Essay on A Brief History of America’s National Pastime

An article in the Babe Ruth Central website tells the story which took place in game three of the World Series in Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The New York Yankees were up two games to none on the Chicago Cubs. In the fifth inning, with the score tied four-four, many of the nearly 50,000 fans, and even players in the Chicago dugout, began taunting and heckling the batter. What happened next went down in baseball history as one of the most famous and controversial at-bats. The batter was none other than Babe Ruth, who, with two strikes and two balls, stepped out of the batters box and gestured toward the outfield as if to show where he was going to hit the ball. Ruth hits the next pitch over the wall in center field for a home run. Many people†¦show more content†¦Terry Bluett in â€Å"Baseball and the Civil War† explains prior to the war, baseball was a game only played in the New York area. Those who played the game and went off to war began to teach their fellow soldiers how to play. Soldiers of all ranks participated in playing baseball in their camps and were even promoted by generals because it greatly improved the morale within the camps (Bluett). Another jump in popularity took place during World War II. Many players at the time went off to war, which may have contributed to the statistically lower level of play. However, President Roosevelt wanted the game to continue through the war to give the American people a constant in their everyday life. The 1945 season saw an all-time high attendance and was the last year of the war (Corso). In the subsequent 50 years, baseball has had a steady increase. The MLB has seen their gross income skyrocket recently earning $8 billion in 2013. A $6.6 billion increase from the 1995 season even though there has been a slight drop in kids and adults playing the sport in the last ten years. This data may show that baseball has lessened its popularity among the younger demographic, possibly because of the ir short attention spans (Bickley). Baseball’s popularity in the future may be a topic for debate, but what is known for sure is that baseball has been a very popular sport in this country for the past 150 years and has been a large contributor to American culture. As the popularityShow MoreRelatedA Brief History of America’s National Pastime679 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to a passage in the 19th Century Baseball website, author Eric Miklich writes that America’s pastime may have originated in Canada. Miklich tells the story of Dr. Adam E. Ford who wrote a letter about a game which had been played in 1838 which was described to have several key differences than baseball. Many people believe that baseball evolved from games played in England- mainly cricket and rounders. Others believe the German game of town ball is where it all started. 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Modernization in Afghanistan and Iran - 2044 Words

The process of Modernization in Afghanistan under King Amanullah Khan and Iran under Shah Reza Pahlavi The modernization process has been experienced in different ways by different countries that some of them succeeded and some of them failed. Theoretically it has been defined as â€Å"a concept in the sphere of social science that refers to the process in which society goes through industrialization, urbanization and other social changes† (Zapf, 2004).Even there is no single approach toward this process, evolutionism, diffusionism, structural functionalism, systems theory and interactionism as well as other disciplines such as political science, economics, anthropology, psychology and others are combined to be known as modernization theory.†¦show more content†¦In contrast, Shah Reza’s economic development was successful. In his arena economic development began with the development of the transportation system. These developments included creation of a network of railroads that connected Iran from north to south and from east to west by 1941. The connection of Iran ports to inland cities leaded to encouraging trade between rural and urban centers (Anon., Dec 1987) Smilser’s Theory : Smelser have studied modernization theory in four steps attributed to the effect of economic development on social formation. These four steps includes, move from simple to complex technology, change of subsistence farming to cash crops, mover from animal and human power to industrialization and an increase of urban based population Amanullah Khan’s economic reforms has not been able to meet some of the critiria’s that Semels argue for economic development and social formation. First, no transformation to complex technology happened. Second, he diminished all arbitrary taxation system and announced a new taxation reform through which the formers were obliged to pay their taxes in cash directly to the state. He replaced Rupee to a new Afghani currency in order to boost Afghan Foreign exchange. Third, for the development of system of commerce, he developed small industry policies (Saikal, 2004). But, the economy remained subsistentShow MoreRelatedIran And Afghanistan Dur ing The Soviet War2190 Words   |  9 Pages â€Å"Regime Change is the replacement of one administration or government by another, especially by means of military force† (Oxford Dictionaries). This is exactly what happened in Iran in 1979 and in Afghanistan in 1992 both regimes were overthrown by Islamists. Accordingly, Iran and Afghanistan are two countries that share many similarities. For instance both are Islamic countries with heavy radical Islamic Influence, both had radical Islamic groups that opposed the regime, and most of all both wereRead MoreThe Islamic Republic Of Iran1617 Words   |  7 PagesAmong the nations of the Middle East, The Islamic Republic of Iran stands as an oddity. 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The country of Afghanistan is often in the eyes of the media, and has had some very tough times because of its corrupt reputation. It is a country with many terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda and Taliban. This essay will explore the underground economy in Afghanistan, specifically,

