The Kite Runner Character Analysis - 911 Words

A morally ambiguous character is one who shows positive and negative moral traits. Khaled Hosseini points out that, the main character in his story, The Kite Runner is morally ambiguous. That being Amir, who shows a great deal of moral traits. Hosseini put morally ambiguous characters in the reading to show the reader that good can overcome any negative situation. Amir shows how he is a terrible kid at the beginning of the story and towards the end, as he grows up, he shows a new character in himself. The Kite Runner, Amir is sought to be bad growing up. Amir is shown to be an ambiguous character. When he was younger he witnessed his best friend get rapped. He did nothing to stop it, he says, â€Å"I could step into that alley, stand up for†¦show more content†¦Please open the door† (252). Zamen opens the door and tells him that Sohrab is not there, that he is with the Taliban. Amir goes to the Taliban office on a mission to find Sohrab. And when he does find him him he runs into Assef, who raped Hassan back in the alley, they get into a huge fight which represents Amir trying to be good. Amir thinks he deserves to get beat to death because that is what would have happened if he had stepped out into the alley and stood up to Assef. After the fight, Amir decides to ask Sohrab, â€Å"Would you like to come live in America with me and my wife† (320). Sohrab does not say no but he does not say yes however he ends up going with him to America and they adopt him. Amir shows a lot of good by going back to Afghanistan, he risked his life for Sohrab. Overall Amir has changed throughout the book. He went from being a terrible kid to a not so bad man. The point of Amir going back to Afghanistan is so that he can become good and he does not let anything stop him. He is a grown man who had not even told his own wife his deepest secret in which makes him who he is. Amir going back and getting beat up makes him feel like a new man. Saving Sohrab’s life makes him an even greater man, spealily him being Hassan’s own kid. After everything that happened in Afghanistan, Amir finally owns up to himself, he tells his wife everything and he is not ashamed to say thatShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner Character Analysis891 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout the novel The Kite Runner, Amir experiences self-destructive guilt through sinning against his father and servant, Hassan. Though Amir is continuously disturbed by his conscience, he realizes the only way to be at peace is by repenting for his sins, forcing Amir to be selfish as a child and, selfless as an adult. As a child, Amir struggled to find similar interests between him and his father, seemingly inheriting no traits from his paternal figure. Amir always felt responsible for theRead MoreThe Kite Runner: Character Analysis. Essay1394 Words   |  6 PagesTMuhammad A. Khan English (A). Period (5). The Kite Runner Character Analysis. 1) Amir: Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Amir was the son of a wealthy social worker. He was brought up with the son of his servant, and perhaps his only best friend, Hassan. Amir had a rocky relation with his father. At times, it seemed as his father loved him but those moments didn’t lasted forever. He thinks Baba (his father) wishes Amir were more like him, and that Baba holds him responsible for killing his motherRead MoreThe Kite Runner Character Analysis730 Words   |  3 PagesThe novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, focuses on one main character, Amir. Throughout the entire book, Amir progresses as a character and shows that while he may have done things in the past that he regrets, he will do anything to get redemption for his sins. Over the course of the novel, Amir develops drastically as a person. Yet there are a few characters, specifically Assef and Hassan, who show no progression and stay static characters for the entirety of the book. Their lack of developmentRead MoreThe Kite Runner Character Analysis2253 Words   |  10 PagesThe Kite Runner In the book The Kite Runner the two main characters are Amir and Hassan. Amir and Hassan become best friends even though the two are different social status. Hassan is a Hazara which is an ethnic minority in Afghanistan who are often looked down upon. Hazaras are most likely to become a servant their whole life and never be able to attend school. Amir is a Pashtun, which is a higher social class, who has a chance to receive education and become a leader in the community. Even thoughRead MoreKite Runner Character Analysis2167 Words   |  9 Pages What makes someone your friend? In the bildungsroman novel Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini tragically displays the betrayal of a so-called friend. When they were young, Amir and Hassan did everything together and they were inseparable. Amir’s obsession with gaining Baba’s love not only made him lose someone that adored him, but also someone that would always stay by his side. Later on, Amir redeems himself of his horrible past by taking in Hassan’s son, so he can have a clean future. Hosseini depictsRead MoreThe Kite Runner Character Analysis Essay2101 Words   |  9 Pages Amir, the protagonist of Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner began the novel as the stereotypical anti-hero, but as Sohrab, Amir’s half nephew said in the book, â€Å"... bad people sometimes become good† (Hosseini 318). Amir clearly proves this quotation to be factual over the span of the novel. At the beginning of The Kite Runner, he was a selfish character that only thought about himself, he was insecure and guilt-ridden about his betrayal of H assan, and finally was a coward who ran away fromRead MoreCharacter analysis: How does Amir change in the novel The Kite Runner?1139 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Question: How does Amir’s character change throughout the novel? The character of Amir goes through drastic changes as he moves from adolescence to adulthood. As a child Amir begins his life in Kabul, where his character is shaped through conflicts with his father and Hassan. Later, when he moves to America he leaves these conflicts behind and is able to create a stronger relationship with his father. However, when Amir is an adult he is called back to Afghanistan by an old friend to confront theseRead MoreSymbolism Of Kite Running By Khaled Hosseini1243 Words   |  5 PagesAP Literature and Composition 11 December 2015 Symbolism of Kite Running In this essay the book being discussed is, Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Khaled Hosseini’s biography will be discussed as well as the historical influences upon him that affect the novel as a whole. The essay will contain a critical analysis as well as an analysis of the critical response to the work by others. In the novel and now a grown man, the main character Amir recalls events in his childhood that shaped the man heRead MoreAchieve a Level Four Performance in an Oral Exam Through the Formal Speech/the Oral Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pagesno shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.† How much more we suddenly know about the shoes and the feet, thinking of them together. This is the power of comparison and contrast. In this comparative-analysis essay, you need to describe, explore, and explain how different events, characters, or ideas in two literary texts are connected or related. You need to draw them together to show how they are similar and/or different. While â€Å"comparing† is widely accepted as including both similaritiesRead MoreHow does Hosseini tell the story of the kite runner in chapter 1?942 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿How does Hosseini tell the story of the Kite Runner in chapter 1? Khaled Hosseini uses a veritable smorgasbord of literary and narrative techniques to tell the story of ‘The Kite Runner’. From engaging in the use of foreshadowing and symbolism, to characterisation and the way he styles his prose. Below is an analysis of how he does so. As mentioned, Hosseini’s use of foreshadowing almost encapsulates the chapter. Baba states that â€Å"God [should] help us all†, anticipating the Talibans takeover

Corruption in Lord of the Flies Free Essays

Corruption William Gilding’s book, The Lord of the Flies, shows us how seclusion from society can lead to changes in behavior and create savages out of us. For example, in the book, British school boys get trapped on a deserted island and have to fight tort their survival. The boys become corrupt due to the lack of leadership and lack of a rule system. We will write a custom essay sample on Corruption in Lord of the Flies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Conflict arises over who will be proclaimed chief, the boy’s priorities get mixed up, and the thirst to kill comes alive inside of them. In the beginning of the book, when Ralph gets elected leader, it becomes obvious that there Is going to be conflict between Ralph and Jack throughout the story. After Ralph gets crowned chief. Jack shows humiliation and anger towards everyone because he feels as though he should have been named leader due to the fact that he is the choir leader. He tells Ralph, â€Å"I ought to be chief because I’m chapter chorister and head boy†(22). At one point in the story, a meeting Is called on the island because Jack is starting his own group. He tells the kids, â€Å"my hunters will protect you from the beast, who will Join me†(1 50)? Jack wants to create a separate tribe and have fun, where as Ralph wants to devote his time and energy to being rescued. The lack of adult leadership allows the boys on the island to make their own decisions and their priorities are get messed up, Ralph is very focused on getting rescued and Jack Just wants to have fun. Ralph carefully instructs Jack to keep the signal fire going so that a rescue ship might see It. When a ship finally passes by, Ralph looks up to see that the signal fire is completely out and there Isn’t any smoke for the boat to see, He tells Jack, â€Å"They mightn’t seen us. We mightn’t gone home†(70). Ralph is furious with Jack because he left the fire to go and hunt for wild pegs. Jack doesn’t see any problem with letting the fire go out. In Rally’s mind, one of the top priorities is getting shelter. He gets furious when Jack’s choir boys go swimming instead of helping build cover for them. â€Å"We want shelters. The rest of your hunters came back hours ago. They’ve been Jack doesn’t understand the concept to priorities and it shows when he allows his boys to do whatever they please. During the story, the boys begin thirsting for blood after they find hunting wild boars on the island to be exhilarating. At first, the boys just attack a pig, then they progress to kill a boar, and they Just want to kill and kill. They take it so far, that they decapitate a pig’s head and skewer It with a sharpened suck. The boys proclaim that it Is â€Å"for the beast. It’s a Eventually, one of the boys falls victim to the ailing spree after he is mistaken as a wild pig. The hunters start chanting, â€Å"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood†(69). They mercilessly murder Simon. The lack of structure that the Island kids have leads them to become crazy, unethical murderers. The Lord of the Flies shows us that to keep us from becoming wild, crazed savages. We need to have structure, whether from adult supervision or a set of laws. The fight for survival can lead us to do things that we never thought we would see, such as ‘Off anger, thirst tort power, and translation. How to cite Corruption in Lord of the Flies, Papers

