Consonants of the english language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consonants of the english language - Essay Example hangeable, more stable, the law of their mutations is more con ­stant, or at least better ascertained, and they frequently re ­main fixed in the written language, after they have been lost or changed in sound. Hence, in researches into the history of language they are of cardinal importance, and consequently have almost exclusively en ­gaged the attention of etymologists, while, on the other hand, their supposed permanence, immutability and distinctness of character have led them to be much neglected. But in fact, consonants are very far from being so well discriminated. It is true that their differences are generally more easily appreciated by the ear, though less easily imitated by the tongue, than those between vowels. The indistinct articulation of consonants in Danish, the con ­founding of the hard and soft sounds of g in some dialects of Arabic, and of I and r in the Polynesian islands, the sep ­aration in Italian and Spanish of consonants are united in English consonants. As a result the words often lose all resemblance from which they originated, and it is the suppression or change of consonants that disguises them. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 123) Chasm and other words of similar ending are popularly pronounced as dissyllables, and in blossom, be-torn, bosom, and chrisom introduced a written vowel. The consonant m does not readily unite even with a preced ­ing liquid, and hence the vulgar pronunciation ellutn, helium, for rim, helm, and the word alarum for alarm. It is perhaps in this reluctance of m to be linked with a preceding liquid, and the explanation of the suppression of the I balm, calm, and other words of similar ending are found. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 142) If we talk about the formation of consonants we should point out that sounds are made by modifying an airstream. There are many points at which that stream of air can be modified. Producing a consonant sound depends on the position of vocal folds, they are either opened or closed. If

Goldman Sachs - Management Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Goldman Sachs - Management Analysis - Assignment Example It has been noted from the annual report of the company that the main focus of the company has been at four key areas. The four key areas have been the creation of the jobs as well as the overall growth of the economy, building up of the economy as well as stabilising them, enhancing the opportunities of education and thus glorification of the services as well as expertise. The main aim of the paper has been to analyse the company’s decision making with the help of the management theories. Among the several management theories such as the Taylor’s Rational Goal Theory, Fayol's and Mintzberg's Internal Systems Theory, Mayo’s Human Relation Theory and Porter’s Strategic & Peters’ Cultural Theory; the research paper will make use of the two theories such as Mayo’s Human Relation and Fayol and Mintzberg’s theory. The rationale behind choosing Goldman Sachs for the purpose of the study is that during the period of Lloyd Blankfein, CEO and C hairman of the company, it was accused of fraud by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the year 2010. It can thus be identified that the performance of the company during this period has been comparatively inferior. Therefore, through this report, it will be aimed at understanding the kind of decision that the management followed that led to such a huge turmoil. The report will try to comprehend the reasons of failure during the rein of Lloyd Blankfein. The analysis will be conducted using the various theories that have been identified and finally recommendations will be provided with regards to how the management can improve its managerial decision making capabilities. Managerial Decision Making At Goldman Sachs The main business of the Goldman Sachs has been to invest the money belonging to the large organisations as well as the wealthy individuals. It has further been identified that the firm tends to put its own funds as well at risk. Organisational Structure Lloyd B lankfein has been the Chairman and CEO of the company since the year 2006. Lloyd Blankfein by nature has been quite affable and smart. His five years tenure in Goldman Sachs can be classified into three different groups. He experienced unstable growth till early 2008. Furthermore, the financial crisis that took place because of the breakdown of the Lehman Brothers was also evident during his ruling period. The bank, further expected to recover in the year 2009, despite various regulations that was formed after the post-crisis and the fall in their reputations. The other person who has been working with the company under Mr. Lloyd Blankfein is David Viniar who has been the Chief Financial Officer and has served the company for more than ten years. Mr. E. Gerald Corrigan has been the Co-chair of the Risk as well as Global Compliance and Controls Committee. Mr. Henry Paulson was the Chief Executive of the Goldman Sachs prior to Lloyd Blankfein (Steinert-Threlkerd, 2009). Alan Cohen has been the Compliance Officer at Goldman Sachs, John Rogers has been the Secretary and Gary Cohn is the President as well as the COO (The Official Board, 2011). It has been evident that the company has outperformed in its operations in most of the areas. It has been positioned among the best three underwriters. It is because of the consistent and best performance along with the commitment of the top management towards the municipal business as well as the public sector. The company also has

