesale price† and this is one of the advertisement slogan of Mydin as well as Mydin had already set their pricing strategy in a low price strategy to compete with the existing competitors (Danny Y., 2011). Government`s support According to the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, he mentioned that the government will inject RM386 million to make sure that the prices of needed goods and products in Sabah and Sarawak are sold at lower prices through the opening of 57 KR1M stores (Shukry A, 2012). Customer Loyalty The low pricing strategies not merely attract the new customers, but it helps also the Mydin to build a strong customer loyalty for their hypermarket, as their slogan, â€Å"Why pay more? Buy at wholesale price† Weaknesses Less Space and the Layout of Shop The limited space of Mydin causes a decline in numbers of customers. These customers will feel not comfortable enough while shop with a place where too crowded. Customer Services It is a provision of service to customers before and after purchases and it is significantly important for goods and services business, like Mydin. The weak customer services of Mydin could not satisfy the customers and it will ruin the reputation of Mydin and lead the consumers flee to competitors like TESCO and GIANT. Opportunities Online Market In this era of internet technology widespread, the users of the internet are increasing very rapidly. So if Mydin can follow this trend and caught these opportunities to explore online market successfully, Mydin will definitely obtain a benefit from this online market. International Expansion It is well known that their vision from Mydin for this short term to become the world’s top supplier of competitive â€Å"Halal† products. Therefore, the Muslim countries, like Indonesia are the great market for the Mydin to explore as it has a large number of populations. Threats Intense Competition In Malaysia hypermarket industry, there are variety choices for customers such as Mydin, Tesco, Giant, Carrefour, and Econsave. It goes without saying that it is an intense competition for the industry and it will lead the Mydin lose market share when the competitors offer a better promotion or privilege. Substitute product The customers could satisfy their needs or wants in mini mart, grocery shop, wet market, or convenience store instead of the Mydin. 2.2 PESTEL Analysis Based on the PESTEL structure it delivers a complete list of external effects on the potential achievement to every single strategy or either could lead to failure. It is where standpoints for the factors from Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental as well as Legal (Ivory, 2005). In this research is where based on observation on Mydin, this analysis can actually help to avoid the unwanted outcomes to their future plans like expands of the branches in overseas countries with the situations and regulations that need further consideration. Politic highlights to the role of governments involved, as Mydin is deciding for expanding their branches in Indonesia, therefore the management team involved required to have more research on the government restriction with the trading and how the security control of the country is. Economic factors are refers to the macro-economic factors in the foreign country such as the exchange rates, the inflation rate and differential economic growth rates around the world (Ukessays, nd). These are important factors as will directly influence to Mydin Profit where involves of cost of gain or loss with the exchange rates. As rising inflation rates mean rising prices for goods and services, the CEO needs to know the forecast of inflation rate because consumers would tighten their spending as goods become more expensive. Besides, it also means retailers have to bear a higher expenditure. Social influences the employment patterns of the country and behaviors of the consumers. The employment patterns simply mean that the numbers working hours, working days, employment benefits and other factors where Mydin need to have better study before decide the locations to expand their branches (Slideshare, 2012). Besides, having updated and accurate information about consumers buying patterns and behavior helps to have a clear direction of where the future consumption trends are heading to in order to know how to satisfy customer’s needs and desire. On food taste or packaging that will bring effects on the sales volume. The factor of technology referring to improvements in both internet retailing and trading (Ivory, 2005). There is a study that to the grocery business implemented to the advance technology is able to benefit Mydin to decrease expenditures but improve on efficiency. It is in strengthening their customer service, improving operations and retain pace with the competitors. Therefore, this is where the early twenty-first century operators in the industry. Environmental it is more concerned to eco-friendly viewpoints with main concern to the ‘green’ issues, like the occurrence of pollution and local waste issues (Slideshare, 2012). It can be one of the company strategy for advertising their product with go green issue or recyclable of products which will benefit their local surroundings. Legal holds governmental restrictions or modifications, it is where the well-being and security legislation with the Mydin’s mergers and acquisitions (Antonio, 2010). This aspect plays the important role especially with food and beverage products that are illegal for consumers to consume due to the religion issue. Therefore, it helps the CEO to understand well about the company marketing plan and thus can make a better decision. It is important for Mydin to understand and survey of how these factors are fluctuating currently and changes in future. Therefore, it is required of  the management to generate of solutions that would be likely to bring benefits or failure to the organizations. For instance, Mydin is to be expected to implement of advance technology changing. Therefore, usually generates of PESTEL analysis but it is actually without the offering of the forecast to the changing in the environment.

