Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on human history as gunpowder, yet its discovery in China was an accident. Contrary to myth, it was not simply used for fireworks but was put to military uses from its time of discovery. Eventually, this secret weapon leaked out to the rest of the medieval world. Chinese Alchemists Tinker With Saltpeter and Make Gunpowder Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate. During the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D., an enterprising alchemist (whose name has been lost to history) mixed 75 parts saltpeter with 15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur. This mixture had no discernable life-lengthening properties, but it did explode with a flash and a bang when exposed to an open flame. According to a text from that era, smoke and flames result, so that [the alchemists] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down. Use of Gunpowder in China Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used this discovery only for fireworks, but that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against their primary enemy, the Mongols. These weapons included flying fire (fei huo), an arrow with a burning tube of gunpowder attached to the shaft. Flying fire arrows were miniature rockets, which propelled themselves into enemy ranks and inspired terror among both men and horses. It must have seemed like fearsome magic to the first warriors who were confronted with the power of gunpowder. Other Song military applications of gunpowder included primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, flamethrowers and landmines. The first artillery pieces were rocket tubes made from hollow bamboo shoots, but these were soon upgraded to cast metal. McGill University professor Robin Yates notes that the worlds first illustration of a cannon comes from Song China, in a painting from about 1127 A.D. This depiction was made a century and a half before Europeans began to manufacture artillery pieces. The Secret of Gunpowder Leaks Out of China By the mid- to late-eleventh century, the Song government had become concerned about gunpowder technology spreading to other countries. The sale of saltpeter to foreigners was banned in 1076. Nonetheless, knowledge of the miraculous substance was carried along the Silk Road to India, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1267, a European writer made reference to gunpowder, and by 1280 the first recipes for the explosive mixture were published in the west. Chinas secret was out. Down through the centuries, Chinese inventions have had a profound effect on human culture. Items like paper, the magnetic compass, and silk have diffused around the world. None of those inventions, however, have had quite the impact that gunpowder has, for good and for bad.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Global Leadership essayEssay Writing Service

Global Leadership essayEssay Writing Service Global Leadership essay Global Leadership essayThe paper will focus on cross cultural for Global leaders. Specifically, with regard to global organizations, the paper will also attempt to reconcile the imbalance between global and local concerns by proposing a framework that merges a new understanding of culture with a classical leadership approach. The paper objective is to achieve more effective cross cultural practice. The paper should show the effectiveness of great leaders when they have good communicate skills. This is actually one of the most challenging course a leader will face. Knowing how to communicate will take away the fear of culture shock. Culturally intelligent leaders must understand that the way they communicate is critical to their success. As a global leader, you need to use clear language, which may also determine how much information will need to be imparted in order to achieve the required goal and what the consequences and/or rewards are for the followers. The leader must always lea rn how to adjust their communication style to adjust or transition from one culture to the next.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Cybersecurity Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Cybersecurity - Coursework Example Business managers appreciate cyberspace as a provider of faster medium for communication in organizations. On the other hand, cyber security plays a critical role in ensuring that the organization’s systems and data remain safe against any malicious intent. Software programs, particularly those that run, store and retrieve data from databases remain vulnerable to cyber attacks. Aksoy and DeNardis (2008) define viruses as malicious codes which would be embedded on legitimate programs and get activated with the execution of the program. The authors further note that viruses would propagate from a computer to another. A Trojan horse refers to the virus dissembled in a legitimate program. For example, the Melissa virus known to have been spreading through the internet and which disabled networks was spread when a user opened an infected attachment which caused the virus to be emailed to 50 recipients in the user’s address book which created an exponential increase in the virus-infected messages. Erdbrink (2012) reports how countries such as Iran have spent massive resources in controlling and preventing viruses. Anti-virus programs combat these viruses and keep the system and network safe from virus

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Criticize the Cosmological Argument against Atheism Essay

Criticize the Cosmological Argument against Atheism - Essay Example It is also true because science and common sense has confirmed that something cannot come into existence from nothing. The premise also states that the reason why no one has seen something come into existence from nothing is proof that there is a cause for things to come into being (Rutten 45). The first premise has an intuitive appeal. It states that whatever comes into existence has a cause. The cause is what creates something. This means that the universe was impelled by a natural inclination. This is true because nothing in this world has ever come into existence out of nothing. This rebuttal tries to prove that there is no existence of God and that everything happened from nothing. However, supporters of the first premise argument object this rebuttal. The main response to this rebuttal is through the argument that all things which have a beginning in their own existence do have a cause. This means that God was not created. Unlike the universe, God did not come into existence. He has always existed even before the world came into existence (Craig 56). The second premise explains that the world began to exist. This means that the existence of the universe has a beginning. This is supported by the fact that the universe keeps on expanding and growing. The universe has over the years continued to grow and expand from an enormously dense and extremely hot state (Craig 65). This suggests that the universe started from something and continues to grow. However, the premise can be considered to be false due to one main assumption. The assumption is that it’s easy to also take into consideration that the universe, just like the initial cause, has always been in existence and continues to exist. This assumption also puts into consideration that the universe goes through an everlasting cycle of contraction and expansion. A

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Influence of face-to-face communication on customer satisfaction Dissertation

Influence of face-to-face communication on customer satisfaction - Dissertation Example The main challenge of this study is the target audience (from the Middle East). There is a constant cultural conflict between Western and Eastern worlds and the sphere of business is not an exception. A high-cultural context of the Middle East countries should be the foremost triggers for the development of service marketing campaigns by the Western partners. There is a strong influence of historical and cultural traditions on business in the Middle East (Smith, Peterson & Thomas, 2008). Patience, loyalty and the conservative nature of the businessmen or customers from the Middle East implies that the Western businessmen should be of high cultural proficiency. For example, face-to-face communication supposes the communication of two individuals from different cultural contexts (a western manager and an eastern service customer). Such issues, as the principle of seniority, respect to the elder people, and low risk-taking behavior of the Easterners should be taken into account while pr oviding them with certain services. This challenge is not facilitated in case telephone or electronic communication means is used. Electronic communication would take less time to deal with the customers, but it does not discard the importance of cultural markers in the process of getting services. Moreover, there is a need to make some changes in the style of communication, when face-to-face communication is an opportunity for single activities (e.g. talking), telephone communication doubles up activities (talking and searching in the Internet). Electronic communication as well as telephone communication consumes less time and is more focused on factual tasks completion (Elving, 2005). The gap in the literature In spite of the fact that cross-cultural communication and means of communication between the companies and customers have been widely discussed, there is a lack of studies focused on an integrative discussion of these issues. Solomon et al. (1985, p.99) propose, that  "the dyadic interaction between a firm and a customer is an important determinant of the customer’s satisfaction†. Further on, the researchers were focused on the growing role of the modern technologies and the Internet (Aron, 2006; Kasper, Helsdingen & Vries, 1999; Little & Little, 2009). The communication between customers and service providers is more effective when they use modern technologies, but at the same time it is also very important to develop face-to-face communication. The advantages of Internet communications is outlined in the following manner: â€Å"Consumers have bargaining power, and they are beginning to  exercise it. They begin to  exercise the right to  know what the price should be† (Steinbock, 2000). On the other hand, Internet communications was considered as inefficient two decades ago. Currently, an important role of virtual communities cannot be denied. Therefore, modern companies should integrate dyadic approach to communication with the customers and business partners, such as personal and virtual communication. Communication in the service marketing Moreover, the specific nature of services  marketing  implies more tricky strategies than in strategies used in product marketing. Thus, for successful operation of the Western service marketing