Online Shopping Versus in Store Free Essays

If a person decides to make the purchases of an item online there are a few facts that should be realized. In the economy that today’s society is in savings is a big deal for most. When shopping online the shopper will be required to purchase their items with credit cards. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Shopping Versus in Store or any similar topic only for you Order Now Credit cards can be very convenient a shopper however, they come with payments and interest. When calculated out a shopper can look at 10 percent on purchases made. Knowing this and how long it can take to pay debt off may make a person think twice about the purchases that are made. On average 5,000 dollars will take 10 years to payoff. Once the shopper has ordered the Items shipping will be estimated. One transaction online can cost a person an extra 10 Lars In shipping, followed by at least 10 dollars In a small purchase for Interest on the credit card. The shopper also has the choice to go Into the stores to make the purchases needed. These purchases can be made with a variety of payments including cash, gift cards as well as credit cards. Most people know how much they are willing to spend on an item and very seldom want to spend more. If a going into a store with cash you are ensured you will not spend more, or incur any hidden fees. When paying with cash it can be asked if a discount is available, a person would be pleasantly surprised at the savings offered. In store shopping offers other means of savings as well, coupons are a big tool that stores supply to have the public come into their establishments. Now if a company like Kohl’s for Instance offers additional savings If a credit card Is used, once again the shopper Is saving usually an additional 15 percent. The trick to shopping In stores with credit cards Is to turn around and make the payment right there Is In the store. This would require that the customer had the intention of paying with cash to save money, and in the end this would save a customer even more than thought of in the beginning. More thought should go into why one would choose not to shop online versus shopping in the store. Today the country is seeing a lack in jobs, and people needing work. For every purchase a person makes online it is taking more jobs away. Shopping online one does not need a sales clerk, cashier, janitor, supervisor, and manager to make the purchases. All one needs is to have access to the Internet, and fingers. Placing orders online also can take away from local vendors, not Just corporations. If online most likely you will be ordering from companies that purchase teems from overseas, yet again taking money away from the American economy. Now if shopping for electronics Is what a person Is doing corporate shopping will be needed; however, doing It online takes more Jobs away. When thinking about making a purchase for a television most would only think tout want ten Test price Is Tanat can De Taunt. IT ten economy were outing tout a few things would cross the mind of an individual. One big item is if the store wasn’t open it would be an empty building, owner looses money, electric company looses money, and the people that would normally work there are trying to find a Job amongst all the other Americans. Going out shopping in person can offer a great deal of benefits too community. This allows the shopper to purchase locally grown and locally made items. When thinking that corporate gifts are needed for Christmas or birthdays’ people can think out of the box and get creative. How many people would want to receive a massage, car wash, oil change? These are all options for in store shopping, thus keeping money in the local economy. Shopping online can also bring up a few worries will the item fit will it match, or will it live up to expectations of the purchaser? When ordering clothing online a errors does not get to try on the clothes, this leaves one hoping it is going to fit correctly and the way it was expected to fit. If a person decides that the bathroom needs to be redecorated and spends four hundred dollars online doing this, gets the items in the mail to be upset that it does not match as well to the tile. Problems like this can occur at anytime when the items are not seen in person. In order for a one to be sure that what is wanted is what one gets it is best to use the senses in making the purchase. To use senses in making a purchase being present is required. This would even go for purchasing a television, seeing the efferent screens on will help a shopper to decide which one would be best. If wanting to purchase a new dress trying it on will show rather the look is what is wanted or not. The same theory applies to making purchases for a home, the items can be brought in and placed where it is wanted and then decided upon if it should stay or go back to the store for a replacement. Questions can now be asked knowing the differences on the two forms when deciding which form is best for the shopper. When deciding to make a purchase each person will need to decide what matters most, convenience or helping to boost he economy, and staying local with each purchase. How to cite Online Shopping Versus in Store, Papers

February 16, 2001 Bartleby, in Herman Melvilles short story Bartleby the Scrivener is a character who lives his life in utter isolation Essay Example For Students

