Compare and Contrast Posner's and Ferguson's Views on the Main Causes Essay

Compare and Contrast Posner's and Ferguson's Views on the Main Causes of the Financial Crisis - Essay Example Many media outputs, including films, articles, and books have outlined various determinants of this economic disorder. One of the most prominent is Charles Ferguson’s film ‘Inside Job’, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary for its power filmmaking and investigative practices. Another prominent text is Richard Posner’s ‘Crisis of Capitalist Democracy’. This essay compares and contrasts the views of these two individuals -- Posner and Ferguson – in terms of their perspectives on the main causes of the financial crisis. Analysis From the opening credits of Inside Job it’s clear that Posner and Ferguson agree on a number of substantial key contributing factors to the 2008 economic crisis. In these regards, both individuals identify the original spark of the crisis the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Another prominent aspect that both thinkers consider is the nature of financial deregulation as greatly contributing to the crisi s. Both the film and the text provides historical accounts – both Ferguson and Posner’s exploration of the Glass-Steagal Act and Ferguson’s exploration of early era Wall Street – in demonstrating the tremendous shift that occurred in the 2008 economic climate as compared to a bygone conservative era. ... Another of the most notable links between the two texts is the very notion that the American governmental structure may not be able to respond to the significant challenges of the crisis at hand. While Posner emphasizes that a new model of Keynesian economics is needed, he also notes, â€Å"it is not that the economic challenges that we face are insurmountable but that we may lack the governmental structures and political culture requisite for meeting them† (Poster, pg. 7). One sees this echoed in Ferguson perhaps most prominently in the film’s analysis of the links between the financial sector and academia. Ferguson makes the profound and startling insight that the very people who provide the structural education of the economy are themselves on the payroll of these financial firms. In both instances then – Posner and Ferguson’s – there is a profound nihilistic cynicism at the very structure of the American system. Still, as the film and Posnerâ₠¬â„¢s book develop it’s clear there are a number of distinguishing factors. There are a number of overarching considerations. In terms of contrasting elements, one considers the nature of the contrasting mediums. While Ferguson’s film is highly successful in articulating much of the complex process of the crisis, it lacks the in-depth and extended analysis a book can offer. As such, one considers that while the two thinkers may not necessarily stand in theoretical conflict, Posner has the luxury of offering an extended analysis on many elements of the crisis. One trend in these regards is the increased emphasis that Posner places on the citizens that participated in the housing bubble. He writes, â€Å"by pushing up the value of common stock, which made people feel wealthier because their savings were increasingly

United States Declaration of Independence Essay Example for Free

United States Declaration of Independence Essay John Locke is among the most influential political philosophers of the modern period. One can easily see his tremendous influence on democracies throughout the world, especially the United States, today. Locke was born during 1632 in Somerset, England. He was the son of a Puritan lawyer who fought with the Parliamentarians against the King in the English Civil War. At the age of 14, Locke attended Westminster School; and later went on to study at Oxford University. At the age of 43, Locke had traveled to France, where he would stay for four years to study Descartes and other great minds of the age. Locke then moved to Holland in 1683 amongst political unrest in England, which made living there dangerous for him. There he joined other English political exiles in a plot to overthrow King James II, which succeeded, resulting in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the flee of the King. By this time in the late 1680s-mid 1690s, Locke’s most influential philosophical works were published. From these works, Locke has been considered the Father of Classical Liberalism. Classic liberalism advocates civil liberties and political freedom with representative government. During the time of Locke, most people believed that fundamental rights came from government. People thought that they only had rights based upon what government chose to give them. John Locke’s most famous political work, The Second Treatise of Government, argued the opposite though. Some of the main themes outlined in the book include the State of Nature, Property, and Representative Government. Lock describes the State of Nature as: To properly understand political power and trace its origins, we must consider the state that all people are in naturally. That is a state of perfect freedom of acting and disposing of their own possessions and persons as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature. People in this state do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf. The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal and no one has more than another. It is evident that all human beings – as creatures belonging to the same species and rank and born indiscriminately with all the same natural advantages and faculties – are equal amongst themselves. They have no relationship of subordination or subjection unless God (the lord and master of them all) had clearly set one person above another and conferred on him an undoubted right to dominion and sovereignty. The State of Nature both explains and declares that all people are born/created equally by God. One can see this statement’s influence with the use of it in the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator†¦Ã¢â‚¬  According to Locke, every person has three natural