Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Statement - Essay Example This truly is where my heart resides. The Health Care Administration specialization was interesting, but I could see that it was not taking me where I wanted to go professionally. I looked into the specialization for Human Services and feel that this is a better fit for me professionally and personally. The Health Care Administration program required many hours of group preparation and group work. This was not possible for me because I work full time and have other important family responsibilities. I know that I will need to make sacrifices to further my education, but I felt that what I would need to sacrifice in order to obtain a Masters in Health Care Administration was too much. I especially felt this way once I realized I was moving away from my real interest, which is social work. I do not anticipate any academic concerns that were experienced in the Health Care Administration specialization. I have been assured that there is less group work in the Human Services specialization and that it is more conducive to working a full time job and having family obligations. I will also be a more motivated, thoughtful student because the coursework is more applicable to my current employment and interests. The main reason I am so excited about the Human Services Masters degree is I believe it will make me better at my current position. I already possess the values, knowledge and skills necessary to be a good social worker. I feel that increased education will make me even more effective. The most immediate outcome of earning the degree is I will be better at my job. Other reasons I want to get this degree are it will open the possibility of career advancement. I am pleased with the job I currently have. But I recognize that in the future, I would like to take on more responsibility and manage other employees and more difficult cases. So in some ways, I feel that I want to earn this degree because it will help my current situation

NORTH KOREA :: essays research papers

In a discussion with the United States and China in Beijing on April 24, 2003, North Korean officials admitted for the first time that they possessed nuclear weapons. North Korean officials claim to have reprocessed and reproduced spent fuel rods and have threatened to begin exporting nuclear materials, unless the United States agrees to one-on-one talks with North Korea. Tension between the United States and North Korea have been running pretty stiff and high since early October of 2002. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly informed North Korean officials that the United States was aware that North Korea had a program that was allowing them to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. Initially North Korea denied this, but later confirmed the veracity of the US claim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In confirming that they had an active nuclear weapons program, they also declared the Agreed Framework agreement. The Agreed Framework signed by the United States and North Korea on October 21, 1994 in Geneva agreed that: 1.) North Korea would freeze its existing nuclear program and agree to enhanced International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. 2.) Both sides would cooperate to replace the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) graphite-moderated reactors for related facilities with light-water (LWR) power plants. 3.) Both countries would move toward full normalization of political and economic relations. 4.) Both sides will work together for peace and security on a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. 5.) Both sides would work to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning in the 1960s, the Soviet Union supplied various types of missiles, nuclear power technology, and training to North Korea. China began supplying North Korea with missile technology in the 1970s. The North Korean nuclear weapons program was officially up and running with full force in the 1980s.

The Sucess of Spain in the New World

The Success of Spain in the New World During the sixteenth century after Christopher Columbus discovery of the new world, many European empires were attracted to the new world. Among all the empires that ruled over the new world; Spain was the most successful one. The reason for their success over the other empire was due to their ability to manipulate the economy, establishment of political system and their relation with the aboriginals and the disease they brought in the new world. It wasn’t an easy for them to settle compare to other empires but during the time they were in control of parts of the new world. It brought them an enormous amount of wealth. The main motives of the Conquistadors were to extract resources, increase trade, spread Christianity and build a Spanish empire. After the Spanish had well settled in the New World. They immediately started trading with the mother country. The Spanish exploited lots of the goods that they received from the new world. They were extracting goods from the New World and were sending them to Spain where it was traded to other countries. The commons goods that they were trading were Silver, Spices and gold. During that time these goods were rare in Europe and had great value. Trading these goods brought a huge amount of riches to Spain. Spain was successful to make great use of the New World. They have gained a lot of money from the new world which supported them in battle and increasing its army. This