Friday, December 27, 2019

Security, The Big Picture - 1410 Words

1. OBJECTIVE: Security, the big picture A secure â€Å"enterprise†, big or small, should have an approach to security that is comprehensive and end-to-end if it is to be effective. Most organizations do not have such policies and practices in place. There are some good reasons for this; security clearly comes at a cost. This cost can be measured not just in dollars, but also in complexity, time and efficiency. To make things secure, it is necessary to spend money, perform more procedures, and wait for these procedures to complete (or perhaps involve someone else). The reality is that true security programs are difficult to achieve. It is usually necessary to choose a schema that has a certain amount of â€Å"cost† and an understood amount of security coverage. (This is almost always less than â€Å"comprehensive and end to end†.) The point here is to make educated decisions for each aspect of an overall system and to consciously employ more or less in a calculated fashion. If one knows the areas that are less protected, one can at least monitor such areas to determine problems or breaches. 2. SCOPE: Knowing the network It is not possible to protect anything unless one clearly understands WHAT one wants to protect. Organizations of any size should have a set of documented resources, assets and systems. Each of these elements should have a relative value assigned in some manner as to their importance to the organization. Examples of things that should be considered areShow MoreRelatedLessons Learnt On Sony Entertainment Hacking1137 Words   |  5 Pagesattack faced by Sony Pictures Entertainment group. Before 2011 Sony company’s different businesses suffered more than 20 breaches (Elkind P.,2015). On April 2011 payments cards belonging to over 77 million users subscribed were leaked (Mansfield-Devine, 2011). There was also an another attack on August 2014 before the November attack which was not that successful (Afful-Dadzie E.et al.,2016). On Monday, Nov. 24— (Elkind P.,2015) the cyber-attack was carried out on Sony Pictures. Employees who loggedRead MoreEssay on Israeli-Palestini an Conflict and the Presidential Election1542 Words   |  7 PagesThe Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Presidential Election America has lost sight of the big picture. The war on terror is not going to be won through military endeavors or through appeals for international cooperation. Sure, those are both essential parts of combating terrorism, and Americans strive to achieve in both categories. However, this is not a war to simply meet indiscriminate aggression against aggression. This is neither a World War nor a Cold War. Only about one-thirdRead MoreCIS515 - Module05 Essay examples704 Words   |  3 Pagessoftware application. Technical architecture gives the overall picture of the application. Usually enterprise architect who understand the business and fluent in technology provide the important bridge between MIS and business. Technical architecture provides a blueprint schematic for developers to use when they are building or modifying a computer system. The technical architecture typically defines the communication networks, security, hardware, and software that are used by the applic ation. ThisRead MoreThe Big Data1153 Words   |  5 Pagescreate someone’s whole family tree? This is the type of scenario that represents the different facets of Big Data. What does it mean to say â€Å"big data†? Big Data is more than just massive amounts of data stored together. It is more than just data delivered or analyzed fast. Meta Group’s Doug Laney described it as data that has volume, velocity, and variety (2001). This is the 3 V’s of Big Data and is widely used to define it. Additions to this definition include other V’s, such as veracityRead MoreThe Driving Forces Of E Commerce For Asos1581 Words   |  7 Pagesan annual membership fee (Mintel, 2014). Besides, customers are of high possibility to consider shopping online as a risk of leaking their private information. 3.Technology development Nowadays, information technology is affecting retailing in a big scale. In that case, the retailers are becoming more profitable on account of IT investment (Dawson, 1996). Potentially, the amount of people who can get access to the mobile internet is twice as many as the amount of people who use their computerRead MoreBig Data And The Data991 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The term big data came into the picture to refer the big volumes of information’s both the companies and governments are storing. The data may be where we live, where we go, what we buy and what we say etc. all will be recorded and stored forever. More than 90% of data is generated in the past 2 years only and this volume is increasing day by day and doubling for every two years. In this world, the organizations are using the data generated by us and no one knows what they are doingRead MoreThe Cloud Storage Is Not A Safe Service1435 Words   |  6 Pagesexpectation of privacy with regard to electronic storage, i.e. cloud storage. The background of the problem under consideration is a scandal with American celebrities whose nude pictures were illegally stolen and published online on autumn 2014. In fact, they were stolen from the celebrities’ iPhones through iCloud service. A big scandal not only revealed a private life of famous US people, but also disclosed vulnerabi lity of Apple’s products and incompetency of their computer engineers. The evidenceRead MoreSurveillance During The United States1747 Words   |  7 Pagesbe talking about the 9-11 bombings which was a day that no one can forget and which shuck up the whole of America. I will examines the factors contributing to the escalation in surveillance and its effects after 9-11 and what is being done against security and stopping terrorism happening. Also I will be talking about the NSA and what they are doing to stop acts of terrorism from happening. Introduction What is Surveillance? Surveillance is an observation of a person or group of people. TheRead MoreTerrorism Is A Budding Problem1395 Words   |  6 PagesTerrorism is a budding problem in the present world. It has been a big issue since the events of 9/11. There are numerous terrorist organizations in the world today. Three of these organization are responsible for most of the terrorist attack today. These organizations are Al Qaeda, Taliban and ISIS. These organization orchestrate most of the attacks that happen today. According to New York Times, the numerous attacks that happened in Paris, that killed 130 people, Egypt, that killed 224 people andRead MoreHumanitarian intervention: Humanitarian intervention termed as the use of military power to600 Words   |  3 Pagesthe examples of Rwanda and Srebrenica symbolize the deficiency of response in the expression of killings, NATO’s military action was rendered as illegal. NATO action was ethically warranted however disrupted international law, as the United Nations Security Council had not lawful the military intervention. The violence and war crimes of state to state shaped the shocked humanitarian intervention which is against to humanity but powerful did this in the name of safeguarding civilians. The above examples

