Internet and Modern Technology Essay

There are many forms of modern technology that have played important roles throughout my life, and the computer has affected my life the most. There are both positive and negatives aspects on how the computer has helped me. There are also advantages and disadvantages to this form of modern technology, called the computer. The first and foremost advantage of the computer is how it has helped me with my school work. With having Google, Dictionary, and Ask, these are sources on the computer that are very helpful with getting information. It is a lot faster and more convenient. Another thing I love about it, is the communication you can have with friends and family. With Facebook, email, and Skype, it’s a lot faster and easier way to communicate with your loved ones. I feel that one of the most important is that these communication avenues are free. Even though I use a lot of these technologies almost daily they can also cause distractions. On the down side, some of the negatives aspects of technology with computers are that it can be an expensive form of access to information. Also not only do you have to pay for the computer but you also have to pay for the internet access to get to some of these information sites. Another down fall is the networks do shut down. So if you are doing homework or talking with friends it can sometimes aimlessly stop working. Another negative to having a computer is it can affect people’s work ethic, by looking at Facebook, or playing online games. So they aren’t getting their job done. Knowing there are still disadvantages to computers there are still advantages in using it correctly. As a conclusion to technology and the ever ways it has changed and will change in the future. Hopefully some of the changes will be headed for advantages for the future, in a form of no charge for internet access, and not having to worry about towers going down. Also for the younger generations to know how to still look information without taking advantages of everything being at their fingertips. Unfortunately we cannot see into the future to see what advantages and disadvantages are in store for us, but hopefully they are for the better and I am very thankful for the modern technology that is available and the advantages it has for me.

Banking Concept of Education: Paulo Freire Dislikes Essay

Paulo Freire severely scrutinizes the banking concept of education. He dislikes everything about the traditional teaching method, where the teachers just fill the students with information and hope the students retain it long enough to spit it back out to them on tests. He argues that students are led to â€Å"memorize mechanically† the information lectured by a teacher. He would strongly oppose the use of grades in the schooling system. Truly, students are getting graded on how well they can memorize random facts as the tests that encourage memorization of material make up a very large portion of the grading system. In his strong argument against the banking concept of education, Freire gives in a little to the opposition, as he admits, â€Å"they [students] do, it is true, have the opportunity to become collectors or cataloguers of the things they store.† I feel that this is the key to individuality in school. Freire is correct in the way that he portrays the schoolin g system. Students mostly just receive and memorize information from their teachers; thus, they never really critically think about the material. Nevertheless, the techniques that each individual student learns and masters to accomplish these demands shape his/her success later in life. I agree with Freire that, with respect to truly learning the material and retaining the knowledge for a long period of time, simple memorization is very poor. Last year, I took an AP United States History course. The material covered in the course was the same as the material I â€Å"learned† in my eighth and ninth grade United States history classes. The only difference was that this time around, we were going to study the content further in-depth, which Freire might find pleasing. Once the course got underway, I soon realized that I had to completely relearn the material, as I had completely forgotten everything I learned in the eighth and ninth grade classes. It was not because I did poorly back then, but because after the ninth grade class was over, I had no need to retain that information. I was no longer being graded on United States history, and thus, I flushed that information out of my brain to make room for new material to memorize. Once my senior year AP course began, all of the similar material seemed new to me. In Doing School, Denise Clark Pope explains a very similar phenomenon that Eve Lin experienced. â€Å"Once she took an exam, she said most of the facts she had memorize ‘emptied out of her brain.’ She was required to move on to the next assignment to keep up with the pace of the class. Taking time to reflect or to engage with the material would only slow her down and adversely affect her grades.† (Pope 155-56). Freire would oppose this. He would want students to slow down and really analyze the information thoroughly. On the other hand, I feel that in today’s fast-paced society, being able to sh ift gears so quickly is a necessary trait. I attended a medium-sized school, Saucon Valley School District, all the way up from kindergarten. With about two hundred students graduating each year, we all knew each other fairly well. However, since sixth grade, I embarked on a journey with about twenty other students. We chose to follow the path of an â€Å"honors student† taking more rigorous classes than others. We attended almost all of the same courses every day of the year and got to know each other and hang out with each other outside of school a lot more than with others in the grade. By high school, we were so closely knit that someone came up with the name, the â€Å"honors family,† and it just stuck with us ever since. The label was true though. It was like a family, as study sessions were conducted before big tests and all-nighters were pulled for group projects. We pushed each other to do better and worried when others were falling behind. Yet, just like most of the students in Doing School, we were very competitive about our grades as we strove to get the highest marks on a test or paper. I do not believe any of us went as far as Eve Lin did though, in relation to keeping her summer college class a secret just so that she had an edge on everyone else (Pope). Although it was not as extreme as in Faircrest High School, competition in the â€Å"honors family† at Saucon Valley was definitely present. Competition, motivation to succeed, and enthusiasm was amongst the â€Å"honors family.† I wish the same could be said about the rest of the grade. During my senior year, I decided to take Calculus I and II at Lehigh University, and thus, had scheduling conflicts at high school. The Honors Government and Economics class overlapped with my Calculus courses, so I needed to simply take the regular class of Government and Economics. Here, I got a glimpse of how other classmates performed in class. I interacted with many of these students in extracurricular activities and even in Physical Education, but very rarely in a core class. The desire to learn was very low in my Government and Economics class. It was not that these students were not intelligent. They just merely did not care about their grades, GPA, or class rank. Many of these students were perfectly fine with getting a C in the class. After all, a C was a passing grade. Passing was all that mattered to them. Many were fine with doing the minimum to get by just so that they could graduate high school and adventure out into the work force. The teacher seemed to realize the situation as well; she gave very little work to the class throughout the semester and based the tests off of the already-filled-in note packets she handed out regularly. Very little material was covered, even though the class lasted over ninety days. Overall, this class seemed like a complete waste of time for me. I was not coping with stress, competition, or a rigorous curriculum like I had for the rest of my classes. There was very little motivation for me to truly gain knowledge from the class as well, since I was already getting an A in the class and did not need to take time away from my other classes to study for tests. After taking the class and looking back upon it now, I realized that I can take literally nothing productive from it. It was a waste of time that did not provide me with any skills necessary or helpful for my life after schooling. Unlike the average students’ classes, the â€Å"honors family† classes gave me the necessary practice for the real world. I received so much more knowledge than others on how to succeed even with obstacles in my way. These traits and techniques on how to succeed are very similar to those Denise Clark Pope outlined in the conclusion of Doing School. Throughout high school, I gained and perfected an absolutely necessary trait of success: time management. The five students at Faircrest High School were always making the best of their time. They worked on homework during class periods and took free periods and weekends as a time to catch up with their work (Pope). Similarly, I needed to do the same if I wanted to keep up with the â€Å"honors family† work. I participated on the school soccer team in the fall, basketball team in the winter, and baseball team in the spring. The time after these extracurricular activities was insufficient to complete my work. I needed to use as much free time throughout my day as possible to complete assignments. As one might imagine, one evil coming from such a workload and extracurricular activities is stress. The students Pope researched at Faircrest all underwent stress. I, as well, was under an enormous amount of stress. Big projects seemed to always be due at the same time, and final exams were always clumped together in a two-day span. Many members of the â€Å"honors family† sacrificed their well-being through a reduced social life and poor sleeping habits in order to complete the workload. In return, we mastered the skills of coping with stress and managing out time. These skills will benefit us in the long run as we enter adulthood and the work force. Often times I did not understand why I was pushing myself to such a limit. I thought to myself that most of the students not motivated to achieve success had such an easier life. They went through school carefree and had loads of free time after school and on the weekends to hang out with friends. Nevertheless, I knew why I chose to push myself to the limits. I knew that my time to shine would come later in life and all my efforts would be worth a life full of success; the characteristics for success were instilled in me through the competit ion of grades and the workload I endured in school.