rights: Life, Liberty, and Estate. Locke declares, â€Å"Reason, which is that Law, teaches all Mankind, who would but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions. † This means that everyone has the right to live once they are created, to do anything they want to so long as it doesn’t conflict with the first right to Life, and to own anything they create or gain through trade or gift so long as it doesn’t conflict with the first two rights. One may also continuously see this influenced in the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † Locke also believed that people, not rulers, were sovereign. Locke wrote, â€Å"Government can never have a Power to take to themselves the whole or any part of the Subjects Property, without their own consent. For this would be in effect to leave them no Property at all. † Lock’s use of the term, â€Å"Property,† refers to everyone’s natural rights to Life, Liberty, and Estate. He believed that people chose to live under government, forming a social contract, in order to protect their natural rights, that otherwise may be in constant danger living in a State of Nature. If a government, or ruler, violated this commitment, the people living under it would have a right to revolt and overthrow the ruling subject. One can easily see how this pertains to not just the United States, but to the rest of the world. One can reference the American Revolution against Britain; and one can reference the recent revolutions in the Middle East, such as Egypt. In Locke’s â€Å"A Letter Concerning Toleration,† he advocates the toleration and respect for others’ religions. He argues that there must be a separation of church and state because government’s sole purpose is to protect individual rights, nothing else. Locke writes: â€Å"Now that the whole jurisdiction of the magistrate reaches only to these civil concernments, and that all civil power, right and dominion, is bounded and confined to the only care of promoting these things; and that it neither can nor ought in any manner to be extended to the salvation of souls, these following considerations seem unto me abundantly to demonstrate†¦ because the care of souls is not committed to the civil magistrate, any more than to other men. It is not committed unto him, I say, by God; because it appears not that God has ever given any such authority to one man over another as to compel anyone to his religion. Nor can any such power be vested in the magistrate by the consent of the people, because no man can so far abandon the care of his own salvation as blindly to leave to the choice of any other†¦ the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. † Locke’s vision of separation of church and state can be seen all throughout the world. One can specifically see it in the United States, incorporated into the Constitution. Though this is not a complete list of John Locke’s many influences over modern democratic governments, one can see from the few examples provided above just how important a figure he is. Specifically to the United States, his influence can be seen through his ideas of individual rights, sovereignty of the people, and the separation of church and state. According to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding father’s of the United States, â€Å"Locke is among the most important people to ever live. †

Green Architecture Essay -- Environmental Ecology Essays

Green Architecture Green Architecture began with the first Earth Day in 1970, and has grown in popularity as awareness of the earth’s many ecological problems become more wide spread. Professor Rocky Brittain states "I’ve been teaching this subject for twenty years and have watched interest grow. Now I could say there is some element of sustainability taught in just about every architecture school in the country."(Talarico, 1998) Economic factors have also helped the green movement by causing changes in building materials, and technology. This is most notable in changes to heating and cooling systems, and improvements in insulation and window construction which decrease heat loss and therefore decrease heating and cooling costs. Also, "Alternatives including engineered lumber, made from wood chips or strands laminated together have become commonplace†¦[this is a consequence]†¦the rise in wood prices and decline in wood quality due to the lack of properly managed forests." (http: //www.reddown.com/featartll.html.) Not only are these materials more cost efficient, they also often outperform solid wood. Affordability is of vital importance if green architecture is going to become wide spread in a capitalistic economy. Gail Lindsey, chairman of the AIA Committee on the Environment states: "Until recently, being green was something of a luxury, reserved for homeowners who had enough money to buy triple-pane argon-filled glass windows or wool wall-to-wall carpeting. But with the growing availability of less expensive green materials, this is no longer true. Sustainable design is a balancing act, a matter of concentrating the architect’s time and the client’s resources on choices that will do the most good. We’ve learned that a house... ...bie, 1995) In conclusion, the last twenty years have seen quite an improvement in the popularity and use of green architecture. Green architecture continues to grow as society begins to understand the importance of preserving the environment. Technology is improving, lowering the cost and increasing the quality of green building products. Professionals are working to set and implement standards for the quality of green products and buildings. All these factors seem to point to a promising future for green architecture. Works Cited Crosbie, Michael J. "A Maturing Green Architecture". Progressive Architecture.January 95 Talarico, Wendy. "The Nature of Green Architecture". Architectural Record. April 98. Volume 186 Issue 4. Green Architecture In the 21st Century. Residential Environmental Design Featured Article. http://www.reddawnb.com/featart11.html

Why did the standard of medical treatment improve so rapidly during the Twentieth century?