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Medea - Male And Female Perceptions Of The World Essay

Medea - Male And Female Perceptions Of The World Ask yourself this, Is this world biased against a particular gender? Do we mainly focus on womens issues or mens? What would your answer be? I bet most of you would say no, we arent biased at all. And, in many cases, that would be correct. But look at some of the other parts of the world where women aren?t allowed a say, they aren?t allowed to put their point of view forward even in our own society. They aren?t allowed to know information until the male passes it on to them. This ?gap? between women and men is widest in these areas. This type of treatment was happening at the times of the great ancient Greek playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, and the controversial Euripides.†¦show more content†¦But Medea is also expected to understand that Jason wishes to get married to another woman in order for him to gain the power that he?d always wanted. She doesn?t understand this at all. All Medea expects from Jason is for him to love her. When men have more power than women, they expect more understanding from women. The play shows the views of both genders. The tutor, the messenger, Creon (king of Corinth), and Aegus (king of Athens) represent the male point of view. The nurse and the Chorus of Corinthian women represent the female point of view. Euripides intended to only have two voices representing the women to show that the women were less important than the men were. He has the views of a nurse, who is regarded as a servant, against the views of two kings, a teacher and a messenger. Who would people listen to? It would most likely be the men. They had more power being kings and educators. Who would listen to a servant who can?t stop talking? In spite of all of this, Medea had more power than any of the other characters in the play. Why is this? She has the willpower and the passion for revenge. She doesn?t think of what could have been, she just gets out there and does it. Medea is quite ahead of her time, she is almost ahead of our time too. Her ideas of speaking her mind and standing for her rights are things that some of us could only talk about today. Everybody thought she was out of her mind whenShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast Jason And Medea1148 Words   |  5 PagesSenecas Medea.† Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica, vol. 62, no. 2, 1999, pp. 107–121. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20546591. Accessed 12 Sept. 2017. This article explores the laws of marriage in Roman culture. While both Euripides and Seneca hold two of the most acclaimed versions, Laura Abrahamsen describes how Seneca’s version may be best suited in representing a Roman retelling of the legend and how the traditional social constructs may have added to a negative perception of Medea. Ackah,Read MoreMedea - the Abandonment of Gender Roles Essay823 Words   |  4 PagesIn Euripides Medea, the protagonist abandoned the gender roles of ancient Greek society. Medea defied perceptions of gender by exhibiting both male and female tendencies. She was able to detach herself from her womanly emotions at times and perform acts that society did not see women capable of doing. However, Medea did not fully abandon her role as a woman and did express many female emotions throughout the play. br brIn ancient Greek society, murder was not commonly associated with womenRead MoreAn Analysis Of Wuthering Heights 1688 Words   |  7 Pages The role of women in the world of literature has typically taken a back seat to that of men. However, the women in the stories of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Medea by Euripides don’t easily compromise to the bidding of their male counterparts. In both stories, before any female took the initiative to go against a male indiv idual, women were oppressed, influenced, and culturally subjected by the actions of the male populace. There is a clear and distinct mistreatment of women in theRead MoreThe Call Of The Wild : The Motif Of Animal Imagery1611 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Call Of The Wild†: The motif of animal imagery in the play Medea Animals: a species that have adapted to our ways of life, creatures of comfort, and figures of impotence. However animals also have a wild behaviors, an inner beast that they use to establish their own form of dominance. The theme of animals is as essential to the text as the spots of the cheetah, within the play, Medea written by the greek tragedian Euripides, he repeatedly uses animal imagery to stoutly betoken the strengthRead MoreAnalysis Of Medea And All My Sons 1974 Words   |  8 PagesThe literary pieces that I chose for my Final Project, I am the classic play written by Euripides, Medea by Euripides constructed in 431 B.C. and All My Sons written by Arthur Miller in 1947. The propose of this paper is to analyze the classical work of Medea and the contemporary work, All My Sons, for their particular storytelling components, themes and the assessment and narrative choices that the authors utilized as it connects to the literary convention of their time period. In addition, I willRead MoreThe Power Of Myth Debuted On Pbs2126 Words   |  9 PagesBill Moyers THE POWER OF MYTH debuted on PBS. This six-part series of conversations with renowned scholar Joseph Campbell explored the enduring, universal themes expressed in mankind s oldest stories and examined their relevance for the modern world. Far from being lifeless, timeworn tales, Campbell told viewers, the ancient myths remain clues to the spiritual potentialities of human life. Eighteen years later, with FAITH REASON, Moyers and his guests continue to mine those potentialitiesRead MoreThe Media s Depiction Of Caricatures, Stereotypes, And Violence Of African Americans3353 Words   |  14 Pageswoman. The black mammy was portrayed as lacking all sexual and sensual qualities. The de-eroticism of mammy meant that the white wife -- and by extension, the white family, was safe† (Pilgrim, 2012). Historically, house slaves were young attractive females that the master of the house would rape. They showed the mammy as unattractive as a means to protect the mistress of the house and to show that she has no competition. Essentially, the mammy and the other caricatures were created to trick the AmericanRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 Pages  Stories  about  the  origins  and  actions  of  Greek  divinities  varied  widely,   depending,  for  example,  on  whether  the  tale  appeared  in  a  comedy,   tragedy,  or  epic  poem.  Greek   mythology  was  like  a  complex  and  rich  language,  in  which  the  Greeks  could  express  a  vast  range  of   perceptions  about  the  world.   A  Greek  city ­state  devoted  itself  to  a  particular  god  or  group  of  gods  in  whose  honor  it  built  temples.   The  temple  generally  housed  a  statue  of  the  god  or  gods.  The  Greeks  honored  the  city’s  gods  in   festivals  and  also  offered  sacrifices  to  the  gods

