Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems

Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Investigation on the improvement of Global Supply Chains by using Information Systems. ABSTRACT The process of globalisation continues to increase the competitive pressures on all firms. Those who wish to lead the market have to continue to raise the bar in terms of operating in the most efficient possible manner. One key area for companies today is how they manage particular or own SC activities via the increasing utilisation of Information Systems (IS). The scope of think over on to research a role of Information System within global supply chain management (SCM) and understand advantages and profits it fetches. Results showed that in order make SCM to be effective, suppliers and customers must work in close collaboration together to truly integrate their business processes. From the results of the analysis undertaken, it has been concluded that using IS throughout the Supply Chain increases efficiency by reducing inventories, which in turn reduces costs to the entire Supply Chain, but also adds significant value from the end customers perspective. Furthermore, the use of IS throughout a Supply Chain enables better speed of response to unpredictable demand APPENDIX A: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS 57 List of Abbreviations SC = Supply Chain S-A = Sigma-Aldrich SCM = Supply Chain Management MNC = Multinational Company SME = Small to Medium Enterprise IS = Information System E-commerce = Electronic Commerce B2B = Business to Business B2C = Business to Customer EDI = Electronic Data Interchange ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning MRP = Material Requirement Planning MRPII = Manufacturing Resource Planning POS = Point of Sale MPS = Master Production Schedule CRP = Capacity Requirement Planning RFID = Radio Frequency Identification APS = Advanced Planning Scheduling APO = Advanced Planner and Optimiser SCC = Supply Chain Cockpit ATP = Available-to-promise CPFR = Collaborative planning, forecasting Replenishment Chapter 1: Introduction Over the past ten years, retailers and suppliers invested huge capital in reducing the occurrences, where customers cannot find right products in stores. This has created a serious problem in retail and other industries (Collins, 005). Gerry Jastremski (Gillette Co) reported that this serious problem is causing a $69 billion loss for top retail companies. Recent studies revealed more than 70 percent companies face the same problem that their customers cannot find the products they want to buy in stores due to out of-stock mostly because of inappropriate supply and forecasting of products (Gruen, Corsten et al 2002). When more focused on markets during special offers and sales campaigns, the probability of finding desired product is always one in five times ratio when customers visit the store. As a result, customers change their mind and delay their purchase or look for alternative brands products. Thus retailers will not achieve their targeted ROI (return of investment) and custome r loyalty goes down. Though organizations and big companies wish to solve the above problem but disruptions are unavoidable. The most efficient way to manage and maintain the stock in stores is through Supply Chain Management (SCM). Supply chain with globalisation created fresh/modern era in the market environment in recent days. Businesses in todays market are increasingly considering global atmosphere. Organizations need to be completely aware of external factors like economic trends, competitive and technological innovations at home and abroad markets, which affect their ability to grow and sustain. Globalisation means, a product can be developed in China, manufactured in UK and sold in USA. This process of globalisation shows the need and urgency for organizations to change the way in which their logistical and operational activities are managed, explainingthe the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Simple Supply chains were designed in the past using paper, pen and calculators. As business process and supply chain networks grew more complex in nature (Christopher, 2005) it became more difficult and impossible to manage SC activities without appropriate technological support. Its quite impossible to receive an effectuate and efficient SCM without IS/IT tools (Gunasekaran, Ngai. 2005). 1.1 Background/Supply Chain System In 21st century for achieving the global organizational competitiveness, Supply Chain Management System has evolved. Organizations are trying to find ways of increasing their competitiveness, responsiveness and flexibility by changing their operational strategies, technologies and methods which include the implementation of SCM (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2003). SCM is an approach for companies to integrate their activities in the changing market requirements which improve companys agility level and dynamic nature. Through the view of Simchi Levi (2000) â€Å"SCM is bunch of addresses to effectuate gather suppliers, store warehouses, manufacturers so that trade is created and dilivered at the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time in order to minimize system wide cost while satisfying service level requirements (cited in Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2005). Supply chains created a viable way for satisfying customers needs around the world. What is a Supply Chain? SC is a strategy introduced in organizations to enhance the ways of distributing the products from the firms to end consumers. It is all about purchasing raw materials, developing them into products and distributing those finished goods to customers with the help of intermediate sources. Janyashanker, Stephen (1996) defined supply chain as ‘a network of autonomous or semi autonomous business entities collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing and distribution activities associated with one or more fami lies of products. Due to greater demand of products and high global competition of firms resulted in implementing Supply Chain. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing , warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Example of a Supply Chain: A very well SC flow of goods is shown above. In some cases, the product is shipped from the Manufacturer to the distribution centre as soon as it is manufactured. In other cases, such as spoke model and Hub the product is held at the manufacturer once produced and on only on the requirement it is sent to the distribution centre. In reality, every step in Supply Chain activity has complex calculations during the globalisation process; however this increases business efficiency and brings benefits to the organization on greater scales. So the Supply Chain activities must be well planned, organized meticulously as efficiency plays major role and advantageous in competitive markets (Bartlett et al. 2007). Activities in Supply Chain entail purchasing raw materials, converting into bulk or finished products and sending those products to various warehouses / distribution centres. They are then directly or indirectly delivered to 1st tier customers who add further more value to the end customers. The activities like planning and delivery should be managed and coordinated well in terms of both time and place. IS or software tools which have been developed all these years to manage these activities have evolved and became increasingly specialized. Hence organizations need to understand and carefully select the IS too ls that are best suited to their needs. SC ACTIVITIES Integrated Behaviour Mutually Sharing Information Mutually Sharing Risk And Rewards Cooperation The Same Goal and The Same Focus on Serving Customers Integration of Processes Partners to Build and Maintain Long-Term Relationship 1.2 Identified Problem SCM allows the organizations to manage numerous relations in SC for ongoing business process, for which IS plays a major role. Sanders (2005) says that ‘IS/IT which permits for the transmission and processing of information useful for synchronous decision making between organisations can be viewed as backbone of SC business structure. As a result organizations started using IS especially SCM systems in order to have closer contacts with suppliers and vendors and to reduce problems in SC activities. Though technology is growing and investigating new methods to solve SC problems, Maguire (2000) states: The IS community faces a paradox: despite impressive advances in technology, problems are more abundant than solutions; organizations experience rising cost instead of cost reduction. IS misuse and rejection are more frequent than acceptance and use. Major factor that leads IS to a failure is alignment between IS and the organization that is applied in. However there is a paucity of research in IS when efficiency is considered. Even though there is a SCM system for reducing problems in SC, but still it is not efficient. And due to lack of collaboration between different departments in the organizations, information is not shared exactly for targeted tasks. Though sophisticated technologies have been introduced to reduce problems, due to employees misuse and resistance, efficiency is being reduced. In this project we will discuss how technology (SAP) is being used in an organization and what problems have been identified. More over in this report enhancement has been investigated on SC. The reason for choosing SCM with SAP is due to the complexity of system that operates as a chain between suppliers and vendors. And also nature of the case is too complex as the organization has businesses with numerous suppliers and vendors internationally. One more reason for selecting this case and topic is the researches founded an opportunity to investigate how the SC activities are managed in the organization and proble ms existing in the usage of the SAP. The reason SAP is selected: It is a powerful tool for integration purposes and also researchers personal interest in acquiring more knowledge about SAP technology. 1.3 Aims and Objectives This examination sets out to carry the investigation and the factual goal of the dissertation is- To understand the ways in which the information technology or Information systems (IT/IS) are able to find the management of global Supply Chains (SC). In order to achieve these aims the following objectives have been set: To broaden knowledge by researching in two main areas i.e., Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Information Systems or Technologies that are specifically designed to be used in SC. To do research and understand how Supply Chains have been created with globalisation. To conduct a thorough research on the literature of SCM Identifying advantages and challenges faced while implementing the IS/IT tools in SCM by doing the comprehensive review on the literature gathered on SCM. Identifying the factors that are driving and affecting the technologies / information systems used in SCM. A real case study will be carried out using a research methodology. Information will be collected through semi-structured interviews from employees of the case study organisation: Sigma Aldrich. An evaluation of the outcome, based on literature and data collected during interviews is used to find the gaps between literatures (theoretical) and practise (practically) in real world. Recommendations (if any) about SC in company. 