Employability Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employability Report - Essay Example Moreover, I have learnt to be responsible in all the activities since I am the one in charge of all the stock and ensuring that they are in good order. Second is that I am a good problem solver and decision maker. In this regard, I have been a Waitress in Harvester Restaurant regarded as one of the high-ended restaurants. Being a worker at the restaurant for at least two year has groomed me into a critical thinker and a decisional maker as I was delegated with the responsibility of taking orders and serving our guests and dealing with any problem that arose during my time on duty. This ensured that we remained competitive in all our undertakings as compared to our competitors. Third is that I have gained interpersonal relation skill. This is the skill I achieved while working as a customer service assistant at the Standard Bank. Educationally, I have attained a lot. I have gone through our educational system and am currently taking a course in financial mathematics. This has imparted a lot of knowledge by creating an urge to apply theoretical knowledge practically in my field of expertise. In addition, I have undergone computer training at the university. During this time I gained skills on Mat lab and Microsoft Office especially on Excel. I have also worked on projects on Mat lab that were quite challenging but still made it. On Excel application, am quite equipped since that is the technique we use in the assignment tackling. To create an edge and be more competent, I have attended classes on other languages such as German and therefore, can fluently converse in these foreign languages. With such achievements I believe I am now a metropolitan individual who can work in diverse cultures and understand different individuals and the best way to treat them in different circumstances. This will enable the organization have competitive advantage

Goldman Sachs - Management Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Goldman Sachs - Management Analysis - Assignment Example It has been noted from the annual report of the company that the main focus of the company has been at four key areas. The four key areas have been the creation of the jobs as well as the overall growth of the economy, building up of the economy as well as stabilising them, enhancing the opportunities of education and thus glorification of the services as well as expertise. The main aim of the paper has been to analyse the company’s decision making with the help of the management theories. Among the several management theories such as the Taylor’s Rational Goal Theory, Fayol's and Mintzberg's Internal Systems Theory, Mayo’s Human Relation Theory and Porter’s Strategic & Peters’ Cultural Theory; the research paper will make use of the two theories such as Mayo’s Human Relation and Fayol and Mintzberg’s theory. The rationale behind choosing Goldman Sachs for the purpose of the study is that during the period of Lloyd Blankfein, CEO and C hairman of the company, it was accused of fraud by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in the year 2010. It can thus be identified that the performance of the company during this period has been comparatively inferior. Therefore, through this report, it will be aimed at understanding the kind of decision that the management followed that led to such a huge turmoil. The report will try to comprehend the reasons of failure during the rein of Lloyd Blankfein. The analysis will be conducted using the various theories that have been identified and finally recommendations will be provided with regards to how the management can improve its managerial decision making capabilities. Managerial Decision Making At Goldman Sachs The main business of the Goldman Sachs has been to invest the money belonging to the large organisations as well as the wealthy individuals. It has further been identified that the firm tends to put its own funds as well at risk. Organisational Structure Lloyd B lankfein has been the Chairman and CEO of the company since the year 2006. Lloyd Blankfein by nature has been quite affable and smart. His five years tenure in Goldman Sachs can be classified into three different groups. He experienced unstable growth till early 2008. Furthermore, the financial crisis that took place because of the breakdown of the Lehman Brothers was also evident during his ruling period. The bank, further expected to recover in the year 2009, despite various regulations that was formed after the post-crisis and the fall in their reputations. The other person who has been working with the company under Mr. Lloyd Blankfein is David Viniar who has been the Chief Financial Officer and has served the company for more than ten years. Mr. E. Gerald Corrigan has been the Co-chair of the Risk as well as Global Compliance and Controls Committee. Mr. Henry Paulson was the Chief Executive of the Goldman Sachs prior to Lloyd Blankfein (Steinert-Threlkerd, 2009). Alan Cohen has been the Compliance Officer at Goldman Sachs, John Rogers has been the Secretary and Gary Cohn is the President as well as the COO (The Official Board, 2011). It has been evident that the company has outperformed in its operations in most of the areas. It has been positioned among the best three underwriters. It is because of the consistent and best performance along with the commitment of the top management towards the municipal business as well as the public sector. The company also has

A bachelors degree Essay Example for Free

A bachelors degree Essay After obtaining a bachelors degree in marketing five years ago I never imagined myself going back to school and trying to pursue a masters degree in early childhood education. Every since I can think back to my childhood I have had so many great teachers. I have always value them not only as an educator but as a strong and compassionate individual. My interest in education began with my daughter, and spending a great amount of time as a parent volunteer in her classroom. In the classroom is where I developed a passion for working with kids, and helping them learn in a creative manner. I feel that children bring out the best in me. As a parent and educator I find myself not just a person who nurtures and cares for children, but someone who is excited to see children learn. I have taught my children how to be someone with good morals and ethics. I have helped them view education in most positive way. I strong believe that the early years of a childs life are crucial when it comes to education, and this is a time at which information can most effectively be absorbed. In order to ensure that our children the future of our society get the best education possible, it is vital that appropriately qualified, skilled, and knowledgeable educators are available to provide this knowledge and development. Two factors have contributed to my decision to pursue my education at the graduate level. First, by attending graduate school, I would have the opportunity pursue a position as director or admistative coordinator at a preschool. In addition, I seek further education in order to refine and improve my level of knowledge and skills educating young children. I feel that graduate school will enable me to discuss and research contemporary issues that are of chief importance to an educator practicing in todays society. 