History through Oral Interviews Essay

When it comes to stories about the sixties, we have one family friend that we rely on. Uncle Jim, or simply Jim to my parents, is a guy with a lot of stories about the past. The topic I asked him to share was about the growth of feminism in the country. According to him, women were treated very differently back then. Very few women were employed, doing the same job that of a man, with most of the females confined in their houses doing household chores. He shared that the growth of feminism at that time came as a shock to most of the people back then. Women started wanting to get recognized, demanding equal opportunities as men. If we look at it in today’s perspective, it would be right for women to demand equal treatment, but back then, it was really different. He mentioned that it was quite awkward working with them, but as more and more women started doing men’s work, the people got used to it. This personal experience account somehow differs from the textbook’s treatment. First of all, it is personal, wherein we have to consider the point of view of Uncle Jim, and that his story may have biases. The textbook offers a more general view of the topic, while the personal account focused more on a specific aspect, and that is about the effect of growing feminism in the workplace. Oral histories give a more colorful angle in the story, like how the men felt awkward working with women in some jobs back then. Also, oral histories are more interesting, though may not be that much informative as compared to textbooks. Again, its because of the perspective of person being considered in conveying events and other information.

UK Soil Types And The Farming System Environmental Sciences Essay

To understand how of import the dirt is in finding the agriculture system, this study is based in the county of Shropshire, United Kingdom and will place the chief dirt types and the agriculture system and how it plays an of import function in British agribusiness. It will besides place the patterns which contribute to being a sustainable system of production. The country ‘s sustainability will besides be reported and how it compares to the remainder of the UK. Soil types will besides be reviewed and the relationships between the dirt type and the agriculture patterns will be described. Agribusiness in Shropshire is an of import function as it is the prevailing usage of land in the chosen country. The study will oppugn why Shropshire plays an of import portion in agribusiness in the UK, how it does this, and whether its sustainability is efficient in comparing to other countries in the UK. 2 County of survey 2.1 location Shropshire is located in the West Midlands of England and boundary lines Wales to the West. The county of Shropshire is one of England ‘s most rural counties and has an estimated population of 291, 800 in 2009 and an country of 319,736 hectares. ( Shropshire Council, 2010 ) Shropshire Figure 1: Location of Shropshire ( Mole Be Gone, non dated )2.1 History of Shropshire ‘s AgribusinessSince the eighteenth century, Shropshire has chiefly been an agricultural county. The first pattern of agribusiness was in Neotholic times and of all time since, the population had been preponderantly rural. British agribusiness was promoted by consecutive authoritiess after the Second World War. After 1973, the United Kingdom became a member of the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , doing husbandmans supported and pushed to maximize their end products. Quotas were introduced by the EEC which set bounds on milk production in 1984, ensuing in 11 million liters less milk being sold in Shropshire in 1 twelvemonth. Winter Wheat became a dependable and profitable harvest de to the high outputs of the new strain of wheat. In 1988, the ‘Set-a-Side ‘ Scheme was introduces to cut down cultivable harvest excesss. This gave husbandmans a fee of up to ?200 per hectare if they took at least 20 % of their cultivable land into production. These fees were turn outing to be excessively low as husbandmans were non taking their land out of production. In the mid 80 ‘s, agricultural land value fell and husbandmans had increased force per unit area as environmental policies began such as harvest spraying holding tight ordinances as chemicals caused concern. At present times, agribusiness in Shropshire Idaho flourishing and come oning greatly. ( Cox et al, 1989 )2.1.1 Farming Facts-Agriculture in Shropshireâ€Å" 2.2 % of work force is straight employed in agribusiness † Agribusiness supports 22.5 % of the county ‘s work force † â€Å" In 2001, there was 5,330 actively farmed agricultural retentions † â€Å" Average farm size in Shropshire is 54 hectares † â€Å" It utilises 82 per cent of the county ‘s land country † â€Å" The portion of little farms has increased while medium sized farms have decreased † Beginning: Shropshire Farming Study, ( 2002 ) Figure 2: The autumn in agricultural Employment. P.7 ( Shropshire Farming Study, 2002 ) Figure 2 shows that the figure of agricultural employment has fallen from 14,295 to 12,205 doing a lessening of 2090. This could be due to there being better farming engineering so less agricultural workers are needed. Figure 3: The Change in Farm size Structure. P.6 ( Shropshire Farming Study, 2002 ) Figure 3 shows that the figure of little farms from 1981 to 2001 has rose 20 % and the figure of medium sized farms has decreased by 17 % .Location Landscape, Geology and LandscapeShropshire ‘s geology is really diverse with big sums of lead, coal and Fe. Figure 4 shows the different types of stone around Shropshire. The North of Shropshire has a more level land which is really fertile. This portion of Shropshire is more mostly populated. The North ‘s agriculture is chiefly cultivable. The South of Shropshire is a more rural country with fewer colonies. Its landscape is full of hills, rivers and forests. Farming in this portion of Shropshire is chiefly pastoral. Shropshire ‘s clime is moderate and gets really cold in the hilly countries when in the winter season. ( Wikipedia, 2010 ) Figure 5 shows the clime norms. Figure 4: Shropshire Geology ( Wikipedia, 2000 ) Figure 5: Shawbury Climate Averages ( Met Office, 2007 )2.2 Soil Type ( Main )In Shropshire, illustrations of all types of dirt can be found from sandy to loamy dirts. This is due to glaciation taking topographic point around the country. Shropshire ‘s prevailing dirt type is flaxen dirts such as the underlying ruddy sandstone stone which is found in North Shropshire. This is the most widely distributed dirt type and is chocolate-brown in coloring material and to red in dirt deepness. This type of dirt is formed from weather-beaten stones such as limestone, vitreous silica, granite, and shale. In Shropshire it is chiefly harsh sand. This can ensue in murphies holding a hapless skin coating impacting the agriculture system. It is besides prone to over-draining and summer desiccation, and in moisture weather it can hold jobs retaining wet and foods. ( EAIS, 2010 ) This dirt is of course acidic and needs regular liming. It is besides low in potassium hydroxide and Mg. ( Jefferson, 2010 ) Manganese lacks are incurring here. This can impact the agriculture system as it caused slow works growing so husbandmans will be less productive. Littorals are prone to weave eroding, H2O eroding and leaching. Its harvest suitableness is chiefly for barley, murphies and malting. Coarse sand has a atom size of 0.2-2mm and has a really farinaceous texture. It can be similar to builder ‘s sand. The single atoms can be seen easy. ( Jefferson, 2010b ) With flaxen dirts the malleability is low and is non cohesive doing low stableness. Due to seedbeds being loose, deep boring can happen doing unneeded works loss. Excessive cultivations under wet conditions can do dirt sums to prostration. This consequences in a compacted bed when dried out doing harvest growing difficult. Due to there being quite a batch of infinite between atoms, the sandy dirts can be really free run outing intending it does non keep H2O and indispensable foods good. As the dirt moves down the H2O table easy it can make a high H2O tabular array doing a groundwater drainage job due to the dirt being permeable. The flaxen dirts dry out really easy so a batch of irrigation is needed. The alimentary position of sandy dirts is of course low particularly in potassium hydroxide. Due to the dirt being chiefly acidic it has a low PH. The organic affair of sand dirts is of course low besides of approximately 1-2 % . The organic affair is of import to keep as iy aid adhere dirt atoms together to keep foods. It besides helps dirt to keep wet, which can be a job for sandy dirts. The organic affair can assist supply birthrate to the dirt as a beginning of N assisting the agriculture system. Dirts with better organic affairs and alimentary positions will bring forth a better harvest. ( Jefferson, 2010c )Farming Enterprisesâ€Å" Sustainable agribusiness can be defined as the production of alimentary and wholesome nutrient with well-being and wellness of future coevalss in head due respect to environmental impact preservation of agricultural resources † ( Jefferson, 2010 ) The current agricultural policy can specify sustainable agribusiness through its point of policy including: â€Å" Guaranting the go oning handiness to the consumer of equal supplies of, wholesome, varied and moderately priced nutrient, produced within conformity with by and large accepted environmental and societal criterions † â€Å" Keeping a flexible and competitory industry which contributes to an economically feasible rural society † â€Å" Ensuring effectual protection of the environment and prudent usage of natural resources † â€Å" Conserving and heightening the landscape, wildlife, cultural and archeological value of agricultural land † â€Å" Respecting a high degree of animate being public assistance † Beginning: ECIFM ( non dated ) A agriculture system is a system made up of inputs, procedures and end products. It is the different types of agriculture and methods used in agribusiness such as cultivable or grassland farming which can include dairy agriculture or the raising of farm animal. Due to the dirt type being sandy the harvests that are grown in the country are barley, murphies and malting. The 2001 nose count informations showed that 5 % of the national dairy herd are in Shropshire and that Shropshire grows 5 % of all murphies grown in England doing it a chief agriculture system for the country. ( Shropshire Farming Study. P5. 2002 ) Crop rotary motion is used to assist the sustainability of the agriculture. â€Å" A well-arranged rotary motion enables the work of the farm to be good distributed over the twelvemonth, and provides steady employment for a whole-time staff. † ( White, 1937 ) The advantages of harvest rotary motions: aˆ? Provides care of good dirt construction and organic affair aˆ? Crontrols certain dirt and straw residue borne plague and diseases aˆ? Ensures the agriculture pattern is sustainable aˆ? Gives the best profitable border Beginning: Jefferson ( 2010 )ArableWinter wheatShropshire grows root and combinational harvests with a high value giving. An illustration of this is Winter Wheat which is traditionally grown after a interruption harvest foremost. 2nd Winter Wheat is at hazard of trash borne dieseases. An illustration of a root disease found is Take-all. This is common in 2nd wheats as the fungus builds up in the roots and dirt. Compaction of harvests which can diminish the growing of root will increase wil increase the degrees of Take-All. This causes high hazard of output loss. ( Jefferson, 2010 ) â€Å" Take-all is arguably the most of import disease of wheat in the UK, partially because it is non easy controlled chemically or by varietal opposition and relies on rotational schemes for control. † ( Cereal Disease Encyclopaedia, non dated ) By obtaining a good harvest rotary motion the disease can normally be treated and prevented. Having 50 % of more land in cereals with a twelvemonth interruption on occasion can diminish the jobs and may handle it. ( Jefferson, 2010 )Oil Seed RapeOil Seed Rape is a valuable hard currency harvest and has helped to replace sugar Beta vulgaris in Shropshire which two old ages ago was dropped due to the mill shutting. Oil Seed Rape that has been grown intensively is under menace from club root. Club Root causes roots to swell and hence harvests will non turn successfully. To obtain sustainability Oil Seed Rape should non be grown more than on in four or five old ages. As the harvest has good competitory ability it therefore enables it ‘s agriculturists to utilize less weedkiller in the rotary motion. An illustration of harvest rotary motion for sustainable production is Winter Oil Seed Rape, Winter Wheat, Winter Oats, Winter Beans, Winter Wheat and Winter Barley.PotatosPotatos are valuable in Shropshire and are grown mostly. They are nevertheless at hazard of dirt borne plagues such as Potato Cyst Nematode. This is the most of import plague of murphies in the UK. This can do weak workss with dull looking leaf with inclination to wilt. It besides causes little cysts attached to roots. ( Potato Council, 2008 ) A good harvest rotary motion is used to supply a sustainable harvest. An illustration of good pattern that is used is Potatoes, Winter Wheat, Winter Barley, Sugar Beet, Spring Wheat and Winter Barley. Some husbandmans use the bare minimal good practicing which is 1 in 4. E.g. Sugar Beet, Winter Wheat, Potatoes and Winter Wheat.GrasslandIn Shropshire, there are big sum of dairy agriculture and is good known for its good beginning of milk production as they have a batch of pastoral agriculture. This is why there are many dairy mills located around Shropshire. ( Shropshire Farming Study. P5. 2002 ) Dairy farming relies on high quality grass or other eatages such as corn to guarantee of the best quality milk. An illustration of high quality grass is Perennial Rye Grass. This is the chief type of grass used. Farmer mix this with trefoil which fixes N significance they have to utilize less N in farming assisting the sustainability of the agriculture and assisting the environment. This is an illustration of renewing agriculture. Within corn there are beginnings of energy which is utilised by organic manure therefore doing the farm animal direction of import besides to assist obtain good grass quality. ( Jefferson, 2010 ) To assist maintain the grassland sustainable, when the grass has dried up some husbandmans grow other harvests such as adding a wheat to the land which can4.0 Environmental Practices