There are many reasons as to why the standard of medical treatment improved so rapidly during the twentieth century. But there were four main factors that triggered the diversion of medical treatment and those are war, government, technology and individuals. War played a big role in the improvement of standard of living, war was something that shouldn’t have happened due to millions of deaths but it did trigger a spark, a sudden development of treatment in order to save lives of soldiers quickly before they died. World war one and world war two are just to name a few and in world war 1 in particularly soldiers had lost a lot of blood and as a result died of blood loss. As a result of the loss of lives for this specific reason, blood transfusion was developed. There were many shell shocks where soldiers were traumatized by the event and so psychology was soon developed where doctors specialised in physiotherapy to help soldiers go through the traumas and stress of the world war. Furthermore through gun shots, many had faced terrible injuries where they lost limbs and so prosthetic limbs were developed and this resulted in soldiers being able to walk again like they previously could. World war two also came as a great shock and as this had happened later after the 1st world war there were developments in nuclear weapons and other substances that can be used against their enemy. Aeroplanes were now used to drop the nuclear bombs at opponent but in the plane itself is a different story where while in air, pilots are burnt to death due to the fuels. Many sadly die however there is a minority that survive but have burnt or damaged skin that are permanently damaged and for this plastic sugary was developed. This helped soldiers fix up their face till you could not even tell their face or body was damaged in the first place. Due to the sudden wars and demand for medical care, many realised in the process that there were no enough hospitals and so more hospitals were built for medical care. There was the government who also played a role in the development of medicine too because without the government it would have not enforced the public and therefore people would’ve done what they wanted. The government is n charge of finance and to fund medication for when medicine is prescribed from the GP to just getting normal tablets like paracetamol. But government is the one that controls the legalisation system where there make a law to have a vaccine done for example or else you would get a fine so it makes it compulsory to get the vaccine in safety for the nation. It means that everyone needs to have the vaccine. Furthermore it is the government which funded the starting of the NHS, the national health system. This was a beneficial system for every one of all ages as it made a great difference as most of what you need like medication is given for free. Previously you would also have to pay the GP however this wasn’t the case anymore and you would only need to pay for prescription which only cost a few pounds. In the case of undergoing an operation, that too would be free so it was a great help to everyone. However in order to fund the NHS, national insurance was paid from every person who’s employed where before they receive the wage, the national insurance would be subtracted from the wage. Between 1948 and 1949, ?373 million was spent on NHS, this is a quite a large figure so the government is taking in charge of a big service in welfare of the public health.

Case Study †Operations Management Essay

1.0 INTRODUCTION Operations management is defined as â€Å"the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver products and services† (Slack et al. 2010 p4). This encompasses the entire activity carried out within the organization. With increasing pressure on organizations to deliver optimally at reduced cost, the role of operations has been transformed from that of strategy implementer to one of strategy driver. Operations strategy looks at the patterns of strategic decisions and actions in a bid to set the roles, objectives and activities of the operations (Slack et al. 2010). An understanding of these strategies is important in ensuring that organizations are well aware of the requirements needed to meet the corporate objectives set about by management. The report looks at a case study of Concept design services (CDS); a product based manufacturing company looking to break into service operations. It seeks to identify current strategy types evidenced in the organization and the role operations play in the implementation of this strategies. Also considered is the relationship between the core functions highlighting possible conflicts, current practices and perceived strengths and weaknesses. Issues such as servitization and growth strategies are considered in relation to the companies push for development in line with its desire to become a service provider. An analysis of the impact it will have on the company’s manufacturing and service departments is also considered. Finally, recommendations that will ensure operations develop with the new growth plan is presented to management. 2.0 STRATEGIES IN CONCEPT DESIGN Within CDS, there is evidence of an amalgamation of strategies. With a diversification of the company’s portfolio, the corporate strategy of the organization had to be reflecting the changing scenario of the business environment. To identify the different strategy types within CDS, there is first a need to understand what strategy is. Strategy can be defined has â€Å"the total pattern of decisions and actions that  position the organization in its environment and that are intended to achieve its long-term goals† (Slack et al. 2010 P79). Strategy has also been described as the long term direction an organization intends to go (Johnson et al. 2011). In achieving an over arching strategy, three levels of strategies have to be considered; corporate level, business level and operational level. The formulation of these strategies will determine how the different organizational strategies