2. How do you perceive the process of graduate study in early childhood education helping you attain your personal and professional goals? The process of graduate study in early childhood education will strengthen my ability to lead as a director in quality programs in early childhood education. It will provide me with the tools and skills need to provide leadership and manage the day-to-day activities in schools, preschools, day care centers. Secondly, the process of graduate study will help me understand and perseve the importance of theories used in early childhood education. It will give me a chance to explore and apply those theories and practices used in a classroom setting. Third, the process of graduate study will help me gain knowledge so I can effectively conduct research studies pertaining to young children. Some studies which I am egger to conducted are studies concerning the long term benefits of children who attend preschool, how preschool can help in the development of children, and how teaching children though play can help children enjoy learnering. My personal benefits that I will gain from graduate study in early childhood education are, it will help me be able to understand and perceive social and cognitive development of my own children. It strengthen my relationship with my children and with children in general and, make it easier to perceive there way of thinking. 3. In what ways do you plan to make a contribution to the profession of early childhood education? As a profession of early childhood education a plan to make a difference though committing to enhancing the education, development, and well-being of young children. I will educate others about the importance of well-rounded preschool and the long term benefits it can have on a child. I plan to use what I have learned though graduate program and apply into the preschool environment. After completing graduate studies I plan to continue researching how we can continue to improve our early childhood education programs for the future generations. 4. What are your expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at California State University, Long Beach? First of all I think it would be not only an honor but a privilege for me to attend a graduate school that is so highly recognized professionally. My expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at CSULB are it will give me an opportunity to effectively communicate about theories and practices I have learned though out the program. It will give me a chance to conduct research and implement my research and incorporate that research into a preschool setting. It will broaden my understanding about the importance of cultural diversity in a classroom setting. It will give me a chance to further explore other areas which I can possible specialize in. The masters program will give me a chance to be a well recognized individual among peers and colleagues within my profession. Thinking back to my childhood, I have had many great teachers. I have always valued them not only as educators but as strong and compassionate individuals. I have helped them view education in the most positive way. I strongly believe that the early years of a childs life are crucial when it comes to education, and this is a time at which information can most effectively be absorbed. In order to ensure that our children, the future of our society, get the best education possible, it is vital that appropriately qualified, skilled, and knowledgeable educators are available to provide this knowledge and development. First, by attending graduate school, I would have the opportunity pursue a position as director or administrative coordinator at a preschool. It will provide me with the tools and skills needed to provide leadership and manage the day-to-day activities in schools, preschools, and day care centers. Secondly, the process of graduate study will help me understand and perceive the importance of theories used in early childhood education. Some studies which I am eager to conduct are studies concerning the long term benefits of children who attend preschool, how preschool can help in the development of children, and how teaching children through play can help them enjoy learning. The personal benefits that I will gain from graduate study in early childhood education include understanding and perceiving social and cognitive development in my own children, strengthening my relationship with my children and with children in general and, making it easier to perceive their way of thinking. This sounds rather repetitive; you are overusing perceive and being a little too general here. As a professional in early childhood education, I plan to make a difference though committing to enhancing the education, development, and well-being of young children. I will educate others about the importance of well-rounded preschool and the long term benefits it can have on a child. I plan to use what I have learned through my graduate program and apply it to the preschool environment. After completing graduate studies I plan to continue researching how we can continue to improve our early childhood education programs for the future generations. Again, this is rather vague. First of all, I think it would be not only an honor but a privilege for me to attend a graduate school that is so highly recognized professionally. My expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at CSULB are that it will give me an opportunity to effectively communicate about theories and practices I have learned throughout the program. It will give me a chance to conduct research and implement my research and incorporate it into a preschool setting. It will give me a chance to further explore other areas in which I can specialize. The masters program will give me the chance to be a well recognized individual among peers and colleagues within my profession. Try to come up with some more specific goals. When you are vague, it makes it sound as if you really dont know much about the field you want to specialize in. You might want to read some articles about issues in early childhood educationwhat is controversial in the field? what is cutting edge? and include some information you have gained from your reading, to show that you are well-versed in this area.