Human Resources and Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Control room Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Control room - Movie Review Example Al Jazeera showed the true picture of the war and not what the American government wished for its people to see; the realities of the war. In fact, if one carefully considers the information that this channel broadcast during this war, there would be a realization that the American public would not have supported such a war had they seen what it did not, only to the Arabs of Iraq, but also to the American men and women who went to fight in the war. Control Room is a revelation towards some of the events that took place in Iraq and how these events were covered by the Al Jazeera network. It reveals that, despite the statements made against it by the Bush administration, none of the statements made were true and were, in fact, an attempt to cover up the truth about the war from the American public. This documentary is an attempt to show the news about the Iraq war, not from the perspective of the media of the west, but that of the region in which the war occurred. The first scenes of this documentary seem to reinforce the belief that the network sole purpose is spreading anti-American propaganda. The people who are seen working behind the scenes are all dressed in traditional Arab headgear, and when the American president issues an ultimatum to the Iraqi president, it is seen that those observing in the room jeer at the former. While, for many, this would reinforce the stereotype that has come to plague the Al Jazeera network, the truth is that the scene was inserted in the documentary to show that this network is not as different from those in the west as many would think. The documentary reveals that the statements by President Bush and his secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, that Al Jazeera was the mouthpiece of Osama bin Laden and that it was the Centre of anti-American propaganda in the United States are completely unfounded (Turan). In fact, it is revealed that the exact opposite is the truth; that Al Jazeera is a network that is ded icated

Reflective Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflective Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example ce Johnnie that cigarette smoking was a very dangerous addiction that not only causes harm to an individual alone, but also for their family, friends, and the society in general. In that respect, my rhetoric focused on highlighting the economic and social costs associated with cigarette addiction in terms of maintaining the health of the smoker when health effects like cancer start manifesting, and the resultant financial burden the audience’s family is likely to bear. Additionally, my rhetoric highlighted the negative impact of smoking on society in terms of reduced productivity of the addict, and the potential risk of loss of life of a productive member of the society in critical situations. The purpose of persuading johnnie through the rhetoric was to get him to gain self-control and to overcome his addiction, to live a healthy life that is self-directed and productive; addiction to cigarette addiction destroys families and individual’s lives, and can be a real source of pain and suffering. Johnnie feels totally incapacitated by the addiction like his own life depends on it so much so that he cannot function at all without engaging in the habit; in that respect, the withdrawal symptoms that accompany his attempt to quit makes quitting difficult and almost impossible. My rhetoric aimed to persuade Johnnie to feel and believe that he has power over his smoking addiction and that it was not the other way round, with the addiction controlling him to such an extent that he could not do without engaging in the habit. By altering Johnnie’s perspective about the smoking addiction, the rhetoric was meant to persuade him to gradually control his smoking by reducing the number of cigarettes he smokes every day and to stop the habit altogether. The audience of the rhetoric, Johnnie, was a close friend, a stubborn and yet very friendly fellow, who was always in the mood for conversation and little chats about everything that crosses his mind. Johnnie is a very social

A marketing research proposal for Tesco 1041 Essay

A marketing research proposal for Tesco 1041 - Essay Example The study incorporates data collected using both primary and secondary techniques of research, which leads to valid conclusion in respect of the objectives of the research work. Tesco is one of the largest retailing brands of the world. The company currently operates in the 12 nations located in Asia, Europe and North America. In terms of profits, Tesco is the third largest retailer of the world (Rogers, Ghauri and George, 2005). In terms of revenues however, the company is the second largest following Wall Mart. Morrison, Sainsbury and ASDA are the primary competitors of Tesco. Tesco sells more than 40,000 food brands in addition to clothing (Humby and Hunt, 2003). It also sells a number of non food retail items such as electronics, cooking appliances, luxury and a number of daily use products. Additionally Tesco is also seen to provide services such as DVD rentals, financing, telecommunication and internet services in a number of regions of operations. Despite its wide range of operations, Tesco is known for its well established distribution network and sound ability to manage its resources effectively. Tesco is already well recognized in many nations of Europe and North America (Dawson, 2006). Despite the dominant position the company holds in the retail marketing sector, Tesco is seen to expand internationally by eying the emerging markets. The international expansion of the company not only entails it into sterner competition but also simultaneously facilitates earning higher profits. Most of the international ventures of Tesco have remained successful where as some have encountered major failures. In order to expand internationally in a more effective manner, Tesco requires to think more strategically and develop plans on the basis of accurate research (Baskaran, 2012). Tesco in the recent times has been considering entering into the markets