Essay on Innovation and Business Development

Question: Write an essay on the "Innovation and Business Development". Answer: Development of Ideas The innovative ideas program relates to the reduction of cost reduction production method. This shall be a breakthrough in the operational processes of a business entity and add to the existing profitability levels. There shall be overall changes in the production processes of the organization, which shall reduce the expenses of the business enterprise. Spieth et al. (2014) mentioned that the ideas in the manufacturing processes of the organization should also relate to making the operational process more effective in terms of the cost savings of the organization Exploration of Ideas The ideas shall be captured after analyzing the inherent strengths and the weaknesses of a business enterprise. As such, it can be said that the analyzing the existing market situation would assist a business enterprise to identify the relevant factors which would assist the business enterprise to achieve further growth in the market. Sahut and Peris-Ortiz (2014) mentioned that these ideas should be analyzed in a detail manner after considering the factors like the market competition, the technology requirements as well as the existing organizational needs of the organization. As such, it is necessary that the stakeholders of the organization are consulted before implementing such changes in the organization. In particular, the opinions of the investors in the organization have to be consulted before implementing any change in the organization. Davenport (2013) mentioned that past records and journals relating to the change management shall assist the business organization in adapting to the alterations in the operational processes of the business organization Evaluation of Risks The risks would be evaluated in the organization after considering the required factors in the organization. The risks would be assessed after considering its impact on the sales revenue of the organization. In addition, the risks in the organization can have an adverse impact on the morale of the employees. As such, it is important that the employee reaction and feedback is taken accordingly. There would be some amount of risks associated with the implementation of the change management in the business organization. There would be financial and the operational risks associated with the implementation of the lean management in the organization. Assessment of Costs There would be certain costs after the lean management change is implemented in the organization. In addition, it is essential that such costs and its implications on the financial condition of the organization be analyzed. However, Alon et al. (2013) noted that in the long run these costs in the organization shall be reduced which shall help in strengthening the financial condition of the business enterprise. The financial expenditures has been an essential part of the implementation of the change management of the organization. Gaining approval The management or the core leadership of the organization have to play an effective role in the process of gaining the approval of the business entity. There are a lot of factors that the organization has to consider before granting approval to the lean change management in the organization. In this regard, it can be said the brand has to ensure that the financial strength and the operational constituents of the organizations have to be considered in framing the operational policies of the business enterprise. Paasi et al. (2012) mentioned that the procedure of approval of the organization has an essential impact on the existing operational policies of the business enterprise. Evaluation Effectiveness The effectiveness of the ideas shall be assessed in regular intervals of time. The lean management would reduce the operational expenses of the business enterprise. In addition, the lean management shall affect every step in the production process in the organization. Thus, goods shall be produced with minimum amount of time and effort. The trial should be done in quarter amount of time. If the trial is left to prove unsuccessful, the every change in the lean management process shall be re-innovated in a proper manner. Patton (2013) stated that the errors in the operational processes of the business enterprise shall be identified and prompt action shall be taken. The financial policies adopted in the case of the lean management policies would be re-considered to prevent financial, losses for the business enterprise. This would also help in analyzing the marketing strategies to see if a better path is created to assist the organization in its growth. Recognition strategies The staff of the organizations would be awarded with financial and non financial incentives in the process of implementing the change management in the business organization. The benefits obtained through the process of lean management in the organization shall be partially offered to all the employees of the management. The key people associated with the process of lean management shall be identified and therefore would be recognized in the organization. The process of reward and recognition would be initiated throughout the year in motivating the staff of the organization. According to Sahut and Peris-Ortiz (2014), the reward and recognition policies have been useful for the organization in encouraging the level of commitment in the organization. Program maintenance The lean management in the organization have to be communicated as well as support in the organization. According to Patton (2013), the lean management of the organization has to be supported through the effective human resource policies. The program has to be implemented as per the needs of the production process. Besides this, the management of the business organization have to execute the operational policies as per the lean management program adopted in the business organization. References Alon, I., Jones, V. and McIntyre, J. eds., 2013. Innovation in business education in emerging markets. Springer. Baden-Fuller, C. and Haefliger, S., 2013. Business models and technological innovation. Long range planning, 46(6), pp.419-426. Bagautdinova, N.G., Galieva, G.T., Pakhmutov, Y.O. and Pratchenko, O.V., 2014. Methods of regulation of processes of innovation business development. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(12), p.75. Carlisle, S., Kunc, M., Jones, E. and Tiffin, S., 2013. Supporting innovation for tourism development through multi-stakeholder approaches: Experiences from Africa. Tourism Management, 35, pp.59-69. Chesbrough, H., 2013. Open business models: How to thrive in the new innovation landscape. Harvard Business Press. Davenport, T.H., 2013. Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Griffin, A., Josephson, B.W., Lilien, G., Wiersema, F., Bayus, B., Chandy, R., Dahan, E., Gaskin, S., Kohli, A., Miller, C. and Oliva, R., 2013. Marketings roles in innovation in business-to-business firms: Status, issues, and research agenda. Marketing Letters, 24(4), pp.323-337. Hargroves, K. and Smith, M.H., 2013. The natural advantage of nations: business opportunities, innovation and governance in the 21st century. Earthscan. Ostendorf, J., Mouzas, S. and Chakrabarti, R., 2014. Innovation in business networks: The role of leveraging resources. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(3), pp.504-511. Ostendorf, J., Mouzas, S. and Chakrabarti, R., 2014. Innovation in business networks: The role of leveraging resources. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(3), pp.504-511. Paasi, J., Valkokari, K., Hyt, H., Huhtilainen, L. and Nyst, S., 2012. Workbook for Opening Innovation: Bridging Networked Business, Intellectual Property and Contracting. World Scientific Books. Patton, D., 2013. Entrepreneurship: globalization, innovation and development. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior Research. Ramsay, B., 2013. Catalysing Regional Business Development Through High Speed Broadband: Opportunities and Risks. In Regional Advantage and Innovation (pp. 269-287). Physica-Verlag HD. Sahut, J.M. and Peris-Ortiz, M., 2014. Small business, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics, 42(4), pp.663-668. Spieth, P., Schneckenberg, D. and Ricart, J.E., 2014. Business model innovationstate of the art and future challenges for the field. RD Management, 44(3), pp.237-247.

Virginia Essays - Southern United States, , Term Papers

Virginia Virginia is located in the eastern coast of the United States. It is surrounded by the states of West Virginia, which lies to the north west of it, Kentucky, west of it, and North Carolina, which is to the south. It has also the Atlantic Ocean to the east of it. Virginia has a coastal plain with tidal swamps and marshes flowing into rivers that lead into the Chesapeake Bay. The James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers split the mainland into three peninsulas. The size of Virginia is a total of 42,326 square miles. It also has the population of 6,733,996, which is the estimated in 1997. It is made up of 77.4 percent of whites and 18.8 percent blacks. Virginia's metropolitan areas have a great deal of ethnic diversity. For the people there the religion is predominantly Protestant. The largest denominations are Methodists and Baptists. Its capital is Richmond, which was named for the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth 1st of England. Some of the largest cities there in Virginia are Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake. Most of the economic activity that takes place in Virginia involves services and government agencies. Some of the government agencies are The Pentagon and the Department of Defense. The manufacturing of transportation equipment contributes more to personal income than any other industry there. Virginia also has about 43,000 farms that cover more than one thirds of the states land area. They mostly produce livestock. The state bird of Virginia is the Cardinal and its state flower is the Dogwood. The first people to ever arrive in Virginia is said to be nomadic groups of hunter about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago and made communities along the Chesapeake Bay. Later in abou 1607 the english settlers landed on a swampy Virgina peninsula and built Jamestown. The town encountered many problems. They had to deal with starvation, iliness, poor leadership, and the hostilities of the Powhatan indians. All that kept the town at the brink of disaster. Finaly in about 1609 the town of Jamestown had a new leader sent to them, Daron De La Warr as governor. He reorganized the town and in two years the town was completely revitalized. The new governor let the tobacco farmers to farm for their own profit. And they also found a way to remove the bitter taste from their tobacco. Virginia is also home to Shenandoah National Park, which covers a large part of Blue Ridge. It also has the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park which is the site where Confederate forces surrendered in 1865. Some of the major colleges over in Virginia are Averett College, Bluefield College, Bridgewater College, and Christopher Newport University. A good vacation spot in Virginia is Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate and Monticello, the home that Thomas Jefferson designed for himself. So in conclusion I think I would like to live in Virginia because it has much to offer. It has clean, open spaces in which to go relax in if I ever get frustrated with the daily hassles of life. Also because it has the cites near by when I want to go back and live with all the noise of the cities.

Japanese Expressions about Dating

Japanese Expressions about Dating Phrase of the Day is a mind exercise. This months phrases are for dating! All phrases are quite casual. Please use only as a mind exercise (talk to yourself) just like the previous phrases, or use with a close friend. You might hear these expressions more on TV, anime or from native speakers. They will be helpful for you in some way, even you dont have a chance to use them ...   Have a fun! 1. I have a date today. Kyoo wa deeto da! 2. I look awful! Hidoi kao shiteru! 3. What shall I wear? Nani o kite ikou kana. 4. I am running late. Osokunarisou. 5. I wonder if he/she will wait for me. Mattete kureru kana. 6. He/She should have been here by now. Mou kuru hazu nanoni. 7. I wonder if I am waiting in the wrong place. Machiawase-basho machigaeta kana. 8. I will wait five more minutes. Ato go-fun matou. 9. I am sorry I am late. Okurete gomen ne. 10. Thank you for waiting. Mattete kurete arigatou. 11. What happened? Doushitano? 12. I was getting worried. Shinpai shichatta yo. 13. Dont be so mad. Sonnani okoranaide yo. 14. Do you mind if I look in this store for a minute? Koko chotto mite ittemo ii? 15. I am tired. Tsukarechatta. 16. Shall we stop for tea? Ocha shinai? 17. Where should we go next? Tsugi wa doko e ikou ka. 18. How about a movie? Eiga demo miru? 19. Lets go eat. Shokuji shiyou. 20. Do you feel like sushi? Sushi nanka dou? 21. Id rather have Chinese food. Chuuka ryouri no hou ga ii. 22. I wonder how much money I have left. Okane, ato ikura nokotteru kana. 23. Good, I have plenty. Yokatta, juubun aru. 24. Shoot, I might need more than this. Shimatta, tarinai kamo. 25. Why dont I pay half? Warikan ni shinai? 26. Its 11 oclock already! Mou juuichi-ji sugi da! 27. I have to go home. Kaeranakucha. 28. Shall I walk you home? Okutte ikou ka. 29. Why am I so nervous? Nande konnani doki doki shichau n darou. 30. I dont want to go home. Kaeritakunai na. The phrases for dating continue next month.

