Postpartum Depression Essay -- Health Medicine Reseach Papers

postnatal Depression In 2001, Andrea Yates, a Texas mother, was accused of drowning her five children, (aged seven, five, three, two, and six months) in her bathtub. The thinker of a mother drowning all of her children puzzled the nation. Her attorney argued that it was Andrea Yates untreated postpartum feeling, which evolved into postpartum psychosis that caused her horrific actions (1) . He also argued that Andrea Yates suffered from postpartum notion after the consanguinity of her fourth child, and that she attempted suicide twice for this very disorder ((1)). What is postpartum depression, and how can it cause a mother to harm her very own children, fixation her behavior towards her children in a negative way? One in ten women experience postpartum depression ((2)), a condition that often goes undiagnosed, and occurs in women after childbirth. A dry land for the lack of diagnosis of postpartum depression is a milder, more common form of depression after childbirth, oft en know as the baby color. The baby blues occur in mothers three to five days after childbirth ((2)) , and may last for as little as a couple hours to a couple weeks ((4)). These symptoms include* mild sadness * tearfulness * anxiety * irritability, often for no clear reason * fluctuating moods * increased sensitivity * fatigue ((2)) The treatment for the baby blues are frequent naps, a proper diet, and plenty of support from partners, family, and friends ((3)). Generally, the baby blues subside without any sort of serious treatment. However, the baby blues may evolve into postpartum depression. One study discovered a link among postpartum depression and the baby blues out of the women that were diagnosed with postpartum depres... ...lso drop during childbirth, and thus may be a factor in postpartum depression ((4)). Consequently, ways to prevent another Andrea Yates from going too far is to treat postpartum depression seriously. Because the baby blues are so common, post partum depression and psychosis are often misdiagnosed as the baby blues, or even more frequently, not diagnosed at all. Thus, postpartum depression must be taken seriously.References1)Study whole caboodle Online What is Postpartum Depression?http//www.studyworksonline.com/cda/content/article/0,,NAV4-42_SAR1208,00.shtml2)Postpartum Depression and Caring for Your Babyhttp//kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/home/ppd_baby.html3) Postpartum Coping the Blues and Depressionhttp//www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ012434)Frequently Asked Questions about Postpartum Depression http//www.4woman.gov/

Religion and Heavy Music Essay -- Religion Music

Do you ever find yourself singing along to a stress but non really registering what it is you are singing? I recently caught myself doing scarce this, which led to the realization that in all the years I had listened to that song, the lyrics had neer sunk in. The situation song that I was listening to had one particular line that struck me, Cleanliness is Godliness, and Godliness is cleanliness, and God is empty just like me. (Corgan, 1995) erstwhile I sincerely heard this line I began to contemplate the religious communities thoughts and concerns regarding metal and alternative medical specialty, even the metal bands who are considered Christian. Music plays a actually large spot in religion and worship, inside and outside of the church. Within church, hymns and various eldritch songs are used as an emotional way to ascribe with God and for each one other. Spiritual music can also be used as a way for people to memorize scripture, particularly for junior children . Church music comes in many different forms, more or less have musical instruments, some use more modern music, some have choirs, some use tapes, and others just use the voices of the congregation. No matter what the form or style of music, it plays an integral role deep down churches. Outside of the church, people use spiritual music to emit their love and devotion. Every genre of music has a Christian sector, even metal or alternative. The varying modern genres of Christian music tend to court to a younger crowd and allows them to find their own way and express individualism within Christianity.The most stigmatized genre of music, particularly within the Christian religion, is metal and alternative music. There have been books written about metal music and the evil it represents, there hav... ...010, from http//www.demonhunter.net/main.phpHann, Michael. (2010). Prophetic and poetic in laudation of heavy metal. Guardian, Retrieved from http//www.guardian.co.uk/theguardi an/2010/aug/31/in-praise-of-heavy-metalCorgan , Billy (Composer). (1995). Zero Recorded by Smashing Pumpkins. On Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness Medium of recording CD Virgin Records.Priest says church can apprize from metal. (2010). Ultimate Guitar, Retrieved from http//www.ultimate-guitar.com/ intelligence operation/general_music_news/priest_says_church_can_learn_from_metal.htmlCimino, Richard, & Lattin, Don. (1997). Shopping for faith american religion in the new millennium. San Franciso, CA Jossey-Bass Inc.Raschke, C. A. (1990) Painted black From drug killings to heavy metal The appal true tarradiddle of how satanism is terrorizing our communities. Harper Row, San Francisco, CA. Religion and Heavy Music Essay -- Religion MusicDo you ever find yourself singing along to a song but not really registering what it is you are singing? I recently caught myself doing just this, which led to the realization that in all the years I had listened to that song, the lyrics had never sunk in. The particular song that I was listening to had one particular line that struck me, Cleanliness is Godliness, and Godliness is cleanliness, and God is empty just like me. (Corgan, 1995) Once I truly heard this line I began to contemplate the religious communities thoughts and concerns regarding metal and alternative music, even the metal bands who are considered Christian. Music plays a very large role in religion and worship, inside and outside of the church. Within church, hymns and various spiritual songs are used as an emotional way to connect with God and each other. Spiritual music can also be used as a way for people to memorize scripture, particularly for younger children. Church music comes in many different forms, some have musical instruments, some use more modern music, some have choirs, some use tapes, and others just use the voices of the congregation. No matter what the form or style of music, it plays an integral role within churches. O utside of the church, people use spiritual music to express their love and devotion. Every genre of music has a Christian sector, even metal or alternative. The varying modern genres of Christian music tend to appeal to a younger crowd and allows them to find their own way and express individualism within Christianity.The most stigmatized genre of music, particularly within the Christian religion, is metal and alternative music. There have been books written about metal music and the evil it represents, there hav... ...010, from http//www.demonhunter.net/main.phpHann, Michael. (2010). Prophetic and poetic in praise of heavy metal. Guardian, Retrieved from http//www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2010/aug/31/in-praise-of-heavy-metalCorgan , Billy (Composer). (1995). Zero Recorded by Smashing Pumpkins. On Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness Medium of recording CD Virgin Records.Priest says church can learn from metal. (2010). Ultimate Guitar, Retrieved from http//www.ultimate-guita r.com/news/general_music_news/priest_says_church_can_learn_from_metal.htmlCimino, Richard, & Lattin, Don. (1997). Shopping for faith american religion in the new millennium. San Franciso, CA Jossey-Bass Inc.Raschke, C. A. (1990) Painted black From drug killings to heavy metal The alarming true story of how satanism is terrorizing our communities. Harper Row, San Francisco, CA.

The University Should Extend the Add/Drop Period for Classes Essay

The University Should Extend the Add/Drop Period for ClassesIf there is champion thing Im good at, it is shopping. I find the best deals, make the most out of every shopping trip and generally derive great delight from the process. Unfortunately, State College students are only given a very short time to shop for our courses and even less time to return our books to the bookstore for the classes we dropped. The more(prenominal) classes you attend and professors you meet, the more educated your final decision will be at the end of add/drop. If you miss the first day of a Tuesday/thorium class, you will have to base your judgment of the class on a mere two lectures. I may be a good shopper, merely when it comes to classes, no one is that good. University of Southern California students are given tercet weeks to finalize their schedules without penalty. Students at MIT can drop a class up until three weeks before the END of the semester. If a student at State College dropped a cour se that late into the semester, the dreaded W for Withdrawn would appear on his or her transcript. The first tw...

Theraputic Hypothermia Essay -- Health Medicine Medical Essays Researc

Theraputic Hypothermia Hypothermia, defined as a core corpse temperature less than 95 F(35C) occurs when estrus loss exceeds the bodys heat production. (Ruffolo p.47) Thermal stability in humans depends on the bodys ability to adapt to changes in internal and external temperatures. Heat is transferred throughout tissues and fat, and is released at a rate directly related to the temperature of the environment through radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation.Hypothermia is typically seen as a bad thing however, various studies have beenproving it to be in truth useful. Traumatic brain injury initiates several metabolic processes that can exacerbate the injury. There is evidence that hypothermia may limit some of these deleterious metabolic responses. In a randomized controlled trial researchers compared the effect of moderate hypothermia and normhypothermia in 82 patients with inexorable closed head injuries (score of 3 to 7 on the Glasgow Coma Scale) The patients assign to hypothermia were cooled to 33 degrees C an average of 10 hours after injury, kept at 32 degrees to 33 degrees C for 24 hours, and then re-warmed. A specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation who was unaware of the treatment assignments evaluated the patients 3, 6, and 12 months later with the use of the Glasgow Outcome Scale. The demographic characteristics, causes, and severity of injury were similar in the hypothermia free radical and the normothermia groups. At 12 months 62% of the patients in the hypothermia group and 38% in the normothermia had good outcomes (moderate, mild, or no disabilities). The researchers concluded that Treatment with moderate hypothermia for 24hours in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and coma scores of 5 to 7 hastened neurological recovery and may have improved the outcome. (Marion et all)Two studies done (one in Australia and the other in Europe) showed the therapeutic value in survivors cardiac arrest. In the Australian study, w hich involved 77 patients who remained comatose after the restoration of spontaneous circulation, 49% of those treated with hypothermia were discharged home or into a rehabilitation facility compared to the 26% of those not treated with hypothermia. There were no significant differe... ...tion fluids, preparation solution, or baths can contribute to heat loss. Ruffolo Evaporation is the transfer of heat to the air from moist skin or mucous membranes. It occurs through wet skin, open body cavities and the respiratory tract. References (Works Cited)Ruffolo, Daria. www.rnweb.com. Vol. 65 No. 2. February 2002 Marion, DW et all. Treatment of traumatic brain injury with moderate hypothermia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Safar, Peter & Patrick Kochanek. Therapeutic Hypothermia by and by Cardiac Arrest. mod England Journal of Medicine, February 21, 2002 p.612-613Holzer, Michael. Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia To Improve The Neurologic Outcome After Cardiac Arrest. New England Jo urnal of Medicine, February 21, 2002 p.549Clifton, Guy et all. Lack of Effect of Induction of Hypothermia After Acute Brain Injury New England Journal of Medicine. February 22, 2002. p.556Rose, Victoria. Children Recover Faster Than Adults From Accidental Or Therapeutic Hypothermia. www.docguide.com. July 23, 2001Unknown Author, Reducing Brain Temperature May expediency At-Risk Newborns http//www.pslgroup.com/dg/4E73E.htm, December 17, 1997

Kennedy Controversy :: essays research papers

The Kennedy ControversyNovember 22, 1963, is a day that will forever live in the minds of those who lived that day, and fascinate younger generations to follow. On this attend in history one of Americas most prestigious, well-known and respected presidents was shot and killed by an assassins bullet. This single act move shock waves that paralyzed the country and other nations. Eyes were turned to the United States as everyone held his or her collective breath wondering what was going to happen next. Ike Pappas, a reporter for WNEW in New York, remembers being sent on assignment to Dallas, Texas, to cover the assassination events as they unfolded. Pappas describes his trip I ran downstairs, hailed a cab, gave the quat 20 dollars, and took then the most fantastic ride, one of the most fantastic taxi rides ever because if you will recall New York City was in a severalise of shock with the rest of the world, and the bridges were jammed. The telephonesyou could not make a callyou co uld not get out of the city, and I just kept giving this guy twenty dollar bills saying, Get there, man, anyway you can. We went over backyards, through laundry, piles of laundries, rushing out to the airport (119). The government even shutdown all transference and even closed the Mexican Border (Pappas 120). John Fitzgerald Kennedy, to many, seemed invincible because of his youth and aura of self-confidence (Ward 15). However, even the president knew how vulnerable he was. The night forward that infamous day Kennedy was quoted as saying, If anyone wants to shoot a president it is not a very difficult job. All one has to do is get on a high building and a telescope rifle and there is nothing anyone can do (Restin 40). Americas fascination with John F. Kennedys sudden death has led to many theories as to who really killed John Kennedy.Soon after the chaos from the assassination settled, the nation began to demand answers. On November 29, 1963, prexy Lyndon Johnson, who was sworn i n an hour and a half after Kennedy was pronounced dead, formed a special committee led by Chief nicety Earl Warren to make a thorough investigation into the assassination and report its findings. This report became known as the Warren Commission (The AssassinationAs the plan Unfolds 71). The Commission defined the indisputable facts of the case.

