The Growth of Seven-Eleven

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Seven-Eleven had realized unique growth in the business sector as there was utilization of supply chain strategy of Seven-Eleven and certain performance drivers upon the balance nature business responsiveness and the awareness of certain risks involved. For Seven-Eleven to be successful, ECR approach will be realized that are effective for store assortments; chain replenishments and efficient promotion as well as product introduction. Seven-Eleven have found better ways of developing their CDC as well as DSD that is through information knowledge expertise and the augmentation of their business functions to deliver frequent product services of varied items and the engagement assurance given to the customers. The advantage of successful chain is within the improved economies of scale as Seven-Eleven effectively tripling buying power and gaining access to new products as the US and Japanese stores teamed to lower costs on certain premium wines for instance. The DSD can be appropriate when there is ample and fair amount of logistics determining the ideal physical distribution of goods at Seven-Eleven as there can be affected by the store’s distribution center as well as facility location decisions. The distribution systems of Seven-Eleven were re-engineered and the Combined Distribution Centers have been introduced by the company to better manage the flow of products into the stores. There has been useful advantage of Seven-Eleven upon CDC and DSD as the centers allow smoothing of distribution operation to the stores and the provision of better quality and better information on supply and deliveries is available and there was control of the supply chain as achieved. The presence of technology like the adaptation of the POS system can possibly move ahead and do aid the store employment and management situation by freeing up staff time.

Coffee shop Essay

Java Culture coffee bar is determined to become a daily necessity for local coffee addicts, a place to dream of as you try to escape the daily stresses of life and just a comfortable place to meet your friends or to read a book, all in one. With the growing demand for high-quality gourmet coffee and great service, Java Culture will capitalize on its proximity to the University of Oregon campus to build a core group of repeat customers. Java Culture will offer its customers the best prepared coffee in the area that will be complimented with pastries, as well as free books that its patrons can read to enjoy their visit. The company will operate a 2,300 square foot coffee bar within a walking distance from the University of Oregon campus. The owners have secured this location through a three-year lease with an option for extending. The have also provided $140,000 of the required $170,000 start-up funds. The remaining capital will be obtained through Bank of America commercial loans. The company is expected to grow sales revenue from $584,000 in FY2001 to $706,000 in year three. As Java Culture will strive to maintain a 65% gross profit margin and reasonable operating expenses, it will see net profits grow from $100,000 to $125,000 during the same period. 1.1 Objectives. Java Culture’s objectives for the first year of operations are: Become selected as the â€Å"Best New Coffee Bar in the area† by the local restaurant guide. Turn in profits from the first month of operations. Maintain a 65% gross margin. 1.2 Keys to Success The keys to success will be: Store design that will be both visually attractive to customers, and designed for fast and efficient operations. Employee training to insure the best coffee preparation techniques. Marketing strategies aimed to build a solid base of loyal customers, as well as maximizing the sales of high margin products, such as espresso drinks. 1.3 Mission. Java Culture will make its best effort to create a unique place where customers can socialize with each other in a comfortable and relaxing environment while enjoying the best brewed coffee or espresso and pastries in town. We will be in the business of helping our customers to relieve their daily stresses by providing piece of mind through great ambience, convenient location, friendly customer service, and products of consistently high quality. Java Culture will invest its profits to increase the employee satisfaction while providing stable return to its shareholders. Company Summary. Java Culture, an Oregon limited liability company, sells coffee, other beverages and snacks in its 2,300 square feet premium coffee bar located near the University of Oregon campus. Java Culture’s major investors are Arthur Garfield and James Polk who cumulatively own over 70% of the company. The start-up loss of the company is assumed in the amount of $27,680. 2.1 Company Ownership. Java Culture is registered as a Limited Liability Corporation in the state of Oregon. Arthur Garfield owns 51% of the company. His cousin, James Polk, as well as Megan Flanigan and Todd Barkley hold minority stakes in Java Culture, LLC. 2.2 Company Locations and Facilities Java Culture coffee bar will be located on the ground floor of the commercial building at the corner of West 13th Avenue and Patterson Street in Eugene, OR. The company has secured a one-year lease of the vacant 2,500 square feet premises previously occupied by a hair salon. The lease contract has an option of renewal for three years at a fixed rate that Java Culture will execute depending on the financial strength of its business. The floor plan will include a 200 square feet back office and a 2,300 square feet coffee bar, which will include a seating area with 15 tables, a kitchen, storage area and two bathrooms. The space in the coffee bar will be approximately distributed the following way–1,260 square feet (i.e., 55% of the total) for the seating area, 600 square feet (26%) for the production area, and the remaining 440 square feet (19%) for the customer service area. This property is located in a commercial area within a walking distance from the University of Oregon campus on the corner of a major thoroughfare connecting affluent South Eugene neighborhood with the busy downtown commercial area. The commercially zoned premises have the necessary water and electricity hookups and will require only minor remodeling to accommodate the espresso bar, kitchen and storage area. The coffee bar’s open and clean interior design with modern wooden decor will convey the quality of the served beverages and snacks, and will be in-line with the establishment’s positioning as an eclectic place where people can relax and enjoy their cup of coffee. The clear window displays, through which passerby will be able to see customers enjoying their beverages, and outside electric signs will be aimed to grab the attention of the customer traffic. Products Java Culture will offer its customers the best tasting coffee beverages in the area. This will be achieved by using high-quality ingredients and strictly following preparation guidelines. The store layout, menu listings and marketing activities will be focused on maximizing the sales of higher margin espresso drinks. Along with the espresso drinks, brewed coffee and teas, as well as some refreshment beverages, will be sold in the coffee bar. Java Culture will also offer its clients pastries, small salads and sandwiches. For the gourmet clientele that prefers to prepare its coffee at home, Java Culture will also be selling coffee beans. The menu offerings will be supplemented by free books and magazines that customers can read inside the coffee bar. 3.1 Product Description. The menu of the Java Culture coffee bar will be built around espresso-based coffee drinks such as lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, etc. Each of the espresso-based drinks will be offered with whole, skimmed, or soy milk. Each of these coffee beverages is based on a ‘shot’ of espresso, which is prepared in the espresso machine by forcing heated water through ground coffee at high pressure. Such espresso shots are combined with steamed milk and/or other additives like cocoa, caramel, etc., to prepare the espresso-based beverages. Proper preparation techniques are of paramount importance for such drinks. A minor deviation from the amount of coffee in the shot, the size of the coffee particles, the temperature of milk, etc., can negatively affect the quality of the prepared drink. 3.2 Sales Literature.

August Wilsons Fences

In August, Wilson's fence focused on the life of a bitter African-American Troy Markson who had dealt with these cards in his life in the 1950s. During the play, Troy was raised by a father who did not love and insult, and when he tried to become a major league baseball player he was dismissed for the game. Troy was poor and even needed money and even even sentenced him to prison in prison, so he took the bank and eventually killed the person. Living in Troy is not easy. Auguste Wilson 's fence: page 8 explains the outline of August Wilson' s theater fence, with special consideration for the importance of Troy and the influence of this hero on the development of themes such as ethnic isolation and struggle It is. In this article we are also investigating how Wilson learned about the influence on Troy's family and the 1950 American American culture and history. Fences.wps August Wilson 's Fence # 2: This 7 - page paper is based on racial discrimination, African - American culture, and family life in the work Fences that was awarded the Wilson' s Pulitzer Prize in the 1950 's I will explore what it is drawn for. . This article outlines the entire script, but focuses primarily on the initial behavior. Five information sources are listed in the reference. Fences 2. wps Question about fence (select one): 1. The fence is part of a series of dramas that Wilson set at different times in August, with the aim of writing scripts to help Americans understand the struggle of African Americans. August Wilson founded a fence in 1957. An important physical symbol in the play is the fence Troy is building. When reading the screenplay, pay attention to many metaphor and iconic fence in the play. Write these two fences. In your writing, please consider the following. How to use a fence in the play? Are these enclosures a result of that period? As Bono said, are they accustomed to letting people leave or let people enter? (II.1) August Wilson 's Fence Fence, August Wilson is the s tory of the former Black League baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter person, hatred towards the way things disappear, you can not see the world changes. Troy initially had an iron fist for his family, but as the story progressed, the family removed the physical and emotional connection it had. When comparing two different cultures and ethics, the difference is night and day. In the death of salesmen and fences these stories are stories of two middle-class families who faced problems in their own family during the same era (from the 1940's to the late 1950's) I am talking. From the marital relationship problem to the unsuccessful father-child relationship, both stories tell us how the family life of the city living in that age's environment is how the authors August Wilsons Fences In August, Wilson's fence focused on the life of a bitter African-American Troy Markson who had dealt with these cards in his life in the 1950s. During the play, Troy was raised by a father who did not love and insult, and when he tried to become a major league baseball player he was dismissed for the game. Troy was poor and even needed money and even even sentenced him to prison in prison, so he took the bank and eventually killed the person. Living in Troy is not easy. Auguste Wilson 's fence: page 8 explains the outline of August Wilson' s theater fence, with special consideration for the importance of Troy and the influence of this hero on the development of themes such as ethnic isolation and struggle It is. In this article we are also investigating how Wilson learned about the influence on Troy's family and the 1950 American American culture and history. Fences.wps August Wilson 's Fence # 2: This 7 - page paper is based on racial discrimination, African - American culture, and family life in the work Fences that was awarded the Wilson' s Pulitzer Prize in the 1950 's I will explore what it is drawn for. . This article outlines the entire script, but focuses primarily on the initial behavior. Five information sources are listed in the reference. Fences 2. wps Question about fence (select one): 1. The fence is part of a series of dramas that Wilson set at different times in August, with the aim of writing scripts to help Americans understand the struggle of African Americans. August Wilson founded a fence in 1957. An important physical symbol in the play is the fence Troy is building. When reading the screenplay, pay attention to many metaphor and iconic fence in the play. Write these two fences. In your writing, please consider the following. How to use a fence in the play? Are these enclosures a result of that period? As Bono said, are they accustomed to letting people leave or let people enter? (II.1) August Wilson 's Fence Fence, August Wilson is the s tory of the former Black League baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter person, hatred towards the way things disappear, you can not see the world changes. Troy initially had an iron fist for his family, but as the story progressed, the family removed the physical and emotional connection it had. When comparing two different cultures and ethics, the difference is night and day. In the death of salesmen and fences these stories are stories of two middle-class families who faced problems in their own family during the same era (from the 1940's to the late 1950's) I am talking. From the marital relationship problem to the unsuccessful father-child relationship, both stories tell us how the family life of the city living in that age's environment is how the authors August Wilsons Fences In August, Wilson's fence focused on the life of a bitter African-American Troy Markson who had dealt with these cards in his life in the 1950s. During the play, Troy was raised by a father who did not love and insult, and when he tried to become a major league baseball player he was dismissed for the game. Troy was poor and even needed money and even even sentenced him to prison in prison, so he took the bank and eventually killed the person. Living in Troy is not easy. Auguste Wilson 's fence: page 8 explains the outline of August Wilson' s theater fence, with special consideration for the importance of Troy and the influence of this hero on the development of themes such as ethnic isolation and struggle It is. In this article we are also investigating how Wilson learned about the influence on Troy's family and the 1950 American American culture and history. Fences.wps August Wilson 's Fence # 2: This 7 - page paper is based on racial discrimination, African - American culture, and family life in the work Fences that was awarded the Wilson' s Pulitzer Prize in the 1950 's I will explore what it is drawn for. . This article outlines the entire script, but focuses primarily on the initial behavior. Five information sources are listed in the reference. Fences 2. wps Question about fence (select one): 1. The fence is part of a series of dramas that Wilson set at different times in August, with the aim of writing scripts to help Americans understand the struggle of African Americans. August Wilson founded a fence in 1957. An important physical symbol in the play is the fence Troy is building. When reading the screenplay, pay attention to many metaphor and iconic fence in the play. Write these two fences. In your writing, please consider the following. How to use a fence in the play? Are these enclosures a result of that period? As Bono said, are they accustomed to letting people leave or let people enter? (II.1) August Wilson 's Fence Fence, August Wilson is the s tory of the former Black League baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter person, hatred towards the way things disappear, you can not see the world changes. Troy initially had an iron fist for his family, but as the story progressed, the family removed the physical and emotional connection it had. When comparing two different cultures and ethics, the difference is night and day. In the death of salesmen and fences these stories are stories of two middle-class families who faced problems in their own family during the same era (from the 1940's to the late 1950's) I am talking. From the marital relationship problem to the unsuccessful father-child relationship, both stories tell us how the family life of the city living in that age's environment is how the authors

S Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

S Project - Essay Example Many chemicals and makeup products are designed to reduce the signs of aging on the outward appearance by covering up blemishes and unwanted wrinkles on our skin. In the long run, the decisions we make today can greatly impact our ability to combat the effects of the natural aging process. â€Å"9† The fashion industry has changed in recent years, especially in the United States. It no longer focuses on providing goods that are made right here in the U.S., but garments and products are made using cheap labor in foreign countries and then imported back to the United States. This allows companies to garner a greater gross profit than by paying for more expensive labor in America. The problem is that many organizations are being flagged for allegations that the work environments are incredibly terrible and actually border on engaging in many human rights violations. Still, the industry as a whole remains a multi-billion dollar industry and will continue to grow so long as there are customers willing to purchase clothes, accessories, makeup, and other goods and services to improve our outward

MARTIN LUTHER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MARTIN LUTHER - Essay Example After being excommunicated from the Catholic Church, he stated the protestant movement which led to protestant churches throughout the globe. This paper attempts to describe Martin Luther and his contribution to reforms that led to protestant churches. Prior to his engagement in reforms Luther served as a philosophy student at University of Erfurt and became a professor in 1508 after having been ordained as a priest in 1507. He further engaged in higher studies of theology and in 1517 he opposed what he discovered as hypocrisy of priests in the Catholic Church (Somervill 27).Through expanded study and research of theology and understanding of the bible, Luther came to realize that Christians should not be deceived by church leaders that they can buy salvation or forgiveness of sins. His idea of justification of faith came from the bible and knowledge based on his theological study and he justified the fact that salvation was given by God through His grace that led to faith in Jesus Christ (Hendrix 56). His original idea on Christianity was not compatible with the church theology because the church theology involved deceptive gospel. He was opposed to such issues like teaching people that their deeds could earn them eternal life. The church theology was also based on the authority of the pope and he challenged this authority by claiming that the only divine source of knowledge was the Bible and was given by God (Bainton 47). Martin Luther started the protestant reformation after being irritated by the sale of indulgences within the Catholic Church and confronted Johann Tetzel who was a salesman with ninety five theses. He posted the theses at the main door of Castle Church based in Wittenburg and theses contained such issues like the hypocrisy of church leaders especially concerning the sale of indulgences to the masses. He was later asked to retract his writings by the Pope and Holy Roman Empire where he refused and was excommunicated from the

Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Report - Assignment Example Your Supplementary Text helps you or go online. You will use these journal articles to write your structured report. So please keep copies of these articles. Cash, H., Rae, C., Steel, A. and Winkler, A., (2012). Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice, US National Library of Medicine   National Institutes of Health, Curr Psychiatry Rev. Nov; 8(4): 292–298. King, D., Delfabbro, P., Griffiths, M. and Gradisar, M. (2012). Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches to OutpatientTreatmentof Internet Addiction inChildrenand Adolescents, Journal of Clinical Psychology: In session, Vol. 68(11), 1185–1195 Extend your search by including five other sources of information relating to your topic below. They can be conference papers, newspaper articles, magazines, etc. Enter them in APA 6th edition style correctly here. Internet addiction should be recognised as a clinical disorder, psychiatrist claims, (n.d.). Mailonline, Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-542768/Internet-addiction-recognised-clinical-disorder-psychiatrist-claims.html TIP: The title of your report must be narrow/focussed. You might want to review this title after you have finished the entire report. The title should give the reader a good idea of what to expect in the report. While Internet obtained an indescribable power of impact toward the way people got connected, such technological advance have also altered the relationship between them, creating basis for the scholars to dive into the potential of Internet addiction and its effect on people’s behavioural changes. Researchers ultimately agree that the new digital era has created its impact on the development of the human mind. Despite such useful features as availability to obtain incredible information and opportunity to be more socially connected, possibilities for self-education, freedom from shyness and huge economic betterment, psychiatrists have noticed that excessive use of Internet can lead to

Management of Massey Energy Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management of Massey Energy Company - Case Study Example From this paper it is clear that Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) claimed that the company had violated safety standards more than 50 times. This proves that the 29 workers died because of poor safety standards in the mine. Instead of improving the quality of the mine’s safety, the company was always challenging the accusations of the safety agency. Another factor that proves the company should be held responsible is the unethical acts of Don Blankenship. After receiving complaints about the safety conditions in the company, the CEO ignored the complaints and instead sent a memo to the management team, asking them to focus on the firm’s production rather than improving the safety standards. It was a moral responsibility for Don to instruct the management team to shift their focus from the profitability of the company to safety. Such move would have prevented the accident from occurring. Conclusively, the mining firm is morally responsible for the deaths of i ts employees. If the company had implemented safety measures as required by MSHA, the accident would not have taken place.  

Counter Terrorism Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Counter Terrorism Operations - Essay Example If you ask, none can track my past as the commander of ‘xxx’ jihadist organization because I possess a fake personal profile (including the information disclosed in my passport). By the by, the mission authorized upon me is to conduct a bomb blast in Edinburgh, Scotland. After conducting thorough research, I did attain a conclusion that I can organize the plot with ease because counter terrorism planning in Edinburgh is comparatively ineffective. Vick (2002) stated that, â€Å"In the past, Special Operations Forces accomplished the active counterterrorism mission; conventional forces protected themselves against terrorism and provided security to civilian activities† (p.61). The most important measure to protect myself from counter terrorism operations is that I am an international tourist. I am so interested in performing arts and I wish to visit the Edinburgh International Festival. Can anyone read my mind and unearth my aim? No. As an international citizen, I c an visit Edinburgh as an international tourist, who is deeply interested in performing arts. But my aim is to warn the international community by conducting an explosion at ‘The Hub’. I am aware of the fact that the month of August is the best possible opportunity for me to conduct an explosion in Edinburgh. For instance, in August, the international tourists flow to Edinburgh to visit the Edinburgh International Festival. ... This will be most helpful for me to have direct involvement in the proposed operation. To be specific, my aim is to conduct a serial bomb blast at ‘The hub’. One can see that serial blasts defeat the disaster mitigation measures adopted by the governments. To be specific, serial blasts can kill more people and can attract international attention. Within this scenario, the government will become helpless. I selected 21 of August as the date for the proposed explosion. I did select this date because I need a little bit time to settle myself in Edinburgh. The grass root level reason behind my aim to conduct a serial bomb blast in Edinburgh is interconnected with our decision to terrorize Europe and America. Kepel (2006) opined that, â€Å"The terrorism of September 11 was above all a provocation-albeit a provocation of gigantic proportions† (p.4). Within the context of our organization, the ultimate authority (say, the leader) does not allow anyone to know more about secret plans. This preventive measure is generally adopted by our leadership to operate from distant places. Besides, this indirect involvement of our leader can prevent the governments from adopting counter-terrorism measures. On the other side, we are aware of the different tactics made use by the governments. Here, the military cannot find out any evidence on my presence because my real identity is hidden under the mask of an international tourist. In short, the reason behind the proposed bomb blast is to exhibit the strength of our organization. As pointed out earlier, my aim is to make use of the Edinburgh International Festival as a medium to create terror among the world nations. In Edinburgh, I will not make use of any specific place for boarding and lodging because this will help the

Short story about a family who is attacked by a ruthless loan shark Essay

Short story about a family who is attacked by a ruthless loan shark after defulting on their loan - Essay Example She recently had to take this job for some definite reason. Jonathon and Lisa had two sons and a little daughter. The first son, Jack studies in the seventh standard, the younger one in the fifth and was named after his grandpa Edward. Their only daughter, as white as lily and sweet as a pie was named Alice. She was only three years old. It was always hard for Lisa to carry Alice to the workplace but she had to. As at that point of time it was never possible for her to arrange a baby sitter for young Alice. Brighton is a tourist place in England and Kemp is most famous for its summer beaches. Every year almost eight million tourist visits Brighton and Jonathon was a manager of an inn so his job was secured and the family was happy enough till the time Jonathon didn’t fall prey into the hands of the money-lenders. Lisa always wanted their sons to receive good education but unfortunately this dream fell very short to Jonathon’s exquisite dream of buying a heritage car. Jonathon’s father was a rich businessman and he renovated the large beach house. This house was gifted by the Royal Family to Jonathon’s great grandfather Henry for saving the drowning prince when the Royal Family once visited Kemp Town Beach. Though there was always a separate Monarch’s Way situated at the west along the seafront above the beach, still it remains a mystery that amidst so many attendants and servants what Henry was actually doing there. It is said that Henry actually received this house as an ancestral property by marrying Maria, who was a daughter of a rich fisherman and as a wedding gift, Henry was awarded this house. But some where there was a bit problem in the constitution of thoughts or a habit that was carried forward to the forth coming generation is a point of debate and lets not beat around the bushes. The point of contention from this incident is clearer than the blue water of the sea which was visible from the bedroom of the beach house. The family was a bit

