Is Foreign Investment Good or Bad for USA Research Paper

Is Foreign Investment Good or Bad for USA - Research Paper Example Due to rapid growth in FDIs all around the world, much work has been done on determining the effects of FDIs on USA economy. There have been increasing concerns about these foreign investments and these have been criticized on many grounds by the critics as they believe there are many disadvantages of these investments like reduction in employment in USA, reduced or inhibited technological advancements, increased trade deficits. Some even argued that increasing presence globally can be a threat to national security and might make the country compromise on national sovereignty. On the other hand many discusses about the advantage that USA has obtained from these investments which mainly revolves around the general presumption of benefits and favors of free markets. (Graham, Edward M, and Paul R. Krugman) Foreign investments can be both inwards and outwards. It’s a common trend all around the world that the countries which owns cheap production facilities are the best for FDIs, since USA is a country where operating a production facility is fairly expensive when compared to countries like China, India, Brazil etc. the economy of USA is usually built upon the outwards FDIs. Being the host and home country both receiving and making foreign investments, USA faces benefits and disadvantages both. However since USA mainly focus on outward FDIs due to presence of many owned MNCs in USA; this paper will mainly focus on the outwards foreign investments made by USA in foreign countries. Inward Foreign Investments in USA: USA has been a focus of few MNCs from emerging nations due to its high technological advancements and high standard of living. Some reasons to allow FDIs to enter US economy can be relating to the capability of the country to produce certain goods. Modern technology is primarily needed by the country and hence FDI can prove to be beneficial when it comes to it. The capability of the country to produce certain goods may depend upon the availability of the funds and the expertise that is available in that particular country. FDI in particular can be helpful in these situations as it can provide the benefits to the country. If the United States invites different multinational corporations, it will be able to grasp upon the required sources so as to produce the necessary goods that can improve its economy. This can also benefit the country in terms of the realization of external economies. In the modern language of economics this benefit is referred to as ‘spillovers’. This can prove to be one of the most advantageous side of FDI in the United States. Moreover FDI can also prove to increase the existence of competition in the market and hence the existing companies would strive further to attain a better position in the market (Gonclaves, R; Magnus, B). Outward Foreign Investments in USA: The MNCs from USA have greatly benefited from the outward investments in other foreign countries. Location primarily can have an e ffect on the economy of the country in two ways. It can help the company to differentiate or vary its product according to the demand of the consumers with respect to the price and it can also help to lower the cost of value

Writing about Manchester( see the description) Essay

Writing about Manchester( see the description) - Essay Example This appeared very intriguing and prompted my interest to delve further into the history of Manchester. In the 16th century the city was important for wool trade, and then in the 18th century, with the onset of the industrial revolution, it became known for textile production (Answers.Com, 2008). In the second half of the 20th century, after being beset with urban and industrial problems, the city redeveloped, ushering in cultural renaissance. As the textile industry grew and large warehouses were built to store and display the spun yard and finished cloth, the population grew as well. The population grew from 25,000 in 1772 to 90,000 in 1800 (Spartacus, n.d.). With the opening of the Railways in 1830 the population further increased. The population increased to 455,000 by 1851 and the housing conditions were appalling. Formal education started in the city in 1851 when a cotton merchant, John Owens, died in 1946 and left most of his wealth to establish a further education college for men. The nonconformist business community in Manchester supported this projected and helped raise furt her fund. Manchester has always occupied a special place in the British culture. It has always displayed a sense of independence and fostered a do-it-yourself-spirit (Haslam, 2007). It has absorbed migrants from all over and draws energy from its surroundings. The city was primarily a warehouse city linked to the northern mill-towns like Blackburn Burnley and Rochdale. John Dalton and Samuel Arkwright helped create a thriving and vibrant economy during the Victorian times (Moss, 2002). With textiles and other trades a young dynamic city was created, whose symbol is the worker bee. This emblem is repeated in mosaics all over the floor of the Town Hall in Manchester. The city also enjoys a cultural mix of people from various lands. In the Victorian era there was more of the Nonconformist, Liberal Class. While popular culture

Puerto Rican immigration and their occupational difficulties in the US Research Paper

Puerto Rican immigration and their occupational difficulties in the US - Research Paper Example 1). Moreover, it is still among the countries with high crime rates and murders have been averaged to 26.2 per 10,000 inhabitants. Therefore, the paper will seek to look into the immigration of the Puerto Ricans into the US. It will also look into their occupational difficulties and poor income. Puerto Ricans early migration to the United States was mainly a result of serious poverty levels as much as crime related issues also contributed to this effect (Hong et al p. 118). The number of migrants increased after Puerto Rico became a protectorate of the United States, thereby, improving relation ties between these countries. Migration patterns were mainly determined by the existence of industrial jobs mainly in New York City and increased as the years advanced. With the First World War at bay, approximately 1000 Puerto Ricans served as Army soldiers in the US. This