1.4 Research Approach The Interpretive Method is applied to understand the complex nature of IT in Supply Chain system. This will identify the sociological features like behaviour of employees, benefits of technologies employed and issues arising in business with the use of IS/IT in SCM. The interpretive method involve gathering literature on SCM, IS/IT tools used, and semi structured interviews. The research aim will be fulfilled by studying the current literature, analysing what are the factors which indicate SCM and identifying existing gaps with reference to the literature studied. Further, the research continues on existing technologies used in supporting the SCM system in the present business market. Benefits associated with implementation of IT in SCM, adoption factors and any kind of implementation issues will be determined. For gathering the literature review core textbooks, journals, online papers, conference proceedings and information from internet have been used. After the literature study, we find out the gaps which exist in the literature read and provided. After identifying the gaps, an empirical study will be applied to give an alternative to the gaps which already been discovered in literature gathered. A qualitative research methodology has been applied. Both primary and secondary research methods are adopted. Primary method of research deals with conducting semi structured interviews and collecting data, where as secondary method of research is in the form of literature review. 1.5 Dissertation Outline This dissertation include of seven chapters, spanning the development of research from aims and objectives to the conclusions. Dissertation has been structured in the following way: Chapter one deals with the introduction of the topic with adequate theoretical background on Supply Chain and provides overall aims and objectives of the topic. Furthermore it provides types of research methodologies employed in this dissertation to achieve the aims and objectives. Chapter two provides literature review with the topics covering Globalisation, Supply Chain system, IS/IT tools used in SCM and it goes on with functionalities and issues arising in SCM system and also the use of IT in SCM. Chapter three deals with the research methodologies adopted and their advantages and limitations In chapter four, case study about a Life Science and Bio-chemical manufacturing company and its heavy utilisation of IT in SCM have been discussed. Technical characteristics of Supply Chain in that company have also been discussed. In chapter five, case study interview findings are analysed. Future recommendations are discussed in chapter six. In chapter seven conclusions of the whole research are provided. 1.6 Summary This chapter gives an introduction of the research area, highlights aims, objectives and outlines of examination. Next chapter is going to present crucial points through literature. Chapter 2: Literature Review/Background study 2.1 Introduction In this chapter adequate background is developed to demonstrate that this study will adjust the current knowledge in SC. Part one provides information about globalisation and how it has been achieved in recent years, Which is followed by implications in global SC. Part two emphasis on definitions, concepts of SC and IS in SC, which is followed by defining various technologies in SC. part three explains integration and IS applications in SC. Part four identifies issues and challenges in SC todays market and next part talks about identifying a technology which address those challenges. Part six summarizes the chapter. 2.2 Overview/Globalisation Over the last two centuries globalisation process underwent remarkable changes and established closer contacts between human societies over the globe. In modern days, rapid and significant Changes in terms of technologies, communications, and transportation led to new impetus for global processes and more interdependent world than before. Business started moving rapidly than ever to new perspectives in many perceptions like coordinating closely, cooperating more in networks, competing with other networks (Schary, Skjott-Larsen, 2001). According to Mehmet (1996, P31) chartered companies in the past and multinational companies in the present are the driving factors behind the remarkable process of globalisation, Further saying, the main goal and motivation of these companies is for global profits and honestly, the inner logic of globalisation is ‘capitalisation on a world scale. Globalisation created new markets, wealth, and the march led to have major impact on manufacturing com panies. National and international economies merged under trade, technology and capitalization. Multinational companies started manufacturing goods and sell to customers in different countries, this process initiated the movement of products, raw materials, money and technology swiftly circulate all around the world freely. Schary, Skjott-Larsen (2003, p. 450) states that ‘Globalisation involves markets, production and global infrastructure. Companies started racing toward global competitive efficiency which caused organizations to produce and sell their products all over the world. This process made supply chain, its management and activities became more complex in nature. Hill (2007, P.5) states that ‘globalisation refers to the shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalisation has several facets, including and globalisation of markets and globalisation of production. 2.1.1 Implications of Globalisation The motivations were completely different from those of todays, which drove firms into foreign markets. For example tire industries extended their growth to abroad for rubber plantations whilst oil companies grew to Middle East countries to open new oil fields. According to Bartlett et al. (2008, P. 8) ‘though they moved initially often opportunistic many organisations eventually realized that extra sales enabled them to exploit sales economies of scope scale, thereby providing a source of competitive advantage over their domestic rivals. It can be easily seen that over a period of time, those firms realized that benefits could be gained not only by suppliers sourcing but also by selling in those new markets. Companies like Reebok manufacture their goods in lesser developed nations like Vietnam where manufacturing cost are comparatively low. By using modern transportation facilities like airways and containerization, these products can be easily moved to destinations quickly, reliable and efficiently at low cost. 2.2 Supply Chains In todays globalise market; SC has become a centre of focus to all business organizations especially larger firms with multiple branches globally. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become basic competitive requirement in order to satisfy and compete for the attentions of modern customers who is more empowered and have greater demand on total value package (Harrison, 2001). Significant supply chain decisions and supply chain performance is the key for success of any firm. Any supply chain combination of all parties which have involvement either indirectly or directly, in satisfying a consumers request. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Supply chain flow encompasses whole bunch of activities including organization and flow of materials, other resources to produce finished product to final customer Mannheim (1994), Treacy Wiersma (1993) cited in (Schary Skjott 2001). A sequel of process that add value to firm is product development, customer relationship and SCM (Schary Skjott , 2001). No process is considered as individually important, all three work together to make supply chains successful and profitable. It is a difficult task to manage SC and failures in SC can be devastating to firms, example Nike and Cisco found in 2001 loosing $100 million and $2.2 billion respectively due to improper management and problems in their SC. But on the other end organizations like Wall-Mart demonstrated huge success on daily basis on its SCM which provided a great deal of successful competitive advantage (Taylor, 2004). A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. SC can be also considered as network of suppliers, manufacturing, assembling and distributing facilities responsible for materials procuring, and converting into final products and distributed to end customers (Barbuceaunu, Teigen 1998, Fox, Barbuceaunu et al 2001, Agnetisa, Hallb et al 2005, Stadtler, 2005). SC consists of numerous networked organizations aiming to produce goods and services to customers. A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. In this sense the definition of S C can apply to finance Internet technology and many other industries. A SC strategy restricts how SC supposed to behave in order to compete in their business relatively. And this strategy describes the cost relating to the operation and the benefits. SC strategy mainly targets the actual operation of the company and SC which will be used to meet a specific goal. Another term SCM (supply chain management), which is focusing on oversight of materials, information and finances as they are distributed from supplier to consumer. The SC also contains all the required stops between the supplier and the consumer. Above figure clearly indicates SC always needs the collaboration between various organizations. Functions ranging from ordering materials to delivery of finished products to customers need to operate in integrated manner (Angerhofer Angelides, 2005). Supply Chain Management (SCM) was introduced for ‘Gathering organizational units along a SC coordinating information, material and financial flows in order to provide customer demands with the aim of improving competitiveness of the SC as a whole (Verwijmeren, 2004). SCM plays a major role for a good planning, organizing and coordinating of SC activities. SCM (supply chain management) can be divided into three important flows: The product flow contains moving materials or goods from supplier to consumer, as well as fulfilling the customer requests. The information flow contains delivery status and order information. The Financial flow contains credit terms, payment schedules and additional arrangements. 