Guide for Assignment Presentation

Introduction An assignment should be regarded as a piece of academic writing. The following comments and suggestions about the construction and presentation of assignments are intended to provide a guide.They are not intended to be considered as rigid rules. However, there are a number of academic conventions which should be met in academic work. Of most importance in academic writing is an overriding need for internal consistency in presentation. Internal consistency is achieved by thoroughness and attention to detail in the presentation of work. The purpose of an academic piece of writing is to report the results of an investigation to other members of the discipline for their information, evaluation and criticism.Communication of the results of academic activity is important as it allows the dissemination of information and is fundamental to the establishment of groups of people who are interested in similar problems and who are interested in applying similar analytical techniques to identify solutions to these problems. Writing an assignment is an exercise in effective communication and requires more than just learning of techniques of analysis and facts about the economic process. There are a number of books available that assist with writing assignments.See for example, Betts and Seitz (1986) Writing Essays in the Social Sciences and Anderson and Poole (1994) Thesis and Assignment Writing. It is recommended that students consult these for information about how to research and write an assignment. 2. Assessment Criteria Each units/modules offered through the HND Programme will have stipulated the criteria for assessment of assignments in the Course Outline. A number of assessment criteria that may be relevant for all courses are listed below. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Relevance of your answer to the question or task set. Clarity of expression. Supporting documentation for arguments.Proper acknowledgement of documentation and t he use of a bibliographic convention. Logical planning and sequence. Overall presentation, including correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Comprehensive coverage reflecting mastery of set readings and text. 3. Presentation of the Assignment You should always ensure that you prepare two hard copies of your Assignment and keep a copy on disc. On occasions assignments go missing, or second copies are required by University/College. †¢ Each Assignment should be clearly marked up with your name, your study centre, your Student registration number and at the end of the assignment a word count.The assignment should be word-processed. 1 TEG 2007 †¢ The assignment presentation format should directly meet the requirements of the assignment brief (i. e. reports and presentations are the most called for communication formats). You must ensure that your assignment does not appear to be an extended essay. If it does, you will lose grades. †¢ The word limit will be included in the assignment brief. These are specified by Lecturer/Tutor and must be adhered to. †¢ Appendices should clearly link to the assignment and can be attached as supporting documentation at the end of the report. However, failure to reference them by number (e. . Appendix 1) within the report and also marked on the Appendix itself will lose you grade. Only use an Appendix if it is essential and clearly adds value to the overall Assignment. The Appendix is not a waste bin for all the materials you have come across in your research, or a way of making your assignment seem somewhat heavier and more impressive than it is. 4. Time Management for Assignments One of the biggest challenges we all seem to face day-to-day is that of managing time. When studying, that challenge seems to grow increasingly difficult, requiring a balance between work, home, family, social life and study life.It is therefore of pivotal importance to your own success for you to plan wisely the limited amount of t ime you have available. Step 1: Find out how much time you have Ensure that you are fully aware of how long your module lasts, and the final deadline. If you are studying a module from September to December, it is likely that you will have only 10-12 weeks in which to complete your assignments. This means therefore, that the meeting of deadlines is vitally important, as submission schedules are extremely tight. Step 2: Plan your timeEssentially you need to work backwards from the final deadline, submission date, and schedule your work around the possible time lines. Clearly, if you have only 10-12 weeks available to complete three assignments, you will need to allocate a block of hours in the final stages of the module to ensure that all of your assignments are in on time. Late submissions will not be accepted, and no extensions will be allowed. Students who do not submit will be treated as a ‘no show', and will have to re-enter for the next assessment period and undertake an alternative assignment. Step 3: Set prioritiesYou should set priorities on a daily and weekly basis (not just for study, but for your life). There is no doubt that this mode of study needs commitment (and some sacrifices in the short term). When your achievements are recognised by colleagues, peers, friends and family, it will all feel worthwhile. Step 4: Analyse activities and allocate time to them Consider the range of activities that you will need to undertake in order to complete the assignment and the time each might take. Remember, too, there will be a delay in asking for information and receiving it. 2 TEG 2007 †¢Preparing terms of reference for the assignment, to include the following. 1 A short title 2 A brief outline of the assignment purpose and outcome 3 Methodology (the methods you intend to use to carry out the required tasks) 4 Indication of any difficulties that have arisen in the duration of the assignment 5 Time schedule 6 Confidentiality – if the assig nment includes confidential information ensure that this is clearly marked on the assignment 7 Literature and desk research undertaken †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ A literature search in order to undertake the necessary background reading and underpinning information that might support your assignmentWriting letters and memos asking for information either internally or externally Designing questionnaires Undertaking surveys Analysis of data from questionnaires Secondary data search Preparation of first draft report Always build in time to spare, to deal with the unexpected. This may reduce the pressure that you are faced in meeting significant deadlines. 5. Planning and Sequence of an Assignment The assignment should contain at least three well defined and distinct sections: (a) An introduction (or ‘a beginning’) (b) The body of the assignment (or ‘a middle’) (c) A conclusion (or ‘an end’) †¢The introduction, whi ch occurs at the beginning of the assignment, should include a statement of the aims or objectives of the assignment. The introduction provides a clear statement of the problem or question to be considered; the limitations or assumptions you plan to use when examining the problem, and the analytical techniques used. Although the task set will frequently determine the question posed for the assignment, there is still scope for the introduction to define more precisely the question/task or to set the bounds of the assignment. Do not simply state the title of the assignment or repeat the task posed by the lecturer. The body of the assignment contains the argument that you present in support of the question you have posed in the introduction. The argument should be logical and embody the standard techniques of analysis as well as display familiarity with standard economic concepts and doctrines. †¢ The conclusion should complete the assignment by following up discussion points rais ed in the previous sections. It should relate clearly to your statement of aims and purpose provided in the introduction. As a general rule, no new material should be introduced in 3 TEG 2007 the conclusion.The conclusion normally should draw conclusions and point to further directions one could take from matters which have been argued fully and stated in the body of the assignment. Do not simply repeat, or summarise, what you have already said in the body of the assignment. Repetition is regarded as padding. 