National General Hospital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

National General Hospital - Essay Example Moreover, the hospital is a service-oriented organization that aims to provide all kinds of healthcare services to the people living in the vicinity of the facility. With the passage of time, however, the research and development areas should also be a point of focus during the study. In order to evaluate the performance of the management of the hospital, all operational aspects will be studied and evaluated, and the results will be presented. Current situations, potential issues, as well as a need based analysis will be covered under this research report. Finally, after summarising the current needs, performance and future requirements will be made a part of the report by providing suitable suggestions and recommendations based upon the findings of this study. Executive Summary The aim of this case study is to discuss all the relevant and significant aspects of operations management. Therefore, the choice of a hospital has been made with respect to the numerous kinds of services bei ng provided, the nature and scope of business in the community, as well as the customer/patients turnover ratio. Beyond these components, this kind of business is not always profit oriented, rather it depends on the objective of the owners/shareholders as to whether they desire it to be a charity organization or a profit earning institution. By keeping all of these points in mind, it bears mentioning that the hospital is the kind of business that is always at its best when providing quality health services to its patients. This research is exploratory in nature, which includes primary as well as secondary data sources to be used for purposes of research. Similarly, the results have been made more generalized and easy to understand because of the nature of hospital business. This data will not be presented in a complex way so that a better understanding can be developed in readers. During the case study, the researcher studied many interesting concepts that will be made a part of the eventual research findings. Moreover, conclusions and a few recommendations have also been give due consideration in the end, so that the research report could be made more effective and comprehensive. One of the salient recommendations is to have a continuous system of checks and balances in the hospital, which is needed in order to fulfil the needs of the social enterprises where maintaining the quality of health care is of prime importance. Introduction Overview National General Hospital is one of the most famous small size health care centres in Saudi Arabia. It was established in the late 1990s for the purpose of providing basic health services to a small town near Jeddah. With the passage of time, however, the shareholders earned reasonably large profits that urged them to do more with the facility. Therefore, they converted this small clinic into a hospital providing detailed treatments to the patients. In 2006, the hospital set up its outpatient department that functioned e xtremely well, and after only a couple of years this 50 bed hospital was converted into a complete hospital with 2 operation theatres, outpatient facilities and special wards for adults, as well as children and infants. Now the hospital has a great reputation and residents of nearby localities also prefer to be referred to NGH in times of need. Now this hospital is a 100 bed complete health care centre providing all kinds of basic as, well as specialized, health care services to the patients at affordable

Video games affecting children Essay Example for Free

Video games affecting children Essay Video games around the world have become immensely popular, a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry which revolves around the wants and desires of children and teens. An industry with a creation of unique entertainment like no other. An industry that continues to grow rapidly. Hours and hours are spent each day by youths playing these games, but are they really good for them? Are they educational? Games which educate a child’s mind exist but they wouldn’t be as popular as your top seller shooting game. Nowhere even close. Here I am today to tell, to inform, and to enlighten parents on the dangers of letting your child play these violent games. As a child, I found that my parents seemed to push away all sorts of violent games, no matter how badly I wanted them. It didn’t seem to make sense at first but as I grew older, I saw the younger generation getting addicted to games like these and without doubt, showed a different behaviour and attitude. In this modern age, a child or teen is quite likely to have a gaming console or access to the internet or a friend who does. With these, they can play or access games which may contain violent content. As youths play these games in excess, they tend to act out what they may see or hear in front of their friends and family. It gives them a tendency to act aggressive and violent. They learn new things, like bad language. They may use foul language against their friends and possibly repeat violent stunts at home. These games are full of foul language, bloody scenes and criminal behaviour. It gives them a prospect for confrontation with peers, with siblings, with parents and even with their teachers. They engage in fights which in turn could cause possible decline in their studies. They could even brush aside their school work to sit in front of a television because it’s like an addiction to them. The question is: should parents be encouraged to disallow their son or daughter to be entertained by these types of video games? The answer is up to you, as parents. It is up to you to observe whether you see a change in attitude among your kids and if in a negative way, then you should take action in order for your child to behave in an appropriate manner among people. Games like these are everywhere, so your child will grow up in an environment where they will play them. Although, it is always recommended to look at the age rating of the game before you buy it, to see whether or not your son or daughter fits into the category of restriction. You can even set limits on how long they should be allowed to play games, just so they don’t get too involved with the theme of the game. It’s absolutely paramount for a child to grow up in a positive environment. In my opinion, games that involve the likes of drugs, bloodshed, criminal behaviour, foul language and violence should not be banned, but put into higher restriction everywhere. There should be more age limitations and games that involve hostility at a lower level. So parents, do you know what games your children are playing? Have a look.

