Management information system Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management information system - Case Study Example Each activity is interrelated and monitored accordingly. ERP takes a formal business approach. The approach is based on business model that is tested and well defined. For example, there is already a well defined logistics management or supply chain management model. All the data is maintained in a centralized database. All information relating to different activities of the organization are all stored at a single place and can be accessed when needed. Changing to ERP is expensive as the entire business process needs to be modified but proves to very beneficial once implemented. Benefits of implementing ERP The whole business process becomes very effective and efficient as a result of ERP implementation. As the different units like the development team, sales team, customer service, deliver team, all will be working i8n tandem and this will make the whole system more effective and also economical. Inventory can be managed better. The production team will know at any time how many uni ts are there and what is the demand as it is all automated. There is better co-ordination between the various departments in the organization. Customer service can be improved manifold as the communication inside the organization will be faster and also the lead time will be reduced.

Talk about the comnponents that make the cell phone work, then talk Essay

Talk about the comnponents that make the cell phone work, then talk about the effect the cell phone has on people and culture in - Essay Example Naturally, this discussion of the production and internal componentry of the iPhone, as well as raw materials, will engage a discussion upon labor standards, working conditions, international trade, and a litany of other topics. It is the hope of this author that such a broad level of discussion will provide the reader with a nuanced understanding of how the globalization of the world is evidenced in something as seemingly simple as a cell phone. Firstly, it must be understood that the cell phone is not singular piece of technology. Rather, is a complex miniature computer that derives its compliments from a litany of different manufacturers in a great number of different places throughout the world. Whereas the previous era saw the flip phone being produced by a single manufacturer in only a handful of different factories, the current era is one in which smartphones dominate the market. By very definition, a smartphone is a type of small tablet PC; capable of light computing tasks, g aming, and processing of various types (Montlake 42). As one might expect, the increased complexity requires that an increased number of manufacturers and complement providers are responsible for providing these parts. Accordingly, the first section of this analysis will be contingent upon where most of the major parts for the iPhone come from. Although it is commonly understood that Foxconn is responsible for putting them together, it is only once these parts have been manufactured that Foxconn enters the equation whatsoever. Although a direct competitor to the iPhone, Samsung electronics is responsible for making the main processor as well as the flash memory that the iPhone relies upon to store data. Naturally, without the flash memory and/or the processor itself, the iPhone would be effectively useless. Samsung has a litany of different factories around the globe; however, the ones that are responsible for making the flash memory and the processor are located within the Peopleâ €™s Republic of China and South Korea (Wright 47). Interestingly, even though the processor is made by Samsung, it is made under license and ultimately legally owned by ARM Holdings; a British firm that originally designed architectural license for the way in which the processor works. Moreover, the iPhone does not simply have one processor; it has a minimum of two. As such, Germany’s Infeneon Technologies is responsible for supplying the second processor that serves as the phones brainstem. Moreover, the same company referenced above is also responsible for providing the transceiver for the iPhone. As such, these compliments are ultimately made within Germany and subsequently sold and shipped to Foxconn/Apple as a function of piecing the iPhone together. Another British firm, Wolfson Microeletronics, is responsible for the creation of the audio processing chip. This audio processing chip is used not for the calls that are made to it from individuals utilizing iPhone; rat her, it is used as a means of providing a transcription for the audio files stored on flash memory and encoding not surprisingly, the same

Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on Performance

Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on Performance Introduction The concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM), introduced to address the issue of integration of organizational functions ranging from the ordering and receipt of raw materials through the manufacturing processes to the distribution and delivery of products to customers with a view to enable organizations to achieve higher quality in products and customer service and to lower inventory cost, has attracted considerable managerial attention in recent times mainly because of its huge potential competitive impact (Stevens, 1989). Experience, however, demonstrates that managers adopt a variety of disparate approaches to SCM implementation. In this context, design of an effective supply chain network has become a crucial issue for any company to survive in a fiercely competitive market. The SCM concerns with issues and characteristic features of several interrelated factors and activities of an organization, such as demand forecasting, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, inventory, tr ansportation, and customer service, and the resulting integrated approach is extended to customers and suppliers (Christopher, 1992). Considering the implications of all these aspects, a number of issues in SCM have assumed importance in the context of prevailing industrial scenario in India in order to make SCM more effective. Numerous papers have been published in the literature advocating the principles and the benefits of SCM [Beesley (1997), Lurquin (1996), Mason-Jones and Towill (1998), and Towill (1996)]. Many case studies have also been published evidencing the benefits of SCM [Arntzen, et al., (1995), Calza and Passaro (1997), and Lee and Billington (1995)]. There are several studies on SCM practices in different countries reported in the literature [Gilmour et al. (1995), Handfield and Withers (1993), Cilliers and Nagel (1994), McMullan (1996), Cox (1999)], and it is felt that an effort on design and development of SCM practices including issues, such as IT application, performance measures used, and barriers of SCM implementation is very much needed in India. On reviewing the existing SCM literature, several major weaknesses in the conceptualization and modeling of SCM are found. In particular, the SCM construct is perceived as an extension of integrated purchasing and supply management, or integrated logistics and transportation management. It appears that a coherent view on SCM concept has yet to develop in the existing literature, and it makes a prerequisite to conduct a survey on the important issues of SCM before a comprehensive methodology for supply chain performance measurement and evaluation system for the Indian Tyre manufacturing industries is prescribed. This paper reports the details of a questionnaire-based survey to study the status and scope of SCM practices in Indian Tyre manufacturing companies and also provides a brief overview of the similar surveys on SCM already undertaken in different industries. Objectives of the Survey The primary objective of the survey is to explore and understand, in quantitative terms wherever possible, the issues in SCM practices and concerns of the Tyre manufacturing industries in India. In specific terms, the objectives are related to the following aspects: †¢ Present status and scope of SCM practices; †¢ Role of Information Technology (IT) in SCM; †¢ Performance measures used in SCM, †¢ Benefits of employing SCM practices; and †¢ Specific issues hindering SCM practices. It is assumed that addressing the above-mentioned issues, as all of them are related to SCM strategies and practical constraints, would lead to understanding the status and scope of SCM practices in Indian Tyre manufacturing industries. Presently, the majority of the Indian companies have a weak alignment of supply chain strategy with business strategy. This is primarily so because the companies are rigidly structured along functional lines with department-specific performance measures. Survey Methodology A survey instrument, in the form of a questionnaire, is used in order to fulfill the objectives as mentioned. The questionnaire designed for the survey, will be conducted during December, 2010, for nearly 18 companies covering Tyre manufacturing industry in various regions of the country. Various lists of manufacturing companies, Internet websites of the companies, and personal contacts were the main sources for obtaining information about the companies and creating a database. The companies were selected randomly from the database. Although the survey will be conducted for a specific time period, the issues considered remain highly relevant for understanding the operating principles, norms, problems, and implementation aspects of SCM practices in the Indian Tyre manufacturing companies. The questionnaire is designed to know about the responding companies, their main objectives of employing SCM, positions of companies in the supply chain for their primary products, and views of the respondents on the principles of effective SCM practices. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: Section A and Section B. Section A was designed for the companies which have already implemented the SCM concepts like information sharing with suppliers and customers, or have decided to implement SCM concepts in near future, contains questions pertaining to several important issues related to SCM practices, such as a companys role in servicing customers needs, its role as a customer to its suppliers, the role of IT in SCM, the performance measures used in supply chain performance evaluation, and the activities or actions hindering SCM practices. Section B presents the items related to several types of barriers and government policies commonly found in implementing SCM practices in t he Indian Tyre manufacturing industries. A combination of checks, yes/no, `Likert scale, and multiple choice questions are framed against the issues as mentioned. The following specific tests will be employed on the data obtained: †¢ Two-Tailed Significance Test-this provides a level of significance for differences between two groups to a question requiring a response using a Likert scale. †¢ Bivariate Correlation (Pearson) Coefficient-this tests the relationships between responses to two different questions. The test provides a `p value indicating the strength of the relationship. A value of p=0 represents no relationship, and p= ±1 a strong relationship, and shows the significance level of the relationships. †¢ Reliability Analysis-In order to assess the homogeneity and inter-correlations of the factors used in an item, Cronbach alpha (a) [Cronbach (1951)], a measure of internal consistency often used in cases where participants respond to questions on a Likert scale The values of a lies in the range (0, 1). For the purpose