Researching the Civil War Soldiers in Your Family Tree

Researching the Civil War Soldiers in Your Family Tree The American Civil War, fought from 1861-1865, affected nearly every man, woman, and child living in the United States. Almost 3.5 million soldiers are believed to have been involved, with around 360,000 Union soldiers and 260,000 Confederate soldiers losing their lives as a direct result of the war. Given the dramatic impact of this conflict, if your ancestors lived in the United States during this time, it is likely that youll find at least one Civil War soldier in your family tree. Locating a Civil War ancestor, whether it is a direct ancestor or a collateral relative, can provide another source of information on your family tree. Civil War pension files, for example, contain statements of family relationships, dates and places of marriage, and lists of various places the soldier lived after the war. Muster-in rolls often contain places of birth, as do descriptive rolls. Before You Begin the soldiers namewhether he served for the Union or Confederate armythe state from which the soldier served In Which Unit Did Your Soldier Serve? Once youve determined the state from which your Civil War ancestor likely served, the next helpful step is to learn which company and regiment to which he was assigned. If your ancestor was a Union soldier, he may have been part of the U.S. Regulars, a unit of the United States Army. More likely he was a member of a volunteer regiment raised by his home state, such as the 11th Virginia Volunteers or the 4th Maine Volunteer Infantry. If your Civil War ancestor was an artilleryman, you may find him in a battery unit such as Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery or Battery A, 1st North Carolina Artillery, also called Manlys Battery. African-American soldiers served in regiments ending with U.S.C.T. which stands for United States Colored Troops. These regiments also had Caucasian officers. While infantry regiments were the most common type of service unit of the Civil War, there were many other branches of service on both sides - Union and Confederate. Your Civil War ancestor may have been in a heavy artillery regiment, cavalry, engineers or even the navy. There are many ways to learn the regiment in which your ancestor served. Begin at home, by asking your parents, grandparents and other relatives. Check photo albums and other old family records as well. If you know where the solider is buried, his tombstone may list his state and unit number. If you know the county where the soldier lived when he enlisted, then county histories or other county resources should provide details of the units formed in the area. Neighbors and family members often enlisted together, which may provide further clues. Even if you only know the state in which your Civil War ancestor served, most states compiled and published a list of the soldiers in each unit from that state. These can often be found at a libraries with a local history or genealogical collection. Some lists have also been partially published online. There are also two country-wide published series that list the soldiers who served in the Union or Confederate armies during the war, along with their regiments: The Roster of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing) - A 33-volume set that lists all of the men who served in the Union armies by state, regiment and company.The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - A 16-volume set that lists all of the individuals who served in the southern armies during the war, by state and organization. Civil War Soldiers Sailors System (CWSS) sponsored by the National Park Service. The system features an on-line database of names of soldiers, sailors, and United States Colored Troops who served in the Civil War based on records at the National Archives. The subscription-based U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles collection at Ancestry.com and the American Civil War Research Database are other excellent resources for online Civil War research. They will cost you, but both generally offer further details than the CWSS database. If your ancestor has a common name, however, it may be difficult to distinguish him in these lists until you have identified his location and regiment. are other excellent resources for online Civil War research. They will cost you, but both generally offer further details than the CWSS database. If your ancestor has a common name, however, it may be difficult to distinguish him in these lists until you have identified his location and regiment. Once youve determined your Civil War soldiers name, state and regiment, its time to turn to service records and pension records, the meat of Civil War research. Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) Whether fighting for the Union or the Confederacy, each volunteer soldier who served in the Civil War will have a Compiled Military Service Record for each regiment in which he served. The majority of Civil War soldiers served in volunteer regiments, distinguishing them from individuals serving in the regular U.S. Army. The CMSR contains basic information about the soldiers military career, when and where he enlisted, when he was present or absent from camp, amount of bounty paid, how long he served, and when and where he was discharged, or died. Additional detail, when pertinent, may also be included, including information on hospitalization for injury or illness, capture as a prisoner of war, courts martial, etc. The CMSR is an envelope (called a jacket) containing one or more cards. Each card contains information compiled several years after the Civil War from original muster rolls and other records that survived the war. This includes Confederate records captured by the Union armies. How to Obtain Copies of Compiled Military Service Records Online from Fold3.com – Fold3.com, in collaboration with the National Archives, has digitized CMSRs from most states, both Confederate and Union, and put them online where they can be viewed and downloaded for a fee. CMSRs are currently available for most, but not all states at Fold3.com.Order Online from the National Archives – You can order Civil War Service records from the National Archives online or by mail for a fee. To use this service, you will need the soldiers name, regiment, state and allegiance. If you prefer to order a copy by mail, you will need to download and use NATF Form 86. Civil War Pension Records Most Union Civil War soldiers, or their widows or other dependents, applied for a pension from the U.S. federal government. The biggest exception were unmarried soldiers who died during or soon after the war. Confederate pensions, on the other hand, were generally only available for disabled or indigent soldiers, and sometimes their dependents. Union Civil War Pension Records are available from the National Archives. Indexes to these Union pension records are available online by subscription at Fold3.com and Ancestry.com (subscription links). Copies of the full Union Pension File (often containing dozens of pages) and be ordered online or by mail from the National Archives. Confederate Civil War Pension Records can generally be found in the appropriate State Archives or equivalent agency. Some states have also put indexes to or even digitized copies of their Confederate pension records online.Confederate Pension Records – A State by State Guide

Netflix Will Lose Money for All of 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Netflix Will Lose Money for All of 2012 - Essay Example Fortunately, Netflix was able to determine the main cause for their financial downfall. In a very costly move, the company had decided to expand its video streaming service into Ireland and the United Kingdom. Despite the price of the endeavor, it is expected to be a success; however, a large amount of United States subscribers have cancelled their own services, significantly decreasing the amount of money that Netflix can play with to expand their services. During the regulatory filing on November 21, 2011, Netflix extended their warning of losing money to encompass the entire 2012 fiscal year. As though needing to show proof of their financial difficulties, Netflix shares closed at 5.4% lower on November 22. During the same filing the revealed the devastating announcement, Netflix also announced their plans of raising an additional four hundred million dollars to help the company out of their financial hole. To do this, Netflix is turning to investors. Netflix is currently selling almost three million shares at seventy dollars per share, which is six percent below the closing price on November 21. The offering was scheduled to close approximately on November 28. Furthermore, Netflix is also selling two million dollars worth of convertible bonds to investment funds that are associated with Technology Crossover Ventures, which is a fund that has been investing in Netflix for over ten years. The money raised from all of the aforementioned methods will provide the company with the money needed to invest in more content, though the need for secondary offerings are usually believed to be foreboding signs of further financial devastation. â€Å"They can signal that expenditures have outpaced expectations and that a company needs to raise more cash.† To make matters worse for Netflix, which only had roughly four million in cash at the end of the last quarter, is that they are facing threats brought on by rivals with a significantly larger amount of money. Film and television studios are demanding even more money for companies to make use of their valuable content, and rivals are coming out of the woodwork to make their bids. Among these rivals are big names such as Hulu and kiosk service Redbox, but other well-known technology giants that are looking at creating video streaming include Amazon and Google. An analyst stated earlier this year that Netflix’s streaming content licensing will cost a total of two billion dollars in 2012, which is a significant rise from the one hundred and eighty million they were paying in 2010. In its filing on November 21, Netflix stated that it has payments of roughly four billion dollars due over the next few years to pay for content under their current contracts. Unfortunately, Netflix is losing many of these incredibly important licenses. Starz, a particularly large name in entertainment, has opted not to renew their contract with Netflix. By early 2012, they plan to remove all of their movies and television shows from the Netflix service. This loss of content has customers up in arms, demanding why they are being expected to pay more for a service they are getting less of. Customers were already fuming due to Netflix’s announcement in July to charge separate prices for DVDs-by-mail and streaming video, which would increase

Compare the nature and impact of nationalism in India and in Essay - 1

Compare the nature and impact of nationalism in India and in sub-Saharan Africa in the 20th century - Essay Example Cultural identities vanished, political identities and political discrimination done by governing body and economic deprivation are the problems faced greatly by these people. These people make different small social groups which result ultimately in the development of ideas providing basis for nationalism. Many movements which contain ideas based on the concept of nationalism (Pamir). British Empire ruled was ruling all over the world in the twentieth century. The main goals ought to be achieved by these rules were the total use of natural and human resources of the occupied countries. Sub-continent is still considered as â€Å"golden bird† by world was conquered by British Empire in 1857. British enter the sub-continent for trade. At that time the whole area of subcontinent was lacking in a strong centralized government. All regions of sub-continent consisted of small empires of different people and continuously fighting with each other. Trade factor used by the British†™s East India Company, acted as a good recon for British. Due to this recon British know nearly all about the strengths and weaknesses of the rulers of the area aiding in capturing of whole region. On the other hand in sub-continent rulers were engaged in mutual disputes and at the time of invasion did not helped each other, in-fact aided British in order to capture the land of enemies (Ganguly, 11-25.). Last rebellion movement that failed in 1857 the whole rule of the sub-continent was fallen into the hands of British. If we compare India with other colonies of British Empire at that time; there is a major difference between other freedom movements and movement that resulted in the independence of sub-continental region from British. Other freedom movements going on around the world were violent in nature (Ganguly, 11-25.). In sub-continent liberalization and democratic institutions were present in even at that time. Other movements of the world contained a considerable amount of violence in them while movement in sub-continent was based on laws and democratic ways. There was an agreed constitution of 1935 implemented all over the region. Yet social and economic discrimination was still faced by most of the part of sub-continent. The major cause of increase in amplitude of the independence movement happened due a small incident that happened in 1853. Cow was considered as a sacred element for both Muslim and Hindu soldiers; (in-fact some of the sectors in Hindu religion consider cow as goddess). Muslim and Hindu soldiers refused to use the skin of cow as a part of greasing material used for tearing off of the cartridge. All those soldiers were ordered to be killed by commanding officer on that place. At the start of 20th century nationalist parties gathered on a single platform in order to provide political impedance to already present movement of independence. At start of the 20th century both Hindus and Muslims were on a single platform regarding the issu e of getting independence of freedom from British Empire. Both big leaders of Hindus (Gandhi) and Muslims (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) now known as founders of independent states of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and biggest claimed democracy Republic of India respectively (Ganguly). But history repeated itself conflicts raised between Hindus and Muslims