6. Common Specific Instructions used in Assignment Questions or Tasks Define Set down the precise meaning of a word or phrase and show why the distinctions implied in the definition are necessary by expanding on particular elements that may be sources of confusion or misunderstanding.Discuss Investigate an issue by examining the positive and negative arguments and by exploring interesting alternatives. Illustrate Use a model to clarify a particular point or use examples taken f rom everyday reality. Explain Clarify by the use of explanation, model and example. Compare Describe the similarities and differences and evaluate likely outcomes. Contrast Present an overview of two points of view and set them in opposition to bring out the differences. Describe Give a detailed explanation and clarification. EvaluateMake an appraisal on the basis of pre-established criteria, explore other points of view and, perhaps, include your personal opinion. Interpret Expand the meaning of a particular issue or event. Justify Show the basis for a decision or conclusion by the use of an appropriate model or relevant evidence. Outline Describe the major features of an issue or theory omitting minor details and emphasising structure and key conclusions. Relate Show how things are connected to each other and how they influence each other. State Present in brief, clear form. SummariseGive a brief overview of the key points of a matter, omitting details and examples. Trace Follow t he development of a topic from some point of origin. 4 TEG 2007 7. PRESENTATION The style and presentation of assignments are important. Your assignment should be easy to read and be presented in a way that shows you have organised your material to present your argument clearly. In addition, your assignment should be referenced where appropriate and literature cited in the text should be accurately documented. 7. 1 Writing Report Students often ask ‘what do they mean by a report? ‘ or ‘what should the report format include? ‘There are a number of approaches to reports, formal or informal: some report formats are company specific and designed for internal use rather than external reporting. For Assignment-Based Assessment process, you should stay with traditional formats. Below is a suggested layout that might assist you when presenting your assignments. A Title Page – includes the title of the report, the author of the report and the receiver of the re port Terms of reference – who ordered the report, when and why, any conditions (Optional) Contents page – providing a clearly structured guide to the contents of the report with page number references for each item.All section numbers and titles, using exactly the same wording as in the report. Executive summary – a brief insight into purpose, nature and outcome of the report, in order that the outcome of the report can be quickly established (Optional) Introduction – background information Main body of the report includes findings, description, facts, opinions, etc. This must be well structured and divided into sections, which are clearly labelled. Decimal numbering is common. Here is brief example. 1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 Situation Analysis 1. 1. 1 External Analysis 1. 1. 2 Internal AnalysisConclusions – draw the report to a conclusion, highlighting key points of importance that will impact upon any recommendations that might be made. It’s also summary of results. Recommendations – clearly outline potential options and then make your recommendations. Where appropriate, justify recommendations in order to substantiate your decision. Appendices – ensure that you only use appendices that add value to the report. Ensure that they are numbered and referenced within the text. If you are not going to reference it within the text, then it should not be there.Appendices (not always necessary) – additional details, tables, graphs, detailed analysis. 5 TEG 2007 Bibliography – whilst in a business environment a bibliography might not be necessary, for an assignment-based report it is vital. It provides an indication of the level of research, reading and collecting of relevant information that has taken place in order to fulfil the requirements of the assignment task. Where possible, and where relevant, you could provide academic references within the text, which should of course then provide the basis of your bibliography.References should realistically be listed alphabetically and in the following sequence Author's name and edition of the text; Date of publication; Title and sub-title (where relevant); Edition number; Place of publication; Publisher; Series and individual volume number where appropriate. 8. Tips for Writing Assignments Everybody has a personal style, flair and tone when it comes to writing. However, no matter what your approach, you must ensure your assignment meets the requirements of the brief and so is comprehensible, coherent and cohesive in approach. Think of preparing an assignment as preparing for an examination.Ultimately, the work you are undertaking results in an examination grade. Successful achievement of all four modules in a level results in a qualification. There are a number of positive steps that you can undertake in order to ensure that you make the best of your assignment presentation in order to maximise the grades available. Step 1 – Work to the Brief Ensure that you identify exactly what the assignment asks you to do. †¢ †¢ †¢ If it asks you to be a marketing manager, then immediately assume that role. If it asks you to prepare a report, then present a report, not an essay or a letter.Furthermore, if it asks for 2,500 words, then do not present 1,000 or 4,000 unless it is clearly justified, agreed with your tutor and a valid piece of work. Identify whether the report should be formal or informal; who it should be addressed to; its overall purpose and its potential use and outcome. Understanding this will ensure that your assignment meets fully the requirements of the brief and addresses the key issues included within it. Step 2 – Addressing the Tasks It is of pivotal importance that you address each of the tasks within the assignment.Many students fail to do this and often overlook one of the tasks or indeed part of the tasks. Many of the assignments will have three or four tasks, some wil l have even more. You should establish quite early on, which of the tasks requires you to collect information and which provides you with the framework of the assignment, i. e. the communication method. Possible tasks will include the following. †¢ Compare and contrast. Take two different organisations and compare them side by side and consider the differences and contrasts between the two. 6 TEG 2007 †¢ Carry out primary or secondary research.Collect information to support your assignment and your subsequent decisions †¢ Prepare a plan. Some assignments will ask you to prepare a plan for an event or for a marketing activity. Provide a step-by-step approach, rationales and a time-line. Ensure your intended outcomes are measurable and achievable. Make sure your actions are very specific and clearly explained. †¢ Analyse a situation. This will require you to collect information, consider its content and present an overall understanding of the situation as it exists . This might include looking at internal and external factors and how he current situation evolved. †¢ Make recommendations. The more advanced your studies, the more likely it is that you will be required to make recommendations. Consider and evaluate your options and then make justifiable recommendations. †¢ Justify decisions. You may be required to justify your decision or recommendations. This will require you to explain