Friday, November 15, 2019

What is Faith?

What is Faith? What is faith? Many, both inside and outside Christianity, ponder this question every day. How can we define faith, and how can we better understand what true faith looks like? More importantly, what kind of faith does God expect of us? Every one of us exhibits faith in something every day; we have faith that the bus driver knows how to drive the bus, we have faith that the pilot knows how to fly the plane, we have faith that the school teachers know how to educate our children, and for Christians we have faith that God is real and that Jesus died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven. Faith isnt something that we should exhibit only when things are going well, when we feel our circumstances prove that God is real. Corrie ten Boom, most famous for her work helping to hide Jews during WWII said When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you dont throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.[1] This is true for faith; when something happens and life gets a little dark, we dont assume God has lost control and were headed into a mountain, instead we should trust God all the more, understanding that He has full control. But faith is far more than just this vague belief that God is in the drivers seat, or that whatever happens God will get us through that dark tunnel. In Hebrews 11:1 it is written Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Faith is truth and trust, [2] yet how many of us have the kind of faith that can completely trust in God regardless of our situation? Theres a story about the missionary Hudson Taylor during his first trip to China. Aboard a sailing ship, at one stage there was no wind, and they were close to islands inhabited by tribes of cannibals. With the islands, and cannibals, getting closer the captain asked Hudson if he would pray. Hudson agreed, but only if the captain set the sails, ready for the breeze. With no sign of wind the captain declined, but Hudson stood fast and refused to pray until the sails had been set, ready for the wind he had faith God would send. The captain, eventually, agreed and the crew set the sails, while Hudson set about the task of asking God for the wind to fill them. Sometime later there was a knock at the door and the captain asked Hudson if he was still praying for God to send wind. Hudson indicated he was, to which the captain replied you better stop praying for we have more wind than we can manage![3] Hudson Taylor had no doubt God would send the wind; he had faith in God. In Hebrews 11 we see examples of other expressions of faith, expressions that may seem unbelievable unless you first believe that to God, nothing is impossible. In verse 3 we read that by faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at Gods commandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[4] None of us were there to see this, to witness this great event, and yet by faith we believe and accept this event occurred just how the Bible describes it. Similarly it was by faith that Noah built the Ark even when there was no sign of rain, or when Abraham left his homeland to take his family to a faraway land hed never seen, or when Abraham took the son he had been told would bless the world to offer him as a sacrifice.[5] These events describe how great faith led to a great event; a second chance for all creatures in the Ark, or a new nation that would someday bless the whole world, yet not every instance of great faith resulted in something most would see as positive. In Hebrews 11:35-37 it is written: But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword.[6] These verses describe people who, because of their faith, refused to reject Jesus even in the face of torture and death. Their faith caused them to trust in salvation and an eternal life, placing God above their own lives. It is only when we come to understand faith as the kind of faith that makes you force a ships captain to set sails while there is no sign of wind, to build a huge ship when there is no sign of rain, or to face torture and death rather than renounce your beliefs, that we approach the level of faith we see throughout the Old and New Testament. In Psalm 26:1 it is written Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.[7] Faith is trusting, without wavering. Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord and do goodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Take delight in the Lord Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.[8] All of these describe faith in God, a faith that will see you trust Him through the dark tunnels, when you are stuck in a windless calm, when you are asked to fulfil a ridiculous task, or even when faced with death. True faith will trust God in every situation, no matter what we may face. [1] William K. Volkmer, These Things: A Reference Manual For Discipleship (San Antonio: The Passionate Few, 2016), 249. [2] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1999), 377. [3] J. Don Jennings, Lifes Great Adventure: Walking With God (Maitland, FL: Xuton Press, 2011), 252-253. [4] Hebrews 11:3 NLT (New Living Translation). [5] Hebrews 11:7-10, 17-19 NLT (New Living Translation). [6] Hebrews 11:35-37 NLT (New Living Translation). [7] Psalm 26:1 NLT (New Living Translation). [8] Psalm 37:3-5 NLT (New Living Translation).

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Crude oil and its value to society