Ip5 program capstone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ip5 program capstone - Research Paper Example At the GreenHall hotel, promotions are given to the employees by merit. This means that those who have shown exemplary performance in their work are promoted. However, at the BlueShield hotel, employees are promoted whenever they get an additional academic qualification. BlueShield places a lot of importance to the academic qualifications while GreenHall places emphasis on the experiences that the employee has had in the company. Communication at GreenHall is not limited and employees can pass information freely. This means that all the employees can interact and pass information freely regardless of their position in the company. This helps the employees feel free to talk to the top officials whenever they are experiencing problems in the company (Bach, 2013). BlueShield Hotel, on the other hand, communicates strictly in a top-down direction. Both hotels use the SWOT tool to improve the operations of their hotels. They both make use of their individual strengths, recognize their weaknesses and try to improve them, realize the existing opportunities and utilize them. They also identify their strengths and makes use of them. A change in the external environment is likely to affect both companies in the same way. For instance, if there are terrorists’ threats in the area, then the hotels are likely to experience a low season (Burt, 2005). They may need to even close their businesses for a while. Terrorists’ threats are very harmful to the hospitality industry. In conclusion, both the GreenHall and BlueShield hotels operate and function in different ways to accomplish the same goals of getting more clients and thus more profits. The aim of any company is to make profits, and each company has their way of attaining their projected profits (Bou,

Improving Perioperative Care through IT Research Paper

Improving Perioperative Care through IT - Research Paper Example This has also been as a result of the complex nature of surgical information systems, implementation challenges, resources to make them work as well the lack of sound practices required to automate perioperative systems yet it is believed that whatever enhancements will greatly improve care delivery process and the quality of care in the long term. Case studies: Adoption and success Recent adoption on implementation of IT through perioperative health care has been evident in two hospitals which are Basset Healthcare located in Cooperstown, New York and the University of Connecticut Health Care Center in Farmington, Connecticut. In both cases automation has been adopted and this has resulted in notable improvements in patient’s safety as well as clinical productivity and process efficiency (David Green 821). It has been reported that there have been improvements as a result of automated perioperative system at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital which is the Basset Healthcare’ s core patient facility that yielded a 33% turnaround time improvements and a supply cost reduction of $200 per case. As for University of Connecticut Health Center there has been strong enhancement in the efficiency of anesthesia management following its implementation of surgical information system just a few years after Bassett’s adoption of the same. This is more specifically in charge capture for billing which has since shown improvement. Perioperative technology: what it entails The technology that is required for the perioperative environment must be supported from a holistic point of view. In this case each component must be integrated with a larger set of technology that will be used in or throughout the perioperative process this is inclusive of perioperative information technology and clinical facilities (Karen A. Wager 253). To facilitate this, data sharing must be enabled in this case all perioperative data and knowledge bases must share common metadata. It is al so paramount that the technology supports all clinical and administrative data for perioperative care, from the initial identification of surgical case all through surgery, recovery and ongoing outcome analysis. Database that support these processes must be modernized so as support all types of data, and equipment usage in the surgical process. Clinician’s workflow must also be enhanced to make it easier, faster and less complicated. Data entry should be facilitated at once with real time precision and facilitate sharing ubiquitously as needed (Kenneth Laudon 92). This must be made possible by high level of surgical equipment and software application interoperability throughout the entire perioperative process. Data interoperability is important so as to reduce cases of data redundancy as well as errors. The use of management information systems should facilitate automated data entry without the need for manual re-entry so as to enhance clinical acceptance and accuracy of dat a by minimizing user workloads and errors in transcription. To better illustrate how the perioperative requirements have been less addresses we have to consider the much anticipates software support computerized physician order entry (CPOE) which was created with the sole intent of making possible direct, online order entry by physicians (Paul J. St. Jacques & Minear). CPOE software is highly focused for

Four questions to answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Four questions to answer - Essay Example This happens to describe the relation between the organisation and the employees. This is a key factor as it lets the employees know about the organisation’s policies and the transparency that it maintains in the internal as well as the external affairs of the organisation. This Professional area has some important elements embedded in it. Trade Unions, Health and Safety and Grievance and Disciplinary are a few to name. Let us now take a better look into all these elements individually and also integrating them so as to have a better understanding of the concept of Professional Areas. An associate member is expected to help improve and enhance the relationship between the employees and the organisation. Also one has to make sure, the execution of the policies and practices which necessarily cover the employee’s relationship with the organisation are carried out and this would also include industrial relations and those strategies associated with it. To maintain healthy relation between the organisation and the employees the Associate members should make sure that all the disputes are resolved at the earliest possibility. These disputes could be individual or collective. Ensuring the coverage of tribunals, grievance and disciplinary, employment law, contracts of employment and terms and conditions seconds none in the order of importance when the Employee relation with the organisation is concerned. They make up for a good relation by ensuring the employees rights and responsibilities. The resolving of issues though sounds like a normal job, demands plenty of diplomacy and spontaneity. The simple issues left unattended could turn into complex ones and they might be of great risk to the organisation. So the Associate member should resolve every issue, no matter what intensity it is of and should properly influence those leading the issue to the right approach. Among those critical jobs that the Associate members carry out, one that has to be definite ly discussed is checking the proper understanding of the organisation’s policies and procedures by the employees and making sure that they are integrated within the employees and are maintained in the workplace. On the other hand, the Associate members make certain it is just not the employees who need to have an understanding of the organisation’s policies and procedures, but also the HR Professionals who need to have an understanding of the full range of employee relations policies, practices and the employment laws. This is done to better manage the risk and the Associate member might also need to train them with individual coaching as per the requirements. They need to have a desire to learn as the job demands the necessity to learn about the continuously evolving employee relations both locally and globally. This is achieved by maintaining relationships with the counterparts, the formal bodies and communities of practice. This information gathered by the Associate member is then used to improve and make better changes in the employee relation plan. They also lead the negotiations between the trade unions, work councils and similar bodies regarding the labour issues and sometimes bring them to the notice of the higher authorities, depending on the intensity of the issue thereby creating an amicable working environment and building up a healthy relationship among them. The Associate membe

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Public Relations - Essay Example Enabling linkages: The board of trustees, small team of employees, the government and the regulators constitute important publics for Telethon through the enabling linkage. The Telethon trust comprises a board of nine trustees who meet periodically to oversee the functions of Telethon. His Excellency Malcolm McCusker AO QC and Prof Fiona Stanley AC are the patrons of the trust. People who work assiduously for Telethon includes Steve Mummery, the general manager; Danielle Toolin, the events and marketing manager; Adriana Filippou, the accounts and phone room manager; Lauren Castledine, the administration and events coordinator and Fat Cat, the furry lovable cat of Telethon. Diffused linkages: The Sunday Times that provides editorial support round the year, local community, Golden West Network that beams the Telethon program across Australia, and Channel Seven Perth that sets aside $600,000 to air the Telethon weekend are important media publics. Functional linkages (Input): Scores of volunteers who lend a hand to Telethon to raise funds for the kids of Western Australia, donors like JWH Group that builds the Telethon Metropolitan and Regional Homes, In-Vogue and Country Builders that assist JWH Group, Satterley Group and Peet who provide land to set up the buildings, BankWest facilitates in collection of donations, AV Partners, Perth Expo Hire and Cliftons provide infrastructure for Telethon weekend. In addition to this numerous individuals and community groups including schools, clubs and local businesses which help in Telethon’s fundraising right through the year are important publics associated with Telethon due to functional linkages. Finally corporate houses are important publics as they help Telethon with sponsorships. Lexus Of Perth which organizes the Lexus Ball for Telethon year on year is a case in point. Functional linkages (Output): Numerous hospitals, research institutions, and other beneficiaries that get financial assistance from