fully how you have arrived at as a result and to show why, supported by relevant information. In other words, you should not make decisions in a vacuum; as a marketer your decisions should always be informed by context. †¢ Prepare a presentation.This speaks for itself. If you are required to prepare a presentation, ensure that you do so, preparing clearly defined PowerPoint or overhead slides that are not too crowded and that clearly express the points you are required to make. †¢ Evaluate performance. It is very likely that you will be asked to evaluate a campaign, a plan or even an event. You will therefore need to consider its strengths and weaknesses, why it succeeded or failed, the issues that have affected it, what can you learn from it and, importantly, how can you improve performance or sustain it in the future.All of these points are likely requests included within a task. Ensure that you identify them clearly and address them as required. Step 3 – Information Search Many students fail to realise the importance of collecting information to support and underpin their assignment work. However, it is vital that you demonstrate to your tutor ability to establish information needs, obtain relevant information and utilise it sensibly in order to arrive at appropriate decisions. You should establish the nature of the information required, follow up possible sources, the time involved in obtaining the information and likely gaps in information.Consider these factors very carefully. Tutors are very keen that stude nts are seen to collect information, expand their mind and consider the breadth and depth of the situation. Submitting a bibliography is a good way of illustrating the level of information collection and application within the assignment. 7 TEG 2007 Step 4 – Develop an Assignment Plan Your assignment needs to be structured and coherent, addressing the brief and presenting the facts as required by the tasks. The only way you can successfully achieve this is by planning the structure your Assignment in advance.Earlier, we looked at identifying your tasks and, working backwards from the release date, in order to manage time successfully. The structure and coherence of your assignment needs to be planned with similar signs. In planning the Assignment, you should aim to include all the relevant information requested. You should also plan for the use of models, diagrams and appendices where necessary. Plan contents †¢ Introduction †¢ Content †¢ Main body of the assig nment †¢ Summary †¢ Conclusions and recommendations where appropriate Step 5 – Prepare Draft AssignmentIt is good practice to produce a first draft of a report. You should use it to ensure that you have met the aims and objectives, assignment brief and tasks related to the actual assignment. A draft document provides you with scope for improvements, and enables you to check for accuracy, spelling, punctuation and use of English. Some tutors provide you with an opportunity to review a draft assignment. If this is the case, you should take every opportunity to let them provide you with support. Step 6 – Prepare Final DocumentIn the section headed ‘Presentation of the Assignment' in this guide, there are a number of components that should always be in place at the beginning of the assignment documentation, including labelling of the assignment, word counts, appendices numbering and presentation method. Ensure that you adhere to the guidelines presented, or alternatively those suggested by your tutors. 9. Group Working †¢ Group work is necessary to develop the skills to be effective in real work situations. Very rarely do you work completely on your own †¢ Group work can be more productive as there are more people generating ideas †¢Group projects are often more interesting as the task can be more complex †¢ Group members can motivate and support each other Group problems: †¢ Domination – one or two members take over, and the others lose interest 8 TEG 2007 †¢ Critical – in order to sound knowledgeable, some members are always critical. Sometimes competition emerges †¢ Conflict – sometimes open, sometimes not †¢ Sexism and racism – you must inform your Tutor, or Equal Opportunities Co-ordinator †¢ Avoidance – whole group avoiding the task, often due to fear of failure †¢ Inactive listening – nobody listens – people working as individuals , not as a groupSome suggestions: †¢ Analyse the skills and strengths of each member †¢ Brainstorm ideas and form a plan of action †¢ Allocate tasks and set dates for task completion and regular meetings †¢ Set up communications – phone numbers, room numbers, e-mail addresses †¢ Set meeting places – this is absolutely essential at a first meeting †¢ Keep reviewing progress on the task and on any problems with the group †¢ Discuss any problems openly and with all group members 10. Effective Reading Before you start: †¢ Is this the correct book/article for your purpose? Check date/author/scope †¢Scan the contents, is it the right level? Read a section/chapter to check †¢ What questions are you trying to answer? †¢ Clarify before you start Reading: †¢ Read with purpose (what questions to be answered? ) †¢ Read selectively – scan and skim – only read in detail what you need to †¢ Mentally r ecite what you have just read †¢ Make notes at appropriate points – bullet points, do not rewrite the whole book. Review: †¢ Did I answer the questions I wanted to? †¢ Do I understand and remember what I read? 9 TEG 2007 11. Oral presentation Plan: †¢ What is the purpose? What are your objectives? †¢Who are your audience? †¢ What facilities can you use? – flip chart, OHP, PC, etc. †¢ Structure your presentation -the old rule is: Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em, then tell 'em, then tell 'em what you told 'em. i. e. an introduction, the contents, a conclusion †¢ Make sure any visual aids can be seen and read †¢ Rehearse and time your delivery Delivery: †¢ A good start – make an impact, and make your audience want to listen †¢ Don't read – use crib cards, OHP slides as notes †¢ Speak slowly and clearly †¢ Look at your audience, don't talk to the wall, your feet, or the OHP screen †¢ Vary the speed and pitch of your voice †¢ Make sure you are not standing in front of the visual aids †¢ If it is a group presentation, make sure that you link well together †¢ Be lively and finish on a high note 12. Punctuation Why use it? It is to guide the reader in the natural pauses in writing. It is also there to show how the grammar of a sentence is supposed to work; a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence and a full stop at the end. Punctuating your sentence need only involve: colon, semicolon, full stop, question mark, dash, apostrophe, comma, quotation marks, brackets. †¢Colon (:) is most often used to introduce a quotation or a list. †¢ Full stop (. ) Use full stops more than you expect to. When in doubt, your instinct should always plump for a full stop. Semicolon (;) Represents a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop. (If in doubt about its use don’t use it. ) †¢ 10 TEG 2007 It is used between clauses when the second clause expands or explains the first e. g. neither of them moved; they waited to see if the intruder made a quick exit. It is also used before clauses which begin with â€Å"nevertheless†, â€Å"therefore†, â€Å"even so†, and â€Å"for instance† e. . He looked before he leaped; even so he landed in the water. It is used to mark off a series of phrases or clauses which themselves contain commas. e. g. You will need the following ingredients: four eggs, preferably size 3; 4oz caster sugar; a few drops of vanilla essence; and 2oz almonds, which must be ground. †¢ Question mark (? ) Use a question mark every time there is a genuine direct question. That means Are you going? but not I asked if he was going? (wrong because it is a reported question). †¢ Dashes (-) Use dashes but don’t overdo them.You can use a pair of dashes – in place of brackets – or a single dash to mark a break in the sentence before a punch line or a throwaway remark: In life, two things are never with us – death and taxes. †¢ Apostrophes (‘) They do not make things plural. They are not used to make things plural e. g. 1990’s, MP’s HQ’s. The general rule is: if something belongs to someone you write someone’s or for example, the student’s. If it belongs to several people (the students), you write the students’. Plurals like people and children, that aren’t made with an s, take apostrophe s i. e. children’s.Apostrophes are also shown where letters are missed out – can’t play, won’t play. It’s is short for it is. Beware of : its, (meaning â€Å"of it†)yours, hers, ours, theirs, and whose. None of them takes as apostrophe. †¢ Commas (,) Commas, like buses, often come in pairs. It is wrong to write The reason is as it always was, to save money. Two commas should be used, like brackets, either side of the phrase as it al ways was. The test is whether, grammatically, the sentence would hold up if the section between the commas were removed. The common mistake is to forget the second comma.Commas are needed, and are not optional, when someone or something is being addressed. Kiss me, Hardy must take the comma after me. Yes Minister should have be Yes, Minister. Pairs of commas should be used when however, say, meanwhile and for instance are interjected into sentences – he might be paid, say, ? 50,000 a year. 11 TEG 2007 At the beginning of a sentence, these words or phrases need to be cordoned off with a single comma – However, investigations into†¦ , For instance, if we look at†¦.. Commas are used to mark off separate items in a list, except, usually between the last two items.You can put a comma in before and if it's needed to make the sentence clear Goods are transported by lorry, horse and cart, and even handcart. A strong adjective usually takes commas after each one excep t the last – old, crabby, pedantic Dr Johnson. †¢ Quotation marks (â€Å") Use double to enclose direct speech. Use a colon, not a comma before quotes – Mr. Smith said: â€Å"This is good news for all poor students. † Use a comma after quotes (before the second quotation marks) – â€Å"It will help many students,† said Jim. Quotations direct from a book or journal also need to have double quotation marks (â€Å") Davis et al. 1991, p243) stated that â€Å"Equilibrium is the sense which tells you when your body is balanced and when it is tipping, turning or inverting. † Unless the length of the quotation is more than three lines of your text, in which case it is indented and no quotation marks are necessary. †¢ Brackets ( ) The use of brackets (whose technical term is parenthesis) should be kept to a minimum. They are used to indicate a supplementary remark, or a qualification of some sort. Grammatically they work like commas, but the remarks inside the brackets tend to be less important than those inside commas.Brackets are always used in pairs. If the brackets surround an entire sentence then the full stop at the end of the sentence stays within the brackets. (This is the procedure you should follow. ) If the brackets only surround part of the sentence, the full stop goes outside. This is the procedure you should follow (under normal circumstances). †¢ Square brackets [like these] Square brackets are used to indicate your changes or your own comments on somebody else’s writing. The report that 25000 had been killed in battle [a figure shown to be greatly exaggerated] changed the course of the war. 3. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of passing off as your own work another person’s writing, words, or ideas. You must make it clear which ideas and which words you have obtained from someone else. Superficial and minor changes do not disguise your use of the words of someone else. You commit plagiarism if you do not acknowledge the source of a direct quote, or a specific piece of writing that you have paraphrased, or even if you describe an idea or concept that you have heard or read somewhere without a reference or acknowledgement.University / College rules will apply into plagiarism and also subject to disciplinary action. 12 TEG 2007 14. General Guidelines Follow these stages while you are doing your reading/note taking. Generating ideas †¢ What are the implications of the title? †¢ What ideas lie behind the title? †¢ What are you being invited to explore? †¢ Put your ideas on paper †¢ Things should become more complex at this stage †¢ There should be a mixture of fact/description and theory/argument Finding your perspective †¢ Try to sort the complexity into a clear, logical pattern †¢Is there an obvious sequence such as: intentions/results; pro/anti; before/after; cause/effect; hypothesis/evidence? †¢ What's most relevan t/interesting, convincing/contentious? †¢ What evidence supports your argument? †¢ What is the basic question/problem here? †¢ Diagrammatic structure of ideas may help A draft plan of the essay †¢ Roughly, the structure of the content †¢ Sequence of the argument †¢ You may be able to plan your paragraph structure †¢ A diagram plan may be useful †¢ Plan to go from the general to the specific Write a draft version †¢ Amend as you go along Maybe start each section on a separate page †¢ Several drafts may be needed †¢ Should new paragraphs be added/ some be divided? The final version †¢ Ask someone else to proof-read it for you. 13 TEG 2007 BTEC Higher National Grade Descriptors The assessment of BTEC Higher National qualifications will be at unit level and there will be no overall grade for either the Certificate or the Diploma. Each unit will be graded as a pass, merit or distinction. A pass is awarded for the achievement of all outcomes against the specified assessment criteria.Merit and distinction grades are awarded for higher-level achievement. In order to demonstrate achievement, learners typically undertake assessment activities that include a series of tasks or assignments, reflecting typical practice in the sector concerned. In order to judge the level of achievement, assessment criteria are used for the pass grade and grade descriptors for the merit and distinction grades. Achievement of a pass grade – a pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the assessment criteria for each individual unit.Achievement of a merit or distinction grade – all the assessment criteria and merit grade descriptors need to be completed within a unit to achieve a merit grade. All the assessment criteria, merit and distinction grade descriptors must be completed within a unit to achieve a distinction grade. The generic merit and distinction grade descriptors need to be viewed as a qualitative extension of the assessment criteria within each individual unit. The grade descriptors will be contextualised to meet the needs of the unit and be incorporated into the design of the assessment activities.Any single assignment however, as with BTEC Higher Nationals, will only be able to indicate that the learners has achieved some of the descriptors, say M1 and D2 unless it is a project style assessment that covers the whole unit (i. e. all learning outcomes and criteria). For example, if an assignment task requires the learner to: To pass the task you need to explored the organisational structures and cultures of the two organisations and prepared a suitable comparison in terms of the unit content requirements — types of organisation and associated structures, organisational networks and linkages, organisational culture.The qualitative aspect of the work, that will be used to determine your achievement of M1 on this occasion, will be the level of detail of both understanding of the subject matter (effective approach to study) and the depth to which you have taken this in the comparisons (effective approach to research). The approach taken in the example above shows how the indicative criteria can be adapted to better fit the work being undertaken in the task. In some cases the indicative characteristic could be used just as it is with no more than an identification of the evidence to which it relates (e. g. report, presentation, diagram, etc. ).