Capacity Planning And Decisions

Capacity Planning And Decisions Capacity planning is one of the key aspects of operations management as it determines the amount of goods or services which can be produced within a given time duration. Too less capacity indicates that customers wont be satisfied and too much capacity would result in the operation being under-utilized with resultant high fixed costs and also affecting breakeven and profitability. A company, when it has to increase its capacity it has various options to consider, from working overtime to building a new facility or a plant. Forecasting demand is critical to capacity planning and companies can adopt different strategies of capacity planning, to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain the operations well within their budget and other constraints. Short term capacity planning is very important for any company be it a product based or a service based company especially when there are seasonal demands, as those demands are totally unpredictable and there cant a permanent plan in place fo r short term capacity planning for seasonal demands. Momentary plans like employee overtime, subcontracting have to be considered and the best among them and that incur least cost have to be selected and implemented and this has been discussed in detail in this project. Chapter-1 Capacity Planning Decisions 1.1 Capacity Planning Firstly, Capacity of any facility is said to be the rate of productive capability of it. Capacity otherwise can be assumed as the rate at which a facility produces or in simple words, it is the ability of a facility to produce a certain level of output within a specific time period. When a firm decides to produce more of a product or plans to produce altogether a new product, it always starts with deciding how much capacity is needed considering the factors that affect capacity such as number of workers and machines, skill set of workers, defects, suppliers, government regulationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. This is termed as Capacity Planning. 1.2 Need for Capacity Planning A firm can determine its facility location and choose the process technologies only after it has found out a need for new or expanded facilities by evaluating the capacity or capacity planning. Lack of capacity planning can result in under or over capacity and would incur unnecessary costs in exploring ways to reduce or increase capacity. Lack of capacity planning can also trigger a series of undesirable events such as poor delivery services, an increase in work-in-process and bring about dissatisfaction in the minds of the sales personnel and the team involved in manufacturing. Decision making such as producing new products, expanding productionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc can be difficult without proper capacity planning. 1.3 Determinants of Capacity The determinants of capacity are: Facilities Product and Service Factors Process Factors Manpower Factors Operational Factors Supply Chain Factors External Factors 1.4 How important are capacity decisions? Capacity decisions have its impacts on many different verticals of a firm. Firstly it affects the ability to meet future demands, as without capacity planning if not done keeping in mind the future demands leads to a shortage of products. If capacity is underestimated or overestimated it directly affects the operating costs as if capacity is overestimated the operating costs involved would get wasted and if underestimated the measures taken to fix it may cost a lot and so is the way it affects the initial costs too. And all these factors affect many other factors such as the competitiveness, managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. 1.5 How are Capacity Decisions made? Assessment of Existing Capacity Forecasting Future Capacity Needs Identification of Ways to Modify Capacity Evaluation of Financial, Economical, and Technological Capacity Alternatives Selection of a Capacity Alternative most suited to achieving strategic mission 1.6 Measuring Capacity Measuring capacity is simple for certain organizations. Reynolds, can use number of ballpoint pens produced per year, Hyundai Motors can use number of automobiles per year. But for organizations whose product lines are more diverse it is difficult to find out a common unit of output. As an alternative, capacity can be expressed in terms of input. A consultancy can express its capacity in terms of the number of consultants employed per year. A lathe shop may express capacity in terms of available labor hours or machine hours per week, month, or year. Following table shows some examples of capacity measures. Measures of Operating Capacity Output Organization Measure Automobile Manufacturer Number of Autos Brewery Barrels of Beer Cannery Tons of Food Steel Producer Tons of Steel Power Company Megawatts of electricity Input Organization Measure Airline Number of Seats Hospital Number of Beds Job Shop Labor and/or machine hours Merchandising Square Feet of Display or Sales Area Movie Theatre Number of Seats Restaurant Number of seats or table Tax Office Number of Accountants University Number of Students and/or faculty Warehouse Square or cubic feet of storage space Source: Productions and Operations Management, Text Book Day to day variations such as employees being absent or late, breakdowns of machines, downtime required for facility maintenance and repair make it often difficult to measure capacity realistically. A facility can in some cases operate at more than 100% capacity. Chapter-2 Estimating Future Capacity Needs 2.1 Capacity requirements can be evaluated from two different perspectives viz. short term and long term. 2.1.1 Short-Term Requirements Managers often use forecasting of product demand for estimating the short term work load the facility should be handling. By looking forward up to 12 months, managers expect output requirements for different products or services following which they compare requirements with currently existing capacity and find out when capacity adjustments are to be made. 2.1.2 Long-Term Requirements Long term capacity requirements are tougher to determine as future demand and technologies are uncertain. Forecasting five or ten years into the future is a risky and a tough job. A product existing today may not even exist in the future. It is easily visible that long range capacity requirements depend on marketing plans, product development, and the life cycles of the products. Changes in process technology should also be expected. Even if products remain unchanged, the methods for generating them may change drastically. Capacity planning should be involving forecasting of technology as well as product demand. 