Career Choices Essay Example for Free

Career Choices Essay Introduction Making the perfect career choice is a lifetime decision that will have a lasting impression on your life and the life of your future family. As we all grow up in life we hear from our parents and mentor’s that if you decide to choose a career that you dislike, you can spend a life time living a miserable lifestyle and your career will have a short life span. In vice-versa, if you find something that you love to do in life and you are  able to make that into a long lasting career. It will seem like you have never worked one day in your life. Throughout time, many working class individuals have chosen to pursue educations in careers that will lead to a future living a stable lifestyle but it is not what their true passions are in life. So they are stuck doing something that they hate in life just because they have to work in order to provide a sufficient lifestyle for themselves and family. Another critical aspect that you must take into consideration when making a career choice is to make a valid consideration on whether you can grow inside of the career decision you make or will you remain static performing one position for the rest of your life. The reason why a lot of individuals choose to go to college is because they are stuck in a dead end job that has no momentum to further gain a promotion or advance in pay. In my opinion, entrepreneurship should be every individual’s long term goal in life. The ultimate decision making factor in choosing a career and working for a prominent company is to get the working experience making mistakes under another companies supervision, so when you begin to start your own company you will already have the experience to make smart business decisions and know how to make your company prosperous. Even though there are a lot of great career choices out there in the world, I believe that a career in either health and wellness or software engineering would be the best fit for me because they will give me the opportunity to grow, both fields are very challenging, and they both will give me the opportunity to prosper and own a private company. 1 The Importance of Having A Software Engineering Technical Career Since the late 1940’s the software engineering field has been growing rapidly as a challenging and profound profession for a lot of software students that would like to inquire skills that helps to maximize the quality and create database software. Since this time excellent software programmers have found ways to improve these components by increasing their speed, security, usability, cost, testability, size, readability, and stability. Engineers have developed business software that have changed the world and has adapted this same concept onto many home computers so consumers can have the same usability as larger corporations from the comfort of their own laptop computer. Computer innovation has evolved greatly since the 1940’s with higher advanced platforms that are able to integrate businesses with consumers easier, through the invention of the World Wide Web. Laptop computers along with tablets have created an easier and more efficient way to access the internet with access to public networks that can be routed from any major hotel or fast food restaurant, and mobile phone technology that has been designed by Mac and Android allow consumers to stay connected to the world from the comfort of a palm sized device. It takes a very talented array of programmers to design these devices and with the world of technology at the forefront of driving innovation; this career field is here to stay. With stability also come growth and business opportunities for talented engineers to step up and continue driving this career field to unknown places. Opportunity For Growth Recently CNN money came out with an article titled â€Å"Best Jobs in America† which had a detailed listing of the top 100 careers in America with great pay and growth potential. It was not a surprise to see software architects at the top of the list at number 1 with a 10 year job growth forecast of 34% beating out other leading career opportunities such as physician assistants coming in at number 2, and management consultant coming in at number 3. CNN has stated, 2 â€Å"Like architects who design buildings, they create the blueprints for software engineers to follow and pitch in with programming too. Plus, architects are often called on to work with customers and product managers, and they serve as a link between a companys tech and business staffs† (CNN Money, 2010). Making this a well-diversified career field where you get the opportunity to work inside a comfortable office setting but also visit customers at their facilities and help out with customer service issues at remote locations. Along with the exceptional growth potential this career path shares, it also can create amazing entry level financial stability as well as stated in figure 1 below: 10th%| 25th%| 75th%| 90th%| As you advance your experience and expertise in the software engineering career field, programmers have the option to choose a specific craft such as a technical support engineer, C++ software engineer, or lead software engineer where your average annual income can range from $63,000 upwards to $120,000 a year easily based on an individual’s knowledge. The Challenge Even though ultimate career stability along with a great compensation plan and benefits sounds great from the outside looking in we must also understand that with great opportunities also comes a great challenge. Programming in laments terms can be contributed to learning a second language such as 3 Spanish. It takes a lot of dedicated time to perfecting this skill along with training. Depending on your decided expertise there may be a ton of syntax and logical instructions that you have to learn in order to program effectively and unfortunately most of this time is spent outside a classroom or job setting really learning the craft at home on an individual’s personal time. But in a more positive perspective a lot of these languages such as Java, C#, and Visual Basic derive from the parent language of C++ so if you are able to get a great concept for this computing language the others will come fairly efficient for beginning programmers. Another positive aspect to this career field is since there are such high demands for these positions a lot of companies offer entry level programming positions offered to developers that have no experience so this will give individuals the opportunity to work under mid and senior level technicians to learn the ropes. A lot of individuals stray away from challenge, growth, and hard work but this is a career field that awards individuals for hard work, and gives techs the opportunity to learn a new aspect of the business every single day which makes this career field interesting. Below in figure 2 is a progression  chart that shows the career path a software engineer should take in order to become great at their craft and make a nice 6 figure income. Progression chart| A career progression chart generally resembles the one below. It may vary from company to company. | Role| Years of experience| Trainee software engineer| 0-1| Software engineer| 1-2| Senior software engineer| 2-4| System analyst| 3-5| Project leader| 5-8| Figure 2 ExpressComputerOnline.Com career roadmap for software engineers 4 Building A Business One could only imagine that one day a company that was started in your parents garage would evolve and become a multi-billion dollar company that has millions of dedicated customers, and releases innovative products that changes the world every year. Well this is not a dream anymore; it has actually been a reality for major companies such as Google, Apple, and Macintosh which have all started out of garages. The biggest disadvantage the many software developers face when building their own business is they do not have a lot of business experience, but with help from outsourcing agencies such as fog creek which specializes in the development and startup of technology companies they state that â€Å"if you have an innovative product that can compete for market share versus other companies all you have to do is market, sale, price, and hire exceptionally well† (Fog Creek Software, 2011). Which is not an easy process but if you are able to do it effectively your business will have a fair chance of competing in a vastly competitive marketplace. How A Health And Wellness Career Will Create A Great Business Career Individual health and wellness have been in the forefront of the world for many decades now being led by activist groups and government agencies  initiating â€Å"Go Green† marketing campaigns and household tax credits for individuals and homeowners who convert their lifestyles to a more healthy and energy efficient environment. CNN states that health and wellness physicians â€Å"Perform routine care such as physicals and tests, counseling patients, and even prescribing medication, all under a doctors supervision. Todays doctor shortage will only worsen as boomers age and health care reform brings more patients into the system, creating a huge need for this field† (CNN Money, 2010). 5 So even with an aging population this will continue to be a career path that will always be in high demand. Opportunity For Growth On the CNN money web article that was published earlier in the year physician’s assistants that also are in health and wellness practices partake in the number 2 position with a 39% 10 year annual growth forecast. Even though going green and living health is not new in the minds of many Americans a lot of individuals have not accepted the lifestyle thus living in an unhealthy environment. Statistics have shown that just in woman alone â€Å"Recent national data show that 82.1 percent of Black women and 75.7 percent of Hispanic women are overweight or obese compared to 59.5 percent of White women (Ogden, 2012).† This shows that there is still a lot of room for growth in this industry and still barriers to break down before this money making opportunity really explodes. In college classrooms instructors have put a major emphasis on students teaching their patients how their living environments vastly effect there personal health and living an unhealthy personal lifestyle will have a vastly negative effect on their health. With more educators out there pushing the idea and government agencies pushing the effort there is a ton of room for growth in this industry. Health and wellness physicians make a pretty comfortable lifestyle as represented below in figure 3, and it is also pretty fulfilling knowing that you are changing individual lives by helping them improve their health. The Challenge With any career field that is rewarding and has a tremendous opportunity for growth there are some challenges and risk that must be taken into consideration. Just like with the software engineering career path there is a journey that needs to be taken before you have the appropriate authority to recommend patients for certain treatments and products. There was an article posted in the New England Journal by Michael Porter which makes an argument that states, â€Å"By shifting our focus on value, simply defined as quality divided by cost, we can lower costs and improve quality (Porter, 2011)†. So in order to make this a rewarding career path, consumers would have to switch their focus as well which makes this a difficult path to choose. Education will not be a hard factor to fulfill because there are tons of institutions that offer individuals certification opportunities and there was an article on livestrong.com that supports health and wellness professionals that states, â€Å"If you have a passion for health and wellness, sharing your interest can enrich the lives of others as well. College majors in kinesiology or exercise science can teach skills for exercise and wellness careers but may not be required to obtain certifications (Case, 2011).† 7 Building A Business Building a Health and Wellness Company may not be easy but if we are able to get it off the ground and running it does offer a tremendous reward and fulfillment knowing that you are offering individuals great products and services that will change their lives by allowing them to live a healthier fulfilling lifestyle. There are even lots of companies out there in the market today which assist business minded individuals such as Melaleuca in helping individuals start their own health and wellness companies. They provide products along with customer service to those who are small companies and need outsourcing to get started. This helps break down a lot of barriers and makes the transition into entrepreneurship a lot easier. Conclusion Developing a career in software engineering or health and wellness can be very growth orientated, lucrative, and rewarding careers that both give back to the community. Even though there are a lot of great career choices out there in the world, I believe that a career in either health and wellness or software engineering would be the best fit for me because they will give me the opportunity to grow, both fields are very challenging, and they both will give me the opportunity to prosper and own a private company. I was always told in my life that as you begin to mature in life an individual should always have three forms of income coming in which first is a primary income which results from a regular steady job. The second is an alternate income which may result from a part time job or secondary business. While the last form of revenue may result from investing or savings income. My final career choice decision is to pursue software engineering as my primary income since I have dedicated so much time and effort towards learning the craft, and pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems will help me get a great entry level position with a great starting pay. Plus I have a passion for innovation and enjoy the challenge of learning something new every day. Second, I also have a passion for helping others and with the sales background that I currently have it would be an excellent opportunity for me to build a business starting a secondary health and wellness company selling health certified products to homeowners that wish to live a healthy and clean lifestyle. References Case, H. (2011, June 14). Exercise wellness careers. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/325785-exercise-wellness-careers/ CNN Money. (2010). Best jobs in America. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/snapshots/1.html CNN Money. (2010). Best jobs in America. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/snapshots/2.html Fog Creek Software. (2011, June 12). Building great software companies. Retrieved from http://www.fogcreek.com/guide/ Ogden, C. (2012, January 10). Overweight and obesity in the u.s. Retrieved from http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/obesity-in-the-us/ Porter, M. (2011, March 6). The value proposition for health care. Retrieved from http://cfplt.com/the-value-proposition-for-healthcare-a-challenge-for-physician-leadership/