number increased by the time the Second World War was happening. World War II contributed greatly towards the immigration of Puerto Ricans. It brought about economic issues in Puerto Rico leading to their immigration to the United States. The effect of the Second World War which took almost ten years caused the population of Puerto Ricans to rise to approximately two million people with the residents experiencing low living standards. Lack of employment opportunities after immigration was a major problem the Puerto Ricans faced as they settled in New York City (Mihelich p.65). The main source of employment during this period was available in garment shops in the district. There were also various jobs that were available to the immigrants in the city. Puerto Ricans who were hard working did jobs in the city’s garment shops. Moreover, illiterate immigrants did low skilled jobs in the city’s industries in order to make a living for themselves. Therefore, the insurgence of the Second World War greatly contributed to the migration patterns of the Puerto Ricans

Complexity Theory Dominates The Narrative In Strategy Today Essay

Complexity Theory Dominates The Narrative In Strategy Today - Essay Example Thus, it is clear that organisations cannot carry on with preset strategies, and instead has to keep tab of all the happenings in its external environment and accordingly come up with strategies and reorient its organizational processes. This form of strategic management, where the organisation will keep on initiating new strategies according to its external environment, only comes under the Complexity theory. This theory views organisation mainly as part of a collection of structures, in which the organization could share some or maximum properties with other composite and adaptive environmental systems or structures. As the organisations share properties with these environmental systems, they will be able to adapt to that environment, reorient its strategies accordingly and emerge successful. So, this paper will critically discuss the strategic management view that Complexity theory dominates the narrative in strategy today, by first providing the background of the Complexity theor y. Then, the paper will analyse with case examples how the theory is practiced in an organization and how the strategist or leader or manager will play a role in that practice. The paper will also provide counter perspectives, before drawing to a conclusion. When the Complexity theory is viewed from an overall perspective, or when one focuses on the science of complexity, it emerges that it is the study of an evolving and adapting order in an otherwise orderly systems. That is, certain action is carried out, or naturally carries out in a specific order, without changing of set patterns, for example, flocking and large scale migration of birds. However, even that set pattern have to be changed according to the constantly changing environment. So, the key is, the actions has to be operated at the vicinity of ‘edge’, without deeply getting involved in preset practices. That is, one has to be fully prepared for any changes that might occur in their action path, and so they should operate in that path of ‘prepared’ or ‘ready to adapt’ state. According to McElory (2000), the systems that operate in the vicinity of the edge or even chaos mainly exhibits strong bursts of creativity, thereby coming up with i nnovative behaviours and new patterns. These new patterns which enhances the ability of a system to â€Å"adapt successfully to its environment are stabilized and repeated† while those that performs below expectations and leads to failures â€Å"are rejected in favor of radically new ones, almost as if a cosmic game of trial-and-error were being played.† (McElory 2000, p.196). Many concepts of the Complexity theory got originated and were researched at the Sante Fe Institute, located in New Mexico, USA. The institute was found in 1984 by George A. Cowan as an independent research centre, where scientists from different disciplines including maths, physics, biology, information technology, psychology, physiology, etc, etc with their computing expertise, conducted â€Å"interdisciplinary work on the behaviour of complex adaptive systems†, coming up with various postulations of the Complexity theory. (Rosenhead 2008). The basic concept that resulted from this resea rch under the Complexity theory is that, any collection of components as well as systems will evolve as well as organize itself, on the basis of changes in its external environment. The application of this concept in the field of business started

Potential ranges of consequences of a development failure Essay Example for Free

Potential ranges of consequences of a development failure Essay The concept of society and culture has a long history associated with it, similar to the most other aspects of social science. The culture has always progressively developed with time, and is an indication of â€Å"improvement†. However, there have been doubts with the quality of the progress, and how has the so-called development helped in evolving the culture into a successful social structure. There is a school of thought that believes that development of societies and culture has only resulted in failure. The failed development has had quite adverse consequences over the society too. Success or failure of a project is dependent on the policies taken towards the process of development. In today’s world where most development projects are government initiatives with political motives, the word â€Å"development† can be often associated with failure, keeping in mind the complete social structure and culture of the particular region. In the book, â€Å"Whose Development? An Ethnography of Aid† the authors Emma Crewe and Elizabeth Harrison raise the ultimate question in the very first line: â€Å"Is development a failure? † If the third world countries, especially in Asia and Africa, are considered, the development projects had been undertaken over fifty years ago, and yet there is poverty, hunger and lack of education every where. So, the question that automatically comes up is how development has affected the people in half a century? The so-called development projects have only made the rich nations richer, and the poor poorer. Crewe and Harrison also believes that the success or failure of a development depends upon