Animal Intelligence Essay -- Papers

Animal Intelligence Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge. Psychologists have victimized this concept in many ways to try and determine whether non-human animals atomic number 18 resourceful of intelligence. From social learning it is logical to assume that, since non-human animals are able to whatsoever(prenominal) acquire and use new behaviors, they must be intelligent in some way. Heyes stated that there are 6 types of behaviour which suggest intelligence. These are imitation, self-recognition, social relationship formation, role-taking, deception and perspective taking. These 6 behaviours are referred to as the theory of mind (ToM). Imitation is the ability to copy a nonhers behaviour, this may be because the behaviour is adaptive. Kawai (1965) studied Japanese macaques and found that due to one monkeys actions (Imo), a large amount of the macaque population acquired a useful behaviour in a 5-year period. Kawai account that Imo would wash her sweet potatoes before consumption, later other macaque monkeys showed the same behaviour. Kawai thus suggested that the rest of the monkeys had imitated Imos behaviour. Galef suggested that this behaviour was due to social learning. Given the time period, of 5 years, it is mathematical that other monkeys had learned this potato washing behaviour by themselves instead of imitating Imo. The observers in this experiment provided the sweet potatoes, and would pay more help to the monkeys that washed the potatoes. This attention would be a reinforcer of the behaviour causing other monkeys to copy it. Although there is not enough supportive evidence for imitation, some behaviours ca... ...ceive the trainer in white and pay attention to instructions given by the trainer in green. The chimpanzee successfully got the food most of the time. This supports the idea that non-human animals are capable of deceit. The characteristics of this behaviour are very like a conditioned behaviour. It is nearly impossible to say whether non-human animals are intelligent. Most studies, in this field of psychology, were carried out on primates, and it is thought that these animals are naturally superior. It seems most behaviour in the research discussed in this essay can be explained through association learning, therefore not actually a result of intelligence. It is difficult to falsify whether animals are intelligent or not because, although they are able to solve problems they only show some aspects to suggest ToM.

Animal Intelligence Essay -- Papers

Animal Intelligence Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire and take hold knowledge. Psychologists have exploited this concept in many ways to try and determine whether non-human animals argon capable of intelligence. From social learning it is logical to assume that, since non-human animals are able to both acquire and use new conducts, they must be intelligent in just about way. Heyes stated that there are 6 types of behaviour which suggest intelligence. These are imitation, self-recognition, social relationship formation, role-taking, deception and perspective taking. These 6 behaviours are referred to as the theory of mind (ToM). Imitation is the ability to copy anothers behaviour, this whitethorn be because the behaviour is adaptive. Kawai (1965) studied Japanese macaques and found that due to one monkeys actions (Imo), a large amount of the macaque population acquired a useful behaviour in a 5-year period. Kawai reported that Imo would wash her sweet potatoes before consumption, later other macaque monkeys showed the same behaviour. Kawai thus suggested that the rest of the monkeys had imitated Imos behaviour. Galef suggested that this behaviour was due to social learning. Given the sentence period, of 5 years, it is possible that other monkeys had learned this potato washing behaviour by themselves instead of imitating Imo. The observers in this experiment provided the sweet potatoes, and would pay more help to the monkeys that washed the potatoes. This attention would be a reinforcer of the behaviour causing other monkeys to copy it. Although there is not enough supportive evidence for imitation, some behaviours ca... ...ceive the trainer in white and pay attention to instructions given by the trainer in green. The chimpanzee successfully got the food most of the time. This supports the view that non-human animals are capable of deceit. The characteristics of this behaviour are very like a conditioned behaviour. It is nearly impossible to say whether non-human animals are intelligent. Most studies, in this force field of psychology, were carried out on primates, and it is thought that these animals are naturally superior. It seems most behaviour in the research discussed in this essay can be explained through tie-up learning, therefore not actually a result of intelligence. It is difficult to falsify whether animals are intelligent or not because, although they are able to solve problems they besides show some aspects to suggest ToM.

City of Glass Essay

At the close of the worlds first international conflict, society grappled for understanding in a world that no longer made sense. This desire for order and reason, led to the development of the investigator fiction genre and the transformation of dime novels into authoritative literary works. Paul Auster takes the formal elements of the brain-teaser genre, and inverts them completely in his post- advance(a) novel, metropolis of Glass. In this way, Auster uses his work to satirize the conventions of the past and draw attention to the ever-increasing chaos of the modern day.Daniel Quinn, is simply a hermit in a vibrant city, trying to erase any aspects of his previous life. He writes mystery novels for the same reason they were scripted in the 20s, because they correct a figment of order that is lacking in the world. Especially in a world that takes the life a teenage boy who hasnt seen much. Quinns desire to separate himself from who he was before he lost his family, leads him to adopt fragments of his character Max Work into his suffer personality. The tec is oneness who looks, who listens, who moves through the morass of objects and evens in search of the thought, the idea that allow pull all these things together and make sense of them. In effect, the writer and the scout are interchangeable (8). This connection to the fictional world he created, entraps Quinn in the world of the hush-hush investigator, as if he willed himself onto the ontological level Work inhabits.His unfitness to separate his personal life from his Work fostered the parasite that sucked the very life out of Quinn, forcing him to find host in a new identity. The traditional surreptitious eye embodied in Work is the hard-boiled tough guy who has all the keys to solving our problems. Leaving Quinn to be the ultimate puzzle that needs solving. By distorting the traditional convention of the problem solver and turning him into the problem, Auster begins to suggest that nonhing i n this world is actually certain or concrete.And that identity is really scarcely a figment of imagination, and the more your indulge your mind, the more your body begins to give way until, the more Quinn seemed to vanish, the more persistent Works presence in that world became (9). The mystery novel represents a world where the truth always conquers, Quinns attachment to this genre stems from his loss, and the more he re-focalizes his life, the less he has to throne with the reality of grief. Auster depicts mystery this way because it demonstrates the grand delusion of the hu opus race, the belief that there is reason in this world.Quinn as a detective does not represent order as many of his predecessors did, instead he embodies the chaos that is this world, and the lack of understanding that heightens with every new discovery and every interaction. By inverting the traditional private eye, Auster successfully shows the plight of man, the struggle to piece together the puzzle th at creates ones identity. Quinn is not a detective trying to finding meaning in the Stillman case, rather he is searching for understanding in his own life, a search that has no answers and leads no where, but to insanity.Legendary crime writer, Richard Knox, established a set of parameters for the detective genre, stating that such a novel must have as its main interest the unraveling of a mystery a mystery whose elements are clearly presented to the endorser at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end. In every way, City of Glass contradicts this statement, and yet it is still considered to be a mystery fiction, which begs the question what are the post-modern parameters for this genre?City of Glass is a novel that opens with a mystery however, the more that is discovered and uncovered, the more the endpoint is obscured, until the conclusion is even more perplexing than any other part of the sto ry. Auster uses uncertainty and chance to disrupt the conventional ways of detective fiction. When Quinn is caught between the two potential Stillmans in station, there was no way to know for certain which one was the right one, and it is not until late in the story that the question is answered, but by that time, its not even a question.Quinn had accepted what he saw and did as fact, which goes against the key event he expresses in a detective story. In a good mystery there is nothing wasted, no sentence, no word that is not real (9). This type of detail-orientated thinking is the first thing that goes in Austers novel. Although every sentence may hold the key to the mystery, Quinn and the reader begin to overlook these electric shaver details, accepting that nothing in life is ever certain, and that the traditional fluidity of this genre no longer holds stock in this story.Auster is constantly using his own plot twists and minor details to prove that in the end, nothing exists but chance. Auster purposefully leaves pieces of the story open, to contradict Knoxs definition of mystery. The lack of conclusion with regards to how the Stillmans got Quinns number, what happened to Peter and Virginia, the connection to Auster (character and author), and the narrators role in the whole novel, is unsatisfactory and rather uncharacteristic of a mystery.There were moments when the text was troublesome to decipher, but I have done my best with it and have refrained from any interpretation. The red notebook, of course, is only half the story, as any sensitive reader will understand (158). We never get the other half of the story though, which leaves the possibility that Quinn/Wilson/Work/Auster/Dark is just a crazy man who loses himself in a quest to find rational explaination, but for the sake for faith in the narrative, its better to believe that the story is not just some random mans mumblings.However taking into account Quinns role in the novel, and the role his n otebook plays, the inability to separate the informational source from this deluded main character unravels the reliableness that should be present in a crime fiction. Austers intentions were to challenge convention, to prove that no world is as open and shut as a Phillip Marlowe case, to prove that in reality, life is a series of chance happenings that shape identity and action, down to the very last word.Austers depictions of the neo-detective fiction are all in an attempt to change the perception of the need for a restoring order. He uses a character that contradicts the traditional private eye, to demonstrate how the search for understanding is one that leads to insanity. The human world is naturally in state of entropy and Austers novel uses the conventions of mystery writing to satirize the search for greater reason.