will classify Spain as one of the successful leaders because they used the new world to their advantage to support them financially and the aboriginal people did not rebel against the fact that the Spanish are taking away their goods and they are not getting anything. This is because of the rules and oppression that the Spanish introduced. It was a great success as they were able to control the aboriginal people. During that time Spain revolved around Christianity. They were willing to do anything to save Christianity even go to war. After they established in the new world they knew that it would be an opportunity to convert the indigenous people into Christian which would increase the population of Christian throughout the new world. They wanted to take this action because during that time the protestant was just formed and they were threatened by their presence in Europe. They opposed their religion even more than their language over the indigenous tribes. Missionaries, the army and Spanish citizens used to destroy and stop every religious item or ritual that was not part of Catholicism. Later on to it became more all-pervading as they were burning anyone who did not wanted to convert to Christianity alive. After eliminating all of the subjects that were against conversion they were left will all Catholics. Since they were all sharing the same beliefs more or less it helped in decreasing conflicts between the indigenous and the Spanish. The missionaries were still carrying out their job by preaching to the indigenous folks to make them more knowledgeable about Christianity. By using these following procedures they were able to implement their religion through the New World which was one of the objective to conquer the New World. The Spanish established a great political system to the New World. While they were in the process of taking over the New World they’ve used a smart political strategy to take over the country. Whenever there was a fight between two prodigious tribe the Spanish always use to ally with the stronger side and help them defeat the weaker side. By doing so they had eliminated and weakened many major tribes in the New World. Afterward they usually turn against the tribe they allied with if they do not accept the conditions of the conquistadors, which were commonly conversion to Christianity. This process made domination of the New World easier for the Spanish because at the end they were only left with a limited number of feeble tribes or village to take over. They also used to establish new laws when they were taking over. They had put in effect a new law that the indigenous people cannot have a metal sword in their procession. By doing so they eliminated some of the threat that they might face. Since the indigenous people were not allowed to have an effectual weapon in procession they would not be able to rebel against the Spanish as they were not in procession of any weapons that can harm the Spanish as most of the weapons that could be protential dangers were taken away from them. They brought in diseases with them that soon spread through the Indian community which resulted in death of millions. It was not the intention of the Spanish to harm the Indians instead they wanted to use the Indians as labour. After this event there was a discussion in Spain about the rights of the aboriginal people. This whole issued lead to a debate about the right of the aboriginal people and new laws were in issue for Spanish colonies in the new world. The Spanish introduced law/rules based on a constitution in the New World. Since lots of the aboriginal people died from those diseases their tribe were not strong enough to oppose the Spanish and they also needed the Spanish for their remedies for these diseases that they have never seen before. This also contributed to their success as the tribes were weaken and couldn’t confront them. Also because the aboriginals had to rely on them for medication. This made the Spanish important figures in that society. The aboriginals were dependant on the Spanish due to the disease that they brought along with them. The disease wasn’t not the only reason why the aboriginal people were oppressed by the Spanish and didn’t do anything. The Spanish had an advance military and they’ve use a smart strategy to keep the Indian in control. They’ve allied with bigger tribe. So smaller tribe couldn’t go against their will as they were being oppressed by both the Spanish and the bigger tribes so they had to do whatever the Spanish wanted them to do.

Research Paper on Knowledge In the field Management

Quality assurance and product perfection is what every organization is aiming to achieve to attract and maintain customers for long in the business industry. To achieve these objectives proper planning and concentration by top management should be established to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of every individual. The success of any business is because of combined efforts among different departments and the commitment of every employee in the organization. As a manager in my organization aiming to produce the best products and services, the first thing is to ensure quality of the workers, all must be professional in their fields so that each one knows exactly what is supposed to be done at what time. I will work extra hard and ensure I set targets for every employee so that each one works knowing that targets must be achieved within a certain stipulated time. I will instill a sense of commitment to them, proper coordination of departments should