Although crude oil may look like earths natural pollution, behind that thick black exterior lies one of the most important raw materials on earth. Crude oil is formed when dying plants and animals become immediately covered by sediments in seas and swamps. This prevents them from decaying and as further sediments build up the plant and animals become buried deeper and deeper. Now this takes place over millions of years and immense pressure and heat (120oc) build up and eventually these organisms turn to oil. Now this raw material is given the name as a fossil fuel because of the fact that it is the fossils remains that are turning into the oil. It can be said that when we are burning the fossil fuel we are in fact using the sun's energy which has been stored as chemical energy in the fossils for millions of years. The relative high carbon content is due to small microscopic plankton organisms.Coke and Pepsi On average, crude oils are made of the following elements or compounds: * Carbon – 84% * Hydrogen – 14% * Sulfur – 1 to 3% (hydrogen sulfide, sulfides, disulfides, elemental sulfur) * Nitrogen – less than 1% (basic compounds with amine groups) * Oxygen – less than 1% (found in organic compounds such as carbon dioxide, phenols, ketones, carboxylic acids) * Metals – less than 1% (nickel, iron, vanadium, copper, arsenic) * Salts – less than 1% (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride) Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons which are basically molecules which contain hydrogen and carbon. The hydrocarbons may vary in length and structure, from straight to branching chains and rings. Now hydrocarbons are the reason why crude oil is so important because it can do two things. 1. Hydrocarbons contain a lot of energy which can be used by man to do numerous tasks e.g. electricity generation, transport, heat etc 2. Hydrocarbons can take many different forms. The smallest formation of hydrocarbons is methane which is a gas that is lighter than air. Longer chains with 5 or more carbons are liquids whilst very long formations may be solid like wax. This is the reason why hydrocarbons are so important is because it is so versatile. By chemically cross linking hydrocarbon chains you can produce almost anything from synthetic rubber to Kerosene. In fact 70% of Britain's organic chemicals are produced due to the hydrocarbons present in crude oil. The major classes of hydrocarbons in crude oils include: * Paraffins * general formula: CnH2n+2 (n is a whole number, usually from 1 to 20) * straight- or branched-chain molecules * can be gasses or liquids at room temperature depending upon the molecule * examples: methane, ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, pentane, hexane * Aromatics * general formula: C6H5 – Y (Y is a longer, straight molecule that connects to the benzene ring) * ringed structures with one or more rings * rings contain six carbon atoms, with alternating double and single bonds between the carbons * typically liquids * examples: benzene * Napthenes or Cycloalkanes * general formula: CnH2n (n is a whole number usually from 1 to 20) * ringed structures with one or more rings * rings contain only single bonds between the carbon atoms * typically liquids at room temperature * examples: cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane * Other hydrocarbons * Alkenes * general formula: CnH2n (n is a whole number, usually from 1 to 20) * linear or branched chain molecules containing one carbon-carbon double-bond * can be liquid or gas * examples: ethylene, butene, isobutene * Dienes and Alkynes * general formula: CnH2n-2 (n is a whole number, usually from 1 to 20) * linear or branched chain molecules containing two carbon-carbon double-bonds * can be liquid or gas * examples: acetylene, butadienes However, before we get products such as synthetic rubber the crude oil must be extracted from its reserves and then processed. Today the leading producers of crude oil include, Texas, California, Alaska, Iran, Kuwait, the middle-east etc. As you can see oil can be found all over the world and therefore different extraction methods are put into progress. Before an oil-rig/well is dug, scientific methods are put into place to determine where to find the oil. Gravimeters and magnetometers and seismographs are used to identify the subsurface rock formations which could hold crude oil. Drilling for the crude oil can be extremely difficult due to these conditions and is often a risky process e.g. some wells must be dug 7 miles deep before some oil stores are found. Today much of the oil extraction is located off shore on platforms standing on the ocean bed. In order for the oil to come up to the oil rig it has to be pumped up by using water, gas or air to force it out. Once the oil has been collected it is often transported by tanker or pipeline to the refinery. Crude oil in its raw form is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons where the hydrocarbons are of varied mass, have differing boiling temperatures and differing lengths. Now as I have mentioned previously these hydrocarbons can be very useful but before we can use them they must be made into smaller more useful hydrocarbons. This state can be achieved through a process called fractional distillation. The technique for this process uses the differing boiling temperatures of the molecules in the crude oil so that all differing molecules can be separated. The long chained hydrocarbons are broken down into narrower fractions where the boiling point amongst that fraction does not vary immensely. This process takes place in a specially designed fractional distillation column. Process 1. Crude oil is vaporized by passing through pipes in a furnace where the oil is heated to 600 degrees Celsius. 2. The oil will then boil forming vapor (gas) 3. The oil is then fed into the distillation chamber towards the bottom. 4. The distillation chamber may be 100m high and consist of vertically stacking rows of steel trays. The trays have many holes (bubble caps) in them to allow the vapor and the liquids to pass through them. The trays will help to collect the liquids that form at various heights in the column. The liquids will flow down the tray over a wier. 5. The reason why the oil is separated into narrower fractions can be explained by looking at the temperature gradient in the column. At the bottom of the tank it is extremely hot due to the freshly fed oil vapor and at the top it is cool. As the vapor passes through the tray it will come into contact with a slightly cooler liquid. This causes some of the hydrogen molecules to condense in that tray causing more violate hydrocarbons in the liquid to evaporate. This process will take place at each tray and in each tray a unique narrow range of hydrocarbons with similar properties will form. After approx 45 condensations and evaporations have taken place the crude oil has been separated into fractions. 6. The collected liquid fractions may either pass to condensers, which cool them further, and then go to storage tanks. Or go to other areas for further chemical processing. The more volatile hydrocarbons with the low boiling point form at the top of the tank and the least volatile hydrocarbons with high boiling point at the bottom. Once operating the column may be kept in an equilibrium state by maintaining the input of the crude oil at a flow rate which balances the total of the flow rate at which the fractions are removed. When a steady state exists the compositions of the liquid and vapor at any one tray do not vary. This enables the fractions at each tray to be drawn individually when required. Each tray will contain a narrow range of fractions with a narrow range of boiling points. The fractional distillation column will separate the crude oil into the following fractions: Refinery gasses, gasoline and naphtha, Kerosene, gas (diesel), oil and residue. Refinery gasses – Consist of simple alkanes containing up to four carbon atoms. They are used as fuels or as a source for building other molecules. Gasoline – Contains Alkanes with 5 – 10 carbons in the chain and is used in petrol. Naphtha – Most important source of chemicals for the chemical process industry. Kerosene – is used for jet fuel and domestic heating. Gas oil – is used as diesel fuel and as a feedstock for catalyst cracking. Residue – used as a source of lubricating oils and wax and bitumen. Bitumen – when mixed with crushed stone is the tarmac compound used for road surfaces. Although the crude oil has been separated into useful fraction, some of the separated ‘trays' can be further processed to form products that are even more useful. Cracking – To obtain more useful alkanes and alkenes Heating the oil fractions with a catalyst. Under these conditions it can brake-down high molecular mass alkanes into low molecular mass alkanes as well as alkenes. The cracking is a random process by which both C-H and C-C bonds can be broken. Therefore it is possible for by products to be produced like: Hydrogen and branched chain alkane isomers. For example Decane can be broken into: CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 (Decane) H | à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½CH3CH2CH=CH2 + H3C- C-CH3CH2CH3 (But-1-ene) | CH3 (2-methylpentane) Decane is broken into these two isomers because there is a larger requirement for small chain isomers than larger ones. After the cracking the hot vaporized oil fraction and the catalyst behave as a fluid. This is called the fluidized bed. Some of the hydrocarbon fraction can be broke down into carbon which can block the pores of the catalyst. We can recycle the catalyst by pumping it into the regeneration chamber where the carbon coke is burnt off in air at high temperatures. Isomerisation Is the process which we use to obtain branched alkanes. The process involves heating the straight chain alkanes with platinum catalyst to form Branched chain alkanes: CH3 | CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ H3C-C-CH2CH3 | CH3 (Hexane) (2,2-dimethylbutane) However these newly formed branched chain alkanes have to be separated from the straight chain alkanes and this is done by a molecular sieve. The sieve is a type of zeolite that has pores through which the straight chain alkanes can pass through but the branched chain alkanes cannot due to there bulky shape and thus they are separated off. The straight chain alkanes may then be recycled to the reactor. Reforming This involves the conversion of alkanes to cycloalkanes or cycloalkanes to arenes using a bimetallic catalyst. For example a cluster of platinum and rhenium atoms is very effective in removing hydrogen atoms from methylcyclohexane to form methylbenzene. (Methylcyclohexane) (Methylbenzene) A catalyst containing Clusters of iridium atoms and platinum enables conversions of straight chain alkanes to arenes: CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 + 4H2 (Hexane) The metal clusters have to be between 1 and 5nm thick and are deposited on an inert support such as aluminum oxide. The Rhenium and the iridium help prevent the build up of carbon deposits which reduce the activity of the catalyst. Why are Alkanes fuels? The reason for this is because of their reaction with oxygen. Alkane (fuel) + Oxygen (or other oxidizer) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Oxidation products + Energy transfer This basically means that a fuel must react with oxygen to release large amounts of energy and Oxidation products that aren't extremely harmful to mankind. Although different chains of alkanes can produce different energy amounts and byproducts and are used for different purposes, they all comply with this equation. Below I will list the ideal characteristics which all fuels must have. * A fuel must react with an oxidizer to release large amounts of energy. * A Fuel must be oxidized fairly easily, ignite quickly and sustain burning without further intervention. * A fuel should be readily available, in large quantities and at a reasonable price. * A fuel should not burn to give products that are difficult to dispose of, or are unpleasant and harmful. * A fuel should be convenient to store and transport safely without loss. So obviously different fuels are used in different environments. In Industry For example larger fuels that produce a lot of energy that may give off lots of harmful gasses can be used. This is because in industry it will have the relevant equipment to extract the dangerous fumes and dispose of them safely. In homes however where there won't be the relevant equipment to handle toxic fuels, more environmental friendly fuels can be used like gas. And for transport we have to consider the transporting of fuel issue so petrol which is a liquid can be used rather than more environmental friendly hydrogen as there is a possibility of leakage as it is a gas. However the world is subject to change so in 10 years time other fuels maybe used in place of these. Problems with these fuels There are various problems with these fuels. One of the major ones is that we as a nation rely on them too much (Coal, oil and gas). As they are fossil fuels they are in effect none renewable resources. At our rate of consumption it is predicted that these resource will be depleted within 100 years. Also the fossil fuels are the raw materials which supply the feed stock for our chemical industry. They can be processed to produce useful products such as; Polymers, medicines, solvents, adhesives etc. So how long can we afford to burn our chemical feedstock? There is also the issue of carbon dioxide emissions of these fuels. This is the major contributor to the greenhouse effect which causes the temperature of our environment to increase dramatically. Due to this, precautions are being made to reduce these emissions. Britain has been set a target to reduce its emissions by 35%. This could be achieved by the outright ban of coal and oil but nations are reluctant to do this as they have become so reliant on these resources. There is also the possibility of a spillage which can pollute rivers and streams and the environment. This can cause death to animals and plant life and there is also the enormous cost of cleaning it up after the disaster. If the carbon based fuel does not completely combust in the furnaces, carbon monoxide is produced and this can cause death by interfering with the blood stream. 2C + O2 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 2CO (impartial oxidation to give carbon monoxide) Also sulphur and nitrogen dioxide can be produced which contribute to harmful acid rain. Development of renewable resources As our reserves of fossil fuels are limited we must find alternative sources of energy. In the search for the alternatives, chemists and other scientists are now working to develop renewable resources such as: Biofuels This is when plants are grown to be used directly as fuels e.g. wood, animal waste and plant waste to produce alcohol and using waste products to produce biogas. Advantages – Renewable, help to reduce waste, used with simple technology. Disadvantages – Not large enough supply to replace fossil fuels at present rate of use. Nuclear Fuels Chain reaction involving the nuclei of isotopes of uranium 235 splitting to produce vast amounts of energy. Advantages – No carbon, nitrogen or sulphur as polluting byproducts. Disadvantages – Radioactive waste products are difficult to store and treat; which is a very expensive process Moving air: wind Energy of moving air is transferred into the motion of windmills and wind turbines Advantages – Renewable pollution and waste free; can be used in locality where energy is needed Disadvantages – Expensive, not reliable, noisy and ugly to the environment Hydroelectricity Water stored behind dams and waterfalls can be released and generate electricity by turning a generator. Advantages – Renewable, predictable, waste free and can be used on large scale. Disadvantages – Expensive to install, environmental impact of dams etc. Solar panels Panels of solar heat collectors, used to heat water in parts of world were sun is plentiful. Advantages – Renewable, no pollution Disadvantages – Require a lot of sunshine, Expensive initial cost, Very large scale to be suitable. Hydrogen Hydrogen is extracted quite cheaply from water by electrolysis and is used as a fuel. Advantages – No pollution as water is the only waste product. Disadvantages – Too dangerous and explosive, difficult to store and to use for transport or in domestic situations. Bibliography I would like to thank the following books, websites and teachers which I have used information from: Mrs. Chapman (teacher) www.Howstuffworks.com (website) Microsoft Encarta 2002 (CD ROM) Cambridge chemistry 1 by Brian Ratcliff (Book) Chemists in context Second edition by GC Hill and JS Holman (Book) Please note that I have used the information in no particular order however the information taken exactly from the resources has been written in italic. Matthew Stothers Chemistry