Emerging Logistics Strategy Essay Example for Free

Emerging Logistics Strategy Essay The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the emerging business logistics strategies which have emerged in the market place over the last few decades and will remain dominant well into the better half of twenty first century. Analysis through this work will argue that the two strategic concepts, namely supply chain integration and cycle time compression, represent distinctly different yet complementary approaches to corporate logistics which form the frameworks around which hundreds of firms are building successful logistics system. INTRODUCTION Logistics Strategy is the science of evaluating the most cost effective methodology of distributing goods to market while achieving service level objectives. It is important for companies to recognize that logistics strategy can be product-specific, customer-specific, and location-specific and that supply chains for each industry are dynamic and evolving. It is always a challenge for logistics strategy planners to develop a series of logistics strategies for different clients, integrating manpower, facilities and workflow in the logistics strategies together to compromise with other clients’ logistics strategies. The choice of an appropriate and effective logistics strategy must be guided by the objectives of the firm as well as by its capabilities and resources. In addition, the development of successful logistics strategy must recognize and deal with important factors and conditions in the firm’s external business environment. The environment of logistics has changed greatly because of global integration and the gradual shortening of lifecycles of products. For that reason a brief overview of what are, perhaps, the most significant of these factors in the business environment like increasing globalization, mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, new IT systems etc. are also discussed. In this paper, contemporary logistics strategy and evolution of emerging strategies like SCM and Cycle time reduction will be explained. Implementation issues and other challenges like reaping the benefits of IT,  choosing a trade-off between complementary strategies; integration issues etc. are elaborately discussed. This paper will mostly discuss the logistics strategy which the companies are adopting to succeed in the emerging markets like India, China etc. Emerging markets are becoming hot destinations for carrying out business mainly because of access to low cost labors and material. However at the same time how the firm mitigates the risk associated with doing business in foreign territory and how it manages the associated cost of transportation will also be discussed. Logistics Strategy and its importance When a company creates a logistics strategy it is defining the service levels at which its logistics organization is at its most cost effective. Because supply chains are constantly changing and evolving, a company may develop a number of logistics strategies for specific product lines, specific countries or specific customers. The supply chain constantly changes and that will affect any logistics organization. To adapt to the flexibility of the supply chain, companies should develop and implement a formal logistics strategy. This will allow a company to identify the impact of imminent changes and make organizational or functional changes to ensure service levels are not reduced. Parameters Involved in Developing a Logistic Strategy A company can start to develop a logistics strategy by looking at four distinct levels of their logistics organization. * Strategic: By examining the company’s objectives and strategic supply chain decisions, the logistics strategy should review how the logistics organization contributes to those high-level objectives. * Structural: The logistics strategy should examine the structural issues of the logistics organization, such as the optimum number of warehouses and distribution centers or what products should be produced at a specific manufacturing plant. * Functional: Any strategy should review how each separate function in the logistics organization is to achieve functional excellence. * Implementation: The key to developing a successful logistics strategy is how it is to be implemented across the organization. The plan for implementation will include development or configuration of an information system, introduction  of new policies and procedures and the development of a change management plan. Components to Examine when Developing a Logistics Strategy When examining the four levels of logistics organization, all components of the operation should be examined to ascertain whether any potential cost benefits can be achieved. There are different component areas for each company but the list should at least include the following: * Transportation: Does the current transportation strategies help service levels? * Outsourcing: What outsourcing is used in the logistics function? Would a partnership with a third party logistics company improve service levels? * Logistics Systems: Do the current logistics systems provide the level of data that is required to successfully implement a logistics strategy or are new systems required? * Competitors: Review what the competitors offer. Can changes to the company’s customer service improve service levels? * Information: Is the information that drives the logistics organization real-time and accurate? If the data is inaccurate then the decisions that are made will be in error. * Strategy Review: Are the objectives of the logistics organization in line with company objectives and strategies. A successfully implemented logistics strategy is important for companies who are dedicated to keeping service levels at the highest levels possible despite changes that occur in the supply chain. Current logistics operating environment Since 1990s, the environment of logistics has changed greatly because of global integration and the gradual shortening of lifecycles of products. The mode of production in enterprises has changed from the traditional mass production mode led by products into the mass customization production mode to facilitate increasing global market competition. Srinivasa (2001) pointed out three main reasons of such revolution. 1. Change of manufacturing strategy In the past, logistics was recognized as a distinct function with the rise of mass production systems. Since 1990s, the Japanese philosophy of distributed manufacturing and lean manufacturing has become the key technique which is widely adopted around the world. Consequently, the logistics operation is  forced to change in order to fit such new Japanese manufacturing strategy. As a whole, logistics has become an extremely complicated process in which expert knowledge is required. 2. Change of customer demand Business environment as a whole is becoming extremely volatile. As product life cycle becomes shorter, manufacturers can no longer push their products down the supply chain easily. On the contrary, it is the consumer who pulls the products along this supply chain. Price and quality are no longer sufficient to thrive in this market. As speed to market and flexibility of the supply chain become the winning criteria, logistics management has grown much more complex in order to satisfy these conditions simultaneously. 3. Globalization As enterprises expand their markets beyond national boundaries, the need for more sophisticated services like multi-modal transport and international trade rules compliance increases. Hence, redesign of logistics operation is essential in order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness on these issues. These issues revealed the complexity of logistics management in that traditional logistics operation which includes large quantity of stock storage and distribution cannot fulfill the real time, flexibility logistics service demand among the supply chain parties. Moreover, since logistics network has became more complex, it takes time to make critically decision in resource allocation and work task arrangement accurately. In the current dynamic scenario where business landscape has changed a lot and more and more business are becoming customer centric firms have realized that to remain competitive they need to consider logistics as a part of their strategy and not just another fu nction. Companies have gained significant advantages over their competitors by focusing and crafting a logistics strategy which suits their requirement. However, there is no fixed Logistics strategy solution in place for any type of industry. It depends on and varies from the type of goods, nature of industry, the market it serves etc. Below are some of the questions that a firm’s logistics strategy must address. Fast / Slow -A company logistics strategy must handle fast moving products differently from slow and medium moving products within their own  distribution center(s) and within their distribution network. It is to be seen is it economically beneficial to set up regional fast facilities and a centralized slow facility? DSD / Non-stock A company must have a clear understanding of all of the cost components and lost profit opportunities for products that are deemed Direct store Delivery or non-stock items. There has to be a logistics strategy in place that clearly delineates when an item should be inventoried. Third Party Services -Does your company need to own and/or operate its own distribution facilities or is it more effective to have third party logistics providers manage some or all aspects of your logistics functions? What are the economical, service and other considerations your company needs to consider before taking these steps? Hub and Spoke -Are there economical cost of goods advantages to sourcing products into a centralized distribution center that subsequently distributes to regional facilities or branches through a hub and spoke distribution network? Inbound Logistics -Are there opportunities to reduce your landed cost of goods through improved inbound logistics strategy including load consolidation, reduced handling, backhauls, etc.? Outbound Logistics-Are there opportunities to reduce your outbound transportation costs through improved private fleet routing? Through improved carrier rate shopping, through load consolidation opportunities, etc.? Facility Consolidation-Is your company operating too many distribution centers that are underutilized? What are the economical benefits and service impacts of closing one or more of your distribution points? Inventory reduction-Is your company carrying the right assortment and inventory levels to achieve service level objectives? To minimize inventory assets, to minimize storage and handling costs? Supply Chain-Are there opportunities to work with your trading partners to reduce supply chain complexities and improve service levels for specific products / vendor product lines? Are there internal supply chain policies that hinder cost-effective operations? Global Logistics-Are there opportunities to improve global logistics to reduce inventory levels in the supply chain? To reduce order cycle times? To reduce supplier lead times? To reduce logistics costs? With these questions in mind we proceed to see what have been few emerging and successful strategies and what the challenges in implementing them are. Emerging Logistic Strategies: Given the expanding complexities of global operations, information about logistics costs and capabilities is crucial to evaluating whether and how to leverage emerging markets as a means for increasing profit margin. Globally, there has been a trend to source from or manufacture in low-cost jurisdictions and emerging markets. This trend, however, is often offset by increased logistics costs and delivery times, along with a growing number of complexities that need to be managed. Senior management has begun to realize that lowering unit procurement costs does not translate directly to lower per-unit total landed costs — the total costs associated with importing goods or parts from distant emerging market locations. The complexities of managing logistics in emerging market locations ultimately add to the total landed costs of the associated goods. Therefore, the process of redesigning supply chain operations to establish logistics management capabilities in emerging markets is a fundamental dimension of a long-term business strategy. Components of this strategy should include a focus on end-to-end integrated operations design and sound process discipline. Further, this focus should include a means to achieve flexibility, responsiveness and resiliency to enable more effective competition in today’s environment