The Singapore An Aging Population Economics Essay

The Singapore An Aging Population Economics Essay Ageing is the accumulation of physical, physiological and social changes in a person over time. It is a phenomenon that every individual is bound to experience. Therefore, it is only natural for one to hope to live in a society that respects, supports and caters to various needs of the elderly. Today, governments around the world are facing the tough challenge of providing adequate healthcare and housing for the elderly. Due to the possible ineffective allocation of funds or the lack of concern for its elderly citizens by the government, there is a possibility that a large proportion of the aged are neglected and are left scrounging for basic necessities while struggling with myriad health issues associated with age. Singapore currently has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, it also has an extremely low birth rate and an appallingly high rate of ageing. Approximately 10% of the population of 5 million is aged over 65. This figure will increase to about 25% by the year 2020. With such shocking statistics, many questions come to mind. A young man may worry about how he will find the means to support his elderly parents as well as his own family.   A woman close to retirement may be concerned about her future and wonder whether she would have to perform menial jobs to make ends meet. It is the duty of any government to give priority to the needs and demands of its citizens and take steps to address them. Thus, Singapores Government has to formulate policies that address the possible problems of an aging population and take preventive measures to counter the same. Stakeholders Involved Before attempting to solve the problems of Singapores aging population, it is critical to identify the stakeholders involved. By studying the effects of an ageing population on these stakeholders, the potentially negative effects of this issue can be mitigated, and future problems can be anticipated. Especially with the ever-changing social demographics and economic conditions, the inter-connectedness of the pressure which an aging population would exert on our country as a whole should not be underestimated, especially during the phase when identified secondary social stakeholders transit to primary social stakeholders. Primary stakeholders include: 1) Senior citizens Senior citizens are the very group of people to experience the most impact as their well-being is at stake. General concerns for these group of stakeholders include: Would the future generations be able to support the increasing proportion of senior citizens? Are infrastructure and public services elderly-friendly? Will the Singapore Government introduce more schemes and policies aimed at improving the situation? 2) Working Singaporeans As an ageing population increases demand for healthcare and other services, the financial pressure on Singaporeans rises too as the taxes they contribute to support these services increases. This decreases the income they bring home and directly affects their spending power. 3) Singapore Government With a shrinking workforce, a drop in the economic growth rate is inevitable. The government is responsible for the introduction of suitable policies to contain the situation. Besides, the government has to ensure that Singaporeans adopt an optimistic view on the matter and create nation-wide awareness on the impacts of an ageing population. Secondary stakeholders include: 1) Future generations Currently, the implications of an ageing population have yet to fully present themselves and the Singapore Government is absorbing most of the effects at current situation. However, if statistical studies prove right and the proportion of senior citizens to working Singaporeans increases, the effects would be more severe and Singaporeans would have to share the burden of supporting the ageing population in later years. Therefore, our future generations will also face the same negative effects of the ageing population that current Singaporeans face. 2) Businesses As Singapores population is growing older, there will be a relatively fewer number of people in the working sector. Businesses and organisations will be affected by the lack of young and skilled workers. As a result, additional funds may have to be spent on trainings to help the older workers master new skills. Furthermore, due to higher taxes burden on households,   purchasing power of individuals will decrease significantly. This will eventually affect the growth of businesses. The secondary stakeholders neither directly affected nor involved in the problem. Future generations have yet to be affected by the problem of ageing. When the situation worsens in future, our descendants will have to support their elders and will also be affected by higher taxes. They will subsequently become primary stakeholders. As we can see, large sections of the society are affected by this issue and will continue to be affected by the continuous increase of ageing population. Hence, immediate steps have to be taken in order to minimize the damages caused by this issue. Figure 1 (insert) The Implications Of An Aging Population Singapore has one of the highest proportions of elderly citizens in the world, and second only to Japan in South East Asia. (Suan Ee Ong, 2010). http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/sif2012.pdf 1. Society The Declining Standards of an Individuals Health Research suggests that as individuals age, they are increasingly prone to numerous health risks. The risk of malnutrition heightens with age with 3 in 10 elderly at high risk. (http://www.asicluster3.com/blog_self/index.php?page=viewentryid=133)   As a person ages, problems like diabetes or parkinsons sets in, along with dietary restrictions. One can also expect an overall deteriorating quality of physical health. For instance, psychomotor skills deteriorate, resulting in stifled physical independence.   Osteoporosis, a disease in which causes the bones to become less dense affects large numbers of our elderly. Additionally, mental health starts deteriorating with the onset of illnesses like dementia and depression. As one ages, quality of health will undoubtedly follows a downward trend. Coupled with an increasing number of citizens aged 65 and above. this leads to a decrease in the standard of health over a period of time. This would in turn give rise to new industries and businesses revolving around health care, with niche specialisations in care for the aged. It is important for the society   to provide services that target the aged. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that not all of   the aged will be in need of health care services if society helped them lead an active lifestyle. Therefore, the population growth forecasted in future years, urban economic countries will lack the appeal to attract immigrants. (Kresl, Peter Karl Letri, Daniele (2010)) Being a small country with low birth rate, Singapore may face some challenges in attracting foreign talent to our city in future. Therefore, our society may face difficulties in employing a sufficiently skilled workforce to maximise output. Effects On Future Generations As the population ages, there will be an increasing demand for goods and services in the healthcare sector. A governments duty is to serve its people, and society as a whole would expect basic health care services to be provided. Consequently, there will be   increased pressure on the government to provide for health care. Monetary costs would be incurred and would be passed on to society in the form of increased taxes. With the dismal birth rates we see today (1.22 births per woman in 2011, down from 1.83 in 1990), tax burdens on future generations (who will then become primary social stakeholders) will only increase as time goes by. (Department of Statistics Singapore. (2012)) There is an inverse relationship between the dependency ratio (percentage of the population who are too old or too young to work) and birth rate of a country. Naturally, an increasing dependency ratio can be attributed   to a declining birth rate.   If the birth rate continues to stagnate or drop, the dependency ratio would only increase at a faster rate in the future. This translates into a heavier burden on the working population to maintain economic growth and to provide for dependent citizens. The Reverence of The Silver Generation to Society It is evident that the elderly exert a major influence on our social fabric. They carry with them the cultures, traditions and values that make our country what it is today. The hard work and time that they put in to raise educated, motivated and refined citizens of this generation is the reason why our country has reached this level of success. As the saying goes, with time comes wisdom. Therefore, the silver generation is much revered, and as per asian cultures, due respect and care should be given to them. As the elderly before us have served the country by contributing to it in various aspects, Singapores government should have a sense of filial piety to them. Since the government is a primary social stakeholder involved in the issue of an ageing population, it has introduced many government initiatives to solve arising problems. Summing Up To handle the implications of an aging population, we should seek to improve elderly standards of living and encourage them to contribute to society even at an age past retirement. The government should also take up initiatives to help senior citizens fit in and continue to be part of the workforce even at a ripe old age. 2. Businesses Due to the rapid growth of an ageing population, there are certain issues that may arise. Productivity Issues In Organisations A large proportion of senior citizens in a population indicates a decline in size of a productive workforce.   According to the UNs latest biennial population forecast, the median age for all countries will rise from 29 to 38 years by 2050. (SOURCE) We may safely assume that the dependency ratio will increase dramatically over the next few decades. Organizations looking to expand productivity would be reluctant to hire older workers. Those following a profit maximising model opine that it would be more cost efficient to hire younger workers due to their higher productivity. Additionally, during periods of recession, more often than not, older workers are among the top few in the retrenchment list. However, this contrasts   the fact that older workers bring with them a plethora of experience and wisdom, which can only be gained over time.   Despite cost inefficiency, it is unfair to be against the notion of hiring of older workers. Singapores government foresaw these issues and implemented new legislations to curb age discrimination at the workplace. As of 1 Jan 2012, under the Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA), the statutory retirement age was set at 62, and companies have to offer re-employment contracts to workers up to the age of 65. http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/employment-rights-conditions/retirement/Pages/retirement.aspx With these new initiatives, it can be seen that the government is indirectly engaging all business organisations through legislation. These businesses, which were once secondary social stakeholders, are now evolving into primary social stakeholders in this issue of an aging population. Increase In Demand For Health Care   Elderly-Specific Facilities Many countries, including Singapore, have been working towards providing better care, not just in clinics and hospitals, but also within the community and at home. To enhance accessibility for the elderly, the government has taken up many initiatives and projects to improve   living conditions for the elderly. For example, the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme implemented by Singapore government introduced slip-resistant bathrooms and even installed grab bars within flats. Other projects include life upgradation, building   of   barrier-free features such as ramps and the levelling of steps . In order to provide a more accessible healthcare services, the Singapore government has given more emphasis on home and community-based services, which include the expansion of social rehabilitative care places . More subsidies have also been introduced to support the poor and those from middle-income families.    The growing ageing   population has resulted in the growing demand for facilities and the expansion of subsidies which is putting great pressure on government. Government spending on health care is estimated to increase even further in the future   as more money is required to support new initiatives and expansion of the existing initiatives. There is also a need to hire more health professionals, for which more resources and funds are required. As a result, the allocation of the budget towards healthcare is expected to rise as related spending would increase to about twice by 2030. http://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/My+Money/Story/A1Story20080627-73309.html 3. Government Government policies not only have a positive impact on the lives of the elderly, but may also have a negative impact on businesses. Business owners may feel restricted by such employment policies and may decide to move out of Singapore. They may also stop supporting the government in the elections . The government relies heavily on taxes from small and large businesses for its sources of revenue. If these businesses were to change location or move out of Singapore due to restrictive policies, revenues would fall. A drop in revenue would mean that the government has less to spend on other facilities for its people. Furthermore, relocation of businesses would result in widespread loss of local jobs. The result is a higher dependency ratio, higher unemployment rate, less revenue for the government and the slowing down of the economy. Thus, the government should ensure that any policy related to ageing does not anger or upset the sentiments of various businesses and should keep in mind what is at stake. Summing Up Let us consider the repercussive chain of effects of aging population. Firstly the number of people in the workforce would drop, with a corresponding increase in the dependency ratio. This translates into a drop in output /productivity of individual businesses and the economy as a whole. As Singapores GDP is very dependant on both our import/export sectors and consumerism this could cause Singapores economy to go into a slowdown. One might argue that there would be an increase in the growth due to the consumption of more healthcare. However the drops in productivity would be greater than the increase in consumption of healthcare. Eventually, there will be an increased burden on the current workforce to maintain economic growth. Finally, if nothing is done, a vicious cycle commences, and future generations would find it increasingly difficult to provide for the previous generations and support the economy. (Picture Singapores indicator of ageing) Actions Taken By Singapores Government Singapores government recognises that the increase in the ageing population will lead to several consequences that will affect all sections of society, as well as the economy of the country. Hence, in order to support the older population, the government has put in place various policies and introduced new   schemes. In 2004, the government set up the Committee on Aging Issues. This committee comprised of   private and government representatives who came together to discuss issues related to ageing.   The recommendations for solutions related to these issues were presented in a report and were passed for implementation. They aimed at enhancing employability, improving healthcare facilities, promoting active lifestyles and financial independence. The government also aims at establishing concrete facts about our population and conducts frequent surveys to gauge the physical and mental health of seniors. It also identifies areas to improve the wellbeing of its citizens. (Reference: http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/Portals/0/Topic/Issues/EDGD/Brief%20on%20Ageing%20Population%20(Public).pdf) 1. Housing As seen from Figure 1 (Singapore: Indicators of Ageing), the proportion of Singaporeans aged 65 and above will significantly rise in the coming years. Hence, there is a need for the government to introduce schemes that provide adequate housing that caters to the needs of elderly such as their health, mobility and security, which is of utmost importance. Some schemes that the government introduced were the Multi-Generation Flats in 1987 and Granny Flats in 1991. However, they were not very well received. A more successful initiative was the implementation of Project LIFE ( Lift Improvement and Facilities Enhancement for Elderly). (Reference: http://asiaforum.tsaofoundation.org/pdfDownloads/Day1/D1_plenary/plenarySession_1/Housing%20developments%20for%20ageing%20population%20in%20Spore%20-%20yap%20chin%20beng.pdf) This proposal aims at creating lifts in Housing Development Board (HDB) flats so that every floor is serviced, for the convenience of the elderly and the handicapped. The government expects complete adoption of this plan in all HDB flats by 2014. In addition, integrated studio apartments were also incorporated into each housing block and came with spaces for social and communal gatherings. In the year 2011, the government introduced the idea of barrier-free housing environments which involved the building of handicap ramps and pathways to facilitate easy movement of wheelchairs. Therefore, continuous modification of housing landscapes aims at meeting the needs of citizens and to provide a comfortable shelter for each and every senior citizen. 2. Transport Public transport has also seen improvements and is somewhat more elder-friendly. In 2006, MRT stations were modified and made barrier free. Today, approximately forty percent of our buses are wheelchair accessible. 3. Encouraging re-employment Due to the negative impacts of ageing population on the workforce productivity, the government has seen the importance to tackle on this problem so as to sustain economic growth. Hence, the 2005 appointment of a Tripartite Committee (government, employers and trade union) on Employability of Older Workers by the Minister for Manpower addressed the issue by implementing several measures (Thang, L. (2011)). One of the measures is the the enactment of Retirement and Re-Employment Act (RRA) which was put into effect on 1 Jan 2012. The Tripartite Committee formed the Tripartite Implementation Workgroup to help employers carry out this initiative. In October 2007, the Tripartite Implementation Workgroup formed by the Tripartite Committee was to assist companies in the implementation of the re-employment measures. In order to further encourage the implementation of re-employment schemes for older workers, companies were given financial support of up to $400,000 for policies that were placed in line with the re-employment legislation. Workforce Development Agency also subsidized the re-training programmes that were put in place by employers. in addition, Continuing Education and Training (CET) master plan was launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Manpower to provide trainings for employees so that they will be equipped with skills that keep up with the pace of the fast-growing industries. While the government attempts to encourage re-employment of older workers, they have to ensure that younger employees and employers are willing to accept them. This is because older workers are generally perceived as unproductive and inflexible. Hence, measures have been put in place foster an age-friendly working environment. This is done by introducing national awards to acknowledge companies with the most progressive and unbiased practices. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) has also put in place many guidelines to advocate on fairness and to discourage discrimination of the old-aged employees. (Thang, L. (2011)) Hence, by encouraging the older employees to continue working, and   by changing mindsets to accept older workers, Singapores workforce and output can be maintained at the current level of integrity. The Tripartite Implementation Workgroup was a relative success as by February 2009, 706 unionized companies have committed to re employment while 4650 workers over age 62 were re-employed by the end of 2008. (Thang, L. (2011)) 4. Ensuring financial stability for the aged Due to the decreasing fertility rate in Singapore, there will be a heavier financial burden on the future generations, and it is possible that the older generation may not be financially independent. The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme was introduced in 2007 to ensure that Singaporeans will have sufficient savings for their retirement. This scheme encourages the older workers who are earning low-paying salary to continue working so that they can accumulate more CPF savings.   In order to supplement higher take-home pay and reduced CPF rates, the Government began to give elderly workers part of the WIS in cash so that they can afford for their basic needs. (Reference:http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/Members/Gen-Info/Workfare.html) Furthermore, due to the increase in life expectancy, the government plans to increase the Minimum Sum Draw-Down age from 62 to 65 by the year 2018. There were also plans to introduce a longevity insurance scheme. This will ensure that CPF members can be assured of a basic income as long as they live. (Reference:http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/Portals/0/Summary/pressroom/03-2008.pdf) 5. Healthcare In face of the current trend that can be observed in Singapore, it is essential that healthcare services are improved to cater to the needs of the older population. Thus, the Ministry of Health introduced a Chronic Disease Management Programme which empowered physicians to adopt a holistic approach in the treatment of diseases. Furthermore, the ElderShield Scheme for the disabled was enhanced in 2007 to help increase affordability of medical services by paying $400 per month for up to 6 years. There was a 60% improvement from the previous scheme.    http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/costs_and_financing/schemes_subsidies/ElderShield.html In addition, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) are also conducting   a review of eldercare services aimed at bettering facilities such as daycare centres, rehabilitation centres and home help services . The concept of active ageing was developed by the European Commission in 2002. It brings forward the idea of higher retirement age and longer period of activity in the workforce. It has been proven that leading an active and directional life improves the overall well-being of an individual and helps keep illnesses and diseases at bay. Active ageing was introduced by the Singapore government in order to ensure self sufficiency of citizens after retirement. It established the Council for Third Age(C3A) in May 2007 to promote active ageing and fund community-based events related to active ageing. In addition, due to the increase in degenerative diseases that require expensive treatment, the concept of active ageing is gaining more importance. It is said that the cost of treatment for the older generation will cost two to three times more than that needed for the younger population. (Reference: http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20071031-33327.html) What Does the Future Hold? Our population is ageing at a rate faster than in countries such as Australia, South Korea, UK and the USA. (ref first article in dropbox) . The number of citizens aged 65 and above will show a sevenfold increase by the year 2050. So what does this mean for our future? Firstly, our country will be more prone to external invasion. Presence of an ageing population is an indicator that our defense is weakening. We will have fewer young people to fill the ranks of the army, and fewer physically fit citizens to defend us in times of need. Our future and survival will be threatened. Secondly, economic growth will slow down. Singapore will no longer be seen as a hub of young, talented and competitive individuals by global MNCs. They may no longer want to invest and set up their offices here. Furthermore, with fewer individuals to pay income taxes, the government will have less money to spend on healthcare, infrastructure,etc. As a result, taxes will increase, leaving people less to spend on themselves and their family. The demand for healthcare services will rise, but will not be sufficiently subsidised by a government which does not have enough resources. Singapore is at the brink of entering a vicious cycle . If immediate short-term and long-term measures are not taken, we are bound to find ourselves moving backwards and reaching a rate of growth similar to what we had many decades ago. Our recommendations 1. Enhancing senior citizens value in the organization through empowerment In line with the re-employment policies the government has in place, we suggest that organizations create appointments and titles specially aimed at empowering senior citizens. They should ensure that   these creations are aligned with the capabilities of these senior citizens. Likewise, existing positions should   be modified according to their capabilities. The purpose of this   is to enhance their value and well-being in the workplace where they are often regarded as liabilities more than assets. With such initiatives, senior citizens will be able to perform better, with more flexibility and recognition within the organization. This also widens the operating structure of organizations, allowing for more variety of specialization. At the same time, organizations could tap into their experience and expertise, especially for crisis management and advisory roles. Even within the Singapore Cabinet, forefather Lee Kuan Yew is still actively involved in local politics at the age of 89 and the titles Minister Mentor and Senior Minister were specially created to continuously empower him. 2. Continuous active promotion of healthy aging from small communities Presently, Senior Citizens Executive Committees (SCECs) under the Peoples Association (PA), the largest senior citizens network in Singapore, organizes a wide variety of activities and courses aimed at enhancing senior citizens life experiences. They are usually conducted at a national level, and seldom reach out to the smaller communities. The government could engage Resident Committees (RCs) and Community Centres (CCs) in neighbourhoods to aid in promoting healthy aging. Subsidised or sponsored activities could be one alternative to attract senior citizens to actively exercise healthy aging. Constant awareness can be achieved through newsletters and pamphlets mailed to letterboxes. 3. Strengthening family ties It is important for our society to realise the value and importance of senior citizens. They should not be viewed as burdens; instead they should be seen as extraordinary citizens who brought us as well as our country to the position we are in today. Hence, it is expected that we, the younger generation, give them the deserved care and respect without any ulterior motive in mind. We feel that the indoctrination of these strong values should begin at a young age.   Special programmes should be introduced into schools in order to promote togetherness within the family. Children should be educated about the importance of elders in society and should be taught to always show them respect and kindness. The media can also play a role an important in this process by occasionally publishing articles that portray the elderly in a good light.