2.3 Information systems in SC Due to increasing customer demand value and global competition supply chain concept has become a bigger concern thus to run a smooth operation the important information must be accessible in real time across the supply chain and this cannot be achieved without an integrated software system for SCM( supply chain management) . To improve customers satisfaction SCM members have to share information and collaborate with each other. In real time to trade with suppliers and customers over the internet, web technologies have played a major role to become effective. For this, company have to integrate their applications and IS with their customers and suppliers. The implementation of this will result in as an increase in companys profits and competitiveness. IS in SC making business to grow rapidly and is bringing both opportunities and challenges at the same time and pace. SC design and management has been intensified with IS tools which span organizations to integrate, manage and automate SC functions. Various IS tools like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), World Wide Web (WWW), E-commerce, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Systems Application products in Data (SAP). These tools help to overcome the complexities of systems which initiates vendor-customer-supplier relationships. Aim of SC activities with the use of IS is: reducing paper work, controlling cost, lowering inventories and shorten product cycles Chou et al., (2004). Below table shows different stages how IS has been used from recent years. Stages Year Milestone Firms IS Developments Introduction 1960-1970s MRP Firms are closely linked with MRP Only Internal integration was practised for customer services. Growing 1970-1980s EDI In-time delivery was practised for efficient communication between Suppliers. Pre-Mature 1990-2000s E-Commerce Organizations and vendors in SC B2B B2C started using internet for effectiveway to communicate. Mature 2000- present C-commerce Business organizations started ERP Collaborating for improving the Efficiency of SC System. Table 2.1 Stages of IS Evolution in SC. Chou et al., (2004) The above mentioned IS have advantages and disadvantages as well. EDI and E-commerce can be used for external operations in SCM. 2.3.1 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) EDI is defined as being ‘specifically the electronic exchange of structured business documents between different computer applications across enterprise boundaries (The Edi zone, 2008). Ruppel defined EDI as electronic data communication of invoices, purchase orders and other applications which use standard EDI format between supplier and customer. For purchasing orders and sending requisitions EDI has been used by trading partners for information exchange. EDI has been adopted for many reasons- faster and easier communication of data in trading, improved accuracy in information, reduced clerical errors, and reduced inventory cost, labour, and automation of tasks. These all together improves firm relationship with customers and suppliers (Ruppel, 2004 Leonard, et al., 2006). Disadvantages associated with EDI is its adoption and implementation cost (Williams et al., 2002, Chou et al., 2004) and it does not operate in real time. EDIs standard format of structure makes it more d ifficult to follow (Chou et al., 2004). The swap of business data from one company or organisations system application to the computer application of a trading partner. Why EDI? For accuracy, push up the no of accuracy by eliminating r-keying of data. The standard quality of data is found by agreeing product cost. By reducing supply chain cost co related with manual processing EDI helps to build up the partnership between supplier or customer. Those suppliers who are enabled with EDI are very simpler and having very low cost to deal with. Because of EDI electronic documents can be transferred from system to another computer system means one trading company to another trading company. EDI conveys a row of messages between two organisation or companies or parties in which one can be a recipient or originator. The sequel of the data shows the documents might be passed from originator to recipient via telecomm or delivered physically on electronic storage media. To carry out smoothly supply chain operation EDI plays a very important role. EDI is able to explain a very strict standardized format of electronic document. Companies that send and receive papers between both of them are known as â€Å"trading partners† in EEDI methodology. 2.3.2 Internet, World Wide Web When compared to EDI which requires technological expenditure, internet and World Wide Web have been widely accepted as the scope of connectivity between individuals and businesses is broadened (Chou et al., 2004 William et al., 2002). ‘This is the vision of the digital future: If there is an increased demand for woollen pullovers in Benton shops, a farmer in New Zealand receives an order via the web to shear his sheep (Rohrict, Teufel et al 2002). Internet became a ubiquitous and cheaper means to communicate between firms and partners and which initiated global SCs. Cost involved in exchanging information has been greatly reduced with the usage of internet in e-SCM. It has been observed that web based networks provides professional services which are quick, accurate and synchronized in global SC (Folinas et al., 2004). A new trend evolved in supporting SC applications is use of ‘third party softwares. Firms recognized the value of developing partnerships with vendors and consultants. That softwares must be compatible, capable of integrating with SC allowing partners to include any other modules which helps to include programming interfaces to current systems for future use (Green, 2001). Now-a-days SC business processes are scattered over multiple members, so SC system should be actively flexible to handle and respond effectively to the dynamic changes in the global market (Chandrashekar, 1999). 2.3.3 Evolution of ERP From business perspective ERP has broaden from co- ordination of manufacturing processes to the integration of enterprise wide backend processes. Recent studies show that organizations all around the world are investing billions of money on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), when consulting expenditure is calculated then the figure may be doubled (Themistocleous, Irani et al., 2001). Before integrating business process of a firm with customers and suppliers, initially their internal processes have to be operated more efficiently. For this purpose, software/technology ‘ERP is used commonly. According to Hamilton (2003, p. 12) â€Å"An ERP system provides transaction processing and a common database to model operations within a manufacturing firm, and supports several levels of decision making†. MRP (Material Requirement Planning) is earliest form of ERP, which was used in ordering materials and components (Wallace kremzar, 2001). Master production schedule (MPS) is considered as heart of MRP. MPS calculates production requirements according to meet distr Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Investigation on the improvement of Global Supply Chains by using Information Systems. ABSTRACT The process of globalisation continues to increase the competitive pressures on all firms. Those who wish to lead the market have to continue to raise the bar in terms of operating in the most efficient possible manner. One key area for companies today is how they manage particular or own SC activities via the increasing utilisation of Information Systems (IS). The scope of think over on to research a role of Information System within global supply chain management (SCM) and understand advantages and profits it fetches. Results showed that in order make SCM to be effective, suppliers and customers must work in close collaboration together to truly integrate their business processes. From the results of the analysis undertaken, it has been concluded that using IS throughout the Supply Chain increases efficiency by reducing inventories, which in turn reduces costs to the entire Supply Chain, but also adds significant value from the end customers perspective. Furthermore, the use of IS throughout a Supply Chain enables better speed of response to unpredictable demand APPENDIX A: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS 57 List of Abbreviations SC = Supply Chain S-A = Sigma-Aldrich SCM = Supply Chain Management MNC = Multinational Company SME = Small to Medium Enterprise IS = Information System E-commerce = Electronic Commerce B2B = Business to Business B2C = Business to Customer EDI = Electronic Data Interchange ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning MRP = Material Requirement Planning MRPII = Manufacturing Resource Planning POS = Point of Sale MPS = Master Production Schedule CRP = Capacity Requirement Planning RFID = Radio Frequency Identification APS = Advanced Planning Scheduling APO = Advanced Planner and Optimiser SCC = Supply Chain Cockpit ATP = Available-to-promise CPFR = Collaborative planning, forecasting Replenishment Chapter 1: Introduction Over the past ten years, retailers and suppliers invested huge capital in reducing the occurrences, where customers cannot find right products in stores. This has created a serious problem in retail and other industries (Collins, 005). Gerry Jastremski (Gillette Co) reported that this serious problem is causing a $69 billion loss for top retail companies. Recent studies revealed more than 70 percent companies face the same problem that their customers cannot find the products they want to buy in stores due to out of-stock mostly because of inappropriate supply and forecasting of products (Gruen, Corsten et al 2002). When more focused on markets during special offers and sales campaigns, the probability of finding desired product is always one in five times ratio when customers visit the store. As a result, customers change their mind and delay their purchase or look for alternative brands products. Thus retailers will not achieve their targeted ROI (return of investment) and custome r loyalty goes down. Though organizations and big companies wish to solve the above problem but disruptions are unavoidable. The most efficient way to manage and maintain the stock in stores is through Supply Chain Management (SCM). Supply chain with globalisation created fresh/modern era in the market environment in recent days. Businesses in todays market are increasingly considering global atmosphere. Organizations need to be completely aware of external factors like economic trends, competitive and technological innovations at home and abroad markets, which affect their ability to grow and sustain. Globalisation means, a product can be developed in China, manufactured in UK and sold in USA. This process of globalisation shows the need and urgency for organizations to change the way in which their logistical and operational activities are managed, explainingthe the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Simple Supply chains were designed in the past using paper, pen and calculators. As business process and supply chain networks grew more complex in nature (Christopher, 2005) it became more difficult and impossible to manage SC activities without appropriate technological support. Its quite impossible to receive an effectuate and efficient SCM without IS/IT tools (Gunasekaran, Ngai. 2005). 