February 16, 2001 Bartleby, in Herman Melvilles short story Bartleby the Scrivener is a character who lives his life in utter isolation Essay Bartleby, in Herman Melvilles short story Bartleby the Scrivener is a character who lives his life in utter isolation. However, it is obvious from the story that he does affect one persons life. The narrator of the tale, an aged lawyer, is a caring figure, though not unlike most employers, keeps his distance and rationalizes each situation. He transformation into a sympathetic and affected character results solely from his rather limited relationship with his employee, Bartleby. When Melville describes Bartleby, he presents the man as a very innocuous, unassuming figure. In answer to my advertisement, a motionless young man one morning stood upon my office threshold. I can see that figure now à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incredibly forlorn 117. From the beginning, the narrator treats him no different from the rest of his staff; he is courteous, kind and treats the man with no disrespect. It is, however, obvious, the narrator is a primarily an employer. He hires Bartleby, and expects nothing more of him but to work hard. Bartleby does not disappoint either. He seemed to gorge himself on documents 118. However, there is something amiss in this situation. The man is silent. He just works, isolating himself from the office and the outside world. He almost immediately begins to respond to any request with the phrase, I would prefer not to 118. At first, the narrator is obviously surprised at this response, yet also intrigued. However, he soon comes to dread those words, as they are the only ones said by Bartleby. For some reason, though, the narrator cannot let Bartleby leave. Even after Bartleby refuses to work anymore, he allows him to stay in the office, doing nothing. In doing this, the narrator has successfully moved from distant employer to concerned human. In plain fact, he had now become a millstone to me, not only useless as a necklace, but afflictive to bear. Yet, I felt sorry for him 127. Although Bartleby has no reason for being in the office, his employer allows him to stay, even allowing him to live there. This is most definitely not normal office behavior. It proves the narrator does have a kind heart, and increasingly is affected by Bartlebys passive existence as time passes. The narrator, an apparently logical, rational man, as lawyers tend to be, goes to great lengths to avoid conflict with the silent man. He even changes offices to rid himself of Bartleby. In spite of this, and perhaps even a result of it, he becomes even more entwined with the man. Rid myself of him, I must.; go, he shall. But how? You will not thrust him, the poor pale, passive mortal No, I will not, I cannot do that. Rather would I let him live and die here. 132. Bartleby, in his solitude, has a direct impact on the narrators life. For most employers dealing with and employee like Bartleby, surely force and resentment would be involved. Yet, this kind  hearted old man does not treat Bartleby with any negativity. This alone should prove that the narrator is not the cold, calculated individual he is so often made out to be. As the narrator tries to remove himself from the situation with Bartleby, he finds that it cannot be so. After leaving his office to rid himself of the disconcerting presence, the landlord of his office suite is thoroughly surprised to find Bartleby has not left the premises. The first person the landlord calls upon to remedy the situation is, of course, the narrator. Grudgingly, the narrator ventures back into Bartlebys strange world of self-isolation and desolation. After the landlord has Bartleby thrown into jail for vagrancy, the narrator is the only one to go to see him, to try to help him. However, the vast lonliness of Bartlebys life has already reached its final conclusion. In a death fitting for a figure of isolation, Bartleby has been successful in killing himself. Though not by obvious means, rather by a gradual resistance to food, Bartleby dies. Strangely huddled at the base of the wall, his knees drawn up, and lying on his side, his head touching the cold stones, I saw t he wasted Bartleby. But nothing stirred. I paused; then went up close to him; stooped over, and saw that his dim eyes were open; otherwise he seemed profoundly sleeping 136. He, of course, has died. .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .postImageUrl , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:hover , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:visited , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:active { border:0!important; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:active , .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7660399afb2fb18f85477da63c9e686a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Itchoua EssayThe narrator of the story emerges as introspective and affected. This transformation from driving, self-concerned employer is surely not Bartlebys intention, however, just a positive effect from an otherwise tragic existence. Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity! 137 sums up the story quite effectively. Humanity had failed Bartleby; he was thrust into a world that seemed to isolate him at every turn. Humanity saved the narrator; he learned tha life, above all, and all the quiet mysteries 124 it contained were most important.