will interact with one another (Zanon et al. 2013) While corporate level strategy deals with the overall purpose and scope of an organization such as where to locate the business, what type of business to engage in; business level strategy is more concerned with the various ways the business can compete successfully against other competitors in its segment. Functional strategy looks at ways in which individual functions can contribute to the overall objective of the organization. Operations strategy is concerned with the strategic decision and actions that set roles, objectives and activities of the operations (Slack et al. 2010). It focuses more on how the different parts of the organization can deliver on set strategies through the management of resources, processes and people. Operations strategy’s primary role is to implement strategy, but with continuous business growth, operations is expected to support and drive the organizations strategy. This will see it contributing to the competitive advantage of the firm (Slack et al. 2010). This is aptly captured in Hayes and wheelwrights four stage model of operations contribution. Figure 1. Hayes and Wheelwrights four-stage model of operations contribution. Adapted from Slack et al. 2010 Slack et al. (2010), identified four different perspective to operations strategy; Top-down, bottom up, market requirement perspective and resource based perspective. He noted though that all four perspectives are required for proper understanding of operations strategy. Although the strategies employed by organizations may differ, it remains important to reconcile the needs of the market with operational resources  (Slack and Lewis 2008). Hence, it is important to analyse the process through which market needs are aligned with operational realities, thereby ensuring that operation can deliver what it is being asked of them and that this alignment will endure over time (Zanon et al. 2013). Evidenced in CDS operations is the implementation of two of the identified perspectives; Market requirement and Operations resource perspective. 2.1MARKET REQUIREMENT PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS A market requirement perspective focuses on what market position requires of operations (Slack et al. 2010). Its focus is not just on the industry, but it considers where the organization intends to compete as well as the nature of competition ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ (Lowson 2002). Hill (1985), suggested that to win orders in the market place, organizations operations strategy and the marketing strategy need to be in sync. CDS Marketing function identified a trend that seems to have worked for retailers in the decorative product industry. They realised the importance of fashion trends and its appeal to people. This market requirement led to the creation of a whole new industry. The need for premium, high quality household product characterised by the many different colour range became a market qualifying criteria that drove marketing’s strategy. This strategy was in line with the overall organizations strategy that saw a shift in the focus of its production of industrial injection-mould plastics to popular household items. In a bid to meet markets demand, supply services had to upscale its machineries by procuring additional large injection moulding machines to cater for the rapidly growing volume of products. Also, the design team had to be one step ahead of the competition by ensuring that they had a range of products that will keep customers engaged. Hence, the case study has shown that CDS have been able to develop its operations strategy by allowing operations meet the performance criteria required by the market (Slack et al. 2004). 2.2OPERATIONS RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS In the case of operation resource perspective or resource based view (RBV),  focus is on the organizations operation resources, competencies and capabilities (Lowson 2002). It focuses on the key strengths of the organization, looking at internal resources that cannot be purchased externally, thus providing the firm with competitive advantage through superior performance (Clulow et al. 2007; Fahey and Smithee 1999; Barney 1991). With operations-led, strategy is developed through sound understanding of current operational capabilities and an analysis of how it can be developed in the future (Slack et al. 2004). An understanding of the organizations strength will then influence the decision as to which markets should be considered for the deployment of current or future capabilities, and which competitors can pose a threat or can be taken advantage of (Hayes et al. 2005). CDS have clearly shown the strength of their operations over the years. Early experience gained from the manufacturing of industrial products have set them miles ahead of competition. This is evidenced in the quality of their product which drove sales to record highs and resulted in retail outlets signing up for the organizations product. The company prides itself on its technical abilities which has been achieved not just from years of experience but by investing in machineries. CDS have acquired latest precision equipment’s with the best quality moulds available. The technical knowledge of the employees also provides the company a unique advantage. Another area of operations that provides competitive advantage for the organization is its design expertise. CDS have in its employ professionally respected designers with the know-how of translating difficult technical designs into manufacturable saleable products. This has provided the organization leverage when dealing with design houses. The company is clearly leveraging on its operations resources, competencies and capabilities to obtain competitive advantage. 