be highly planned, and follow step by step their functions giving them guidelines whenever necessary and they should be responsible for any mistake. Also utilization of resources is essential since too much waste may lead to high operational cost hence the organization will not achieve the objectives on time and time is the greatest asset of any company, wasting it will pull the company miles back behind (Wales, 2010). The other plan is to put quality control measures at each stage of production. This will ensure that there are no defects or they are minimized. For customer satisfaction, I will have the overall responsibility of making sure that every procedure is followed to the latter although every participant has a role in ensuring good results. In addition, rules and regulations have to be in place so that every worker follows the right procedure. The right channel of communication and passing information in the company should be rectified, for me I will liaise with the telecommunication industry so that they can ensure up to date equipments are installed to facilitate quick processing of information (Wales, 2010). In any company, there are control systems, which facilitate the continuity of duties and smooth running of events. The boards of directors have greater influence on the structure of the control system this because it entails the broader objectives of the company like the financial strategy, effectiveness of management board and monitoring and evaluation of the information system. The board also ensures the employees integrity, competence, and operating style and persuade the audit committee to keep proper records. The control system actually provides the main functions and at the same time disciplining the other components of the structure. If the system fails to function then the organization will definitely fall due to lack of direction and accountability. My organization ensures specialization therefore the risk of some departments being dysfunctional is actually minimized. We strictly follow the format that was put in place in 1992 by the COSO report, which actually put in place components that should be operational in any organization. The components of this structure include control environment, risk assessment, control activities, and monitoring. All these components with proper passage of information amongst them will provide the necessary decisions that the company will rely on for it to achieve its’ objectives (Colbert Bowen, 1996). Control system need to be plan properly because it is the driving force of the organization. With the above components it is very simple if each one of the workers cooperate and the departments are closely monitored so that none will be left behind dragging the efforts of those working extra hard round the clock. Multiple criteria should be applied to establish the viability of each determined plan. The criteria should be analyzed before application and always there are some factors that need to be considered in the planning process. First, the criterion should be acceptable; that is it must accomplish the expected targets. Acceptability verifies whether the work force, resources and the time invested in the organization is worth the venture and is it reliable to the legal constrains. The other point is that the criteria should be adequate implying that it should determine the range and concept of the activities planned. It should establish the efficiency of completing tasks and enab le satisfactory of the management efforts (Simmons, 1996). The criteria should also be complete and give full description of the organizational structure. Be complete in such a way that it give all answers pertaining a particular thing, shows what are the objectives and when are they to be completed showing the format of handling tasks and more so specifying the urgent needs of the organization. Apart from being complete, the control system should be distinguishable from any other course of action within the organization and is recognized from other systems. Since the control system is for the good will of the company, it must be flexible and allow changes since the organizational structure keeps on changing from time to time depending on the market conditions. This is actually the systematic procedure for evaluation of the control system and the board’s plan. The criterion flexibility should be focused to additional research during the analysis, implementation, and testing of the desired measures. Universally I think the possible pro blems will be reliable for assessing the quality of the plan. Possible scale from 0-100% or a scale from uncertainty may be comparable the constructive. Focusing on the probability scale I propose to establish three zones: a red zone where possibility is less than 50%, a yellow zone greater than 50% but less than 75%, and a green zone where possibility is greater than 75%. Following these composite steps will evaluate the plan successfully (Power 2006). For quality products and services to be achieved, the management should put in place certain principles that facilitate the proposed procedures and work towards attaining them. The first principle is customer focused. Since the company’s main goal is to make profits, the customers should be treated with the utmost care. Therefore, their needs and expectations should be taken care of so that whenever they get the services they feel satisfied. The usefulness of this is that it will lead to increased revenue, effectiveness, and customer loyalty. The techniques involved include carrying out market research and ensuring that the quality of the products is maintained. Constant communication with the customers and responding to their specifications helps keep their trust. The other essential for quality management is good leadership. Managers promote unity of action and give direction to the company by creating a conducive environment where each employee feels part of the team. Good leadership therefore helps to motivate workers and make them work hard towards achieving the objectives of the organization and minimize cases of miscommunication among the various departments. The technique applied here is emphasizing the mission and vision of the organization and setting up clear and achievable targets for each individual. The leaders should also accept criticism, share values, fairness, and ethical role models promoting trust and minimizing fear among the workers and also by giving them incentives and promotions done on merits. More so, the managers should also involve everyone right from the junior employees to the seniors, for they all contribute to the success of the organization. Their creativity and innovation should be encouraged and be allowed to work independently so as to avoid cases of mistrust and jealousy among themselves but have a healthy competition; this will enhance their effectiveness, competence and gain the required experience as they develop themselves. Again, the management should engage what is call system approach management to identify, comprehend, and supervise interrelated methods of realizing effectiveness and efficiency of every group. This help in building confidence and consistency of the organization. Another important principle of management is continual improvement. An organization should actually ensure that it performs better each term and if possible think of even expansion of it’s’ services to include other products. Continuity has to be the main objective since you can just enter into a business that has no future. Seizing opportunities all the time should be the interest of every leader. This is achieved by constant and regular training offered to employees and adapting new technologies quickly. Lastly, the leader should be good in decision-making and know when to take actions in handling a situation (Power, 2006). Being in this profession and in particular this organization has brought a lot of impact to my life. First it has expose me to a lot of challenges which are too demanding and needs quick decisions this makes me open minded and act fast to situations providing quick solutions and also gaining a lot of experiences. Due to frequent traveling in the organization I have meet several people of all types and status hence it has helped me to socialize and learn different cultures and their adaptability to life Simmons, 1996). For sure, nothing can be as interesting as being a leader in an organization especially one that is striving very well. Quality management is actually the driving force in any organization and without sound management, that particular organization will not live to achieve its’ objectives. References: Colbert, J. and Bowen, P. (1996). A comparison of internal controls: CobiT, SAC, COSO and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SAS. Canada: Altamonte springs. Power, D. (2006). What criteria should be used for evaluating proposed plan? Boston:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Houghton Mifflin Co.

Biography of Charles Vane, English Pirate

Charles Vane (c. 680–1721) was an English pirate active during the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly from 1700 to 1725. Vane distinguished himself by his unrepentant attitude toward piracy and his cruelty to those he captured. Although his primary hunting grounds were the Caribbean, he ranged from the Bahamas north along the East Coast of North America as far as New York. He was known as a skilled navigator and combat tactician, but he often alienated his crews. After being abandoned by his last crew, he was arrested, tried, convicted, and hanged in 1721. Start of a Career Very little is known about Vanes early life, including his parents, his birthplace, and any formal education he acquired. He arrived in Port Royal, Jamaica, sometime during the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), and in 1716 he began serving under the infamous pirate Henry Jennings, based in Nassau, Bahamas. In late July 1715, a Spanish treasure fleet was hit by a hurricane off the coast of Florida, dumping tons of Spanish gold and silver not far from shore. As the surviving Spanish sailors salvaged what they could, pirates made a beeline for the wreck site. Jennings, with Vane on board, was one of the first to reach the site. His buccaneers raided the Spanish camp on shore, making off with some 87,000 British pounds in gold and silver. Rejection of a Pardon In 1718, King George I of England issued a blanket pardon for all pirates who wished to return to an honest life. Many accepted, including Jennings. Vane, however, scoffed at the notion of retirement and soon became the leader of those in Jennings crew who refused the pardon. Vane and several other pirates outfitted a small sloop, the Lark, for service as a pirate vessel. On Feb. 23, 1718, the royal Frigate HMS Phoenix arrived in Nassau, part of an attempt to convince the remaining pirates to surrender. Vane and his men were captured  but were released as a goodwill gesture. Within a couple weeks, Vane and some of his die-hard companions were ready to resume piracy. Soon he had 40 of Nassaus worst cutthroats, including seasoned buccaneer Edward England and Calico Jack Rackham, who later became a notorious pirate captain. Reign of Terror By April 1718, Vane had a handful of small ships and was ready for action. He captured 12 merchant ships that month. He and his men treated captured sailors and merchants cruelly, whether they surrendered or fought. One sailor was bound hand and foot and tied to the top of the bowsprit; the pirates threatened to shoot him if he didnt reveal where the treasure on board was located. Fear of Vane drove commerce in the area to a halt. His hunting grounds eventually ranged from the Bahamas along the East Coast of North America as far north as New York. Vane knew that Woodes Rogers, the new British governor of the Bahamas, would be arriving soon. Deciding that his position in Nassau was too weak, he set out to capture a larger pirate ship. He soon took a 20-gun French ship and made it his flagship. In June and July of 1718, he seized many more small merchant vessels, more than enough to keep his men happy. He triumphantly re-entered Nassau, essentially taking over the town. Bold Escape On July 24, 1718, as Vane and his men prepared to set off again, a Royal Navy frigate sailed into the harbor with the new governor. Vane controlled the harbor and its small fort, which flew a pirate flag. He welcomed the governor by firing immediately on the Royal Navy fleet and then sending a letter to Rogers demanding that he be allowed to dispose of his plundered goods before accepting the kings pardon. As night fell, Vane knew his situation had deteriorated, so he set fire to his flagship and sent it toward the navy ships, hoping to destroy them in a massive explosion. The British fleet hurriedly cut its anchor lines and got away. Vane and his men escaped. Meeting With Blackbeard Vane continued pirating with some success, but he still dreamed of the days when Nassau was under his control. He headed to North Carolina, where Edward Blackbeard Teach had gone semi-legitimate. The two pirate crews partied for a week in October 1718 on the shores of Ocracoke Island. Vane hoped to convince his old friend to join in an attack on Nassau, but Blackbeard declined, having too much to lose. Deposed by His Crew On Nov. 23, Vane ordered an attack on a frigate that turned out to be a French Navy warship. Outgunned, Vane broke off the fight and fled, though his crew, led by the reckless Calico Jack, wanted to stay and fight to take the French ship. The next day, the crew deposed Vane as captain and elected Calico Jack instead. Vane and 15 others were given a small sloop, and the two pirate crews went their separate ways. Capture Vane and his small band managed to capture a few more ships and by December they had five. They headed for the Bay Islands of Honduras, but a massive hurricane soon scattered their ships. Vanes sloop was destroyed and most of his men drowned; he was left shipwrecked on a small island. After a few miserable months, a British ship arrived. Vane tried to join the crew under a false name, but he was recognized by the captain of the second vessel that met the British ship. Vane was placed in chains and taken to Spanish Town, Jamaica, where he was imprisoned. Death and Legacy Vane was tried for piracy on March 22, 1721. The outcome was in little doubt, as a long line of witnesses testified against him, including many of his victims. He was hanged on March 29, 1721, at Gallows Point in Port Royal. His body was hung from a gibbet near the entrance to the harbor as a warning to other pirates. Vane is remembered today as one of the most unrepentant pirates of all time. His greatest impact may have been his steadfast refusal to accept a pardon, giving other like-minded pirates a leader to rally around. His hanging and the subsequent display of his body may have contributed to the hoped-for effect: The Golden Age of Piracy came to an end not long after his demise. Sources Defoe, Daniel (Capt. Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Dover Publications, 1999.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Lyons Press, 2009.Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Beacon Press, 2004.Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.Famous Pirates: Charles Vane. Thewayofthepirates.com.

Bp Management, Ethical And Social Behavior - 1114 Words

In the month of April 2010, Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing 11 workers and releasing oil from the well into an ocean. This paper will discuss BP management, ethical and social behavior. BP along with a few of its partners Transocean and Halliburton was involved in the gulf oil spill. The explosion of the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon was the root cause of the oil spill. This paper will focus on BP organization behavioral issues that caused the economic, environmental, and human losses. The research further focuses on what BP leadership could have done as a precautionary measure using highest ethics and management behavior. BP Organization Culture A unique set of principles, vision, and discipline drives corporate behavior and culture. Robbins and Judge (2014) describe culture as, â€Å"shared meaning held by the members† (p.465). The culture guides the employee motivation and their behavior towards customers and the external world. One of the management skills is supporting individual and team by understanding and communicating with them. Ability to analyze and diagnose complex scenario is also a management skill. Various levels of diversity bring rich skills to organization such as creativity, interpersonal views. BP leaders constantly demonstrated poor leadership qualities by acting the way they wanted. Displaying of one’s emotions in the workplace has greater impact on collaboration and productivity. Let us examine how BP culture contributed to the oil disaster. BP asShow MoreRelatedEthics Reflection Paper1094 Words   |  5 Pagesunconditionally placed social and ethical responsibility with administrative legal and compliance obligations, regulations and rules. Today, a company’s ethical behavior is vital to the success of the company. Consumers not only expect but demand that a company is visible in their practices and are held accountable for their actions; be it through internal regulations and rules through the involvement of the government. In this paper, there will be discussions of the social responsibility and roleRead MoreSustainability Report of BP1447 Words   |  6 PagesWhat responsibility did the executives of BP have in making more socially responsible and safety conscious decisions at the expense of not meeting the consumer demand of cheap gas and thus lowering the returns for shareholders and their own compensation? Executives in many prominent companies must constantly be aware of consumer sentiments in regards to business practices. As such, executives have a very compelling social obligation for safety and compliance. This is particularly important in industriesRead MoreThe Hurricane Katrina Disaster And The Bp Oil Spill Tragedy941 Words   |  4 PagesAbstract This essay relates ethical behavior in high-profile events, as well as examining various regulatory and sustainability market approaches to business environmental responsibilities. The paper focuses on two major occurrences; the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the BP oil spill tragedy. Hurricane Katrina entered into records as one of the worst disasters ever to hit the US, the storm is considered as the most disastrous and damaging in the US history inRead MoreEthics Paper MGT/498852 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Ethics Paper MGT/498 Professor: The primary purpose of ethics and social responsibility is imperative to the way we do business and live amongst society. Ethics most commonly know as the rights and wrongs are principles and standards that establish what is know as acceptable conduct within an organization. Organizations have moral and legal duties to implement ethics when developing a strategic plan while considering stakeholders and consumers, they do not want to beRead MoreAchieving Fit for Corporate Social Responsibility631 Words   |  3 PagesAchieving Fit for Corporate Social Responsibility Evaluating the measure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is as much an attempt to ascertain ethical conduct of interactions with stakeholders, as it is a management tool of to limit liability. A research summary of Corporate Responsibility Best Practices, notes that 72% of NYSE Euronext traded firms surveyed have a formal corporate responsibility programs in place (Corporate Responsibility Officer Association, 2011, p. 6). Just 20% of theRead MoreBp Pipeline Case Regarding Ethical Behavior And Decision Makin1709 Words   |  7 PagesBP Pipeline Case regarding Ethical Behaviors and Decision-Makin British Petroleum (BP) has been operating in the United States for decades. They have required most of their refineries through acquisitions in the med the 1900’s, which helped them to become one of the leading oil producers in the world. The acquisition of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska refineries produces more than five percent of America’s oil. Therefore, it guaranteed BP’s economic goals by continuing producing oil in the United StatesRead MoreStrategic Planning at BP1198 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The planning function is where management seeks to design corporate actions that will help the organization meet its strategic objectives. The strategic planning process is usually step-based, in order to ensure that the organization takes a proactive approach to planning, rather than a reactive approach. The strategic planning process begins with setting the corporate mission and objectives as the first step. Most corporations will have a broad vision for the company an d a mission that are expressedRead MoreEthics, Negligence, and Environmental Issues in Business1685 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Ethics in Business 1. Discuss the ethical, negligence, and environmental issues you see in this case. BP’s negligence resulted in severe repercussions for the company, employees, and the environment. After being advised on multiple occasions of the issues concerning maintenance of pipelines, BP’s behavior in the issue of the Prudhoe Bay pipeline can be seen as unethical because it did not meet its social responsibilities/obligations to the community or its employees. Ignoring these obligationsRead MoreBritish Petroleum ( Bp Plc )1604 Words   |  7 PagesAnother company that has recently conducted poor social responsibility is British Petroleum (BP plc). For those unfamiliar, BP, a multinational company headquartered in London, England, is one of the world’s seven major oil and gas companies operating in all areas of the oil and gas industry. These industries include the likes of exploration, production, distribution, marketing, and power generation, along with several other area s. With that much integration in one particular industry, a large corporationRead MoreEssay on Ethics in the Workplace - Bp Oil Spill1729 Words   |  7 PagesEthics in the Workplace Case Study: BP Oil Spill On April 20, 2010 off the Gulf of Mexico, there was a blowout of the Macondo well which is owned by British Petroleum also known as BP. When the blowout took place it got immediate media attention because aspects of the event were known over the world. Within events transpiring it was discovered how limited the resources and reaction to the disaster was going to be. This paper will detail aspects of the event from symptoms of the problem, the root