Gucci Case Essay Example

Gucci Case Essay Group A Anna Abrell, Lottie Batchelor, Ankita Choudhary, Yuou Du, Marianne Halmela, Martin Zirfas Table of Contents Guccis strategy! The luxury goods sector! Gucci SWOT analysts: Strategic group analysis! Future predictions Is Gucci good at strategy? When Tom Ford was in charge, the business was more design-focused control was centralised there were disputes between Tom De Sol regarding managerial control With the appointment of Robert Polet, control became decentralised and each brand was given direct control over its label appointed relatively unknown designers # very controversial move PPR bought back the 20% stake that LVMH owned, acquired more brands and entered into franchising Although some brands in the Gucci Group portfolio are not very profitable, they still have a high brand equity, which contributes positively towards the strategic advantage # Although Guccis strategy was controversial and risky at the time of its conception, it has influenced current businesses and helped the company become more profitable # Gucci is good at strategy The Luxury Goods Sector Products Apparel, leather goods, shoes, fragrance, cosmetics, Jewellery, watches # Accessory pending to experience most growth, whilst watch cosmetics cons umption has slowed (Bain Company, 2013) Geographic scope USA, Europe, Central South America, Asia, Middle East Buyers High-class middle. class. Intelligent, individualistic individuals with strong values principles. Are demanding, have high expectations a disposable attitude. We will write a custom essay sample on Gucci Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Gucci Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Gucci Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Competitors Kering, LVMH, Richemont Group, smaller niche brands (eg Goyard) Suppliers Specialised, often family-run production sites East Substitutes Wines Spriits Potential entrants High-tech luxury goods Level of profitability but also factories in Asia Middle- Revenues expected to grow 50% faster than global GDP 4-5% growth expectancy for 2013 5-6% annual average growth expectancy through 201 5 (Bain Company, 2013) Long-term profitability Predicted to be 5x larger in 2025 than it was in 1995 Recent likely future changes China to become highest consumer of luxury goods Middle east south-east Asia sales growing Importance of menswear to increase E-Tailers that sell luxury goods to create own-brand luxury good offerings? Aspects that may be affected by competitors, new entrants or potential entrants Importance of customer experience Retail management Talent within the company Threat of new entrants Low Bargaining power of suppliers Medium high High switching costs for industry players Medium to low degree of product differentiation Low supplier substitute availability Low threat of forward integration into the industry High capital requirements High demand-side benefits of scale economies of scale Rivalry among existing competitors Medium High amount of Medium High exit barriers High rival familiarity Medium price competition Threat of substitutes High High offer of attractive priceperformance tradeoff Low switching costs Bargaining power of buyers Medium brand loyalty (more brand loyalty is at the very high end of the luxury sector) High fixed costs Medium to high product standardisation High importance of product Medium to low price sensitivity Stable There is relatively litt le threat of new entrants Longitudinal the industry is not as gravely affected by economic downturn Difficult supply-chain management because there is a trade-off to having sustainable, specialised suppliers # they have higher negotiating power High threat of substitutes Customers are loyal and do not have as much bargaining powers as they do in the high-street sector Rivalry between competitors is not as high as it is in the high- street sector What does this imply about the strategy Gucci should adopt? Strengthen the brand image to combat the threat of substitutes Strengthen the relationship with their suppliers Gucci SWOT Analysts Strengths Worlds third largest luxury retailer Strong managerial presence since the arrival of Polet Brand portfolio is easy to handle Perceived quality value of the leather goods Strengths of brands such as Bottega Venetta, Alexander McQueen etc that have recently established themselves Shift to decentralised control (with 3-year business plans ) Opportunities Expansion into the growing luxury Enter the technological sector Update store concept retail experience more technology Collaborations with other brands celebs Weaknesses Less diversified brand portfolio than other competitives in the sector Residue of cheapened brand image YSL being unprofitable Timing of new strategy implementation Appointment of relatively unknown designers Disruption when three dozen managers left upon Tom Fords leave Robert Polets lack of experience in the ashion sector or luxury markets Threats Economic downturn/instability Imitability fast fashion Less licensing Prada entering into the technology sector LVMH, especially Louis Vuitton Strategic group analysis Hermes Luxury Bottiga Venetta Burberry Celine Givenchy GUCCI LV Kenzo Loewe Traditional Innovative Marc Jacobs Ralph Lauren Longchamp Affordability Michael by Michael Kors How should Gucci adapt its strategy to maintain its position? It might be the time to change the strategy again! Should position themselves to become more innovative make their product offering more varied (include more very high riced, limited items) Refresh their image become more edgy and contemporary ! Eg create cooperations between different brands within the portfolio ! Strengthen the Gucci brand further before adding even more brands to the portfolio ! Celebrity endorsements Prediction for the future of Gucci The brand needs some help to reinvent itself its image through contemporary advertising campaigns, better visual store concepts, social media techniques etc otherwise it may run the risk of losing its brand voice Create a new values Thank you! If you have any questions please feel free to ask