the gap between the project plans, and their final outcomes. Often, the field staff has not always been able to implement the plans accordingly, resulting in the failure of the overall project. However, going deeper into the issues of field workers, Crewe and Harrison feels that it the opportunities and limitations provided by the society and the staffing organization, that influences the choices or decisions taken by the field staffs. This in turn influences the worker’s field-level activity and thus development failure can stem from the lack of attention to the field-level workers. According to them, the bureaucratic approach to implementation of the project leads to such development failures, and often results in increased power imbalances, and a predetermined section of the society will rise up to take control and would discourage any flexibility in the society. On the other hand, James Ferguson takes another approach to the development failures, where he particularly documents the failure of the Lesotho project. The project, which started off as a â€Å"livestock project† grew in magnitude with time, and soon the plan was to develop a new society out of the mountainous region, with means of arable agriculture in the mountains. Eventually, the whole â€Å"development† project failed. The author attributes this failure to the lack of a common purpose. The plans grew in stature but it diverted from the original purpose. This lack of understanding between the government and the development officials led to the failure of the project. The main aim of the project should have been to maintain the livestock without much of human intervention. However, with foreign aids coming in for the project, the evil intentions of the government surfaced, and a complete social transformation was planned. The author feels that the foreign aids led to the eventual consequence of the failed project. After ten years of commitment, the costly project did nothing to enhance the living standards of the people in the region, and it is claimed that the quality of village life has actually declined as a result of the pullout of the project. The project might not have done any good to the people, but the roads that were made during the implementation helped the Lesotho government in gaining a stronger position in the region. The case of Rwanda genocide provides an insight on the consequences of development failures. Peter Uvin, author of the book â€Å"Aiding Violence: The Development Enterprise in Rwanda† documents the reasons that led to the eventual genocide, and how it was the result of irresponsible actions of aid providing institutions. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) had kept on providing funds and aids to the government of Rwanda without any investigation of the social situation in the nation. Over the years, the aid had kept increasing, and finally resulted in the government-sponsored genocide of the Tutsi by the Hutus. The author feels that the aid given by the institutions promoted violence in the region. The basic aim was to help in the development of the African region, but the purpose was not sufficient enough, as the aiding institutions should have looked deeper into the social and cultural trends of the society. The institutions failed to implement their development plans properly, which not only led to a development failure, but also gave rise to a catastrophic disaster, which took away 500,000 lives approximately. This is also the largest genocide incident registered in the history, and it is quite alarming to see how the failure of a â€Å"development† project could lead to such a destruction of society and culture. Mary B. Anderson, in her book â€Å"Do No Harm: How Aid Can Support Peace-or War† presents a similar approach as Peter Uvin, where she provides an insight on how international assistance can become a factor in a conflict-affected area. According to her, outside help, aimed at development of a certain region, can either be helpful in resolving a conflict or prolong the conflict by helping a particular group involved in the conflict. Anderson believes that it is not possible for international assistance to remain separate from the conflict. Most assistance is given with the purpose of reducing tensions in conflict settings, and helps the region to develop. However, these development initiatives can turn into a failure, which would mean that the aid is actually reinforcing the conflict in the region. She urges to aid providers to take a step back, and look closely how the aid might have a negative effect on the conflict. The impact that is created by the aids often decides the success and failure of its developmental purpose. If the impact is destructive, the conflict increases, and leads to war instead of the desired peace. Through these four books, the authors provide a similar aspect to the cause of development failure: external aid. In spite of the fact that external aid is mostly essential for development to take place, it is also important to carry on the implementation in a proper way. While Crewe, Harrison and Anderson specify the general effects of such development failures, Ferguson and Uvin has presented similar views with the help of specific development failure cases. The instances given in all the four books maintain the importance of local aspects while planning a development project for a particular region. The social, political and economic trends are to be studied carefully before implementing a development idea. The consequences are mostly devastating, and reach out to the society and often result in power imbalance and discrimination. References Crewe, Emma Harrison, Elizabeth. Whose Development? An Ethnography of Aid. London: Zed Books Ferguson, James 1994. The Anti-Politics Machine: Development, DePoliticization, and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Uvin, Peter 1998. Aiding Violence: The Development Enterprise in Rwanda. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press Anderson, M. 1999. Do No Harm: How Aid Can Support Peace-or War. London: Lynne Rienner Coletta, Amy. Book review on Aiding Violence: The Development Enterprise in Rwanda. Praxis: Fletcher Journal of Development Studies A. M. Hassan, Fareed. Lesetho. African Development Bank: Operations Evaluation Department. O’Reilly, Kathleen. Responding to Intervention: Gender, Knowledge and Authority.