of analysis, the survey responses are divided into three categories: Category 1: Questions that need ranking of alternatives (Likert-scale questions) The importance of the alternatives under each issue is established based on the values of statistics obtained. Category 2: Questions requiring degree of agreement (multiple choice questions) For the questions requiring degree of agreement, Specific issues such as main objectives of SCM, principles of effective SCM practices, integration of divisional areas in the supply chains, information communication tools with suppliers and customers, area of IT applications, and barriers of SCM implementation are included in this category. The percent responses of all the alternatives under each issue are computed and the rankings of the alternatives are done based on the percent responses resulting in identifying the important alternatives. Category 3: Yes/No type questions For this category, two yes/no type close-ended questions have been framed against different issues. The percent responses of `Yes/No is computed against each issue, which provide the general views of the respondents on a particular issue. Company Details Apollo Tyres Ltd Shanmugham Road Cochin, KL 682031 Phone : +91-0484-2381902/2381903/ 2380720/ 2372767/ 2363760 Birla Tyres Syed Amir Ali Avenue Kolkata, WB 700019     Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-33-22814516 Ceat Tyres Ceat Tyres. D 6/5, SMB ENGINEERS, TTC INUSTRIAL AREA MIDC TURBHE NAVI MUMBAI, MH 400705 Phone : +91-22-27622079 Elgitread (India) Ltd Elgitread (India) Ltd 2000 Trichy Road Coimbatore, TN 641005 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-422- 4321000 Falcon Tyres Ltd Falcon Tyres Ltd K. R. S. Road Metagalli Mysore, KK 570 016 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-821-2582453/ 2582055/ 2582041 Govind Rubber Limited Govind Rubber Limited G -15,Creative Industrial Estate,Sitaram Mill Compound,72-N. M. Joshi Marg Lower Parel Mumbai, MH 400 011 Email :  [emailprotected]  Phone : +91-22-2309 5641/1784 / 309 21124 / 309 21126 JK Tyres JK Tyres 3 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg New Delhi, DH 110002 Phone : +91-11-23311112/7 Malhotra Rubbers Limited Malhotra Rubbers Limited D-4, Sector 11 Noida, UP 201301 Email :  [emailprotected],[emailprotected],[emailprotected]  Phone : +91-120-2543028/2543029/2553724 Metro Tyres Metro Tyres Metro House, 134/4, 135/5 Zamrudpur Kailash Colony New Delhi, DH 110 048 Email :  [emailprotected],[emailprotected]  Phone : +91-11-6219097/98 Modi Rubber Modi Tyres Company Pvt. Limited. NH-58, Meerut Roorkee Road Modipuram 250110 MEERUT (Uttar Pradesh) MRF Tyres MRF LIMITED KOTTAYAM MANUFACTURING UNITS  P.B.No.2, Vadavathoor P.O., Kottayam, Kerala 686 010 Tel: 0481-2570461 (12 Lines) DID: 2575196/97/98, Royal Tyres Royal Tyres C-11 Mugappair Industrial Estate(East) Chennai, TN 600037 Email :  [emailprotected]        Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Ã‚     Phone : +91-44-26565643/42690079/42690089 TVS Srichakra Ltd TVS Building 7-B West Veli Street Madurai, 625001 India +91-45-2420461 (Phone) Questionnaire for The Impact of Supply Chain Strategies on the Performance of Indian Tyre Manufacturing Companies Part 1 Company Profile 1. Name of Company 2. Address 3. Country 4. Tel 5. Fax 6. Website 7. Contact person: 9. E-mail: 8. Position in company: No of employees: [______] Turnover 2009 : [_________________] Part 2 Theme 1 How do you manage your supply chain? Tick all that apply 1 Close partnership with suppliers 2 Close partnership with customers 3 JIT supply 4 e-procurement 5 EDI 6 Outsourcing 7 Subcontracting 8 3PL 9 Plan strategically 10 Supply Chain Benchmarking 11 Vertical integration 12 Few suppliers 13 Many suppliers 14 Holding safety stock 15 Use of external consultants 16 Other, please specify How successful do you think is your company in managing its supply chain in general? Not successful at all Not successful Somewhat successful Successful Very successful 1 2 3 4 5 Which of the following you think that your company needs to do in order to manage its supply chain better? Tick all that apply. Improve Start Implementing Satisfied already Not appropriate Close partnership with suppliers Close partnership with customers JIT supply e-procurement EDI Outsourcing Subcontracting 3PL Plan strategically Supply Chain Benchmarking Vertical integration Few suppliers Many suppliers Holding safety stock Use of external consultants Other (specify) Does your company have a clear logistics strategic plan? YES NO Part 3 Theme 2 What types of systems are currently in use in your company to support Supply Chain Management? Custom-made Standard package Not in use Material Requirements Planning (MRP) Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Warehouse Management System (WMS) Supply Chain Management (SCM) Customer Relationships Management (CRM) Supplier Relationships Management (SRM) Advanced Planning System (APS) Just In Time (JIT) Other (specify) How much did you actually benefit from using these systems? Not at all Little Average Greatly A lot Dont know (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Better quality of information Better quantity of information Flexibility Reduced lead-time in production Cost saving Forecasting Resource planning Better operational efficiency Reduced inventory level More accurate costing Increased coordination between departments Increased coordination with suppliers Increased coordination with customers Increased sales Better quality of information Better quantity of information Flexibility In what level your company is facing the problems below when using SCM systems? No problem at all Little problem Some problem Significant problem Serious problem Dont know (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Resistance to change from employees Insufficient vendor support Hidden cost Integration with existing system Integration with suppliers system Integration with customers system Other (specify) What types of systems do you plan to implement in the near future (within the next 2 years)? Custom-made Standard package Not going to implement E-commerce E-business Decision support / expert system Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Bar coding Other (specify) Part 4 Theme 3 19 How satisfied are you with the current public policy regarding SCM and IT? Not at all Somewhat Satisfied Quite satisfied Very satisfied 1 2 3 4 5 How important are the following future measures for supporting your company effort in SCM and IT? Not at all somewhat important important quite important very important (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) More education, e.g. formal qualification More funding and financial support Better infrastructure e.g. telecommunications, road, etc Improved information provision Increased regional cooperation between institutions, e.g. chamber of commerce Closer cooperation between companies and governments Other (specify)