Starbucks Management Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Management Essay Management clearly plays one of the biggest roles in how successful a company can and will\be. Starbucks profoundly shows exquisite and powerful connections with their employees and coffee suppliers. Their management skills shadow Mitz Berg’s liaison roles and Katz’s human and conceptual theories by taking it into their own hands to connect and support each supplier. Not only does Starbucks show these great managerial aspects, they portray the beauty of an open system and use of the modern behaviors in their roles. Starbucks is a great example of a beautifully functioning business, integrated with the interpersonal skills needed to thrive. Management is defined as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. Dub Hay, the Starbucks Senior VP of coffee, demonstrates some of the best managerial skills needed to be successful in a company. Hay shows that he can properly control the flow of product into a company by also controlling the relationship he has with the product growers. Jerry Miccolis and Marina Goodman state â€Å"†¦ the relationship between any two assets changes with how the assets themselves are performing (47). They put it quite perfectly, relating back to how Starbucks would not be able to operate so perfectly without the proper relationship with their assets, the growers and suppliers. Starbucks, according to Hay, specifically pays more for their coffee from their suppliers so that their suppliers may have a steady income as well. This builds an excellent relationship as well as product security quality and flow into the company. According to an online video, this process is obviously working for Starbucks for they have more than 6,000 outlets in 30 countries with annual revenue of 3. 3 million dollars (http://lc. gcumedia. com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/mgt240_starbucks-video-v1. 1. php). This revenue and success are not only measured upon sales, but upon managerial roles as well. Mitz berg has many managerial roles but the one that Hay portrays the best is the liaison role. The liaison establishes and maintains contacts inside and outside of an organization. Hay specifically demonstrates this by ensuring that each supplier of coffee has the best income possible and is producing the best coffee possible. Starbucks chooses its suppliers carefully and makes certain they know the exact practice of producing the best coffee beans. This relationship is what

Who is the Green Knight? Essay -- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essa

Who is the Green Knight? The Green Knight is described as an unusual and supernatural figure in the fourteenth century story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Throughout the story he is portrayed as a very confident individual who intends to play a game with one of the knights of the Round Table. In doing this, the Green Knight hopes to show that the knights of the Round Table indeed have flaws and weaknesses; this is the Green Knight's overall goal. However, the Green Knight himself can be viewed as a being prone to flaws and experiencing weaknesses. As the deceitful master plan he creates develops throughout the story, so does the truth behind his intentions for such a plan. Thus, the role and purpose of the Green Knight is to be known. The Green Knight's physical features are well depicted in the story. He is noted for his green skin pigmentation and giant size: "One of the greatest on ground in growth of his frame: From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick" (161). The Green Knight is looked upon as "half a giant on earth" and highly regarded because of this. Arthur's court becomes amazed to see such a creature of such enormous size. The Green Knight's language is charming and abrupt when he asks firmly: "Where is the captain of this crowd? Keenly I wish to see that sire with sight, and to himself say my say" (163). To a king this may seem a bit rude to addressed in such a way. The Green Knight's plan is to test the court. He wants to test one of Arthur's knights. Because of their fame and how well they are known for their chivalry and courage, the Green Knight seizes this as an opportunity to place before them a challenge. Sir Gawain takes on the challenge. The Green Knight offers his head to be cut off in ex... ...k to it saying: "Sir courteous knight, If contest bare you crave, You shall not fail to fight" (164). He did not know what he was being asked to do or offer. The Green Knight had not yet made it clear to him. Arthur was not going to back down from such a challenge for it was not a knightly thing to do, especially not after hearing what great things the Green Knight says about Arthur and his men. The Green Knight's honesty and confidence places quite an impression on Arthur and his men. Sources Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition, Vol. 1 Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000. pp. 156-210. http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20003a/charactr.htm, by Yevgeniy Gelfand http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/gawain.htm http://www.greenknight.com/ http://www.ancalagon.de/tolkien/howe/gawain.jpg

Edmunds Case Study Essay

1. What would the SWOT analysis look like for this company? Strengths: 100 local employees, steady market share Weaknesses: Slight loss in market share, aging work force, lack of marketing with technology, no new products Opportunities: increase market share, serving industries other than the box market, mergers and/or acquisitions Threats: Manufacturers using better machines, Consolidation in the paper industry, higher raw material costs 2. What role do you expect the internet to play in the corrugated box industry? What are some ways that Edmunds could better use the Internet to foster growth? I would expect that the internet would be a great resource for researching other corrugated box companies. It would be good for advertising as well. Edmunds could make their website better and offer some of their services on their website. They could also purchase ad space on other websites that target the corrugated box industry. They could also post employment opportunities on their website and various other internet job sites. 3. Which of Porter’s competitive strategies would you recommend that Edmunds follow? Why? Which of the strategies do you think would least likely succeed? I would recommend the Differentiation Strategy because they need to develop new products or different ways of using the existing products to distinguish themselves in the market for the companies who still use corrugated boxes. I think that the cost leadership strategy would work as well. If they can find a way to offer their products at a lower cost than other companies by practicing cost reduction/lean in-house they could pull in more customers. I think that the Focus strategy would be the least likely to succeed because they seem to already be focused on a specific regional market or buyer group and that is causing their business to slow down.