Gawadar Port and Sino-Pak Relations

Topic: – Gwadar Port and Sino-Pak relations. Table of Contents:- a . Introduction b . Background c . Historical Location Chapter #1 a. Pakistan China relations b. Strategic Cooperation c. Economic Forecast Chapter # 2 a. Geographical Importance b. Advantages of Gwadar Port Chapter #3 a. China’s Involvement in Gwadar project b. China’s Gain Chapter #4 a. Gwadar port as development Project b. Construction c. Port Operation Conclusion [1] Introduction :- Gwadar port is located at Gwadar city at the entrance of the Persian Gulf on Arabian Sea and about 460 km west of Karachi from Balochistan , Pakistan .Gwadar port , is a deep –sea warm water port ,being constructed in two phases with heavy investment from china . Gwadar has had huge geostrategic significance on my accounts. In 1993 ,Pakistan started technical and financial feasibilities for the development of Gwadar port . The Gwadar port project started on 22 March 2002a. The first phase has been completed b ut officials expect the port’s initial three berths to be operational in the later months of 2007 . Gawadar port was inaugurated on March 19,2007 . Gawadar port is Pakistan’s first deep port that has the capacity to serve virtually all sorts of cargo ships of any size.Background :- Gwadar is located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan,close to on the persain Gulf. More than 13 million of oil pass through the strait . It is strategically located between three increasingly important regions : the oil –rich Middle East, heavily populated south Asia and the economically emerging and resource –loaded region of central Asia . The Gwadar port is expected to generate billions of dollars in revenues and create at least 2 million jobs. In 2007 the government of Pakistan handed over port operations to PSA Singapore for 25 years,and gave it the status of a Tax Free Port for the following 40 years . Historical Location :- The Makran region surrounding Gwadar by anci ent Bronze age people which settled in the few oases . It later became the Gedrosia region of the Achaemenid Persian empire . It later became the Gedrosia region empire . It is believed to have been conquered by the founder of the Persian empire ,Cyrus the Great. During the home ward march of Alexander the great ,his admiral ,Nearchus,led a fleet along the modern –day Makran coast and recorded that the area was dry , mountainous, and inhabited by the Ichthyophagoi an Greek rendering of the Persian â€Å"Mahi Khoran ’’( which has itself become the modern word â€Å" Makran† ).After the collapse of Alexander’s empire the area was ruled by Seleucus Nicator ,one Of Alexander’s generals . The region then came under â€Å" local rule † around about 303 BC and the region remained on the sidelines of history for a millennium ,until the Arab – Muslim army of Muhammad bin Qasim captured the town of Gwadar in AD 711 and over the interven ing amount of time the area was countested by various powers , including the Mughals the safavids.Portugese explorers captured and sacked gwadar in the late 16th century and this was then followed by almost two centuries of local rule by the various Balochi tribes . In 1783 , the Khan of Kalat granted suzerainty over Gwadar to Taimur Sultan , the defeated ruler of Muscat . This governor was then ordered to control the nearby coastal town of chah Bahar ,where the Gwadar fort was built during Omani rule. In 1958 , the Gwadar farm was transferred to Pakistan . It was then made part of the Balochistan province in 2002 , the Gwadar project was begun in the town .The government of Pakistan intends to develop the entire area in order to reduce its reliance in shipping on the port of Karachi . In addition to expanding port facilities , the projects aims to build industrial complexes in the area and to connect the town via a modern highway to the rest of Pakistan . By the end of 2004 the fir st phase had been completed . [2] Chapter # 1 Pakistan – China Relations on Gwadar Port :- Gwadar Port & Karakoram Highway scheduled to be inaugurated on 30th June 2006, . fter the Chinese agreed to provide $ 198 million of the $248 million required for phase 1 of the 26th project. Here is important to note that in the beginning china was not ready to hold this project but finally agreed to fund it provided that it had â€Å" Sovereign guarantees to the port facilities† . Just 250 miles from the state of Hormuz ,through which nearly 40 % of the world’s oil supplies flow, the port is strategically located to serve as a key shipping point in the region .It is of the great strategic value as it augments Pakistan’s imports in the region ,while allowing china to expand and secure its crude oil import routes and simultaneously gain approach to the Persian Gulf . According to MOU signed between China and Pakistan ,China is also to built a 90 km link connecting t he Chinese side of Karakoram highway to the Russian built highway network that connects all the five Central Asian Republics . This regional highway network will directly Gwadar to Xinjiang and the landlocked Central Asian 28 Republics .The Karakoram highway and the coastal highway will both serve as vital trade routes and considering that the existing Karakoram highway already connects Western China to Pakistan ,any further expansion of the line along with prospective linkages to Gwadar road would make it the shortest and most viable route connecting Gwadar 29 to western china . This shows china’s attempt to exert its influence far beyond its borders to sustain its security interest ,as well as merge its friendship with Pakistan through large scale joint projects. Through the construction of the Gwadar port ,Beijing also will gain considerable influence in the region . giving it a strategic entrance to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, while allowing it to closely monito r US naval activity and US – Indian maritime cooperation . The doubtlessly is a cause for alarm and unease to both India and US as the port will enable China to monitor its energy shipments from the Persian Gulf. American suspicion of Chinese intentions at Gwadar is corroborated by an internal report prepared for the Pentagon entitled Energy futures in Asia Which states that Beijing has already has set up electronic eavesdropping posts at Gwadar which monitor ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the 30 Arabian Sea .In addition , the port and the other supporting infrastructure will help mix Pakistan in to the Chinese economy by out sourcing low tech ,basic production and manufacturing jobs , making it into a giant factory floor for China . Having invested $400 million in the project , the port will be available for Chinese imports and export through overland links that stretch across the Karakoram 31 Highway . For Pakistan as well ,the benefits are profound ,where to quote President Musharraf , â€Å" as and when needed the Chinese navy could be in Gwadar to 32 give befitting replies to every one . This statement was further reinforced by Pakistan’s recent designation of the port area as â€Å" a sensitive defense area† . Gwadar would inhibit India’s ability to blockade Pakistan , and permit China to supply Pakistan by land and sea during wartime . Essentially , Pakistan is interested in the project to gain strategic leverage so that it is less vulnerable to the dominant Indian navy . The construction of the port and the highway, by making Pakistan a regional trade –hub for commercial traffic ,will also boost domestic economic development ,and influence the geo – strategic environment of the region .The port will enable the transfer of Central Asia’s vast energy resources to world markets , earning Pakistan significant profits in transits fees, as well as attract considerable investment into Balochista n . In addition , discussions are already underway to designate the Gwadar port as a free trade ,while some members of the Pakistani business community advocate the eventual designation of the Gwadar port as an export processing zone with special incentives extended to Chinese companies .Moreover ,the opening of international trade through Gwadar can create new stakeholders in Afghanistan who will become beneficiaries of the transportation trade to Central Asia . Gwadar thus presents a good opportunity for fostering good neighborly relations between Pakistan and the region to its immediate northwest . However, the success of the port and ,in general ,the effectiveness of the agreements signed between the two nations will depend essentially on internal development in Pakistan. [3] Strategic co-operation:-Gwadar is the height of Sino-Pakistani strategic cooperation . It is a modern port city that is supposed to link Central Asia, western china, and Pakistan with markets in Mildest and Africa . It’s supposed to have roads stretching all the way to China. Some reports in the American media , however , have accused Pakistan and China of building a naval base in the guise of a commercial seaport directly overlooking international oil shipping lanes . The Indians and some other regional actors are also not comfortable with this project because they see it as commercial competition.What Mr. Bugti’s regional and international supporters never expected is Pakistan moving firmly and strongly to nip his rebellion in the bud. Even Mr . Bugti himself probably never expected the Pakistani state to react in the way it did to his betrayal of the homeland . He was killed in a military operation where scores of his armed force surrendered to Pakistan army soldiers . US intelligence and their Indian advisors could not cultivate an immediate replacement for Mr Bugti . So they moved to plan B.They supported Abdullah Mehsud, a Pakistani Taliban fighter held for five ye ars in Guantanamo Bay, and then handed over back to the Afghan government, only to return to his homeland, Pakistan, to kidnap two Chinese engineers working in Balochistan, one of whom was killed during rescue operations by the Pakistani government . Islamabad could not tolerate this vague figure , who was creating a following among ordinary Pakistanis camouflaged as a Taliban while in reality towing a vague agenda . He was rightly eliminated earlier this year by Pakistani security forces while secretly returning from Afghanistan after meeting his handlers there. 4] Economic Forecast :- The government declared port a â€Å" Special zone† in the budget ,2003-2004 . All banks will open their branches ,five star hotels will be built ,offshore banking will be started ,factories, warehouses, and storage will be set up ,the tourism industry will be promoted in the area ,an export processing zone will be set up , making Pakistan a very attractive place for direct foreign investment ,and Gwadar port a regional hub of trade and investment activities. Chapter# 2 Geopolitical Importance: The Gwadar port is emerging as a place of great strategic value.It is enhancing Pakistan’s importance in the whole region. It is extending from the Persian Gulf through the Indian Ocean to South Asia and the Far East. Gwadar is located on the Southwestern coast of Pakistan. It is very close to the important Straits of Hormuz, through which more than 13 million bbl of oil passes. It is strategically located between three increasingly important regions of the world: heavily populated South Asia, the oil rich Middle East and the economically emerging and resource rich Central Asia. The construction of The Gwadar deep sea port is just one part f a larger development plan which includes building a network of roads connecting Gwadar with the rest of Pakistan, such as the 650 km Coastal Highway to Karachi and The Gwadar-Turbat road(188 km). This network of roads connects Pakistan with China through the Indus Highway. China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are developing extensive rail and road links from Central Asia and the Chinese province of Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea Coast. The Pakistani Government has initiated several projects with china’s technical and financial assistance.These projects are inaugurated to develop Gwadar’s strategic location as a good transit and trade point. The primary project is the construction of deep sea port at Gwadar, which would enable high –volume cargo movement to and from the landlocked Central Asian States. The new port will also include conversion facilities to allow for the movement of natural gas as a part of plans for the termination point for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan natural gas pipeline. The secondary project is coastal highway which is connecting Gwadar to Karachi.Its cost, $200 million will be completely financed by Chinese. Gwadar will serve as a port of entry fo r gas and oil to be transported by land to Western regions of China. The significance of Gwadar port is great to both, Pakistan and China. In near future Pakistan will be able to make strong strategic plans because in past Indian navy made it very difficult for Pakistan navy base at southwest Karachi. China is going to be recipient of Gwadar’s most accessible international trade routes to the Central Asian republics and Xiajiang.Beijing can receive cargo to and from Gwadar through shortest route, Karachi to Peshawar, by extending its East West Railway from the Chinese border city of Kashi to Peshawar in Pakistan’s North West. To supply oil from the Persian Gulf to Xiajiang, the rail network could also be. Internal rail network of Pakistan can also provide china with rail access to Iran. Rail access will however be hampered somewhat by difference in gauge: Pakistan-1676; Central Asia-1524mm; China and Iran-1435mm. Advantages of Gwadar Port:Gwadar is located on the Gulf of Oman which is close to the entrance of Persian Gulf. It is about 460 km west of Karachi. Pakistan started feasibility studies for the development of a major deepwater sea port at Gwadar in 1993. The port project began on 22 March 2002. Its first phase completed in December 2005. The construction of the port has prompted other major infrastructure projects in area. This includes the 700 km Makran Coastal highway which is now complete. The road links Karachi with several ports along the coast including Pasni, Ormara and Gwadar.It will be extended to Iranian border in future. The Highway has reduced travel time to Karachi from 48 hrs to only 7 hrs. Other road projects include the Gwadar-Quette-Chaman road which is completed now, and a road link to the town of Khuzdar in Eastern Balochistan. There are plans for a terminal for passenger ships. The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan has embarked 3000 acres of land for Gwadar International Airport . It will be built 26 km away to the northeast of existing airport towards Pasni. Its cost approximation is between $200-250 million.The new airport would be given International status. It will operate under open sky policy. There are also plans to improve facilities at the existing airport. Railways: In 2005, Minister of Railway said,† The government is focusing on laying the Havelin-Kashghar (China) and Quetta-Kandahar (Afghanistan) railway tracks†. In 2006. Minister of railway announced that Gwadar will be connected to Pakistan Railway network at an expected cost of $1. 25 billion (Rs. 75 billion)[5] Chapter# 3 China’s Involvement in the Gwadar port: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inaugurated the Gwadar deep sea port.Through which china would be able to take a Giant Leap Forward in gaining a foothold in the Persian Gulf region. It will advance what a recent Pentagon report describes as Beijing’s â€Å"String of Pearls† strategy that aims to protect China’s energy security at home and project Chinese power overseas. Gwadar is a fishing village on the Arabian Sea Coast in Pakistani province of Balochistan. Balochistan shares border with Iran and Afghanistan to the west. Gwadar is just 72km from Iranian border. The important thing is Gwadar’s closeness to the Persian Gulf.It is situated near the entrance of this strategic body of water, and about 400 km from the Strait of Hormaz, a major channel for global oil supplies. Pakistan identified Gwadar as a port site in 1964. But significant steps toward making the proposal a reality were taken in 2001, when China agreed to participate I n the construction and development of Gwadar deep sea port. The arrival of United States in Afghanistan in 2001, at China’s doorstep encouraged Beijing to step up its involvement in the Gwadar project. Chinese vice premier Wu Bangguo laid the foundation for Gwadar port in March 2002.China’s involvement in the project is immense. The total cost of the project is e stimated US$1. 16 billion, of which China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase, almost four times the amount Pakistan has invested for this phase, which include of three multi-purpose ship berths. China has invested $200 million for building a highway, which connects Gwadar port with Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi (an other sea port on the Arabian Sea). The second phase which may include nine more berths, an approach channel and storage terminal, will also be financed by China.Beside its financial help China has sent 450 engineers and provided technical expertise for the project. In recent year, bilateral trade has steadily increased between China and Pakistan. Both countries have highlighted the immense economic returns that development of Gwadar port holds out for them, as well as others in the region. China’s Gains:- Zia Haider, an analyst at the Washington-based Stimson Center, writes that Gwadar provides China â€Å"a transit terminal for crud e-oil imports from Iran and Africa to China's Xinjiang region†.The network of road and rail connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan and Central Asian republics that is envisaged as part of the Gwadar project and to which China will have access would provide Beijing an opening into Central Asian markets and energy sources, in the process stimulating the economic development of China’s backward Xinjiang region†. [6] For China, Gwadar’s strategic value is because of its closeness to the Strait of Hormuz. About 60% of China’s energy supplies come from the Middle East.China has been anxious that the US, due to its high presence in region, could stop these supplies. â€Å"Having no blue water navy to speak of, China feels defenseless in the Persian Gulf against any hostile action to choke off its energy supplies,† points out Tarique Niazi, a specialist in resource based conflicts, in the Jamestown Foundation’s China Brief. [7] A presence in Gwad ar provides China with a â€Å"listening post† where it can monitor US naval activity in the Persian Gulf, Indian activity in the Arabian Sea.A recent report titled â€Å"Energy Futures in Asia† produced by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton for the Pentagon notes that China has already setup electronic eavesdropping posts at Gwadar, which are monitoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea. Drawing attention to China’s â€Å"string of pearls† strategy, the reports point out that â€Å"China is building strategic relationships along the sea lanes from the Middle East to South China Sea in ways that suggest defensive and offensive positioning to protect China’s energy interests, but also to serve broad security objectives†. 8] The port and naval base in Gwadar is part of â€Å"string of pearls†. The other â€Å"pearls† in the string include facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia an d South China Sea that Beijing has acquired access to by diligently building ties with governments in these countries. The Pentagon report sees China’s efforts to defend its interests along oil shipping sea lanes as â€Å"creating a climate of uncertainty† and threatening â€Å"the safety of all ships on the high seas†. This perception neglects the fact that China’s â€Å"string of pearls† strategy has been prompted by its sense of insecurity.The United States irresistible presence in the Gulf and the control of its exercises over the Malacca Strait, through which 80% of China’s oil imports pass, has added enormously to Beijing’s fears that Washington could stop its oil supply, in the event of hostilities over Taiwan. China’s foothold in the Arabian Sea has set off alarm bells in India, Iran and US. For India, China-Pakistan collaboration at Gwadar and China’s presence in the Arabian sea intensifies its feeling of hold b y China from all sides.Iran sees the development of Gwadar port in its neighborhood as likely to grind down the significance of its ports, especially Chabahar port that India has helped to construct-to central Asia and Afghanistan. However, Iran’s good relations with Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan would help it to maintain its advantage Pakistan’s Gwadar port. Ultimately, the extents to which Pakistan and China are able to reap economic and strategic gains from Gwadar project depend on the challenges to it from within their borders.Chapter# 4 Development Projects: Oman: Oman has offered $100 million aid for the development of social and infrastructure facilities in Balochistan. Out of $100 million, Oman has provided $7 million for extending of runway at Gwadar Airport, construction of jetties, up gradation of Gwadar Hospital and construction of power house. Oman is also financing construction of Gwadar Hoshab Road, water supply scheme in Gwadar area and constr uction of irrigation dams.Pakistan and Oman have signed a number of agreements which include Avoidance of Double Taxation, Promotion and Protection of Investment, Cultural, Educational and Technical Co-operation, Agreement on cooperation between Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and FPCCI, Maritime Boundary Agreement and Agreement to establish Pak-Oman Joint Investment Company. The closeness to Oman is an advantage to Pakistan. Around 70,000 Pakistani citizens are participating in the development of Oman. Omani assistance for construction of Gwadar port is going a long way in promoting economic relations between Gwadar-Pakistan and Central Asian States. 9] Pakistan: Pakistan is linking Gwadar with Karachi through networking of roads. It’s also enabling Central Asian States in north, to use Gwadar as a port for their trade. Water supply is being improved, seven jetties are being constructed and local fishermen are being given motor engine run boats. The local hospital is a lso upgraded. A number of electric power generation projects are also being carried out in Gwadar and its surroundings. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), a subsidiary of Wapda, has geared up the work for the building the power transmission line.It is expected to be completed soon. Airport: Gwadar has a small airport which is basically meant for Fokker aircraft. But the need is to expand this airport and enlarge its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aero-planes. CAA has upgraded the Gwadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses. Gwadar airport is open air and after its inauguration the jet planes are also landing at it. A sum of 2. 3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing Rs563. 35 million for this purpose.Dry Port: China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that Western China could also benefit from Gwadar seaport. It will create the ribbons of econ omic activity and hundreds of new jobs along proposed highway linking Gwadar with the Karakoram highway in the north. Construction: Dubai ports World, announced on June 1, 2006 that it will spend $10 billion to develop transport infrastructure and real estate in Pakistan. Dubai port World is also discussing the possibility of the company taking over operational management of Gwadar port in Balochistan.Emaar Prosperities, announced on May 31, 2006 there real estate developments in the cities of Islamabad and Karachi in Pakistan. The projects, with a total investment of $2. 4 billions, will include a series of master planned communities that will set new benchmarks in commercial, residential and retail property within Pakistan. In addition the conglomerate signed a exceptional $43 billion deal to develop two island resorts, Bundal Island and Buddo Island, over the next decade. Port Operations:Port of Singapore took over the management of Gwadar port by the end of January 2007. Port of Singapore was the highest bidder for the Gwadar port after Dubai Ports world backed out of the bidding process. Originally, the chairman of DP world, Sultan Ahmad bin Sulayem, who met President Pervez Musharraf on May 5th 2006, expressed a strong hope for the management of facilities at the strategic Gwadar deep-sea port and development of infrastructure in the southern port city everywhere in Pakistan. But a decision was taken not to bid, when India’s Security Council voiced concerns bout DP World’s projects in India, alongside its plan in Pakistan, and Sultan Ahmad bin Sulayem assured the Indians their pull out was well considered and Indian need not have any security concerns. The port will now be in competition with Dubai. Conclusion: The project of Gwadar port which was commenced on 22 March 2002, by China will enhance co-operation between Pakistan and China in the field of engeering and technology. The significance of this project is great for both countries. Gw adar is located on the Gulf of Oman close to the entrance of Persian Gulf.China is going to be the beneficiary of Gwadar’s most accessible international trade routes to Central Asian Republics and Xinjiang. Pakistan’s rail network can also provide China with rail access to Iran. For Pakistan, the economic returns from Gwadar port stem from its location near the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of the world oil passes. Gwadar could emerge as a key shipping point, bringing Pakistan desirable income, and when combined with the surrounding areas could become a trade hub, once rail and road links connect it to the rest of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.A road from Gwadar to Saindak is the shortest route between Central Asia and sea. Gwadar would provide landlocked Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics with access to sea. Goods, oil and gas reserves from these countries could be shipped to global markets through Gwadar port. The development of Gwadar could b ring economic gains to backward Balochistan. The infrastructure development of the province could make it an attractive investment destination. Bibliography: 1) Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer. â€Å"Gwadar†. 2) Daily Times. Gwadar deep seaport to generate two million jobs†. 3) Khaleeq Kiani, â€Å"Dawn. 40-year tax relief for Gwadar port operators†. 4) Jona Lendering, Livius. org. â€Å"Gedrosia†.. 5) Dott. Beatrice Nicolini, Oman Studies Centre. â€Å"International trade networks: The Omani Encalve of Gwadar† 6) Gwadar vision , http://www. gwadar. com. pk/new/gwadar. asp? var=vision 7) Development projects http://www. gwadar. com/new/gwadar. asp? var=devppojectsver the next decade 8) Latif, S. M. 1892. Lahore. Lahore: New Imperial Press, reprinted 1981, Lahore: Sanndhu Printers. ) Low, D. A. The Political Inheritance of Pakistan. London: Macmillan. 1991. 10) Papanek, G. F. Pakistan’s Development: Social Goals and Private incentives. Cambrid ge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 1967. 11) Ziring, Lawrence. Pakistan: The Enigma of Political Development. Boulder, Colorado: Folkestone. 1980. 12) Pakistan among Top 10 Reformers (September12, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03. 13) World Bank Country Classification Groups,(July 2006 data) Pakistan economy profile 2007. 14) http://www. cia. ov/library/publications/the-factbook/rankorder/2003rank. html 15) http://www. cia. gov/libraray/publications/the-worfactbook/rankorder/2087rank. html 16) http://www. cia. gov/libraray/publications/the-worfactbook/rankorder/2078rank. html 17) Business, Stakeholders and Strategic Responses in Pakistan Article written by Imran Ali of Lahore University of Management Sciences. 18) Gwadar: China’s Naval outpost on the Indian ocean Tarique Niazi, The Jamestown Foundation, China Brief 2/28/2005 19) Decoding India –Pakistan-China relations by Rajinder Puri Sep 13,2006. 0) Concluding Remarks at the Pakistan Development Forum 2006 by Jo hn Wall, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan (html). World Bank. 21) http://www. forbes. com/lists/2005/03/30/05f2000land. html. 22) http://www. asianresearch. org/articles/2528. html. 23) http://www. nationmaster. com/encyclopedia/Gwadar-port 24) http://www. travel-culture. com/pakistan/gawadar. shtml 25) http://livenreal. com/news/index. php/history-of-gwadar/ ———————– 26) [1] http://www. nationmaster. com/encyclopedia/Gwadar-port 7) [2] http://livenreal. com/news/index. php/history-of-gwadar/ [3] Gwadar vision , http://www. gwadar. com. pk/new/gwadar. asp? var=vision [4] Development projects http://www. gwadar. com/new/gwadar. asp? var=devppojectsver the next decade [5] www. wilkipedia. com/pakistan/gwadar-port/html [6] www. atimes. com/atimes/south_asia/gc04df06. html [7] http://www. asianresearch. org/articles/2528. html [8] www. atimes. com/atimes/south_asia/gc04df06. html [9]http://www. travel-culture. com/pakistan/ gawadar. shtml

Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management - Research Paper Example â€Å"The result of the innovation process is innovation – a creation that has significant value† (Cingula & Veselica). Innovation strategy is the manner by which organizations respond to challenges in market by way of research and development, product or process innovation, and by the use of technology or market forces; Analysis: 1) McDonald: McDonald’s Corporation operates its chain of business in a challenging market segment, and it employs an efficient competitive strategy against its competitors. To offer efficient service to those whom they cater, the company provides standardized training processes for employees. McDonald’s also competes by offering low price for high quality products. It necessitates efficient processes for the entire organization. The introduction of â€Å"Made for you† system offered standard food items that are not kept in a bin until they get sold. Later they realized that even if the new system offered fresh food, it wa s not time effective. Still, McDonald’s continues with the system, by adding new options to help the system work quickly. McDonald’s has planned to increase profits by increasing sales in its existing restaurants. They developed a â€Å"new taste menu,† where they offered a new type of sandwich for one week to offer a variety of options to satisfy customer’s desire. But, the new taste menu proved to be inefficient as customers were annoyed at the fact that they couldn’t purchase their new favorite sandwich again. Later they realized that people are more conscious regarding their health and they responded to this trend by adding salads and further lighter choice to their menu. McDonald’s has paid significant concentration to children who help them to build a stable business, by encouraging the entire family to visit McDonald’s. McDonald’s strategy to develop brand loyalty in children has turned out to be a great success. 2) Appl e: Apple exerts a combination of Bottom-Up and Top Down innovation strategy to generate new innovations. The innovation culture of Apple is closely attached with that of its leadership. â€Å"Innovation comes from saying no to 1,000 things, to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much† (A Leadership that Understands Innovation para. 2). The innovation process is facilitated by five leadership roles which include  Institutional Leader, Entrepreneur, Critic, Mentor and Sponsor.   The institutional leader produces organizational infrastructure needed for innovation.   The critic confronts investments and goals. The entrepreneur controls innovative units.   The sponsor procures and advocates, while the mentor counsels and advises. To maintain strategy of product differentiation, Apple has used these the five roles of leadership. The Innovation Factory which is the new build up of Apple, is the one that harnesses unrestrained creativity for its customers, enterprising new ideas & stimulating bold, steps, and being successful in innovations. Apple leverages its employees ecosystem, suppliers, customers, global networks and partners, proving the process of innovation, the idea that winning culture doesn't agree to second place, and to grab the new marketplace opportunities for the business to glow. 3. Microsoft: â€Å"

The Building of a Hamiltonian America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Building of a Hamiltonian America - Essay Example Hamilton viewed the country as as an integrated system that needed a strong Federal government and expansive national programs. By 1820, America was still largely rural and had an agricultural based economy. However, 1820 also ushered in the vision of Hamilton's America due to the country's common interests, the industrial revolution, and the close-knit nature of the New America. There was general agreement that using state governments to grant corporate charters was a benefit to the economy and the people. Hamilton had worked for a national banking system since the late 18th century and in 1816 President Madison signed a bill creating the Second National Bank (Nash et al. 261,262, Henretta, Brody and Dumenil 250,251). This was a common interest that was shared by the people in an effort to develop a common form of commerce. The War of 1812 also served to create a common goal across the country. At this point, people were just beginning to view America as a nation. The war had been viewed as a national problem and initiated a surge of postwar nationalism that was followed by a period of "national unification and economic development" (Nash et al 320). The era of national pride and the banking system were two common interests that set the stage for further development. The national banking system and Hamilton's ideas on debt financing had come to be an important part of the industrial revolution. By 1820, Jefferson's view of rural America was beginning to change. There was greater trade and greater productivity. Mechanization had begun to stimulate the economy. Between 1790 and 1820, the average income for Americans rose by 30% (Henretta, Brody, and Dumenil 293). Agriculture was mechanizing and changing the face of the rural South. Though there was still a philosophical split between the North and South, the feelings of nationalism and a strong federal presence were being felt throughout America that was being fueled by the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution and the complexities of a national banking system required that there be close association between the people of the country. This was made possible by improvements in transportation and communication. The national investment in roads had cut travel times between major cities in the East by half by the early 1800s. By 1818, the trip from Cumberland Maryland to Wheeling West Virginia on the Ohio River had been reduced from 8 to 3 days (Nash et al. 321). In addition steamboats were traveling the Mississippi and Ohio taking cargo and passengers around the country. This intermingling of trade and ideas further strengthened Hamilton's picture of America. The people were also brought together by the proliferation of the printed word. In the 1790s fewer than 100 newspapers were published, but this number ballooned to over 1000 by 1830 (Nash et al. 322). The ability to mix trade, thoughts, ideas, and the printed word formed the basis of a strong federal union. In conclusion, both Jefferson and Hamilton have formed today's America. Americans treasure their independence and individual freedom as espoused by Jefferson. American's are also dependent on the strong federal system that promotes unity and cooperation among the states. By 1820 and the establishment of the Second National Bank, America was beginning to look like Hamilton's vision. The nationalistic spirit

Ratio analysis and the applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ratio analysis and the applications - Essay Example The first one is that valuation must be done in a prudent way. This means that when valuing assets on should make sound decisions in order to value the assets in question correctly the second principle states that; profits that are made in the balance sheet are the only profits that should be included in financial statements. The third principle stipulates that depreciation should be considered when reporting for a financial year regardless of whether it causes a gain or a loss. An example of where the prudence concept is normally used in accounting is when calculating profit or loss. For example, some liabilities are based on the possibility of an event occurring in the future and is expected to generate a profit or loss. If the likeliness of it happening is more than 50% it should be recorded depending on whether it results in a profit or loss. An example of such an event is a law suit. b) The Matching Concept This is a principle in accounting that stipulates that charges and incom es which relate to a financial year must be recorded regardless of the date when the payment of the charges or income was receipted. According to (Hoque, 2006), it is the accounting approach of allocating expenses to their respective incomes. The matching principle of accounting is governed by a number of principles. ... This means that account policies adapted by a business organization should follow a particular principle. This concept aims at allowing comparability of the business organizations’ financial positions and the results of their business activities. The concept puts forward the standardization of financial statements in terms of recording and valuation. An example is when a business institution is calculating depreciation on its assets, for example, a staff van. If the company chooses to use a method in calculating depreciation of the van for instance, the strait line method; it should stick with the method when calculating future depreciation of the van and other assets. This will help in comparing the depreciation of the van and other assets. d) The going concern concept. This is a concept that stipulates that any business establishment is expected to grow in its corporate life irrespective of the shareholders or owners lifespan. The going concern concept is the main idea behin d the costing concepts. However, it is important to note that the going concern should be explained at the end of very financial statement if it has been deemed invalid. A business establishment is regarded as a going concern when there is no intention to wind up the business.  An example of where this concept is used is when a business institution acquires an asset, in the profit and loss account the asset is not recorded at its present market value. However, it is recorded minus its depreciation since it will be used for a long period of time. e) The Concept of Double Entry This is a concept in book keeping which stipulates that all changes in accounting information must reflect in at least two ledger

Reflection of knowledge Acquired in Cross-cultural Management Assignment

Reflection of knowledge Acquired in Cross-cultural Management - Assignment Example From this discussion it is clear that managers that operate in their countries too often find themselves in conditions where they have to interact with clients, suppliers or employees originating from different countries with varying cultural practices and beliefs. Above these challenges, the modern organizations are increasingly consisting of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, making them multicultural organizations. It is therefore not enough to only seek and acquire traditional knowledge or training, but it is essential to be equipped with knowledge of surviving through cross-cultural organization systems. Managers therefore need the complex skills of operating through the multicultural settings of organizations to succeed internationally.This study discusses that every life aspect gets influenced by culture and this is dictated by the perspective someone adopts to view the   world and give direction to what is ethically tolerable in terms of behaviour. The definition of culture can be broadly said to be mutual interpretations, shared values or motives, identities and beliefs and, these factors are the outcomes of shared by members of a society and are passed over across generations. Society is a distinguishing factor that denotes a communal mind training of people mind from other people of a diverse class.  Today, managers are confronted with an array of cultural challenges with the increased international businesses across borders and diversified workforce emanating from different backgrounds.