Operational Activities of Tesco and Coca Cola

Operational Activities of Tesco and Coca Cola Executive Summary Operations management plays a key role in achieving the performance objectives at Tesco and Coca Cola. The underlying aim is to pace in such a way that the focus lays on the customer needs and wants while the organization stays profitable. Substantial facts have been established with sole focus on utilization of resources by both the companies in an efficient manner. Organizational difference between the two companies has been highlighted under the light of operations management. And an evaluation mix based on both the organizations operational framework is elaborated depicting various factors involved. A critical analysis on the structure of both the organizations is provided which mainly entails the similarities and differences on their respective processes and operations. Contents Section A In the following section, introduction to the selected companies is provided in which a deep insight into the identification of current customers is discussed and what current strategies are applied to them. Along with that, it has also been explained that how the operations are aligned to the customer needs. Introduction to TESCO Tesco is the largest retailer chain in the UK and the third largest in the world. To be exact, as stated in Tesco About Us, (2010), it has operations in 2,362 stores in Britain alone. Tesco started off by trading only groceries but now it merchandizes almost every consumer product ranging from a needle to consumer electronics and financial serves. It has grown through various acquisitions of businesses. As Tesco has grown and so have its employees. Tesco currently employs 286,394 staff in the UK and over 460,000 worldwide (The Times 100 , 2009). To serve bigger markets it needs well-trained staff. The UK is the companys largest market, where it operates under four banners of Extra, Superstore, Metro and Express. The company sells almost 40,000 food products, including clothing and other non-food lines. The companys own-label products (50 percent of sales) are at three levels, value, normal and finest. It knows that better staff knowledge, skills and job satisfaction is all vital to i ts further growth.( http://ivoryresearch.com/sample5.php) 2.1 Customers Current trends indicate that British customers have moved towards one-stop and bulk shopping, which is due to a variety of social changes. Tesco have, therefore, increased the amount of non-food items available for sale. Tesco is purely a consumer centred organization. It constantly strives to offer new services, products and ways to shop. It also makes sure that the delivery is executed on time and is hassle free with no strings attached. Its customers include two entities which comprise of B2C and B2B; domestic or regular buyers and small businesses that buy in bulk for further retail, respectively. According to Baba, (2009), Tesco has an aggregate market share of 30.5% with ASDA following it with about half the lag. 2.2 Alignment All the stores are linked to a database and inventory control is ensured in order to meet the consumer demands. It keeps on giving discounts on goods that are in demand and customer focussed. Especially during seasonal events, Tesco has the policy of lowering the prices while maintaining the quality of products as well services offered. Tesco makes use of advance technology in its routine as well as specialized chores. It has innovated and deployed cameras to reduce queues on self-service tills. This is considered as a breakthrough in mechanized retail business. Introduction to Coca Cola Coca Cola started it operations from Atlanta in 1886 as a drug to relieve from headache by a pharmacist Dr. John S Pemberton. Later it became popular and was put into production as a carbonated cola drink. Currently, The Coca Cola Company is the worlds leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and produces nearly 400 brands. Its winning team comprises of over 92,800 employees globally. It has operations in more than 200 countries. Coca Cola Great Britain (CCGB) offers 21 brands and over a hundred products to the consumers in the UK. Its regional headquarters are situated in west London. 3.1 Customers Coca Cola is a refreshing and invigorating brand and caters to the same market as such. Customers include the youth and young adults but kids and adults have also shown frequent consumption patterns over time. According to Coca Cola, (2010), it offers about 1.6 billion servings of its products to the consumers per day. This represents that it has a huge customer base and is very popular among many. 3.2 Alignment Coca Colas vast operations system is responsible of catering to variable demand of its consumers. With a customer base this large, it has concentrated on its supply chain system to ensure ready availability of Coca Cola products to its consumers. It has marketed itself at the right place and at the right time to ensure its presence among its valued customers. It has catered to the regional values and blended itself into the culture of its consumers such that it keeps the customer relationship bond intact. Analysis 4.1 Total Quality Management (TQM) As mentioned by Oakland, (1995), Total Quality Management is a mix of total quality and total management. It specifies quality, defines service and quality of service. Following are a few of the TQM principles adopted by both the selected companies. 