Regulating Violence Portrayed in the Media

Two themes have emerged as dominant in recent media broadcasts: sex and violence. These two themes have proven to garner high ratings from viewers and they further ensure the success of television programs and cinema movies. Viewers themselves rank programs which feature either or both of these themes as favorites. Of greater impact it seems is the evolution of violence as depicted in the media.With the aid of modern technology, especially as employed in animation and special effects, the depiction of violence has been further facilitated and enhanced. Furthermore, the proliferation of violent programs provides easy access to the same by viewers of all backgrounds, young and old as well as impressionable and guarded alike.This reflects that regulatory boards and associations are no longer able to keep up with the numerous programs deployed containing violent content. On the other hand, the ease with which violent content may be accessed might be attributed to a slackening in standard s. This is reflected in the programs which depict violent and gory images aired for children. Sometimes, as is the case with a lot of Japanese animation, the violence portrayed for the youth surpasses even that depicted for mature viewing.Scope and Nature of the ResearchThis research intends to study the role of violence as portrayed on the screen on aggressive behavior of viewers. It is the goal of this paper to assess whether or not there is a need to regulate the extent of depicted violence on screen. Should it be shown that such a need exists, then the reasonableness of the regulation to be made will be broached.No distinction will be made between programs aired on television and those shown in movie theaters. Neither will distinction be made between programs with purely violent content and programs which only dedicate a portion of the airtime to violence. Included in the programs and movies to be analyzed will be news programs, fictional stories, and even animation. It will be borne in mind that what is of importance in this study is not so much the manner in which the violence is depicted but more on the effect that portrayals of violence has on the viewing public.What will be taken into account will be the effect that violence has on the individual behavior as well as on the society at large bearing witness to it. Given the response of persons, whether implicit or explicit, to portrayals of violence, a close look will be taken as to the effect of regulating the violent content of movies and programs in the cinema and on television.A brief analysis will be made regarding the effect such a regulation might have on viewer ratings and on the process of regulation itself. It is only as regards this aspect of regulation that an analysis of acceptable levels of violence will be made. Therefore, it is only in outlining a rational process of regulation wherein the manner of depicting violence will be assessed. These are the research goals and delimitations withi n which this paper will be made.Research IssuesSuch goals have been borne out of an observation that the increase in violent programs shown on screen have resulted in a related increase in crime and violence in the community. Several empirical research data have been obtained which support this observation. Although there has been contradictory evidence obtained which also tend to refute supporting evidence, the fact remains that in some populations and studies, a positive correlation has been drawn between television violence and violence in the individual and in the community.Furthermore, actual cases have been observed wherein felonies have been committed mimicking behavior aired on television or shown in a movie. This reflects the danger of giving free license to creativity in violent films. This is particularly so in programs wherein the characters are permitted to accomplish their criminal objectives without resulting in action by legal or police authorities.Not only as regard s criminal behavior, but even in programs reflecting suicide behavior, there has been shown a duplication effect in the acts of viewers. Thus it is shown that concepts shown by the media give ideas to the audience regarding behavior that they themselves might engage in. Taking into consideration the extent of violent acts that can possibly be depicted in films today and the variety of programs accessible to different viewers, we are faced with the problem of having to control for an infinite number of different atrocities in any given community.Given these facts, the emerging issue is undeniably whether or not regulation may effect a means of control for aggressive and violent behavior in societies exposed to violence in films. Given that violent programs have already been introduced into the regular broadcast of media, would its belated regulation result in a discernable change? Furthermore, up to what extent should regulation be made in order that an observable decline is found in violent behavior of the public?Theoretical FrameworkThe focus and issues of this paper is based on several theoretical foundations. These theories serve to ground the rationalizations and argumentations made regarding the relationship of media portrayed violence and actual violent behavior. An understanding of the theoretical framework of such a relationship will support the importance of regulation and provide a background for determining the level of regulation required.The first underlying theory bases the relationship on cognitive priming. Cognitive priming focuses on the ability of a stimulus to activate similar stimuli causing a chain of reactions as a result of the initial stimulus presented. This type of inference from one stimulus to another is largely dependent on built-in associations established in the memory pathways of the individual.Applying this approach to violence, it is theorized that the violence in films stimulates previously held aggressive thoughts or tendenc ies in an individual. In fact, the individual need not necessarily have entertained such aggressiveness nor is there a need that the individual be attracted to violence. The only aspect required on the part of the individual when considering the cognitive priming approach is that there is a natural link made between the violent scene or act viewed with other violent behaviors – both those personally experienced and those simply associated on basis of logic.Emotional arousal is different from cognitive priming in this sense because in emotional arousal, the natural tendency is key in bringing forth aggressive behavior as a result of witnessing a violent program. It should be noted that arousal merely energizes dominant behavior in a particular situation. Therefore, arousal produced by watching violent programs merely facilitates or intensifies a predisposition for violence. However, if there is no prior propensity for aggression, then there is no object to be energized by the arousal resulting from violent films.Another reason why individuals are encouraged to act on their aggression after viewing violent behavior is a probable sponsor effect which operates on the mind of the viewer. This effect results from a perspective regarding the person of the sponsor endorsing the violent program.This effect is said to have relevance when certain socialization norms dominate the understanding of the viewer causing him or her to gain respect for certain authority figures – such as the ones who have permitted the airing of the violent program. Given that the acts in the program were encouraged and not prohibited, then certainly the imitation of the same in actual life should warrant the same encouragement or at least a degree of tolerance.It can thus be seen from the above theories that repeated exposure to violence on films causes an increase in permissiveness for deviant behavior. Furthermore, the lack of portrayal of punishment of violence causes viewers t o rationalize that they themselves are capable of escaping reprimand should they perform the same acts.As regards sensationalized victims of violence, individuals may even bring home the message that should they themselves receive the violence witnessed, they too should receive attention and momentary fame. All these signals represent misinformed ideologies about the role and effect of violence in society thus resulting in socially maladaptive and harmful behavior.The Research ProcessConsidering the nature of the study to be made, several resources should be tapped in order to gain a holistic view as to the present standing of matters. Adequate research would also reflect the rational future steps to be made in terms of regulation. First, relevant material pertaining to present regulatory guidelines pertaining to violence should be obtained. Given, the guidelines, an assessment should be made whether or not the same are applied.Next, an actual study should be made gathering data fro m a chosen population regarding the effect on aggression in viewers of the permitted level of violence in films. Should it be found that there is a significant relationship, then research must be made as to what level of viewed violence would not result in such violent viewer behavior.The results should then display the effect such a regulation would have on viewer behavior by reviewing the data collected from the population organized. Furthermore, television viewer ratings of violent programs should be noted in order that a determination may be made as to the effect regulation will have on the ratings of networks and movie houses. From the above it can thus be seen that legislative acts, experimental data, and media network data sheets will be utilized in order to solidify a firm resource base for the results of the study.In obtaining such resources, several research methods will need to be used, first of such will be the interview method. Members of movie regulatory bodies will ha ve to be interviewed regarding the process of review and the standard of violence permitted in movies. Also, officers of media networks or their representatives should be interviewed in order to gain an accurate estimation of the quantifiable effect of violence in shows on viewer ratings.Apart from interviews however, a field study should be conducted regarding the effect of particular levels of violence on viewers. In order to facilitate data collection, certain levels of violence will already be categorized and the viewers of such kinds of violence disseminated among the groups. Data will then be collected through a series of questionnaires and self-report tests.It is hypothesized that the study will reveal that there is a lack if media regulation of violence on television programs and movie shows resulting in heightened levels of violence in the community. Increased regulation of media portrayals of violence will however serve to dampen the awareness of the public regarding the v ariety of violent acts. Regulation will also serve to maintain the authority of legal and police figures in controlling violent behavior. Thus, there should be an increase in regulation of violence in the media.Works CitedFelson, Richard. â€Å"Mass Media Effects on Violent Behavior.† Annual Review of Sociology 22 (1996): 103-128.The author effectively synthesizes the large body of work related to the effects of mass media on resulting aggressive behavior in the viewer. The paper is objective and presents data supporting and defeating the relationship of depictions of violence with actual violent behaviors. The presentation sticks to the relevant data in the mass of previous studies conducted regarding the topic. Yet the detail embedded in the paper serves to enhance the reader’s knowledge of past studies. The paper is holistic as it takes into account concepts and theories as well as empirical data gathered.Pirkis, Jane, Burgess, Philip, Blood, R. Warwick, and Francis , Catherine. â€Å"The Newsworthiness of Suicide.† Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 37(3) (2007): 278-283.The authors herein take on a very limited perspective on the role of media on suicidal behavior. The theory implemented herein is that of modeling and emulation only. A further limitation of the paper is that it only considers those suicide attempts which were real and covered by news programs.The authors focus on the danger that viewers may imitate the behavior of sensationalized and detailed suicidal acts. Several examples are given as to actual cases wherein media-covered suicides were copied by viewers of the news program. The authors themselves also suggest stricter regulation of suicides which are to be deemed as newsworthy and as to what aspects regarding the suicide should be revealed to the public.

How to become a legal secretary

How to become a legal secretary Some fields come with perennial job openings, because basic human needs don’t change very much- healthcare and education come to mind. The legal world is like this as well. It’s an industry that will always be necessary. And if you don’t have or want a law degree, don’t worry! That’s not a barrier to breaking into the field (unless your goal is to be a practicing attorney). If you have stellar organizational skills and an interest in the law, you can break into the industry as a legal secretary. Let’s look at the basic building blocks of this career path.What’s the difference between paralegals and legal secretaries?In the legal world, there are a number of non-attorney legal professionals in supporting roles who work for law firms, legal clinics, and government agencies as part of the legal team. These roles are typically broken out into two types:Legal secretary/assistants: Legal secretaries may organize and file legal documents or c ase research, but their primary role is to support the lawyers administratively. This can include managing calendars, scheduling appointments, performing many of the same tasks as an administrative professional in virtually every other industry. There’s no specific degree typically required to become a legal secretary, but associate’s degrees are fairly common.Paralegals: Paralegals focus more on the legal aspects of the supporting role. The paralegal is more likely to work directly with clients, taking and giving information, managing depositions or other legal meetings, and conducting research. Paralegals typically hold a four-year degree in paralegal studies.What does a legal secretary do?Legal secretaries are responsible for managing an attorney’s day-to-day office life. That may include the following responsibilities:Maintaining attorney schedules, scheduling appointmentsDrafting correspondence and legal documents (such as briefs, subpoenas, or motions)Mana ging and ordering office suppliesAnswering phones and emailGreeting clientsFiling legal and administrative documentsCopying, scanning, and faxing legal documentsAssisting with research and reading legal journals or materialsReviewing and proofreading legal documentsLegal secretaries typically work full-time in an office setting, though the number of hours can vary depending on the needs of the firm or legal office.What skills do legal secretaries have?Legal secretaries need to have a very strong administrative skill set to succeed at their jobs. Legal skills and context can be learned, but without that basis of organization and management, a legal secretary would find him- or herself feeling very challenged by the day-to-day work.Organizational Skills:  Legal secretaries are largely responsible for keeping attorneys (and their work) organized. Being detail-oriented is a must, because even small slips or carelessness could have serious legal consequences.Discretion:  Legal inform ation is often privileged information, so the legal secretary needs to be someone who can be trusted with confidential info. Again, breaches of this trust can lead to legal consequences, so being able to keep work at work and being discreet about information learned in the course of the job are essential to the legal secretary’s job.Time Management:  Attorneys often have hectic schedules full of client appointments, court dates, and other important meetings. The legal world is also based very heavily on deadlines. If the legal secretary doesn’t have tight control over making sure things are happening on time, that can put projects or cases at risk.People Skills:  The legal secretary is often the initial go-between for attorneys, legal staff and their clients, making appointments and greeting clients who come in. A friendly, professional demeanor when dealing with guests or colleagues is essential. Legal issues can also be stressful for clients and legal staff alike , so a calm â€Å"bedside manner† can be a very helpful asset in this role.Technology Skills:  Being up-to-date on standard administrative tools like word processing, email clients, presentation software/apps, productivity apps, and digital filing systems is a must for legal secretaries. There will likely be paper-based filing for certain things (especially confidential information), but as the world becomes more digital in general, legal secretaries should be well-versed and adaptable when it comes to using technology in their everyday work.Communication Skills:  Clear, solid written and verbal communication skills are a cornerstone for legal assistants- especially for legal correspondence and documents. Details are important always, but in legal matters they can mean everything. Legal secretaries may also work on proofreading or editing legal documents for attorneys, so having a critical, knowledgeable eye for language and grammar is important.Teamwork:  Everyone who works on a case is part of the team- from the attorney to the secretary to the paralegals and research assistants. Everyone has a common goal of providing the best possible legal work and representation, so there’s little room for diva behavior. Legal secretaries should be adept at working with different kinds of people to make sure projects and cases are being worked on with maximum efficiency and minimum drama.What do you need to become a legal secretary?For many legal secretary jobs, there is no formal degree requirement, though many employers may prefer at least an associate’s degree in a legal studies field. There are also no specific licensing or certification requirements for the job, but there are a number of professional certification options for legal secretaries who want to take the extra step; the National Association for Legal Secretaries (NALS) and Legal Secretaries International both offer certificate programs.How much do legal secretaries get paid?Accor ding to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, legal secretaries make a median annual salary of $44,180, which is higher than the median annual salary for other types of secretaries and administrative assistants ($37,320).What’s the outlook for legal secretaries?For legal secretaries/assistants and paralegals, the number of job openings is expected to grow by 16% by 2026, which is not only much faster than average for all jobs, but also significantly faster than non-legal secretary jobs (which are expected to dip by about 5% over the same period).If you’re thinking about this exciting career path and have a passion for details, it could be your ideal path into the legal industry. Once you’ve gained experience as a legal secretary, you can use that as a stepping stone to becoming a paralegal, or maybe even decide to become an attorney yourself! Whatever your goals, it’s a solid administrative role that can bring satisfaction and job security.