Apple’s Inc. Operations Management Essay

orchard apple trees Inc. Operations ManagementIntroductionDefinitively, the landmark trading trading trading trading operations worry refers to the decisions, responsibilities and activities of managing the assets consecrate towards the manufacture and diffusion of a service or a ingathering. Successful companies be major(ip)ly dep residuument on interpreter of operation counselling engine room to facilitate the big changes and technological inquires of the world markets. The recitation of technology to influence the working pace of employees and to speed up consumer transactions in spite of appearance a byplay environment is vital in uplifting a union. All of these aspects are pegged on the day to day business operations within the confederacy. The focus of this busy report aims to highlight on the major and evident serve substantiallyes carried out in one of the most successful tech companies in the world, orchard apple tree Inc (Boyer & Verma, 2010).This company some(prenominal) offers an innovative and competitive edge within the global market. It is one of the highly efficient companies in the global technological sector given its year after(prenominal)wards year primary(prenominal)tenance of its consumer base and profit margins. The corporation endures to lead the tech industry by achieving the take a crap ons of its clients via its rapid innovation of natural or improvised convergences. almost of its products entail the award winning computer operating arranging applications like the iLife application, the Professional applications and the OS X (Boyer & Verma, 2010).The strategic operation steering policies at orchard apple tree Inc. have proven to be impeccable since its establishment in the year 1977. The apple Inc. companion has been committed to delivering the best quality services to the end users of its products by promoting a satisfactory user experience in their digital products. Throughout the course of t his report, the paper content will highlight on the major management and operation strategies underinterpreted by the company to assure the clients are always kept happy (Greasley, 2008).The business operation strategy in general admits expanding its distribution interlock within every country and its institutions. The institutions include administration markets, small to medium businesses, enterprises and the education sector. In order to maintain a high-quality purchasing experience for the companys products, the telephoner continues to make plans on the expansion schemes (OGrady, J. D.2009). These proposed systems are aimed at improving the distribution abilities of the company. The signifi passelt plan of action highlighted in the paper occupys the move taken towards the expansion of the number of the Apple Inc. participations retail stores worldwide.Current Operations StrategyThe consistent and constant introduction of hardware and software applications by the Apple In c. friendship has enabled it to maintain a large and change magnitude customer foundation. Not only does the Apple Inc. operate in the United States of America, but similarly in various international markets within the global market. The existing running(a) functions in the company generally depend on the factors the operating environment of the brass plane section, and they mainly include the political and economic elements within the environment of business operation (OGrady, J. D.2009).The main political factors affecting the operations of the Apple come with comprise issues regarding form _or_ system of government compliance in different countries like political instability. The economic factors affecting the business operations include the periodic changes in the value of the U.S dollar versus the local anesthetic currency. Nevertheless, the company has been able to maintain a stable shareholder return on investment within all its years of business (Kamauff, 2010). The key issues refer within the management operation strategies are discussed be first gear in detailOperations functionsThe operational functions within an organization define the unit roles or the organizational parts responsible for particular activities within the organization. The operational management functions identified at the Apple Company entail communication services and lose distribution of products to warranted suppliers and retailers (Linzmayer, 2004). The Apple Company has major distribution channels and production signal subsidiaries, for example, in the Asian continent mainly in China and Korea. The basic roles of the operations managers in the Apple Company are listed belowRoles of the Operations charabancThe significant roles assigned to operations managers in the Apple Company aid in streamlining business operations go maintaining the value of the company. The managers are also expected to practice and abide by the principles of management by conducting all business activities ethically, honestly and with full compliance (Nersesian, 2000). The company regulations require and anticipate the operation managers to accomplish the following responsibilities in the Apple Inc. Company to ensure brush up running of operationsMake PoliciesThe operations manager is obligated with the task of policy making and implementing them to conform to the Apple Companys mission stirments and vision. The operations manager ought to ensure that the set policies are effective in the business environment and that they are being put to proper use. virtually of the policies employed by operations managers at the Apple Company include examining the expected performance level for workers, the employee retention, the employee safety regulations, etc. Furthermore, the operation managers are also tasked with making sure the business follows all national government legalities and otherwise rules set by the company (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt, 2008).Solve ProblemsTh e operations manager works towards achieving the company objectives and subsequently presents project plans to improvise the business operations. The managers demonstrate their skills by means of facilitating decision-making strategies that crop organizational paradoxs related to business operations. The operations managers try to resolve different issues in the day to day operations of the Apple Company (Parker & Anderson, 2013).Some of the areas that require problem in the Apple Company include issues regarding the client retention, the matters concerning the delays in shipment, the customer satisfaction index and the quality of services. The operation managers possess the problem solving skills necessitated for attempt management within the Apple Company, which is why the managers are expected to be good at making fast decisions related to the Companys operational processes (Cooke, 2012).Manage FinanceThe management of the budget allocated for business operations is also vita l for an operations manager. The finances for operational be are nearly managed by the managers in order to ensure the business does not succumb to any losses. The Apple Corporation utilizes its financial resources to positively safeguard its day to day operations within all its major departments (Young, 2009). In order to track and optimize company spending, the managers are mandated to prepare periodical budget reports for the Apple Companys senior management.Operation managers are expected to maintain and successively collect selective entropyrmation regarding gross sales, grow the profit margins and reduce overall operational costs. plan of attack up with business forecasts that aid in next decision-making processes is vital in realizing efficient ways for handling the corporations operational costs (Cao & Zhang, 2013). The consistency in revenue generation and profit making is pegged on the managers ability to regulate the expenditure.Enable Communication (Company Repr esentative)The smooth flow of communication within the organization is vital to accomplish all the business processes. The communication between all the entities have-to doe with in the operational processes enables the company operations manager to successfully ensure delivery of services to both the suppliers and direct clients within the global market. The operations manager ought to ensure there is a consistent understanding and no miscommunication amid the top-level management and the employees (Mahadevan, 2010).Their responsibility is to ensure there is a good understand at all times so that the business operations are dealt with in the well(p) look. Therefore, resolve any misunderstandings and disputes at the earliest time are essential to run effective operations. Having exceptional interpersonal and communication skills is also appropriate for an operations manager. This enables them deal with people and treat them in a formal and ethical way.Manage LogisticsManaging the logistics within the Apple organization is a vital rent out for the operations managers. For instance, ensuring that the machinery used in product manufacture are up to the industry standards and the subsequent goods and services offered are of high quality. The operations managers analyze the current state of logistics in the Company and conclude whether there is any need for changes to be implemented (Nicols & Sanz, 2014).Human Resource ManagementHuman resource management is vital in selecting an appropriate employee base that maintains successive business operations that are profit making. All the elements of the business operation process are highly dependent on the specific roles for each specialized employee all the way down to the lowest wage bill within the company. The managers have the obligations to assign tasks to various employees within the organization. Employing new workers is also a major responsibility for the managers at the Apple Company.Process ManagementThe p rocess management forms the vital section of the operational activities within the business. A smooth management process ensures that goods and services are delivered to the clients. The business processes in Company involve manufactures or the producers, the wholesalers they supply the products to, the retailers, the consumers and most importantly the customer inquiry and feedback service.The manufacturers mainly deal with the intent and development of the products or specified service. The products include the hardware devices accompanied with software material. The Sales teams are tasked with running activities that promote the amount of product supply within the client base. The Apple Company majorly relies on wholesalers and retailers to supply and distribute the Companys products. The consumers additionally have access to an all-time available customer support in all time zones the Apple Company or its affiliates conduct business. The business operations processes are demons trated on process chart below. It highlights the main elements that support the Apple Company (Lashinsky, 2012).2008977337820Manufacturers/Producers0Manufacturers/ProducersProcess Chart2966484214290007581902590800075755525908005178056255935003912781255935020110452540Suppliers(Sales and Marketing Team)0Suppliers(Sales and Marketing Team)495935026098500-243205149860Retailers0Retailers421894095885Wholesalers0Wholesalers65170219849000516742319497500171132531750039127812489500064858624895000201492136830Consumers0Consumers296638168580002007899-7251Consumers Support0Consumers SupportCustomer service strategiesThe customer care place section of the company is vital to up intimidateing the image and social responsibility the company has towards its customers. The plans put in place within the business operations platform to support the customers compriseStaying Online This service allows the customers who include the individual clients, retailers and wholesalers to contact the Apple Suppor t team regarding any issues. The clients can submit online tickets or use self-service online chats that provide prompt feedback regarding various issues whether they are technical, logistics or even for educational purposes.Make Service Delivery a priority utilizing a well-trained custody to manage the customers always comes first for any organization. The Apple Company ensures that all of their working staff from the sales team, the online or phone customer service maintains a high level of courteous conduct when dealing with customers.Store collective Wisdom This strategy sets up a system that offers ready information for the support team to respond to the client complaints and inquiries. Information collection, recording and storage ensure the Apple Company maintains a database of client information regarding customer care. This ensures there is a constant flow of accurate information for the staff to use while dealing with customer complaints.Staff Empowerment This policy h as saved the company a lot of paper work and time for solving client problems. Streamlining the hierarchy or line authority within the operational sections of the Corporation has enabled the company frontline representatives to solve client problems. Empowering low level employees with ability to make certain decisions based on good judgment is good for the business (Nicols & Sanz, 2014).Client apprehensiveness The Apple Corporation has a simple Web-based customer recountingship management software (CRM) application that helps the support team interact with the customer. Having a database of client info affiliated with their Apple IDs ensures the management team understands the consumer behavior.Managing Client Relationships Retaining special treatment of the customers is vital for keeping up the Apple Companys image. This is achieved via reward programs that play customer loyalty. Establishing a track record of quality provision through identifying and gratifying valuable clie nts that use the companys products.Managing dexterity and demandManaging the depicted object and demand of the Company has been facilitated by the globalization of the Apple Companys operations. Globalization of sales enables the clients all nigh the world to access the services offered by the Apple Company. The constant demand held by the Apple products market gets its support from the multiple chain suppliers and the wholesale product sellers with the help with the production entities.The demand for Apple products is increasing especially in two large emerging markets, China and India where the demand for the latest iPhone 6 product went above 10 meg on the first weekend of release. The customer demand has to be predicted and the production demand satisfied on the manufacturing end. The Apple Company serves the worldwide market with slightly 437 Apple retail stores in 15 countries all over the world. Localization of production in places like china has enabled the company incr ease its productivity while maintaining a low cost labor force which saves on the any additional operational costs (Latif, Jaskani, Ilyas & Gulzar, 2014).Inventory managementThe Apple Company has a make grow Inventory management team. This can be seen from historic consistency on level of efficiency with the memorandum. This is also indicated by how long the company takes to sell through its entire inventory. The number of days it takes for inventory movement was average of 5.3 for the latest product unraveled in the market. This is very low compared to other high performing tech companies like Dell or HP which had 10.2 and 26.5 approximated days respectively to move inventory. The inventory turnover facts also support the incredibly efficient inventory system given high inventory turnover the company has over a small periods of time (Abraham, 2014).Scheduling operationsThe system put significantly helps the management keep track of the dales. The devices are designed and develope d in a high quality industrial and manufacturing companies which are in turn delivered to distribution channels and systems around the world. Scheduling operations are accomplished through job tracking all the involved facilities responsible for the delivery of the product to the consumer.The schedule operations involve activities in the production centers, the distribution channel, and the purchasing point outlets. The time frame and location of operations are also entailed in the scheduling plans to showcase the scheduling activities planned for the company. Forecasting demand and foreseeing sales levels are also vital to scheduling operations.Process abbreviation and improvementThe Apple Company is endlessly working to be on the forefront of cutting edge technology. That is why its process analysis and improvement environment continues to conduct research towards discovering new and innovative technology for the Apple Companys prospective clients (Cornelissen, 2014). The operat ions manager is expected to look into the various operating departments within the company and identify the specific areas that need improvement.The analysis conducted identified a few processes that limit companys operations. Some of the flaws that needed to be improved on included the periodic system failures in certain locations that threaten to impede the engineering and shipping of products. System failures may also hinder successful delivery of online services, financial reporting and processing of transactions. early(a) areas that need improvisation is the relationship management between the company and the retailers, the macroeconomic factors within the business environment which may lead to unforeseen fluctuation in sales if they are not positively addressed (Abraham, 2014).Purchasing and supplier managementThe Apple Company supply and purchasing model is majorly dependent on its dedicated client base which offers a steady market for the companys products. The companys mai n client foundation is vast which has made it feasible to supply a wide range of products consistently for a long period of time. The main operations involved in the company majorly entail the design and development of hardware and software applications.Lean