4.1.1 Employee Training Employee training and personnel development is an integral part of any organization. Be it the top management or the field staff, training is very important. (Pulat, 1994) Tescos vast operations and customer handling requires a subtly well trained staff. For this they conduct regular checks and performance measurements to identify key deficiencies in the system and try to uproot them through proper training. Similarly, introduction of new products or services in the brand portfolio requires development of employees. Coca Cola relies on training its valuable staff periodically. Be it the innovative technology improvement in production or new inventory management software, Coca Cola strives to provide their workforce with trainings ranging from basic level to the advanced. 4.1.2 Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement is a very basic concept of TQM and must be a part of every organization. Tesco practices commitment towards closed loop feedback for system correction. It focuses on the communication process and obtains feedback both from its employees and from the customers to accelerate the improvement process. Coca Cola, on the other hand, practices continuous improvement which means that the processes should be made so efficient that no defective article reaches the marketplace. Hence, straightening the processes such that they are aligned to the customer needs. 4.1.3 Teamwork In the current scenario of cut throat competition in the market, firms need to be equipped with multi-dimensional, flexible and competitive workforce to be effective. Coca Cola train its staff in order to create cross functional teams which, in return, give the company harmonized systems of control till the lowest level of hierarchy. Tesco creates opportunities for its workers to hone their teamwork abilities by assigning them a variety of projects. It, hence, synergizes its employees in pursuit of a common goal customer satisfaction. 4.2 Marketing strategies According to Etzel, (2008), marketing strategy is a process which involves utilization of limited resources to attain opportunities and eventually, customer satisfaction. Following are some growth strategies designed to identify and focus on the customer. 4.2.1 Cost Support System Cost support system signifies that the organization is leading the business due to its low cost of production. Tesco being a market leader in retail store business has managed to cut its costs in many ways. It has implanted automated tills where customers are enjoying self-service. Through this it has managed to cut some of its human resource employment cost. Additionally, the implementation of adequate inventory control system has slashed Tescos over or under filling problems which has, in return, saved marginal expenses. Coca Cola has adopted new ways of bottling and through proper research, managed to reduce any wastage cost. Besides, they have their own filtration and recycling plants which have condensed water usage by 21% (Coca Cola, 2010). 4.2.2 Market Subdivision Market subdivision is done in order to identify the individuals who share one or more characteristic that distinguishes them with respect to demand of similar products based on qualities and prices etc. Coca Cola has segmented its product to the young generation which is energetic and dynamic. It has positioned itself in the same way as it target market is. It is available everywhere in the form of bottles and vending machines placed in offices, canteens, bars etc. On the other hand, Tesco targets the shopping community like housewives and adults. They have an access to self-earned money and make buying decisions themselves. 4.2.3 Product Distinction Product distinction is all about creating a differentiating factor that make the product stand out of crowd. Tesco has differentiated itself by price slashing phenomenon. It offers amazing discounts and gives away bundle offers. Moreover, availability of almost every item that a consumer wants is ensured which makes it a one shop stop for everybody. Coca Colas greatest differentiating factor is its bottle shape and its unique taste. The shape of the bottle communicates glamour and quality and the taste has a sense of refinement in it. Section B Operations Management Framework As described by Render, (2001), operations management is a process concerned with efficient and effective production of goods and services while meeting customer preferences. 5.1 Process Planning and Design Process designing involves understanding the two ends that is where to start and where to finish keeping in view the various requirements and limitations during the method performed. Process planning and design refers to the fact of transformation the process that can deliver factors like low cost, high quality, enhanced functionality and speed etc. to the production process of goods or services. Coca Cola has production in many countries and is responsible of producing highly standardized products in large volumes. Coca Cola has become a commodity and a necessity to the consumers. The production usually runs 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This all has been achieved through planning and designing the process of production. Tesco, on the other hand, follows a lesser mechanized channel of approach. It doesnt have to go through the tedious production process but it does package goods to be placed in the stores. Planning and design is an on-going process so Tesco has been continuously planning to spread its fixed cost over the volume. It offers a generalized flow shop operation (See Appendix) which allows the customers an ease of access to all the sections without crowding out and creating bottle necks. 