Beginning a Sentence with And or But

Beginning a Sentence with And or But Beginning a Sentence with And or But Beginning a Sentence with And or But By Maeve Maddox Several opinions about what is permissible in writing have acquired an almost religious authority with some English speakers. One of these opinions is that beginning a sentence with the coordinating conjunctions and and but is an unpardonable breach of usage. Here are some typical reader attitudes: I almost fainted when I read [a post] about the acceptability of beginning sentences with â€Å"and† or â€Å"but†. [How can anyone] justify the use of conjunctions to begin a sentence? It simply drives me crazy! Writers of English have been beginning sentences with and as long as English has been written. The Venerable Bede (672-735) did it. King Alfred (849-899) did it. You’ll also find examples in Swift (1667-1745), Johnson (1709-1784), Austen (1775-1817), Dickens (1812-1870), Orwell (1903-1950), and Roth (1933-). According to The Chicago Manual of Style, the belief that beginning a sentence with and, but, or so is an error â€Å"has no historical or grammatical foundation.† Not only that, but â€Å"a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions. It has been so for centuries, and even the most conservative grammarians have followed this practice† (CMOS 5.206). Authors capable of â€Å"first-rate writing† are one matter. Teachers, on the other hand (and editors working with grammatically challenged adults) are wise to advise against it. Writing is a craft. Every craft demands that beginners learn in stages. A rule against beginning a sentence with a conjunction has pedagogical usefulness. Beginning writers benefit from being guided. They don’t need to have all the rules and exceptions dumped on them at the outset. My London headmistress forbade the use of semicolons. She said that semicolons could wait until students mastered the use of commas and periods. Her rule was intended to be transitional. Beginning writers overuse the conjunction and. Giving inexperienced writers permission to begin sentences with and is asking for trouble. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the writing of nine-year-old Daisy Ashford: Mr Salteena had dark short hair and mustache and whiskers which were very black and twisty. He was middle sized and he had very pale blue eyes With this style of writing, a rule against beginning a sentence with and can only be a blessing. In my teaching days, I forbade students to begin a sentence with because, not because I didn’t know about complex sentences, but because inexperienced writers tend to begin sentences with because and never get to a main clause. A practice that exacerbates this tendency in high school students is accepting sentence fragments as answers to essay questions on tests. For example: Question: Why did Silas put Eppie in the coal hole? Answer: Because she kept wandering away. Teachers of every subject could contribute to a higher standard of student writing by requiring students to rephrase the question in the answer: Question: Why did Silas put Eppie in the coal hole? Answer: Silas put Eppie in the coal hole because she kept wandering away. When students have learned to distinguish between a main clause and a dependent clause, they can progress to the use of because to introduce a subordinate clause. When they have learned to control their use of coordinating conjunctions, they can use them at the beginning of a sentence from time to time. Here are two examples from the work of writers known for â€Å"first-rate writing†: Besides, another purpose of the enlarged armywas to minimize the ever-present possibility of sedition. And with this purpose once again in mind, [Septimus Severus] took a number of steps to make the officers of the legions a privileged class and tie them firmly to his own person. –Michael Grant, History of Rome. If he charged, I could shoot; if he took no notice of me, it would be safe to leave him until the mahout came back. But also I knew that I was going to do no such thing. –George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant Like any stylistic device, beginning a sentence with and or but may be overused or used incorrectly. A common fault with but is to use it where and is required. But is an â€Å"adversative conjunction.† It introduces a contrast. Some writers tend to begin a sentence with but when and is the appropriate choice. Here’s a revision suggestion from The Chicago Manual of Style: Evaluate the contrasting force of the but in question, and see whether the needed word is really and; if and can be substituted, then but is almost certainly the wrong word. Bottom line: Beginning a sentence with and or but is a common stylistic device used in English by the best writers of every century. Writers who dislike the device are free to avoid it. Forbidding it to inexperienced writers has pedagogical value, but condemning it out of hand is to set a fetish above English idiom. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Macro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Macro - Essay Example The one who has the highest bid will get the product. In order to participate in the eBay online market, one must register on the site. Upon finishing the registration, one is now allowed to bid or buy the product right away. For buying the product, the user only has to click the Buy it Now button or the eBay Express. eBay makes sure that every item transacted is fully insured for the protection of the consumers’ rights. Another feature for ensuring a good deal in eBay is the Meet the Seller link where people can view the feedbacks from other members whom the seller had transacted with and also gives the opportunity for buyers to inquire about the product they are interested to. For people who want to earn additional income on items that are no longer in use. eBay is a perfect place for putting those items in auction. eBay allows people to sell all kinds of items in the internet making transactions easier and fun. eBay is another opportunity for earning additional income through buy and sell. An online market system like eBay reduces the costs of finding the right buyers for a certain product which is more efficient. Since the registration is free, sellers have the chance to put all their items that they wish to sell. For buyer and sellers, they can get cheaper items and sell them in higher prices for profits. eBay also has a taxing system wherein sales taxes are charge as required by the state. Additional tax revenues are also beneficial for the state economically. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization that deals with the rules of trade between nations in the global arena. It was formed in January 1, 1995 succeeding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Its current budget for 2008 is 128 million Swiss francs. Director-General Pascal Lamy currently heads the organization. The WTO has 153 members which account to

Family Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Business - Essay Example According to the report there is detailed presentation of three key factors; owner, potential successor and environment, and their effects in family business transfers that guarantees continuity. Wise management of these three factors will ensure elimination of key challenges hence ensuring business continuity. From the study, there is an indication that family businesses in Austria operate on long-term orientation with the objective of passing on the business from one generation to the next within the family lineage. This makes issue on business succession an important process of greater importance to families.  From this discussion it is clear that  the process of business transfers entails various aspects of concern such as emotional elements and occurrences of intergenerational conflicts. The study reveals several initiatives that are required in the process of planning successive transfer process in a timely fashion. Substantial preparation on both owners and successors is c onsidered one of the major success factors in business succession.  Family business transfers require detailed incorporation of intention as well as inclusion of various generational changes. Such changes are crucial in ownership and management processes since they pose considerable challenge to the process.Communication plays a role in overcoming such obstacles especially on the ability to question and translate strategy into profitable action. Such actions are considered superior especially when markets are facing uncertainties.

Solar & Wind Energy Resource Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Solar & Wind Energy Resource Assessment - Essay Example The buildings at Merchiston are a major part of Napier’s estate offering teaching accommodation for up to 2,000 students. An energy audit for the above buildings has been conducted using utilities bills. Utility bills from August 2007 to July 2009 (24 months) have been used for the assessment. Alternative systems have been considered to reduce energy use. The electricity consumed (kWh) for each month has been illustrated in figure 1. The units of electrical energy consumed have steadily declined over the years. Various initiatives have resulted in the development and use of energy efficient equipment, in addition to energy efficient practices. The energy cost for each month for electricity has been illustrated in figure 2. Despite the decline in energy usage, there has been a rise in energy cost. This is because of increase in the cost of production of electricity. The average electric energy unit cost during the period has been illustrated in figure 3. The increase in costs of electricity production has been passed on to the consumer. There has been an increase of over  £3 per kWh over the years. The units of energy consumed (kWh) for gas each month has been illustrated in figure 4. Seasonal influences play a significant role in the use of gas, which is primarily used for heating. Naturally gas consumption declines during summer months and peak during the cold winter months. The facilities consume 4198.55 MWh of electrical energy and 6005.35 MWh of gas annually. The electrical energy consumed results in average energy cost of  £393.3347K annually and gas consumed results in energy costs of  £172.1616K annually. Electricity and gas consumption at the facilities results in the release of 3.5KtCO2 each year. Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA) requires buildings to comply with legislation and principles of â€Å"Green Government† policy. The Scottish Government has set a target for 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Understanding Optimized Production Technology