Therapy Session Experience Review Essay -- Family Therapy, Family Coun

Our first session with the Smith family was very informative. The first 20 minutes of the session were the most noteworthy because of our effectiveness joining with the family and the depth of information we gained. This achievement is due, in part, to having all four of the Smith’s participate in the session. Pinsof (as cited in Sprenkle, Davis, & Lebow, 2014) believes that having the entire family involved in the therapy sessions from the beginning gives the therapist a clearer understanding of the system and â€Å"a more accurate understanding of the problem maintenance structure† (p.39). As the Smith family entered the therapy room, Regina’s tension was evident before the session officially began. As they were about to sit down, she quickly moved between George and Rob. During the session, I observed George making faces, rolling his eyes, and whisper comments to Rob. Rob would respond by making jokes about hurting George or threatening physical gestures; pu nching his fist into the palm of his other hand or moving a finger across his throat in a slashing motion. Afterward Rob would smile at Theresa and me and shrug his shoulders but George would act as though he hadn’t participated in the exchange. Regina and Kevin did not acknowledge George's behavior but would sigh or frown at Rob’s. This interaction would not have been observed if the entire family hadn’t attended. The session began with a brief introduction of everyone in the room which was followed by an ice breaker activity. During a previous classroom demonstration, markers were used as an ice breaker with a young family (D. Baker, personal communication, March 18, 2014). It was a simple action that created a connection so I adopted the practice. According to Patterson, ... ...: Race, culture, and gender in clinical practice (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Guildford Press. Patterson, J., Williams, L., Edwards, T. M., Chamow, L., Grauf-Grounds, C. (2009). Essential skills in family therapy (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. Strengthening Families, (2014). Mormon.org. Retrieved from: http://www.mormon.org/values/family. Sprenkle, J., Davis, S. D., Lebow, J. L. (2009). Common factors in couple and family therapy: The overlooked foundation for effective practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Taibbi, R. (2007). Doing family therapy: Craft and creativity in clinical practice (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. Walsh, F. (2008). Spirituality, healing, and resilience. In M. McGoldrick and K. V. Hardy (Ed.), Re-visioning family therapy: Race, culture, and gender in clinical practice (2nd Ed.) (pp. 61-75). New York, NY: Guildford Press.