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Bpr Business Process Reenigneering

CONTENTS Topics| Page No. | Introduction| 4| Overview| 5| History| 6| BPR Methodology| 7| Advantages and disadvantages of BPR| 9| Case study- I| 11| Case study- II| 13| Conclusion| 24| References| 24| 1. INTRODUCTION Business process re-engineering  is a  business management strategy, originally pioneered in the early 1990s, focusing on the analysis and design of workflows and processes within an organization. BPR aimed to help  organizations  fundamentally rethink how they do their work in order to dramatically improve  customer service, cut  operational costs, and become world-class  competitors.In the mid-1990s, as many as 60% of the Fortune  companies claimed to either have initiated reengineering efforts, or to have plans to do so. BPR seeks to help companies radically restructure their organizations by focusing on the ground-up design of their business processes. According to Davenport (1990) a business process is a set of logically related tasks performed to ac hieve a defined business outcome. Re-engineering emphasized a  holistic  focus on business objectives and how processes related to them, encouraging full-scale recreation of processes rather than iterative optimization of sub processes.Business process re-engineering is also known as business process redesign, business transformation, or business process change management. Fig 1 2. OVERVIEW Business process re-engineering (BPR) began as a private sector technique to help organizations fundamentally rethink how they do their work in order to dramatically improve customer service, cut operational costs, and become world-class competitors. A key stimulus for re-engineering has been the continuing development and deployment of sophisticated information systems and networks.Leading organizations are becoming bolder in using this technology to support innovative business processes, rather than refining current ways of doing work. Reengineering guidance and relationship of Mission and Work Processes to Information Technology. Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is basically rethinking and radically redesigning an organization's existing resources. BPR, however, is more than just business improvising; it is an approach for redesigning the way work is done to better support the organization's mission and reduce costs.Reengineering starts with a high-level assessment of the organization's mission, strategic goals, and customer needs. Basic questions are asked, such as â€Å"Does our mission need to be redefined? Are our strategic goals aligned with our mission? Who are our customers? † An organization may find that it is operating on questionable assumptions, particularly in terms of the wants and needs of its customers. Only after the organization rethinks what it should be doing, does it go on to decide how best to do it.Within the framework of this basic assessment of mission and goals, re-engineering focuses on the organization's business processes†”the steps and procedures that govern how resources are used to create products and services that meet the needs of particular customers or markets. As a structured ordering of work steps across time and place, a business process can be decomposed into specific activities, measured, modeled, and improved.It can also be completely redesigned or eliminated altogether. Re-engineering identifies, analyzes, and re-designs an organization's core business processes with the aim of achieving dramatic improvements in critical performance measures, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. Re-engineering recognizes that an organization's business processes are usually fragmented into sub processes and tasks that are carried out by several specialized functional areas within the organization.Often, no one is responsible for the overall performance of the entire process. Re-engineering maintains that optimizing the performance of sub processes can result in some benefits, but cannot yield dr amatic improvements if the process itself is fundamentally inefficient and outmoded. For that reason, re-engineering focuses on re-designing the process as a whole in order to achieve the greatest possible benefits to the organization and their customers.This drive for realizing dramatic improvements by fundamentally re-thinking how the organization's work should be done distinguishes re-engineering from process improvement efforts that focus on functional or incremental improvement. 3. HISTORY In 1990, Michael Hammer, a former professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published an article in the Harvard Business Review, in which he claimed that the major challenge for managers is to obliterate forms of work that do not add value, rather than using technology for automating it.This statement implicitly accused managers of having focused on the wrong issues, namely that technology in general, and more specifically information technology, has be en used primarily for automating existing processes rather than using it as an enabler for making non-value adding work obsolete. Hammer's claim was simple: Most of the work being done does not add any value for customers, and this work should be removed, not accelerated through automation. Instead, companies should reconsider their processes in order to maximize customer value, while minimizing the consumption of resources required for delivering their product or service.A similar idea was advocated by Thomas H. Davenport and J. Short in 1990, at that time a member of the Ernst & Young research center, in a paper published in the Sloan Management Review This idea, to unbiased review a company’s business processes, was rapidly adopted by a huge number of firms, which were striving for renewed competitiveness, which they had lost due to the market entrance of foreign competitors, their inability to satisfy customer needs, and their insufficient cost structure.Even well-establi shed management thinkers, such as Peter Drucker and Tom Peters, were accepting and advocating BPR as a new tool for (re-)achieving success in a dynamic world. During the following years, a fast growing number of publications, books as well as journal articles, were dedicated to BPR, and many consulting firms embarked on this trend and developed BPR methods. However, the critics were fast to claim that BPR was a way to dehumanize the work place, increase managerial control, and to justify downsizing, i. e. major reductions of the ork force, and a rebirth of Taylorism under a different label. Despite this critique, reengineering was adopted at an accelerating pace and by 1993, as many as 60% of the Fortune 500 companies claimed to either have initiated reengineering efforts, or to have plans to do so. This trend was fueled by the fast adoption of BPR by the consulting industry, but also by the study Made in America, conducted by MIT, that showed how companies in many US industries had lagged behind their foreign counterparts in terms of competitiveness, time-to-market and productivity.Development after 1995 With the publication of critiques in 1995 and 1996 by some of the early BPR proponents, coupled with abuses and misuses of the concept by others, the reengineering fervor in the U. S. began to wane. Since then, considering business processes as a starting point for business analysis and redesign has become a widely accepted approach and is a standard part of the change methodology portfolio, but is typically performed in a less radical way as originally proposed.More recently, the concept of Business Process Management (BPM) has gained major attention in the corporate world and can be considered as a successor to the BPR wave of the 1990s, as it is evenly driven by a striving for process efficiency supported by information technology. Equivalently to the critique brought forward against BPR, BPM is now accused of focusing on technology and disregarding the pe ople aspects of change. 4. BPR METHODOLOGY BPR methodology is a structured sequence of activities that constitutes the typical BPR project. BPR refers to a re-design of business processes by using IT.Its methodology is to give a guideline or progress of how the business process to be re-designed. There are number of methodologies for an organization to practice. According to S. Muthu, L. Whitman and S. Hossein Cherahhi , there are 5 examples of BPR methodologies. To be simple, a consolidated methodology has been developed from those 5 methodologies. That is similar to the 5 phases mentioned in class: visioning, mobilization, process redesign, implementation and monitoring & maintaining. Fig 2 Phase 1: Triggering & Execution VisioningThis phase is to design the visions and directions that a company should go with in order to improve efficiency of the targeted business processes and customer satisfaction. In this stage, the organization should identify the reengineering opportunities, enabling technologies and direct impact on customers. Phase 2: Mobilization In this phase, a reengineering team should be formed. The team should outline the performance goals, BPR plan and budget. Processes to be redesigned should be selected. IT people are involved to make assessment on IT infrastructure and provide information for better business process redesign.Phase 3: Process Redesign This stage is to analyze and compare AS-IS processes and TO-BE processes. After identifying the potential improvements of the existing processes, modeling methods can be used to develop the TO-BE models. Integration can be done afterwards. Phase 4: Implementation Training programs are initiated in this stage to provide the skills of fitting the TO-BE processes. IT infrastructure and the organization are also need to be adjusted to fit the TO-BE processes. Phase 5: Monitoring and MaintainingThe new processes should be monitored and modified on a continuous basis, especially the progress of actio n and the results. To carry out a good BPR methodology, organizations are recommended to consider each phase carefully. Each phase should be comprehensive enough for execution to drive for a success in achieving the organization’s vision and strategy. Business Process Reengineering Principles * Organize around outcomes, not tasks . * Have those who use the output of the process perform the process. Subsume information-processing work into the real work that produces the information. * Treat geographically dispersed resources as though they were centralized. * Link parallel activities instead of integrating their results. * Put decision points where the work is performed and build controls into the process. * Capture information once and at the source. 5. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BPR Business process reengineering (BPR) is a program that systemically breaks down the process a business uses and starts over with new, more efficient methods — basically a redesign o r a reboot.A business process is a collection of procedures, steps or activities the business uses to get the product from development to the customer. Businesses use BPR for various reasons, including cutting costs and improving overall production. Nevertheless, BPR also has its drawbacks. * Identifies Waste and Encourages Ideas The aim of BPR is to help businesses pinpoint obsolete steps, items or workers in a business process. For example, if four workers perform a task, the business may discover only two workers can get the job done during reengineering. BPR encourages employee input and participation.The workers who have familiarity with the processes under study can point out flaws and voice ideas for improvement. * Requires Investment and the Right Business Types BPR typically requires an investment, particularly in technology. Outdated methods, such as doing a task by hand, face replacement by computer programs. The programs improve efficiency and reduce errors, but the comp any must invest in the software and training, a costly option for companies looking to cut expenses immediately. Not all business types benefit from BPR. For example, a manufacturing company may not have the option of edesigning processes without sacrificing safety or product quality. * Cuts Costs and Improves Functionality Removing unnecessary steps cuts down on time and confusion among workers. Assigning tasks that multiple workers would typically handle to one worker gives customers a clear point of contact for help or service. Even by investing more money in technology at the start, companies typically save money over time with the redesigned methods. For example, improving or updating electronic components incurs an up-front cost, but saves money over time by eliminating errors due to outdated components. Lowers Worker Morale Some workers may not adapt to the BPR changes, and those assigned new responsibilities can become overwhelmed. Other workers become obsolete if their prim ary function is eliminated as part of a process overhaul. Management must provide support and guidance during BPR. Failure of the management team to assist workers and set an example during the BPR process may lead to failure, disorganization and staff problems. RISKS IN BPR * Advocates report failure rates of 50% to 70% * Sutcliffe [1999] reviewed difficulties * Employee resistance to change * Inadequate attention to employee concerns Inappropriate staffing * Inadequate tools * Mismatch of strategies & goals * Lack of oversight * Failure of leadership commitment 6. CASE STUDY- II Mahindra & Mahindra: Implementing BPR Abstract: The case examines the reasons behind automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra's decision to implement a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) program. The case explores in detail the implementation procedure at the company and the benefits that accrued from the BPR program. In addition, the case discusses the concept of BPR, its benefits, and the steps that need t o be taken to ensure the success of such initiatives.Issues: Examine the benefits that a BPR program can offer to an organization when it is effectively implemented M;M's Problem Plants In the mid-1990s, India's largest multi utility vehicle (MUV) and tractor manufacturer M;M was facing serious problems at its Igatpuri and Kandivili plants in Maharashtra. The plants were suffering from manufacturing inefficiencies, poor productivity, long production cycle, and sub-optimal output. The reason: highly under-productive, militantly unionized, and bloated workforces.The company had over the years been rather lenient towards running the plants and had frequently crumbled under the pressure of union demands. The work culture was also reportedly very unhealthy and corruption was widespread in various departments. Alarmed at the plant's dismal condition, Chairman Keshub Mahindra tried to address the problem by sacking people who allegedly indulged in corrupt practices. M&M also tried to imple ment various voluntary retirement schemes (VRS), but the unions refused to cooperate and the company was unable to reduce the labor force.During this period, M&M was in the process of considering the implementation of a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) program throughout the organization including the manufacturing units. Because of the problems at the Igatpuri and Kandivili plants, M&M decided to implement the program speedily at its manufacturing units. The program, developed with the help of the UK-based Lucas Engineering Systems, was first implemented on an experimental basis at the engine plant in Igatpuri. Simultaneously, an exercise was initiated to assess the potential benefits of implementing BPR and its effect on the unions.M&M's management was not surprised to learn that the unions expressed extreme displeasure at the decision to implement BPR and soon went on a strike. However, this time around, the management made it clear that it would not succumb to union demands. Soon, the workers were surprised to see the company's senior staff come down to the plant and work in their place. With both the parties refusing to work out an agreement, observers began casting doubts on the future of the company's grand plans of reaping the benefits of BPR. Background NoteMahindra ; Mahindra Ltd. (M;M) was the flagship company of the Mahindra group, one of the top ten industrial houses in India. The company's history dates back to 1945, when two brothers, J. C. Mahindra and K. C. Mahindra, decided to start a business of general-purpose utility vehicles. The brothers formed a company, Mahindra & Mohammed Ltd. , in association with their friend Ghulam Mohammed. In October 1947, the first batch of 75 jeeps was released for the Indian market. In 1948, the company was renamed Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.Over the next few decades, the group promoted many companies in areas as diverse as hotels, financial services, auto components, information technology, infrastructure de velopment and trading to name a few (Refer Exhibit I for M&M's history). Though M;M had established itself in the markets and was among the leading players in many of the segments it operated in, it realized that some of its businesses were not closely related to its core business. This realization marked the beginning of the biggest change exercise since the company's inception. In 1994, a major restructuring exercise was initiated as part of a BPR program.M&M introduced a new organizational model, in which various divisions and companies were regrouped into six distinct clusters of related businesses, each headed by a president. M&M's core activities, automotive and tractors were made autonomous business units. The other activities of the group were organized into infrastructure, trade and financial services, telecommunication and automotive components. According to company sources, the whole exercise was intended to develop a conceptual map to provide direction for the future gro wth of various business lines.It was decided that, in future, the group would confine its expansion to the identified thrust sectors. The two main operating divisions of the company were the automotive division, which manufactured UVs and LCVs, and the farm equipment division, which made tractors and farm implements. The company employed over 17,000 people and had six state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities spread over 500,000 square meters. The plants were situated at Kandivili (MUVs and Tractors), Nasik (MUVs), Zaheerabad (LCVs, Voyager, three-wheelers), Igatpuri (Engines) andNagpur (Implements and tractors) Excerpts About BPR The concept of BPR was popularized in the early 1990s by Michael Hammer and James Champy in their best-selling book, ‘Reengineering the Corporation. ‘ The authors said that radical redesign and reorganization of an enterprise was necessary to lower costs and increase the quality of service. According to them, IT was the key enabler for that rad ical change. Hammer and Champy felt that the design of the workflow in most large corporations was based on assumptions about technology, people and organizational goals that were no longer valid.They recommended seven principles of reengineering for streamlining work processes and, consequently, achieving significant levels of improvement in quality, time management and cost (Refer Table I)†¦ M;M's Experience with BPR By the mid-1990s, BPR had become a popular tool globally, with many leading organizations implementing it. However, when M&M undertook the exercise, it was still a new concept in India. M&M's workforce, as mentioned earlier, resisted this attempt to reengineer the organization.Soon after the senior staff began working on the shop floors, the first signs of the benefits of BPR became evident. Around a 100 officers produced 35 engines a day as compared to the 1200 employees producing 70 engines in the pre-BPR days. After five months, the workers ended the strike an d began work in exchange for a 30% wage hike. As the situation returned to normalcy, BPR implementation gained momentum. M;M realized that it would have to focus on two issues when implementing the BPR program: reengineering the layout and method of working, and productivity†¦ The FutureSumming up the company's BPR experience, Anand Mahindra said, â€Å"Let me put it in a simple way. If we have facilities in Kandivili today, which are not just surviving but thriving, it is all due to BPR. 8. CONCLUSION The reengineering profoundly changes all aspects of business and people. Part of the organization is easy to change by reinventing a way to work. However, the other part, people, is very difficult to change. In particular, it requires not only jobs and skills change but also people's styles – the ways in which they think and behave – and their attitudes – what they believe is important about their work.These are indispensable factors to determine whether ree ngineering succeeds or not. Leaders must help people to cope with these changes. 9. REFERENCES * Business Process Change: Reengineering Concepts, Methods, and Technologies by Varun Autor Grover and William J. Kettinger * Business process reengineering: breakpoint strategies for market dominance by Henry J. Johansson * Business process reengineering: an executive resource for implementation by Harold S. Resnick * www. bus. iastate. edu/ for case study references.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Proctor & Gamble Case Study