Europe in the Internation Economic Order Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Europe in the Internation Economic Order - Essay Example The FDIs are constant and cheap sources of funds for the companies of a country and the Government is encouraged to allow the increase of the FDI for the development of the economy. It produces huge capital, which helps in the production of goods with the use of the modern technologies. The FDI influx is generally seen in most of the countries. However, the intensity is more in the less developed countries, as they are the ones in need of capital. With the entry of FDI, comes the vision of the management from the developed countries, which helps in the production procedure in the countries. This helps in the development of the economy of the countries. On the other hand, the companies of the developed nations are attracted to the FDIs because they get ample amount of benefits in the country where the investment is made. The companies want to extend the territory of the business and the best way to do it is by investing in the foreign companies. In this age of competition, it is of gr eat importance to capture the market and FDIs provide the companies the tool to do so. In the case of some of the FDIs, there is transfer of technologies, which helps the domestic companies. As stated earlier, the influx of the FDIs is the strongest in the less economically developed countries (LEDC). The LEDC provide the organizations of the developed countries a huge market and the Governments of these countries provide the necessary tools like the tax concessions to attract the FDIs. The Governments understand the need of capital formation in the country and they attract the investments. The FDIs are also seen in the more economically developed countries (MEDC). The paper will deal in the issues of the strategies of the LEDC and MEDC in attracting the FDIs. In the case of the MEDC, a European country will be taken. The benefits and the advantages of the policies of the Government will be evaluated in the case of the attraction of

The State and the Individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The State and the Individual - Essay Example The recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act created legal issues about whether the Federal government has the power to make it mandatory for individuals to buy healthcare insurance and whether states can opt out or nullify such provisions. The Constitution of the USA does not provide citizens with an explicit right to healthcare. The Supreme Court has held that as per the Constitution, individuals can seek healthcare services at their own cost from the available service providers. (Swendiman, 2010, p.2). It has also held that there is no provision that guarantees government health care for those that cannot afford it. At the same time, many states in the US have constitutional state provisions relative to providing healthcare services to citizens. As compared to the Federal government, the constitutions of states have more expansive provisions relative to health care because federal rights require states to comply with minimum standards (Bayer, 2007, p.1). Th e issue that arises in this regard is the extent to which states can legally restrain the freedom of individuals in serving the common good of the entire population. In addition, the question arises about the extent to which public welfare can be protected in justifying government actions relative to curtailing or eroding fundamental rights. Such issues form the basis of controversy and long drawn debates relative to public health in the US. The Supreme Court has described inter-state commerce as being amongst economic activities that impact the country’s economy. Given that the health care sector impacts the country’s economy, it becomes implied from this argument that the federal government has the right to control health care through legislation. Although the US Supreme Court and Constitution do not acknowledge the constitutional right to healthcare for people unable to afford it, a number of statutes have been enacted by the Federal government, such as the Children ’s Health Program, Medicaid and Medicare, which describe and establish the precise rights of individuals relative to receiving healthcare services from the state. A major element of several healthcare entitlements from the government is the funding for healthcare facilities that are provided under the law. Majority of these provisions were enacted following recognition of the Federal government’s authority to enact laws that are necessary for carrying out its authorization for providing towards the general welfare of individuals. This authority to spend on healthcare is considered to be a broad grant of authority vested to the Federal government by the country’s Constitution. The Supreme Court gives significant regard to the legislative decisions taken by the Congress for making provisions for healthcare budgets in keeping with the objectives of public welfare (Garrett, 2000, p.216). However, there are a number of tensions about the scope of public health and th e extent to which it can be accepted, especially in terms of the original issues relative to fighting infectious diseases during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The issue attained more significance at the end of the 20th century because of efforts to resolve the chronic patterns that

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College Essay

Life Now As a College Student and Life Before the College - Essay Example This essay discusses that many young people find that there is a huge disconnect between what is expected of college life and what it actually turns out to be. This dissonance may sometimes be traumatic. Loneliness, disappointment, and the absence of the usual familial support can make some people react in unpredictable ways. It could heighten homesickness; make you give into numerous temptations or prompt you to just dropout. â€Å"National statistics tell us that less than half of all college students finish their four-year college degrees. Slightly more than half of those who don't finish leave school before the start of their second year†. Colleges across the country are aware of this problem. And more and more colleges are focusing on helping students who are finding it difficult to make the change. Just as different people adjust to a situation differently, so too is the case in college. You will find some classmates making the change faster and adjusting better. This is no reason to feel frustrated. You are new to handling situations independently. Giving yourself more time helps. Consulting on-campus counselors also make a big difference. Life before college was a piece of cake. College, on the other hand, is a challenge in many ways. It brings new expectations, new sacrifices and a whole new load of adjustments. It is the final frontier before we set out to face the world. But the upside of this is that this is an opportunity to be an adult; to take charge of a totally new situation and eventually come out on top.

Comic Flaws. Moral Ambiguity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comic Flaws. Moral Ambiguity - Essay Example It is this susceptibility that describes his great comic flaw and the moral ambiguity that makes him such an easily relatable character, moreso in many ways than Max. In the end Leo suffers a comic downfall but escapes excessive punishment. Yet fear of being caught and guilt over his complicity in Max’s scheme exacts its own kind of punishment. It is this ethical crisis, of being caught between â€Å"good and bad,† and the attendant physical and psychological manifestations to which we can so readily identify. Leo is rather unexceptional, the stereotypical accountant, a character given to processes and rules. From a comedic standpoint, it is his â€Å"ordinariness† and the ethical angst that the musical and his involvement with Max brings about that makes us laugh at his plight. Not only is he of â€Å"unexceptional birth,† but he is to all appearances unable to rise above the circumstances of his birth: he will always be an average accountant. So when Max comes along, it is with the chance of a lifetime. The idea to produce a flop actually comes, albeit inadvertently, from Leo and adds to the humor of the situation. Breaking with his past is no simple matter. After Max tries to convince him to â€Å"fix† the books, Leo refuses and returns to his old job at the firm of Whitehall and Marks. Leo needs a nudge, something that will spur him to take a chance and risk security and his sense of well-being. That nudge comes from his boss, Mr. Marks, who berates him, thus eliciting a fantasy about becoming a Broadway producer. Leo relents, joins with Max to form Bialystock and Bloom and they begin looking for the worst play they can find. That Leo chooses to pursue his fantasy with Max is what makes him such a comic figure. He entertains the same fantasies and harbors the same dreams that we all have. The Producers is an exaggeration of the traditional American rags-to-riches story and the lengths to which people will go to make a fort une. Leo takes a monumental risk by quitting his job and joining with Max, only to seek his fortune by producing a bad play. To that end, he is forced to patronize Liebkind, a former Nazi and the musical’s author who insists that Max and Leo take the â€Å"Siegfried Oath.† The world of entertainment is incongruous to Leo, who has never been more than a button-down corporate functionary. We laugh at his discomfort as he and Max discuss the play with their director, Roger de Bris, an openly and outrageously gay character. Leo’s naivete reaches its height when, on opening night, he wishes the company â€Å"good luck,† thereby unwittingly committing the cardinal sin of the stage (Stroman, 2005). His cluelessness is honest, however, and reveals to the audience a fundamental unfamiliarity with his surroundings, which indicates his fundamental vulnerability. As such, one is inclined to hope that he will succeed, or at least that he will survive the productionâ⠂¬â„¢s unforeseen success. In pursuing this unlikely goal, Leo has to â€Å"go along† with the unsavory means by which Max secures the funds to produce Springtime for Hitler. The ethical dilemma is part and parcel of being a comic hero, and it is this dilemma that pulls Leo in different directions. As such, there is an element of the bemused â€Å"straight man† in Leo, who plays a sort of straight man, or foil, to Max’s flamboyantly unscrupulous raconteur. And though he becomes ensnared in the riskiness of their â€Å"

Health Benefits of Beer Essay Example for Free

Health Benefits of Beer Essay My topic that I chose for this lit review is beer. I decided to do beer because it is something that me and my dad have in common and can bond over. Beer is not just an alcoholic drink for me there is more substance there. Beer is interesting because every beer company makes their product differently. Also beer is one of the most sold products in the world and I would like to find more information of it. Humanities: Miller, Carl. â€Å"Beer and Television: Perfectly Tuned In. † All About Beer 25 Feb. 2008: 29. The source Beer and Television: Perfectly Tuned In would fall under the category of Social Sciences. It would fall under this category because the article is about beer commercials and how it affects business. There is really only one way to judge a beer commercial and that is is if the commercial makes consumers buy the product. Every commercial is a little different but every one of them has the same message, buy my beer. The article discusses the way the beer industry grew due to television. Every beer company realized they needed to make their product well known so that people would go out and buy it. These companies did this by creating short and sometimes funny commercials. The search for the perfect beer commercial has been around since the invention of the television in American culture in the 1940’s. In the 1940’s no one knew what a good commercial was because the television had just been made. Since the prohibition era had just ended beer breweries were wary of putting their product on the air at first. Some critics thought that this type of commercial intruded peoples’ living rooms and thought it offended people. For this reason the breweries only aired the commercials late at night and never on Sunday. The American bar was the first home of the television. In Chicago half of all television sales were bars. Meaning that the beer companies could target their product directly to the beer drinker in a bar stool. In the early days of television, television was dominated by sports programs. This is great for selling beer because â€Å"sports sell beers†. The article does a wonderful job of showing how the beer industry grew immensely due to television commercials. I like how many industries used tough macho men to promote the light beer campaign. Also the catchy jingles and funny cartoon skits would get stuck in your head so that when you went to the bar or to the alcohol store they would buy that product. The article used easy words so that the common man would be able to understand and reflect upon it. The article shows how competitive the beer industry was for the best commercial, giving the reader a descriptive past of beer. This article is linked to my topic because it shows how competitive the beer industry was with selling their beer. Mennella JA; Beauchamp GK Developmental Psychobiology [Dev Psychobiol] 1993 Dec; Vol. 26 (8), pp. 459-66. Beer, breast feeding, and folklore. It is common practice in our society to breast feed. It is believed in folklore that if the woman breast feeding drinks beer, than the baby will become healthier. Some other folklore is that if the woman drinks beer it will increase her milk supply, lessen the feeding pain, and it increases the hormone needed to create breast milk. So a group of scientists decided to have an experiment to see if drinking a beer really did do all the legend said it did. They had 12 lactating women with infants participate in the experiment. Six of whom drank an alcoholic beer before feeding and the other six drank a non-alcoholic beer. Then a week later at the same time as the week before the roles was reversed. What the experiment found was that: the infants drank less milk when the mother had the alcoholic beer, drank for longer, the women felt they had leftover milk in their breast, and the babies acted the same with both milks. Scientists would have liked to keep researching but, prolonged exposure to babies less than one year of age can cause ill effects to the their motor development skills. This article was interesting since there were so many myths about alcohol and breastfeeding. The article gave the reader many statistics about breastfeeding and how slight differences can change the milk. The article disqualifies all of the folklore of drinking a beer before breastfeeding. I hope women read this and realize that giving their babies low doses of beer can hurt their growth and will actually decrease the amount of milk the infant will drink. This article is linked to my topic because many women drink a beer before breastfeeding because they believe in the folklore. Social Sciences: Bretting, Sandra. â€Å"SMALL BUSINESS THE FLOW OF BEER. † Houston Chronicle ISSN 1074-7109, 11/08/2009, p. 4. The source SMALL BUSINESS THE FLOW OF BEER Keeping the kegs on course Logistics company tracks empties and gets them back fast for refills would fall under the category of social sciences. It would fall under this category because the article is about how a small business handles there kegs. Many people buy kegs for multiple reasons. One reason is that you can buy 170 or so beers for much cheaper than buying them by the 30 pack. Also is it refillable and there for saving the environment by not using cans or bottles to drink the beer. Every company though has to be able to track their kegs and get them refilled as soon as possible. Whenever a beer keg becomes empty it has to go back to the brewery to be refilled. So the beer stores would collect their kegs and send them back to the brewery which was usually in Europe. But since most beer stores handled around 90 products this made the logistics overwhelming. So a man named Brady 25 years ago created a freight company that transported products by rail. A few years later Guinness Co. of Ireland hired Brady to handle their logistics for returning their empty kegs. After that deal the company took off. The company officially launched its beer logistics product in 1994. The product was called Kegspeditor Sytem, the system collects empty kegs from beer stores, returns kegs to the brewery, and then documents the entire process. The article does a good job of showing how one small company came up with an idea and made millions. I like how the article gave an exact description of what the company does. Also the writer makes the reader feel good about the company because it helps the common beer drinking man and the brewery and the environment. The article is a bit of a tough read since it is about logistics but, still interesting. The article shows that there are many things that happen with a keg that most people do not realize. This article is linked to my topic because beer kegs are a big part of the business aspect of beer. Kirkby, Diane Journal of Popular Culture; Fall2003, Vol. 37 Issue 2, p244-256 â€Å"Beer, Glorious Beer†: Gender Politics and Australian Popular Culture. â€Å"Beer is a religion in Australia,† according to Cyril Pearl. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s there were multiple myths about Australians’ and their beer. One myth was that their beer was the strongest in the world and was meant for tough men with chest hair. The second myth was that they could drink the most amount of beer. There is a very strong relationship between masculinity and beer. In fact in the 1920’s to around the 1960’s women had no correlation with beer besides serving it in Australia’s society. So during that time period the men would get off work at five and then drink till 6 at the bar, because that is when it closed back in the day. This closing time for bars was known as the â€Å"Six O’Clock Swill† where the working men of Australia would get hammered in one hour. Getting drunk every night was considered the good life in this culture, consequently during this time period there was the highest amount of divorces. This article does a fine job of explaining the history of Australian drinking culture and how it changed through the years. The reader learns that drinking was and still is a big deal in Australia. Also, this reading made me realize that Australian men may be fierce with their drinking but, in the more recent decades women have become just as fierce. The article uses some different dialect terms at times so that made the article a little hard to read. This article is linked to my topic because it is about how beer affected and affects Australian culture. Natural and Physical Sciences: LESKOSEK-CUKALOVIC et al. : Beer with Improved Functionality, Food Technol. Biotechnol. 48 (3) 384–391 (2010). New Type of Beer – Beer with Improved Functionality and Defined Pharmacodynamic Properties. Almost everyone enjoys an ice cold beer at the end of a hard day. Beer is the most popular beverage in the world. There are many reasons explaining why it is so popular. One reason is that it is a cheap alcoholic drink. Another is that there are so many different choices in choosing a beer. Thirdly, recently found out in fact that beer has health benefits. In healthy dosages beer is very good for you. Some health benefits include: reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia, and a beer day is better for your heart than a glass of red wine. Beer however does have disastrous effects on your body if you consume excess amounts of it for a prolonged period of time. Good news though is in recent studies beer has the ability to lessen the chance of getting colon cancer. The most important biological factor found in the beer’s hops is the compound xanthohumol (XH). XH has the ability to stop major enzymes in cancer, particularly colon in moderate drinking. This article was extremely interesting in how it gave a beer a good name. It seems like many people are against beer because it turns gentlemen into cavemen. But, if those people would read this article their eyes would be opened to what beer really is, an alcoholic drink that is actually good for you in moderation. The best information in the article in my opinion was the fact that a beer a day is better for your heart than a glass of red wine. Article was extremely factual and had many statistics. This article is linked to my topic because it shows the positive effects beer can have on the body. J. D. Pedrera-Zamorano et al. / Nutrition 25 (2009) 1057–1063 Effect of beer drinking on ultrasound bone mass in women. Osteoporosis is a major health care issue. This disease is the weakening of bone mass causing more broken bones. Good news is that medicine has increased the life expectancy of the average woman. But, with more age comes more likelihood to get a disease especially one associated with age, such as osteoporosis. Women post menopause are the most likely to get osteoporosis. The older one gets the more calcitonin they lose. Calcitonin is one of the major attributes that keep your bones healthy. Recent studies have shown that moderate drinking increases calcitonin output. Also, in beer that does good for a woman’s body is flavones, it slows the post menopause effect of losing calcitonin. Another attribute of beer that helps prevent the deterioration of bones is silicon in liquid form. Since beer is second to water in providing silicon in liquid form to the western hemisphere’s diet, one could say that beer could help promote bone formation. I found this article very intriguing because of the health benefits, especially for women. Most women do not enjoy drinking beer because of the taste, but maybe after reading this article they will change their minds. The reading had many facts, large words, and stats. This article yet again gives beer a good name in how it can help people. This article is linked to my topic because it shows how the beer can help prolong the life of women.