Descriptive Paper About the Eiffel Tower Essay Example

Descriptive Paper About the Eiffel Tower Essay Example Descriptive Paper About the Eiffel Tower Essay Descriptive Paper About the Eiffel Tower Essay I slowly lay back in the grass. The sight in front of me is too much to take in while standing. The wetness of the grass sends a chill running down my spine and along my arms. My sweatshirt cannot warm me from this chill tonight. It is the infamous chill that one receives when something really touches them. When you hear a story and it makes you happy or sad or when someone tells you that they love you. It is a meaningful chill, one you will never forget. All of the lights begin to dim and the people stroll quietly underneath her. She is so beautiful. I had seen pictures and read all about her. I never dreamt I would meet her face to face. I have to admit that I am nervous. What if I do not like her? What if I wish I were somewhere else? These thoughts run in and out of my mind as I lay there. Finally it is our turn to venture up into this great monument. Our decision to take the elevator is a wise one, though I would be taking the stairs when I went down. We pack into the elevator. â€Å"We’re as tight as sardines†, exclaims a really loud lady from the back of the pack. The stench of body odor is almost too overwhelming. The French do not see the need to bath as regularly as us Americans. So once I reach the top, and the doors open, it is a mad dash to the doors. The first one out can breathe all the fresh air. Let’s just say I tied for first. A slight welcoming breeze rustles my hair as my gaze wanders from side to side. Everything looks so small from up here. This huge vastness makes me feel but of a tiny existence. Her beauty brings a bit of rosiness to my cheeks. The moon now smiles down on me when only moments ago it was the sun. How long have I been up here? Is my group looking for me? These questions only visit my mind for a second or so then they are gone like the wind. Perhaps they are carried away by the same wind that so sweetly caresses my skin. I do not mind the occasional bump I receive from a random passerby. This sight is big enough to share with many people. I allow my mind to relax, and the many different languages flow fluently from the mouths of others. Of course I do not understand what they are saying, though it still brings a smile to my face. It almost seems like Dean Martin should be standing beside me, serenading the crowd with his warm Italian words. The shuffling of feet drowns out the voices from the crowd. It is like white noise all around me. I can hear the people but it eventually grows into nothing but a faint whisper. The honking of vehicles and the blaring of sirens seems a million miles away. It is only me, the Eiffel Tower, and the moon standing there. Nothing else matters at that moment. The sight is breathtaking. I drag my hand along the railing. The texture is cold and rough. Many hands have also been drug along this same railing. The feeling of cold metal upon my hand helps to keep me in reality, because at this moment in time it is so easily to just slip off into a dream land. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the sky and the ground. It was almost too much at once. My camera couldn’t take pictures fast enough and I was worried I would drop it too! Which it didn’t matter if I dropped the camera anyways, I could never forget this image. The flashing lights from the cameras should be blinding to me, but they only adds an emphasis to the scene. The flashes appear to be like stars dancing around the moon. The sky is not black tonight, but more like a navy blue. The moon is a deep yellow color. The two colors appear to be made for each other. Almost like one would not be without the other. I tear my eyes away from the view to acknowledge my surroundings for the first time in hours, so it seems. Actually when I look at my phone only ten minutes has passed by. There are several people surrounding me now. Most of them are reacting the same way I did. They are totally perplexed by the Eiffel Tower and her beauty. As I am looking amongst the crowd, one certain couple catches my eye. They are fairly young and I can tell how in love they are. They are definitely in the right place for a romantic night. I can tell from the look on the young man’s face that he seems a little nervous. Of course the young lady doesn’t notice his awkward look because she is too busy looking around. Before I know it the young man gets down on one knee and the girl turns around surprised. A proposal! I have heard of this before but never thought I would get to see someone proposed to on the Eiffel. This clearly was a night to remember. Unfortunately I run into my group leader and he informs me that it is time to leave. My heart drops to my feet. â€Å"But we have only been here twenty minutes,† I told him. He looks at his watch and replies back that we have indeed been there for more than two hours. How quickly the time has flown by! I pucker out my bottom lip and obediently follow my group as we head out. Reluctantly I must leave. This time I do take the stairs. With every step my sadness begins to grow. When will I be back? Will she still be here? These are now the questions that run through my head. The stairs continue to wind downward forever and ever, never seeming to end. Then I see the last stretch of stairway, I walk so slowly. â€Å"We just met,† I proclaim. There was so much I did not get to ask her. I hit the last stair and linger just a minute. Slowly I turn around to gaze at her one last time. With that one last gaze is a promise that I will indeed be back and she will indeed be there when I get back. Only this time I will get to ask her as many questions as I want. â€Å"I will come back,† I promised her.