Background Proctor & Gamble (P&G) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of a wide array of products, including many household grocery items – antiperspirants, baby care, household cleaners, skin care, fabric care, food & beverages, laundry, etc. At the end of 2001, P&G had net sales of over $39.2 billion1. P&G is known as a dominant, aggressive developer and marketer of high-quality consumer goods. Their stock prices have returned almost 500% return in the last decade alone.2 They have been in business for over 150 years. Early on, the P&G growth strategy was isolated in three main areas – acquisitions, developing new product brands (as well as further developing existing brands), and globalization. Because of a law-suit in 1957 regarding acquisitions, P&G was forced to focus on new branding and international expansion over the next twenty years3. Focusing on the international aspect of business, P&G aggressively expanded their domestic household products by merely duplicating the U.S. products and marketing them into global markets. From 1953 to 1985, P&G went from an International portfolio of zero to $4 billion. Ed Artzt, the president of P&G International, refined their products by actually tailoring them to each individual global market. This refinement of marketing enabled P&G to jump to $15 billion in International sales by 1993. Ed Artzt became the CEO of P&G in 19904. Regarding the development of existing and new brands, P Food/Beverage; Paper; Soap; and Special Products (i.e. chemicals). Within each sector were product categories. Each category was then in charge of a group of brands. Interestingly, in the 1980’s P&G, as well as other manufacturers, grew to accept the ‘forward buying’ of promoted merchandise. By the mid 1980’s, the industry stocked a 3 month supply of many brands5. This was obviously a tremendous disadvantag... Free Essays on Proctor & Gamble Case Study Free Essays on Proctor & Gamble Case Study Background Proctor & Gamble (P&G) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of a wide array of products, including many household grocery items – antiperspirants, baby care, household cleaners, skin care, fabric care, food & beverages, laundry, etc. At the end of 2001, P&G had net sales of over $39.2 billion1. P&G is known as a dominant, aggressive developer and marketer of high-quality consumer goods. Their stock prices have returned almost 500% return in the last decade alone.2 They have been in business for over 150 years. Early on, the P&G growth strategy was isolated in three main areas – acquisitions, developing new product brands (as well as further developing existing brands), and globalization. Because of a law-suit in 1957 regarding acquisitions, P&G was forced to focus on new branding and international expansion over the next twenty years3. Focusing on the international aspect of business, P&G aggressively expanded their domestic household products by merely duplicating the U.S. products and marketing them into global markets. From 1953 to 1985, P&G went from an International portfolio of zero to $4 billion. Ed Artzt, the president of P&G International, refined their products by actually tailoring them to each individual global market. This refinement of marketing enabled P&G to jump to $15 billion in International sales by 1993. Ed Artzt became the CEO of P&G in 19904. Regarding the development of existing and new brands, P Food/Beverage; Paper; Soap; and Special Products (i.e. chemicals). Within each sector were product categories. Each category was then in charge of a group of brands. Interestingly, in the 1980’s P&G, as well as other manufacturers, grew to accept the ‘forward buying’ of promoted merchandise. By the mid 1980’s, the industry stocked a 3 month supply of many brands5. This was obviously a tremendous disadvantag...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Importance of Deductive Reasoning Essays - Reasoning, Logic