Consciousness In The Snows Of Kilimanjaro

Consciousness In The Snows Of Kilimanjaro The Snows of Kilimanjaro is a short novel by well-known American novelist Ernest Hemmingway (1899-1961) by the use of stream of consciousness. The novel shapes the hero Harry, the dying writer, although he feared the advent of death, eventually he expected to rise his own soul to snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro, so as to realize the detachment of spirit and surpass himself. The Snows of Kilimajaro contains powerful images of death. In fact, the opening paragraph of the novel tells the reader about a carcass of a leopard and Hemingways creates a trio of images that are showed throughout the novel: snow God death. The novel deals with an extreme life situation the experience closely relates to death and the dying experience . Death is exsited no matter place in the novel, it is showed in the main plot of the story and the parts describing the remembrance of the heros life. Decay, destruction and death are the main themes of this short story. Hemingway described the hero Harry with flesh and blood, longing for having real life. Although he felt very helpless and angry for the fate and the death, he still remained clear-headed mentally in the dying point of the death, reflecting himself by the way of recalling the remorse, and regretting his mistake and wasted time. In order to show this theme, Hemingway used his unique technique of stream of consciousness, much space was used to describe Harrys memories in the novelà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡In the passage of describing the reality that death is approaching ¼Ã…’the narrative of stream of consciousness successfully was inserted in the main form of narration interposed, flashback, multi-perspective rendering method and symbolic, sketching out Harrys life experience, succeeding in describing the activities of Harrys mind, and depicting vividly the characters personality II Embodiments of Stream of Consciousness in the Snows of Kilimanjaro Stream of consciousness is emerged on the basis of realism between the 1920s and 1930s, which breaking the traditional literary technique including character introduction, plot arrangement and comment on the psychological activities, while directly representing awareness activities of the characters, subconscious process is its main feature in particular, image and inner attitude of the characters are regarded as manifesting form. Psychological state is the center line when the hero faced the death approaching in the Snows of Kilimanjaro, radiating out the stream of consciousness is the experience of Harrys life and all the stories related to the death, the center line is regarded as the main line of the whole story vertically develops.Harrys death refracts Harrys life, personality and his attitude towards death. All these above are inserted some narrative of stream of consciousness in the form of narration interposed, flashback, multi-perspective rendering method and symbolic in the center line. Finally, all the consciousness were attributed to a kind of sense, which the sublimation of peoples spiritual realm and the rise of aircraft are integrated, the article mounts to climax , beyond the space-time and reshapes the realm of himself. Time and space crisscross The narration split into two time and spatial levels made it possible for Hemingway to incorporate wider experience. The first level is precisely defined in time and space, whereas the second level is not restricted in this respect. It is on the edge of a dream, so it belongs rather to that surreal world. The combination of both gives strong sense of deep feeling and bitter experience of this violent world. Life is seen as a constant flow of conflicting activities, a mixture of phenomena flourishing and at the same time fading and due to destruction. Hemingway breaks through the limits o f time and space in his pithy style, almost entirely revealing everything both Harrys waking and imagination. During the course of the bounces between Harrys waking and imagination, the author does not simply describe Harrys vacant current -from world-weariness to indignation, but a sort of complicated minds, and meanwhile readers discover the course of Harrys constantly shifting thought-from simplicity to degradation, and then to be awake. Through the double clues of Harrys consciousness, both the back-and-forth-springing and the secret ones as the diagram above illustrates, the entire life of the protagonist comes to be presented step by step and increasingly clear from Harrys recall and regret without chronological ordering. But with this unique employment of the technique of the back-and-forth-springing structure, Harrys stream of consciousness occurs logically and soundly at the same as the events happen around him ,even those before. Reality and Fantasy Interlacing Looking through the whole novel, all the creation of novel are completed with the aid of Harrys stream of consciousness and inner monologue except a few dialogues occurred on Harry and Helen in the awake time, and the limited scenery that Hemingway saw through the eye of hero, by the way of the mixture of reality and fantasy, so that readers can understand Harrys life and psychological state that he faced death threat and feelings of remorse. We can see the two different levels of stream of consciousness between reality and fantasy, which interweaves each other, sometimes from real life to fantasy, and sometimes from dreams to reality, as a result that the readers can straightly glimpse the inner world of characters to penetrate his feeling. In the activities of fantasy awareness, the novel shows the complex events of the past that Harry wrote after he stayed at continental place, including his childhood, the cruelty of the First World War and his skiing, looking for stimulation in gambling, his pain from anesthesia war; the journey and settle in European after the post-war, making money by writing, the personal feelings from increasingly deepening social crisis and social contradictions, his love and dissolute life and loneliness. Under the control of waking awareness, he remembered his wasteful luxury, extravagant, and hedonistic decadent life filled with fancy money and chasing women. He had destroyed his talent by not using it, by betrayals of himself and what he believed in, by drinking so much that he blunted the edge of his perceptions, by laziness, by sloth, and by snobbery, by pride and by prejudice, by hook and by crook. The fear of death for Harry from disgust, hatred was gradually changed into understanding, calm and acceptance. After all, he still loved life, he moved to Africa in order to start from scratch, but he contracted an incurable disease in the place, he was eager to find someone to save him from the death in the last time. At the moment, illusion stream of consciousness appeared, Harry saw that the aircraft droved by Compton to rescue him. He lay still and death was not there. It must have gone around another street. It went in pairs, on bicycles, and moved absolutely silently on the pavements. Because, just then, death had come and rested its head on the foot of the cot and he could smell its breath. Readers think that Harry was really sitting in the aircraft and escaped the death situation, until finally readers know that death did come, and which is the feature of description from illusion to reality of Ernest Hemingway. The master of modern narrative art, Hemingway responses to Harrys the flow of stream of consciousness, so that the stream of consciousness and inner monologue are become into the most powerful tool to express the thinking and activities of the characters. When the story reaches a climax and the energy of theme concentrates to the maximum, the two consciousnesses of reality and fantasy from Harry are integrated into one unit, spewing out the stream of consciousness in the last moment of struggling between the life and the death, which makes all the activities of sense are concentrated together, he dreamed that he flew to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro by plane, Harry understood that the place was his willing. In fact, which is the final climb of Harrys soul to the immortal realm of the spirit. Multiple points of view Hemingway chooses the multi- points of view in the fluid present of novel, so that the hero can scan and look over from several angles and reflect on their past behaviour. The frequent alternation on the person is embodied in the text description. You and he are often alternated in the same sentence in the description, making the narrative points of view frequently change. An objective description is the consciousness guide of readers, while the second-person narrative is associated with the character and the focus of attention from reader consciousness. In this way, describing characters inner activity as if Harry thinks aloud. Through the conversion of narrative point of view, the inner world of characters

Manufacturing Resource Planning Models

Manufacturing Resource Planning Models Manufacturing Resource Planning Models under Uncertainty and Commonality for Multi-products Multi-period Multistage Production Environment Chapter 3: Literature Review In this chapter, the following areas of research are investigated to lay the foundation for the intended mathematical models: manufacturing resources planning background, benefits and limitations; manufacturing resources planning models under different uncertainties; and commonality in manufacturing resources planning models. 3.1 Evolution of manufacturing environment The field of production planning and control has undergone tremendous change in the last 50 years. Prior to the 1960s, inventory was controlled by a manual system, utilizing various techniques: stock replenishment, reorder points, EOQ (economic order quantity) (McGarrie, 1998), and ABC classifications, to name a few (Ptak, 1991). Gilbert and Schonberger (1983) provide a history of production control, while Lee (1993) comments that by the mid-1970s, enough experience of material requirements planning (MRP) had been gained and the importance of the master production schedule (MPS) was realized. In the 1950s, MRP were the first off-the-shelf business applications to support the creation and maintenance of material master data and bill-of-materials (demand-based 14 planning) across all products and parts in one or more plants. These early packages were able to process mass data but only with limited processing depth (Klaus et al., 2000). From the 1940s to the early 1960s, material control consisted of basic ‘order point formulae used to maintain a level average inventory balance. In 1965, Joseph Orlicky of the J. I. Case Company devised a new approach to material management, called material requirement planning (MRP) to serve as a platform to answer four questions, known as the ‘Universal Manufacturing Equation (Towers et al., 2005): What are we going to make, What does it take to make, What do we have and What do we have to get. The respective answer of the first three questions lie in the blueprint of production plan: the master production schedule (MPS), the bill of material (BOM) and the physical inventory records themselves. While MRP was certainly a vast improvement over simple manual method, the potential to stretch its boundary even further was soon recognized. A companys production is constrained by not only its inventory need but also by equipment and personnel capacity, facet of the plant not considered in the Universal Manufacturing Equation. MRP at its core is a time phased order release system that schedules and releases manufacturing work orders and purchase orders, so that sub-assemblies and components arrive at the assembly station just as they are required. As competitive pressures increased and users became more sophisticated, MRP evolved and expanded to include more business functions such as product costing and marketing. In 1975 the next generation system, Closed-Loop MRP, integrated capacity factors into the MRP structure and used feedback on production status to maintain the validity of planning decisions as requirements changed. One crucial link in the manufacturing decision chain was still missing- the financial point of view. With advent of computer system in the early 1980s the development of effective shop-floor scheduling tools had at that time been dominated by the top down approach of manufacturing resource planning known as MRP II for controlling production operations (Towers et al., 2005). The introduction of MRP II five years later served to bridge the gap. The operational Closed-Loop MRP plan, presented in material units such as pieces and pounds, was translated into financial dollar terms, enabling the entire organization to work off a single set of data. Simulation capability was also developed to answer ‘what if planning questions with action oriented replies. A major purpose of MRP II is to integrate primary functions (i.e. production, marketing and finance) and other functions such as personnel, engineering and purchasing into the planning process to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing enterprise (Chen, 2001, Chung and Snyder, 2000, Mabert et al., 2001). MRP II has certain extensions like rough cut capacity planning and capacity requirements planning for production scheduling on the shop floor as well as feedback from manufacturing shops on the progress of fabrication. Since the 1980s, the number of MRP II installations has continued to increase, as MRP II applications became available on mini and micro computers (Siriginidi, 2000). Like MRP, MRP II focused on the manufacturing process. Then MRP II was extended towards the more technical areas that cover the product development and production processes. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) supplied the entire conceptual framework for the integration of all business administrative and technical functions of a company, such as finance, sales and distribution, and human resources (Klaus et al., 2000). The next stage of MRP II evolution was just-in-time (JIT) methodology that combined with the plummeting price of computing to create the islands of automation in late 1980s. Over the last 60 years, many PPC systems and philosophies have been developed. These include material requirements planning (MRP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), enterprise resource planning (ERP), just in time (JIT), optimized production technology (OPT), advanced production scheduling (APS), supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM), either used individually or jointly (Koh, 2004). 3.1.1 Material requirement planning (MRP) Kulonda (2000) descried the evolution of MRP, dividing it in three different worlds. In the first world, MPS items typically are finished end items made to stock; MPS is stated in terms of forecast item demand converted to a series of production lots via time-phased order points or other rules. In the second world, the MPS could conceivably be stated as end items built entirely to order. If response time were not an issue, this approach would work quite well. Competitive force, however, often require shorter response times and inevitably some stocking of at least the longest lead time items occur. A relatively large number of different components are assembled to complete an end product that may have many specific variants. The third world of MRP has all the complexity of the second world with the additional complication that relatively numerous end items are built from relatively few raw materials. This can be visualized in part level count charts shown in 3.1. Within the MRP system a number of rules need to be specified. They include: acceptable lot sizes, safety stocks and reject allowances. There are three principles of MRP. They are: dependent on demand for the final product; netting of inventory with expected deliveries and open orders to give a balance on-hand; and time phasing by using information on lead times and needs. Three basic MRP inputs to the system are: master production schedule (MPS); the structured BOM for the MPS; and information on inventories, open orders and lead times. The aim of MRP systems is to minimize cost of inventories and maintain customer service levels. MRP benefits include the ability to rapidly re-plan and re-schedule in response to changes in a dynamic environment. It is flexible and responsive to the customer needs (Hines, 2004). The successes and disappointments of MRP as well as the key shortcomings of MRP (material requirement planning) are studied by Plenert (1999). He investigates consequences of the deficiencies means if they are not corrected. The difficulties encountered by firms in the implementation process of MRP may be traced back to a number of factors. The complexity of MRP systems, which, of course, is a relative concept varying according to the level of knowledge and experience available inside the firm prior to implementation (Wortmann, 1998, Wilson et al., 1994, Luscombe, 1994). There are usually several parameters to be initiated when implementing standard software. A considerable amount of intensive training is required. In fact, even though end-users are usually trained on a limited amount of functionality, key users need to acquire considerable technical competence. The organizations simply under-estimate the extent to which they have to change in order to accommodate their purchase. The effective management of technological change requires transformational leadership (Brown, 1994). One of the issues largely felt as critical concerns the resistance of managers and personnel to the organizational change that is induced by the adoption of new technologies. To this regard, several authors have underlined the importance of a sound involvement of shop-floor workers (Sommer, 1998, Weill et al., 1991). Valuable relevance has also been placed in the referring literature to technological problems, such as the unsuitability of MRP systems to optimize the internal workflow. In fact, frequent changes in schedules, a problem referred to as production nervousness, is an obstacle to successful implementation of MRP systems (Duchessi et al., 1998). Material Requirements Planning (MRP) has fallen into disfavor in 1980s, as demonstrated by the extensive literature and conference material coming out of organizations like the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) which discuss its shortcomings (Berger, 1987). MRP has received strong challenges of its effectiveness from Japan. It is believed that the only thing which is still keeping so many manufacturers with MRP is the difficulty in converting to other (Plenert, 1999). Looking at MRPs basic philosophy, we should be able to focus our scheduling only on what materials are needed, and when they are needed (Plenert, 1990b, Ritzman et al., 1984, Chase and Aquilano, 1995, Lee and Schniederjans, 1994, Nahmias, 1997, Schroder et al., 1981). MRP allows greater flexibility in product customization. The most obvious shortcoming in MRP usage is its focus on labor efficiency. Labor is not the resource that we need to be efficient at, especially since it causes inefficiencies in our most critical resource, materials. We need to minimize our routings, shortening lead times as much as possible. We need to do our buffering using safety capacity (labor and machine capacity buffers), not safety stock (materials capacity buffers) (Plenert, 1999). We should minimize the non-value-added steps to make them as efficient as possible. The other big builders of inventory are time and the large batch size. 3.1.2 Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) The theory of MRPII has been well discussed in the literature and focuses are normally put on concept, methodology, application and future development (Ip and Yam, 1998). MRP II (Manufacturing Resource Planning) is a hierarchically structured information system which is based on the idea of controlling all flows of materials and goods by integrating the plans of sales, finance and operations. The levels in an MRP II concept as outlined are applied to two plans in particular (Zapfel, 1996): Business Planning including Resource Requirements Planning (RRP) and Master Production Scheduling (MPS) including Rough-cut Capacity Planning (RCCP). Business planning level of a company identifies its objectives. The business plan integrates the plans from sales, finance and operations. The planned aggregate sales income, the planned cost of sales and operations, and all other expenses per planning period provide a basis for calculating the planned net income of the firm. The planning horizon is often a year or longer and a planning period a month or longer. To be feasible, the production plan is examined by the so-called resource requirements planning (RRP); that is, the resources required by a given aggregate production plan can be calculated. MRP II offers simulation capabilities and marries the operating system with the financial system so that what-if questions can be answered using the software system. If the business plan leads to resource requirements which are not feasible or which are unsatisfactory, the user can change the plan and a new simulation run is started to calculate the modified resource requirements. These s teps can be repeated until a feasible and satisfactory business plan is achieved. The aggregate production plan, accepted by the user, forms an important basis for master production scheduling. MRP II tends to link manufacturing, engineering, marketing, finance and management (Yusuf and Little, 1998); production operations-inventory production control, purchasing with production planning, Capacity Planning and Master Scheduling (Turbide, 1990); sales, logistics, production, engineering and supporting functions, the broad ingredients of almost all Manufacturing organization (Ip and Yam, 1998). It may also include costumer service- order entry, sales analysis, forecasting- with financial applications. The total is a single information control system that shares data among the various applications for the mutual benefit (Turbide, 1990). MRP II operates in a â€Å"pull† manner at the planning level. It is used for high-level planning of demand and inventory functions and preliminary capacity evaluations. Ip and Yam (1998) afford a master plan which integrates the technology and management of the strategic elements, problem definition, MRP II solutions, technical and procedural design, and implementation management in order to minimize the frustration and conflicts universally found in MRP II implementation process as well as to reduce disconnection amongst different stages of the implementation process. Ideally MRP II addresses operational planning in units; financial planning in money terms, and has simulation capability to answer â€Å"what-if† questions. It is made up of a variety of functions, each linked together: business planning, production planning, master production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity requirements planning and the execution systems for capacity and priority. Outputs from these systems would be integrated with financial reports, such as the business plan, purchase commitment report, chipping budget, inventory production in money terms, etc. Manufacturing Resource Planning is a direct outgrowth and extension of a Material Resource Planning (MRP) (Higgins et al., 1998). 3.1.2.1 MRP II definitions: ‘If I had to sum up MRP II in one word, the word I would choose is discipline. Allowed three words, they would be discipline/performance measurement Sheldon (1991). He detailed the total implementation process, from inception to completion and divided the process into six steps, namely, education, common goal, fitness for use, accountability, performance measurement and systems/tools. In Table 3.1, the definition of MRP II is summarized. Table 3.1: Definition of MRP II Definition Reference MRP II is a well-defined process or set of calculations that is used to develop plans for the acquisition of the materials needed for production. (Turbide, 1990) MRP II is an information control philosophy that is often translated into software products containing, among other capabilities the MRP calculation function. MRP II is a system designed for managing all the resources of a manufacturing company. It consists of a comprehensive set of planning tools and techniques which integrate all functional areas of an organization (Tremblay, 1991) MRP II is a method for the effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. (Dougherty and Wallace, 1992) Manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) is a long promising method that simplifies all the complex tasks of manufacturing management. (Chambers, 1996) MRP II is a hierarchically structured information system which is based on the idea of controlling all flows of materials and goods by integrating the plans of sales, finance and operations. (Zapfel, 1996) Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) is a structured approach to optimize a companys internal Supply Chain. (Higgins et al., 1998) MRP II is a method for the effective planning of all resources of the manufacturing company. MRP II is an effective management system that has excellent planning and scheduling capability which can offer dramatic increases in customer service, significant gains in productivity, much higher inventory turns, and greater reduction in material costs. (Ip and Yam, 1998) MRP II system is a proactive materials strategy. It is a dynamic system and can adapt to change as it reflects upon the latest information in its planned order releases. (Towers et al., 2005) 3.1.2.2 MRP II benefits: The potential benefits those may receive from the MRP II are summarized below: Empirical research suggests that companies able to implement MRP II successfully report enhanced competitive positions, improved customer service levels, a better financial position, increased plant efficiency, heightened morale in production, more effective co-ordination with marketing and finance, more efficient production scheduling and reduced inventory levels, fewer component shortages, reduced manufacturing costs and lead times and improvements in inventory turnover (Humphreys et al., 2001, Brown and Roberts, 1992, Roberts and Barrar, 1992). When customers and suppliers (internal or external) request information that have been fully integrated throughout the Supply Chain or when executives require integrated strategies and tactics in areas such as manufacturing, inventory, procurement and accounting, MRP II systems collate the data for analysis and transform the data into useful information that companies can use to support business decision-making (Broatch, 2001). MRP II systems, if implemented successfully, enhance and redesign business processes to eliminate non-value-added activities and allow companies to focus on core and truly value-added activities (Broatch, 2001). The focus of MRP II computer systems is on the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal processes. It offers a way to streamline and align business processes, increase operational and manufacturing efficiencies and bring order out of chaos (Nah, 2002). MRP II systems minimize the time and effort required to process business data and maximizes the application of that information. By facilitating data exchange throughout the organization, a MRP II system enables to coordinate such crucial activities as production planning, material planning, capacity planning and shop floor control (Plenert, 1999). MRP II is concerned mainly with scheduling of activities and the management of inventories. It is particularly useful where there is a need to produce components, items or sub-assemblies, which themselves are later used in the production of a final product. Organizations can improve their overall customer service through consistently meeting delivery promises, shortening delivery times and having products on hand when customer orders are received. MRP II can provide the necessary management information to ensure delivery promises can be kept. Where there is volatility in demand with unpredictable customer requirements and complex product structures, the information management capability of MRP II is particularly relevant (Towers et al., 2005). A well implemented MRP II system can: provide an organization with reliable lead times; meet its service delivery performance requirements; contribute to stable and consistent lead times and well informed decision-making; maintain lower level of safety stock; reduce the average inventory level and reduce inventory investments to a minimum (Towers et al., 2005). The uncertainty of demand can be minimized due to the fact that MRP II can provide an organization with a clear picture of the demand for a particular item and when organizations know their future needs they can negotiate their purchase agreements with suppliers and receive quantity discounts improving their financial position (Towers et al., 2005). Successful MRP II users have typically reported as much as 15 percent gain in manufacturing productivity, 50 percent reduction in overtime, 33 percent reduction in inventory investment and 80 percent reduction in inventory shortages (Towers et al., 2005). MRP II provides better control over the quantity and timing of deliveries of raw materials, parts, sub-assemblies and assemblies to production operations. 