2.2 Strategies for Modifying Capacity After currently existing and the future capacity requirements are determined, alternatives ways of modifying capacity must be found out. 2.2.1 Short Term Responses For short-term periods of up to one year, basic capacity is fixed. Majority of the facilities are rarely opened or closed on a regular monthly or yearly basis. Many short-term adjustments for increasing or decreasing capacity are possible anyway. The adjustments to be made depend on if the conversion process is mostly labor or capital intensive and if the product is one that can be stored in the inventory. Capital-intensive processes depend a lot on physical facilities, plant, and equipment. Short term capacity can be modified by operating these facilities more or less intensively than normal. The costs of setting up, changing over, and maintaining facilities, procuring raw materials and manpower, managing inventory, and scheduling can all be modified by making such capacity changes. 2.2.2 Long Term Responses From World War 2 through the 1960s, the US economy was booming and scaling great heights. Since the 1970s, the United States has faced problems of scarcity of resources and a more competitive economy. Organizations today cannot be constrained into thinking only about expanding the resource base; they must also consider appropriate approaches to contracting it. Example: A warehousing operation foresees the need for an additional 100,000 square feet of space by the end of the next five years. One option is to add an additional 50,000 square feet now and another 50,000 square feet after two years. Another option is to add the entire 100,000 square feet now. Estimating costs for building the entire addition now are $50/square foot. If expanded incrementally, the initial 50,000 square feet will cost $60/square foot. The 50,000 square feet will cost $60/square foot. The 50,000 square feet to be added later are estimated at $80/square foot. Which alternative is better? At a minimum, the lower construction costs plus excess capacity costs of total construction now must be compared with higher costs of deferred construction. The operations manager must consider the costs, benefits, and risks of each option. Source: Productions and Operations Management by Everett E. Adam, Jr. Ronald J. Ebert 2.3 Classification of Capacity Planning based on Time Long Term Capacity Planning Short Term Capacity Planning 2.3.1 Long Term Capacity Planning Long Term capacity planning solves strategic issues involving the firms major production facilities. Also, long-term capacity issues are interrelated to location planning. Technology and the ability to transfer the processes to other products are also interrelated to long-term capacity planning. Long-term capacity planning may come in to the picture when short-term amendments in capacity are scarce. For instance, if a firm adds a third shift to its present two-shift plan and if the output is still insufficient, and also if subcontracting options are unavailable, one practical alternative is adding capital equipment and modifying the layout of the plant. An additional space or constructing an additional facility can also be alternatives. 2.3.2 Short Term Capacity Planning In the short term, capacity planning concerns issues related to scheduling, labor shifts, and balancing resource capacities. The goal of short-term capacity planning is to manage unexpected shifts in demand in an efficiently economic way. The time frame for short-term planning is often only a few days but may go on as long as six months. Alternatives for making short-term changes in capacity are numerous and can even take decisions to not meet demand at all. A very easy and most commonly-used method to increase capacity in the short term is working overtime. This is a very flexible and least expensive alternative. While the firm has to pay one and one half times the normal labor rate, it is saved from the expenses of hiring, training, and paying additional benefits. When not used abusively, most workers welcome the opportunity to earn extra wages. If overtime does not provide enough short-term capacity, other alternatives are also available. These include adding shifts, employing cas ual or part time workers, the use of floating workers, leasing workers, and facilities subcontracting. Firms may also increase the capacity by improving the use of their resources. The most common alternatives in this category are employee/labor cross training and overlapping or staggering shifts. Most manufacturing firms inventory some output ahead of demand so that any need for a capacity change in future is absorbed by the inventory buffer. From a technical angle, firms may initiate a process design aimed at increasing productivity at work stations. Manufacturers can also shift demand to avoid fluctuations in capacity requirement by backlogging, queuing demand, or lengthening the firms lead times. Service firms achieve the same results through scheduling appointments and reservations. A more creative approach is to modify the output. Standardizing the output or offering complimentary services are examples of the same. In services, customers might be allowed to do some of the process work themselves (e.g., self-service fuel pumps and fast-food restaurants). Another alternative reduc ing quality is an undesirable yet possible trick. Finally, the firm may take steps to modify demand. Changing the price and promoting the product are common. Another alternative is to split demand by initiating a yield or revenue management system. Utilities also report success in shifting demand by the use of off-peak pricing. 