The Importance of Deductive Reasoning Essays - Reasoning, Logic The Importance of Deductive Reasoning CRT/205 April 6, 2014 Captain E.F. Rollins The Importance of Deductive Reasoning The reason that it is important to understand what is known prior to making a decision is you cannot make a good decision without knowing what it is that you are deciding on. For example in Argument 2, Mark wants to lease his dream vehicle, a Jeep, and to continue to live life without considering his growing family (University of Phoenix, n.d.). Sally, on the other hand, wants to buy a van with all the bells and whistles (University of Phoenix, n.d.). Each are not considering the actual issue which is they need a reliable vehicle within their price range. Because Mark and Sally are not focused on what they should be deciding on, they will make a poor decision such as a car that is not suitable for a family or a car they cannot afford. The role of deductive reasoning in the decision making process is it helps you determine all the important facts regarding making a decision. Argument 3 is about buying a home versus renting an apartment (University of Phoenix, n.d.). This argument outlines good reasons to buy instead of rent such as low interest rates, deduction of interest on taxes, and more privacy (University of Phoenix, n.d.). What the argument does not address is the down side to owning a home. Home repairs should be considered when weighing whether to buy or rent since some repairs can be quite costly. Also, where the home is located, whether the home is affordable and added cost of insurance and taxes in the mortgage should be deciding factors in this decision. Without taking everything in consideration, a first time buyer could end up making a huge error in their decision making process by purchasing a home they cannot afford or purchasing a home in an undesirable neighborhood. The way the process of deductive reasoning aids in understanding an argument is by helping you separate relevant information from irrelevant information. In Argument 5 regarding whether or not to cheat, Cyndi is trying to convince Jenna that it is ok to cheat because everyone does it and everyone needs extra help sometimes (University of Phoenix, n.d.). These claims are irrelevant and not valid. What is relevant is Jenna maintaining academic honesty in submitting work that is her own (University of Phoenix, n.d.). If Jenna does not use deductive reasoning and separate the relevant from the irrelevant, she could be swayed by Cyndi to make the decision to cheat and face serious consequences like being expelled from school. REFERENCES University of Phoenix. (n.d.). Deductive reasoning. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, CRT205 - Critical Thinking website. University of Phoenix. (2012). What is critical thinking, anyway? Retrieved from University of Phoenix, CRT205 - Critical Thinking website.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Wk4(31)disc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk4(31)disc - Essay Example They also suggest that the furniture in the room should be inviting, which I agree. I think that the office of a therapist should reflect their own personality in some way and that books and paintings on the wall will give the client a "first impression" that will either make them want to stay or leave immediately. Carl Rogers said that listening was the most important skill that a counselor could have and I believe that listening can build instant rapport. Many times people who come to counseling have not been listened to and by listening; the therapist has brought them immediately into the space. Rogers linked listening with empathy, according to Intentional Interviewing and Counseling, and I feel that this does show empathy to the client. When I have been interviewed for anything, a person who listens intently makes me feel as though they understand me and want to get to know me better. This is a skill that I believe makes up a majority of the counseling profession. I think that when the environment matches the counselors attitude and personality that it is easi er for a client to stay focused and be at peace to share what they need to share in the counseling relationship. Although most counselors would want to believe that they do not have biases, I know that we all have them. I think that much of my bias comes from people that I do not know well or who go against my moral code. One of the groups that I have had to learn more about is those who are from the Middle East. Because they have been so much a part of the challenges that we face with the War in Iraq and because they have been accused of being terrorists, it is difficult to work with this client because I am never sure what they are really thinking. I am always hesitant to approach an individual who looks like they are from the Middle East because of this bias. If I felt