Understanding Optimized Production Technology Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) is the Theory of Constraints (TOC) production planning methodology originated by Eliyahu M. Goldratt in the 1980s. In fact, the concepts of DBR actually preceded the Five-Focusing-Steps and the notion of the throughput world in the development of the TOC paradigm. While the DBR method is much simpler than the older Optimized Production Technology (OPT) algorithm and the recent Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems, for many production environments, especially those not currently- or consistently- dominated by an active internal bottleneck, an even simpler method can be adopted. We call this method S-DBR, to distinguish it from the traditional model, which well refer to as traditional DBR. S-DBR is based on the same concepts as traditional DBR and is certainly in harmony with TOC and the Five Focusing Steps. What distinguishes it from traditional DBR is its assumption of market demand as the major system constraint, even when an internal capacity constraint temporarily emerges. S-DBR can be easily supported by traditional ERP/MRP systems and it is specifically intended to deal with fluctuating market demand. Optimized Production Technology (OPT) 1. What is Optimized Production Technology? 2. What is the aim of Optimized Production Technology? 3. What are the main features of OPT? 4. How OPT can be developed? 5. How OPT is operated? 6. What are the benefits achieved from OPT? DEFINITION Optimized production technology is proprietary scheduling system using, computer software which was originally developed by Dr. Eliyahu Galodratt and colleagues who recognized that one of the most complex problems facing manufacturing organizations was that of shop-floor scheduling. The system is based on the concept that there are two fundamental manufacturing phenomena: Dependent events. All processes rely upon the completion of preceding operations. Statistical fluctuations. Process times fluctuate around an average. The effect of these phenomena is that the capacity of a plant must be unbalanced and therefore bottlenecks are inevitable. As defined by Johnson, the OPT method of scheduling dictates that material should only be launched on to the shopfloor at the rate at which it is consumed by the bottleneck. Furthermore, a time buffer of work should protect the production in the bottleneck. This means, that work scheduled for day three arrives on day one, creating a buffer of two days as protection against disruption in operations before the bottleneck. AIM OF OPT The aim of OPT is to schedule bottleneck capacity in an efficient way. This schedule is the master for the demand placed on other capacities. MAIN FEATURES OF OPT The main features of OPT are described by Fax as follows: Balance flow not capacity. The level of utilization of any part of the system, which is not a bottleneck, is dependent on other constraints in the system, not the potential of the worker. The utilization and activation of a resource are not synonymous. An hour lost at the bottleneck is an hour lost for the total system. An hour saved at a non-bottleneck is just a mirage. Bottlenecks govern both throughput and inventories. The transfer batch may not, and many times should not be equal to the process batch. The process batch should be variable, not fixed. Schedules should be established by looking at all the constraints simultaneously. Lead times are the results of the schedule and cannot be predetermined. DEVELOPING OPT The steps used to develop OPT consist of the following: Preparation. Measuring performance, project planning and identifying hardware and software requirements. Plant analysis. Analyzing the manufacturing processes and how they are managed. Bottleneck analysis. (A bottleneck is defined as a resource where capacity is equal to or less than the demand being placed upon it.) This is conducted by analyzing work in progress and shortages vs. excesses (potential bottlenecks are those resources which appear on the shortage list but not the excess list). Computer modeling. This is the process of developing the engineering network and instructing the OPT scheduler how to interpret details concerning the manufacture of products such as dependent set-ups, critical material, fixed batch quantities, maximum batch quantities, consumable tools, rework and uninterruptible processes. Data will be fed into the model concerning routines, bills of material and customer demand. Data definition. Establishing what data is required to be fed into the system. Defining outputs. The output will be a master production schedule (MPS), which is achieved by constraint capacity planning. This provides the basis for the process of demand management using the OPT software to carry out the scheduling the OPT identifies the relevant demand and controls the build accordingly. OPERATING OPT OPT is operated through OPT software which has been developed to control complex manufacturing processes. The software will model the process and produce the schedules in the shape ofmaterial and capacity plans using the OPT bottleneck forward-loading techniques. The shopfloor control system will then monitor progress against the schedule and initiate any action to overcome shortfalls. BENEFITS The benefits claimed for OPT are that it will schedule finite resources in order to achieve maximum factory effectiveness. The scheduling system: Addresses the key problem of bottlenecks. Improves profitability by simultaneously increasing throughput. Reduces inventory and operating expenses. Manufacturing Strategy Part 6: Optimised Production Technology (OPT) Introduction OPT is possibly the most radical of the 3 production strategies to be discussed as it requires a new way of thinking, not only about production but also about the basic accounting principles. In many areas this demands radical or revised thinking by our accountants and new approaches to the fundamentals of accounting. OPT begins by stating that the goal of a manufacturing business is to make money both now and in the future. This might seem to be rather simple but it provides a framework for all the other decisions involved in the business. The aim of OPT is to increase throughput (the rate at which the company generates money through sales) whilst simultaneously decreasing inventory and operating expense. If an action does not directly improve one of the three measures then it is irrelevant at best and damaging at worst, do not do it. The traditional approach has been to optimise each sub-system irrespective of its importance (i.e. to improve the output of the welder) but the OPT approach is to optimise the total system to maximise throughput (i.e. if the welder is not limiting your throughput then dont work on it and put your efforts somewhere else). OPT states that the optimum of each sub-system is not necessarily the optimum of the whole system. OPT defines a bottleneck as any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the market demand placed upon it. The bottleneck is thus the constraint that is preventing increased throughput from your factory. Improvements here will tend to optimise the whole system and have an increased payback by directly increasing throughput. Bottlenecks are easy to spot in the average factory they are the operations that have lots of work in progress stacked up in front of them. In this sense a non-bottleneck is any resource whose capacity is greater than the market demand placed on it and improvements here will be irrelevant in terms of increased throughput. Figure 1: Spotting the bottlenecks Operation C is the obvious bottleneck for the factory. Running A at capacity will lead to a build up of inventory in front of B. Running B at capacity will lead to a massive build up in inventory in front of C. Investment or improvement in A, B or D will do nothing to improve throughput, the only meaningful investment area would be C where the ability of the plant to earn money can be rapidly improved. Operation C must be protected from loss of output for any reason. It is the operation that controls the income of the factory. In reality the choice is never this clear and the important thing is to balance the flow and not the capacity. The bottleneck concept is best explained in the hiking analogy from The Goal. The speed of a group of hikers needs to be maximised to get to the campsite by nightfall but the actual speed of the whole group is limited by the speed of the slowest hiker (the bottleneck). Placing the slowest hiker at the front of the group slows down the whole group and increases the time required i.e. reduces the throughput. Placing the slowest hiker anywhere else in the group still slows the whole group and also increases the length of the group (the inventory). Thus the only way to reduce the length (the inventory) and achieve the fastest transit time the throughput) is to find a way of moving the slowest hiker faster i.e. working on the bottleneck. An hour lost at a bottleneck, for any reason is an hour to the whole system and cannot be recovered. Dont think you can get it back later because the way we defined a bottleneck means that you cannot. The cost for this lost hour is the total cost of running the whole factory for one hour, after all the bottleneck is governing the throughput. Factory scheduling is at the heart of OPT and a critical factor in this is the location and elimination or management of bottlenecks, a fact which is not explicitly dealt with by JIT. The set up time reduction techniques of JIT appear again but are not formally recognised by OPT. An hour saved in the set-up time of a bottleneck is an hour saved for the whole system. OPT goes on to say that an hour saved on a non-bottleneck machine simply increases inventory and does nothing to improve throughput. It is wasted effort, so dont do it. In a sense OPT shares a lot of philosophy with JIT and both concentrate on quality, lead times, lot sizes and machine set-up times. A major difference is that OPT regards the river and rocks analogy of JIT as being fundamentally flawed. In OPT terms the river is not the flat evenly flowing stream that JIT assumes but has waves on inventory moving through it depending on the order situation in the factory. All can be fine until the inventory is at the trough of a wave. If you hit a problem then it is likely to rip the bottom out of the boat and sink the business! The OPT approach is much more like reality than the JIT approach in this situation, in other words dont take any analogy too far. An underlying rule forgotten at your peril. Figure 2: The OPT view of rocks in the river In the same way OPT shares a computer based approach with MRPII and both require a large complex database of product and machine information for schedule calculation. OPT also requires information on how the product is made, the route through the factory and both set-up and run times. OPT can generally pirate a lot of this information from an existing MRPII system. One problem with MRPII is that it ignores the in-build variation of any machine and assumes that a machine will work at capacity at all times. OPT is more realistic in accepting that the actual capacity is affected by statistical fluctuations and a dependence on previous operations to supply product for processing. In many cases this makes MRPII scheduling unrealistic and time buffers are built in to cater for this. OPT can be more realistic in scheduling than MRPII by taking this into account and also allowing for improvement in times and routing. OPT is based on a set of rules which need to be adopted completely by management and basic statements are incorporated into these rules. The OPT rules Balance the flow, not the capacity. Let bottlenecks determine usage of the non-bottlenecks and do not seek machine utilisation. If a resource is activated when output cannot get through the constraint then all it produces is inventory. Utilisation and activation of a resource are not the same thing. Activation is when a resource is working but utilisation is when it is working and doing useful work. Producing stock for inventory is not useful work. An hour lost at a bottleneck is an hour lost for the whole system and cannot be recovered. An hour saved at a non-bottleneck is a mirage. Bottlenecks govern both throughput and inventory. A transfer batch is not necessarily equal to a process batch i.e. just because you have to cut 20 frames at a time on the optimiser saw it does not mean that you have to push them all on to the welder at one time. You can break the process batch (20 frames) down into small transfer batches (1 order). Process batches should be variable and not fixed. Later work shows that the best results are achieved by using a drum-buffer-rope technique to control the system. You must first find the true bottlenecks that govern the factory throughput. The bottlenecks that beat out the pace like a drum for the whole factory should be kept fully scheduled and working at all times. The bottlenecks must be protected against any interruption caused by breakdowns, quality, set-up times, labour concerns or any other variation. This protection is achieved by building in time buffers. These are a focus for process improvements. All other operations are then synchronised to the bottleneck operation and work is pulled through as if it were on a rope. Without computers the drum-buffer-rope concept works very well for limited variety production. The introduction of variety leads to shifting bottlenecks and the need for complex computer software to run the system. OPT requires maximising the flow of materials and rarely requires large investment in machinery or restructuring of the plant. By improving the flow of the product OPT seeks to get inventory moving and can make an immediate financial impact. OPT needs to be carried through to the whole company and encourages the view of the production area as a real profit maker for the company. For and Against For Quickly targets areas of concern (bottlenecks, quality set up times, high inventories). Incorporates some production and MRP. Quick results. Gives financial feedback. Suitable for discrete, batch and process industries. Possible to grow into via partial implementation at a practical level. Easily understood by the shop floor. Against Challenges traditional cost accounting. Requires