Nokia Case Studies

The three important issues the company should focus on in terms of expense control Employment at the company should be cut down to a manageable size. The company should only retain a sizeable number of workers that it can manage comfortably as the revenues continue to dwindle. The goal is to save a significant amount of revenues currently being paid out as salaries and wages.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nokia: Case Studies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business acquisitions should only be limited to those that are viable and those that require less time to return profits. The financial goal of this move is to save funds from further non-profitable ventures. Closing the extra regional offices and branches and instead maintaining the main ones only is the third strategy. This action will save a significant amount of revenue that is currently being spent on meeting rent and other related expenses. Assessment of Nokia-Microsoft’s Windows Mobile The Window’s smartphone by Nokia has failed to recapture the market leadership in the sector. Instead, Nokia has continued to lose its market share while recording huge losses, especially in the smartphone sector. The Windows mobile platform has failed to achieve its intended purpose of spurring growth for the brand maker. From the current market trend, it is possible to adjudge that the Windows mobile platform is inferior to its main competitors Android by Google and iOS by Apple. The best alternative for Nokia should be using the licensed Android OS on its smartphone devices in order to boost its market share. This will see Nokia devices enjoy the same superiority as other leading Android devices such as Samsung, thus attracting a huge global market to recapture its market share. Necessary steps to regain the North American Market Nokia should begin by carrying out an extensive study of the North American market in order to determi ne trends and preferences. Market needs for the smartphones, especially in North America, keep changing rapidly as users seek for new features and capabilities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A closer link to the market will enable the brand maker recapture the market. Additionally, Nokia should seriously consider introducing the Android OS in its devices because this platform is sought after by the North American market. Realistic strategies for regaining market share Price competition Nokia should shift its competition towards the aspect of price by targeting to avail high quality products at cheaper prices. Lowering prices will see more users acquiring its products, thus increasing the market share. The costs will involve buying more materials and utilizing them on more products in order to achieve economies of scale advantage. However, this strategy is risky because the gadgets might be of an inferior quality to compromise on cost. New products This strategy should focus on releasing new products with enhanced features and performance. This will provide the market with a high range of products capable of competing with the other brands. The costs involve intensive research and development, while the risk lies in spending too much on a technology that fails to pick up. I prefer the price competition strategy because with its capacity, Nokia is able to achieve success through building economies of scale advantage. Nokia is also shifting production to Asia where it is likely to benefit from cheaper labor. Evaluation of Stephen Elop Performance Stephen Elop has performed dismally in his leadership. The company has continuously lost market share and registered losses. I recommend that he should change his strategy by focusing more on changing market trends and incorporating them immediately, instead of taking time before acting. Nokia has been rigid in its operations, failing to read signs early and take the right steps to address challenges. Thus, the CEO must consider flexibility while competing for business. Additionally, Elop should consider expanding Nokia’s business by venturing into new business areas, such as personal computers and laptops. This will see the firm cushion itself from harsh business conditions and performance affecting one area.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nokia: Case Studies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Nokia: Case Studies was written and submitted by user Charleigh Ochoa to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Zechariah Essays - Biblical People In Islam, Sheep, Free Essays

Zechariah Essays - Biblical People In Islam, Sheep, Free Essays Zechariah Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and Gods people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land, says the LORD. I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them. 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep this nation and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And those who remain will devour each other! 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and snapped it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 That was the end of my covenant with them. Those who bought and sold sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking to them through my actions. 12 And I said to them, If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to. So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, Throw it to the potters this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the LORD. 14 Then I broke my other staff, Union, to show that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. 15 Then the LORD said to me, Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. 16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for the sheep that are threatened by death, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves. 17 Doom is certain for this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye! His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind! The commentary Obadiah through Malachi begins by commenting on the ambiguous nature of the passage. This vague language makes it very difficult to interpret; thus the details remain elusive. The author feels that this passage goes in accordance with the earlier situation described in Zechariah 10:3. In both passages it is made clear that the leaders (shepherds) of Israel have made the Lord angry. Zechariah is describing the social disorder and the peoples dishonesty toward each other that has overwhelmed the community before it will be restored by God. This commentary is certain that the doomed flock is in fact Israel, but is unsure whom the sheep merchants represent. Their guess is that they may be the workers in the temple who have hired Zechariah. The shepherd is understood as symbolizing a ruling, most likely a prophetic one. Zechariah is telling his audience that Israel is in total disarray and the leaders arent doing anything to help, in fact some are making the situation worse. God is permitting the corruption by sitting on His hands. While doing so, he stresses