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Convicted Felons Should Not Be Allowed to Vote free essay sample

This essay discusses my reflection on whether or not felons should have the right to vote. A felon is defined as a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a crime punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison. A felony is a serious crime usually punishable by imprisonment or death. Convicted felons should not be allowed to vote. Many Americans were not allowed to vote these past elections. It wasn’t because they didn’t pay taxes or were mentally incompetent or underage. The reason why they can’t vote is because they are convicted felons. Once someone has committed a serious crime or felony, they have shown that they are not trustworthy enough to vote. Because they disobeyed the law, they should not have the obligation to vote. If one is sent to prison, they have agreed that most of their rights have been taken. We will write a custom essay sample on Convicted Felons Should Not Be Allowed to Vote or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Prison is meant to be a punishment and one of their punishments is their loss of freedom and democratic rights for their time of their sentence. Convicted felons have also demonstrated poor judgment and should not be trusted with a vote. The main point of a prison sentence to show the offender and society that criminal behavior results in loss of freedom and most of the rights that freedom has to offer. Therefore felons should not be allowed to vote. Although some people believe that felons should be allowed to vote at any circumstance but I believe that if they are felons they have already lost that opportunity because they have decided to make the choice to participate in criminal activities. If the felon is not willing to follow the law himself, then they should not demand the right to vote. In California, felons serving time in prison or county jail are denied their right to vote. According to The Sentencing Project, 5. 3 million Americans were unable to vote in 2008 due to a felony conviction. Unfortunately, statistics show that this number is expected to rise to 6 million. Convicted felons are in prison for a reason, they committed a crime that was of a serious nature, whether it be robbing a bank, killing someone, etc. We do not need these type of people to help make decisions to choose the nations leaders. They obviously could not make a decision governing their own lives, we should definitely not allow them to make those kind of decisions for the rest of us. I believe voting is not just a right but a responsibility. Although, people against the opportunities of felons, have made some good points, there is not enough evidence to hold up the argument that it is wrong to take away the right to vote from felons. The act of taking away the right to vote from felons and ex-felons is called Disenfranchisement. People that are in favor of disenfranchisement believe that those convicted of a crime have shown poor judgment therefore, proves them unfit to make good decisions when it comes to elections. Some believe that felon disenfranchisement laws also have a big racial impact because certain percent of population have their right to vote taken away more than others. It seems like a good point but voting requires certain minimum standards of and trustworthiness. Those who have committed serious crimes against their fellow citizens do not meet the standards of voting.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Cause And Effect Of Human Error In Air Safety Essays

The Cause And Effect Of Human Error In Air Safety BACKGROUND PAPER ON THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF HUMAN ERROR IN AIR SAFETY 1. On March 27 1977, an impatient pilot of a Boeing 747 failed to follow proper procedure and commenced a takeoff roll that collided with another B747; he killed 583 people. This incident, that took place in the Canary Islands, remains the world's deadliest air disaster (www:AirD). It also is a driving force to understand the ramifications of blatant human error and attempt to foresee and or prevent these types of accidents from happening in the future. The comprehensive study of the ?human factor?, in the history of air mishaps, can help reduce the loss of life and resources in the future of aviation. In this paper, I will present the mistakes made, the results of those mistakes and how they can be prevented. One of the toughest areas to deal with in the field of aviation mishaps is pilot error. 2. In the findings of many accident investigations, you will find in the sequence of events where the pilot/crew has made an error in judgment. These errors were proven to be the ultimate reason for the particular mishap. On 12 November 1996, a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin II-76TD failed to maintain an assigned altitude. After being given instructions, by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to descend to 14000 feet, the pilot never leveled off and continued to descend. The Ilyushin then collided with a Saudi Arabian Airlines B747 that was climbing to 13000 feet; 349 people perished. It is the deadliest mid-air collision in aviation history. A pilot, not following ATC instructions, caused this mishap. The pilot of the Saudi B747 was defenseless. The outcome, of mishaps like these, has resulted in new equipment being required on all commercial airliners operated within the United States. That equipment is called TCAS (Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System). It is an airborne radar system that alerts pilots of unreported aircraft, and in some cases, gives the pilot instructions to avoid the conflicting aircraft. This system has also reduced the amount of mishaps caused by failure of the ATC system. 