1.1 Background/Supply Chain System In 21st century for achieving the global organizational competitiveness, Supply Chain Management System has evolved. Organizations are trying to find ways of increasing their competitiveness, responsiveness and flexibility by changing their operational strategies, technologies and methods which include the implementation of SCM (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2003). SCM is an approach for companies to integrate their activities in the changing market requirements which improve companys agility level and dynamic nature. Through the view of Simchi Levi (2000) â€Å"SCM is bunch of addresses to effectuate gather suppliers, store warehouses, manufacturers so that trade is created and dilivered at the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time in order to minimize system wide cost while satisfying service level requirements (cited in Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2005). Supply chains created a viable way for satisfying customers needs around the world. What is a Supply Chain? SC is a strategy introduced in organizations to enhance the ways of distributing the products from the firms to end consumers. It is all about purchasing raw materials, developing them into products and distributing those finished goods to customers with the help of intermediate sources. Janyashanker, Stephen (1996) defined supply chain as ‘a network of autonomous or semi autonomous business entities collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing and distribution activities associated with one or more fami lies of products. Due to greater demand of products and high global competition of firms resulted in implementing Supply Chain. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing , warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Example of a Supply Chain: A very well SC flow of goods is shown above. In some cases, the product is shipped from the Manufacturer to the distribution centre as soon as it is manufactured. In other cases, such as spoke model and Hub the product is held at the manufacturer once produced and on only on the requirement it is sent to the distribution centre. In reality, every step in Supply Chain activity has complex calculations during the globalisation process; however this increases business efficiency and brings benefits to the organization on greater scales. So the Supply Chain activities must be well planned, organized meticulously as efficiency plays major role and advantageous in competitive markets (Bartlett et al. 2007). Activities in Supply Chain entail purchasing raw materials, converting into bulk or finished products and sending those products to various warehouses / distribution centres. They are then directly or indirectly delivered to 1st tier customers who add further more value to the end customers. The activities like planning and delivery should be managed and coordinated well in terms of both time and place. IS or software tools which have been developed all these years to manage these activities have evolved and became increasingly specialized. Hence organizations need to understand and carefully select the IS too ls that are best suited to their needs. SC ACTIVITIES Integrated Behaviour Mutually Sharing Information Mutually Sharing Risk And Rewards Cooperation The Same Goal and The Same Focus on Serving Customers Integration of Processes Partners to Build and Maintain Long-Term Relationship 1.2 Identified Problem SCM allows the organizations to manage numerous relations in SC for ongoing business process, for which IS plays a major role. Sanders (2005) says that ‘IS/IT which permits for the transmission and processing of information useful for synchronous decision making between organisations can be viewed as backbone of SC business structure. As a result organizations started using IS especially SCM systems in order to have closer contacts with suppliers and vendors and to reduce problems in SC activities. Though technology is growing and investigating new methods to solve SC problems, Maguire (2000) states: The IS community faces a paradox: despite impressive advances in technology, problems are more abundant than solutions; organizations experience rising cost instead of cost reduction. IS misuse and rejection are more frequent than acceptance and use. Major factor that leads IS to a failure is alignment between IS and the organization that is applied in. However there is a paucity of research in IS when efficiency is considered. Even though there is a SCM system for reducing problems in SC, but still it is not efficient. And due to lack of collaboration between different departments in the organizations, information is not shared exactly for targeted tasks. Though sophisticated technologies have been introduced to reduce problems, due to employees misuse and resistance, efficiency is being reduced. In this project we will discuss how technology (SAP) is being used in an organization and what problems have been identified. More over in this report enhancement has been investigated on SC. The reason for choosing SCM with SAP is due to the complexity of system that operates as a chain between suppliers and vendors. And also nature of the case is too complex as the organization has businesses with numerous suppliers and vendors internationally. One more reason for selecting this case and topic is the researches founded an opportunity to investigate how the SC activities are managed in the organization and proble ms existing in the usage of the SAP. The reason SAP is selected: It is a powerful tool for integration purposes and also researchers personal interest in acquiring more knowledge about SAP technology. 1.3 Aims and Objectives This examination sets out to carry the investigation and the factual goal of the dissertation is- To understand the ways in which the information technology or Information systems (IT/IS) are able to find the management of global Supply Chains (SC). In order to achieve these aims the following objectives have been set: To broaden knowledge by researching in two main areas i.e., Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Information Systems or Technologies that are specifically designed to be used in SC. To do research and understand how Supply Chains have been created with globalisation. To conduct a thorough research on the literature of SCM Identifying advantages and challenges faced while implementing the IS/IT tools in SCM by doing the comprehensive review on the literature gathered on SCM. Identifying the factors that are driving and affecting the technologies / information systems used in SCM. A real case study will be carried out using a research methodology. Information will be collected through semi-structured interviews from employees of the case study organisation: Sigma Aldrich. An evaluation of the outcome, based on literature and data collected during interviews is used to find the gaps between literatures (theoretical) and practise (practically) in real world. Recommendations (if any) about SC in company. 1.4 Research Approach The Interpretive Method is applied to understand the complex nature of IT in Supply Chain system. This will identify the sociological features like behaviour of employees, benefits of technologies employed and issues arising in business with the use of IS/IT in SCM. The interpretive method involve gathering literature on SCM, IS/IT tools used, and semi structured interviews. The research aim will be fulfilled by studying the current literature, analysing what are the factors which indicate SCM and identifying existing gaps with reference to the literature studied. Further, the research continues on existing technologies used in supporting the SCM system in the present business market. Benefits associated with implementation of IT in SCM, adoption factors and any kind of implementation issues will be determined. For gathering the literature review core textbooks, journals, online papers, conference proceedings and information from internet have been used. After the literature study, we find out the gaps which exist in the literature read and provided. After identifying the gaps, an empirical study will be applied to give an alternative to the gaps which already been discovered in literature gathered. A qualitative research methodology has been applied. Both primary and secondary research methods are adopted. Primary method of research deals with conducting semi structured interviews and collecting data, where as secondary method of research is in the form of literature review. 1.5 Dissertation Outline This dissertation include of seven chapters, spanning the development of research from aims and objectives to the conclusions. Dissertation has been structured in the following way: Chapter one deals with the introduction of the topic with adequate theoretical background on Supply Chain and provides overall aims and objectives of the topic. Furthermore it provides types of research methodologies employed in this dissertation to achieve the aims and objectives. Chapter two provides literature review with the topics covering Globalisation, Supply Chain system, IS/IT tools used in SCM and it goes on with functionalities and issues arising in SCM system and also the use of IT in SCM. Chapter three deals with the research methodologies adopted and their advantages and limitations In chapter four, case study about a Life Science and Bio-chemical manufacturing company and its heavy utilisation of IT in SCM have been discussed. Technical characteristics of Supply Chain in that company have also been discussed. In chapter five, case study interview findings are analysed. Future recommendations are discussed in chapter six. In chapter seven conclusions of the whole research are provided. 1.6 Summary This chapter gives an introduction of the research area, highlights aims, objectives and outlines of examination. Next chapter is going to present crucial points through literature. Chapter 2: Literature Review/Background study 2.1 Introduction In this chapter adequate background is developed to demonstrate that this study will adjust the current knowledge in SC. Part one provides information about globalisation and how it has been achieved in recent years, Which is followed by implications in global SC. Part two emphasis on definitions, concepts of SC and IS in SC, which is followed by defining various technologies in SC. part three explains integration and IS applications in SC. Part four identifies issues and challenges in SC todays market and next part talks about identifying a technology which address those challenges. Part six summarizes the chapter. 