Strategic Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Management - Research Paper Example Chinese market offers one of the most lucrative investment avenues owing to the rapid economic progress that it made during the recent past. Etisalat- a UAE based telecom company is planning to make an entry into the Chinese market. Being one of the emerging firms in the world offering telecommunication services, the entry of Etisalat into the Chinese market will mark a new beginning in the history of the firm. However, Chinese market poses different types of risks and offer new and unique opportunities therefore it is necessary that Etisalat must do its homework and assess the situation with the help of different strategic frameworks and models in order to gain significant insight into the Chinese market. Etisalat (firm) started its operations in 1976 and primarily served UAE market by providing telecommunication solutions. Over the period of time, however, it became one of the leading telecom services providers in the Middle East Region and expanded its operations in more than 18 countries of Asia, Africa as well as Middle Eastern countries. Serving a total customer base of 94 million, Etisalat is considered as the 13th largest mobile services provider in the world. Such high level of penetration into the market therefore indicates that the firm has the capability and will to expand into new markets to create further value for its shareholders. The majority shareholder is UAE government. (Huawei) Started as a joint venture between the local partners from UAE and Britain’s International Aeradio Limited, Etisalat is now largely owned by the UAE government with 60% shareholding whereas remaining 40% is publically held. It is also because of this reason that Etisalat held the official patronage of being the only firm in UAE allowed to telecommunication services within the country and outside the country. The official support of the firm therefore further increased its

Fair Shares Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fair Shares - Essay Example Despite (or perhaps because of) your love of all things amphibious, you currently lack the funds to pay each of the others their probable fair share. You will not receive the collection, but wish to receive as much money as possible. You have no knowledge of the amounts in each of the sealed bids, but strongly suspect that Abraham will bid between $10,000.00 and $12,000.00. Soln. As I know that I cannot pay the others their probable fair share and so I won’t be able to win the collection and I also believe that Abraham will bid between $10000 to $12000 than I would think about putting a value that is just below the one that Abraham will put which in this case would be $9999. The reason for putting this value is that it will give me the highest possible fair share without having a chance of winning the items as the fair share that I will get if Abraham bids $10000 and wins it would be: And so the total amount that I will receive would be 2499.75+250.0625=$2749.8125. This is the highest amount that I can win considering that I cannot win the collection and Abraham’s bid will be between 10000 to

Future of the Court POLS640.F.8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Future of the Court POLS640.F.8 - Essay Example For instance, President Eisenhower appointed both Chief Justice William J. Brennan and Justice Earl Warren. He was later disappointed by their broadminded inclinations on the Supreme Court and referred them to as â€Å"the biggest damned-fool mistakes† (Kommers et al 13). A justice can be appointed for life especially if he or she has a long and distinguished career in law and a good record of public service. Majority of justices start their careers as members of congress, aspires of presidency, and judges of lower courts (Gibson and Thurgood 111). There is a need to appoint justices for life when it comes to handling cases in the Supreme Court. This is because the longer the Justices remain in court; the more they become experienced when it comes to making decisions in Court. Deciding on which cases to be heard, requires effective decision making procedures. When petitions are reviewed and summarized by law clerks, the Chief Justice is required to make a good list of petitions to be discussed. In this stage the Justices agree on which petitions to reject and accept for discussion (Kommers et al. 18). The surviving petitions are then discussed in the conference at the beginning of Court’s term. The â€Å"Rule of Four† criterion is used by justices to decide on the cases to be heard. If four Justices disagree to hear a case, then the petition is dismissed (Gibson and Thurgood 85). Cases that qualify to be heard must always have various factors. These factors include the magnitude of the issue raised by the case; clarity of the involved issue; development of a complete and clear record of the case by the lower court; and the case’s potential impacts on the Court’s own prestige and credibility (Kommers et al. 18). Highly experienced Justices are able to make effective voting on cases, as well as, writing opinions. Each Justice reveals his or her views on the case being discussed and indicates how he or she intends to

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance