Assessment #2 - Experiential Analysis Assignment

Assessment #2 - Experiential Analysis - Assignment Example r daily wagon position; Caren Oshome is responsible for Wagon Turn Around times; Eric Njoroge is responsible for Locomotive & Transit times; and I, Samuel, is responsible for locomotive turnaround times at key depots/yards. This company experiences cultural diversity and, therefore, intercultural accommodation among different groups is highly encouraged. Our group constitutes varying cultural backgrounds and each of us endeavors to appreciate the culture of each other in order to improve service delivery. We joined the company at a time during which mutual understanding was quite a challenge. We decided to embrace free communication which not only bonded and gave us a basis for a common identity, but also created a context for interaction and negotiation amongst us. As a consequence of this communication, we have created a set of shared experiences and many ways of talking about issues affecting us at work. To this end, we have inculcated our own culture/style of doing certain things. Conforming to such criteria is helping us to attain our objectives. This is dictated by our responsibilities and obligations and, hence, fosters a harmonious functioning among group members. Secondly, it enhances relationships and group cohesion from within since it outlines the kind of attitudes expected of us. More often than not, this facilitates us in a substantial way to resolve conflict. Thirdly, it assists to gain a better understanding of our job experiences by prescribing our ethical attitudes as well as the roles. After we adopted similar values and behaviors, we started experiencing a sense of unity and belongingness; stability as conflicts are resolved and harmony is maintained; satisfaction and group cohesion; and improved internal dynamism as a result of the influence of a stronger internal cohesion. Quite a lot of facts have been brought on board to shed some light on how culture affects interpersonal communication within a group. To complement past emphasis on

Rogue Access Point Network Security Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rogue Access Point Network Security - Term Paper Example This implies that it is essential to determine the vulnerabilities that are associated with an organization’s control system networks through the seeking of understanding into operations and communication types that could be concomitant to the system. In this study, the main concern was the understanding of ways by which organizations network securities can be exposed to any form of network dangers, and the assessment of the security requirements and approach needed to fully comprehend and address the weaknesses of the network system’s access points. Consequently, the completion of this project is aimed at enabling the student to gain relevant practical knowledge on the aspects of network security requirements of an organization that are needed to harden the access points and prevent known network vulnerabilities. This shall be done with the core point of reference being the rogue access points (APs). A rogue access point refers to a wireless access point mounted on a safe network without explicitly receiving authorization form the administrator of the local network. In another sense, the rogue access points may be created by hackers in the process of trying to gain access to the system’s components through the conduct of man-in-the-middle attacks. Rogue access points, whether wireless or otherwise have often posed great security threats to an organization. Considering that if the rogue access points are of the first kind, then the organization will be deemed to lose in the sense that due to its large employee capacity, anyone with a right of entry to the premises would have the capacity to maliciously or non-maliciously install inexpensive wireless routers that could be used to potentially allow for the access of secure networks of the organization to unauthorized locations/parties. If the rogue access point is of a second kind, then the target would be the organization’s network that don’t engage the client-server and server-client relationship

Improve Efficiency Essay Example for Free

Improve Efficiency Essay A very high percentage of the items selected (picked) in the distribution centers and re-stocked in the stores were in quantities of 1 case. This company’s roots were as a high volume, limited assortment retailer and distributor. Over time the business had shifted allowing the stores to reorder a higher mix of items at lower volumes. Given the companies market position as a low-price leader, this reduced profit margins. The two root causes of this shift were identified as: 1. Stock-keeping-unit (SKU) count growth outpacing sales growth, and 2. Allowing minimum order quantities from the stores to the distribution centers to drop to a quantity of one This white paper will study how this company quantified the impact of allowing its stores to order in one case quantity and then recalculated minimum order quantities for higher volume items. (For details of how SKUs were reduced see White Paper â€Å"SKU Reduction – Biggest SKLUsers†) A Supply Velocity Consultant led a team of employees through this 5 week project. The Supply Velocity consultant facilitated, but the employees did most of the analysis and therefore owned the improvements. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 2 Project Outline ? Evaluated all SKUs and the case quantity they are most frequently ordered at, to establish baseline data for how stores are ordering ? Time studied retail store shelf restocking and distribution center order selection labor to determine the negative labor productivity impact of the current ordering policy o Graphed the results in a trend chart o Determined that the greatest labor productivity improvement happens when the order quantity increases from just 1 to 2 cases ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) ? Communicated all items on the minimum order quantity to all stores through a comprehensive communication plan o Communication plan included data to show stores how increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan to ensure new items, SKU reduction and sales history will be used to update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 3 Time Study Analysis To quantify the problem, we time studied order selection in the distribution centers and shelf restocking in retail stores. We conducted a few snapshot analyses of different distribution centers to understand the current state of â€Å"order quantities†. The graph below shows that out of the approximately 2800 items, a majority are ordered in quantities of 1 case. The time study data also showed that the second case selected or stocked is essentially â€Å"free† and the same movement is used for two cases as for one case. At the outset of this project the team was worried that any increase in minimum order quantity would be viewed by store managers as an attempt to push inventory out from the distribution centers to the stores. This data showed that increasing minimum order quantity from one case to just two, gave us the greatest percentage of labor productivity improvement. However, we didn’t just want to increase all items to a 2 case minimum order quantity. Instead, a statistical tool, Multi-Variable Pareto was used to calculate the proper minimum order quantity based on a mix of inputs. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 4 Distribution Center Order Selection Quantity (# of items picked per quantity) 57% of the items in distribution centers were selected at a 1 case quantity [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 5 â€Å"Time to Select per Case Quantity† in the Distribution Centers – Based on case count per selection When selecting 2 cases of a n item, the time per case drops by 45% from 1 case. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 6 Time to Re-Stock SKUs on Shelves in Stores – Based on case count When restocking 2 cases of an item, the time per case drops by 61% from 1 case. This shows that the greatest productivity improvement occurs when going from 1 to 2 cases, which is easier to â€Å"sell† to the stores than making large increases in minimum order quantity. They can reduce labor by 37 seconds per case by ordering and stocking 2 cases of an item versus 1. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 7 Multi Variable Pareto Analysis ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink Multi-Variable Pareto is a method that uses more than one â€Å"measure† to sort SKUs from highest to lowest performing. Normal Pareto Analysis has been used to develop guidelines such as the 80/20 rule (20% of customers generate 80% of sales). When using multiple variables, there has to be a way to normalize the data so all variables are part of the analysis. We used three variables to determine the correct minimum order quantity for an item. ? Cases sold per week on average for each item ? The number of cases that fit in the given shelf space ? Product shelf-life Each of these variables are positively correlated to Minimum Order Quantity. ? The higher the cases sold equals higher Order Quantity ? The greater the shelf space (pack-out) equals higher Order Quantity ? The longer the item’s shelf-life equals higher Order Quantity The team of subject matter experts used retail experience to determine each of these factors and their impact on minimum order quantity. Results of this analysis are shown below. The calculation was very conservative, as the results have shown. Only 466 of 2800 items have a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case. This was largely driven by two factors. Item shelf-life limited our ability to make any shelf-life sensitive item greater than 1 case. Our calculation took this limiting factor into account, to ensure we weren’t causing shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) at the stores. In addition, lower case movement drove many items to a 1 case minimum, even if they didn’t have shelf life limitations. The lower case movement is due to SKU proliferation and was addressed by the SKU Reduction (Biggest SKLUsers) project. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 8 Results of Minimum Order Quantity Calculation [emailprotected] om Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 9 Communication Control Plan ? Communicated with all retail stores about how the minimum order quantity analysis was conducted and the resulting new plan o Communication plan included data to show stores that increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan so new items, SKU reduction and sales history will update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis It was critical that this project was presented as a positive for our retail store-customers. We created a communication plan that showed two key aspects of this change: ? The conservative nature of the change o only 466 of 2800 items are receiving a minimum order quantity increase ? This change is good for the stores and will improve their labor productivity To ensure that this process endures and does not get reversed over time we included a control plan. This is shown in the graphic below. As Category Marketing Managers evaluate items, adding and reducing SKUs, changes will be reflected in new pack-out quantities. This quantity will get fed to Distribution Technology who will recalculate this items’ minimum order quantity using the same Multi-Variable Pareto calculation. A control group, made up of Merchandising, Distribution and Retail Directors will review the list, make changes in the ordering system and communicate changes to store customers. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 10 Results By taking the higher sales volume SKUs and increasing the store minimum order quantity, we decreased the time per case to stock shelves in the stores and select items in the distribution centers. Using only the 1 to 2 case increase in minimum order quantity for the 466 SKUs reduced the labor time per case resulting in a labor savings of $1. 2 million. The expectation for this process is to slowly grow the number items with a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case beyond 20%. By rationalizing and reducing SKUs we should increase the shelf pack-out of remaining items, thereby increasing the minimum order quantity.

China S Big Mac Attack Media Essay

China S Big Mac Attack Media Essay American companies are charged with exporting American culture along with their products. This is not a new occurrence as this charge can be traced back to the sugar and tobacco trades of old. To further explore this accusation I will review two writings that attempt to tackle the subject, although from totally different perspectives. The first is an essay by J.L. Watson called Chinas Big Mac Attack which takes a laissez-faire look at the events that lead up to Chinas love affair with the fast food giant. The second writing is a book by Benjamin Barber titled Jihad vs. McWorld that presents a much darker look at multi-national corporations and their diabolical plot to capture the world. My contention is that neither extreme is correct, the truth lying somewhere in the middle as is the case with most complex issues. According to Watson in Chinas Big Mac Attack (2000), fast food restaurants have made considerable inroads into Chinese culture; consequently, he asks the question: Is globalism and its cultural variant, McDonaldization the face of the future? (Watson, 2000) An essential inquiry as we begin our examination of western influences on the rest of the world. First Watson professes to review the writings of the theorists who argue that transnational corporations like McDonalds provide the shock troops for a new form of imperialism that is far more successful, and therefore more insidious, than its militaristic antecedents (Watson, 2000). But instead of academicians, he analyses op-ed writers such as Ronald Steel and Thomas Friedman, who has noted that no countries with McDonalds have ever fought each other in a war (Watson, 2000). To further examine the riddle of the successful inroads made by fast food corporations, Watson next delves into the history of McDonalds in Hong Kong (a British consulate where McDonalds was promotedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as an outpost of American culture (Watson, 2000). Because of transformations in family life and traditional family values in China, Watson observes that McDonalds has taken advantage of a budding focus on the needs and aspirations of the modern Chinese family, especially given the lavish attention bestowed upon the single child, the little emperors and empresses who are particularly defenseless to the amusement of Uncle McDonald (Watson, 2000). Although, there are those that will disagree, Watson points out that McDonalds has become a target for public protests against America, which has amplified the symbolic load borne by the golden arches (Watson, 2000). McDonalds has countered by disciplining its employees and its customer base, and by doing so, has attracted an elite group flourishing within the modernized, consumer-based cultures that are emerging in markets around the world. McDonalds has ingeniously entrenched itself into the local cultures in such a way that it is increasingly difficult to see where the transnational ends and the local begins (Watson, 2000). The changing of cultural norms because of western impositions is further illustrated in Watson by discussion of the line which is first mandated by managers but later self-enforced by regular customers (Watson, 2000); ironically, public civility is now associated with western norms in Asian cities like Beijing. The cultural contrasts between fast food establishments in America and Beijing becomes more apparent, however, in Watsons discussion of how consumers in the Far East have turned the fast food restaurants into community centers where they can safely visit, read, or en tertain (Watson, 2000). Like James Watson, Benjamin Barber acknowledges in his book Jihad vs. McWorld (1992), that the concepts associated with multinationals such as McDonalds, Disney, and Coke are more powerful than military force: What is the power of the Pentagon compared with Disneyland? Can the Sixth Fleet keep up with CNN? McDonalds in Moscow and Coke in China will do moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ than military colonization ever could (Barber, 1992, p. 12). The first part of the book involves McWorld, the ever- growing service sector of the international economy, mainly as it manifests itself in what Barber calls the infotainment telesector, American in culture if not always in name. He sums it up in a score of brand names and pop icons: Disney and Paramount, Nike and Reebok, Madonna and MTV, Coke and Pepsi, Homer Simpson and Batman, Kentucky Fried Chicken and, needless to say, McDonalds. These multi-national corporations are, according to Barber, relentlessly promoting its ideology of fun at the expense of lo cal institutions and folkways, this virtual economy of images and lifestyles promises to become nothing less than a world monoculture (Barber, 1992, p. 58). For civic life, this is particularly bad news, Barber contends. Manipulated by promotion, spin, packaging, and advertising, citizens lose awareness of public matters, falling prey to passive consumption and devoting themselves exclusively to the satisfaction of their consumer wants. According to Barber in Jihad vs. McWorld we face two possible political futures both bleak, neither democratic [either] a Jihad in the name of a hundred narrowly conceived faiths against every kind of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦social cooperation and civic mutuality, [or] one commercially homogenous global network: one McWorld tied together by technology, ecology, communications, and commerce (Barber, 1992, p. 315). Barber indicates that the forces of Jihad and the forces of McWorld operate with equal strength in opposite directions so as to create a centrifugal whirlwind that competes with a centripetal black hole (Barber, 1992, p. 315). Neither version is presented as a desirable outcome. Barber asserts that McWorld has eroded national boundaries because all national markets have become vulnerable to free trade and international banking / currency exchanges that allow and privilege transnational and multinational corporations and entities like the World Bank. On the surface, peace is fostered by open markets. Religious and racial markers become less important when the more important characteristic of being human is seen as being able to shop and consume. (Barber, 1992, p. 16). Furthermore, no one country can sustain itself as an autarky anymore; we are all interdependent. Even wealthy countries like the United States depend on resources (like oil) found in other areas of the world (Barber, 1992, p. 372). The flow of goods is paralleled by the flow of ideas across boundaries because of modern developments in science and technology, particularly in the integration of computer, television, cable, satellite, laser, fiber-optic, and microchip technologies that have given us access to information and people all of the time in all places (Barber, 1992, p. 108). Barber warns that capitalism and democracy have a relationship, but it is something less than a marriage (Barber, 1992, p. 126). Principally in ecological and environmental matters, capitalism has created greater inequality because the modern world cannot afford to allow developing countries to consume natural resources at the progressively more devastating rate that we see happening in the current consumer markets. The U.S. is experiencing, through increased immigration and more socially liberal views, a shift in family values. As the manufacturing base in the United States continues to be shifted abroad, the western culture remains the last product available for export. As we have already seen in discussions of changing families and values in the U.S., globally, these changes are taking root in many parts of the world, so that these debates between being a consumer or a citizen take on global implications. Six billion people consuming at the same rate that Americans now consume would inevitably lead to environmental destruction and disputes would lead to wars over natural resources. As Watson acknowledges, the question is no longer simply whose culture is it that dominates; the more important question is what will be the outcome of adventurism associated with rising affluence (Watson, 2000) as markets are opened and imports (and the Internet) make shopping a world-wide event? The question of prevention hinges on whether this phenomenon should be halted or prevented in the first place. The more alike all individuals are as a global people, the less reason there will be for wars. Most wars today are fought on the basis of differences. The difference in question may be religion, politics, race, or culture. Differences and diversity may be great if these items are dragged out on holidays or practiced in private. However, when these cultural or religious differences invade the work-place or the government, it is a recipe for disaster and exclusion. If Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and the American media can bring about this homogenyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦more power to them.