Market Equilibrium Process Essay

– Relate the concepts of the market equilibrating process in the Weeks One and Two readings and learning activities to a prior real-world experience occurring in a free market. The experience does not necessarily have to be work related. – Explain the market equilibrating process in relation to your experience. Include academic research to support your ideas. – Consider the following components in your explanation: †¢ Law of demand and the determinants of demand †¢ Law of supply and the determinants of supply †¢ Efficient markets theory †¢ Surplus and shortage – Use University of Phoenix Material: Appendix A to create graphs illustrating the equilibrating process in price relation to the shift in supply and demand. – Deliver the content as a 350- to 500-word paper, 7- to 10-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation, 2- to 3-minute video, or 1-page comic strip illustration. http://academicwritingtips.org/component/k2/item/932-market-equilibrium-process.html Market equilibrium refers to the selling price â€Å"where the intentions of buyers and sellers match†. This means that the quantity sellers are willing to sell at a particular price matches the quantity buyers are willing to purchase at that same price, or, in other words, where the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. A surplus results when the price is too high (quantity supplied is more than consumers are willing to buy) and a shortage occurs when the price is too low (quantity demanded is more than quantity supplied). The equilibrium price changes when there is a shift in either supply or demand. The market is made up of two basic groups, households and businesses. These two units buy and sell goods and services from and to each other. The market system uses competition among buyers and sellers to regulate the price of available goods and services. Theoretically, this insures that no one buyer or seller will be able to monopolize the market because others can c ome in and undercut the price. Supply and demand are affected by changes in consumer preferences, number of buyers in the market, consumers’ incomes, the prices of related goods, and consumer expectations. The economy is currently in a recession, or depression depending on whom you ask, that has greatly affected these determinants of demand. Many industries and individual consumers have seen a steep decline in income due to this market low period. The recession has had a significant affect on the construction industry in which this author currently works. There is currently a surplus of commercial and residential properties on the market. This surplus discourages businesses from starting new construction projects. This has led to businesses reducing their workforces which has in turn led to consumers reducing their spending and has become a circle of lower buying and selling. The construction industry was not the only one affected by this cycle. Nearly all industries that depend on consumers discretionary funds, those not spent on necessities, were affected. Large manufacturers that have been around forever went bankrupt and small companies everywhere  suffered the same fate. The United States economy is market based. Sellers and consumers are free to trade in any way that works for them with relatively little interference from government. This system allows the price of products and services to be set by supply and demand and determines the allocation of limited resources. Suppliers and consumers are connected in a circle of buying and selling, and when there is a major shift in the economy all can be affected. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry. http://www.e-m-h.org/introduction.html http://www.healthmr.com/resources/newsletter-archive/1011-fa-3-ways-to-increase-revenues-in-home-health-and-hospice http://academicwritingtips.org/component/k2/item/932-market-equilibrium-process.html http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/full/165/6/750 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

The Scarlet Letter: Hester’s Secrets Cause Harm

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, follows the story of Hester Prynne and her dealings with a nasty love triangle and life with the sin of adultery. Hawthorne also outlines the consequences of keeping secrets and the effects it may have on the lives of oneself and others. In this novel, Hester keeps many destructive secrets that harm more than herself and some that she should have shared before it got too late. Hester most likely believed that her secrets harmed herself and spared others pain as long as they were hers and hers alone.However, Hester’s secrets harmed many more people, including her lover Dimmesdale and her husband Chillingworth. Her secrets hurt Dimmesdale the most. When she shared that her husband was Chillingworth, he seemed almost heartbroken at the fact that she would hide such an important piece of information from him. Dimmesdale was also hurt in many ways when she withheld the identity of the father of Pearl from the community, such as ha rming himself to deal with the fact he did not come forth at court.In fact, this very act also resulted in the harm of Chillingworth. He vowed revenge because he did not know who the baby’s father was, which sent him and his health in a downward spiral. Her acts in holding these secrets were destructive in the community as well, not just harmful to a few people. The community as a whole had to deal with the shame of having an adulteress within its jurisdiction and many people were disgusted with the idea of it in the first place.To make matters worse, her secrets caused the downfall of the local minister and doctor, both of which were very esteemed. Her secrets caused Dimmesdale’s aforementioned self harm and Chillingworth’s spite towards him, which when combined sent his health downwards very quickly. He, also sharing the secret, eventually collapsed under the pressure and, in his last sermon, died. Chillingworth died as well because he had spent so much of his time and energy being evil that it impacted his health negatively, which did not mix well with his age.Now the town’s beloved doctor and minister were dead and much of the community was, understandably, distraught. These problems were caused by Hester’s secrets and could have been completely prevented if she shared them with the right people at the right times. She was right to not reveal the identity of her lover in court, as it saved Dimmesdale’s life, but she should have shared with him the identity of her husband.If she had done this right away, Dimmesdale could have avoided Chillingworth completely and not been unaware to the harm that was being done by the doctor. This may have also increased the chances that Chillingworth would remain oblivious to who Dimmesdale really was since their time together would have been severely reduced. Hester should have also shared with Pearl who Dimmesdale really was earlier on to help her understand more about her life an d their strange relationship.Perhaps Pearl could have grown up with Dimmesdale as her father after they retreated to another city, had a more normal childhood. Ultimately, Hester’s secrets harmed many. They were destructive and reckless and perhaps she should have shared some of them in a better fashion at better times. It was these secrets that caused much pain, as they do in many circumstances in life. This may have been one thing Hawthorne was trying to portray in his novel, that secrets hurt more than those who keep them.