3.0AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CORE FUNCTIONS Within the context of any organization, there are 3 functions that must exist for the organization to realize its goals of meeting customers need. They are; 1) The marketing function 2) The product/service development function 3) The operations function The marketing function which also comprises of the sales unit is primarily responsible for communicating what product/services the organization has to offer to consumers in a bid to generate customers’ requests for the service. The product development functions’ responsibility is to create new and modified products and services in order to generate future customer request for services. And lastly, the operations function is responsible for fulfilling customers request for service through the production and delivery of products and services (Slack et al. 2010). The ability to effectively work with other functions in the organization is a key responsibility for the operation function (Slack et al. 2010; Zanon et al. 2013). Research as shown that in most organizations, different functions within the organization usually employ their own strategies to assist them in realizing their functional objectives. This unfortunately is a basis for corporate misunderstanding, inter-functional differences and rivalry (Hill 2005).While the objective of the operations function remains the production of goods and services whilst managing resources, it has to also manage its relationship with other functions of the organization. Due to the nature of its strategic importance, the operations function usually has conflicts with other functions. MARKETING In determining an organizations strategic objective, operations and marketing usually adopt different approaches. While marketing tends to emphasise improved service features that appeal to customers, operations focus more on efficiency and cost control (Nie and Young 1997). Erickson (2010), stated that the main reason operations and marketing functions in an organization have conflict is due to their perceived differing objectives. Largely, trade-offs are responsible for the conflicts between these functions as they attempt to balance competing priorities (Tang 2010). It is therefore important that organizations manage trade-offs in a manner that will ensure that they don’t compromise the over-arching organizational strategy for gaining competitive advantage. Zanon et al. (2013) in their research identified certain paradigm that organizations needed to implement for the  successful collaboration of the two functions. They argued that there is a need for alignment between market needs and operational realities. The objective here is to satisfy market needs while using appropriate operational resources and jointly developing those resources so that the operations department can acquire new capabilities and provide the firm with sustainable competitive advantage. The marketing function at CDS have been able to effectively market/communicate the value of their products to the market, this is evidenced in the phenomenal growth of the company. Through innovation, extensive advertisement – both on TV and in illustrated magazines, they have been able to drive sales of CDS products. The function have successfully carved a niche market for the organization through the portrayal of its products has been â€Å"classy† and for the upwardly mobile individual. Product differentiation, design partnership and extensive research, combined with a marketing manager with lots of experience and autonomy working with an experienced, technically astute manufacturing department has resulted in the success of the CDS products. The function has also been able to market itself and the value it can give to design houses in Europe. Through its marketing activities, CDS is moving from being just a manufacturer of commodities to a provider of services. Despite the progress that have been recorded by CDS, there still seems to be a misalignment between the marketing and operation functions. With the success of CDS products and the continuous innovation drive of the organization, it would seem that the marketing function is failing to acknowledge the limitations of the company’s capacity. CDS have a problem with the storage of finished goods and this has impacted on the delivery of product availability from supply services. They are currently struggling to ensure that they meet SKU stocking levels. Another problem has been the issue of proper planning and effective forecasting by the marketing team. The seasonal nature of CDS products requires that the marketing function carries out comprehensive forecasting to try and anticipate demand. Currently, poor forecasting by the function is costing the organization. Supply services have to deal constantly with issues of utilization,  efficiency and growing scarp rates; this is as a result of ad-hoc requests for urgent production to meet with un-planned demand. To minimize wastage and ensure proper alignment, marketing and operations will have to network and collaborate better (Johansen and Riis 2005) to ensure that the over corporate objectives are met. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (NPD) â€Å"NPD is defined as the transformation of a market opportunity into a product available for sale, through a set of activities executed in a logical way, sequentially and concurrently† (Almeida and Miguel 2007). It allows organizations to gain competitive advantage, attract new customers, retain existing customers, and strengthen their ties with the distribution networks (Kotler and Keller 2006). Organizations that successfully introduce new products do so through a well-developed process that leads from creative designs to a successful launch of the product by focusing on satisfying specific customer needs (Chandra and Neelankavil 2008). The attainment of this task will require NPD to collaborate closely with both operations and marketing. NPD, in comparison to other functions is usually characterised by a high degree of uncertainty, risk and high cost to make changes to initial decisions made (Slack et al. 2010). For CDS, NPD is responsible for transforming designs from marketing into workable design moulds. Operations then ensure that the products from the mould are standardized and tested appropriately and efficiently. The moulds then have to be tested on the production machines. A great deal of inter-functional collaboration is required to ensure that proper scheduling is in place to enable NDP carry out testing without disrupting production. Getting this right is easier said. The reality is that there is usually a delay in getting the moulds from the suppliers in South Korea. This will then result in a need for an urgent test of the moulds. That said, CDSs’ NPD function are technically sound. They have managed to build for themselves a reputation of being able to overcome problems with designs regardless of its nature. The NPD function contributes to the organizations unique operations resource. 