2.4 When capacity doesnt meet demand? When capacity doesnt equal demand, then in short term capacity planning, it can be managed by temporary measures such as increasing or decreasing the labor force or creating and carrying inventory in the lean period to be used in the peak demand period. If there happens to be a mismatch between demand and capacity in long term capacity planning, it can be handled by changing or modifying the capacity. If the capacity is short then a new facility can be built or expand the existing facility. In case of an excess capacity then a temporary shutdown/sale/consolidation of facilities would help. 2.5 Best Operating Level Source: Operations Management by William J Stevenson The term capacity means an attainable rate of output but mentions nothing about till what point of time that rate can be sustained. Thus, if we say that a given plant has a capacity of x units, we do not know if it is a one-day peak or a six-month average. To avoid this issue, the concept of best operating level is brought into being. This is the level of capacity for which the process was designed and thus is the volume of output at which average unit cost is at a minimum. When the output of the facility falls below this level (underutilization), average unit cost will increase as overhead must be allocated to fewer units. Above this level (overutilization), average unit cost also increases-here due to overtime, increased equipment wear, and heightened defect rates. 2.6 Capacity Planning Models Present Value Analysis: It is used to evaluate the time of capital investment and fund flows. Aggregate Planning Models: It helps in examining the way of using the existing capacity for short term planning. Break Even Analysis: It determines the minimum break down volumes of production. Linear Programming: It helps in determining the optimum product mix for maximizing contribution, considering the constraints imposed by capacity. Computer Simulation: It is helpful in determining the effects of various scheduling policies. 2.7 Economies of Scale This well known principle of Economics illustrates the relationship between cost and capacity in an operating system. When output increases in an operating system, the system is likely to experience cost benefits on various factors. Due to the following reasons the average unit cost begins to fall with the rise in output level: Spreading the fixed costs of capacity over a larger output. Improved utilization of several resources in the system. Cost benefit in procurement on account of increased volume. Efficient use of supervisory and management staff. The economies of scale cease to occur beyond a level of production or output. This is called Diseconomies of Scale. There can be several reasons for this: Inefficient management due to large size of operation and the resulting lack of coordination. Overuse of machines and break down of material handling equipments. Over hiring of employees, or overtime exceeding justifiable limits. Service slows down due to increasing complexities. Increase in quality degradations because of mismanagement and lack of focus. An Example for Economies of Scale: Economies/Diseconomies of Scale Source: Microeconomics by Robert S. Pindyck, Daniel L. Rubinfeld, Prem L. Mehta Chapter-3 Capacity Planning Techniques 3.1 Capacity Planning Techniques There are four procedures for capacity planning; capacity planning using overall factors (CPOF), capacity bills, resource profiles, and capacity requirements planning (CRP). The first three are roughly cut approaches that involve analysis to identify potential bottlenecks that can be used with or without manufacturing resource planning (MRP) systems. CRP is used along with MRP systems. Capacity using overall factors is a simple and a manual approach to capacity planning that is based on the master production schedule (MPS) and production standards that convert required units of finished goods into historical loads on each work station. Bills of capacity are a procedure based on the MPS. Instead of using historical ratios, it uses the bills of material and routing sheet that shows the sequence or work stations required to produce the part, as well as the setup and run time. Capacity requirements can then be determined by multiplying the number of units required by the MPS by the time required to manufacture each. Resource profiles are the same as bills of capacity, except lead times being included so that workloads fall into the correct periods. Capacity requirements planning (CRP) is applicable only in companies using MRP or MRP II. CRP uses the information from one of the previous rough-cut methods, plus MRP outputs on existing inventories and lot sizing. The result will be a tabular load report for each work station or a graphical load profile for helping plan-production requirements. This will tell where capacity is not adequate or idle, allowing for imbalances to be corrected by shifts in personnel or equipment or the use of overtime or added shifts. Finite capacity scheduling is an extension of CRP that simulates job order stopping and starting to produce a detailed schedule that provides a set of start and finish dates for each operation at each work station. A failure to understand the very nature of managing capacity can lead to disorder and serious cus tomer service issues. If there is a mismatch between available and required capacity, adjustments should be made. However, it should be taken care that firms cannot Have perfectly-balanced material and capacity plans that easily accommodate emergency orders. If flexibility is the companys competitive priority, excess capacity would be appropriate. 