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management

3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. M. 1989, â€Å"L ogistics Information Systems in a Just-In-Time Environment â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 50-67. Bowersox, D. J. 1974, Logistics Management: A Systems Integration of Physical Distribution Management and Materials Management, Macmillan Publishing, New York, NY. Chatfield, A. T. Bjorn-Andersen, N. 1997, â€Å"The impact of IOS-enabled business process change on business outcomes: Transformation of the Value Chain of Japan Airlines†, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-40. Closs, D. J. Kefeng, X. 2000, â€Å"Logistics information technology practice in manufacturing and merchandising firms† An international benchmarking study versus world class logistics firms†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 869-86. 624 Closs, D. J. , Goldsby, T. J. Clinton, S. R. 1997, â€Å"Information technology influences on world class logistics capability†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. Handfield, R. B. 1997, â€Å"Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. Lasserre, P. 1989, â€Å"Information as a Substitute for Inventories â€Å", European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. Mentzer, J. T. 988, â€Å"A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. Morton, M. S. S. 1989, â€Å"A Framework for Management Information Systems†, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, â€Å"Computer Models in Distribution Management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, p p. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. Auker, K. 1973, â€Å"A Survey of Computer Applications and Practices in Transportation and Distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. Cail, R. E. 1988, â€Å"Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy†, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. Talalayevsky, A. 2000, â€Å"Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. Bentz, B. A. 004, â€Å"The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey†, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. Wells, M. V. 1992, â€Å"Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, â€Å"Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. Randall, H. L. 1998, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by European industry†, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, pp. 167-79. Porter, M. E. Millar, V. E. 1985, â€Å"How information gives you competitive advantage†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. Corsi, T. 1999, â€Å"Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Stank, T. P. 1992, â€Å"Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20. Sauvage, T. 2003, â€Å"The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. Weng, Z. K. 2000, â€Å"The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. Langley, J. C. J. 1997, â€Å"A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. Patricia, J. D. 1994, â€Å"JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Rogers, D. S. 1996, â€Å"Logistics support for JIF implementation†, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, â€Å"Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM†, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, â€Å"Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future†, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. Nakamura, N. 2000, â€Å"Reactive logistics in a JIT environment†, Production Planning Control, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, â€Å"Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning†, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, â€Å"A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics†, Communications o f the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. Yasin, M. M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626 A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management 3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. 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M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626

Desert Exile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Contemporary business issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Culture Competency Essay Example for Free

Culture Competency Essay In the aspect of interacting with the global community, it is important for an individual to understand the cultural aspect of the subject society and relate to this factor in terms of their interactive business. As the aspect of culture manifest to be a significant part in the characteristics and qualities of each individual and collective society, understanding this identity factor is indeed important in the pursuit of establishing an effective interaction with the different people in the global community. In particular to the healthcare profession, the aspect of culture competency manifests to be an important concern in healthcare education as having the ability for interacting, understanding and relating to different cultures can effectively enhance the services rendered by healthcare professional. Indeed, the general concern of the healthcare profession is to render effective healthcare assistance and services to people of different culture thus, the global community is the main subject in this mission. In part though, cultural background resembles an important part in the personal identity of each person or patient thus, the healthcare profession must incorporate this in his or her pursuit of relating effectively the said matter for the benefit of the patient. In the actual practice of the healthcare profession, the concept of culture competency manifest particularly in the personal interaction between the healthcare professional and the patient. In this scenario, the two parties are often with different cultural background yet, in best effort, the health professional must overcome this difference in the process or realizing his or her responsibilities. For example, some of the common barriers are the language factor, the cultural awareness and acceptability, perception and understanding, and others. At some point, the healthcare professional must incorporate the cultural factor in the profile identity of the subject thus, adjusting his or her pursuit and interaction based on this element. Forwarding the healthcare service and assistance through relating it with the cultural background of the patient can effectively influence the understanding and acceptance of the subject in this pursuit. For example, acknowledging the cultural limitations and the preferences of the subject in his treatment and medication can indeed influence his acceptance towards the process. Through this approach, the healthcare practitioner can effectively motivate active participation and encourage interest from the patient towards the success of the treatment and the healthcare program. Due to the importance of culture competency, healthcare practitioner must assess and realize in themselves their individual strengths and weaknesses in this aspect and develop their flexibility towards the different cultures in the global community. In this aspect, the author of this paper realizes certain weaknesses in terms of cultural awareness due to the social limitations he has experienced in his upbringing. Raising from a rural town with a small community and having only experienced interacting with people from different culture during only college years, culture competency has developed late in this author as such it is important to focus much attention towards developing this skill. However, continuing the effort of developing social relationship with people from other cultures and building up academic information from researches and reading can indeed contribute in developing culture competency. With this effort, one can effectively develop awareness and understanding of various cultures and undermine cultural difference towards the mission of providing quality healthcare service towards the global community from different races and cultural society. Bibliography Zwell, Michael (2000). Creating a Culture of Competence. Wiley Publication. 1st Edition. ISBN-10: 0471350745.