Management within the OrganizationThis is a process within an organization that involves the efficient removal of waste from the entire aspects of the chance(a) operations. Where, the consideration of wastes involves the loss or use of resources that doesnt lead to product creation or service provision with regards to customers expectations (Cornelissen, 2014). Therefore, apple Corporation benefits much as there is increased efficiency in management. The purpose of adoption of lean management by Apple Inc. includes the need to increase customer responsiveness, to minimize production resource ineluctably and costs minimization, and to enhance quality of products hence increasing the firms competitiveness and profitability.Acc ording to Apples highlights of audits conducted in 2011 in the companys 2012 Supplier Responsibility Report, violations that occurred and corrective measures that occurred with their outsourcing supply chain and manufacturing representative is clearly illustrated. This shows the need for the firm and its subsidiaries to adopt lean management as part of their business. Lean management is implemented through application of numerous tools and methods that includeTotal Productive Maintenance5SJust-in-time merchandise/KanbanCellular Manufacturing/ One-piece Flow Production SystemsPre-Production Planning (3P)Six SigmaLean Enterprise Supplier NetworksKaizen rapid improvement processThe firms adoption of lean management is to achieve huge service and product quality at the minimum cost possible and at maximum customer responsiveness. This efficiency in management is attained through applications of objectives includingIncreasing the flexibility and velocity of manufacturingMinimizing serv ice and product resource requirements in the form of materials and capital invested. This reduces the costs of production allowing for the ease of alterations and mixing of products developed.Improving the initial quality of the productImplementation of lean management minimizes costs of operation with regards to resource allocations, equipment downtime, and rework thereby optimizing the production process.For instance, lean methods executing at Warner Robins U.S. send off Force Base in Georgia has minimized the continuance it takes for the overhaul of a C-5 transport plane from an approximate 360 days to 260 days. This has immense effect on the resource allocation for the Air Force since minimized maintenance time of 30% requires that a lower inventory of planes is kept. Therefore, this increases the aircrafts flying status by 10% as a result the total cost of the in-service target is greatly minimized (Cornelissen, 2014).Capacity Management within the organizationThe capacity r equirements for the company APPLE Inc. is defined by the short term and long term planning conducted by the organizations management. The planning process is important in determine how the needs are to be fulfilled. The companys capacity planning decisions are dependent on the market demands and the management aligns its materials, human, and financial resources. The evaluation of the companys capacity requirements is from two perspectives including short-term capacity strategies and long-term capacity strategies.Short-term capacity strategiesThe organizations managers every so often use the products demands to approximate the work load that the company can handle in the short-term since managers anticipate output requirements for various products and services within a short period of 12 months. Requirements comparison with the available resources is done to ascertain the particular capacity alterations that are necessary. The short-term business periods are characterized by unchang ed facilities hence making fundamental capacity to remain fixed within the period (Cousins, Lawson & Squire, 2006). The necessary alterations to the capacity is determined by whether the product can be stored as inventory, the conversion process is labor intensive or capital intensive.The processes, that are capital intensive, rely heavily on plant, physical facilities, and equipment. zealous operation of the organizations facilities can lead to the modification of the companys short-term capacity. On the other hand, labor intensive processes alterations only involve the hiring or laying off of employees or by allowing certain workers more time. A products duration in storage as inventory would cause shifts in strategies for capacity alterations. The short-term capacity strategies that might be utilize by the company includeBacklog this is a strategy applied during periods when the business is at its peak. Customers, who are willing, are requested by the company to wait for the fu lfillment of their orders at a much later date after the peak period.Inventories During the periods of slow business or slack periods, the company opts to stock up finished goods so as to meet the customers demands during peak periods of business.Level of utilisation the company would re-structure the employment level through hiring and firing of employees depending on the fluctuation of demands during peak periods.Training of Employees the companys employees are required to be taken through multi-skilled training so as to allow job rotation for the employees. These multi-skills earned from the training assists the management in selecting alternatives for the hiring opportunities.Process design Contents of the job are altered through redesigning the jobSubcontracting the company opts for subcontracting specific firms for temporary production of particular parts. This is a common process during peak hours.Long term capacity strategiesThe market dynamics and the rate of technology up take in recent time have made it difficult for APPLE Inc. and other companies in the industry alike to determine the long-term capacity. This is because of the uncertainties in technology and consumer demand trends. This long-term strategy application in capacity management faces immense risk and increased challenges. APPLEs recent unveiling of the new IPhone Series provides extensive leverage on the market to produce more products for the future and at a rate equal to consumer expectations (Heap, 2008).The long-term capacity necessities are determined by the companys product development, marketing plans, and the products action cycle. The entire output level of the firm involving numerous alterations to the organizations operation is accommodated by the long-term capacity planning process. Therefore, the firms management is responsible for the implementation and marketing the environmental assessment of the long-term capacity plans. However, the long-term capacity decisions may be affected by the followingPhasing in capacity a technology company such as APPLE Inc. faces the risk of increased rate obsolescence. Therefore, the industry requirement is that swift roll-out of products is essential to the firms success. The duration of facilities construction is lengthy compared to the rate of product development and commercialization thereby rendering the facilities incapable. However, the firm may apply functions such as phase in capacity on segmental basis. In addition, the company would employ an effective method of technological breakthrough capitalizing via committing men and funds towards facilities for a duration of 3-5 years. class of products for the company to increase its profitability it requires to produce a variety of products using the same facilities since this increases efficiency. Also, the manufacture of multiple products minimizes the risk of failure in the market and numerous products development increases the performance of capacity planners . Maximization of the firms capacity is achieved through proper scheduling as the different products have different life cycles.Phasing out capacity the production facilities that are out of date result is extreme plant and machinery downtime and closures. The phasing out of capacity is done in a manner that is environmentally friendly minimizing the negative impacts to the consumer population since the impacts of closure extend beyond the fixed costs of plants and machinery. This phasing out process also creates the opportunity for the firm to screen out employees to other job applications for an ongoing product development.APPLE Inc. needs to consider greatly the immense advantages that capacity planning and decisions offer the company thereby increasing operation efficiency. The benefits range fromThere is real impact felt by capacity decisions affect the ability of the firm to achieve its future demands for the services and products since capacity basically minimizes the rate o f possible output. Numerous opportunities would be capitalized on if the company has sufficient capacity to handle consumer demand.Operating costs are affected by capacity decisions since practically it is evident that the demand requirements and capacity are directly related. This means that a positive correlation existing between demand and capacity minimizes the costs of operation immensely. However, the actual demand and expected demand usually differs or cyclically varies thereby needing capacity decisions to assist in creation of balance of the costs of over and under capacity.Initial costs are majorly determined by the firms capacity. Normally, the costs are greater when the capacity of a robust unit is great.It is generally less expensive to modify or alter capacity decisions since they characteristically involve long-term resource allocation. This therefore limits the extent of major costs incurred.A firms competitiveness may be affected by the capacity decisions of the ma nagers. The availability of excess capacity in a firm or increasing capacity may act as barrier to entry or push other firms out of business in the industry by other firms. This increases its competitive advantage.Management greatly benefits from efficiency in capacity decisions as it increases ease of operation and fluidity between departments involved in the production process.ConclusionsThe outcomes from the above analysis of Apples Inc. operations processes, interesting subjects and complications show that the accomplishment of its supply chain processes is contingent on how well the managers chasten the supplier and customer relationship. This comprises of early supplier participation in innovative product development, proximal communication and supplier performance upgrading or sweetening via evaluation of the current system.In the close future, the mix of universal strategies to propel the company operations will certainly give Apple Inc. the improvement it needs to support s its consumers demands. The leadership strategy, the outsourcing strategy, the differentiation strategy and the customer-centered services are major areas identified within the operations management docket. Positively addressing these particular issues while maintaining a high quality service center at the same time is essential to the companys improvement objectives for products understandability especially for the software and hardware. Apples new products and services can be expected soon that would introduce a new model of technology on leading front. truthfulness in operations management is vital to enabling the smooth processes involved the Companys internal controls. Decisively, the manager has the role to help prevent or minimize any errors or fraud by detecting them at early stages before they turn into something that would alarm the senior management. It is worth noting that a control system, no matter how well designed and developed, can deliver only sensible, not absolu te, reassurance that the purposes or goals of the business operations are duly met.One other vital factor highlighted in the report content is the importance of maintaining fair action at law costs for the operational system. The system depicts resource constraints as a main feature in particular locations which hinders and limits sale of products to customers due to ignorance or lack of ready acceptance. The evaluation of internal controls within the operational platform of the Apple Company helps the managers predict and illustrate the future expectations of the business. The change in business conditions also poses a vital topic of how to evaluate the effectiveness of business controls in the future periods in the case there might be any risk involved.The Apple Company assesses the enactment of its functioning parts or subdivisions in relation to the operating income and the net sales. The Retail section overall sales are established on the sales made and retrieved from the Appl e Companys retail stores. On the other hand, the overall net transactions for the geographic divisions are commonly based on the setting of clienteles. The business operating income for every section comprises of the operating expenditure openly attributable to the each department related to business operations. Additionally, the overall net sales to third parties and the related cost of sales and other expenses for example, advertising expenditures are normally incorporated in the geographical area in which the expenses or operational costs are incurred.RecommendationsThe recommended approaches for the firm to take to improvise its operations would involve multiple departments or segments in the organization. The operating income for each section ignores other expenses and income which are managed outside the functioning segments. This ought to be looked at and be addressed. The first and foremost section is the communication sector, which has to be kept running at all times to ens ure the passage and exchange of information within the organization during operations.Since the Company deliberates the weakening in market share value of its in demand securities investment portfolio to be provisional in nature, the Company characteristically capitalizes in highly-rated securities. This policy usually restricts the amount of regular investors who can acquire stocks. The Companys investment plans require the shareholders to practice the highest form of activity performance with the chief objective of reducing the possible risk of principal loss. Other areas recommended for change includeThe shipping costs should be kept low for all the periods presented. The aggregates payable to clienteles linked to the shipping and handling cost of goods or services are usually categorized as revenue. Therefore, the Companys handling and shipping costs should be kept low to minimize operational expenses while maximizing profit returns. The warranty expense also forms an essential part of the Companys overall estimated cost for either a hardware or software component sold to clients. The warranties for most hardware and software applications ought to be assessed for adequacy with regards to the pre-existing warranty liabilities. This goes a long way in ensuring that the actual changes in future estimates and client experience are easily tracked.The operational costs incurred in software development and research of new application by the company also need be regulated. There are occasion where heavily funded research results into dead ends. Therefore, the development costs of PC software, to be leased, sold or else marketed, are highly exposed to capitalization by the company. This instigates when a products technological viability is recognized and proven then ends with the product availability to general clienteles. Consequently, expenses incurred following the accomplishment of a technological practicability are generally not important. The firm ought to lo ok into the spending on most software and application development prices and what effect they have on the returns anticipated from the finalized product or service.ReferencesBoyer, K. K., & Verma, R. (2010).Operations & Supply chain management for the 21st century. Mason, Ohio South-Western/Cengage Learning.Greasley, A. (2008).Operations management. Los Angeles SAGE Publications.OGrady, J. D. (2009).Apple Inc. Westport, Conn Greenwood Press.Linzmayer, O. W. (2004).Apple Confidential 2.0 The definitive history of the worlds most colorful company. San Francisco, Calif No Starch Press.Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E., & Hitt, M. A. (2008).Understanding business strategy Concepts and cases. Mason, OH South-Western Cengage Learning.Nersesian, R. L. (2000).Trends and tools for operations management An updated guide for executives and managers. Westport, Conn Quorum Books.Kamauff, J. W. (2010).Managers guide to operations management. New York McGraw-HillAnderson, M. A., Parker, G., & Ande rson, E. G. (2013).Operations management for dummies.Cooke, J. T. H. (2012).Operations management The art & science of making things happen what the business schools dont teach you to survive and flourish.Young, S. T. (2009).Essentials of operations management. Thousand Oaks Sage Publications.Cao, M., & Zhang, Q. (2013).Supply chain collaboration Roles of inter organizational systems, trust, and collaborative culture. London Springer.Cousins, P. D., Lawson, B., & Squire, B. (2006).Supply chain management theory and practice The emergence of an academic discipline?. Bradford, England Emerald Group Pub.Mahadevan, B. (2010).Operations management Theory and practice. Upper Saddle River Pearson.Heap, P. C. (2008).Globalization and summit reform An sample in international governance. New York Springer.Lashinsky, A. (2012).Inside Apple How Americas most admired-and secretive-company really works. New York Business Plus.Nicols Marn Ximnez, J., & J. Sanz, L. (2014). pecuniary decision-maki ng in a high-growth company the case of Apple incorporated.Management Decision,52(9), 1591-1610.Latif, M., Jaskani, J. H., Ilyas, T., Babar, Z. K., & Gulzar, H. (2014). Issues faced by Apple Inc in smart phones industry.International Journal of Accounting and pecuniary Reporting,4(2), Pages-50.Abraham, M. (2014). Five Leadership skills that made Steve Jobs transform Apple.Cornelissen, J. (2014).Corporate communication A guide to theory and practice. Sage.Source document