simulation modelling of the process. Needs good database. Must go via one consultancy company. Summary OPT is relatively new in terms of production management systems and is an overall philosophy for running the business rather than simply being about production management. OPT starts by assuming that manufacturing is all about making money and looks at optimising the complete system to achieve this rather than just optimising individual operations on a piecemeal basis. OPT is a proprietary system in the full version (rather than just the philosophy) owned by a software and consultancy company. This does not prevent the adoption of some of the excellent ideas it contains and generates. OPT is a trademark of the Scheduling Technology Group. The only, but excellent, book on the subject is The Goal by E Goldratt and J Cox. In the previous pages we have looked at 3 different methods of production management and have reviewed the significant areas for improvement and change. As an overall summary MRPII does not seek to change anything whereas JIT actually forces a fundamental but painful search for excellence. OPT is probably even more powerful because it uses many of the JIT ideas and also follows through into the overall system. The current strategy of many companies uses a blend of these three main methods at various points in the company to achieve the right blend of success. The Manufacturing Strategy Series The Manufacturing Strategy series is designed to give production managers and their staff some insights into new manufacturing methods and to prompt the industry into considering the benefits of alternative approaches to manufacturing. The series is: Part 1: Setting the strategy Part 2: The systems and MRP II Part 3: Just in time (1) Part 4: Just in time (2) Part 5: Just in time (3) Part 6: Optimised Production Technology (OPT) (This section) Part 7: A fundamental quality Part 8: Quality management techniques tools Part 9: Theres no accounting for manufacturing strategy Part 10: Performance measurement Part 11: Changing roles and things to do NOW! Last edited: 29/03/04 Â © Tangram Technology Ltd. 2001 Our standard disclaimer regarding Internet data applies. dvanced planning and scheduling Clients in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry have revealed that many are interested in knowing more about how advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems can support them in making the right decisions to drive supply chain benefits. More and more companies are in the process of implementing such a system to further optimize their planning processes. To learn more, read the following book exerpt: How to Get the Most Out of Your Supply Chain An overview of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry by Deloittes Rhiannon Davies, Nadine Diepeveen, Erik Diks and Vincent Vloemans. Published December 2002. Requirements driving APS Pressure on performance has been steadily increasing over the last decade, and it does not appear to be abating. But where can a company still squeeze out performance improvement? According to Gartner, a leading technology research and advisory firm, supply chain management is one of the key differentiators for the future. Gartner researchers predict that: By 2004, 90 per cent of companies that fail to apply supply chain management technology and processes to increase their flexibility will lose their status as preferred suppliers (0.8 probability). Through 2005, organizations that implement supply chain planning applications with a continuous improvement program will increase ROI by 40% during a 5 year lifecycle (0.7 probability). Changing business requirements and markets are making effective supply chain management and the resulting competitiveness and flexibility more important. Customers are demanding more flexibility, more visibility of availability, more speed and highly customized products. To provide this information, more and more emphasis is put on the supply chain planning capabilities to allow the visibility along the supply chain to react quickly to changing customer demand in a cost competitive way. The alternative to reliable planning is a fully flexible supply chain. Some companies have made good headway in this area, but for many, the cost of this full flexibility is till too high. At Deloitte, we recommend balancing planning improvements with increasing flexibility in the supply chain and continuous development of supply chain professionals. Discussions with our clients in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry have revealed that many are interested in knowing more about how APS systems can support them in making the right decisions to drive supply chain benefits. More and more companies are in the process of implementing such a system to further optimize their planning processes. This book will help our clients to answer the following questions: What is an APS system and what role do they play in supply chain optimization? How APS is different from ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)? To what businesses could it apply? Will it apply to my business? How? What are the benefits that could be gained from such a system? Who are the key vendors of APS systems? How can I choose which vendor to use for my organization? How are APS packages implemented and how can I apply this methodology to my own organization? The book is written in cooperation with the 10 major APS vendors in consumer products manufacturing and process industry. As sort of an APS primer, the book includes profiles of each vendor, listing the company, its strategy, product technology, functionality and other important information. But the book also is appropriate for readers with a strong knowledge of APS, providing them with up-to-date knowledge of technology and vendors. The APS vendor assessment APS applications cover various domains in supply chain management. To structure the discussion on APS, we introduce our APS reference model. This model serves as a guideline for the general building blocks of an APS system, and allows for a level comparison of the functionality of the various vendors. Furthermore, we discuss the most common models and techniques used by APS packages and assess the level of sophistication of the functionality provided by each vendor in each of the areas outlined in the APS reference model. Each industry has its own specific business issues and these must be addressed during the definition of the requirements that need to be met by an APS package. For example, in the process industry tank planning and dealing with shelf life are usually required, whereas in the high tech industry, complex capacity planning with many constraints. We concentrate on APS packages that cover most requirements in the consumer business and process industry. We provide a classification of consumer business manufacturers to explain the different requirements that need to be addressed by an APS package. We also describe how major changes in the business environment, as well as process and technology innovations impact the requirements on APS software. To provide an up-to-date overview of the software capabilities offered by major APS vendors in the consumer products manufacturing and process industry arena, we performed a large survey among the largest APS vendors within the consumer business and process arena, including Adexa, Agilisys, Aspen Tech, Baan, i2, Logility, Manugistics, Oracle and SAP. We took a two-stage approach to the survey process. First, each vendor filled out a questionnaire that gave insight into the company, its strategy, its product and footprint, product strategy and development plans to allow us to better understand and position their capabilities. Second, we visited each vendor to discuss in more detail their answers to the survey, to view demonstrations of how their product functionality really answers supply chain planning requirements, and to get an impression of their product and company. The vendor analysis in the book is structured to allow easy comparison of vendor capabilities. First, we inventarize the capabilities of each of the vendors per functional area as outlined in the aforementioned APS reference model. Second, we compare the vendors by their industry focus and their technology capabilities. Finally, per vendor we give an overview of their user interface functionality and development areas. Selection and implementation methodology One of the objectives of the book is to serve as a guide to support the initial selection of the APS application/vendor that best meets the business needs of our clients. As such, in addition to providing a vendor selection methodology, we explain Our proven five step methodology to implement an APS system. We explain each step in detail, as well as our methods and the tools we use during an APS implementation. Finally, we provide some lessons learned (secrets of our success) based on our practical implementation experience at numerous customers. Advanced Planning Scheduling (APS) For complex planning scheduling activities especially those that are heavily constrained or require multi-stage scheduling and frequent re-scheduling our experience is that off-the-shelf software packages just dont work. Because of the many differences between problem types and industries, you often end up with a rigid system with preset objectives, logic, and scope, which doesnt quite fit your core operation. Because our Advanced Planning Scheduling (APS) system is tailored to your unique business rules, constraints, and processes, it can be used to optimise a wide variety of planning scheduling activities, including Production-line planning, scheduling, and sequencing Labour planning and timetabling Maintenance planning scheduling Equipment planning scheduling Media planning Features and benefits of our APS system include: Creating schedules that are optimised for cost, profit, or client-defined objectives (service levels, utilization, etc.) Increased delivery on time and in full (DIFOT) Reduced work-in-progress and finished goods inventory Reduced planning time Dynamically re-optimising around unexpected changes in demand and other events Conducting financial what-if analysis and scenario comparison Setting more than one objective/goal and analysing the trade-offs Centralising the planning and scheduling function across multiple plants Optimising across multiple production stages or steps Evaluating the impact of your business rules, processes, and constraints Seamless connection with your existing databases, MRP/ERP systems, and other enterprise software HOT NEWS March 2010 Â » ORDINA signs partner agreement with ICRON. HomeSolutions Advanced Planning and Scheduling Planning and scheduling has never been easy, but today it is far more challenging than it was a decade ago. Planners are feeling more and more pressure to generate accurate and timely plans by considering complex production and supply chain environment, ever changing demand, heavy constraints, conflicting business objectives and processes. And to make things worse, traditional tools at hand are becoming obsolete: spreadsheet based manual planning and scheduling cannot cope with the complexity, your ERP system hardly helps and there is no off the shelf product which can address your unique production environment and supply chain network. What you need is a flexible and reliable Advanced Planning and Scheduling solutions which is tailored for your unique requirements. With 15+ years of experience in Supply Chain Optimization, ICRON Technologies provides ICRON Advanced Planning and Scheduling (ICRON APS) solution to revolutionize your planning and scheduling activities by its mature, cutting-edge technology, and innovative modeling and implementation practices. ICRON APS provides optimized, automatically generated plans and schedules while simultaneously considering demand, resource and material constraints and business objectives. Benefits and features of ICRON APS are: ICRON APS provides significant cost and waste reduction by optimization based on user defined objectives (reduced cost of early/late job completion, inventory, overtime, transportation, reduced WIP times, etc.). ICRON APS greatly improves available-to-promise and capable-to-promise capabilities by generating realistic completion times for individual operations and jobs on entire supply chain network. This quickly translates into increased customer satisfaction. ICRON APS provides feasible, finite capacity schedules which can be readily published to the shop floor. ICRON APS significantly reduces the planning time. ICRON automatically performs most of the schedule generation activities and produces schedules in minutes rather than hours or days. ICRON APS provides tremendous what-if analysis capability. With its speed, accuracy easily generates as many scenarios as user requires and provides user friendly, efficiently tools for planner and management to selects the best scenario to be used as the official plan. ICRON APS maximizes the resource utilization by reducing the setup times by better sequencing, especially when sequence dependent setups exist. ICRON APS provides you fast rescheduling capability to respond to frequent changes. With ICRON, the production planning shifts from reactive, fire fighting planning to proactive, strategic planning. ICRON APS integrates and centralizes the planning and scheduling along the entire supply chain network. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) -Techniques that deal with analysis and planning of logistics and manufacturing during short, intermediate and long-term time periods. APS describes any computer program that uses advanced mathematical algorithms or logic to perform optimization or simulation on finite capacity scheduling, sourcing, capital planning, resource planning, forecasting, demand management, and others. These techniques simultaneously consider a range of constraints and business rules to provide real-time planning and scheduling, decision support, available-to-promise, and capable-to-promise capabilities. APS often generates and evaluates multiple scenarios. Management then selects one scenario to use as the official plan. The five main components of APS systems are Demand Planning, Production Planning, Production Scheduling, Distribution Planning, and Transportation Planning.