Free Essays on Marijuana Legalization

With the rise in controversy over marijuana, and its use both medically and recreationally, a need for resolve of marijuana legislation has become evermore important. Modern day society carries a wide spectrum of views on this age-old drug and its use. Some compare its prohibition in the 1920s. Others argue marijuana is less harmful to society than alchol. Fifteen percent of the United States population falling under regular users and our prisons over crowded with people who have commited a victimless crime., clear and decisive legislation should be made on its use(NewScientist). The long-time argument of the benefits of medical marijuana is often the battle cry of the marijuana legalization movement. Granted, a number of supporters have no medical use for the drug, but the claim of its medicinal value is a practical one. The public support for medical marijuana is obvious, with six states having passed protests allowing medical use within their borders. More importantly the scientific support exists. Study after study shows the benefits of marijuana far outweigh its less desirable effects. For the legalization movement the most notable of these studies would be the government's most recent conducted by the food and drug administration(Wikman). This study was commissioned by General Barry McCaffrey, the drug czar of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Arguing that marijuana is a "gateway" drug and that if it was used for medicinal purposes it would lead to greater illicit usage. In the end the study showed that marijuana's medical treatments include pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Conceding that while â€Å"some of its effects are modest, and some other drugs may be better for some treatments,† everyone is not responsive to the other treatments and for individuals infected with AIDS or going though chemotherapy marijuana will provide a beneficial multi-symptom relief(360). On top of this... Free Essays on Marijuana Legalization Free Essays on Marijuana Legalization With the rise in controversy over marijuana, and its use both medically and recreationally, a need for resolve of marijuana legislation has become evermore important. Modern day society carries a wide spectrum of views on this age-old drug and its use. Some compare its prohibition in the 1920s. Others argue marijuana is less harmful to society than alchol. Fifteen percent of the United States population falling under regular users and our prisons over crowded with people who have commited a victimless crime., clear and decisive legislation should be made on its use(NewScientist). The long-time argument of the benefits of medical marijuana is often the battle cry of the marijuana legalization movement. Granted, a number of supporters have no medical use for the drug, but the claim of its medicinal value is a practical one. The public support for medical marijuana is obvious, with six states having passed protests allowing medical use within their borders. More importantly the scientific support exists. Study after study shows the benefits of marijuana far outweigh its less desirable effects. For the legalization movement the most notable of these studies would be the government's most recent conducted by the food and drug administration(Wikman). This study was commissioned by General Barry McCaffrey, the drug czar of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Arguing that marijuana is a "gateway" drug and that if it was used for medicinal purposes it would lead to greater illicit usage. In the end the study showed that marijuana's medical treatments include pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. Conceding that while â€Å"some of its effects are modest, and some other drugs may be better for some treatments,† everyone is not responsive to the other treatments and for individuals infected with AIDS or going though chemotherapy marijuana will provide a beneficial multi-symptom relief(360). On top of this... Free Essays on Marijuana Legalization Most Americans do not want to spend scarce public funds incarcerating nonviolent marijuana offenders, at a cost of $23,000 per year. Politicians must reconsider our country's priorities and attach more importance to combating violent crime than targeting marijuana smokers. Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers at least $7.5 billion annually. This is an enormous waste of scarce federal dollars that should be used to target violent crime. Marijuana prohibition makes no exception for the medical use of marijuana. The tens of thousands of seriously ill Americans who presently use marijuana as a therapeutic agent to alleviate symptoms of cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis risk arrest and jail to obtain and use their medication. Between 1978 and 1996, 34 states passed laws recognizing marijuana's therapeutic value. Most recently, voters in two states Arizona and California passed laws allowing for the medical use of marijuana under a physician's supervision. Yet, states are severely limited in their ability to implement their medical use laws because of the federal prohibition of marijuana. America tried alcohol prohibition between 1919 and 1931, but discovered that the crime and violence associated with prohibition was more damaging than the evil sought to be prohibited. With tobacco, America has learned over the last decade that education is the most effective way to discourage use. Yet, America fails to apply these lessons to marijuana policy. By stubbornly defining all marijuana smoking as criminal, including that which involves adults smoking in the privacy of their own homes, we are wasting police and prosecutorial resources, clogging courts, filling costly and scarce jail and prison space, and needlessly wrecking the lives and careers of genuinely good citizens. Marijuana legalization offers an important advantage over dec... Free Essays on Marijuana Legalization In the year 1937, the United States government made the drug marijuana illegal. This ban had little effect on people until the mid 60’s and 70’s. This was a time where many mind altering drugs where experimented with and widely used. During this time was also when marijuana research took place. Early researches was vague and bias, but in the years after many legitimate studies have been conducted, and both sides of the issues have been revealed. While looking at these studies with an open mind, one can conclude that marijuana should be legalized. Even though there are some health risks associated with marijuana, it is no different than legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana does have negative health aspects. The main hazard linked with marijuana is the smoke inhaled by the user. This is an interesting point because most marijuana users are not exposed to as much smoke as a tobacco user, and only smoke as much marijuana as necessary to reach their desired effects. Also recent studies show that the marijuana produced today is much more potent than it was thirty years ago. This only makes the hazards less because it will be safer to the user since less volume of smoke will be required to reach the same desired high. Marijuana smoke is very similar to tobacco smoke, and tobacco smoke has been found to cause lung diseases like cancer and emphysema, but marijuana users typically do not smoke anywhere near the volume of marijuana as tobacco smokers smoke tobacco. The other major effect marijuana is said to have is psychological harms. There was a time that marijuana research made it appear as if there was a structural change in the brain of heavy marijuana users, but modern research has disproved those studies (Co and Goodwin 1229). While a person is intoxicated they tend to perform poorly in auditory functions, and this is due to reduction of blood flow to the temporal lobe of the brain (O’ Leary and Andr...