Functional Areas of Business Paper Essay

The role that one should play as a manager in the functional areas of human race resource management is making sure at bottom my organization that I focus on the recruitment of the best motioners they need in our organization success. I want to make sure that each person can work comfortable and safe environment. Human resource management it gives you three reasons why it is important. First, it can be a significant source of competitive advantages as various studies have concluded. Second, HRM is an important part of organizational strategies.Finally, the way organizations deal out their people has been found to significantly impact organizational performance (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 312-313). A manager in the functional area of human resource management is my certificate of indebtedness to ensure the organizational objectives are fulfilled. Strategic Planning is another functional area that I am interested in. As a manager my mathematical function is to achieve and clar ify the results of an organization. As a manager I must ensure that we work together in achieving the same goals. Strategic planning are plans that apply to the entire organization and establish the organizations overall goals (Robbins & Coulter, 2012, p. 207).Which I know that strategic planning is a process where I leave have to make choices and decisions to help develop the necessary approaches to achieving the organizational goals. Human resource management is very important to an organization. To help me with my statement I consider a peer reviewed denomination that had some interested things about human resource management and why it is important. According to the article the modern role of human resources management is recognized in the following range vernally defined aims which this scientific discipline, and practice as well, appoint as direction of relevance, redesigned processes by which it implements its activities and of course, new demands in the palette of manag erial competencies of its experts (urovi, 2012, p. 87).As a manager it is my duty to ensure the best for and organization. To fulfill these objectives it cannot be done alone we have to work together so we can reach those goals. Strategic planning is very important as well to a manager. I read another peer-reviewed article that I could relate and use for my own benefits. In this article, So good strategic planning is not about predicting the future, it is about shaping the future and develop the intellectual agility and alertness to recognize the future as it goes by in order to respond in a agile and appropriate panache ( Blatstein, 2012, p. 33). I know as a manager that both human resource management and strategic planning are both helpful within an organization. I cannot see why any manager would not use these functional areas too their organization advantage.Reference PageRobbins S.P., and Coulter, M. (2012). Management (11th ed.). Boston, MA assimilator Hall. urovi, M. (2012 ) Human Resources Management-Strategic Aspect. Management (1820-0222). Issue 62, p83-88. 6p. Blatstein, I. M. Summer (2012) Strategic Planning Predicting or Shaping the Future. Organization Development Journal, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p31-38. 8p. 3 Graphs.

Movies Afecting Indian Youth

One Stop for Colleges Education Cargoner ? ? Covers complete IITJEE/AIEEE syllabus ? ? ? Chemistry, Maths and Physics Sections ? Its Free ? Lessons, tests by IIT/NIT toppers 1000+ Questions and Sample tests Last molybdenum preparation and help Minglebox Engineering Prep Free Online Preparation for Engineering with Minglebox Engineering Prep. Cover basic concepts of under Section for Engineering Entrance examination Preparation with Study material, solved examples and tests prep ard by IIT/NIT toppers. 1 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. om Communication systems Electronic communication refers to the faithful transfer of informationor meaning (available in the form of electrical voltage and current)from one point to another point. Transmitter, transmission channel and receiver ar three basic unitsof a communication system. 2 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com Transducer Any device that converts one form ofenergy into another can be termed as a transducer. Signal Informa tion converted in electrical form and suitable for transmission is called a subscribe.Signals can be either analog or digital. Noise Noise refers to the unwanted symptoms that tend to jumble the transmission and moveing of put across signals in a communication system. Transmitter A transmitter marches the incoming mental object signal so as to induce it suitable for transmis sion through a channel and subsequent reception. Receiver A receiver extracts the desired message signals from the received signals at the channel output. Attenuation The button of strength of a signal while propagating through a medium is known as attenua tion.Amplification It is the process of increasing the amplitude (and consequently the strength) of a signal using an electronic circuit called the amplifier. 3 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com Range It is the largest distance between a source and a destination up to which the signal is received with sufficient strength. Bandwidth Bandwidth r efers to the frequency range over which an equipment operates or the portion of the spectrum occupied by the signal.Modulator At the transmitter, information contained in the low frequency message signal is superimposed on a high frequency expand, which acts as a carrier of the information. This process is known as modulation. As will be explained later, there are several types of modulation, abbreviated as AM, FM and PM. Demodulation The process of retrieval of information from the carrier wave at the receiver is termed demodulation. This is the reverse process of modulation. Repeater A repeater is a combination of a receiver and a transmitter.A repeater, picks up the signal from the transmitter, amplifies and retransmits it to the receiver sometimes with a change in carrier frequency. 4 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com Two important forms of communication system are Analog and Digital. The information to be transmitted is generally in continuous waveform for the former w hile for the latter it has only discrete or quantised levels. Every message signal occupies a range of frequencies. The bandwidth of a message signal refers to the band of frequencies, which are necessary for satisfactory transmission of the infor mation contained in the signal.Similarly, any practical communication system permits transmission of a range of frequencies only, which is referred to as the bandwidth of the system. Low frequencies cannot be transmitted to farsighted distances. Therefore, they are superimposed on a high frequency carrier signal by a process known as modulation. In modulation, some characteristic of the carrier signal like amplitude, frequency or phase varies in accordance with the modulating or message signal. Correspondingly , they are called Amplitude Modulated (AM), Frequency Modulated (FM) or Phase Modulated (PM) waves. 5Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com Pulse modulation could be separate as Pulse Amplitude Modulation(PAM), Pulse Duration Mo dulation (PDM) or Pulse Width Modulation(PWM) and Pulse Position Modulation (PPM). For transmission over long distances, signals are radiated into spaceusing devices called feelers. The radiated signals propagate aselectromagnetic waves and the mode of propagation is influenced bythe presence of the earth and its atmosphere. Near the surface of theearth, electromagnetic waves propagate as surface waves. Surface wavepropagation is useful up to a few MHz frequencies.Long distance communication between two points on the earth isachieved through reflection of e lectromagnetic waves by ionosphere. Such waves are called sky waves. Sky wave propagation takes place upto frequency of about 30 MHz. Above this frequency, electromagneticwaves essentially propagate as space waves. Space waves are used forline-of-sight communication and satellite communication. 6 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com If an antenna radiates electromagnetic waves from a height hT, thenthe range dT is given by v2RhT whereR is the radius of the earth.Amplitude spiel signal contains frequencies (? c ? m ), ? c and (? c +? m) Amplitude modulated waves can be produced by application of the message signal and the carrier wave to a non linear device, followed by a band pass filter. AM detection, which is the process of recovering the modulating signal from an AM waveform, is carried out using a rectifier and an gasbag detector. 7 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com Sample Examples A message signal of frequency 10 kHz and peak voltageof 10 volts is used to modulate a carrier of frequency 1 MHz and peakvoltage of 20 volts.Determine (a) modulation index, (b) the side bandsproduced. Solution (a) Modulation index =10/20 = 0. 5 (b) The side bands are at (1000+10 kHz)=1010 kHz and(1000 10 kHz) = 990 kHz. A transmitting antenna at the top of a tower has a height32 m and the height of the receiving antenna is 50 m. What is themaximum distance between them for satisfactory communication inLOS mode ? Given radius of earth 6. 4 ? 106 m. Solution = v2 *64*105*32 + v2 *64*105*50 = 64 ? 102 ? v10 + 8 ? 103 ? v10 m =144 ? 102 ? 10 m = 45. 5 km 8 Minglebox Engineering Prep Minglebox. com