Djuna Barness The Diary of a Dangerous Child :: Djuna Barnes Diary Dangerous Child Essays

Djuna Barnes's The Diary of a Dangerous Child "By this I mean that I am debating with myself whether I shall place myself in some good man's hands and become a mother, or if I shall become wanton and go out in the world and make a place for myself." -Olga, "The Diary of a Dangerous Child" In Djuna Barnes's short story "The Diary of a Dangerous Child" (1922), the narrator, an adolescent girl named Olga, ponders her destiny on the occasion of her fourteenth birthday: should she marry, settle down, and have children or become a "wanton," independent woman? During the rest of the story, however, the same young girl seduces her sister's fiancà ©, plans to dominate him using a whip, yet has her plan spoiled when her mother disguises herself as the fiancà © and arrives at the proposed midnight rendezvous. The youth consequently decides to become neither a maternal wife nor an independent tramp; instead, Olga decides "to run away and become a boy" ("Diary" 94). Like many of her early writings, this Barnes story ultimately problematizes the unrelenting sexuality and corresponding apathy of the child vampire Olga and the "traditional" view that women have only two mutually exclusive lots in life: that of the domestic and that of the worldly. What differentiates this female va mpire from other literary examples of her type is her age and the issues pursuant to it. Although disciplined in the end by her mother, Olga is but a child herself yet comes close to luring the unsuspecting fiancà © into her game of sexual supremacy. Because literature and criticism lack a solid tradition concerning vampires and children, particularly a mixture of the two, one must pursue other sources as contextual avenues into this figure in Barnes's early works. In its mixture of the domestic (baby/child/adolescent) and the sensual (vampire) and the dangerous appeal that fusion entails, the child vampire in Barnes's writings and illustrations symbolizes the ambivalence that American society of the Modernist period had about newly acquired freedoms for women. This paper explores a kind of perilous yet unwavering attraction that the child vampire epitomizes. In pursuing a contextual, interpretive framework that provides a path into Barnes's use of the child vampire, I turn to visual culture of the period, focusing upon the tradition of the screen vamp and the use of children in early American cinema as initial sources of these conflicting feelings.