The Cause of World War One essays

The Cause of World War One essays When you watch television today, youre most likely to see the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard and the President of the United States of America, George Bush. Why? Because the have joined army forces to begin a war with Iraq over weapons of mass destruction. Although back in the early 1900s the first world war began because the wanted to take over land. One of the main causes of WW1 was because of the land that Germany and Austria- Hungary were trying to take over. Another cause of WW1 was because the Serbs wanted Independence. Where on the 23rd of July, a secret organization called, The Black Hand, assassinated Franz Ferdinand, who was Heir to the throne of Austria Hungary. The Serbian Government was blamed for this and declared war on each other. When war had been declared, countries began to form alliances with each other. The Triple Alliance began to form in 1879 with Germany and Austria. Then later on in 1882, Italy joined the Dual Alliance to form the Triple Alliance. Then in 1892 a Franco Russian Alliance had been formed between France and Russia. In the early years of the 1900s (1904) Britain and France also formed an Alliance called the Entente Cordial. Then by 1907, a Triple Entente formed, which consisted of France, Russia and Britain. The central powers were Germany, Austria- Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. The Allies were Britain, British Empire, USA, Russia, Italy, France and Belgium. During this time Australia was in the middle of an election campaign, and both the opposition leader and Prime Minister said that they were willing to support the British with their conflict against Germany. Although New Zealand had compulsory military training, Australia pledged 20,000 men to go to war. Australia raised a new army of volunteers - the Australian Imperial Force (the AIF). The fleet with the Australian Division assembled in late October, and they were then joined by the New Zealanders. They ...

Geography of the Southern Hemisphere and Facts

Geography of the Southern Hemisphere and Facts The Southern Hemisphere is the southern portion or half of the Earth. It begins at the equator at 0 degrees latitude and continues south into higher latitudes until it reaches 90 degrees south, the South Pole in the middle of Antarctica. The word hemisphere itself specifically means half of a sphere, and because the earth is spherical (although it is considered an oblate sphere) a hemisphere is half. Geography and Climate of the Southern Hemisphere In the Northern Hemisphere, the majority of the area is composed of land masses instead of water. In comparison, the Southern Hemisphere has fewer land masses and more water. The South Pacific, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and various seas such as the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand and the Weddell Sea near Antarctica make up around 80.9 percent of the Southern Hemisphere. The land comprises only 19.1 percent. The continents making up the Southern Hemisphere include all of Antarctica, around one third of Africa, most of South America, and nearly all of Australia. Because of the large presence of water in the Southern Hemisphere, the climate in the Earths southern half is milder overall than the Northern Hemisphere. In general, water heats and cools more slowly than land so water near any land area usually has a moderating effect on the lands climate. Since water surrounds land in much of the Southern Hemisphere, more of it is moderated than in the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere, like the Northern Hemisphere, is also divided into several different regions based on climate. The most prevalent are the southern temperate zone, which runs from the Tropic of Capricorn to the beginning of the Arctic Circle at 66.5 degrees south. This area features a temperate climate which generally has large amounts of precipitation, cold winters, and warm summers. Some countries included in the southern temperate zone include most of Chile, all of New Zealand and Uruguay. The area directly north of the southern temperate zone and lying between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn are known as the tropics- an area which has warm temperatures and precipitation year round. South of the southern temperate zone is the Antarctic Circle and the Antarctic continent. Antarctica, unlike the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, is not moderated by the large presence of water because it is a very large land mass. In addition, it is considerably colder than the Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere for the same reason. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere lasts from around December 21 to the vernal equinox around March 20. Winter lasts from around June 21 to the autumnal equinox around September 21. These dates are due to the Earths axial tilt and from the period of December 21 to March 20, the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, while during the June 21 to September 21 interval, it is tilted away from the sun. The Coriolis Effect and the Southern Hemisphere An important component of physical geography in the Southern Hemisphere is the Coriolis Effect and the specific direction that objects are deflected in Earths southern half. In the southern hemisphere, any object moving over the Earths surface deflects to the left. Because of this, any large patterns in air or water turn counterclockwise south of the equator. For example, there are many large oceanic gyres in the North Atlantic and North Pacific- all of which turn counterclockwise. In the Northern Hemisphere, these directions are reversed because objects are deflected to the right. In addition, the left deflection of objects impacts the flows of air over the Earth. A high-pressure system, for example, is an area where the atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding area. In the Southern Hemisphere, these move counterclockwise because of the Coriolis Effect. By contrast, low-pressure systems or areas where atmospheric pressure is less than that of the surrounding area move clockwise because of the Coriolis Effect in the Southern Hemisphere. Population and the Southern Hemisphere Because the Southern Hemisphere has less land area than the Northern Hemisphere it should be noted that population is lower in Earths southern half than in the north. The majority of Earths population and its largest cities are in the Northern Hemisphere, although there are large cities such as Lima, Peru, Cape Town, South Africa, Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand. Antarctica is the largest landmass in the Southern Hemisphere and it is the worlds largest cold desert. Although it is the largest area of land in the Southern Hemisphere, it is not populated because of its extremely harsh climate and the difficulty of building permanent settlements there. Any human development that has taken place in Antarctica consists of scientific research stations- most of which are operated only during the summer. In addition to people, however, the Southern Hemisphere is incredibly biodiverse as the majority of the worlds tropical rainforests are in this region. For example, the Amazon Rainforest is almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere as are biodiverse places such as Madagascar and New Zealand. Antarctica also has a large variety of species adapted to its harsh climates such as emperor penguins, seals, whales and various types of plants and algae.

Peer Reviewed Article on ERP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Peer Reviewed Article on ERP - Essay Example Even though the system was capable, it was prone to manual manipulation and corruption from workers. The system did not provide proper communication between the various working sites. No systems that had been established in the firm helped to support the company. At this point, the company decided to adopt the ERP systems. The company decided that the ERP system was the best one to steer the company forward and to help with the communication problems in the company. In selecting the company that would provide the ERP system, they considered factors such as the financial status of the company, the people and the success rates of the company. In the project team, several managers have extensive knowledge in dealing with the systems and the relationships with the old systems. The team providing the services is Syscorp and it had managers who have a track record of success with the ERP systems. The MIE Company decided to adopt the Microsoft Dynamics SL which is offered for small scale companies (Rajagopal, 2002). Some of the problems that were experienced when implementing the system were grouped into three sections. This included the cultural problems, business problems and technical problems. As much as the company expected the system to be more accepted than the old systems, especially in the areas where the new systems were better than the old systems, the people took a long time to get used to the new system. The team that was carrying out the project decided to demonstrate the success of the old systems by clearly illustrating the improvements that had been made (Liu, 2000). The explanations were given in segments so that people could see the improvements that had been made. To make the employees get more used to the system, the original plan was expanded to take care of the training and the culture which was changing. The Microsoft Dynamics SL system requires a rather rigid business structure

Business case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business case study - Essay Example claims that he fully intended to repay the club their money upon the sale of his next book and that the students were foolish to think that he was allowed to set up their account and not have access to it. Reasons: The law does not usually care what you intended to do after committing a crime. The law only cares whether there was an actus reus (an act) and a mens rea (intention). If you intend to commit a criminal act, you are guilty—whether or not you plan on paying back the money later, for example. B) Ann promises her nephew, Bert, that she will pay his college expenses for obtaining a Bachelor’s degree if he promises to give up his heavy smoking and heavy alcohol drinking habits. Bert agrees, totally giving up his smoking and drinking habits. He enters college and graduates with his Bachelor’s degree. At his clean and sober graduation party, Bert asks Ann to pay his college expenses as per their contract. He does boast that Ann was a fool since he was planning on giving up his smoking and drinking behavior anyhow. Ann claims she does not remember their agreement, but admits that even if she did make such an agreement, there was no valid consideration and thus no binding contract for her to pay. Bert sues her for his money. Reasons: For a contract to be valid, something must pass on both sides, either an action or a forebearance. Bert gives up his drinking and smoking, a forebearance that would qualify as consideration on his part. But Ann doesn’t do anything with regards to the contract. No consideration passes from to Bert. C) Thrifty Drug Stores purchases â€Å"Magic Window Wipes†. These are disposable towels that you take right out of the packet, wipe your dirty windows, and toss in the trash. They are supposed to make your windows squeaky clean. Over the next three months Thrifty Drug Stores sell about one third of their inventory of the wipes when the sales go completely flat. A manager of the stores asks former customers why they do not buy any

Week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 6 - Essay Example Manufacture of aircraft parts involves many risks and therefore the need to develop a good risk response plan. The risks involved in the manufacture of aircraft parts vary widely. The risks may be financial, supplier related or directly related to the manufacturing process. Aerospace manufacturers rely more heavily on the global suppliers which increase to risks. Aircraft parts manufacturers therefore are more exposed to supply chain disruptions leading to disruptions in the production schedules. This is harmful to the learning of the business as there is usually corporate upheaval and loss of sales. The risks of a supplier of raw materials may be reputational, financial regulatory or worse still penalties. Some of the parts manufacturing may also be outsourced to other manufacturers therefore the company may face risks of getting parts that are incompatible with one another. This further delays the manufacture of the aerospace industry parts. The manufacturers also face the challenges of overrelying on one supplier of specific parts. In case there is a problem with the supplier, the manufacturing process is disrupted and the manufacturer incurs huge losses. The manufacturing process risks include injury from the metals parts, chemicals and the power. This may generally harm the employees who may seek compensation from the manufacturer. The manufacture of aerospace parts involves use of high temperatures and high voltages. Also the chemicals used are inflammable therefore if handled without care they may explode (Huskamp & Lyons, par 2). The probability of risk occurrence can be measured through use of previously collected data. The probability of occurrence of raw materials and parts suppliers related risks can be estimated through the evaluation of the financial status of the supplier. When the financial status of the supplier is above board, there is less

The Terms and Conditions Contained In a Contract of Employment Essay

The Terms and Conditions Contained In a Contract of Employment - Essay Example The paper tells that the employment contract may be written or agreed verbally in certain instances. Nonetheless, it is necessary, and an employee has a statutory right, to obtain a written statement of the employment terms some two months after the beginning of an employment in the event that no such formal agreement was made. The employee has to check his entitlement to this right as some may not be entitled to some statutory rights. By accepting a job offer, an employee agrees to abide by the conditions of authority relationship provided on the employment contract. These are referred to as the terms and conditions of the contract. The contract of employment defines the rights of the employees that will help in solving problems that may arise in the course of the contract. The employee and the employer are bound by the written agreement until the contract ends or until the terms of the contract are adjusted. The termination of a contract is often preceded by a written notice to the employees while the terms and condition of a contract will be adjusted after an agreement between the employer and the employee. An employee will enter into an employment contract as soon as he/she takes on an employment to create the employment relationship. The contract of employment may be written or verbal, but a written agreement is appropriate for a formal employment. The contract of employment will contain essential information; the details of employer/employees, date of commencement of the contract, place of work, role and duties of the employees, rate and mode of payment, sick pay arrangement, holiday leaf and pay, pension schemes, and the different policies governing the employment deal. An employment contract will be defined by the terms and condition of the contract. There is some difference between terms and conditions as referred to here. The terms of an employment contract define all that an employer and an employee will expect from each other.