2.2 Overview/Globalisation Over the last two centuries globalisation process underwent remarkable changes and established closer contacts between human societies over the globe. In modern days, rapid and significant Changes in terms of technologies, communications, and transportation led to new impetus for global processes and more interdependent world than before. Business started moving rapidly than ever to new perspectives in many perceptions like coordinating closely, cooperating more in networks, competing with other networks (Schary, Skjott-Larsen, 2001). According to Mehmet (1996, P31) chartered companies in the past and multinational companies in the present are the driving factors behind the remarkable process of globalisation, Further saying, the main goal and motivation of these companies is for global profits and honestly, the inner logic of globalisation is ‘capitalisation on a world scale. Globalisation created new markets, wealth, and the march led to have major impact on manufacturing com panies. National and international economies merged under trade, technology and capitalization. Multinational companies started manufacturing goods and sell to customers in different countries, this process initiated the movement of products, raw materials, money and technology swiftly circulate all around the world freely. Schary, Skjott-Larsen (2003, p. 450) states that ‘Globalisation involves markets, production and global infrastructure. Companies started racing toward global competitive efficiency which caused organizations to produce and sell their products all over the world. This process made supply chain, its management and activities became more complex in nature. Hill (2007, P.5) states that ‘globalisation refers to the shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalisation has several facets, including and globalisation of markets and globalisation of production. 2.1.1 Implications of Globalisation The motivations were completely different from those of todays, which drove firms into foreign markets. For example tire industries extended their growth to abroad for rubber plantations whilst oil companies grew to Middle East countries to open new oil fields. According to Bartlett et al. (2008, P. 8) ‘though they moved initially often opportunistic many organisations eventually realized that extra sales enabled them to exploit sales economies of scope scale, thereby providing a source of competitive advantage over their domestic rivals. It can be easily seen that over a period of time, those firms realized that benefits could be gained not only by suppliers sourcing but also by selling in those new markets. Companies like Reebok manufacture their goods in lesser developed nations like Vietnam where manufacturing cost are comparatively low. By using modern transportation facilities like airways and containerization, these products can be easily moved to destinations quickly, reliable and efficiently at low cost. 2.2 Supply Chains In todays globalise market; SC has become a centre of focus to all business organizations especially larger firms with multiple branches globally. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become basic competitive requirement in order to satisfy and compete for the attentions of modern customers who is more empowered and have greater demand on total value package (Harrison, 2001). Significant supply chain decisions and supply chain performance is the key for success of any firm. Any supply chain combination of all parties which have involvement either indirectly or directly, in satisfying a consumers request. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Supply chain flow encompasses whole bunch of activities including organization and flow of materials, other resources to produce finished product to final customer Mannheim (1994), Treacy Wiersma (1993) cited in (Schary Skjott 2001). A sequel of process that add value to firm is product development, customer relationship and SCM (Schary Skjott , 2001). No process is considered as individually important, all three work together to make supply chains successful and profitable. It is a difficult task to manage SC and failures in SC can be devastating to firms, example Nike and Cisco found in 2001 loosing $100 million and $2.2 billion respectively due to improper management and problems in their SC. But on the other end organizations like Wall-Mart demonstrated huge success on daily basis on its SCM which provided a great deal of successful competitive advantage (Taylor, 2004). A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. SC can be also considered as network of suppliers, manufacturing, assembling and distributing facilities responsible for materials procuring, and converting into final products and distributed to end customers (Barbuceaunu, Teigen 1998, Fox, Barbuceaunu et al 2001, Agnetisa, Hallb et al 2005, Stadtler, 2005). SC consists of numerous networked organizations aiming to produce goods and services to customers. A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. In this sense the definition of S C can apply to finance Internet technology and many other industries. A SC strategy restricts how SC supposed to behave in order to compete in their business relatively. And this strategy describes the cost relating to the operation and the benefits. SC strategy mainly targets the actual operation of the company and SC which will be used to meet a specific goal. Another term SCM (supply chain management), which is focusing on oversight of materials, information and finances as they are distributed from supplier to consumer. The SC also contains all the required stops between the supplier and the consumer. Above figure clearly indicates SC always needs the collaboration between various organizations. Functions ranging from ordering materials to delivery of finished products to customers need to operate in integrated manner (Angerhofer Angelides, 2005). Supply Chain Management (SCM) was introduced for ‘Gathering organizational units along a SC coordinating information, material and financial flows in order to provide customer demands with the aim of improving competitiveness of the SC as a whole (Verwijmeren, 2004). SCM plays a major role for a good planning, organizing and coordinating of SC activities. SCM (supply chain management) can be divided into three important flows: The product flow contains moving materials or goods from supplier to consumer, as well as fulfilling the customer requests. The information flow contains delivery status and order information. The Financial flow contains credit terms, payment schedules and additional arrangements. 2.3 Information systems in SC Due to increasing customer demand value and global competition supply chain concept has become a bigger concern thus to run a smooth operation the important information must be accessible in real time across the supply chain and this cannot be achieved without an integrated software system for SCM( supply chain management) . To improve customers satisfaction SCM members have to share information and collaborate with each other. In real time to trade with suppliers and customers over the internet, web technologies have played a major role to become effective. For this, company have to integrate their applications and IS with their customers and suppliers. The implementation of this will result in as an increase in companys profits and competitiveness. IS in SC making business to grow rapidly and is bringing both opportunities and challenges at the same time and pace. SC design and management has been intensified with IS tools which span organizations to integrate, manage and automate SC functions. Various IS tools like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), World Wide Web (WWW), E-commerce, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Systems Application products in Data (SAP). These tools help to overcome the complexities of systems which initiates vendor-customer-supplier relationships. Aim of SC activities with the use of IS is: reducing paper work, controlling cost, lowering inventories and shorten product cycles Chou et al., (2004). Below table shows different stages how IS has been used from recent years. Stages Year Milestone Firms IS Developments Introduction 1960-1970s MRP Firms are closely linked with MRP Only Internal integration was practised for customer services. Growing 1970-1980s EDI In-time delivery was practised for efficient communication between Suppliers. Pre-Mature 1990-2000s E-Commerce Organizations and vendors in SC B2B B2C started using internet for effectiveway to communicate. Mature 2000- present C-commerce Business organizations started ERP Collaborating for improving the Efficiency of SC System. Table 2.1 Stages of IS Evolution in SC. Chou et al., (2004) The above mentioned IS have advantages and disadvantages as well. EDI and E-commerce can be used for external operations in SCM. 2.3.1 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) EDI is defined as being ‘specifically the electronic exchange of structured business documents between different computer applications across enterprise boundaries (The Edi zone, 2008). Ruppel defined EDI as electronic data communication of invoices, purchase orders and other applications which use standard EDI format between supplier and customer. For purchasing orders and sending requisitions EDI has been used by trading partners for information exchange. EDI has been adopted for many reasons- faster and easier communication of data in trading, improved accuracy in information, reduced clerical errors, and reduced inventory cost, labour, and automation of tasks. These all together improves firm relationship with customers and suppliers (Ruppel, 2004 Leonard, et al., 2006). Disadvantages associated with EDI is its adoption and implementation cost (Williams et al., 2002, Chou et al., 2004) and it does not operate in real time. EDIs standard format of structure makes it more d ifficult to follow (Chou et al., 2004). The swap of business data from one company or organisations system application to the computer application of a trading partner. Why EDI? For accuracy, push up the no of accuracy by eliminating r-keying of data. The standard quality of data is found by agreeing product cost. By reducing supply chain cost co related with manual processing EDI helps to build up the partnership between supplier or customer. Those suppliers who are enabled with EDI are very simpler and having very low cost to deal with. Because of EDI electronic documents can be transferred from system to another computer system means one trading company to another trading company. EDI conveys a row of messages between two organisation or companies or parties in which one can be a recipient or originator. The sequel of the data shows the documents might be passed from originator to recipient via telecomm or delivered physically on electronic storage media. To carry out smoothly supply chain operation EDI plays a very important role. EDI is able to explain a very strict standardized format of electronic document. Companies that send and receive papers between both of them are known as â€Å"trading partners† in EEDI methodology. 