3. Albeit a rare occurrence, ATC error has played a part in its share of aviation mishaps. On 1 February 1991, an LAX local controller cleared a USAir Boeing 737 (B-737) to land on runway 24L. She also cleared a Skywest Metroliner to taxi into position and hold midpoint down the runway, with the intention of clearing it for takeoff before the USAir jet landed. The controller never cleared the Metroliner for takeoff and, at night, it was virtually invisible to the USAir crew. Unfortunately, it was also invisible to the local controller. As the B-737 touched down, the crew noticed the aircraft on the runway and attempted to avoid it. However, the B-737 was traveling 140 knots and was unable to veer off the runway in time. Both aircraft were a total loss and 34 people died (www:AirD). It was determined by the National Transportation and Safety Board, that the primary cause of this accident was ?The failure of the local controller to maintain an awareness of the traffic situation? (NTSB REPORT:AAR-91/08). This mishap led to sweeping changes in procedures used for intersection departures at night. It also fueled the need for all major airports to become equipped with airport surface detection equipment (ASDE). This ?ground radar? can now be found at virtually all major domestic airports; proof positive that something good can be the result of a breakdown in the ?system?. However, even when pilots make the right decisions and ATC is ?keepin' em' separated?, it still can't make up for the un-foreseen dangers. 4. On 11 May 1996, Valujet 592, a McDonald Douglas DC-9 was in straight and level flight. Having just departed from Miami International Airport, nearing a final cruising altitude of approximately 25000 feet, the DC-9 burst into flames and plunged to a watery grave in the south Florida Everglades. Improperly packed oxygen generators, in the class D cargo area, ignited leading to a fire that burned through control cables and filled the cabin with smoke. ValuJet maintenance contractor, SabreTech, was criminally charged and found liable for placing the canisters aboard the aircraft (www:AirD).

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Product Process Matrix Essays

Product Process Matrix Essays Product Process Matrix Paper Product Process Matrix Paper The product-process matrix, developed by Hayes and Wheelwright in 1979 was designed to show the trade-offs in operations and marketing by linking product plans and process choices. The model is based on traditional trade-offs evident in a single manufacturing facility environment. The product-process matrix has been empirically tested, but improvements in operations flexibility by applying advanced technologies have caused many to question the models continued validity. In recent years, the environment has changed significantly, with manufacturing companies offering more product customization as they gain process flexibility. In addition, the model as originally developed, does not incorporate the supply chain perspective. New models are required that include the entire supply chain as well as the impact of developments in manufacturing. The operations strategy literature discusses the importance of defining the appropriate production process to support the competitive priorities specified in the business strategy. Building on the works of Skinner (1969) and Abemathy and Townsend (1975), this hierarchical structure was further analyzed by Hayes and Wheelwright as they looked at the relationships between marketing and operations. They suggested that there should be a link between product plans and process choice that supports the overall business strategy (Hayes and Wheelwright, 1979). Furthermore, they contended that firms operating on or close to the diagonal of the product-process matrix will outperform those that hold significantly off-diagonal positions (see Figure 1). Much of the operations strategy literature since then has supported their assertions, and many operations management texts use the model to describe process choice in manufacturing. More recently, research has been conducted to validate empirically whether firms actually link their process choice to product volume and customization and whether those decisions result in better performance. Safizadeh et al. (1996) in a study of 144 U. S. manufacturing plants, found that process choice was linked to product plans and competitive priorities and that there was some evidence of improved performance when they were well aligned. However, the authors recognized that some batch shops and continuous flow shops were able to increase their ability to customize products through lexible manufacturing systems and by using common parts and subassemblies. Their work suggests that as flexibility increases it may be possible to move away from the diagonal on the matrix and still be successful. The authors go on to suggest that flexibility is a complex phenomenon and the literature has gradually uncovered its multiple dimensions and their strategic implications. They also note that companies may appear to be off the line because product and process choices dont happen simultaneously. Companies may have partially implemented processes that would move them closer to the diagonal, but not have the processes completely in place. More work is required to determine the true relationship between process choice and product customization. About the same time, other researchers felt it was necessary to continue to validate the Hayes and Wheelwright model, given changes in manufacturing technology and practice. McDermott, Greis, and Fischer (1997) conducted an in-depth study of nine firms that made up 95% of the total U. S. market for portable electric tools. Through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and plant tours, they determined that new production technologies and practices enable firms to provide flexibility, responsiveness, and low-cost production at the same time. Their results suggested that the process-product trade-offs may have changed and that the Hayes and Wheelwright model may no longer be suitable for describing the environment in that particular industry. They proposed that models based on mass customization (Pine, Victor, and Boynton, 1993) and flexibility (Collins and Schmenner, 1992) may better capture current manufacturing practices. However, they suggested a need for additional research to provide a more prescriptive model for operations strategy. Significant advances in manufacturing and information technologies and changes in competitive priorities suggest that the Hayes and Wheelwright model should be revisited. One attempt to describe a new type of model, given the changes in business environments, is illustrated in Heim and Sinha (2001). They described electronic business-to-customer (B2C) operations and developed a framework in the form of a product-process matrix to explain elationships between electronic service products and service processes. While