4.0 AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE OPERATION OF THE  MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CDS like most manufacturing organizations are starting to appreciate the intrinsic value of adopting servitization as a practice. Servitization have been described as the process of transforming manufacturers to compete through product-service systems rather than products alone (Baines et al. 2007). The rationale for this transition from ‘purely product’ to ‘product- service’ or ‘purely service’ can be viewed from three perspectives (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). They identified the reasons as; First, economic. Research has shown that substantial revenue can be generated from products with a long life cycle; also services in general have higher margins than products and services also provides a more stable source of revenue as they are resistant to the economic cycles that drive investment and equipment purchases. Secondly, there is pressure on organizations from customers demanding more services. This has led to firms adopting a narrow definition of core competencies while increasing their dependence on technology to help in their bid to specialize. Lastly, it is viewed as providing competitive advantage. The less visible a service is, and the more labour dependent it gets, the more the probability of imitation reduces (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Manufacturing has long moved beyond production alone and a combination of both products and service business model are now generally accepted as playing a key role in the success of any modern business (Baines et al. 2014). Companies that have adopted the concept of servitization will probably not follow the product-service classification, but will instead seek to distinguish on the basis of the value proposition with their customers (Baines and Lightfoot 2013). This is the case in CDS, where the company have had to adopt differing service model while dealing with the design houses and retailer service market. While the design houses have adopted a proposition that sees both companies working together – that is the customer wants the company to work with them (Baines et al. 2014), the retailers on the other hand, are happy to leave the management of the entire operation to CDS. Baines et al. (2014) have identified this differing forms of proposition has been ‘base’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘advanced services’. The relationship between the retailer services market and CDS can be classified as advanced. This categorization of product-service offering is centred on  the idea that due to the competencies of the company, maintenance and workability of the operations should be managed by the provider of the service. A feature of this type of offering includes customer support agreements, risk and reward sharing contract, and revenue through use contact (Baines and Lightfoot 2013). To meet with demand, and ensure that customer’s needs are met in terms of product availability, CDS will have to increase its production lines and increase holding capacity. Storage facilities will have to be located closer to the location of their customers. Localised facilities will ensure that store replenishment lead times are reduced. CDS will also have to invest in ICT. Setting up an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system will help connect the stores database with that of CDS. That way, they can easily track inventory levels and are able to respond in a proactive manner. Also, Oliva and Kallenberg (2003) argued that a good practice will be to set up a new service department whose focus will be to drive and improve performance objectives. The consolidation of the service offered is usually accompanied by a strong initiative to improve the efficiency, quality and delivery time of the services provided, and the creation of additional services to supplement the service offering. The consolidation of services also comes with the development of a monitoring system to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the service delivery. This monitoring system allows managers realize the size of the service market and account for services’ contribution to the firm’s operations (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Internally, these changes create the transparency of numbers needed to get a clear sense of direction and to monitor the success or failure of executed changes (Oliva and Kallenberg 2003). Externally, the improvement of quality will establish CDS as a reputable service provider among its clients. CDS has seen steady and continuous growth over the years, albeit its focus had been centred on a single product type. With the recent direction of the organization, there are real concerns surrounding it rapid growth and its diversification into services. Southard and Swenseth (2003) identified certain issues that evolving organizations encounter due to rapid growth, they include bottle-necks, back-orders, and decreased profits despite increased sales. Some of these issues are evidenced in CDS. The rapid growth  of the organization has resulted in capacity related issues. There is one in every twelve chances of a product not being available, continuous scheduling disruption due to demand surpassing supply and the popularity of its product and wide acceptance usually leads to stock outs. The manufacturing function seems to be stretched to the limit with support services equally struggling. It would seem that the organization is currently unprepared for the changes. 