of increasingly dynamic global business conditions. To leverage opportunities in emerging markets, companies must transition or expand from managing logistics in a limited number of local geographies to managing them in emerging market geographies worldwide — in a very efficient, agile manner that supports the responsiveness and flexibility associated with an On Demand Business. Companies can leverage specific approaches to transforming their global logistics capabilities and better support the business goals of lower cost sourcing or fulfillment by taking advantage of emerging market jurisdictions. Global supply chain management — a rapidly changing environment Because of competitive pressures in the global marketplace, companies are rapidly migrating to low-cost sources of labor and materials, which are typically located in countries that also represent emerging market opportunities. But the speed of this change may bring challenges associated with escalating shipping costs and increased supply chain risk, and these challenges could exceed a company’s internal skill and resource capacity. If  you are adopting global sourcing practices, you may not yet have the foreign trade experience necessary to manage regulatory compliance and related global supply chain management complexities. For example, multiple, autonomous business units within an organization can contribute to a fragmented logistics process as well as create missed opportunities for leveraging economies-of-scale. Individual business units may also lack the necessary economies-of-scale needed to establish a competitive foothold and gain sufficient influence in emerging markets. Balancing inbound and outbound supply chain logistics requires a comprehensive strategy that incorporates all the key functions of a supply chain to accelerate or expand sourcing from emerging markets. This horizontally integrated approach also helps you make strategic decisions regarding partnerships, shipping and other factors, to help ensure that savings from global sourcing are not eroded by increased logistics costs. Even more significantly, such a strategy can enable you to go beyond sourcing to position your organization to leverage your logistics capabilities to sell and distribute products within those emerging markets. Challenges to leveraging emerging markets in supply chain cost management As you expand your geographic reach of global sourcing into emerging markets, you will likely encounter a growing number of supply chain and logistics challenges, many of which directly or indirectly contribute to a large portion of total landed costs. Each issue can be grouped into one of two categories: tangible or intangible. Tangible challenges of working in emerging markets include obvious things such as the limited physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, harbors and airports. Other limiting items include the communications infrastructure needed to support the necessary IT connectivity. As constraints due to infrastructure bottlenecks represent a clear challenge, government agencies are more aptly able to focus on these items because the benefit for improvement extends beyond just the business sector. Enhancements to physical infrastructure help the greater population of the emerging marketplace and contribute to modernizing an entire region or industry. Physical infrastructure improvements tend to have greater visibility and  political momentum, and often involve just a few government agencies. For example, the current infrastructure expansion in China as described by EFT Research in late 2005:1 †¢ Between 2005 and 2008, more than US$70 billion per annum will be spent to create 75,000 new mil es of expressways †¢ Forty-three airports have been added since 2001, a major focus for expansion †¢ By 2010, China plans to double the number of shipping port berths from the 34,000 currently in use and will spend approximately US$6 billion each year to do so †¢ Between 2005 and 2020, China will build 25,000 km of new rail lines at a cost of US$250 billion. The net effects of current infrastructure limitations in China and other emerging markets are longer-than-expected lead times and greater variability in shipment cycle times. These factors have a direct impact on owned inventory levels and the overall cash-to-cash cycle time — both of which drive the need to tie up more working capital in the supply chain. These shipment cycle time delays, which can be typical, are often offset by shifting to expedited, or premium freight service levels. However, these shifts to faster service levels are what significantly erode the expected savings in procurement and sourcing. While tangible infrastructure and expansion challenges within emerging markets often get the most press and visibility, it is the intangible items that create the greatest headaches for global logistics managers. The list of intangibles consists of items that often carry â€Å"hidden costs† not fully grasped by companies entering an emerging market. Included are all the tariffs, duties, taxes, customs declarations processes, security and compliance requirements, and the daunting task of dealing with government agencies and multiple third parties in a foreign language. The complexity is exacerbated by variables that can constantly change and remain in a near-fluid state. Managing day-to-day events is complicated by the need to factor in multiple working locations, distant time zones, multiple handoffs of products and associated information, different national holidays, language and cultural barriers, and the ongoing regulatory changes. For example, effective January 1, 2006, the Ministry of Commerce of China updated numerous regulations for export processing zones, while at the same time Chinese customs issued new regulations for bonded logistics parks that support export-related handling activities. Understanding how such changes  impact your supply chain requires in-country operating experience and deep collaborative relationships with logistics services providers who manage daily in this dynamic environment. Not to be overlooked is the significant influence that culture and management style can have on implementing and managing a logistics operation. For example, some of the fundamental differences prevalent in the Far East: confrontation avoidance, top-down decision making and agreements formed through handshakes with less regard to contractual specifics are the norm. While the Western approach to dealing with supply chain partners and vendors is to collaborate and pursue a win-win outcome, that attitude rarely prevails in many emerging market locations. Do not underestimate the impact of negotiating style and approach for dealing with suppliers found in different business cultures. In emerging market countries where rule of law can be erratic, establishing sound relationships with known entities is critical. Getting a jump on technical obstacles to integrated supply chain management Leveraging emerging markets as both product source and product destination can be a dynamic response to global market pressures; however, many companies are not well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities. The key objectives for the technical aspects of managing logistics in emerging markets are to build flexibility into the design, develop a core competency to bring logistics suppliers on board in a seamless fashion, and to enable meaningful information capture that supports continuous improvement. For example, effective supply chain management depends on visibility into the status and location of in-transit materials and products, but many companies do not have these systems in place. Fortunately, many technology-based solutions are available from a range of providers. Nearly all transportation companies offer some type of shipment status or information-sharing system accessible through their Web sites. In addition, there are dozens of advanced logistics planning and execution software applications that companies can install and use themselves. While there is no comprehensive solution that effectively serves all industry verticals and logistics partners across the supply chain, it remains critical that companies efficiently integrate multiple applications across diverse trading partners. Even with an integrated value chain that seeks to  leverage leading applications, true visibility into order and shipment status across the logistics chain depends on tightly defined processes and the ability of all logistics partners to exchange and provide timely status reports on materials in transit. Managing logistics within and outside of emerging market locations can make these processes even more challenging — the increase in variables makes consistent execution and the timely exchange of information very difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the very nature of an emerging market means that the number of logistics services providers with the appropriate experience is limited. And switching logistics providers can be very expensive. So part of the challenge becomes finding partners who either have the appropriate experience or have established networks and partnerships with reputable local providers. Managing and mitigating the risks associated with emerging market logistics In order to address the challenges of leveraging emerging markets as a cost reducing, and eventually, a profit-boosting strategy, companies are finding that they need to develop a strategy for managing logistics that can support multiple service-level requirements. As one element of such a logistics strategy, you need to determine how, where and to what extent the services of logistics suppliers should be engaged. There are several logistics management options to consider before you enter a new or emerging market. One end of the spectrum involves developing extensive multifunction logistics talent within your company, and then managing specific tactical activities and numerous contracts with logistics suppliers that provide narrowly defined services within a specific region or country. In this scenario, pitfalls include the time it takes to develop or recruit the necessary level of logistics talent and leadership, and the administrative cost of managing dozens, if not hundreds, of logistics suppliers. The other end of the spectrum involves leveraging already established and proven capabilities of a few logistics service providers — or even one — who can orchestrate the many activities, dependencies, and relationships across a global logistics network. Companies taking this approach are able to react to new and emerging opportunities in a shorter, more cost-effective time horizon. Figure 1 summarizes the spectrum of relationships with logistics partners. Figure 1: Logistics service provider options While core asset-based logistics providers are critical to logistics execution, there continues to be a competitive desire among service providers to offer strategically integrated solutions with a global reach that include already established relationships in key emerging market locations. As companies decide which model to pursue and which logistics service provider(s) to engage as potential long-term partners in an emerging market, there are a number of factors to consider: †¢ Experience with integrating logistics across the supply chain and related business functions such as direct procurement †¢ Demonstrated ability to lead supply chain transformation in phased initiatives that align with current and future customer requirements †¢ An understanding of the unique characteristics of the emerging market(s) where you are considering expanding sourcing activities or establishing operations and distribution capabilities †¢ Familiarity with your industry vertical and the nature of your supply chain requirements †¢ Proven capabilities to advise on support and manage international trade and customs regulations †¢ The capacity to offer robust middleware as an enabler of cross-functional IT integration with multiple supply chain partners †¢ The experience and capacity to act as information broker between you and your supply chain partners †¢ Infrastructure and business process designs that are highly scalable and redundant †¢ A track record of solid financial health and sound corporate governance A global logistics view in alignment with a top-down business strategy helps to avoid a piecemeal logistics contracting or outsourcing management approach that could exacerbate the challenge of integration and shipment visibility. Your approach to outsourcing should help you develop a responsive, plug and play, logistics management capability that will support your entry into emergi ng markets. This is also a key capability