Chapter 6 †Planning Capacity Free Essays

chapter 6: Planning capacity Capacity the maximum rate of output of a process or a system. Acquisition of new capacity requires extensive planning, and often involves significant expenditure of resources and time. Capacity decisions must be made in light of several long-term issues such as the firm’s economies and diseconomies of scale, capacity cushions, timing and sizing strategies, and trade-offs between customer service and capacity utilization. We will write a custom essay sample on Chapter 6 – Planning Capacity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Planning capacity across the organization Accounting provide cost information needed to evaluate capacity expansion Finance financial analysis of proposed capacity expansion investments and raises funds Marketing demand forecasts needed to identify capacity gaps. Operations selection of capacity strategies that can be implemented to effectively meet future demand. Human Resources hiring and training employees needed to support internal capacity plans. planning long-term capacity When choosing a capacity strategy: How much of a cushion is needed to handle variable or uncertain demand? Should we expand capacity ahead of demand, or wait until demand is more certain? easures of capacity and utilization Output Measures Are best utilized when applied to individual processes within the firm, or when the firm provides a relatively small number of standardized services and products. For example, a car manufacturing plant may measure capacity in terms of the number of cars produced per day. Inputs Measures Are used for low-volume, fle xible processes (custom products). For example a custom furniture maker might measure capacity in terms of inputs such as number of workstations or number of workers. The problem of input measures is that demand is expressed as an output rate. If the furniture maker wants to keep up with demand, he must convert the business’s annual demand for furniture into labor hours and number of employees required to fulfill those hours. Utilization Degree to which a resource (equipment, space, worker) is currently being used. Utilization= Average Output RateMaximum Capacityx 100% The numerator and the denominator should be measured in the same units. A process can be operated above the 100%, with overtime, extra shifts, overstaffing, subcontracting, etc, but this is not sustainable for long. Economies of scale Economies of scale The average unit cost of a service or good can be reduced by increasing its output rate. Why? * Spreading fixed costs same fixed costs divided by more units * Reducing construction costs doubling the size of the facility usually doesn’t double construction costs (building permits, architect’s fees, rental) * Cutting costs of purchased materials better bargaining position and quantity discounts * Finding process advantages speed up the learning effect, lowering inventory, improving process and job designs, and reducing the number of changeovers. diseconomies of scale Diseconomies of scale The average cost per unit increases as the facility’s size increases. The reason is that excessive size can bring complexity, loss of focus, and inefficiencies. capacity timing and sizing strategies sizing capacity cushions Capacity cushion=100%-Average Utilization rate (%) When the average utilization rate approaches 100% for long periods, it’s a signal to increase capacity or decrease order acceptance to avoid declining productivity. The optimal capacity cushion depends on the industry. Particularly, in front-office processes where customers expect fast service times, large cushions are vital (more variable demand). For capital-intensive firms, minimizing the capacity cushion is vital (unused capacity costs money). timing and sizing expansion Two strategies: * Expansionist strategy large, infrequent jumps in capacity. Is ahead of demand, and minimizes the chance of sales lost to insufficient capacity * Wait-and-see strategy smaller, more frequent jumps. It lags behind demand. To meet any shortfalls, it relies on short-term operations (overtime, temporary workers, subcontractors, postponement of preventive maintenance on equipment). It reduces the risk of overexpansion based on overly optimistic demand forecasts, obsolete technology, or inaccurate assumptions regarding the competition. This strategy fits the short-term outlook but can erode market share over the long run. Timing and sizing of expansion are related: if demand is increasing and the time between increments increases, the size of the increments must also increase. An intermediate strategy can be â€Å"follow the leader†, so nobody gains a competitive advantage for being ahead of demand, and everyone shares the agony of overcapacity in the other case. inking capacity and other decisions Capacity cushions in the long run buffer the organization against uncertainty, as do resource flexibility, inventory, and longer customer lead times. If a change is made in