3.2 Utilization and Efficiency Utilization is the percentage of design capacity achieved. Utilization = Actual Output/Design Capacity Efficiency is the percentage of effective capacity achieved. Efficiency = Actual Output/Effective Capacity Bakery Example: Actual production last week = 148,000 rolls Effective capacity = 175,000 rolls Design capacity = 1,200 rolls per hour Bakery operates 7 days/week, 3 8 hour shifts Design capacity = (7 x 3 x 8) x (1,200) = 201,600 rolls Utilization = 148,000/201,600 = 73.4% Efficiency = 148,000/175,000 = 84.6% Efficiency = 84.6% Efficiency of new line = 75% Expected Output = (Effective Capacity)(Efficiency) = (175,000)(.75) = 131,250 rolls 3.3 Managing Demand There are three cases in which demand has to be managed and they are: Demand Exceeding Capacity Control demand by raising prices, scheduling longer lead time Long term solution is to increase the capacity Capacity exceeds demand Stimulate market Product changes Adjusting to SEASONAL DEMANDS Produce products with complimentary demand patterns Capacity planning in short time or short term capacity planning to meet seasonal demands is explained in detail in the following sections. Chapter-4 Seasonal Demands 4.1 Seasonal Demands Seasonal Demands are those demands those cause unusually large ups or downs in demand. Seasonal demand occurs in a number of different scenarios; most frequent of them is listed in the following: Natural seasonal variations (e.g. greater demand for ice cream in summer and for cold remedies in winter). Specific calendar linked Events like Diwali (Crackers, sweets), Mothers Day (e.g. greetings cards and flowers), and Christmas. Regular every day Promotions that can happen frequently and semi-randomly throughout a year. 4.2 Impacts and Challenges of Seasonal Demand Managing seasonal demand getting a good forecast done, planning production and procurement and managing the fulfillment process introduces considerable additional challenges into the process that is already complex. For most manufacturers, the two key and important planning processes are Forecasting Demand Planning, and Production Planning Scheduling. The challenge in Forecasting and Demand Planning is mainly handling the high demand volatility and variability, and unexpected demands. Specifically, promotions events tend to cause most of the issues, and result in much larger and more frequent demand spikes and dips than natural seasonal variations. If these are not planned well in a timely fashion and introduced into downstream production and distribution plans, the result can be significant reduction in manufacturing and distribution efficiencies, increase in costs, lower customer service levels and satisfaction and all these ultimately can result in a lost business. In Planning and Scheduling, the greatest of problems is dealing with frequent changes in forecasts and orders. The ability to react swiftly while making the best decision on the way of satisfying demand is often the desired strategy of Make to Order manufacturers. For manufacturers who are unable to meet peak demand because of capacity constraints, and for those that Make to Stock or use a combined MTO/MTS strategy, tactical planning requires careful tweaking of demand and production in order to plan for a suitable pre-building of inventory and to ensure that the long lead time items are purchased in synchronization with the modified production plans. Manufacturers, of course, may, to solve some or all of their capacity issues, resort to sub-contracting. The recent upward trend in contract manufacturing, and the increase in virtual manufacturing, that is, purchasing and distributing products from foreign countries significantly add to the overall supply chain complexity. In this, with very long supply lead times, accuracy of forecast is again paramount, and, the ability to give your suppliers precise projections of your requirements in a timely manner is one of the most critical factors. Despite the push of lean strategies and principles of customer driven supply chain, one of the most common ways of dealing with any type of demand uncertainty in many of the companies of today still appears to be to insure against the uncertainty by holding an extra inventory across the supply chain which is an expensive and unacceptable solution. 4.3 Focus on Customers and Demand Getting the demand right approach benefits every subsequent supply chain planning and execution processes from production planning, through sourcing and procurement to fulfillment and this result in reduced costs as well as improvements in the top line sales and market share. On the other hand, getting the demand wrong adds cost to almost all downstream processes, severely affecting competitiveness and again ultimately results in losing the business. In forecasting and demand planning, one very much visible guideline is to focus more on the abnormal than the normal. This does not mean not paying attention to natural seasonal variations, but paying more attention on promotions and events as these are the things that almost cause the highest volatility in demand always and are the most tough to handle. Putting in extra efforts to ensure you understand your customers and the authentic sources of demand can also pay very good dividends. Many manufacturers still use their customers demand from on their warehouses but frequently, their customers ordering process is not that good and is a poor source of history of demands or demand trends. Wherever possible, its a lot better to have eyes on the actual source of demand, namely the consumer. Using their customers POS data as part of the demand planning process often gives much better idea of the actual demand. The ability to maximize and