A Reflection on different volunteer work

A Reflection on different volunteer work It was my first day to join Market Craft Day as part of team of Pt Chevalier Community Centre. This market uses to be held on every third Saturday of the month and the purpose is for everyone in this community having a place to buy and sell goods such as second-hand house ware, handmade craft, food or anything they want to bring from home. This activity also provides resident, small business and organization an opportunity to connect with the community, to promote themselves and make a payback to the community because the fee from the stall booking is part of funding to operate the Community Centre and its programmes. My job was as an assistant to sell BBQ sausage with John, a committee member who has been called as Sausage manager and Sausage expert. That is because he has volunteered in this job for a long time. This is a joke between those team members as John is the youngest of the team and it is the way how they treat each other like family. From their conversation and the small talk, I found out Kiwis love to have humour and make jokes to express their concern for each other, especially for well-known friends. They also made jokes to me but not much that I think they might worry about I could not understand their jokes then get embarrassed. They were easy-going and had an opened heart to make friend with me even though I am from a different ethnic group. I could feel that how I was accepted as part of group and been treated like a family. I was really enjoying my time with them as they had shown me the most important cultural ritual of New Zealand treat everyone equally. In addition, during my volunteering, I learned how to cut onions and how to make BBQ sausage and custom-made sandwich. This is the first time of my life for doing this job. Through my work, I have known it is a very common recipe in New Zealand to have BBQ sausage with onion, mustard sauce and toast as a snack for outdoor activity. Besides, as John did, some people love to have toast with Spaghetti and tomato sauce which is another special western style that different from Asians. Compared with Taiwan, we use to have various traditional foods as our snack such as Chinese bun, Stinky tofu (smelly tofu) and Oyster omelette. The mobile stalls in Taiwan also need to be approved by local council for a licence to sell goods/food at roadside or local late-night market. There will be a penalty for no licensed stall. Reflection: Day 2 Core office work (Wednesday, 9.30am~1pm, 22 Sep 2010) Karen, the Coordinator of the organization, called me to come in to the centre and gave me some works to know the way around the place. She was also my interviewee who gave detailed information for my 10 culture and society questions and how this community centre operate. Based on her job description, I know she is a key to execute the programme of community centre and the committee of this non-profit organization are people to outline and to decide what programme can be launch for the community. I realized how important to have a community centre in the community after I did the office work and the interview. According to Karens information, every community centre is a Hub to link local public library, education institution and business/organization together to provide information and activities for people live in the local area. Any individual or various groups can use this place for any activity by just hiring a room of building, or leave their poster/brochure on the notice board to promote themselves. For example, a private childcare centre, where also provide free Spanish language learning environment, has its flyer placed on notice board so everyone might see its information when visit the centre. This is a free and convenient service that provide from the community centre for its community. I think it is also a proper place to exchange cultural value from different ethnic groups by having their activities here. Moreover, the School Holiday Programme is a good example to show how this community centre pays proper regard to education and multiculturalism. For example, it has various activities for age 5 to 13 years old children. The activities of September and October programme in this year included the First Aid course for kids, Hip Pop dance workshop, Surf lifesaving workshop and a play for a Chinese story The Secret of Dongting Lake which are very meaningful for developing childrens skill, personal ability and an opportunity to understand different cultural aspect. I think it is very clever to let children learn while playing through those seasonal programme and activities. Everyone, including their parents, can also make friends and have a connection for their social life after the activity. Its a very valuable contribution that the community centre gives us and the NZ society. Reflection: Day 3 Work in the Op-Shop (Thursday, 10.30am~1pm, 23 Sep 2010) Things that I had learned were not from my work in this Op-shop but from people here. Their behaviour and their thought gave me an idea to know why many New Zealander, especially the senior, have willing to be volunteer and how they made the changes for their community. Op-Shop of Pt Chevalier Community Centre is operated by volunteers who are Erin, Julie and a lady who I havent met yet. Erin is the team leader and the one to assist my learning. She makes the decisions and manages the shop to keep it run for its customers. This is not difficult to find out she is quite reliable and motivated in her role. She has an enthusiasm and a good intend to help people in this community. She low the price down or gave free gifts to the customers who seem to have financial difficulty. She notices the regular customer and keeps the goods, which they may need, beside her desk and give an acceptable price when they have come. She said there are not many people have enough money to buy what they want, therefore, the purpose of community centre is to help people for their need, that is the reason she gives the cheaper price and support them in this way. Under her management, the Op-shop has offered a free service for everyone who needs to promote their home business to have their price menu and business card display on the checkout desk. This is another way how Erin does to help and encourage people who is unemployed but has the skills for starting a new life. Her whole family include her daughter and grand-daughters, are all happy to involve in the volunteering work. They used to donate good quality clothes and purchase second hand goods from this shop. These is a very good example which Erin and her family have showed us for how people help each other in their community. This is good to see everyone happy, she said. In Taiwan, there are also many people work for charity foundations or religious institutions who contribute themselves to help the society. A quantity of them even has joined the global charity events such as what Red-Cross does. This is positive manner to give payback to our society. The truth is, we never know there will be one day we may need help from others so that why we dont try to give what we have at first. More cooperation between people in the society may have higher quality living environment that everyone may get the benefit from. In this case, I believe most of New Zealander has done this well from what I have seen in this community centre. Language learned from my volunteering work The committee members and volunteers of Pt Chevalier Community Centre are like a big family to me. They knew each other and have a good connection with local residents. The language they used in our interaction was between formal and informal which may depend on the level of relationship they have had with this person. There are two different ways of the language using that I had noticed from my participation. To well-known friends or relations, the words using and the topics of conversation choosing were quite flexible and included a lot of humour and colloquial words that I might not pick up from those natives utterance. In their small talk, they talked about friends or families they knew, gossiped about everyday matters and made jokes to each other. From here, I confirmed my impression of what I have seen when I first came to NZ that Kiwis are easy-going and love to make friends. On the other hand, when communicated with me, those people were quite friendly and had tended to slow down their speed and simple their words to make me understand them well. From their words usage, I could know they had a quality of education level that their behaviour and speaking were gentle and sophisticated. In this case, I remember what Karen said in my interview and indeed most of team member in this organization has had a strong social skill which is people skill. They know how to speak felicitously with people from different background and how to make their conversation smoothly to make both of us happy. Generally, the conversations with the team members had given me an opportunity to evaluate my English speaking level and to practice my communication skill with native speakers. In my self-evaluation, the positive I got is I dont have much trouble to make communication with them by using everyday language, such as greeting, telling the personal story, give the opinions of what I think about everyday matter and follow the instructions that I had been asked. Most of conversations were run smoothly but I knew there is still a gap to be narrowed if I could increase my English vocabulary to express myself properly and my comprehension of listening in English to understand their words. That is the negative side of my evaluation from my interactive tasks in this community centre. The racial tension in NZ multicultural society? From my volunteered work in Pt Chevalier Community Centre, I have met many people who have an open-mind to accept NZs multicultural aspect and treat it with respect. However, some information from people who work in this centre had widened my mind to see how native New Zealanders think about the immigrants, especially for Asian people. That has given me an idea how I behave and interact with native people who have different opinion about us. The Committee Chairman of this organization, Bruce, is a very gentle old man who was quite enthusiastic to assist my learning through my work in the Market and Craft day. He had given me some advices to make my CV and job application more successful through our interview. When we had a relevant conversation about people from different racial background like me, he told me a story of his sons employee who had been fired because his intention of refusing the service to customers who were Asian looking. Bruce had told me that many Kiwis have a misunderstanding about all Asian people in NZ are bad driver. I had made the complaint about this mistaken thought as kind of racial bias and I just realized that is the reason why my friends, my family and myself had experienced of being stared or shouted by Pakeha drivers when we drove a bit slow or made a wrong way driving accidently as it may sometimes be made by themselves as well. Just like the information acquired from Karen, the Coordinator of the organization, that when a number of Asian first came to NZ, many kiwis were very affronted about it for a long time. They thought Asian people may be able to come and take our country, our city and our lifestyle; and they took a couple of years, maybe 2 ~ 5 years to settle down. This is long time ago when they refused to have that immigration policy to allow more Asian people into the country. But now it just really accepted, generally it really accepted, [SIC] it was Karens reference of the general opinion of native resident. From her words, I was disappointed about the previous thinking of native people but pleased with the change that they have made. In fact, there are always two sides of a coin that people will see from different angel of view. Most people in this community that I have met are very kind to accept NZs multicultural society which they are living in but just a few have negative behaviour to us, immigrant from Asia countries, which I really like to ignore to live in peace with them. In conclusion, I agree that people in NZ are just like people in Taiwan who are definitely allowed to have a right to give critical opinions to people who may cause any harm to this beautiful and peaceful country. However, it is better to keep their thinking in objective way and not so subjective to create a difficult living environment for those immigrants to live in. That is absolutely unfair for what we have faced the racial tension in NZ.