2.3.2 Internet, World Wide Web When compared to EDI which requires technological expenditure, internet and World Wide Web have been widely accepted as the scope of connectivity between individuals and businesses is broadened (Chou et al., 2004 William et al., 2002). ‘This is the vision of the digital future: If there is an increased demand for woollen pullovers in Benton shops, a farmer in New Zealand receives an order via the web to shear his sheep (Rohrict, Teufel et al 2002). Internet became a ubiquitous and cheaper means to communicate between firms and partners and which initiated global SCs. Cost involved in exchanging information has been greatly reduced with the usage of internet in e-SCM. It has been observed that web based networks provides professional services which are quick, accurate and synchronized in global SC (Folinas et al., 2004). A new trend evolved in supporting SC applications is use of ‘third party softwares. Firms recognized the value of developing partnerships with vendors and consultants. That softwares must be compatible, capable of integrating with SC allowing partners to include any other modules which helps to include programming interfaces to current systems for future use (Green, 2001). Now-a-days SC business processes are scattered over multiple members, so SC system should be actively flexible to handle and respond effectively to the dynamic changes in the global market (Chandrashekar, 1999). 2.3.3 Evolution of ERP From business perspective ERP has broaden from co- ordination of manufacturing processes to the integration of enterprise wide backend processes. Recent studies show that organizations all around the world are investing billions of money on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), when consulting expenditure is calculated then the figure may be doubled (Themistocleous, Irani et al., 2001). Before integrating business process of a firm with customers and suppliers, initially their internal processes have to be operated more efficiently. For this purpose, software/technology ‘ERP is used commonly. According to Hamilton (2003, p. 12) â€Å"An ERP system provides transaction processing and a common database to model operations within a manufacturing firm, and supports several levels of decision making†. MRP (Material Requirement Planning) is earliest form of ERP, which was used in ordering materials and components (Wallace kremzar, 2001). Master production schedule (MPS) is considered as heart of MRP. MPS calculates production requirements according to meet distr

Cheating and Plagiarism - Just Dont Do It ! :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Plagiarism    A writer has only two things to sell: his words and his ideas. If you steal either, it’s as bad as stealing any other peddler’s stock-in-trade. Unlike other peddlers, though, the writer gives you permission to use his stock-in-trade at your will as long as you point out that the stuff originally belonged to him.    Original Material, from Henry I. Christ, Hamlet with Reader’s Guide, Amsco School Publication, New York, 1970, p. 321. The play is an eternal challenge, a lock with many keys, none of which ever fits perfectly. Every interpretation presents just a portion of the possibilities. Every new version opens up new vistas, without limiting further experimentation. Every generation comes, looks, and studies the play, but never comes up with all the answers.    Below are three student attempts to use Henry Christ’s material. Student Version A (plagiarized): The play Hamlet is like a lock with many keys, none of them fitting perfectly but each of them giving a part of the possibilities. Every new interpretation opens new possibilities but without stopping new interpretations. New readers study the play but never come up with all the answers.    Student Version A has rearranged some of Christ’s ideas and has substituted some words for others, but by no means could this writing be called the student’s own writing. He has stolen all of Christ’s ideas and some of his words. Student Version B (plagiarized): Henry Christ points out that the play is like a lock with many keys. Each key presents just a portion of the possibilities. Every new version opens up new vistas, without stopping new interpretations. Every generation studies the play, but never comes up with all relevant answers (Christ, 321).    This student has included a citation at the end and an introduction at the beginning, but the lack of quotation marks anywhere tells the reader that only the ideas were taken from Christ. That’s not true: some words were also taken from Christ. Student Version C (not plagiarized):

HIPPA and the Privacy of Medical Records Essay examples -- Healthcare

HIPPA and the Privacy of Medical Records Previously, healthcare information has been protected by state law. However, since this information crosses state lines, the need for federal protection has been warranted. In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA provides the first federal protection for the privacy of medical records (Burke & Weill, 2005) HIPPA encourages the use of electronic medical record and the sharing of medical records between healthcare providers, because it can aid in saving lives. HIPAA requires that patients have some knowledge of the use of their medical records and must be notified in writing of their providers' privacy policy. HIPAA has technical requirements which a healthcare provider, insurer, or service provider, unless exempt under state law, must provide. An organization must conduct a self evaluation to learn what threats its records face, and develop techniques needed to protect the information (HIPAA, 1996). HIPAA's purpose is to protec t the privacy of the consumers. The Security Rule of the HIPAA law affects technology the most in a Healthcare or Human Service organization. The Security Rule deals specifically with Electronic Protected Health Information (EPHI). The EPHI has three types of security safeguards that are mandatory to meet compliance with HIPAA regulations. Administrative, physical, and technical. There is constant concern of different kinds of devices and tools because of their vulnerability: laptops; personal computers of the home; library and public workstations; USB Flash Drives and email, to name a few. These items are easily accessible for those attempting to breach security. Workers of the healthcare area have complet... ...explains and clarifies key provisions of the medical privacy regulation, this is a reliable source of information which was published last December (HIPAA, 1996). Guaranteeing the accuracy, security and protecting the privacy of all medical information is crucial and an ongoing challenge for many organizations. References American Medical Association (2005) Retrieved December 7, 2008, from http://www.ama-assn.org/. Burke, L. and Weill, B. (2005). Information Technology for the Health Professions Retrieved December 6, 2008, from Axia College, Week Two reading, aXcess, HHS 255 Technology in Health Services Course. United States Department of Health and Human Services office for civil Rights (HIPAA). Retrieved on December 7, 2008, from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.

Goal Line Technology in Soccer

A global audience of 3. 2 billion people – about 46. 4% of the world population – watched the World Cup tournament of 2010, according to FIFA, the world governing body of soccer. The final between Spain and The Netherlands alone had an audience of approximately 530 million. There is little debate about which sport is more played and watched more than any other. It unites and divides cities and countries. It sparks debate and controversy, which is discussed within families, with co-workers, and even between heads of state.At present, the most pressing issue facing the sport is whether to introduce goal line technology, computerized technology to definitely determine the scoring of a goal. This is not a new problem. According to the rules of the game, a goal should be awarded when the whole ball crosses the goal line. However, there have been many high profile cases when the officials have made the wrong decision and awarded a goal – or failed to award a goal. In s uch a low scoring game as soccer, where teams typically score one to two goals per game, it can mean the difference between winning and losing a game.During an important tournament, it can mean winning or losing the biggest prize of them all: the World Cup. For example, in the 1966 World Cup final between a very closely matched England and West Germany sides, the game went into thirty minutes of extra time with the scores level after the normal ninety minute period. Then Alan Ball crossed the ball to England’s main striker, Geoff Hurst, who controlled and ball and shot towards the goal. The ball beat the German goalkeeper and crashed on the underside of the bar, sending it crashing down towards the goal line.Tofik Bakhramov, the watching Russian linesman (actually a common misconception, as he was actually from the then Soviet state of Azerbaijan) indicated to the referee it was a goal, believing that the whole ball had crossed the white line. The goal was given and it change d the match. England went on to win the game and seal the country’s greatest ever sporting triumph. However, based on the TV footage and photographs of the incident, the common unbiased conception is that it bounced on the line and therefore the goal should not have been awarded.For years now the technology to judge whether the whole ball has crossed the goal line has existed. There are two well known systems: Sony’s Hawk-Eye and the German alternative, GoalRef. Hawk-Eye is well known to cricket and tennis fans and has been used to great success in both sports, accurately showing where the ball landed in tennis, and predicting the flight of the ball in cricket. In soccer it could judge whether the ball crossed the goal line with a high level of accuracy. The second option – Goalref – places sensors inside the ball and goalposts, which categorically determine the exact location of the ball when near the goal.So why hasn’t the world’s most pop ulous sport embraced technology? Surely this technology would improve the game and make it fair for everyone? Well, it isn’t as simple as it appears. In fact FIFA have found itself in a quagmire. If they introduce technology now at this late stage in 2012 they will be seen as being slow to react to important problems; resist technology and they will only exacerbate the problem in the future. The game’s hierarchy has, until recently, been largely against the introduction of technology.FIFA spends hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide investing in the game at grass roots level, determined to ensure football keeps its universal appeal by being played by all people on a level playing field. In short, FIFA wants a group of children playing on the beach in Brazil to essentially be playing the same game as Barcelona versus Real Madrid in the Champions League Final. Moreover, the governing body fears the introduction of technology will lead to a ‘slippery slopeâ€⠄¢ whereby technology will be used in many aspects of the