continuously improve forecast accuracy is very important. Increasing sales and market share with the help of improved perfect order performance and influencing and creating demand is equally important. Focusing well on demand and getting nearer to your customers is an essential requirement to achieve these goals. Chapter-5 Conclusion Conclusion Short term capacity planning to meet seasonal demands, thus is critical for any company and proper forecasting of seasonal demands and a proper plan to meet all those seasonal demands should be in place. Any flaw in this, can lead to high inventory costs, employee dissatisfaction, deteriorating customer service levels and high customer dissatisfaction that leads to losing the customers and ultimately losing the business. A firm should be at vigil all the time to see the changes happening in demands and should keep changing its strategies of short term capacity planning and achieve and sustain an outstanding business value. Appendix

Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

Garden for the Blind â€Å"Some great gardens unfold like a narrative or a piece of music as we move through them and view their carefully choreographed wonders.† â€Å"To really know why San Francisco is not Paris you must sense it.† These words, quoted by Moore, Mitchell and Turnbull and Malnar and Vodvarka respectively (in Sensory Design), are what inspired me to create not only a garden for the blind, but a sense of place and feeling for those lacking sight. While reading the selected excerpts from both Sensory Design and The Rise of the Creative Class I realized that there is more to designing a garden for the blind than simply selecting plants with specific textures and scents; it is creating an entire place, a gestalt of the senses if you will, that creates a whole sense of being in the garden. Florida refers to creativity as â€Å"the process of destroying ones gestalt in favor of a better one.† My ideal garden for the blind creates a gestalt without a visual field. Using th e kinesthetic sense of the distinctive land behind Hume, along with carefully selected auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences, the garden for the blind will create a gestalt of its own, where even a seeing person feels they no longer need their sight. I want to appeal to the senses, but not overwhelm them. This is why I decided to divide the garden almost into sections. The only predominate sense not divided at all will be sound. Ideally, in the center of the garden will be beautiful statue, with many curves and crevices, that also has running water (a bird bath would be perfect). While this might not work on the slopping land behind Hume, hopefully at least a small structure will be feasible and provide something else for the hands to explore as well as the constant, pleasing sound of running water. When walking through the butterfly rainforest with my eyes closed, my favorite part was when I was near water. The sound of water truly made me feel like I was in a nature scene; it also gave me a sense of direction and was remarkably soothing in a somewhat stressful situation (I do not normally walk through unfamiliar areas with my eyes closed). The sound of water is a must for my garden. Also providing sound, I want to attract birds. I read that Bee Balm is an excellent attractor of hummingbirds and butterflies (which I learned from the butterfly rainforest can create quite a sensation when they land on you). Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays Garden for the Blind â€Å"Some great gardens unfold like a narrative or a piece of music as we move through them and view their carefully choreographed wonders.† â€Å"To really know why San Francisco is not Paris you must sense it.† These words, quoted by Moore, Mitchell and Turnbull and Malnar and Vodvarka respectively (in Sensory Design), are what inspired me to create not only a garden for the blind, but a sense of place and feeling for those lacking sight. While reading the selected excerpts from both Sensory Design and The Rise of the Creative Class I realized that there is more to designing a garden for the blind than simply selecting plants with specific textures and scents; it is creating an entire place, a gestalt of the senses if you will, that creates a whole sense of being in the garden. Florida refers to creativity as â€Å"the process of destroying ones gestalt in favor of a better one.† My ideal garden for the blind creates a gestalt without a visual field. Using th e kinesthetic sense of the distinctive land behind Hume, along with carefully selected auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences, the garden for the blind will create a gestalt of its own, where even a seeing person feels they no longer need their sight. I want to appeal to the senses, but not overwhelm them. This is why I decided to divide the garden almost into sections. The only predominate sense not divided at all will be sound. Ideally, in the center of the garden will be beautiful statue, with many curves and crevices, that also has running water (a bird bath would be perfect). While this might not work on the slopping land behind Hume, hopefully at least a small structure will be feasible and provide something else for the hands to explore as well as the constant, pleasing sound of running water. When walking through the butterfly rainforest with my eyes closed, my favorite part was when I was near water. The sound of water truly made me feel like I was in a nature scene; it also gave me a sense of direction and was remarkably soothing in a somewhat stressful situation (I do not normally walk through unfamiliar areas with my eyes closed). The sound of water is a must for my garden. Also providing sound, I want to attract birds. I read that Bee Balm is an excellent attractor of hummingbirds and butterflies (which I learned from the butterfly rainforest can create quite a sensation when they land on you).