America: The Modern Day Athens :: essays research papers

America: The Modern Day Athens "We do not copy our Ancestors, but are an example to them. It is true we are called a Democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not in the few. " This is the foundation for which democracy is ruled. Without this democracy does not exist. In this essay there will be comparisons of Athenian democracy and our modern day democracy Greece, in ancient times, was not a united land. There existed many little provinces of control, called city-states. Two examples of the more powerful and lasting city-states were Sparta and Athens. Sparta, whose people lived an austere and militaristic form of life, based its government on the needs of the army which things centered around this. Athens, another powerful city-state, developed a more balanced life for its citizens. Central to this development was the rise of democracy. Called the "cradle of democracy," Athens developed a direct democracy. Those citizens that were eligible could speak at forums and vote on issues. These people were known as the Council of 500; they were chosen annually. To be elected they had to be at least 25 years of age and a citizen. They directly had a voice. This is why Athens is an example of a direct democracy. A point should be made here that Athens, for all its noble ideas about men being able to govern themselves, excluded most of the people that lived within its cities walls. Women, for example had no say in government. They were subjected to running the homes, raising children, and tending to the needs of their husbands. Slavery, which existed in Athens, also caused a blot on the noble experiment of democracy. Slaves had no vote, no participation in government, and no recourse from a cruel master. Athenian government relied upon direct democracy to raise taxes, make laws, and gather armed forces when necessary. The American experiment in democracy differs significantly from the Athenian form of government. America utilizes a representative form of democracy. Because of the huge population, when compared to Athens, a direct democracy is impractical. Americans vote for representatives to the Legislative and Executive branches of government. It is hoped by the citizen that the representatives that are elected protect their constituents interests. There are, however, some dark spots on our form of government. Like the Athenians, America did not grant slaves the right to vote. It took a Civil War that nearly destroyed our nation before slavery was abolished and that portion of the population could have a say in our government. Additionally, women, who

Making Teams Work Essay -- Essays Papers

Making Teams Work The importance of teams is becoming more and more apparent in today's dynamic business world. Increasingly managers are searching for a means to improve production and keep their organization competitive in the global market. A lot of these managers have turned to the team as a means for achieving this improvement. Quality circles were originally looked at to fulfill this role, however they are being phased out in favor of self-managed work teams. These teams are increasingly being used to solve many of today's organizations production problems and inefficiencies, and in the process are both badly failing and greatly succeeding. So the discussion of teams is a very important one to address. Managers should be aware of the concept of teams and learn about as a means to further their organization and for when the time comes to implement a team they are prepared with the knowledge needed to build and use a team properly. The basic interpretation of a team is "a collection of two or more individuals who interact with each other, share common beliefs, and perceive themselves as being a group." (Denton '92) Metropolitan Life Insurance Company defines a team fore specifically as "a group of people with specific roles and responsibilities, organized to work together towards common goals or objectives, in which each member depends on others to carry out responsibilities to reach those goals and objectives." (Denton) The implementation and operation of a team can either be a great success or a costly failure, both money wise and time wise. Many companies have benefited from teams, and "when teams work, there's nothing like them for turbocharging productivity." (Denton "94) There are many examples of successful implementation of teams: Federal Express and IDS boosted productivity by 40% and Boeing cut its engineering hang-ups on its new 777 passenger jet by more than half. The Ford Motor Company al so has had great success with teams when producing the new Mustang prototype. Ford produced the Mustang from design concept to the finished product under budget and in record time. (Dumaine) However, many companies and managers are put off by the very mention of the work team. Some people see teams as just another management fad, while others in management have had bad experiences with teams that have failed. As Magee points ou... ...t must all come together to build a successful team, it can be done with proper planning and support from upper management. They must also discuss how to set up the compensation for the team, evaluation of team performance, and of individual performance. In my opinion, the benefits of increased productivity and efficiency that are seen by the organizations that properly build and successfully implement teams, far out-weigh the risks and costs of a team that fails. I would have to say that in today's competitive, globally oriented organizations, we cannot over stress the importance of teams. It seems that how much you get out of a team depends on how much you are willing to put into it, and most of what you need to put into it is some time spent doing the homework planning necessary to build the team that will take your business to the top. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Denton, D.D. (1992) Building a team. Quality Progress, October, 87-91. 2. Dumaine, B. (1994) The Trouble with Teams. Fortune, 130. 3. Magee, Y.S. (1997) Teams: avoiding the pitfalls. Public Management, 79. 4. McGarvey, R. (1996) Joining forces: 12 steps to creating winning teams. Entrepreneur, 24

The Role of Unfulfilled Expectations in E. A. Robinsons Richard Cory E

The Role of Unfulfilled Expectations in E. A. Robinson's Richard Cory In E. A. Robinson's "Richard Cory", Cory commits suicide because he could not live up to everyone's expectations of him. In the very first stanza of the poem Cory is described by the author: "He was a gentleman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim" (Robinson l. 3 & 4), suggesting and comparing him to royalty. Surely, living up to such a hierarchy is the most taxing task one can be appointed. The poem makes reference to his material possessions, suggesting this is one of the key qualities people admire him for. Cory possibly facing bankruptcy feels he will be nothing and thought of as nothing once these gifts are gone. Such high expectations and admiration of Cory have backed him into a corner where he feels the only escape is a suicidal death. It has been believed by many that royalty is directly appointed by God, such a position carries an immense amount of expectations. At times, these expectations are not even ascertainable due to the fact that royalty is looked at as flawless and all-knowing individuals. For a single human to cope with this is assuming a great amount of strength is possessed by the man. As stated by Robinson: "In fine we thought he was everything" (l. 11), expresses how immeasurably high the expectations were for Cory. To be held to such a high standard is difficult for any average human to manage and cope with. Fear of making the slightest mistake as the man is being watched under a microscope causes a permanent stress within one's soul. Living life knowing others are admirable of your status and position makes every day decisions just as crucial as a King's decisiveness. As an average member of societ... ...ost literal and logical sense, a self-inflicted death is a more supported idea, especially when Robinson writes: "Went home and put a bullet through his head" (l. 16). I talked of the death being made to look like an accident, but that is purely an outside spin that a reader has to put on the verse. Taking the literal meaning of what the author states is more convincing. The stresses that Cory endures due to the high pedestal he is held on is a stronger cause for an individual to snap than that of the envious and jealous nature humans are use to dealing with. Cory committing suicide is a much more believable approach than that of a murder. Work Cited Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." Literature-Reading, Reacting, Writing, 4th ed. Laurie Kirszner & Stephen Mandell, eds. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001. 986.

Social Media Use

Abstract The purpose of this study is to actually look at the use of the social media (i. e Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp,) in RSUST and the academic performance of the students. In this research a qualitative research method is used. 3 researched questions were asked 1. How common is the use of social media (i. e Facebook, BBM[BlackBerry Messenger], Whatsapp, Twitter) among RSUST students. 2. How often do these students spend using the social media? 3. How has it affected the academic performance of those who use the social media and those who don't?Introduction There has been a debate about the use of social media (e. g. , Facebook,Twitter,) by high school and college students, and the possible effect of those tools on students’ academic performance (Connolly, 2011; Hargitai, & Hsieh, 2010; Karpinski, & Duberstein, 2009). The main issue of this debate is whether the growing use of social media by high school and/or university students actually improves or worsens a studentâ₠¬â„¢s academic performance.The continued growth in the usage of the social media by students as early as the elementary school level (Anderson, & Rainie, 2012; Lenhart, 2009), In fact, the average time spent with screen media among 8- to 18-year-olds is more than twice the average amount of time spent in school each year (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010; National Center for Education Statistics, 2007–2008). This issue has brought about concerns particularly for the areas of education (e. g. the identification and use of compatible teaching methods and the design of non-classroom educational assignments); communications (e. g. , the identification of appropriate channels on how to exchange educational information among individuals) (Chen, & Bryer, 2012; Anderson, & Rainie, 2012). Over the past 10 years, the media environment that children grow up in has changed dramatically, and the amount of time they spend consuming media has exploded. Students have been engulfed with— and possibly transformed by— reality TV, smartphones, iPads, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