5.2 Process Mapping Business process mapping comprises of the activities that define a road map about what the business actually does, the standard and where does the responsibility chain go to. Coca Cola has adopted this concept of creating value chain and establishing the links in the value chain that where the value needs to be added continuously. Meaningful flow charts, work flow diagrams and value stream maps have been designed in order to pre map any latent ambiguities or confusions regarding the processes. Its production process has been made more efficient and it has found and fixed the holdups in the process through this. Tesco Management uses process mapping to revise existing services and add more services into its operations. However, due to a different nature of business, it uses process mapping less frequently. 5.3 Layout Planning The goal of layout planning is to allow workers, equipment (and where applicable, customers) to operate at peak effectiveness, efficiency and involves determining the most feasible locations of the facilities in order to increase efficiency and minimize cost of operations. Layout planning is a very integral and commonly practiced phenomenon in both the organizations. Layout planning involve the best locations where a product can be displayed and where it would gain the most consumer attention. Tesco, being a retail store, exhibits various layouts for customers to get attracted. The products offered are well placed and ordered in symmetry. Special offers are positioned usually at the entrance of the mart and at the eye level of aisle. Tesco evaluates the brand presence by demand and positive traits to place it on the shelves as a convenience factor. Like new promotions are advertised within the store through print media and are placed within the reach of common customer. Coca Cola keenly places it products according to the store size. In small retail outlets, it focuses on brand visibility as well as product availability. Merchandise and coolers are placed in such a way that they are the first thing to be noticed by the customer who enters the store. Whereas in large retail chains, a proper section is allotted for the Coca Cola merchandise. The aisle is decorated with Coca Cola print advertisements and best-selling and new products are placed at eye level of the consumer to create brand recognition. 5.4 Supply Chain Management As mentioned by Blanchard, (2007), supply chain management is an on-going process which aims to harmonize the movement, storage, usage and the whole value chain which include the process from purchasing to shelving. Tesco has adopted the principles of supply chain management and has reduced its costs by around 45%. As a result, it has been able to lower its inventory as well (Tesco, 2010). As it deals in consumer electronics and basic commodities with standard benefits like food, home supplies, standard clothing etc. its main function here is cost reduction aligned with customer satisfaction. With the fashion goods, timeline is focussed more due to rapidly changing trends. Tesco deals with both the domestic customers as well as to business customers i.e. B2C and B2B respectively. So, it has aligned itself well to cater to both the markets (Brock, 2010). By implementing supply chain management concept, Coca Cola has reduced its inventory costs and production functionality. This has also enabled the company to ensure a rapid delivery of their products to the outlets and eventually the consumers. One more aspect that urges Coca Cola to constantly improve its supply chain system is its belonging to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. 5.5 Schedule Management Schedule management is all about ensuring that the right tasks are conducted at the right time and on the right items. Following are some of the factors that the companies keep in their minds while managing operations. 5.5.1 Demand Forecast Coca Cola schedules itself by performing a demand forecast to support the whole operations management process. It plans its capacity beforehand to ensure a steady flow for the future sales. For example, Coca Cola foresees its sales to go up in summers or social events so it schedules the production of products in such a way that it caters to the increased demand of the consumers. Similarly, Tesco follows the demand forecasting techniques to stay profitable and be able to respond to demand during the times of social events and festivals. For example, customers would want costumes and pumpkins during Halloween and Christmas trees during Christmas. 5.5.2 Master Scheduling Key players in master scheduling are sales and operations. Coca Cola has disaggregated its workflow into different major chunks. Through this a synergy is created which has a greater and better effect on the overall production process. This means that production process is divided into various segments and a sum of all would result into a whole. Coca-Cola alters the master schedule and as a result, inventories, lead times and capacity requirements are altered in favour. Tesco, on the other hand, manages the inventories and supply lines in accordance to the commodity requirement. For example, perishable goods like frozen food are kept till the mentioned expiry period. To make sure nothing goes wasted, appropriate quantities are taken and under storage capacity. 