Essay --

English 102 Professor Su Suoccai Arnaud Fragniere 19 February 2014 The different aspects of the Grandmother’s personality in ’’A Good Man Is Hard to Find’’ In Flannery O’Connor’s story ‘’A Good Man Is Hard to find’’, the author narrates the events as a third person, centering it on the grandmother who decides to go with her whole family for a road trip from Georgia to Florida. The grandmother does not want to go to Florida. During the journey she selfishly and manipulatively forces the whole family to go see a plantation that she mistakenly think is on the way. This results in them having an accident and meeting the Misfit, an extremely violent criminal who defies ‘’the beliefs that Christians have in the ability of Jesus to raise the dead’’. As the story develops, the Misfit and his accomplices kill all members of the family except for the grandmother, who up to her death, falsely tries to convince herself and the Misfit that he is a ‘’good man’’. At the end, the grandmother has a moment of grace. However, it proves unavailing as the Mis fit, proceeds to kill her without remorse. Throughout the text we realize that the major trait of the grandmother’s personality is the fact that she considers herself as morally superior. This is based on her belief that she is a ‘’lady’’; sophisticated, wealthy, overall better of a woman. In her eyes, this allows her to judge others. Not only does she see herself as superior, but she thinks that her faith along with her being a good Christian would save her from anything that could cross her path. We discover that she is also extremely selfish and manipulative; for her, her life has much more value than anything else, including the life of her children and grandchildren. To unders... ...e times through the chest. The grandmother’s selfishness and ability to manipulate people fails to help her during the biggest threat that she has to face through her entire existence: her imminent death. Her inability to change the Misfit’s mind and manipulate him the way she wants costs her life. O’connor’s story shows us an old grandmother who considers her as a superior person being powerless against her antagonist in life. The Misfit, this criminal who doesn't believe there is real pleasure in life challenges everything the old lady might say or do in order to live. The old lady tries in vain to save her life using all the tools that she knows, even if she selfishly has to serve this purpose and letting her whole family get killed. The grandmother must abandon all of her manipulative self-absorption, her focus on class and her external show of Christianity.

Gender :: essays research papers

Gender Issues: Have Woman’s Rights Improved? Twenty-five years ago, when my mother was little she had three career choices available to her, a teacher, a nurse, or a secretary. So as the I was growing up my mother made sure that I knew that I could be whatever I wanted to be, when I grew up. With this belief in mind I set my goal as becoming the first woman President of the United States, but as I started to work towards this goal I realized that what she did not tell me about were the obstacles that I would have to overcome to succeed in a â€Å"man’s world†. There are three main barriers standing in a woman’s way to achieve her career goal they are men, the media , and American society. According to Bob Enyart â€Å"Women were not made to run things. Men were made to run things. When women try to run things and usurp the authority from men they mess things up.† This type of attitude from men is what keeps woman from surpassing them in the world. M ost grown men view women only as housewives, incapable of nothing else. In the minds of some men women were meant to stay at home and clean the house, raise the children, and cook the meals. Even when woman decided to join the work force they had few careers to choose from. It was not until the late 1980’s that woman were accepted in to higher paying careers by the men that were already dominating the workforce. Even today when they are accepted into the workforce they are still not paid as much as men for doing the same work. A 1998 study shows that a woman in the same job as a man with the same expectations and responsibilities, the woman is paid ten to fifteen percent less then the man. The media or television programs are also to blame for the image that is given to woman. Women play passive roles, in movies and even TV sitcoms. For example in the sitcom Dharma and Greg, which is about a young married couple, the man is a successful lawyer from a wealthy family, while Dha rma is a cute little unemployed blonde that cracks jokes. Another example is in the sitcom Friends, in which the men Ross and Chandler have very successful jobs as an accountant and a anthropologist, while the women on the show are employed as a cook and the other women is a buyer for the department store Bloomingdales.