Riordan Manufacturing Executive Report

Riordan Manuf runuring Executive Report Warren Buffet once said, Price is what you pay. honor is what you get. With a caller-up that has over five hundred employees, quatern locations worldwide, and $50 million in annual sales, placing the time apprise on the cheek is simple look at the bottom root and follow through the profit. This is the situation at Riordan Manufacturing where the price it paid to do seam was less than what it made, defining a behave protect in what Riordan provides.Riordans Sales and merchandising incision has a clear value $50 million is sales to intend of it. But how do we show the value for other departments within the governing such as Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) solutions? While the IS and IT costs and what Riordan pays for it atomic number 18 clear from looking at the financials, the value is non. This brings us to the question of what value does Riordan Manufacturing get emerge of its IS redevelopments and IT department. This question is the problem that Riordan Manufacturing has had for more years.Recently, Riordan executive counseling hired a bleak Chief Information Officer (CIO) to improve its infrastructure and to solve this question. While management wants to use to a greater extent IS and IT solutions finished appear the government activity, it has had trouble finding the perfect fit in all aspects of its operations. Even though IS and IT costs scram risen, the puzzle pieces still have not come together the value and benefit has not been clear to the partnership. As we allow for see throughout this check up on, it is fourth dimension to focus and find the value that technology and reading brings to the organization.It is time to find the efficiencies and savings that the company needs to clearly see the value. With Enterprise Resource plan (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), or Supply Chain Management (SCM) frames, there has got to be value in the way th ey atomic number 18 employ. There has as surface got to be value in using outside go such as Application Service Providers ( asps) than do-nothing ease realize and utilize the value of these governances. Finding the best way to utilize technology will allow Riordan to find the best value in the IS and IT departments.Business ashess analysis and passs Riordan Manufacturing prides itself on its public news report as the leading edge manufacturer of plastic injection moldings that is poleed by a powerful and innovative research and using team. However, internally, the organization is scathe greatly from severely outdated, labor-intensive, pencil and paper put to browsees in the sales and marketing departments. Additionally, the demarcation attend toes that ar automated atomic number 18 departmentalized suited for the use of a one job function or department.Existing automated processes be languish to the finance and accounting department as well as the inventory off ice of the manufacturing department. There is no connectivity between dusts, and worse, attempts to establish communications between similar clays across the organizations national and multinational locations have been fruitless. It is impossible for organization decision- suck uprs to have a clear idea of the inter shapeing of the organization and its financial health.Chief Operating Officer (COO), Hugh McCauley, has developed a comprehensive strategical direction for the organization decomposed into individual strategic initiatives and merely broken down into various programs that are the tariff of relevant departmental leaders to accomplish. Riordans COO has done an excellent job of initiating a strategic direction and smaller goals to ensure the organization maintains industry leader status, hardly the missing link that will truly drive each programs succeeder, is an information technology linkage.To remain ahead of competition and to transform into a more agile organiz ation, it is recommended that Riordans management evaluate the benefits of enterprise-wide information administrations. Enterprise-wide information body of ruless Organizations commonly implement enterprise-wide systems to improve access to information and as a result experience reverseth, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies. The benefits of enterprise-wide systems such as enterprise resource management (ERP), client relationship management (CRM), and depict chain management (SCM) directly align with Riordans strategic direction.Proper execution of instrument of these systems will add value to Riordans business sector enterprise model. However, enterprise-wide slayings are characterized by large investments and large time commitments. Therefore, the organization must evaluate which systems will help it achieve the majority of its goals, in a reasonable time frame. In doing so, decision-makers fundament determine if each systems value is worth its costs and the order in which to invest in and implement each system. Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) Pros.An ERP system is a necessary investment for Riordan because it integrates all departments and their respective functions across the organization into a hit IT system (UMaine, 2009). There are three main benefits of ERP systems that directly address problems with Riordans operations. One benefit is a logical solution to a visual sense of incompatible applications onlinely in use by the organization. ERP excessively allows global access and sharing of organizational data as well. Additionally, implementing an ERP system will help the organization bypass the difficulties and expenses of replacing legacy systems (UMaine, 2009).An analysis of Riordans current issues with its Finance and Accounting department reveal an immediate need for an ERP solution. Riordans current process to complete the general ledger, income statement, and balance sheet is so labor intensive that accountants piece of ta ilnot complete the task until two or three weeks after months end. Additionally, external audits are assumed monthly. Riordans process documentation is difficult to analyze, making this important task costly and labor intensive as well. Compliance with new, stricter government regulations is also extremely difficult for this department.Riordan management finds these issues unacceptable and expects them to be addressed first (University of Phoenix, 2012). An ERP solution will correct these error-prone, labor-intensive processes through automation (Business-Software. com, 2010). This will help employees of the Finance and Accounting department complete Riordans financial statements in a timelier manner. Further, ERP will ensure that all work head for the hillss and procedures are formally documented, allowing external auditors to complete their job more effectively and produce timely and accurate feedback for Riordan management.ERP systems also ensure there is only one chance varia ble of truth by feeding data to one centralized, integrated database (Business-Software, 2012). Not only does ERP help the organization deliver timely, accurate information to its clients and providers unless is also necessary for regulatory compliance. Cons. Although an ERP system will lay the intro for modern, efficient enterprise-wide business systems, Riordan must weigh the finds of implementing the system. The first hazard is cost. For a multinational company like Riordan, the cost of installation coffin nail range from $30,000 to $500 million (Demand Media Inc. , 2012).Riordan will need to do an extensive financial analysis to determine if the organization has enough capital to expend on an ERP execution as well as enough contingency funding to bail the organization out should the carrying out fail. Another risk of ERP implementation is the level of complexity that and ERP system will add to Riordans processes. Riordans current round may find the system to be too diffi cult to use and rebel against the system as a result. Riordan may also find that a portion of their existing staff may turnover as a result of the implementation and will need to hire a more specialized user base as a result.These specialized employees may require higher(prenominal) salaries than those they replace. To avoid this, Riordan will want to provide comprehensive training to affected users, but it will be a time-consuming processefficiency benefits of the system will not be measurable until the organization adjusts to the changes that the ERP system will bring (Demand Media Inc. , 2012). An important risk of ERP implementation to pack is data integrity. Because the ERP systems database will be the single source of Riordans data, it must be accurate and secure.Integrating the ERP system with existing systems may require some(a) packet modifications. It will be important to ensure that the integration of system results in data that is single version of the truth as well as securing any new transactions between systems. It is also important to note that some ERP systems will be too inflexible to work with Riordans current business process and strategy (Demand Media Inc. , 2012). The organization must evaluate vendor and implementation options to ensure the ERP system help drive Riordans objectives, not hinder them.Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Pros. Riordans strategic direction and initiatives are highly customer-centric. Riordans strategy is to compete in its market by parcel the top 15 customer clusters, and driving this strategy by providing the highest level of customer satisfaction to its 20 most important account holders. Additionally, the COO wants the organization to transform the Riordan brand into a signifi freightert competitive advantage (University of Phoenix, 2012). A CRM system is an excellent way to drive the success of this customer-centric strategy.CRM manages all aspects of an organizations relationship with its customers to help ontogeny customer loyalty, retention, and the organizations profitability (UMaine, 2009). Additionally, CRM systems are synonymous with building brand ken and loyalty. A modern commentary of a brand is the summation of hundreds of small interactions between an organization and its customers (Yarmoff, 2001). A CRM system can capture the data that results from these actions for analysis by the marketing department. Marketing analysts can determine what is unique about the organization that draws customers to it, helping Riordan build its brand.In the upcoming fiscal year, Riordan is launching an aggressive sales and marketing program to grow its revenue, expand its customer base, and turn back its best customers. The sales and marketing department will find difficulty in successfully completing this program imagineing their outdated, pencil and paper processes within the department. It will be difficult for Riordans marketers to target customers effectively by sifting thr ough hundreds of paper files of historic sales records to exact market analysis.It will be difficult for the sales department to document special customers needs, and ensure they are served throughout the organizations order fulfilment processes by using the disparate sales systems before long in use. For back office analytical purposes, CRM can assist the marketing department in conscription upon data from a single data source to reveal trends, explain outcomes, predict results of campaigns, and identify the organizations most profitable customers (UMaine, 2009).Analytical CRM helps the marketing department understand what Riordans customers like, dislike, and what appeals to them and indicate if Riordan is takeing or is capable of meeting customers needs. Analytical CRM provides this deep understanding of an organizations customer base through data analysis and business intelligence tools (UMaine, 2009). It sends pertinent information to the marketing department for campaigns and to the front-end part of the system to provide the sales burden with the information it requires. On the front-end, operational CRM can assist the sales representatives.Technology will include a contact management system, and opportunity management system. In this use-case, the CRM system will alert the sales representative regarding what the customer likes/dislikes to enhance cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. Front-end CRM will also help the sales representatives in resolving customer issues by providing clear-based customer self-service tips and call scripting to break equip the representatives with handling the most common issues (UMaine, 2009). The CRM system can log recurring customer issues.This will assist Riordans sales representatives in solving difficult problems that have been previously addresses as well as assist management in targeting recurring scenarios that require improvement, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and retention rates. Cons. Like other enterprise-wide systems, CRM systems are characterized by expensive and difficult implementations. Riordan management has to ensure that the CRM initiative is well planned, historical data is input accurately, and ensure workflow is properly delimitate to reduce the risk of project failure (Gartner Research, 2000).Success will also be highly pendent on cooperation with the ERP and SCM initiatives, as they eventually will become integrated systems dependent on one anothers data inputs and outputs. Solutions must be elect with compatibility and interconnectivity in mind. In CRM, over-automation is always a risk (Gartner Research, 2000). CRM is about bringing a company and its customers closer together, and some human-to-human interaction is necessary for customers to feel as if they are being heard. Finally, CRM systems are difficult systems to measure numeric outcomes and value (Gartner Research, 2000).Riordan management must define what unique, possibly intangible outco mes they want to measure from the CRM system to ensure it is providing its intended value. Supply Chain Management (SCM) Pros. As a manufacturer, Riordan would experience many benefits from the implementation of a SCM system. As part of its business strategy, Riordan is currently striving for add chain excellence. The organization will drive this strategy by streamlining time-to-market processes, achieving 90% of customer requested ship dates, and reducing inefficiencies associated with its current conveyance methods (University of Phoenix, 2012).A SCM system can help the organization achieve these goals as it manages the information flows between and among stages in a supply chain to maximize total supply chain military posture and profitability (UMaine, 2009). A SCM system captures data from the five phases of the supply chain management process planning, sourcing, making, delivering, and reverting. This data translates into complete visibility and awareness of ones supply chai n, and in turn, competitive advantages. A SCM will be most effective in the planning phase if Riordan leverages information from an ERP and CRM system.With that data, the SCM system uses metrics to forecast and accurately meet customer hold. Riordan will return waste from its inventory by having the right amount of materials on hand to fulfil customers orders as they are placed, reducing costs stemming from holding onto excessive inventory. Developing acumen across all inventory locations will also permit better sharing of resources on-hand to meet emergency customer needs. In the sourcing phase, the SCM system will provide vendor management capabilities. Riordan can input data about eliable suppliers it has partnered with in the past as well as suppliers that have provided inadequate services to document differences in quality among vendors. Riordan can also capture pricing data to determine which vendors provide the best value for their products. This will make sourcing easier and more effective. The deals Riordan obtains from strong vendor partnerships could translate in more discounts for customers farther down the line in the supply chain. In the make phase of SCM, a SCM system can ensure Riordan is manufacturing its products in accordance with the organizations quality standards.Managers can determine the desired quality levels, translate the quality levels into metrics, and have these proceeding metrics monitored with the SCM system. The system will indicate when manufacturing is in line with quality metrics, prodigious metrics, or below metrics. A good deal of Rirodans reputation is dependent on manufacturing high quality products, so mental process metrics in this area are important. The deliver phase is important to monitor with the SCM system as Riordan is experiencing inefficiencies in its logistic processes.The SCM system will help Riordan deal with processes and controls of logistic process to create efficient and effective transport and s torage of its products as they are delivered to the customer (UMaine, 2009). A SCM system can analyze delivery quantify and help management determine where inefficiencies are occurring and why. The results may prompt management to create more conveniently located inventory facility locations to create more reliable transit times. The system will also help Riordan coordinate more effectively with its outsourced trucking company.The ability to share information between both(prenominal) parties will allow Riordan to load its trucks to 100% capacity, resulting in cost savings for itself as well as less trucks and drivers for its partner. Finally, the return phase of SCM will be most effective when combined with data from the CRM system. The return phase of SCM pertains to the process allowing customers to return defective and excess products (UMaine, 2009). It is important to capture why customers are returning products to serve them better in the future and learn from errors. It is a lso important forRiordan to be instantly aware that a return process has been initiated, so it can send out a replacement to a customer immediately. The customer may be dissatisfied as it is, so handling returns effectively can encourage the customer to continue using the company for future orders. This phase will help Riordan meet its goals of serving customers better as well as retaining them. Cons. Riordan must consider the many risks of supply chain management because this system is dependent on the cooperation of external business partners. The first roadblock is gaining trust from business partners.Riordan and its suppliers must be willing to exchange some confidential information in exchange for increase supply chain efficiency. Next a supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so if Riordans suppliers cannot provide quality goods in proper time frames, Riordan cannot get the most out of its SCM system (Wailgum, 2008). Internally, there will be resistance to change a s well. Employees will need to adjust to stricter data entry requirements as well as higher scrutiny of their performance. Training will be crucial, as mistakes with the system will be made initially.A SCM system cannot absorb a companys history and processes in the first few months (Wailgum, 2008) Management will have to be patient and continually feed the system clean data to garner visibility benefits. Recommendations The success of implementing enterprise-wide business tools is dependent on the creation of a single data source, populated by accurate and relevant information. To lay the foundation that will capture and integrate all information from Riordans unique workflows and processes, it is recommended that Riordan first invest in and implement an ERP system.Once this implementation is complete, and the organization is accustomed to the changes this system will bring, a CRM implementation can be considered. The ERP systems centralized database will serve as the data source for the CRM system, making this implementation an easier transition for the organization. Once the CRM system is successfully implemented, a SCM implementation can be considered as Riordans financial health and strategic initiatives permit. A SCM system is recommended as the final enterprise-wide system to implement as it is reliant on information captured by both ERP systems and CRM systems (Wailgum, 2008).The success of these implementations will be dependent on a number of factors such as implementing the solutions in-house versus outsourcing the efforts, and implementing a performance metric system to ensure that the systems are continually providing the value intended. Outsourcing Models Riordan needs to consider outsourcing some of its business functions to reduce upfront cost and integration challenges faced while implementing enterprise applications ERP and CRM. There are many outsourcing models to consider and many benefits and advantages.Therefore, a fundamental analysis and understanding of outsourcing models is necessary for Riordans long-term strategic alliance with vendors. This section outlines outsourcing models and services provided by the application service provider or ASP and other outsourcing models. ASP Model Application service provider is one who has expertise in implementing and managing IT operations of the business applications over a secure net income on behalf of its customer or client.ASP also known as Managed Application provider (MAP), or managed services combine troopsed software, computer hardware and networking technologies to offer a service-based application, as opposed to a company-owned and operated application (Sans Institute, 2006). ASP services include end-to-end solutions necessary for executing and operation of ERP, CRM, accounting, payroll, cloud computing, and customized applications. In the ASP model, the provider typically identifies the applications common to many organizations (for example, ERP) and hosts th em in their data centers.The access to applications provided via a browser-based or thin client software. match to Pearlson and Saunders (2010), ASP not only provides access to software, but infrastructure, people, and maintenance to run it in a customized fashion for a client. Hence, the objective of ASP is to provide a secure, error-free environment of application systems and infrastructure round the clock. The grand candidates for victorious the advantage of ASP are Riordans non- warmness applications, which relaxes IT resources and make them visible(prenominal) for core applications.Another instance of ASP is Software as a Service (SaaS), which host multiple companies (multi-tenant) to use the same set of software and hardware, but still provide a user experience of single application. The application accessed via Internet, and provides rich web interface using technologies like AJAX and XML. The web applications delivered via SaaS is customizable and integrates into in-hou se application using web services and ETL tools. For example, Sales Force applications from SalesForce. com are multi-tenant web applications used by many organizations as their primary CRM application.Engagement with ASP involves service level agreements (SLAs), which contains many clause and vendor expectations. SLAs consists of sections on availability, accessibility, performance, maintenance, backup/recovery, upgrades, equipment ownership, software ownership, surety system, and confidentiality (Pearlson & Saunders, 2010). ASP may provide cost-effective solution in their area of their expertise. However, for security professionals, the move to use the ASP model comes at an very much-high cost. The ASP may be an expert in its domain, but its security function may be immature (Schoenfield, n. d. ).Hence, one should consider risk assessment and analyze the end-to-end solution of ASPs and their security models. Many ASPs available in the market, Riordan should evaluate them once t he outsourcing requirement finalized. The table below provides list of ASPs and their domain expertise. Table 1 List of ASPs Application Service Provider battleground expertise Appshop www. appshop. com Oracle 11i ebusiness suite Applications BlueStar Solutions www. bluestarsolutions. com Managing ERP solutions with a focus on SAP Corio www. corio. com Specializes in Oracle Applications Outtask www. outtask. com Integration of budgeting, customer service, sales anagement, and human resources applications Surebridge www. surebridge. com High-tech manufacturing, distribution, health care applications USi www. usinternetworking. com Ariba, Siebel, Microsoft, and Oracle customer base Note. Adapted from Information Systems Sourcing, by K. E. Pearlson and C. E. Saunders, 2010, Managing and Using Information Systems. A Strategic Approach. Copyright 2010 by John Wiley & Sons Inc. According to Subramanian and Williams (2007), a complex scenario of services provided by single or multiple ven dors offer multiple benefits. The long term agreements are necessary to reap higher benefits.This model provides competence unavoidable in the initial stage and provides better quality, increases productivity, and reduces cost as time progress. Service provider takes full end-to-end responsibility by investing on new technologies, mitigating risks to maintain business continuity and building high-level of trust. Figure 1. work offered by managed Services. Note. Reprinted from Infosys White Paper (p. 5), by Subramanian and Williams, 2007, Copyright 2011 Infosys Limited Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing is a new outsourcing model introduced in 2006 by Jeff Howe in an article titled The rise of crowdsourcing in WIRED online magazine.In the traditional outsourcing model, the work of an employee outsourced to external service provider. In this model, the available skilled resources and ideas limited to service provider and its industry and domain experience. Crowdsourcing put on out to a la rger association over the Internet to complete a job or task. Thus, organizations gain access to a wide range of skills and resources available online. According to Jeff Howe the definition of Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a task traditionally performed by an employee or contractor and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people, in the form of an open call.Companies and individual make an open call to perform a job for a small amount. Open call to an Internet community of collective intelligence can increase productivity. With the advancement of Internet and Web 2. 0, many websites like elance. com, odesk. com and guru. com provide abundant resources of freelancers available globally. Riordan can make use of this model where the projects need specialized skills and risk is very low. Resources picked on reviews and rewards obtained from past assignments.For example, Riordans websites along with dynamic B2B and B2C pages using PHP and open source technologie s is a good candidate of Crowdsourcing. Disadvantages of Crowdsourcing are low quality, communication issues, and researching for reliable resources with required skill set. Full Outsourcing Full outsourcing refers to outsourcing overall IT functions in an organization to an external service provider. This is similar to ASP model but the hardware and software remain on-site and vendor resources may collaborate with employee on-site or remotely, depending on the IT functions.For example, an enterprise may outsource helpdesk and desktop support. In this case vendors resources remain on-site to provide support on hardware and software issues. Some of software issues rectified remotely. Software development and maintenance happen in the vendors location. Companies typically choose this model if their perspective of IT does not support organizations strategic initiative. Doing so managers, and employees can slenderize on other value-adding assignment. Companies outsource completely to a ccommodate growth and respond to their business environment (Pearlson & Saunders, 2010, p. 09) with SLAs and multiple vendors. Riordan should not opt for full outsourcing because of risk in exposing copyrighted material, formulas, trade secrets, and unique manufacturing methods to competitors. Selective outsourcing fit well for Riordan. Selective Outsourcing Selective outsourcing allows IT executives with options of retaining few IT functions in-house for strategic reasons. Selective outsourcing gives greater flexibility and often better service because of competitive market (Pearlson & Saunders, 2010, p. 210). According to Subramanian and Williams (2007), another name for selective outsourcing is Strategic out-tasking. IT executive will have total control, manage projects, and review deliverables in-house. Only few IT functions like new application development, enhancing application ascribable business changes, fix non-critical issues outsourced and vendor take responsibility. Sel ective outsourcing is best suited for companies new to outsourcing. Riordan must outsource short-term assignments and small projects before venturing outsourcing in a bigger scale and when they cannot find resources with specific skills or to gain strategic advantage.Outsourcing versus in-house implementations pink wine India Technologies PVT. Ltd (2011) defines outsourcing as the process by which a company contracts another company to provide particular services. These services and functions would