5.6 Lean Management Lean management, according to Plenert, (2007), refers to the process of elimination of costs as well as wastes during production process. Coca Cola is one of the leaders in waste management system. It has laid a three factor phenomenon i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle the packaging. It has introduced a new bottle design which is 20% lighter and it has slashed carbon emissions by 2,200 tonnes (Coca-Cola, 2010). The company has established recycle zones at certain places to encourage recycling of waste. The glass bottles currently contain about 37% recycled glass, while half of the aluminium used in the cans is recycled. Using the metal in this way saves 95 per cent of the energy needed to manufacture it from its raw form. Hence, new ways have helped slicing costs attached. Tesco practices employee empowerment. It has a team of multi-cultural individuals working under one roof. They have been delegated certain authorities that help benefit both themselves and the customers. Theyve been able to specify value in terms of competitive pricing. Moreover, it has cut costs by training the staff thus reducing the mishandling and waste of perishable goods and delicate items. It pursues perfection by creating customer pull value through value stream. 5.7 Inventory Management System An intelligent inventory management system is what almost every organization needs today. Tesco was one of the first ones to adopt the RFID system in practice. What purpose does it serve is that conventional bar codes are replaced with computer chips or smart tags. And this makes use of wireless technology to track inventory. It goes through two stages i.e. firstly; the suppliers tag the inventory and send it to the respective outlets. To make sure it reaches at the right outlet, they are monitored wirelessly. Secondly, the already reached inventory is unpacked and further allotted with a different RFID and sent to shelves. One of the key benefits it offers is that it prevents from shoplifting. However, Coca Cola practices a bit simpler inventory management system. It gathers the required raw materials like concentrate etc. from various defines sources according to the requirements and stores them for operations. Particular raw material is selected and sent to the work in process. Thus facilitating the entire production process. Critical Analysis on Differences between Organizations Although both the companies have customer focused in their minds, the main difference between both Tesco and Coca Cola is their nature of production. Coca Cola serves in the manufacturing sector and produced high quality goods for consumption whereas, Tesco functions in the service sector and is involved in the production of services. It also acts as a middle man for various deals. Coca cola is a soft drink beverages retail business that serves both the markets i.e. business to consumer and business to business customers. It offers its services to small scale as well as large scale retail outlets in the form of packaged beverage. And for the business community, it has contracts with various businesses like McDonalds and Burger king etc. and provides them with vending machines. It has paced itself well in the industry and always meets the consumer needs. The operation implications of Coca Cola involve a high tech beverage factory that produces high quality beverages and works 24 hours a day and seven days a week. A steady supply of raw materials is managed at a pace harmonious to the production process. A proper storage and inventory control system is also maintained in order to aid the supply chain aspects and then the supply of beverages to the end user is ensured at any cost. Tesco, on the other hand, is in a supermarket business. It focuses more on its outlets and the services it provide to the customers. Moreover, a key fact not to be neglected is its online store named as Tesco Direct. As the name suggests, the delivery is made direct to the defined place. All the bargains that Tesco offers are available online on Tesco Direct. This facilitates the consumer even before visiting the store hence adding value. Apart from dealing in the consumer goods, Tesco is also a key player in various other fields. It operates in Garden centers, for financial services it runs its own bank namely Tesco bank. In addition to that, it has its own brand of electronics products known as Technika. Other services offered include its presence in the telecom and energy sector as well. Section C Evaluation of Mix Today, conducting operations in an environment in which if one doesnt evolve from primitive ways, it will go obsolete. Constant innovation in operations framework and selecting a customer focused approach is very important. The operations at Coca Cola Corporation are in collaboration with their long and short term goals. Through their staunch strategies and their rigorous implementation, Coca Cola has been able to improve itself in terms of financial growth as well as the market share. A better logistics system has helped it reach out to his customers at a rapid pace. And with the implementation of a better and more advanced production plant, it has benefited its own growth by increasing the production capacity and access to multiple productions at a time. The quality standards are maintained according to the world accredited criterions like ISO and environment friendly standards. They have shifted to using CFC free machinery in their chillers and coolers which are much healthier. With adoption of supply chain management system, the company has enabled a systematic approach to operations. The management of supply chain and operations has helped the company to provide the customers with the required satisfaction level they wanted. Coca Cola is one