their model was not empirically tested, it did suggest that the product-process matrix had the potential to be useful as a planning tool in other business environments. A study by Ariss and Zhang (2002) provided some evidence that companies might achieve multiple competitive performances rather than settle for fewer priorities because of trade-offs. Their survey of 31 firms in the Detroit area supported the hypothesis that because of flexible process capabilities firms fall within a wide scope of the diagonal on the product-process matrix. While the sample was small, there was evidence that firms with a highly flexible process capability could perform well despite being off the diagonal. They suggested that flexible process capability is necessary to overcome the technological or economic constraints inherent in the product-process matrix. Matching Supply Chain Processes to Products While these more recent studies examine the appropriateness of the model regarding a firms ability to make process choices predicted by the matrix, they continue to look only at one firm and its process choices. Recent literature suggests that rather than firms competing with other firms, the new competition is supply chain to supply chain (Bhattacharya et al. , 1995; Whipple and Frankel, 2000; Rice and Hoppe, 2001). There is little disagreement among operations strategy researchers that the operations strategy should be aligned with the marketing strategy and support the companys overall strategy; hence, the relationship between product choice and process choice. Others might argue that the overall company strategy must support the supply chain strategy. This leads to the question: is there a relationship between a supply chains product characteristics and competitive priorities with the supply chain firms process choices? As Lee notes (2004, p. 108) Smart companies tailor supply chains to the nature of markets for products. Some researchers provide support for the suggestion that supply chain design should be based on the nature of demand for the product, i. e. , there must be a match between the type of product and the type of supply chain. Fischer (1997) divides products into two types, functional and innovative. Functional products are likely to be staples with stable predictable demand versus innovative products with short life cycles, many varieties, and volatile demand. For functional products, supply chains should be physically efficient and manufacturings focus should be on minimizing inventory and maintaining high average utilization rates. For innovative products, supply chains should have responsive processes, and manufacturing should focus on where to strategically place inventory and deploy excess buffer capacity to meet changes in demand. Fisher suggests that making these alignments will provide a competitive advantage. Lee further defined the characteristics of functional versus innovative products (2002). Functional products have low demand uncertainties, stable demand, long product life, low product variety, higher volume per stock keeping unit (SKU), along with other characteristics. Innovative products have high demand uncertainties, variable demand, short selling seasons, high product variety, low volume per SKU, along with other characteristics. He then defines four supply chain strategies to meet product demand. Efficient supply chains use scale economies and optimize capacity and distribution utilization. Risk-hedging supply chains use strategies to pool inventory and other resources to avoid supply disruption. Responsive supply chains have strategies that are responsive and flexible and use build-to-order and mass customization processes. Agile supply chains utilize strategies to be responsive and flexible but also pool inventory or capacity resources to meet unpredictable demand with minimal disruptions. As Lee states, Only those companies that build agile, adaptable and aligned supply chains get ahead of the competition (2004, p. 105). Determining how a supply chain can, or should be, improved to gain flexibility can be difficult. One proposition suggests that supply chain flexibility is affected by decisions or process choices inherent in the operations systems, logistics processes, the supply network, organizational design, and information systems of every firm within the supply chain for a given product (Lummus et al. , 2005). Evidence from this study reveals that practitioners recognize many different facets associated with supply chain flexibility but do not necessarily perceive differences between those in terms of greatest-to-least impact on flexibility. Childerhouse, Aitken, and Towill (2002) detail how an organization achieved focused processes in their demand (supply) chain through a case study of a major U. K. lighting company. Figure 2 describes their proposed model for the development of focused demand chain strategies. They suggest that the marketplace today has diverse requirements for alternative products, and no single demand chain can best service all these requirements. Through a review of literature, they identified five key product characteristics that influence the design of supply chain strategies. The characteristics included: duration of product life cycle, time window for product delivery, high versus low volume, variety in required product offerings, and variability in demand. From there, they documented the lighting companys efforts to identify customer requirements and realign their supply chain strategy to focus on specific demand requirements. The company focused its efforts on the supply chain activities of planning (choosing between material requirements planning [MRP] and pull system execution [kanban]), simplifying the ordering and communication between players in the chain and improving the new product design process. The company identified four focused demand chains, and over a four-year period transformed its supply chain in to a competitive, market-focused demand chain. Supply Chain Product-Process Matrix Building on the work of Hayes and Wheelwright, the product classification work of Fisher and Lee, and the focused supply chain discussion just outlined, it may be beneficial for companies to define a model that aligns product characteristics and processes across a supply chain. As supply chains compete with supply chains, companies within a supply chain must select processes consistent with end-customer value and competitive priorities. The purpose of this research is to propose a model that may be used by companies when making product and process decisions across a supply chain. There is clearly support for the product-process matrix, i. e. , firms that operate on or near the diagonal will outperform those that are significantly off-diagonal. However, as noted, there is