Visual Shopper Stop

ualMedia Release Shoppers Stop recognised as ‘Most Respected Company in the Retail Sector’ By Business World Mumbai, February 9, 2011: The New Year has started off on a rewarding note for Shoppers Stop. India’s premier lifestyle and fashion destination was one among 20 Indian Companies honored by Business World as ‘Most Respected Companies’ across various sectors. Shoppers Stop was awarded the ‘Most Respected Company in the Retail Sector’ at the hands of the Honorable Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee at the award ceremony held last evening in the Capital City.Business World’s ‘Most Respected Companies’ award is recognized as one of the most coveted awards in the country. Companies are measured not only on the basis of their balance sheets but also on the basis of innovativeness, depth and quality of top management, financial performances and returns and moreover, on qualities like ethics and transparency, quality of products and services, people practices/talent management and global competitiveness. About Shoppers Stop Shoppers Stop is a leader in the Indian Retail Sector and one of the pioneers in setting up large format department stores chain in India.Shopper’s Stop Ltd has a national presence, with over 2. 05 million square feet area across 34 stores in 15 cities viz. Mumbai (8 stores), Delhi (4 stores), Kolkata (3 stores), Bangalore (4 stores), Hyderabad (3 stores), Jaipur (2 stores), Pune (2 stores), Gurgaon, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Noida, Amritsar, Bhopal and Aurangabad. Shoppers Stop is the only Indian member of IGDS (Intercontinental Group of Departmental stores) along with 29 other experienced retailers from all over the world.Mr. B. S. Nagesh, Customer Care Associate & Vice Chairman, Shopper’s Stop Ltd, has been recognised as an iconic retailer and was inducted into the World Retail Hall of Fame 2008. Mr. Nagesh is the only Indian retailer to take a significant place alongside more than 100 stalwarts of the global retail industry, which includes veterans like Sam Walton of Wal-Mart, Giorgio Armani, Jack Cohen of Tesco, Simon Marks and Israel Sieff of Marks & Spencer; Ingvar Kamprad of Ikea, amongst others.CMAI felicitated the ‘Golden Scale Trophy’ to Mr. Nagesh in honour of this achievement. Mr. Govind Shrikhande, Customer Care Associate & Managing Director, Shopper’s Stop Ltd received prestigious honours of the ‘Retail Professional of the Year’ by CMAI in 2009 & ‘Most Admired Fashion Retail Professional’ at the Images Fashion Awards 2010. Images Retail Awards consecutively for two years (2008 & 2009) named Shoppers Stop the ‘Most Admired Retailer of the Year –CRM’.The Company has also been felicitated with ‘Retailer of the Year –Fashion & Lifestyle’ at the Asia Retail Congress in 2009. Shopper’s Stop Ltd also received the ‘Best Visual Merch andising’ Award at the VMRD Retail Design Awards 2009 and the ‘Prestigious Loyalty’ award for Customer & Brand loyalty in the ‘Retail Sector’ 2010 at the 3rd Loyalty Summit. Shopper’s Stop Ltd has been awarded by CMAI -The ‘Golden Scale Trophy’ as the ‘Brand of the Year’ for its STOP Ladies ethnic wear in 2008 & 2009, and the ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ in 2009.Images Fashion Awards held in 2009 recognised Shoppers Stop as ‘The Most Admired Fashion Retail Destination of the Year’ and in 2010 ‘Most Admired Large Format Retailer’ award by Gini & Jony and the ‘Most Admired Partner’ by Gili. Shoppers Stop has also introduced new formats in the market viz HomeStop – the exclusive home furnishings, decor as well as furniture store and HyperCity– a premium shopping destination for Foods, Homeware, Home Entertainment, HiTech Appliances, Furniture, Sports, Toys & Fashion. For further information contact – Perfect Relations Juhi Khanna @ 9820601226 Kirti Pachauri @ 9819898306