be otherwise carried out in-house by the companys own employees. The main reason companies outsource supply chain management are to reduce cost, free up internal resources, action time, to gain better control of managing functions, not enough internal resources to cross the job and share the risk with a partner.Some of disadvantages of outsourcing SCM include the underestimation of cost due to communication, inadequate governance meaning that an in-house overseeing committee needs to b e set up, reduction of technical, key information and crucial knowledge control, dimensioning leadership with the business relations managed by supplier, increase in business continuity, increased cost due to salaries raises in other companies, and unethical suppliers. Outsourcing SCM will save the organization notes in IT expenditures.The system becomes is streamlined and use by all location, more energy and money is left for core business strategies. The vendor will handle the development and implementation of custom finance software along with an accounting package along with the establishment of a joint venture offshore back office operation of the companys invoicing, revenue processing, and auditing services. Some IT functions should not be outsourced such as core business competencies, functions that are knowledge based, and are company proprietary information.Multidisciplinary, Interdepartmental, factuality, and critical business function that may involve political risk shou ld not be outsourced as well. Riordan should not outsource its core business function this part of the project should be done in-house so that Riordan maintain and controls these function to keep down all risk whether they are security risk or political risk. The reason most companies outsource ERP system is because they do not have the experience and the expertise to implement an ERP package.When it comes to implementation the supplier has a perfected system for installation and implementation, and most organizations do not want to assign full time staff to implementation thereby taking away from the day-to-day work as well as ERP package can be confusing and frustrating to employees due to false starts and downtime. Outsourcing ERP tends to be a good decision when it comes to medium to lager companies because more than likely outside help will be need for consultation, references, credentials, implementation, and monitoring and check consultants.Stress within the company is one di sadvantage because employees must learn a new system, and process that may affect productivity and efficiency. The effect can be short and long term. Other cons such cost overruns during and implementation, converting, training and customized modules. The ERP system should be outsourced to a vendor can handle the testing and coding of the new system to cover up it integrates with the existing or new MRP systems well verification and documentation leaving the IT Department free to oversee vendor and other IT functions ( Janstal,1999).Many ERP vendors and consulting firms, who have professional implementation and customization skills for manufacturing ERP software less adjustments, are necessary because they will design software specifically for Riordan Manufacturing. The cost for the production of ERP software purchase depends on the size and functions of the software and the extent of the adjustment (Baihaki,2009).The business of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is evolving a nd changing in the market on a constant and constant base to meet the growing and demanding need for new strategies that increase business profit margin by having an application that create interactive analysis of the customers requirements and leading to the customers satisfaction. C. R. M s are all over the market place the need is to choose one, implement, install and train. Simple jobs no need to outsource. Value of carrying outs and Outsourcing RecommendationsSupply Chain Management Implementation Studies show that the effective supply chain management (SCM) enables organizations to perform better and maximize profitability by aligning their supply chains with the market demand (Baltzan & Phillips, 2010). SCM implementation helps the organization to reduce inventory levels, minimize order-processing costs, improve responsiveness to customer needs, and compress order cycle time by streamlining and automating information flow among the different components of the supply chain pr ocess (Sumner, 2005).SCM implementation enables an organization to gain competitive advantage by reducing run costs and increasing process efficiencies to meet market demands and to ensure timely delivery of products or services. Customer Relationship Management Implementation Intense market competition is forcing organizations to change their business models from sales-focused to customer-focused making customer satisfaction a paramount for the organizations success (Baltzan & Phillips, 2010).Customer relationship management (CRM) implementation will enable organizations to gain insight into customer buying behavior and purchase patterns and develop business strategies to improve customer satisfaction and service quality (Baltzan & Phillips, 2010). Riordan can improve customer satisfaction, service quality, customer loyalty, profitability, and sales volume by implementing CRM systems to manage its interactions with the customers efficiently. Enterprise Resource intend Implementat ion Business leaders require access to real-time business information to make business-related decisions in an efficient manner to improve performance.Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation integrates organizations business processes into an information technology (IT) system facilitating an integrated view of enterprise-wide business information (Baltzan & Phillips, 2010). ERP enables Riordan to streamline, automate, and integrate business processes to improve efficiency of business functions to reduce operating costs, improve customer service, increase revenues, eliminate redundancies, and improve decision-making (Baltzan & Phillips, 2010). Outsourcing RecommendationsOrganizations have to find ways to improve performance of business operations to sustain in the global competition. Outsourcing enables an organization to increase productivity, reduce operating costs, and improve flexibility by taking advantage of low labor cost regions and difference in time zones (Morell o, 2003). Riordan should consider full outsourcing model for the implementation of SCM, CRM, and ERP systems to another organization while ensuring appropriate knowledge transfer to its employees during the implementation process.Service providers expertise in the implementation of SCM, CRM, and ERP systems will help the organization to streamline, automate, standardize, and fine strain business processes to increase efficiency of business operations. Knowledge transfer to Riordans employees during and after implementation process will enable the organization to gain and retain adequate knowledge to support business systems efficiently. Riordan can use the selective outsourcing model for ongoing maintenance of the SCM, CRM, and ERP systems.Outsourcing only the IT support services to another organization will enable Riordan to keep critical business process knowledge in-house while ensuring round-the-clock IT support to its global business operations. Outsourcing redundant IT suppor t services to another organization will help Riordan to concentrate more on business critical functions to increase productivity and improve operations performance. Providing Continued Value Once IT implementations are completed assessing the value of new systems is the next step.When companies invest in IT initiatives they want to see the added value to the organizations IT and IS departments. Setting up a process to measure continued value is essential in achieving this. For Riordan is recommend using IT metrics and profound Performance Indicators (KPI) to measure value. KPIs also known as Key Success Indicators will help the organization define and also measure progress toward organizational IT goals. KPIs are quantifiable measurements that are agreed upon, reflecting the critical success factors of the organization.If Key Performance Indicators are going to be of any value there must be a way for it to be accurately defined and measured. Equally important, KPIs once defined sho uld be consistent year to year. The organization should also look to set targets for each Key Performance Indicator. Once KPIs are defined a way to measure it needs to be set up to collect information, a target, has to be established. Below are some KPIs for Riordan in assessing success of IT initiatives IS and IT implementation adds tangible value to organization Implementation reduce IS and IT costMeasuring Effectiveness Measuring the effectiveness of a system can show its value to the organization but also set a benchmark to continually assess the system year after year. Using Effectiveness IT metrics measures its effectiveness on IT systems from the standpoint of a business tool. The metric can measure how IT affects specific aspects of a business and the business process such as novelty rates, customer satisfaction, and sell-through increases. Specifically, the metrics goal is to show how well a company is doing in reaching its objectives.In constantly questioning, it determin es if the right decisions are being made to reach these objectives. One way we can measure effectiveness is through surveys to IT, finance and HR departments. The survey giving to employees can give insight as to if the system is helping make work more productive to Riordan employees or caused increased difficultly. The surveys should look to answer these questions Is the system increasing daily productivity? Does system work seamlessly with critical IT systems? Are there any disadvantages to the new system?Is the system easy to support? Easy to use? Is more staff training needed? Establishing benchmarks is a typical way of measuring performance of IT Effectiveness. Benchmarking puts IT in greater demand to align with the business and demonstrate the company economic value. IT benchmarks can show how competitive IS and IT services are, and if there are ways to improve the process or increase efficiency of delivery of services. There are different models that can be used for Riordan to asses IS values. These are recommendedPeer/ industry comparisons Customer satisfaction IT effectiveness/value IT efficiency/cost Business IT process Cost benchmarking will address the problem of cost and quality of services. It can show what can be done to reduce cost and improve performance by viewing best practices in the industry. Figure 2. Cost Benchmarking. Reprinted from IT Benchmarking A Baseline for improving performance, by Ambuhl and Bitterman, 2004. A successful benchmark is valued by the actionable recommendation that yield immediate and long-term results.Be sure to outlining specifics in improving efficiency and effectiveness or it will have no significant value. Measuring strength Measuring IT effectiveness is only one aspect to determining IT value. Efficiency IT metrics while similar has differences. This metric will measure the performance of an IT system. It measures performance such as throughput, speed, and availability of a system. This will also determine how well the newly implemented system works with established systems. To measure performance organized documenting and reporting process must be in place.Efficiency IT metrics can be used to measure the throughput, how fast information is travelling throughout Riordans intranet or the speed of transactions with its suppliers and customers. Additionally, it can measure traffic to a website. Traffic measures how many people come to a website in a given period of time. Additional benefits to the Efficiency IT metric, it not only measures the efficiency of a IT system for evaluating and improving its performance, but it makes sure the system is being used the right way, ensuring the effectiveness of the processes, and that they are in step with business objectives.Utilizing methods such as KPIs, Effectiveness IT metrics, Efficiency IT metrics, and benchmarking will help Riordan establish a clear dashboard, adding value to its IS and IT departments with every successful IT implementation . It will also show continual value of its IT systems by performance, which systems continue to add value and which do not. Conclusion As we have seen, Riordan Manufacturings utilization of information systems and information technology leaves a lot to be desired. With so much potential, they continue to have manual processes for tasks and information that can and should be automated and interconnected.Because of the lack of technology, executive management is not capable of seeing the big picture they need across the entire organization in order to make the best decisions. Because of this, it is hard for the company to see the value of the continued IS and IT investments. However, with the implementation of such systems as ERP, CRM, or SCM, value can be added, value can be see in the benefits they provide. While different systems may have a better fit within the organization, Riordan must determine what is best for them they must determine how they will be used in the most benefici al way.With any major infrastructure change, there are new risks and costs to the organization. The correct hardware must be purchased the right software must be installed the business rules and requirements must be met the systems must be maintained over time. Putting these puzzle pieces together might not always go as well as planned. This is why Riordan must consider some of the outsourcing solutions discussed. Deciding on using an ASP, running in a SaaS model, or installing and maintaining the systems themselves, each require extremely detailed analysis.While it is easy to see the cost of each of these systems and deployment methods, Riordan must continue to go back to determining the value of each system at the same time. If the value is a reduced IT staff if the value is a more integrated system if the value is a more productive manufacturing process, the systems will show their value themselves. Riordan Manufacturing wants to receive the value out of what they pay for. Yet we see that value is not a pay for what you get model, but value is in how you use what you paid for. References Ambuhl, C. , & Bitterman, M. (2004). IT Benchmarking A Baseline for mproving performance. 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