Friday, November 1, 2019

Analysis for Isle of Wight Food Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis for Isle of Wight Food Show - Essay Example Wiley Events has been the leading event organising company in the IOW. Micro-environment 1.1 The Isle of Wight (IOW) Food Show The IOW has organised the food show for the 3rd time, generally taking place in the first weekend of May. The IOW food show is jointly organised by Isle of Wight Tourism, Isle of White Chamber of Commerce, the Island Traders’ Association and Wiley Events. It is a two-day event taking place from 1pm to 6 pm. Entry to the festival is free as per the Needles Park pay per attraction policy. Exhibitors are charged ?200 for the services rendered to them. Venue of the food show is Needles Park, Alum Bay in the North West of the island. Various stakeholders to the food show include accommodation providers, event organisers, transporters, visitor attractions, the local council and DMO. 1.2 Wiley Events Wiley Events has been the leader in the line of bespoke event management since 2001. Teddy Toddington and Pippa Powell, the partners of Wiley Events carry 20 yea rs experience in event organising. Both are experts in their own right and divide job functions as per their acumen in different event management functions. Wiley is also into advisory role of offering consultancy services to other companies particularly in the areas of sales, operations and administration. 1.3 Isle of Wight Tourism There are 21 specific touring sites, as identified by tourism data. Caravan sites also organise touring and camping, capturing 8% visitors of the event market. Summer is the peak season of tourism in the IOW when occupancy rate is 80%, which reduces to 37% in the spring and 19% in the autumn season. There are 60 worth-seeing sites, as per the Attractions Mini-guide 2005 and places of interest could be 200, as taken from the Tourism Baseline Audit 2003. Macro-environment 1.4 The Isle of Wight – Tourism destination – economy, social, cultural trends, physical environment, business environment Measuring 23 miles by 13 miles, the Isle of Wight boasts of near about 2.6 million visitors each year with an approximate tourism spend of ?352 million a year, tourism being 24% of the Island’s GDP and the first tourism destination to encourage quality and supervised stay facility; Once reaching to the Isle of Wright, one finds the transport infrastructure fully customised for visitors’ comfort. Cultural trends include such events as Taste Festivals, which are held at various places to celebrate local culinary talent. Business environment is very competitive with the Isle of Wight remaining on the top by getting awards for organising festivals, just to name the winning of music festival as the ‘Best Major Festival’ while the award for ‘Best Medium Size Festival’ was cornered for the third year consecutively. Business on the island depends on the initiatives of the stakeholders to use tourism as a tool to re-energise the economy. Success in leveraging this tool can be doubtful if only the trad itional niche area of the tourism portfolio is given attention by focussing just on summer holiday customers and coach and school group market. To reap the benefit, investment on facility and quality staff provision is mandatory otherwise actual contribution of tourism in the local economy would slow down. Negative outcomes can appear in traffic snarls to the displeasure of local people and affecting environment and standard of living. Businesses won’t be able to expand to raise the quality benchmark. Public sector can withdraw support if any of the symptoms