of the leaders in waste management system. It has laid a three factor phenomenon i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle the packaging. It has introduced a new bottle design which is 20% lighter and it has slashed carbon emissions by 2,200 tonnes (Coca-Cola, 2010). Tesco also has a smart inventory control and management system. From collection of goods till their sale, everything is scrutinized and put under check to ensure free flow through proper channel. This has facilitated them to manage and forecast the demand of goods that are demanded more and the ones that are demanded lesser often. Coca Cola provides an excellent customer services programme by introducing new drinks according to the taste of the customers and by doing this they are very successful in maintaining the existing customers loyalty and catching new customers. Coke also introduces a coke reward programme. My Coke Rewards is customer loyalty marketing campaign for the Coca-Cola soft drink. Customers enter codes found on specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products on a website. Codes can also be entered on the go by texting them from a cell phone. These codes are converted into virtual points which can in turn be redeemed by members for various prizes. On the other hand Tescos Club card loyalty scheme is designed not only to reward members based on their spend, but also to enable Tesco to better understand and meet the needs and preferences of its customers by recording and analysing their buying behaviour. In each Club card mailing, Tesco uses the information gained from its loyalty scheme to provide customers with offers that are as appropriate to them as possible. In fact, as a member, when you receive your Club card vouchers, youll also receive one of over 80,000 different combinations of other special offers and vouchers, allocated to you based on your previous purchases and shopping habits. So instead of having to throw half of the extra vouchers away, you should be able to save money by using them all! Tesco was one of the first ones to adopt the RFID system in practice. What purpose does it serve is that conventional bar codes are replaced with computer chips or smart tags. And this makes use of wireless technology to track inventory. However, Coca Cola practices a bit simpler inventory management system. It gathers the required raw materials like concentrate etc. from various defines sources according to the requirements and stores them for operations. Particular raw material is selected and sent to the work in process. By implementing supply chain management concept, Coca Cola has reduced its inventory costs and production functionality. This has also enabled the company to ensure a rapid delivery of their products to the outlets and eventually the consumers. One more aspect that urges Coca Cola to constantly improve its supply chain system is its belonging to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The lean procedures have devised employee empowerment and led both Tesco and Coca Cola to reduce as well as manage its wastes and eventually the costs attached to it. Coca Cola has deployed large waste bins in the cities to encourage recycling and practices reusing and recycling waste too. Tesco is also very focused to employee empowerment and gives away incentives to the ones who show performance. Additionally, value is not something that is just attached to price, quality or service but it is related to the experience as well. Layout planning plays a keen part in fulfilling this need of the customer. This satisfaction is achieved when the perceived value goes proportional to the quality provided. Hence, the value is added at every step of production of goods or services. Process automation in the manufacturing of Coca Cola products and in-store mechanization of Tesco has reduced the costs a great deal and has added worth to the companies. The strategies and techniques for production of goods and services are constantly adding value to the means of production as well as to the customer norms which is creating a bond between organizations and the customers. By tracking performance on a regular basis, both the companies can identify areas that are performing well, as well as those that need to be improved and worldwide aims not just to retain customers. They a bigger share of each customers wallet the amount of money the customer has to spend on their products.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I am extremely proud to be given the opportunity to address you all during this wonderful and momentous celebration. Each and every one of you deserves the greatest congratulations. You have paid a price to be here; put sweat, frustration, anger, effort, tears, blood and now triumph into your years at Napier High School. You all should be incredibly proud of yourselves. You know that you make your life whatever you want. And what you put in, you get out. Like the cross country girls' motto: "Where you find success you find sacrifice," if you give, you shall receive. But don't expect results right away. Some things take time. And don't expect your goals to come easily. Life is filled with adversity; expect obstacles at every corner. Why? Because chances are they're going to be there. But it's not what happens when you are faced with adversity, it's how you react to it. Be classy through triumph and failure and if you get knocked down or stepped on. Get up, brush yourself off and start running again - no wait, that's another story. Nevertheless, you will face obstacles; the key to movi...