for enabling an adaptive global supply chain footprint and competitive advantage. To further support this goal, it is important to consolidate and align your supply chain management infrastructure, processes and procedures to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Leading logistics providers now have the resources and expertise to help you design your network and make location decisions that optimize the tradeoffs in cost, service level and risk; but you should be aware that such companies may also be driven by their own business goals. When you  receive advice about which emerging markets to target, ask yourself whether this advice is aligned to your business goals, or whether it reflects the logistics supplier’s own growth strategy. It is very important to look for an objective logistics partner who can establish clear business performance metrics and accountability for the entire ship-to deliver cycle. This includes activity from the shipping dock in the source country through each leg and mode of shipment. Such information should be a key part of the overall supply chain performance management dashboard — your logistics service provider should be able to supply you with a range of data and performance metrics such as on-time delivery, damage rates, error rates, cost/sales percentages and related financial metrics that drive continuous improvement efforts. IBM Case Study — overcoming emerging market implementation hurdles Strong global partnerships with leading logistics suppliers are a highly valued asset when it comes to entering emerging markets. IBM offers a case in point. Several years prior to the sale of their personal computing division to Lenovo, IBM shifted PC fulfillment operations to low-cost jurisdictions and emerging market locations. IBM had been conducting business in China for many years, which provided a leverage point for establishing the necessary legal entity and business model to support a manufacturing operation that could act as a global fulfilment center for a limited line of products. Setting up shop in one of China’s free-trade zones offered proximity to key suppliers and abundant availability of low-cost labor during a time of intense, industry wide cost pressures. But from a logistics management perspective, the implications seemed daunting. IBM needed to design and implement the capability to ship from a factory in Shenzhen to customer locations in the United States, Europe and the rest of Asia. This effort required robust process design with multiple logistics suppliers, not to mention the trade-management-related complexities associated with exporting from a free-trade zone to numerous other countries — most of which had their own unique entry and customs-related procedures. In the high-tech industry, the supply chain must be responsive and fast. In logistics, this means pre-clearing shipments through customs while flights are in-transit. The most minor of data inaccuracies on the commercial invoice or shipping  manifest during the entry process can delay shipments for hours. While an import delay of only a few hours may not seem drastic, the result can be a missed cutoff time with the in-country ground service delivery provider. This means an entire day can be added to the shipment cycle time. IBM found that design and implementation challenges resided at the most basic levels. The infrastructure and necessary processes just for getting the trucks from the manufacturing site to the Hong Kong airport caused delays. The frequency and timing of the flight schedules became the hard constraint that all other cutoff times were forced to meet. Getting the necessary level of lift capacity during the high-volume, end-of-quarter seasonal peaks required frequent communication and forecast updates with freight forwarders. Continuous design improvements were needed to reach the necessary process and system integration needed between the freight forwarder, broker and customs agents in the designated country. For small shipments, IBM took advantage of integrated services provided by UPS and FedEx, both of which have ground and air assets for multi-leg shipment continuity. More problematic were larger shipments requiring multiple third party logistics organizations in a series of freight and information handoffs. IBM believes that a core logistics objective should always be to design and implement an integrated end-to-end solution that includes a process and technology design spanning all involved parties, from the shipping site to the final customer delivery location. Other emerging-market implementation hurdles faced by IBM China is not the only major emerging market with strategic significance to the IBM supply chain and global business model. For many years, IBM has sold and distributed products in East European countries. Over the past two years, IBM has expanded operations in countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. IBM’s most recent effort included going live with assembly and fulfilment operations with an OEM partner in Hungary. Prior to making a decision about the final location, IBM conducted a network optimization study. Its purpose: to understand the tradeoffs between fulfillment costs, logistics costs, inbound transit times from supplier locations, and outbound transit times to customers throughout Europe. The longer transit times and greater variability were key to understanding if entering the Hungarian marketplace to seize the benefit of lower fulfillment costs was an optimal  supply chain decision. The distance from the manufacturing site to the primary airport in Budapest is a three-hour commute on a two-lane highway. For time-sensitive orders, this long transit time effectively pushes back the cutoff time for shipping to around noon, a loss of nearly a half day. Once the decision was made to operate and ship finished products from Hungary, several supply chain and logistics design points became important to the overall cost reduction strategy. Here are some key elements that helped enable logistics management for IBM in an Eastern European emerging market location: †¢ Extended vendor managed inventory (VMI) programs and pricing agreements with OEM partners to ensure purchase-order flow continuity and control †¢ Extended IBM’s logistics contract agreements to components suppliers on inbound lanes in order to mitigate rising logistics costs and transit time variability †¢ Formed strong partnership with logistics service provider to allow for vendor on premises activity — service supplier resources and systems that manage the flow of finished goods off the back dock †¢ Utilized the network of experienced logistics management professionals in the European region to ensure operational communications and continuity within the same time zones †¢ Took advantage of IBM business presence in-country and local resources to ease the language, culture, and knowledge barrier during transition and initial set up. The above examples reflect IBM’s ability to efficiently enter and enable logistics operations as a strategic component of our global business operating model. Figure 2: IBM logistics cost savings 1995–2004 The cost savings illustrated in Figure 2 were realized during a time when IBM was entering emerging market locations to enable an integrated global footprint. The largest portions of savings were in procurement by utilizing fewer core service providers, and the physical network design efficiencies of operating in key emerging market locales. Realizing competitive advantage from logistics transformation You can prevent rising costs and complexities from eroding the benefits of your global sourcing strategy. The advantages of a strategic approach to logistics are broad and can result in a significant increase in shareholder value. In fact, managing logistics  costs, service-level lead times and overall supply chain security is critical to your marketplace competitiveness. Figure 3: IBM Global Logistics Operating Model The IBM model for managing global logistics highlights its capabilities as a Global Trade Orchestrator. IBM is able to scale this capability for both internal divisions and external customers. The key to managing global logistics is to enable your company’s supply chain with the capability to efficiently unplug from one location or operating scenario, and enter a new or emerging market location. This capability will be both a strategic requirement and a competitive advantage, as long as worldwide business, economic and socio-political variables remain dynamic. Enabling this strategic capability requires cross-function process design, technology integration, and subject matter expertise ranging from network optimization, logistics contract and operations management to global trade and compliance management. This level of orchestration and collaboration is very scalable when merged seamlessly with a global governance model and strategically oriented leadership. Cycle time compression Logistics managers have long recognized the importance of order cycle time, and this concept has entered into the planning and operation of inventory control and distribution systems for decades. More recently, logistics executives have come to recognize the strategic significance of planning, and indeed reducing, the cycle times in their systems. Throughout many different industries, and taught by the examples of successful Japanese competitors, firms are working to reduce the total time required to bring products to marketplace. As George Stalk and Thomas Hout explan in their best-selling book competing against time, today, time is on the cutting edge of competitive advantage. The ways leading companies manage time- in production, in sales and distribution, in new product development and introduction- are the most powerful new sources of competitive advantage. A cycle time compression logistics strategy can be applied to distribution and production, and firms have also shown how the strategy can be employed in product development and roll out. In one frame of reference, cycle time can  be thought of as the time which elapses between the point at which a customer places an order and the point at which the property is received. Traditionally, logistics managers have attempted to control or reduce this order cycle time by increasing in stock availability rates, pre-positioning field inventories close to customers, or using premium flight services to speed delivery. While effective, these tactics are not without cost. From another point of view, customer order cycle times are obviously important, but they do not measure the true response time of the firm since the finished goods inventory performs the function of uncoupling the demand process from the production process. From this point of view, the cycle time is the length of time material remains in the firm as it flows from raw material, to production, to finished goods, and on to delivery to the customer. Attacking this cycle time has several benefits. First, it makes the firm more responsive; that is, the firm may be able to produce and distribute a product to a given customer more quickly. Second, cycle time reduction will reduce the time that material is held as inventory, and hence will increase inventory turnover and return on assets. Firms have employed many different tactics to achieve cycle time compression in their logistics processes, but most successful applications share these common characteristics: (1) The responsiveness of the total system is increased. The firm can more quickly respond to changing customer requirements because the logistics system has become more flexible and adaptive, and more easily able to react to changes in plans. (2) Inventory levels are reduced at all points in the system as on-hand stocks come to reflect more closely true customer requirements. (3) Risk and the associated costs of risk are reduced. As the cycle time falls, the demand forecasting horizon can be reduced, which reduced the risk of stock out, lost sales, obsolescence, redistribution, expediting, and all the other problems associated with forecast error. (4) The information content of the system increases. The system comes to rely  on fast and accurate transmission of information as a substitute for the inventory previously used to operate the system. To reduce cycle time companies need to look at the four major discrete cash cycles within their firms. — Sales Cycle — – Delivery Cycle– –Billing/Collection Cycle – –Make/Buy Inventory Cycle – The sales cycle is the first one to tackle. How long does it take from first contact with a customer to get a signed purchase order? Typically you’re incurring, and paying for, sales expenses during that process. If your normal sales cycle