any one decision area, the capacity cushion may also need to be changed to compensate. For example: Lower volume of production (more capacity cushion) to raise prices or vice versa. a system atic approach to long-term capacity decisions 4 steps: 1. Estimate future capacity requirements 2. Identify gaps by comparing requirements with available capacity 3. Develop alternative plans for reducing the gaps . Evaluate each alternative, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and make a final choice step 1: estimate capacity requirements A process’s capacity requirement is what its capacity should be for some future time period to meet the demand of the firm’s customers (external or internal), given the firm’s desired capacity cushion. Larger requirements are practical for processes or workstations that could potentially be bottlenecks in the future, and management may even plan for longer cushions than normal. Capacity requirements can be expressed in: * Output measure * Input measure Either way, the foundation for the estimate is forecasts of demand, productivity, competition, and technological change. The further ahead you look, the more chance you have of making an inaccurate forecast. Using output measures Demand forecasts for future years are used as a basis for extrapolating capacity requirements into the future. If demand is expected to double in the next 5 years, then the capacity requirements also double. For example: Actual demand 50 customers per day; expected demand = 100 customers per day; desirable cushion = 20%. So capacity should be (100)/(1-0. )=125 customers per day. Using input measures Output measures may be insufficient in these situations: * Product variety and process divergence is high (customized products) * The product or service mix is changing * Productivity rates are expected to change * Significant learning effects are expected In these cases, an input measure should be used (number of employees, machines, trucks, etc) One product pro cessed When just one service or product is processed at an operation and the time period is a particular year, the capacity requirement (M) is: M=DpN[1-C100] D=demand forecast for the year (number of customers served or units produced) p=processing time (in hours per costumer served or unit produced) N=Total number of hours per year during which the process operates C=desired capacity cushion (expressed as a percent) M=number of input units required and should be calculated for each year in the time horizon Many products processed Setup time time required to change a process or an operation from making one service or product to making another. To calculate the total setup time D/Q*s Where D=demand forecast for the year Q= number of units processed between setups s= time per setup For example, if the demand is 1200 units, and the average lot size is 100, there are 1200/100=12 setups per year. Accounting for both processing and setup times for multiple products, we get: M=[Dp+DQs]product 1+[Dp+DQs]product 2+†¦+[Dp+DQs]product nN[1-C100] When â€Å"M† is not an integer and we are talking about number of machines, you can round up the fractional part, unless it is cost efficient to use short-term options, such as overtime or stockouts. But if we are talking about number of employees and we get 23. 6, we can use 23 employees and use a little overtime (in this case, 60% of a full-time person). step 2: identify gaps A capacity gap is any difference (positive or negative) between projected capacity requirements (M) and current capacity. step 3: develop alternatives Develop alternative plans to cope with projected gaps. One alternative is the base case do nothing and simply lose orders from any demand that exceeds current capacity or incur costs because capacity is too large. Other alternatives: various timing and sizing options (expansionist or wait-and-see strategies); expanding at a different location; and using short term options. For reducing capacity, the alternatives include closing plants, laying off employees, reducing days or hours of operations. step 4: evaluate the alternatives Evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative concerns The manager looks at how each alternative fits the overall capacity strategy and other aspects of the business not covered by the financial analysis (uncertainties about demand, competitive reaction, technological change, and cost estimates). Some of these factors can’t be quantified and must be assessed on the basis of judgment and experience. Quantitative concerns The manager estimates the change in cash flows for each alternative over the forecast time horizon compared to the base case. tools for capacity planning waiting-line models Are useful in high customer-contact processes. Waiting-line models use probability distributions to provide estimates of average customer wait time, average length of waiting lines, and utilization of the work center. Managers can use this information to choose the most cost-effective capacity, balancing customer service and the cost of adding capacity. This topic will be treated more deeply in the appendix (siguiente resumen) simulation Simulations can identify the process’s bottlenecks and appropriate capacity cushions, even for complex processes with random demand patterns and predictable flows in demand during a typical day. decision trees A decision tree can be particularly valuable for evaluating different capacity extension alternatives when demand is uncertain and sequential decisions are involved. How to cite Chapter 6 – Planning Capacity, Papers