3.1.2.3 Pitfalls of MRP II: The main pitfalls of MRP II from various authenticated literature are listed below: Impressive though the benefits are, there is evidence suggesting that, as with so many similar technologies, few companies are able to maximize them. White et al. (1982) consider that 50 per cent of organizations do not achieve their objectives. Archer (1991) has said that 70 per cent of systems may be regarded as failures. Ho et al. (1992) has stated that ‘few firms have been able to realize the full potential offered by MRP II. While relative percentages of successful and unsuccessful implementations differ from study to study, each demonstrates a surprisingly high failure rate. Implementation of MRP II system requires major managerial innovations and organizational changes in addition to the installation of computer hardware and software (Lau et al., 2002). The heart of an MRP II system is MRP. MRP II does consider resource capacity level when generating the POR schedule. If an overload is identified, it will flag and recommend the user to reschedule. The question is how frequent should the user reschedule? Both Ho et al. (1995) and Sridharan and LaForge (1989) showed that rescheduling induces system nervousness, which leads to further underperformance. MRP II has been criticized by a number of authors on the grounds that few benefits accrue for high implementation costs (Burns et al., 1991, Sum and Yang, 1993). Unsuccessful MRP II implementation not only deprives companies of potentially huge benefits but also results in financial losses and disruptions in operations (Towers et al., 2005). MRP II concept is only partially suited to production planning in the case of uncertain demand. There is little help with the necessary aggregation and disaggregation process, especially when demand uncertainty exists. It is difficult for the user of MRP II to find a robust aggregate plan for master production schedule (Zapfel, 1996). Critics of MRP II points to the rigidity of the process: the logic that demands batches and multiple; the fixed lead time which takes no account of current capacity; the standard queue concept in front of a work center etc. Increasing competitive pressure, manifested by reduced lead times, smaller batch sizes, lower stocks and ever more demanding customers have pushed MRP II to its limits (Porter et al., 1996). 3.1.2.4 Reasons for failure: One of the principal reasons for the failure of MRP II and other large technologically sophisticated systems is that organizations simply underestimate the extent to which they have to change in order to assimilate what is in reality a new way of running the company (Humphreys et al., 2001). MRP II failure have embraced technical problems; the difficulties involved in selecting and evaluating cost effective MRP II packages and a host of historical, cultural, structural and managerial issues (White, 1980, Kinnie et al., 1992, Wight, 1990, Wilson et al., 1994); expertise needed to implement and use effective MRP II systems; lead times management; design of the production environment, routing and quality information; Infinite capacity availability; batch and lot sizing (Higgins et al., 1998). An accurate demand forecast is an essential foundation for the successful operation of an MRP II system. Poor sales forecasting had been identified by senior management as one of the main reasons for the MRP II implementation failure (Humphreys et al., 2001). 3.1.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The Gartner Group of Stamford, CT, USA, coined the term ERP in the early 1970s to describe the business software system. The name ERP was derived from the terms material requirements planning (MRP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II). The maturity stage of ERP occurred in the mid-1990s. ERP is the third generation of planning software. Material requirements planning (MRP) was the first generation, manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) the second and ERP the third. The primary purpose of ERP is to create a seamless integration of interrelated information throughout the business organization. A system of software programs is used to develop the necessary links between the various business functions so that needed information is readily available. There are 8 (eight) major functions and 33 (thirty three) sub-functions, as well as 22 (twenty two) primary modules and several sub-modules (Umble et al., 2001). A typical ERP implementation takes anywhere from one to five years (M abert et al., 2003). ERP system is not just a pure software package to be tailored to an organization but an organizational infrastructure that affects how people work and that it â€Å"imposes its own logic on a companys strategy, organization, and culture† (Shehab et al., 2004, Davenport, 1998, Lee and Lee, 2000). 3.1.3.1 Definition of ERP When customers and suppliers request information that have been fully integrated throughout the value chain or when executives require integrated strategies and tactics in areas such as manufacturing, inventory, procurement and accounting, ERP systems collect the data for analysis and transform the data into useful information that companies can use to support business decision-making. They allow companies to focus on core and truly value-added activities (Nah, 2002). These activities cover accounting and financial management, human resources management, manufacturing and logistics, sales and marketing, and customer relationship management. Table 3.2 shows definitions of ERP, cited in different literatures. Table 3.2: Definition of ERP Definition Reference ERP systems are enterprise-wide on-line interactive systems that support cross-functional processes using a common database. ERP systems are designed to provide, at least in theory, seamless integration of processes across functional areas with improved workflow, standardization of various business practices, and access to real-time up-to-date data. (Davenport, 1998) ERP systems are complex and implementing one can be a challenging, time consuming and expensive project for any company. ERP is not only an IT solution, but also a strategic business solution. As an IT solution, ERP system, if implemented fully across an entire enterprise, connects various components of the enterprise through a logical transmission and sharing of data. (Norris et al., 2000) ERP is a commodity, a product in the form of computer software. (Klaus et al., 2000) ERP is a development objective of mapping all processes and data of an enterprise into a comprehensive integrative structure. ERP is a key element of an infrastructure that delivers a solution to business. ERP a method for the effective planning and controlling of all the resources needed to take, make, ship and account for customer orders in a manufacturing, distribution or service company. (Nah, 2002) ERP system is a packaged business software system that allows a company to automate and integrate the majority of its business processes, and share common data and practices across the entire enterprise. (Seddon et al., 2003) ERP is a â€Å"do it all† system that performs everything from entry of sales orders to customer service. It attempts to integrate the suppliers and customers with the manufacturing environment of the organization. (Shehab et al., 2004) 3.1.3.2 Benefits of ERP ERP systems have certain advantages such as low operating cost and improving customer service (Shehab et al., 2004). In implementing an ERP solution, an organization can quickly upgrade its business processes to industry standards, taking advantage of the many years of business systems reengineering and integration experience of the major ERP vendors (Myerson, 2002). The practical benefits of ERP are divided into five aspects by Seddon et al. (2003): operational, managerial, strategic, IT infrastructure, and organizational (Table 3.3). Table 3.3: Benefits of ERP Operational benefits: By automating business processes and enabling process changes, they can offer benefits in terms of cost reduction, cycle term reduction, productivity improvement, quality improvement, and improved customer service. Managerial benefits: With centralized database and built-in data analysis capabilities, they can help an organization achieve better resource management, improved decision making and planning, and performance improvement. Strategic benefits: With large-scale business involvement and internal/external integration capabilities, they can assist in business growth, alliance, innovation, cost, differentiation, and external linkages. IT infrastructure benefits: With integrated and standard application architecture, they support business flexibility, reduced IT cost and marginal cost of business units IT, and increased capability for quick implementation of new applications. Organizational benefits: They affect the growth of organizational capabilities by supporting organization structure change, facilitating employee learning, empowering workers, and building common visions. 3.1.3.3 Disadvantages of ERP: ERP systems have some disadvantages due to the tight integration of application modules and data. Huge storage needs, networking requirements and training overheads are frequently mentioned ERP problems. However, the scale of business process re-engineering (BPR) and customizations tasks involved in the software implementation process are the major reasons for ERP dissatisfaction. ERP projects are large, costly and difficult and that they require large investment in capital and staff and management time (Adam and ODoherty, 2000). Yen et al. (2002) identified the following disadvantages of ERP: Its high cost prevents small businesses from setting up an ERP system The privacy concern within an ERP system Lack of trained people may affect ERPs efficiency Implementation of an ERP project is painful Customization is costly and time-consuming. Some of these shortcomings have been discussed by OConnor and Dodd (2000). Implementation of an ERP system is an extensive, lengthy and costly process, typically measured in millions of dollars. An ERP implementation can take many years to be completed and cost tens of millions of dollars for a moderate size firm and upwards of $100 million for large international organizations (Mabert et al., 2000). Even with significant investments in time and resources, there is no guarantee of a successful outcome (Mabert et al., 2003). According to Shehab et al. (2004), the ERP systems are complex and implementing one can be difficult, time-consuming and expensive project for a company. It costs tens of millions of dollar for a medium sized company and $300-500 million for large international corporations. There are also some possible hidden costs that may include losing some very intelligent employees after the initial implementation is done, continual imp Manufacturing Resource Planning Models Manufacturing Resource Planning Models Manufacturing Resource Planning Models under Uncertainty and Commonality for Multi-products Multi-period Multistage Production Environment Chapter 3: Literature Review In this chapter, the following areas of research are investigated to lay the foundation for the intended mathematical models: manufacturing resources planning background, benefits and limitations; manufacturing resources planning models under different uncertainties; and commonality in manufacturing resources planning models. 3.1 Evolution of manufacturing environment The field of production planning and control has undergone tremendous change in the last 50 years. Prior to the 1960s, inventory was controlled by a manual system, utilizing various techniques: stock replenishment, reorder points, EOQ (economic order quantity) (McGarrie, 1998), and ABC classifications, to name a few (Ptak, 1991). Gilbert and Schonberger (1983) provide a history of production control, while Lee (1993) comments that by the mid-1970s, enough experience of material requirements planning (MRP) had been gained and the importance of the master production schedule (MPS) was realized. In the 1950s, MRP were the first off-the-shelf business applications to support the creation and maintenance of material master data and bill-of-materials (demand-based 14 planning) across all products and parts in one or more plants. These early packages were able to process mass data but only with limited processing depth (Klaus et al., 2000). From the 1940s to the early 1960s, material control consisted of basic ‘order point formulae used to maintain a level average inventory balance. In 1965, Joseph Orlicky of the J. I. Case Company devised a new approach to material management, called material requirement planning (MRP) to serve as a platform to answer four questions, known as the ‘Universal Manufacturing Equation (Towers et al., 2005): What are we going to make, What does it take to make, What do we have and What do we have to get. The respective answer of the first three questions lie in the blueprint of production plan: the master production schedule (MPS), the bill of material (BOM) and the physical inventory records themselves. While MRP was certainly a vast improvement over simple manual method, the potential to stretch its boundary even further was soon recognized. A companys production is constrained by not only its inventory need but also by equipment and personnel capacity, facet of the plant not considered in the Universal Manufacturing Equation. MRP at its core is a time phased order release system that schedules and releases manufacturing work orders and purchase orders, so that sub-assemblies and components arrive at the assembly station just as they are required. As competitive pressures increased and users became more sophisticated, MRP evolved and expanded to include more business functions such as product costing and marketing. In 1975 the next generation system, Closed-Loop MRP, integrated capacity factors into the MRP structure and used feedback on production status to maintain the validity of planning decisions as requirements changed. One crucial link in the manufacturing decision chain was still missing- the financial point of view. With advent of computer system in the early 1980s the development of effective shop-floor scheduling tools had at that time been dominated by the top down approach of manufacturing resource planning known as MRP II for controlling production operations (Towers et al., 2005). The introduction of MRP II five years later served to bridge the gap. The operational Closed-Loop MRP plan, presented in material units such as pieces and pounds, was translated into financial dollar terms, enabling the entire organization to work off a single set of data. Simulation capability was also developed to answer ‘what if planning questions with action oriented replies. A major purpose of MRP II is to integrate primary functions (i.e. production, marketing and finance) and other functions such as personnel, engineering and purchasing into the planning process to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing enterprise (Chen, 2001, Chung and Snyder, 2000, Mabert et al., 2001). MRP II has certain extensions like rough cut capacity planning and capacity requirements planning for production scheduling on the shop floor as well as feedback from manufacturing shops on the progress of fabrication. Since the 1980s, the number of MRP II installations has continued to increase, as MRP II applications became available on mini and micro computers (Siriginidi, 2000). Like MRP, MRP II focused on the manufacturing process. Then MRP II was extended towards the more technical areas that cover the product development and production processes. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) supplied the entire conceptual framework for the integration of all business administrative and technical functions of a company, such as finance, sales and distribution, and human resources (Klaus et al., 2000). The next stage of MRP II evolution was just-in-time (JIT) methodology that combined with the plummeting price of computing to create the islands of automation in late 1980s. Over the last 60 years, many PPC systems and philosophies have been developed. These include material requirements planning (MRP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP II), enterprise resource planning (ERP), just in time (JIT), optimized production technology (OPT), advanced production scheduling (APS), supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM), either used individually or jointly (Koh, 2004). 3.1.1 Material requirement planning (MRP) Kulonda (2000) descried the evolution of MRP, dividing it in three different worlds. In the first world, MPS items typically are finished end items made to stock; MPS is stated in terms of forecast item demand converted to a series of production lots via time-phased order points or other rules. In the second world, the MPS could conceivably be stated as end items built entirely to order. If response time were not an issue, this approach would work quite well. Competitive force, however, often require shorter response times and inevitably some stocking of at least the longest lead time items occur. A relatively large number of different components are assembled to complete an end product that may have many specific variants. The third world of MRP has all the complexity of the second world with the additional complication that relatively numerous end items are built from relatively few raw materials. This can be visualized in part level count charts shown in 3.1. Within the MRP system a number of rules need to be specified. They include: acceptable lot sizes, safety stocks and reject allowances. There are three principles of MRP. They are: dependent on demand for the final product; netting of inventory with expected deliveries and open orders to give a balance on-hand; and time phasing by using information on lead times and needs. Three basic MRP inputs to the system are: master production schedule (MPS); the structured BOM for the MPS; and information on inventories, open orders and lead times. The aim of MRP systems is to minimize cost of inventories and maintain customer service levels. MRP benefits include the ability to rapidly re-plan and re-schedule in response to changes in a dynamic environment. It is flexible and responsive to the customer needs (Hines, 2004). The successes and disappointments of MRP as well as the key shortcomings of MRP (material requirement planning) are studied by Plenert (1999). He investigates consequences of the deficiencies means if they are not corrected. The difficulties encountered by firms in the implementation process of MRP may be traced back to a number of factors. The complexity of MRP systems, which, of course, is a relative concept varying according to the level of knowledge and experience available inside the firm prior to implementation (Wortmann, 1998, Wilson et al., 1994, Luscombe, 1994). There are usually several parameters to be initiated when implementing standard software. A considerable amount of intensive training is required. In fact, even though end-users are usually trained on a limited amount of functionality, key users need to acquire considerable technical competence. The organizations simply under-estimate the extent to which they have to change in order to accommodate their purchase. The effective management of technological change requires transformational leadership (Brown, 1994). One of the issues largely felt as critical concerns the resistance of managers and personnel to the organizational change that is induced by the adoption of new technologies. To this regard, several authors have underlined the importance of a sound involvement of shop-floor workers (Sommer, 1998, Weill et al., 1991). Valuable relevance has also been placed in the referring literature to technological problems, such as the unsuitability of MRP systems to optimize the internal workflow. In fact, frequent changes in schedules, a problem referred to as production nervousness, is an obstacle to successful implementation of MRP systems (Duchessi et al., 1998). Material Requirements Planning (MRP) has fallen into disfavor in 1980s, as demonstrated by the extensive literature and conference material coming out of organizations like the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) which discuss its shortcomings (Berger, 1987). MRP has received strong challenges of its effectiveness from Japan. It is believed that the only thing which is still keeping so many manufacturers with MRP is the difficulty in converting to other (Plenert, 1999). Looking at MRPs basic philosophy, we should be able to focus our scheduling only on what materials are needed, and when they are needed (Plenert, 1990b, Ritzman et al., 1984, Chase and Aquilano, 1995, Lee and Schniederjans, 1994, Nahmias, 1997, Schroder et al., 1981). MRP allows greater flexibility in product customization. The most obvious shortcoming in MRP usage is its focus on labor efficiency. Labor is not the resource that we need to be efficient at, especially since it causes inefficiencies in our most critical resource, materials. We need to minimize our routings, shortening lead times as much as possible. We need to do our buffering using safety capacity (labor and machine capacity buffers), not