Internet Marketing in Business Essay

An effective ‘Marketing Mix’ including all 7 is a way of identifying a businesses achievements of marketing objectives, meeting customer needs, is balanced and consistent, creates a competitive advantage and matches corporate resources. The 7p’s include: product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical evidence Product: This is first considered in the marketing mix as it all depends on it. This can be a physical product or a service that the corporation is offering to the public. The only way to have a good marketing strategy is by making sure that the ‘product’ is up to standard, promoting every quality part of that good or service. Bikroy promotes their products very effectively as they use picture to enhance the quality of the product itself. They also provide a range of products and service including clothes, accessories, shoes/sandals etc and it provided for men and women. They include brand and designer wear which shows that they have high quality in their product. Bikroy also sells a range of products matching famous celebrity’s outfits that customers would want to buy. Bikroy, online or in their online newspaper provides customers the latest fashion info and what not to wear giving them an advantage to promote their products. Price: This is the total amount a customer pays for the product. It is decided through a number of factors a product have to offer including material costs, product identity, competition, market share and the customer’s perceived value of the product. If other store/business have the same product on stock other businesses may decrease or increase their price for customer satisfaction. Their price for the products vary depending on the product – quality, brand etc. For the designer items it can be expensive, although Bikroy may provide same looking product without the brand name making it affordable. Place: Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often known as the distribution channel. The place can be situated as a physical store or as virtuals stores on the internet. Bikroy.com is rapidly becoming the market leader in the Bangladesh online. All the products are sold ONLINE and not located anywhere else where people can purchase Bikroy items. They does have a warehouse where all stocks are kept and together has a office located in Dhaka. Promotion: Is a way of communication that a business/organisation may use in the market place. It enables the marketer to a advertise the product or service being provided by them. Advertisement is a powerful tool that corporations uses to enhance their products/service to encourage buyers/customers. Promotion has four distinct elements made up of advertising, public relations, word of mouth and point of sale. As their business is purely based upon the internet everything is promoted through the World Wide Web on the website and off. They have promotion on other websites and also Bikroy has developed an application to allow customers to track particular products on its sites through their web browser, whatever websites they are looking at. Bikroy organisation communicates information about their product and service to potential customers by identifying customer details and sends them information through mail, post etc aiming to sell the products. Another advertising method Bikroy use s on their website is that they have added a page of feedback from customers which enables ‘public relation’ which is one of the promotion powerful element. People: It is appropriate to have people in the marketing of services as all people who directly or indirectly influence the perceied value of the product or service, inlcuding knowledge workers, employees, management of the business and also the consumers. People deliver services – they could be any mentioned. People promote and sell products and services. Are their employees, customers – their family and friends, and any other people associated with Bikroy.com. Employees are important to this strategy of marketing mix as in can be those who deliver the products to customers. So they have to polite, helpful and have the knowledge of the business for them to answer any questions provided by the customer. It can also be the employees that answer the phone when any customer calls for any queries. Bikroy.com also have employees updating their website and replying to emails and online comments on their feedback page. Bikroy employees has the knowledge, training and other as pect helping the business with marketing for their business. Bikroy customers are also people that help in them marketing of services as they spread the business information. Process: This is the procedures of activities which lead to an exchange of value. The process should include how customers are handled from first and last point of contact. Bikroy is determined to be number one in the online market. They have thought through their process and kept it clear and have made it customer satisfactory. Bikroy’s strategy consists of aims that has a well-defined process. Bikroy have control of their website, their information/images etc are presented without any doubt intelligibly promotional. Payments are all done through their website online as they are only an online business. Also they have a step-by-step information on how to use and buy off their website, they also have page on delivery information. Here they can track down on where shopping is, know how much is cost to deliver, know when to expect the delievery etc. Physical Evidence: It is the tangible form of the service – this can include how a customer is treated by a staff member, a train ticket, the length of time a customer has to wait for service or their product (depending on the business). A physical evidence is aproof for customer to measure whether he or she has recieved value. As Bikroy.com is an online company their customer has difficulty not knowing how for example a dress will feel, look on them. Bikroy therefore provides annual reports, articles, etc showing them that Bikroy products are worth the value. Bikroy helps customers with their products by giving them full information about the product.

Parent Interview

I interviewed a woman who has given birth within the past year so that I can relate the things I am learning In the classroom back to real life scenarios. Throughout the Interview I hope to obtain enough knowledge to be able to understand the blurting process a lot better. I hope that I will be able to know more about how real life situations when it comes to having a new baby in the house. I also hope to be able to understand what it is like for a mother to see their newborn baby for the first time. Else is a 23 year old female.She is Mexican and was born at Fremont hospital in Yuba City, CA. Her family is made up of her boyfriend, herself, and her 4 children. Her boyfriend is also Mexican and they speak mostly English inside of their home, but they also Include some Spanish. She doesn't work at the moment, she currently Is enrolled In 5 classes at Yuba College and Is a full time mother to her 4 little ones. I interviewed Else outside of the cafeteria at Yuba College, It wasn't exac tly In privacy but she said It was perfectly fine. The total Interview took about an hour.Else was very nice and considerate, since she Is an ACE major also, she decided In the middle f the interview that she wants to take ACE 3 and learn about that the basics of every child. There was no problems with the procedure. RESULTS Else had a difficult delivery. She had a planned cesarean delivery, but she had a lot of tissue scaring which made it harder for the doctors to stitch the incision that was made. According to Papilla, a cesarean delivery is when doctors surgically remove a baby from the uterus through an incision In the mother's abdomen (120).She ended up having to stay 4 days In the hospital because of the complications with the Incision. When Else first saw her daughter she was Instantly In love with the little Dutton nose and soft skin. Her newborn baby was seven and a half pounds, which according to Papilla that is the average for newborn babies in the united States (122). S he gave birth to her at the same hospital she was born at, which is Fremont hospital in Yuba City. The only thing that she didn't really like about her stay there was that the R. N. Name in at 4:30 in the morning to weigh the baby, she thinks that 8 am would be a more appropriate time. Else said that right after giving birth she was able to see her baby for about 10 seconds and then wasn't able to see her again for 5 ours due to the complications that happened with the incision. She said that she had a big room and had It all to herself, which was extremely nice because her boyfriend stayed with her the entire time she was in there. She said that he held her hand and kept her happy throughout the entire cesarean delivery.The day after delivery she was able to hold her newborn, but she was extremely sad because she was told that she Isn't allowed to have any more children because of the scaring. Papilla vaginal birth after cesarean should only be attempted with caution (121). So, und erstandable as to why she isn't allowed to have any more children. It surprised her, but she was fine with it because she was fine and her newborn was healthy. The baby was quiet as a newborn. Instead of crying when she's hungry, she would move her head a lot.Right after child birth, she wasn't able to move because her incision was constantly opening up, so her boyfriend did most of the work including changing diapers and bathing the baby. Papilla has stated that the father's role has been increased since sass's and that the father's involvement with the child is related to the child's well-being and physical, cognitive, and social development (139). She breastfed for 2 months, but then the baby decided that she didn't want it anymore, so she had to switch to the bottle.She wanted to make sure that her newborn received the nutrients through her breast milk, so she was sad when she had to switch to the bottle. Papilla recommends breastfeeding to reduce the risk of obesity (147). Obes ity runs in her family. It actually makes it easier because now she doesn't have to worry about pumping milk before she goes to school. Overall, she is much more tired than she was before the baby was born, but she says that the babies mile makes her happier than ever before.The child changed Else's life because she now has 4 little ones that she has to care for, but she said it gives her something to look forward to everyday. She doesn't work anymore, because she decided to start school. She says that nothing has changed dramatically, but she is trying to maintain the same schedule as before. The baby is in a daycare, but the daycare is ran by the baby's grandmother.Throughout the interview, I learned that there is many complications that can come with a cesarean delivery. I didn't know that if you had to much scar tissue that it would be complicated to stitch back up. I also learned that babies freely choose if they want to be breastfed or bottle fed, I had never thought about the possibility of a child deciding that. It was interesting to see how everything related back to the book, especially since I don't have any children of my own. Marmoreal, Papilla, Feldman. (2014). A Child's World: Infancy Through Adolescence. Thirteenth Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.