5.0RECOMMENDATION TO MANAGEMENT In line with the company’s objective for growth, it has become imperative to address the operational issues that can hinder the organizations growth strategy. Using the product/service lifecycle to analyse the organizations current operations, it is obvious that the transition from being a purely product based manufacturing company to a product-service based organization is still in the infancy state. This is characterised by uncertainty as customer’s needs are not well understood. Hence, operations management will be required to develop flexibility to cope with any changes and be able to give the product/service performance that will ensure quality is maintained (Slack et al. 2010). Other issues to be considered by management includes; the issue of capacity management. To meet with the demand of the market and its growth strategy, CDS will be required to get more warehouses and hold more inventories. The plastic business is clearly one of volume; hence CDS has to ensure that it maintains its status of been a reliable supplier. It also has to effectively operationalize it marketing strategy. The company is currently plagued by poor forecasting and planning. There is a need to upscale the competencies of the sales representatives. This will enable them gather appropriate data that can then be fed into the organizations planning to help reduce scheduling related issues, stock outs and disruptions. Also required is an alignment between the strategies of the core functions. Regular business meetings, where issues relating to each function get tabled will help build better understanding among the different functions. REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY ALMEIDA, L.F. and MIGUEL, P., 2007. 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Demand for Computers essays

Demand for Computers essays The Computer Market is made up of hundreds of different businesses producing different computer parts. Companies such as NVIDIA and ATI manufacture Video Cards which are able to produce 3D images. Seagate and Western Digital are making faster and larger Hard Disk Drives. Advanced Micro Devices Incorporated, AMD for short, and Intel Corporation, the two major Microprocessor manufacturers have recently released their latest batch of CPUs. The latest are the 2200 MHz P4 and the Athlon XP 2100+. Each gives us more processing power far beyond our current Microsoft office requirements. Then why would anyone consider buying one of these microprocessors? Demand for computers changes with the needs of the people. Fashions change and people might start looking for system stability or for customizability. For example in the 70s when computers were emerging the major companies were Apple, Tandy, Texas Instruments, Commodore and Amiga. Apple products were the most popular because of there performance and reliability. Later the other microprocessors improved and just about any computer could be used for word processing and spreadsheets. After this the competitive advantage went to companies who used IBM products. Later there were clones from Compaq, Packard Bell, Toshiba and many others. Then it shifted to dependability for parts and services and firms like IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard commanded price premiums. In the 90s the computer market completely shifted and emphasized customizability and companies like Dell rocketed to the top tiers of the computer industry. At the moment people are beginning to enter the digital realm. With the release of the Xbox, DVD, Plasma Television and Broad Band Communications many people want something that can give them a bit of everything and so performance has become a major issue in buying a computer. Compared to other domestic industries, the computer industry is unique. Every year, ...

illustrator essays

illustrator essays Eric Carle is an acclaimed creator of innovatively illustrated picture books for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has been translated into more than 30 languages and sold over eighteen million copies. Since the Caterpillar was published in 1969, Carle has illustrated and wrote more than seventy books, many of which were best sellers. Carle was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929 and later moved to Germany with his parents where he was educated and eventually graduated from the prestigious art school, the Akademie der bildenden Kunste. However, he had a dream to always return to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories. In 1952 with a well-developed portfolio, he returned to New York. There he found a job as a graphic designer in the promotion department of The New York Times. In the mid 1960s, Carle became the art director for an advertising agency. While there Bill Martin Jr. saw an ad of a red lobster that Carle had designed for an advertisement and was impressed enough to ask Carle to illustrate Martins book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? . This experience brought back memories of large sheets of paper, colorful paints, and fat brushes from his earlier school years. He was opened to something special that would change his life. This was the beginning of Eric Carles true career. Carle soon found that illustrating alone was not entirely satisfying and wanted to try writing as well. He began to make rough books of his ideas and stored them in a small cardboard box. When he illustrated an historical cookbook, the editor heard about his box of ideas and asked to see them. He submitted 1,2,3 to the Zoo. He then showed the editor a story about a worm that ate holes through the pages. This was how The Very Hungry Caterpillar was born. Almost without trying, Carle had become an author and illustrator of books for children. ...