is three months, is there any way to collapse it to two months? One of the best ways to answer that question is by bringing together people within the organization who both work in the sales arena and interface with it. It can also be helpful to have someone from the outside who is not all that familiar with the process in the review. Benefits of cycle time reduction are common in all four areas. The result will be reduced cycle times that translate into a more effective organization and additiona l money in the bank. Cross-docking: The need for speed In today’s high velocity supply chain world, companies are increasingly focusing on distribution methods that will drive efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. Gone are the days where customer service was merely a buzz word. With the focus on customer service, companies have moved away for a supply driven business towards a demand driven business. Companies are also constantly searching for ways to reduce inventory and holding cost. The increase in speed has forced companies to search for ways to reduce product cycle time and move product quickly and cost effectively. Over the years, companies have seen a dramatic increase in the number of stock keeping units (SKU). The increase in the number of SKUs has added complexity to the business and also has increased the cost and time needed to manage the business. Department heads face additional pressure as they are required to stock shelves with the right products and ensure that customer demand is met all times. In today’s high speed world, shipping windows are changing rapidly, as retail clients demand increased speed to meet store requirements. To achieve these goals, cross-docking has been pushed to the frontline of the distribution strategy. What is cross-docking? Cross-docking is a system that relies on speed and agility and is normally used in hub-and-spoke operations. Cross-docking, in short, is the shipment and receiving of goods by bypassing the storage facility. In the process of cutting out the need for a storage facility, inventory can move quickly from one end of the supply chain to the other. Cross-docking is a fairly simplistic way of handling inventory that involves loading and unloading inventory from an incoming truck onto an outboard truck. During cross-docking storage time varies. However, most experts would agree that anything less than two days can be considered as cross-docking. In some cases staging also takes place. For all of its simplicity, cross-docking requires detailed planning and collaboration with partners. Companies require advance knowledge of product shipment and final destination of goods. Setting up the required infrastructure and systems can take time and capital. Logistic managers are increasingly making use of technology such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and automated processes. It is important to note that technology is not the key to success. However, the right system can smooth out problems and increase visibility in the chain. Companies now have the ability to send products on a Friday night, receive them on Saturday, and sell the products later in the day. How is it used? Cross-docking is used in a variety of strategies that include consolidating loads of less-that-truck load (LTL) carriers, consolidate loads from multiple suppliers and/or plants, deconsolidating orders, and preparing for shipping. Cross-docking can be divided into different complexity levels including one-touch, two-touch and multiple-touch. One-touch is considered the highest productivity as products are not loaded on the dock, but is loaded directly on the truck. During two-touch the focus is on load optimization and driving efficiencies. Inventory is received and staged on the dock, without making use of a storage facility. During multiple-touch, products are received and staged for reconfiguration and customization. An increasing number of companies are starting to use cross-docking in their operations. In a 2008 cross-docking trends report in the US, 52 percent of respondents stated that use cross-docking with a further 13 percent planning to start cross-docking in the next 24 months. A number of companies are  outsourcing cross-docking. By doing so, they avoid the challenges of setting up and running a cross-docking operation. Many companies start small and pilot projects are common as they explore the configuration that best fits their needs. For cross-docking to succeed it needs to be a coordinated effort that relies on close partnership and collaboration. What are the advantages? One of the key advantages of cross-docking is that companies are reducing their need for warehousing space, which reduces inventory holding cost. Cross-docking facilities are much cheaper to set up and run than warehouses and companies can save on the capital investment in warehouses. In some cases, companies can reduce warehouse floor space and sell off or lease out underutilized facilities. Companies like Toyota have designed and built their own cross-docking facilities. Normally these facilities are strategically located to reduce distance and maximize support. Some of the biggest advantages for companies are transport related. Companies can achieve significant cost savings, by consolidating loads of LTL carriers. Pallets that are heading for the same destination are consolidated and staged by order sequence. By doing this, companies can reduce the distribution cost of the total supply chain and pass the savings on to the consumer. By making use of cross-docking, companies can furthermore reduce the impact of rising energy cost. Companies like Toyota have used this strategy to great effect. With the increased reliance on Just-in-Time (JIT), parts are being shipped at higher frequency and lower quantity. By making use of cross-docking, Toyota has reduced distribution cost by consolidating smaller part supplies into consolidated loads. Cross-docking has allowed companies to increase JIT and remove waster or muda in the organization. The increased speed in the supply chain helps companies to reduce product cycle time and move product quickly and efficiently down or up the chain. In Toyota’s case, this has allowed them to increase delivery frequency and in some cases even double delivery cycles. Cross-docking also have some major benefits where inventory is limited. As inventory is not kept in storage, companies require less stock. The reduction in inventory will reduce holding cost and at the same time satisfy demand. One of the major benefits of cross-docking is also the reduction of labour cost. With the downturn in the  economy, companies will increasingly look at cross-docking as a possibility. Cross-docking can reduce staff numbers and their associated labour cost and also gives the organization greater flexibility during an economic downturn. Many companies, however, do not start cross-docking primarily for cost reasons. They start to improve customer service. Today’s customers require greater speed and are also more demanding. Companies should establish clear goals and be willing to test different options. For companies that want to streamline operations and increase the supply chain velocity, cross-docking may be the right solution. Implementation Issues and Conclusions Many firms have embraced and employed supply chain management and cycle time compression strategies in their logistics operations with dramatically positive results. However, not all such attempts have been successful, nor has every implementation proved straightforward or simple. In this section, I will list observations and conclusions drawn from scores of firms which have implemented these logistics strategies: (1) Supply chain management and cycle time compression are complementary strategies. The logistics manager is not forced to choose between these two strategies in and either/or basis. In fact, the two strategies are often mutually supportive and self-reinforcing. The strategies so frequently are seen together that it can be difficult or arbitrary to distinguish between them. In practice, the distinction between the two strategies is often blurred. A principal reason to develop supply chain management is often to capture and amplify the benefits of cycle time compression by applying the strategy at all levels in the chain. (2) Each strategy has common barriers to successful implementation. There are many pitfalls involved in employing these strategies, but the most significant problems are generally of two types: High complexity. The new systems are usually much more complicated than the systems and procedures which they replace. Supply chain management, as embodied for example in a quick response system, requires co-ordination of SKU-level item flows across firm boundaries in near real time with great precision and reliability. Low  inventory levels place the entire operation at risk to errors at any level in the system. New data systems and communications systems are needed to drive the logistics flow, and these systems are needed to drive the logistics flow, and these systems must perform flawlessly. In a successful cross docking operation, vehicle schedule and despatching is crucially important as well, and completely reliable carriers must be found. High trust. Supply chain management and cycle time compression must be based on high levels of trust within the various parts of a given firm, such as between production and distribution and between sales and distribution. In addition, very high levels of trust must be established and maintained between buyers and sellers in the supply chain, as well as between shippers and carriers and warehouses. Supply chain members must share and safeguard highly sensitive data, and all parties must be given candid estimates of production schedules, shipping status, and delivery dates. Inability or unwillingness to share these data will generally frustrate meaningful attempts to establish the close co-ordination implied by these strategies. (3) Information technology is the key enabling technology. Another common thread in the successful implementation history of these strategies in American firms is the reliance on fast and accurate information technology. Most such logistics systems use barcode scanning or some other form of automatic identification to provide input of SKU-level transaction data onn sales, inventory and shipments. Data are normally telecommunicated between various operating locations, usually by EDI. In addition, some form of high-level logistics system software is needed to guide the operation of the strategy. (4) Inventory reduction as a benefit. Most successful case histories of supply chain management or cycle time reduction will include inventory reduction, but inventory reduction will not be the whole story. Generally, inventory reduction will be one item on the list of benefits and cost savings which were sought or obtained. In many cases savings due to inventory reduction will be substantial, while in other cases inventory reduction may be a relatively minor consideration. (5) Successful logistics strategies must be integrated with production, marketing, and total corporate strategy. Supply chain management and cycle time compression are strategies which are often highly compatible with the overall strategy being pursued by the firm. Compression of the logistics component of the firm’s total cycle time is an integral component of the firm’s overall strategy of time-based competition. Logistics cycle time compression and supply chain co-ordination are also highly supportive of the general strategy of flexible manufacturing towards which many firms are moving. Many other firms are moving towards a marketing strategy which looks beyond mere ―customer satisfaction in an attempt to move past the competition by ―delighting the customer. In this context, compression of logistics cycle time increases the responsiveness of the logistics system to the customer’s desires. Incorporating the customer into the formal supply chain system should improve the level of support provided to the customer as well as increase the customer’s ability to convey its needs and wants to the firm and have them acted on. In this way supply chain approach will work to reinforce the marketing strategy. Supply chain management and cycle time compression are complementary logistics strategy which progressive firms are employing in many different ways and in many different settings. These strategies are not simply or easily developed, but the results achieved through their use are often dramatic. Any firm which is truly serious about competing in the marketplace should very carefully consider the implications of these strategies for its operations.