safety stock (materials capacity buffers) (Plenert, 1999). We should minimize the non-value-added steps to make them as efficient as possible. The other big builders of inventory are time and the large batch size. 3.1.2 Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) The theory of MRPII has been well discussed in the literature and focuses are normally put on concept, methodology, application and future development (Ip and Yam, 1998). MRP II (Manufacturing Resource Planning) is a hierarchically structured information system which is based on the idea of controlling all flows of materials and goods by integrating the plans of sales, finance and operations. The levels in an MRP II concept as outlined are applied to two plans in particular (Zapfel, 1996): Business Planning including Resource Requirements Planning (RRP) and Master Production Scheduling (MPS) including Rough-cut Capacity Planning (RCCP). Business planning level of a company identifies its objectives. The business plan integrates the plans from sales, finance and operations. The planned aggregate sales income, the planned cost of sales and operations, and all other expenses per planning period provide a basis for calculating the planned net income of the firm. The planning horizon is often a year or longer and a planning period a month or longer. To be feasible, the production plan is examined by the so-called resource requirements planning (RRP); that is, the resources required by a given aggregate production plan can be calculated. MRP II offers simulation capabilities and marries the operating system with the financial system so that what-if questions can be answered using the software system. If the business plan leads to resource requirements which are not feasible or which are unsatisfactory, the user can change the plan and a new simulation run is started to calculate the modified resource requirements. These s teps can be repeated until a feasible and satisfactory business plan is achieved. The aggregate production plan, accepted by the user, forms an important basis for master production scheduling. MRP II tends to link manufacturing, engineering, marketing, finance and management (Yusuf and Little, 1998); production operations-inventory production control, purchasing with production planning, Capacity Planning and Master Scheduling (Turbide, 1990); sales, logistics, production, engineering and supporting functions, the broad ingredients of almost all Manufacturing organization (Ip and Yam, 1998). It may also include costumer service- order entry, sales analysis, forecasting- with financial applications. The total is a single information control system that shares data among the various applications for the mutual benefit (Turbide, 1990). MRP II operates in a â€Å"pull† manner at the planning level. It is used for high-level planning of demand and inventory functions and preliminary capacity evaluations. Ip and Yam (1998) afford a master plan which integrates the technology and management of the strategic elements, problem definition, MRP II solutions, technical and procedural design, and implementation management in order to minimize the frustration and conflicts universally found in MRP II implementation process as well as to reduce disconnection amongst different stages of the implementation process. Ideally MRP II addresses operational planning in units; financial planning in money terms, and has simulation capability to answer â€Å"what-if† questions. It is made up of a variety of functions, each linked together: business planning, production planning, master production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity requirements planning and the execution systems for capacity and priority. Outputs from these systems would be integrated with financial reports, such as the business plan, purchase commitment report, chipping budget, inventory production in money terms, etc. Manufacturing Resource Planning is a direct outgrowth and extension of a Material Resource Planning (MRP) (Higgins et al., 1998). 3.1.2.1 MRP II definitions: ‘If I had to sum up MRP II in one word, the word I would choose is discipline. Allowed three words, they would be discipline/performance measurement Sheldon (1991). He detailed the total implementation process, from inception to completion and divided the process into six steps, namely, education, common goal, fitness for use, accountability, performance measurement and systems/tools. In Table 3.1, the definition of MRP II is summarized. Table 3.1: Definition of MRP II Definition Reference MRP II is a well-defined process or set of calculations that is used to develop plans for the acquisition of the materials needed for production. (Turbide, 1990) MRP II is an information control philosophy that is often translated into software products containing, among other capabilities the MRP calculation function. MRP II is a system designed for managing all the resources of a manufacturing company. It consists of a comprehensive set of planning tools and techniques which integrate all functional areas of an organization (Tremblay, 1991) MRP II is a method for the effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. (Dougherty and Wallace, 1992) Manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) is a long promising method that simplifies all the complex tasks of manufacturing management. (Chambers, 1996) MRP II is a hierarchically structured information system which is based on the idea of controlling all flows of materials and goods by integrating the plans of sales, finance and operations. (Zapfel, 1996) Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) is a structured approach to optimize a companys internal Supply Chain. (Higgins et al., 1998) MRP II is a method for the effective planning of all resources of the manufacturing company. MRP II is an effective management system that has excellent planning and scheduling capability which can offer dramatic increases in customer service, significant gains in productivity, much higher inventory turns, and greater reduction in material costs. (Ip and Yam, 1998) MRP II system is a proactive materials strategy. It is a dynamic system and can adapt to change as it reflects upon the latest information in its planned order releases. (Towers et al., 2005) 3.1.2.2 MRP II benefits: The potential benefits those may receive from the MRP II are summarized below: Empirical research suggests that companies able to implement MRP II successfully report enhanced competitive positions, improved customer service levels, a better financial position, increased plant efficiency, heightened morale in production, more effective co-ordination with marketing and finance, more efficient production scheduling and reduced inventory levels, fewer component shortages, reduced manufacturing costs and lead times and improvements in inventory turnover (Humphreys et al., 2001, Brown and Roberts, 1992, Roberts and Barrar, 1992). When customers and suppliers (internal or external) request information that have been fully integrated throughout the Supply Chain or when executives require integrated strategies and tactics in areas such as manufacturing, inventory, procurement and accounting, MRP II systems collate the data for analysis and transform the data into useful information that companies can use to support business decision-making (Broatch, 2001). MRP II systems, if implemented successfully, enhance and redesign business processes to eliminate non-value-added activities and allow companies to focus on core and truly value-added activities (Broatch, 2001). The focus of MRP II computer systems is on the efficiency and effectiveness of the internal processes. It offers a way to streamline and align business processes, increase operational and manufacturing efficiencies and bring order out of chaos (Nah, 2002). MRP II systems minimize the time and effort required to process business data and maximizes the application of that information. By facilitating data exchange throughout the organization, a MRP II system enables to coordinate such crucial activities as production planning, material planning, capacity planning and shop floor control (Plenert, 1999). MRP II is concerned mainly with scheduling of activities and the management of inventories. It is particularly useful where there is a need to produce components, items or sub-assemblies, which themselves are later used in the production of a final product. Organizations can improve their overall customer service through consistently meeting delivery promises, shortening delivery times and having products on hand when customer orders are received. MRP II can provide the necessary management information to ensure delivery promises can be kept. Where there is volatility in demand with unpredictable customer requirements and complex product structures, the information management capability of MRP II is particularly relevant (Towers et al., 2005). A well implemented MRP II system can: provide an organization with reliable lead times; meet its service delivery performance requirements; contribute to stable and consistent lead times and well informed decision-making; maintain lower level of safety stock; reduce the average inventory level and reduce inventory investments to a minimum (Towers et al., 2005). The uncertainty of demand can be minimized due to the fact that MRP II can provide an organization with a clear picture of the demand for a particular item and when organizations know their future needs they can negotiate their purchase agreements with suppliers and receive quantity discounts improving their financial position (Towers et al., 2005). Successful MRP II users have typically reported as much as 15 percent gain in manufacturing productivity, 50 percent reduction in overtime, 33 percent reduction in inventory investment and 80 percent reduction in inventory shortages (Towers et al., 2005). MRP II provides better control over the quantity and timing of deliveries of raw materials, parts, sub-assemblies and assemblies to production operations. 3.1.2.3 Pitfalls of MRP II: The main pitfalls of MRP II from various authenticated literature are listed below: Impressive though the benefits are, there is evidence suggesting that, as with so many similar technologies, few companies are able to maximize them. White et al. (1982) consider that 50 per cent of organizations do not achieve their objectives. Archer (1991) has said that 70 per cent of systems may be regarded as failures. Ho et al. (1992) has stated that ‘few firms have been able to realize the full potential offered by MRP II. While relative percentages of successful and unsuccessful implementations differ from study to study, each demonstrates a surprisingly high failure rate. Implementation of MRP II system requires major managerial innovations and organizational changes in addition to the installation of computer hardware and software (Lau et al., 2002). The heart of an MRP II system is MRP. MRP II does consider resource capacity level when generating the POR schedule. If an overload is identified, it will flag and recommend the user to reschedule. The question is how frequent should the user reschedule? Both Ho et al. (1995) and Sridharan and LaForge (1989) showed that rescheduling induces system nervousness, which leads to further underperformance. MRP II has been criticized by a number of authors on the grounds that few benefits accrue for high implementation costs (Burns et al., 1991, Sum and Yang, 1993). Unsuccessful MRP II implementation not only deprives companies of potentially huge benefits but also results in financial losses and disruptions in operations (Towers et al., 2005). MRP II concept is only partially suited to production planning in the case of uncertain demand. There is little help with the necessary aggregation and disaggregation process, especially when demand uncertainty exists. It is difficult for the user of MRP II to find a robust aggregate plan for master production schedule (Zapfel, 1996). Critics of MRP II points to the rigidity of the process: the logic that demands batches and multiple; the fixed lead time which takes no account of current capacity; the standard queue concept in front of a work center etc. Increasing competitive pressure, manifested by reduced lead times, smaller batch sizes, lower stocks and ever more demanding customers have pushed MRP II to its limits (Porter et al., 1996). 3.1.2.4 Reasons for failure: One of the principal reasons for the failure of MRP II and other large technologically sophisticated systems is that organizations simply underestimate the extent to which they have to change in order to assimilate what is in reality a new way of running the company (Humphreys et al., 2001). MRP II failure have embraced technical problems; the difficulties involved in selecting and evaluating cost effective MRP II packages and a host of historical, cultural, structural and managerial issues (White, 1980, Kinnie et al., 1992, Wight, 1990, Wilson et al., 1994); expertise needed to implement and use effective MRP II systems; lead times management; design of the production environment, routing and quality information; Infinite capacity availability; batch and lot sizing (Higgins et al., 1998). An accurate demand forecast is an essential foundation for the successful operation of an MRP II system. Poor sales forecasting had been identified by senior management as one of the main reasons for the MRP II implementation failure (Humphreys et al., 2001). 3.1.3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The Gartner Group of Stamford, CT, USA, coined the term ERP in the early 1970s to describe the business software system. The name ERP was derived from the terms material requirements planning (MRP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP II). The maturity stage of ERP occurred in the mid-1990s. ERP is the third generation of planning software. Material requirements planning (MRP) was the first generation, manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) the second and ERP the third. The primary purpose of ERP is to create a seamless integration of interrelated information throughout the business organization. A system of software programs is used to develop the necessary links between the various business functions so that needed information is readily available. There are 8 (eight) major functions and 33 (thirty three) sub-functions, as well as 22 (twenty two) primary modules and several sub-modules (Umble et al., 2001). A typical ERP implementation takes anywhere from one to five years (M abert et al., 2003). ERP system is not just a pure software package to be tailored to an organization but an organizational infrastructure that affects how people work and that it â€Å"imposes its own logic on a companys strategy, organization, and culture† (Shehab et al., 2004, Davenport, 1998, Lee and Lee, 2000). 3.1.3.1 Definition of ERP When customers and suppliers request information that have been fully integrated throughout the value chain or when executives require integrated strategies and tactics in areas such as manufacturing, inventory, procurement and accounting, ERP systems collect the data for analysis and transform the data into useful information that companies can use to support business decision-making. They allow companies to focus on core and truly value-added activities (Nah, 2002). These activities cover accounting and financial management, human resources management, manufacturing and logistics, sales and marketing, and customer relationship management. Table 3.2 shows definitions of ERP, cited in different literatures. Table 3.2: Definition of ERP Definition Reference ERP systems are enterprise-wide on-line interactive systems that support cross-functional processes using a common database. ERP systems are designed to provide, at least in theory, seamless integration of processes across functional areas with improved workflow, standardization of various business practices, and access to real-time up-to-date data. (Davenport, 1998) ERP systems are complex and implementing one can be a challenging, time consuming and expensive project for any company. ERP is not only an IT solution, but also a strategic business solution. As an IT solution, ERP system, if implemented fully across an entire enterprise, connects various components of the enterprise through a logical transmission and sharing of data. (Norris et al., 2000) ERP is a commodity, a product in the form of computer software. (Klaus et al., 2000) ERP is a development objective of mapping all processes and data of an enterprise into a comprehensive integrative structure. ERP is a key element of an infrastructure that delivers a solution to business. ERP a method for the effective planning and controlling of all the resources needed to take, make, ship and account for customer orders in a manufacturing, distribution or service company. (Nah, 2002) ERP system is a packaged business software system that allows a company to automate and integrate the majority of its business processes, and share common data and practices across the entire enterprise. (Seddon et al., 2003) ERP is a â€Å"do it all† system that performs everything from entry of sales orders to customer service. It attempts to integrate the suppliers and customers with the manufacturing environment of the organization. (Shehab et al., 2004) 3.1.3.2 Benefits of ERP ERP systems have certain advantages such as low operating cost and improving customer service (Shehab et al., 2004). In implementing an ERP solution, an organization can quickly upgrade its business processes to industry standards, taking advantage of the many years of business systems reengineering and integration experience of the major ERP vendors (Myerson, 2002). The practical benefits of ERP are divided into five aspects by Seddon et al. (2003): operational, managerial, strategic, IT infrastructure, and organizational (Table 3.3). Table 3.3: Benefits of ERP Operational benefits: By automating business processes and enabling process changes, they can offer benefits in terms of cost reduction, cycle term reduction, productivity improvement, quality improvement, and improved customer service. Managerial benefits: With centralized database and built-in data analysis capabilities, they can help an organization achieve better resource management, improved decision making and planning, and performance improvement. Strategic benefits: With large-scale business involvement and internal/external integration capabilities, they can assist in business growth, alliance, innovation, cost, differentiation, and external linkages. IT infrastructure benefits: With integrated and standard application architecture, they support business flexibility, reduced IT cost and marginal cost of business units IT, and increased capability for quick implementation of new applications. Organizational benefits: They affect the growth of organizational capabilities by supporting organization structure change, facilitating employee learning, empowering workers, and building common visions. 3.1.3.3 Disadvantages of ERP: ERP systems have some disadvantages due to the tight integration of application modules and data. Huge storage needs, networking requirements and training overheads are frequently mentioned ERP problems. However, the scale of business process re-engineering (BPR) and customizations tasks involved in the software implementation process are the major reasons for ERP dissatisfaction. ERP projects are large, costly and difficult and that they require large investment in capital and staff and management time (Adam and ODoherty, 2000). Yen et al. (2002) identified the following disadvantages of ERP: Its high cost prevents small businesses from setting up an ERP system The privacy concern within an ERP system Lack of trained people may affect ERPs efficiency Implementation of an ERP project is painful Customization is costly and time-consuming. Some of these shortcomings have been discussed by OConnor and Dodd (2000). Implementation of an ERP system is an extensive, lengthy and costly process, typically measured in millions of dollars. An ERP implementation can take many years to be completed and cost tens of millions of dollars for a moderate size firm and upwards of $100 million for large international organizations (Mabert et al., 2000). Even with significant investments in time and resources, there is no guarantee of a successful outcome (Mabert et al., 2003). According to Shehab et al. (2004), the ERP systems are complex and implementing one can be difficult, time-consuming and expensive project for a company. It costs tens of millions of dollar for a medium sized company and $300-500 million for large international corporations. There are also some possible hidden costs that may include losing some very intelligent employees after the initial implementation is done, continual imp