game, drastically changing the flow of the game.Michel Platini, head of the very influential European governing body UEFA, is one such example of the resistance of technology. Platini says, â€Å"we will see. As for technology, I don't think it's good for football. Maybe goal line technology, but that would be the first step towards the introduction of technology in all areas of the game. I'm still very much against it and, to be honest, I'm not going to change my mind at the age of 57. † Instead, Platini has implemented a new system whereby five referees are used instead of the standard three officials.This, he argues, has eradicated the problem of ‘ghost goals’ citing Marko Devic’s ‘goal’ for Ukraine in the 2012 European Championships as being ‘the only error’ in the last three years. Like most soccer fans, I love debating the game with family, friends and co-workers. I t hrive on the controversy. When England midfielder Frank Lampard ‘scored’ for England against Germany in the 2010 World Cup (the ball was clearly over the line but the spin of it made it bounce back out of the goal and the game played on) I was on my feet shouting at the referee for not giving the clear goal.Equally, when the aforementioned Ukrainian striker Marko Devic’s shot clearly went over the goal line and neither the referee nor linemen saw it, I was smiling to myself thanking our good fortunate. In both cases it would have probably changed the match – and the tournament. After the match endless experts and pundits argued the issue. Essentially the controversy had inadvertently created an even greater spectacle. As much as I love the debates, I think it is now time to move forward. There is too much money involved and the reputation and credibility of the game is at stake.I believe FIFA have an obligation and responsibility to introduce goal line tec hnology – and the sooner the better. It should proceed with caution though. The ball crossing the line is definitive. In essence, the whole ball either completely crossed the white line or it didn’t. It isn’t open to interpretation like, say, whether a player has committed a foul. It is my belief that FIFA, while embracing this technology, should oppose further technological advances in the game, especially when it comes to subjective decisions. Football is a fast-paced game and breaks in the continuity would drastically change the game for the worse.Goal line technology has been proven to work quickly and effectively ensuring it will have minimal negative effect. In conclusion, I acknowledge the problem of whether to introduce goal line technology is a divisive issue. I can see the argument from both sides. However, I do not agree with the current policy of stalling on the issue and delaying technological change or the over-complicated idea of bringing in more assistant referees, as suggested by Michel Platini. Instead, it is my belief that it is time for FIFA to embrace change and bring goal line technology into the â€Å"beautiful game. †

Plastic Pollution and Measures to Control

Pollution caused by plastic CONTENTS 1. Aim 2. Introduction 3. What is plastic? 4. Environmental hazards caused by plastic 5. Measures to control pollution 6. Industries that produce plastic in India 7. Importance Of Plastic Industry Toward Economic Growth 8. Ban On Plastics In India 9. Cost Benefit Analysis 10. Conclusion 11. References Page 3 Pollution caused by plastic AIM To make a comparative study of plastics and its effect on the environment. To analyze and understand the importance of introducing effective measures to control pollution.INTRODUCTION Plastics have become a necessary commodity in today’s world. Everyone knowingly or unknowingly uses plastic substances. Karki (2008) discusses that plastic is used not only for making plastic bags but also for producing products that cover parts of vehicles that need to be protected. Karki (2008) reveals that plastics are synthetic substances that are the outcome of chemical reactions. It is a non-biodegradable substance tha t takes more than 100 years to decompose. It poses a threat to humans and animals.Once plastic materials are disposed off into the environment they end up in our waters ways, beaches and larger water bodies, thus harming our aquatic life. If plastic materials is burnt it releases toxic fumes into the atmosphere causing air pollution. Over the years plastic has become a substitute for packaging materials such as paper bags or cloth bags primarily due to its low cost as well as the ease involved in the manufacturing process, weight and availability (Karki, 2008). PLASTIC Plastic are synthetic substance made from chemical reaction. Plastics are made from petroleum.Plastic are polymers that consist of monomers linked by chemical bonds. These monomers are petrochemical substances that are not biodegradable. Page 4 Pollution caused by plastic ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS CAUSED BY PLASTIC Although there are various sources that lead to different types of pollution we are concentrating mainly on plastic materials as a pollutant. Based on the above information we know that plastic is a hazardous commodity that leads to land, water and air pollution. Although briefly explained above lets now go in-depth and understand how plastic affects land, water as well as air pollution. LAND POLLUTIONPlastic substances are used by many around the world and in a developing country with a huge population like India, the use of such materials is bound to be more. Since a lot of people use plastics for their day to day activities, the disposal of plastic products will also be high and to be honest a lot of us throw plastic bags or containers on the road. This leads to land pollution. So what is land pollution? Encyclopedia Britanica (Land Pollution, 2010) describes land pollution as the addition of unwanted materials that pose a threat to the organisms, decrease the soils fertility and have an adverse effect on the health of human being.Animals die due to plastic substances by simply consumi ng them, the plastic gets clogged in their bodies and ultimately results in the death of these few animals. Further on, the collection of these materials gives an â€Å"untidy and dirty look† to the area. These materials find their way to our water systems and larger water bodies leading to water pollution. WATER POLLUTION Encyclopedia Britannica (Water Pollution, 2010). Most of the water pollution resulting from plastic is generated from land. 60% to 80% of water pollution is from plastic litter . Once in the water these materials pose a serious threat to our aquatic life.Fish, sea turtles and other aquatic inhabitants can get entangled in plastic materials and can inflict serious pain, injury and even death. Marine organisms that have been killed by plastic substances decompose fast, but the plastic that kills them takes a long time to decompose, thus increasing the risk of other marine life consuming the same material, resulting in its death Encyclopedia Britanica (Water P ollution, Page 5 Pollution caused by plastic 2010). In a real case scenario a whale in Europe was found dead and its autopsy results show that its stomach was filled with plastic materials. AIR POLLUTIONAccording to the World Health Organisation about two million people die every year due to air pollution, many suffer from heart diseases, lung deceases and some even cancer. There are various sources of air pollution like carbon dioxide, combustion of fuels in vehicles, fuels from jets, toxic elements from factories etc. Plastics also contribute to air pollution. Plastics that are found on the road or even dumping sites are burnt therefore releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere, polluting the air. When individuals are exposed to the polluted atmosphere they contact various diseases that could ultimately lead to their death.MEASURES TO CONTROL POLLUTION Hanh (1992) Plastic is a bane to our existence on this earth. It pollutes the atmosphere with its harmful fumes, poses a serious t hreat to our marine life and apart from this it also creates litter, making the place look dirty. With the above evidence we can boldly say that Hanh’s literature is true. There are various measures that can be undertaken to reduce plastic pollution but we would be focusing only on three criteria namely: 1. Recycling of Plastic 2. Government policies 3. Personal measures. RECYCLING OF PLASTICSNair (2010) reveals that around 10,000 types of plastics are used in the manufacture of various products such as pet bottles, toys and even clothes. This in turn result in these materials being dumped around at public places and become waste which as we all know has a negative impact on the environment and all its contents because of its non-degradable substances . Hence, recycling of plastic materials was introduced. So what is plastic recycling? The act of producing new products from waste plastic materials is plastic recycling. (Nair, 2010). Let’s now look into Page 6 Pollution caused by plastic the benefits of recycling plastic.Petroleum is used in the manufacturing of plastic. Hence, if plastic is recycled, consumption of petroleum – a resource which is slowly depleting, will also be decreased (Nair, 2010). Since petroleum is a key ingredient in the manufacture of plastic, when burnt greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere. Hence, if plastic is recycled it will lead to a decrease in the level of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Nair (2010) gives us another beneficial factor in the recycling of plastic is there will be a decrease in animals, birds and aquatic life dying due to plastic not being digested.Further on if plastic is recycled landfill space can be saved. Recycling one ton of plastic saves energy that is used by two humans in twelve months and also water that a single individual consumes in two months and saves two hundred pounds of petroleum (Nair, 2010). Having now understood the importance of recycling plastic let’s try to make this world a better place by implementing this concept at home. GOVERNMENT POLICIES Many countries have banned the use of plastic. In India many states have done the same depending on their height and thickness namely Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and some others.For example Goa has increased the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags to 40 microns. Public awareness programs have been conducted to educate individuals on effective ways of disposing of plastic materials. On 29th January 2010, the supreme court denied a plea to lift the ban on the use of plastic bags by the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association. This shows the seriousness of the government in making the environment a â€Å"greener† place not only for us but also for the generations to come. But do these bans really work?For example three years ago West Bengal banned the use of plastic bags which were less than 40 microns thick, but this rule was clearly violated in m arkets, streets and other public