also some evidence that as companies adopt more flexible systems and identify inventory pooling strategies they may succeed despite operating further from the diagonal. If demand characteristics are important for defining the competitive priorities and process choice within a company, why wouldnt end-customer demand characteristics also be important for defining the process choices across a supply chain? The association between process choice and end-customer requirements across a supply chain has not been empirically tested. Therefore, the following proposition is suggested: Proposition 1: The competitive priorities and end-customer value with regard to a supply chains primary product line must be consistent with the supply chain firms process choices. While Proposition 1 suggests the importance of alignment, it does not imply that each company in the supply chain must have similar processes, or even that the processes would have similar capabilities (i. e. , speed, volume, changeover, etc. ). What is suggested is that regardless of where the company is positioned in the supply chain, the focus must be on end customer requirements. If end-customers require a variety of products with short lead times and variable volumes, each partner in the chain must be able to react quickly to provide different varieties and ramp production up or down. An end customer focused on low cost and consistent product in high volumes requires each partner to focus on streamlined production and efficient operations. How each partner meets the capability required by the end customer may differ, but the focus must be on what the supply chains end customer requires. As noted by both Lee and Fisher, there are key differences in the characteristics of products that affect supply chain design. Uncertainty surrounding the specific product design volume and delivery requirements increases the need for flexibility across the supply chain. Each firm within the supply-chain plan processes must understand end-customer value to maintain the flexibility required by all upstream partners. Types of uncertainty include: the need for differently defined product (make-to-order [MTO]), the desire to choose from an existing group of designs (options), the need for different volume requirements, and the need to design new products. End-product uncertainty suggests that entire supply chains must be adaptable. Therefore, the following is suggested: Proposition 2: End-customer product uncertainty characteristics increase the need for supply chain flexibility and influence process choice. As an example, consider the level of uncertainty associated with customer demand for fashion items, such as womens handbags. There is great uncertainty associated with how well any particular design might be accepted and eventually purchased by the end customer. Systems must be established to move product to the location with the greatest demand. Demand characteristics, including general market response and seasonality, may affect the sales or shelf-life of the product and, therefore, require a supply chain that can make adjustments in production, design, and raw materials. At the other end of the uncertainty spectrum resides a product like sugar. Stable demand and specific product characteristics allow for the development of a supply chain where minimal flexibility is required. These examples and the propositions offered suggest the need for a new model to define the relationship between processes and products across a supply chain. Successful supply chains will focus on end-customer demand and select the appropriate processes to match the demand characteristics. Figure 3 describes a proposed supply chain product-process matrix. The proposed supply chain matrix takes into account Lee and Fishers perspectives on end-product customer characteristics. The horizontal axis represents product uncertainty that can vary from a repetitive standard product to a highly variable product, where the customer wants to participate in the design or at a minimum wants a customized product. The horizontal axis represents the needed flexibility for the entire supply chain and ranges from the highly efficient supply chain to one that uses processes for specific customer requirements. Efficient supply chains can produce products in large quantities at a low cost and with short lead times. Responsive supply chains can respond to changes in customer requirements and produce a customized product in quantities as small as one. In Hayes and Wheelwrights original model (see Figure 1), they suggest that companies will be most successful when operating closely on the diagonal. While a particular location on the proposed matrix (see Figure 3) does not suggest particular processes for the firms in the supply chain, it does suggest the types of processes required across the supply chain. For example, the make-to-order clothing retailer must have processes that can gather size information, translate that information to drawings, and transfer the information quickly to the clothing manufacturer. The clothing manufacturer must have equipment that can interpret design requirements, quickly change from one size to another, and incorporate color and other choices. The textile manufacturer must stock or quickly produce the right color and thickness of material to match the particular customers needs. The entire supply chain must be able to react to customized design. At the opposite extreme are supply chains that produce a standard product in one or a very small number of options and are focused on efficient production throughout the supply chain. Many supply chains today are finding more and more customers requiring customized products. Companies currently mass producing products, such as shoes, are considering how to build a product specific to the customer. In this example, the customers foot measurements are translated into a custom-fit product. This movement from repetitive products to more mass-customized items suggests that supply chains in the future must be more responsive. Therefore, the following is suggested: Proposition 3: The goal of the supply chains firms, depending on the product and competitive environment is either to move up and to the left of the matrix without sacrificing efficiency and cost effectiveness or to move down and to the right without sacrificing flexibility and customization. Expectations for mass customization are certainly changing the competitive environment. This push requires that companies redesign processes to gain flexibility without increasing costs. As an example, a local cabinet manufacturing firm requested help redesigning a manufacturing process that would allow it to customize cabinets for product sold though a large home improvement chain. The push from the store was to provide reasonably priced custom cabinets to its customers. In addition, lead-time from order receipt to ship was very short. The manufacturing company set a rip-to-ship goal of 24 hours. The retail chain promised high sales volume. The company then needed to change its high-volume manufacturing processes in such a way that customization could occur without adding to costs-a move up and to the left on the supply chain product-process matrix (Figure 3). Results from this manufacturing change were expected not only to increase the companys ability to customize its high-volume products, but to also increase margins for its low-volume, highly-customized products as manufacturing process improvements were moved to its low-volume lines. For this product line, the improvement would be down and to the right of the matrix, improving costs without sacrificing flexibility and customization. The cabinet company example illustrates another issue in selecting processes within a specific company to match supply chain objectives. While the company aligned its processes to provide a customized, short lead-time product, it also provided a high-volume standard product. Many companies have multiple product lines with differing end-customer requirements. It may be necessary to provide diverging paths through a manufacturing process to accommodate multiple customer objectives, or to create secondary processes. Either way, the key issue is to focus on end-customer requirements and vary process choice to accommodate product variation. Companies often find themselves members of multiple supply chains and must plan processes accordingly. At the same time, companies make process choices that are unique from other companies choices and provide them distinctive capabilities. They make trade-offs in process choice, which allow them to satisfy a given range of customer needs. These decisions allow a broad range of customers with a variety of needs to be served by different companies with distinct capabilities. While this may limit one companys capability to serve some customers, it opens opportunities for others to serve that market. Conclusions Determining supply chain processes is not an isolated task and should be considered in relation to end-customer requirements and the competitive priorities of the entire supply chain. Hayes and Wheelwright concluded that, with their well-known product-process matrix, companies focusing on aligning processes with product requirements will be most successful. Today, as supply chains compete with supply chains, the entire supply chain must be focused on the end customer. Childerhouse et al. (2002, p. 687) summarized the perspective of a focused demand chain: The theory of focused demand chains is based on the premise that modern day marketplaces have diverse requirements for alternative products and services. No one demand chain strategy can best service all these requirements. Hence, focus is required to ensure demand chains are engineered to match customer requirements. This paper proposed revising the Hayes and Wheelwright model to incorporate a supply chain perspective. Future work is needed to apply these concepts across multiple companies and industries to validate the proposed model. Rather than looking only at the companys products and customer requirements, it is important to examine the role of end-customer product characteristics in the processes of all the firms that are partners in the supply chain. Supply chains have one role, which is to serve the end customer. Understanding that end customer should help firms set competitive priorities and establish processes to match end-customer demand. REFERENCES Abernathy, W. J. , and Townsend, P. L. (1975). Technology productivity and process change. Technical Forecasting and Social Change, 7, 379-396. Ariss, S. S. , and Zhang, Q. (2002). The impact of flexible process capability on the product-process matrix: An empirical examination. International Journal of Production Economics, 76, 135-45. Bhattacharya, A. K. , Coleman, J. L. , and Brace, G. (1995). Re-positioning the supplier: An SME perspective. Production Planning Control, 6, 218-226. Childerhouse, P. , Aitken J. and Towill, D. R. (2002). Analysis and design of focused demand chains. Journal of Operations Management, 20, 675-89. Fisher, M. (1997). What is the right supply chain for your product? Harvard Business Review, 75(2), 105-116. Hayes, R. H. , and Wheelwright, S. C. (1979). Link manufacturing process and product life cycles. Harvard Business Review, 57, 133-140. Heim, G. R. , and Sinha, K. K. (2001). A product-process matrix for electronic B2C operations: Implications for the delivery of customer value. Journal of Service Research, 3(4), 286-299. Lee, H. (2002). Aligning supply chain strategies with product uncertainties. California Management Review, 44(3), 105-118. Lee, H. L. 2004, October). The triple-a supply chain. Harvard Business Review, 102-112. Lummus, R. R. , Vokurka, R. J. , and Duclos, L. K. (2005). A delphi study on supply chain flexibility. International Journal of Production Research, 43(13), 2687-2708. McDermott, C. M. , Greis, N. P. , and Fischer, W. A. (1997). The diminishing utility of the product/process matrix: A study of the U. S. power tool industry. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 17(1), 65-84. Rice, J. B. , Jr. , and Hoppe, R. M. (2001). Supply chain vs. supply chain: The hype and the reality. Supply Chain Management Review, 5(5), 46-54. Safizadeh, M. H. , Ritzman, L. P. , Sharma, D. , and Wood, C. (1996). An empirical analysis of the product-process matrix. Management Science, 42 (11), 1576-1591. Skinner, W. (1969). Manufacturingmissing link in corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, 47(3), 136-145. Whipple, J. M. , and Frankel, R. (2000). Strategic alliance success factors. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 36(3), 21-28.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Using the Spanish Phrase A Pesar De