Revenue and Production

BERGERAC CASE STUDY Summary The purpose of this report is to analyze the opportunity to produce plastic components for cartridge production and choose the best alternative. It is predicted that the annual demand growth is a triangular distribution with a minimum of 5%, most likely of 17% and a maximum of 25%. Due to the continuous growth in the demand, the alternatives cannot be compared using just the data for 2010. An analysis is carried out for the time period 2011 to 2015 and the present worth of the net income is considered as the criteria to select the alternative.The analysis basically can be divided into 5 steps: * Forecasting demand for next five years, * Estimating capacity required, * Developing production strategy, * Calculate the operating expenses for the alternatives, * Select the alternative based on the present worth of net income. From the estimated installed base of 7500 OmniVue instruments at the end of year 2010, the demand for the OmniVue instruments and cartrid ges are forecasted. There is a new product OmniVue mobile, ready to be launched in year 2013.It is assumed that the OmniVue mobile can be accounted for 30% of the demand for Instruments in year 2013, 50% in year 2014 and 60% in year 2015. The growth in demand for the OmniVue instrument is assumed to decrease after the release of OmniVue mobile. It is estimated that the production capacity of Bergerac to produce OmniVue instruments is approximately 2000 units per year with a production of 5 days per week. It is inferred that using level strategy, the probability that the demand is not met in the next five years is 5. 74%.There is no need to increase the capacity of the production line apart from changes required when the OmniVue mobile is released. There are various strategies which are compared in build option. For each production strategy, the optimum solution for the capacities in each year is found out. After finding the optimum solutions, the production strategies are compared w ith each other to find out the best solution for the build option. The production strategies that are analyzed are: * Level production strategy and Chase production strategy * Overtime is allowed / not allowedThe base values assumed to calculate the production costs for cartridges are included in Appendix F. Based on the production plan, the expenses incurred are calculated for both options. The expenses are calculated for the years 2011 to 2015. The expenses and revenue for cartridges and instruments are shown in Appendix H and Appendix I respectively. The income statement is prepared from the expenses calculated and the revenue (refer to Appendix J). The income tax rate for the company is estimated to be 39% from the income statements for years 2007 to 2009.The revenues and other expenses from operations other than OmniVue is estimated and added to the income statement. The net income is calculated. The cash flows for years 2011 to 2015 is also calculated. The net present worth is calculated for the net income and the cash flows. The objective used to optimize the solution is to maximize the mean of net present worth of the net income and cash flows. The four production strategies for the build option are optimized and the maximum net present worth for the options is forecasted. The best solution from the four strategies is chosen and compared to the net present worth of the buy option.Based on the analysis, build is a better option than buy option. The present worth of the net income is highest for level production, overtime allowed. But level production, overtime not allowed is very close to it and it does not affect the employee relationship. It is recommended to use level production strategy, no overtime (net present worth for net income is $59. 8 million). The current objective is to produce the plastic components for Bergerac with the lowest expenses, which can be achieved by building a unit for plastic component production in the plant itself.It is al so recommended to buy 5 machines instead of 4 machines in year 2010 based on the analysis. Dilemma for Ian Wyckoff Since 2008, Bergerac had been exploring the opportunity to begin its own production of cartridge components. Plastic suppliers like GenieTech and Elsinore faced difficulties in responding to demand spikes, leading to production delays. Such supplier unreliability made it challenging for Bergerac to optimize its cartridge production. Thus, the company had to carry more inventory of parts and finished goods than Wyckoff could have liked.The obvious appeal to fully control the supply of plastic lead to a strategy, the company has to decide whether to buy or build this capability. GenieTech owner was interested in retirement and was willing to sell the company for a purchase price of $5. 75 million. GenieTech has 8 molding presses each could produce 5 cartridges per cycle with a total capacity of 10,782,720 cartridges per year with 5 days production in a week. The other alt ernative is to build a unit with 4 molding presses which are more efficient than the presses at GenieTech.The total capacity of the unit will be 6,097,371cartridges per year with 5 days production in a week. It is required to predict the best long term decision among the buy and build options. Mr. McCarthy’s Analysis of Buy vs Build The analysis by Mr. McCarthy is a good basic analysis for comparing the alternatives, Buy vs Build. The main factor which Mr. McCarthy has not considered is the growing demand of the cartridges. The demand for cartridges is growing steadily and the Mr. McCarthy’s build option with 4 molding presses will not be able to satisfy the demand in the upcoming years (refer table 1). Additionally, Mr.McCarthy has not considered the possible revenue from the existing operations of GenieTech with other customers. The possible merger could also serve as a possibility for development in a new product line which would favor the growth of the company. So, Mr. McCarthy has not considered all the factors when comparing the two alternatives which means it is not ideal to accept this analysis. Financial analysis to choose between alternatives – Buy Vs Build using a 2011 to 2015 study period The analysis can be basically divided into 5 steps: First, the demand for the years 2011 to 2015 has to be forecasted.Second step is to estimate the capacity required to meet the demand in both buy and build options. The next step is to plan the production accordingly to meet the demand forecasted previously. The employee strike which is predicted to happen in the start of year 2013 should be accounted for when planning the production. The costs of operation and the revenues are then calculated which is used in the income statement. Final step is to compare the cash flows to determine the optimal solution that can be executed in the years 2011 to 2015.Estimated demand for OmniVue cartridges and the testing instruments for years 2011 – 2 015 The expected annual growth rate of demand is a triangular distribution with a minimum of 5%, a most likely of 17% and a maximum of 25%. From the estimated installed base of 7500 OmniVue instruments at the end of year 2010, the demand for the OmniVue instruments and cartridges are forecasted. There is a new product OmniVue mobile, ready to be launched in year 2013. It is assumed that the OmniVue mobile can be accounted for 30% of the demand for Instruments in year 2013, 50% in year 2014 and 60% in year 2015.The growth in demand for the OmniVue instrument is assumed to decrease after the release of OmniVue mobile. Table 1 – Demand for OmniVue Instruments and Cartridges forecasted for years 2011 – 2015 Capacity planning OmniVue instruments: It is predicted that the installed base at the end of year 2010 is 7500. Bergerac has manufactured 7500 units in the period mid-2006 to 2010. Hence, it is estimated that the production capacity of Bergerac to produce OmniVue instru ments is approximately 2000 units per year with a production of 5 days per week.Using the assumption for increase in demand for the instruments, the number of units to be produced using level production for years 2011 to 2015 is forecasted and it is seen that the probability that the demand is not met is 5. 74%. The maximum number of units to be produced is 2,588. It can be met if the production is increased to 7 days per week whenever required. Hence, it is assumed that there is no need to increase the capacity of the production line apart from changes required when the OmniVue mobile is released.Figure 1 – Level production – capacity required for years 2011 to 2015 OmniVue Cartridges: Build option: Figure X shows the demand for years 2011 to 2015 based on the estimated installed base of 7500 at the end of 2010 and the assumed growth rate. The minimum and maximum growth rates are 5% and 25% respectively. Figure 2 – Demand for cartridge The demand for the assume d growth rates is plotted. The 4 molding presses proposed by Mr. McCarthy will be sufficient to meet the demand if the growth rate is 5% every year, but will not be able to meet requirements if the demand grows by 25%.The capacity of the proposed 4 machines with 5 days/week and 7 days/week are plotted. The number of units to be produced with level production is plotted; the proposed 4 machines will be able to meet the demand with overtime (excess of 5 days/week). It is assumed that the OmniVue mobile is given preference in case of shortage of capacity. Optquest is used to estimate the right number of machines to be purchased and the expansion strategy in the future years so that the company profit is maximum. Buy option: The cartridge components are the only difference between the buy and build options.There is no increase in the capacity required because the current capacity of 8 machines will be able to satisfy the demand for the next 5 years. Figure 3 – Cartridge demand fo r year 2015 – peak demand Other product lines: It is assumed that the new product OmniVue mobile can be manufactured in the same production line with some modifications in the equipment. Overtime: It is assumed that overtime can be used for manufacturing when the 5 days/week is not enough to meet the demands. The overtime wages for the labor are twice the normal.The overtime wages are calculated from the utilization factor of the machines which is 5 days/week normal production (100% utilization). The overtime cannot exceed 40% because there are only 2 more days left in a week. It should be noted that there is only 3% change in the operational expenses for overtime (refer to Appendix E). Employee strike in 2013: It is predicted to be 50% probability that the employees will do strike for a period of 0. 5 to 3 months. So, it is assumed that the annual capacity is reduced to 75% if the strike duration is 3 months (refer Appendix D).Strategies can be formulated to tackle the strik e situation by producing more units in the previous year so that the demand can be met in the first 3 months of 2013. The maximum demand during the strike period is estimated to be a maximum of 1. 6 million cartridges and 277 instruments. It is assumed that the OmniVue mobile will be released after the strike is over. Production planning Cartridges: Buy option (GenieTech): The same number of units is produced every year which will be equal to the production capacity.The plastic components requirement for Bergerac is first satisfied and the remaining capacity is used for the other contracts of GenieTech. After the launch of OmniVue mobile, the production for OmniVue mobile is given preference. Overtime is used for production if the demand exceeds capacity which is unlikely to happen in the next 5 years. Since the production capacity of GenieTech has been always above the demand, the other strategies are not analyzed. Build option: There are various strategies which are compared in bu ild option.For each production strategy, the optimum solution for the capacities in each year is found out. After finding the optimum solutions, the production strategies are compared with each other to find out the best solution for the build option. There criteria used to find the optimum solution is the present worth. The production strategies that are analyzed are: * Level production strategy and Chase production strategy * Overtime is allowed / not allowed For level production strategy, the inventory holding cost is assumed to be $0. 2/unit for OmniVue and $0. /unit for OmniVue mobile. The alternatives are compared using net present worth forecast graphs. The level production plan and chase production plan are included in Appendix B and Appendix C respectively (Note: production plan for both the cartridges and the instrument are available in the same table). Instruments: The instruments are produced using level production strategy. The production is scheduled based on the deman d forecast for the years 2011 to 2015. OmniVue mobile is given more preference like the production strategy for cartridges.It is assumed that 2 foremen and 6 other labors are required for the production line. It is also assumed that OmniVue mobile instrument also can be manufactured in the same production line with some modification in the equipment. The production of instruments does not impact the analysis because the same cost is incurred in both options. Other products: The operations for other products are directly included in the income statement and it is not analyzed. Operational expenses and Income statement The base values assumed to calculate the production costs for cartridges are included in Appendix F.Based on the production plan, the expenses incurred are calculated for both options. The expenses are calculated for the years 2011 to 2015. The expenses and revenue for cartridges and instruments are shown in Appendix H and Appendix I respectively. The income statement i s prepared from the expenses calculated and the revenue (refer to Appendix J). In level production strategy, the expenses are incurred during a period different from the period in which the product is sold. But, it is expended only when the product is sold.For that purpose, the cost per unit is calculated and is used to calculate the cost of goods sold. For example, if in a year, 3000 goods are sold and 1000 are from previous year inventory, then the cost is calculated using previous year cost per unit for 1000 units and current year cost per unit for the remaining units. The income tax rate for the company is estimated to be 39% from the income statements for years 2007 to 2009. The revenues and other expenses from operations other than OmniVue is estimated and added to the income statement.The net income is calculated. Cash flows (refer Appendix K) Similar to the Income statement, the revenues, expenses and capital investment for each year is calculated from the data and the cash flows for the alternatives are calculated. In cash flow statement, the expenses are expended in the same year when it was spent. The income statement which was prepared previously has used accrual accounting. Depreciation is included in income statement. In cash flow, the capital investments are included instead of depreciation. Present worth analysisThe net present worth is calculated for the net income and the cash flows. The objective used to optimize the solution is to maximize the mean of net present worth of the net income and cash flows. The four production strategies for the build option are optimized and the maximum net present worth for the options is forecasted. The best solution from the four strategies is chosen and compared to the net present worth of the buy option. The overtime not allowed scenario is performed in Optquest by adding a constraint that the utilization in all years is less than or equal to 100%.Build option (refer Appendix M): Present worth of Net incom e: For chase production strategy, overtime allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $58. 770 million. 31002 For chase production strategy, overtime not allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $58. 486 million. 40101 For level production strategy, overtime allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $60. 786 million. 40000 For level production strategy, overtime not allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $59. 789 million. 50100 Present worth of Cash flow:For chase production strategy, overtime allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $53. 474 million. 31000 For chase production strategy, overtime not allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $52. 220 million. 40101 For level production strategy, overtime allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $50. 086 million30010. For level production strategy, overtime not allowed, maximum of mean of net present worth is $47. 742 million. 50100 Buy option (refer Appendix N): Present worth of Net income: $54. 204 millionPresent worth of Cash flow: $47. 647 million Based on the analysis, build is a better option than buy option. The present worth of the net income is highest for level production, overtime allowed. But level production, overtime not allowed is very close to the highest and it does not affect the employee relationship. It is recommended to use level production strategy, no overtime. There is an issue with inventory building in level production strategy. Also, by not choosing the buy option, Bergerac loses a chance to enter a new product line.But, the current objective is to produce the plastic components for Bergerac with the lowest expenses, which can be achieved by building a unit for plastic component production in the plant itself. It is also recommended to buy 5 machines instead of 4 machines in year 2010 based on the analysis. Appendices List of assumptions * The growth of demand is a triangular distribution with 5%, 17% and 25%. * The OmniVue mobile demand accounts for 30%, 50% and 60% in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. * It is predicted that there is a 50% chance of strike in 2013 for a time period of 0. to 3 months. * The OmniVue instruments and cartridges can be manufactured in the same production line with some changes in equipment. A $200,000 cost is added in year 2013 for these changes. * The base values considered for calculating production cost for cartridges and the instruments are available in the Appendix F and G respectively. The labor cost for instruments is assumed to be the same as that of cartridges. There will be no impact for assumptions related to instruments because the same cost is assumed in both options. * The labor growth of GenieTech is 2 to 5%.The material cost increases by 3 to 8%. * For overtime, the salary is 2 times the salary in normal production hours. The overtime salary is calculated from the utilization. * OmniVue mobile cartridge will be sold at $8 per unit. * Transportation cost of plastic components from GenieTech is $0. 1/unit. * The inventory holding cost for cartridges is $0. 2 for OmniVue and $0. 1 for OmniVue mobile. * The plastic components are sold to other customers from GenieTech at $1. 66/unit. * The labor and overhead for instrument production are assumed values. The revenue from other products is assumed to be $35 million. Gross margin for other products is 60%. * The R & D costs increase 7% every year. The R & D cost for GenieTech is 5% of Bergerac’s. * Sales and marketing cost is 25% of revenue. Profit sharing is 0. 1% of gross profit. * The General and administrative cost for HemaVue is $6 million and it increase 10% every year. * Interests are 5% of Income from operations. * In capital investments, installation and building cost has a $125,000 fixed cost and $75,000 variable cost per machine.