places as plastic bags were being used. To tackle this nuisance they reconstructed their plastic management committee last month. Assam faced similar problems as not much was done to ensure that plastic bags were not used. Now the Government is going to take various steps to ensure that plastic bags are not used at all. These steps include monitoring shop keepers and business men who have not been abidingPage 7 Pollution caused by plastic by the law. They would also impose a penalty which could be a fine not only on the retailer but also on the customer. In Delhi a huge amount of plastic bags were seized from shop keepers and have initiated a â€Å"say no to Plastic Bags† campaign. To prove their seriousness towards the ban they penalized Bata footwear with a fine of one lakh rupees. Rajasthan is the newest state to join the clan after banning the use of plastic bags on August 1st, 2010. They also revealed that offender would be fined one lakh and/ or five years in jail.PERSONAL MEASURES Individuals should also contribute towards the elimination of plastic as it us and other living organisms around us who ultimately suffer. Hanh (1992) We can start by refusing to take plastic bags from grocers, because if this is done then plastic manufacturers would reduce the amount of plastic bags they produce. In today’s world many people do not have time to cook meals so they resort to ordering their meals from restaurants, who pack their food in plastic containers, these restaurants should start using sustainable containers, similarly with beverages.People who use items like Tupper ware products should substitute it with a degradable substance. Public can also educate retailers about the dangers about plastic and encourage them to change their practices (Hanh, 1992). And finally we can start by eliminating the use of plastic in our own house, work place, school/college etc. INDUSTRIES THAT PRODUCE PLASTICS IN INDIA India is one of the countries that consume more plastics in the world. India ranks third in consumption of plastic. Growth of plastic industry is more than 14%. Petrochemical department in India is in process to setup development council for plastic manufacturing industries. 00% foreign direct investment is allowed in plastic processing and manufacturing industry. Industries like Finolex industries ltd, Plastiblends India ltd, AGA group international, Corporate resource group, ACRY plus (Matias, 2010) etc†¦ are some of the industries that produce plastics products in India. There are many international companies that manufacture plastics in India they are GE plastic, LG polymers, Bayer ABS, Compounding, Clariant etc†¦ These industries produce polymers, PVC pipes, plastic sheets, polycarbonate sheets. Page 8 Pollution caused by plastic IMPORTANCE GROWTHAs India is a developing country it’s difficult for government to ban plastic usage with immediate effect. Plastic industry c ontributes more towards the growth of the economy so it’s important for the government to take effective decision that doesn’t affect the economy. Plastic industry has strong correlation with growth of the economy. Plastics have multiple advantages in its usage. It can be used in various range of applications. It has more favorable cost-benefit ratio. Continuous improvement in the technology of producing plastics has made the users addict to it. OF PLASTIC INDUSTRY TOWARD ECONOMIC BAN ON PLASTICS IN INDIAEven though the plastic manufacturing industry grow at more than 14 percentage state government have banned plastic that has below 20 microns. The Supreme Court has ordered ban on plastic in New Delhi, West Bengal pollution control board has banned manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags, Jammu Kashmir has also banned polythene carry bags, Himachal Pradesh government have banned plastic bags. COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS In cost-benefit analysis, money is used to measure pr ivate, external and social cost. Private costs are the cost that the firm earns as profit, many large scale and small scale industries are involved in manufacturing of plastics.Plastics industry have growth rate of more than 14 percentage. This shows how much growth potential plastic industry has in India. External costs here are costs that are lost by the firms, farmers because of plastic pollution. The social cost that is equal to the private and external costs. The total cost to clean the river Ganga basin only contributes to 15000 crores. There are different types of costs-benefit analysis like Economic cost benefit analysis, expenditure cost analysis, cost-efficient analysis. Cost-benefit analysis can provide information about to use or not to use the resources.Page 9 Pollution caused by plastic CONCLUSION The study reveals about the growth that plastic industries have and pollution caused by the industries. Government must take effective measure that to recycle plastics and ma ke sure it doesn’t affect the environment. Plastic industries in India are providing many job opportunities, but it also affect the environment, recycling plastic has to be done. Industries or organization must take effective measure to recycle plastics and make sure that it doesn’t affect the environment.New technologies must be invented as an alternative use for plastic as petroleum is used in manufacturing plastic. Page 10 Pollution caused by plasticREFERENCES Karki, K. (2008). Plastic as a Source of Environmental Pollution What is The Sollution? http://www. articlesbase. com/plastic-surgeries-articles/plastic-as-a-source-of-environmental-pollution-whatis-the-solution-610752. html Plastic Pollution. (2010). Encyclopedia Britannica. Hanh, T. Peace Is Every Step (1992, p. 108) Nair, S. (2010). Benefits of Recycling Plastic.

My Blankie

My name probably should have been Linus, from The Peanuts, instead of Clara because I packed with my baby blankie everywhere with me until I was eleven years old. The front was turquoise blue with crazy colored jungle animals: there were pink lions, orange elephants, green hippopotamus, yellow monkeys, and purple giraffes. The back was bright orange and it was stuffed with the softest cotton batting. My Grandmother made it for me and from the day I was born it never left my side. My blankie was my best friend, it was always there to make me feel safe, and to protect me at night. Most days we would play dolls together. Then sometimes when I wanted to be a super hero I would tie my blankie around my neck and we would run around the yard. It was even my parachute the day I decided to jump off of the roof of the barn. (That is a long story for a different day). At night when my Mom would tuck me into bed I would snuggle my blankie under my chin; as I was falling asleep I would rub its fluffy softness against my cheek . It was there to protect me from my sister’s scary bedtime stories, thunderstorms, and the monsters under the bed. As long as my blankie was near me, I was invincible. As I grew up I stopped playing with my blankie. Even though I slept with it at night I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep it with me forever. My sister teased me all the time that only babies sleep with blankies and my Mom kept telling me that I needed to throw that â€Å"old thing† way. By the time I was eleven my blankie was looking pretty worse for wear. The batting was all balled up in clumps and there were holes in it where the material was disintegrating. This is when I finally decided it was time to store my blankie away not because I didn’t need it any more but because I didn’t want to destroy something I loved so much. I really missed my dear friend on the nights when the monsters and thunder storms seemed overwhelming. Unlike Linus, I eventually outgrew my security blanket but I never forgot it. I still have it safely tucked away in a protective box under my bed, along with some other mementos that were important to me growing up. There have been times in my life that it would have been nice to have a built in friend that wouldn’t judge me for the way I looked or leave me behind if we had a disagreement; to have that warm sense of security to cuddle up with at night. If it were within my means I would make blankies for everyone because life is too short to not have one small shred of hope, an ounce of confidence, or a sense of security.

Democratic Overload Explained Essay

Federalism and the separation of powers mean that there are numerous elections at different levels of government and for different offices as well as primaries and direct democracy. Americans vote ‘for the president to the local dog catcher’ in 80,000 units of government, leading to ‘permanent’ campaigns and ‘bed-sheet ballots’, leading to a sense of ‘democratic overload’ due to more than 100,000 elections taking place annually which may lead to voter fatigue, higher alienation levels and abstention through too many participation opportunity’s. In the USA, candidates for office are not chosen by the parties, but by voters in primaries and caucuses. This is the nomination process which take place every 4 years for the presidential election and every 2 years for the mid term congressional elections. The huge number of elections for a wide range of posts from the president down to local civic officials and the resulting sense of permanent campaigning causes voters to switch off leading to high abstention due to voter apathy and boredom. Although more people do participate in the nominating process than 40 years ago, the turnout in the presidential primaries vary from one election cycle to another. In a year when an incumbent president is running for re-election and therefore only one party has a genuine nomination contest, turnout in the primaries is only around 17%. It was 17.5% in 1996 when president Clinton was running for re-election, and 17.2% in 2004, when George w. bush was running for re-election. Even when no incumbent president was running in 2000, turnout was still only 19%. However, in 2008, with no incumbent president and a highlight competitive race in the Democratic Party between a women and an African American, turnout soared to just over 30%. Democratic overload leads to voter fatigue, high alienation levels and abstention, as the process is far too long. In 1960, senator John Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency just 66 days before the first primary. In readiness for the 2004 campaign, senator John Kerry announced his candidacy 423 days before the first primary. Barack Obama in 2008 also announced his candidacy 332 days before the first primary. Democratic overload is one reason for the law turnouts of us elections. Apart from the federal and state elections, there are also the primary and caucus elections and increasingly voters are invited to vote on initiatives, propositions at local level and possibly in recall elections. For example, The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. This could be contrasted with other democracies, such as the UK, where the opportunities to vote are far more restricted.