Using the Spanish Phrase A Pesar De A pesar de is one of the idioms that Spanish uses the most often to convey the idea of in spite of or despite. A related phrase, a pesar de que, is often translated as even though or even if. Grammatically, these phrases are known as terms of concession, meaning that they are used to diminish the importance of what follows. Pesar is the verb for to weigh, but that isnt important here because the phrases have meanings of their own. The difference between a pesar de and a pesar de que is that the former acts as a preposition in that it is followed by an object such as a noun or pronoun, while the latter is followed by a clause (a subject followed by a verb). Using A Pesar De For example, see how a pesar de is followed by an object in these sentences: El matrimonio es vlido a pesar del error ortà ³grafico. (The marriage is valid despite the spelling mistake.)A pesar de sus problemas, es fcil hablar con à ©l. (In spite of his problems, its easy to talk to him.)Einstein era mal alumno a pesar de su inteligencia. (Einstein was a poor student despite his intelligence.)A pesar de no estudiar, he aprobado el curso. (In spite of not studying, I have passed the course. Note that although estudiar is a verb, it can be an object because it is an infinitive functioning as a noun.)A pesar del voto de este domingo la decisià ³n final no est en manos de los puertorriqueà ±os. (Despite the vote this Sunday, the final decision isnt in the hands of Puerto Ricans.)Su sinceridad y su fortaleza, a pesar de sus dificultades, fueron una gran leccià ³n para mà ­. (Her sincerity and her strength of character, despite her difficulties, were a great lesson for me.) Using A Pesar De Que But a pesar de que is followed by a noun (or pronoun) with an accompanying verb. That verb should be in the subjunctive mood if the action of the sentence is hypothetical or has yet to occur. Me gusta el esquiar a pesar de que el equipo de esquà ­ es caro. (I like skiing even though ski gear is expensive.)Fuimos a la playa a pesar de que hacà ­a viento. (We went to the beach even though it was windy. Note that the subject of hacà ­a is implied rather than specified.)A pesar de que voy a clases de canto desde hace mucho tiempo, no puedo bailar. (Even though Ive been going to classes since a long time ago, I cant dance.)Casandra preferirà ­a vivir con su hermano a pesar de que à ©l sea pobre. (Casandra would prefer to live with her brother even if he is poor. Note that the subjunctive is used because of the hypothetical nature of the sentence.)No puedo ganar dinero a pesar de que vaya a cumplir 25 aà ±os en octubre. (He cant earn money even though he is going to be 25 years old in October. Note that the subjunctive of ir is used because because it refers to a future event.)Te extraà ±o a pesar de que estamos juntos. (I miss you even thought were together.) Common Phrases Using A Pesar De Two everyday phrases including a pesar de are shown in boldface in these sample sentences: A pesar de los pesares, la tormenta ya no es una amenaza. (In spite of everything, the storm still isnt a threat.)A pesar de todo seguimos adelante. (Despite everything, were continuing forward.) Two Related Phrases: Pese A, Pese A Que The phrases pese a and pese a que can be used in the same way as their longer counterparts: Pese a ello, la organizacià ³n de las elecciones sigue siendo un campo de disputa. (Despite this, the organization of elections keeps on being a field of dispute.)Dijo que pese a su fortuna, el dinero no es su principal motivacià ³n. (She said that despite her fortunate, money is not her principal motivation.)Pese a que estaba roto el aire acondicionado, estuvimos un buen rato allà ­ dentro. (Even though the air conditioning was broken, we were in there for a good while.)La habà ­a completamente olvidado, pese a que vi la pelà ­cula un millà ³n de veces. (I had completely forgotten the film, even though I had seen it a million times.)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

To Resist is to Live and March Forward. The world Won't Change Unless Essay

To Resist is to Live and March Forward. The world Won't Change Unless People Change It by Force - Essay Example Whatever the case be, anyone can picture the apprehension, confusion, and fright that a child would feel growing up right in the heart of rising tyrannical powers. Even at a young age, his disbelief and quizzical approach towards authority – leading possibly to his fascination for Marxism – were engrained deep in his mind through the early events of WWII. In addition to his apprehension and disbelief was the point that his mother was a Christian and his father was a Jew. It is perhaps difficult to know for sure whether or not Weiss was a survivor of the concentration camps, or how much weight he put into his half-Jewish legacy. This background can be tied up with the central theme of his play, revolution. Weiss, overtly and covertly raises the question in his play that what does true revolution mean? How does this revolution happen? And the most important question is; when revolution comes, is it through changing the society or through changing oneself? Subjects such as human suffering and class struggles have been beautifully woven into the play through poetic conversations between the characters. It would be fair to consider that when getting on with writing Marat/Sade, Weiss had sufficient memories (experienced by himself) and hard evidence on which the story could be constructed. Possibly the idea of writing a play that happened in an asylum and largely involved the patients was an eye-catching idea to Weiss simply for the reason that it was the substance he knew it like the back of his hand. This play should inspire the American audiences specifically because of America’s involvement in Iraq, especially in the light of the mayhems at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Bagram. The play, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, more commonly known as Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss was written in 1963. It is a play within a play. The picture portrayed is that of 1808, where the play is staged depicting Marque de Sade staging a play in the asylum in which he was held captive till his death. The play revolves around the debate between the ideas of Marque de Sade, the notorious philosopher and Jean Paul Marat. Many times during the play, Weiss mentions something that can be directly related to his early childhood traumas. For instance, one of the lead characters, Marat says; â€Å"People used to suffer everything / now they take their revenge† (21) This is a clear indication of the revenge and the fury trapped inside of Weiss. Most of the concentration camp survivors felt guilt that they were spared while their fellows were brutally murdered. This element of regret and more importantly, the feeling of resistance and fight back are evident in the play. The antihero (supposedly) of this play is Marquis de Sade and he has a completely different perspective as of Marat. Sade’s point of view in the play is somewha t passive. He says that revolutions and violent resistances are useless. He says that revolutions are bloody, violent, and cruel. Such movements are based on idealistic designs of a world that is picture of perfection. At the end of the day all that people can do in this "dog-eat-dog" place is dwindle the tyrannical system of the state, and make efforts only to survive. In Act II, Part 28 of the play, the character Sade says something demoralizing. He asks Marat to give up his struggle as if it will go in vain and