Coca Cola: Another Advertising Hit

When you think of Coca Cola what comes to your mind? It wouldn’t be surprising if you thought first of Coke ads. In the history of advertising perhaps no other company has had such a strong and continuous impact on society through advertising. Not only have Coke’s ads been successful at selling its soft drinks, but decade after decade Coca Cola’s ads and campaigns have influenced our very culture by making their way into the hearts and minds of the consumers. A Brief Ad History In the 1920s Coca Cola shifted its advertising strategy, focusing for the first time on creating brand loyalty.It began advertising the soft drink as fun and refreshing. Coke’s 1929 campaign slogan was: The Pause that Refreshes. To this day, that slogan remains number two on Advertising Age’s top 100 slogans of all the time. How about those famous Coca Cola Santa Clause print ads? Most people probably have seen an example of such. What most people don’t realize is that our modern-day vision of Santa as a jolly old man with a white beard in a red suit and hat is to some extent a result of those Coke ads that began emerging in popular magazines in 1931.Before that, the world’s image of Santa was fragmented, with physical portrayals of the legendary holiday visitor ranging from a pixie to a leprechaun to even a frightening gnome. But Coca Cola’s long-running series of ads solidified what was becoming a common U. S. image, making our beloved Santa Clause recognizable around the world. Those Coca Cola campaigns were probably a little before your time. but what about Coca Cola’s 1971 â€Å"Hilltop† campaign. Perhaps you remember its lyrics, â€Å"I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony.I’d like to buy the world a Coke, and keept it company. † The song was sung by a choir of young people from all over the world, perched high on a hilltop, each holding an iconic hourglass-shaped bottle of C oke. Within months, Coca Cola and its bottlers received more than a hundred thousand letters about the ad. The ad actually received requests at radio stations; so many in fact, that a version of the song was released as a pop-music single. The jingle’s tagline, â€Å"It’s the real thing,† served as the foundation for Coke ads for years. Still too long ago for you?Maybe you have heard of Coke’s ad showing a bruised and battered Mean Joe Green tossing his shirt to a young fan after the boy shares his Coke with the pro football player. The ad appears consistently at the top of â€Å"Best Super Bowl Ads† lists. Or how about â€Å"Coke is it? † â€Å"Can’t beat the feeling? † certainly you would remember the jingle made famous in the 1990s, â€Å"Always Coca Cola†. And who doesn’t make some associate between the sweet, dark, bubbly beverage and polar bear? Innovative animation technology put those lovable creatures in only a handful of ads, but they are forever etched in the memories of consumers everywhere.These are only some highlights of Coca Cola’s long advertising history, stretching back to the company’s origin in 1886. With so many hits and such a huge impact on consumers, it’s hard to imagine that the beverage giant ever gets into an advertising rut. But as the new millennium began to unfold, many considered that Coke had lost its advertising sizzle. The company was struggling to create ads that resonated with younger folks while at the same time appealing to older consumers. And the company’s ads were routinely out-pointed by those of rival Pepsi. Coca Cola needed some new advertising fizz.Back to the Bowl Where does a company turn when it wants to make a big ad splash? For Coca Cola, it’s thoughts turned to the marquee of all advertising events – the Super Bowl. The company had certainly had success with the ad venue before. But scoring big with a Super Bowl ad isn’t guaranteed. In fact, many cynics view the ad venue as a waste of money. One team of researchers found that average brand recall one week after the 2008 Super Bowl was an unimpressive 7%. Recall for specific commercials and the brand represented therein was even worse at only 4%.That doesn’t speak very highly for a 30 second ad that costs $ 2. 7 million to air. And perhaps even more to produce. The Super Bowl has its share of critics who think it is far too costly for a single event, regardless of how many people tune-in. But for all the misses, there have been plenty of hits. In 1999, Hotjobs. com blew half of its $ 4 million advertising budget for the year on a single 30-second spot. The result? Traffic on its web site immediately shot up 120%, choking its network and server system. Monster. com saw similar results that same year.And hundreds of advertisers throughout the Super Bowl’s history have been very satisfied with the results of t heir ads. For its 2008 campaign debut, Coca Cola was confident that the Super Bowl was just right for its broad target market. It assigned Wieden + Kennedy the task of crafting a 60-second commercial. Hal Curtis, one of the top creative directors for the agency, took charge of the project. Two years before, Mr. Curtis had come up with an idea for an ad while working on a different campaign. He thought the idea was perfect for Coke. By now, you’ve probably seen the ad.Titled â€Å"It’s mine†, the spot is set at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a parade famous for its blimp-sized balloons marched through the Central Park area on long tethers. The Coke ad focuses on two particular characters, Stewie Griffin from Fox network’s comedy television show Family Guy and the classic cartoon character Underdog. Both balloons sidle up to a huge Coke balloon. The two characters begin fighting over the coke, bouncing around in a kind of slow-motio n ballet against the New York skyline, bumping up against buildings.As the scuffle progresses above the streets, moving higher and higher, New Yorkers look on from hot dog stands, cabs, and even inside buildings. At the story’s climactic moment, a giant balloon depicting the cartoon character Charlie Brown emerges from nowhere, swooping and claiming a giant Coke, leaving Stewie and Underdog empty-handed. The spot cost Coca Cola $ 2. 3 million to make and more than double that to air. It was also the most difficult ad that Mr. Curtis had ever produced. For starters, he encountered mounds of red tape in negotiating the rights to use the well-known cartoon characters in the ad.Choreographic and shooting footages of giant balloons in one of the world’s biggest cities brought its own set of challenges. At one point, bad weather forced the project indoors and all the way across the country to the Paramount Studios on the West Coast. The post-shoot animation was considered ye t a third shoot for the ad. It all added up to four months of production and postproduction. When asked about the challenge of simultaneously reaching consumers of all ages with an advertisement, Mr. Curtis responded, â€Å"A good story appeals to everyone.And a story that is well told appeals to young and old. Certainly, there are times where we want to skew a message younger, but for this spot that wasn’t part of thinking. † Pio Schunker, Coca Cola’s head of creative excellence, added, â€Å"We are at our best when we speak to universal values that appeal to everyone rather than try and skew it to specific segments. † According to Mr. Schunker, the universal value referred to here was that â€Å"Good really wins in the end†, a point that he thought was made strongly with the contrast of Charlie Brown over a character like Stewie.In fact, Curtis originally pitched the ad with an ending that had the Coke bottle getting punctured on a flagpole and n either balloon getting it. But Coca Cola wanted something that was emotionally more positive, something that expressed optimism. â€Å"I felt it was such a downer of an ending to have these characters chase the Coke and not get it,† stated Mr. Schunker. It was Curtis’s 12 year old son, Will, who gave him the idea for what became the ending when he said, â€Å"Why can’t another balloon get it? † For Hal Curtis, the next logical step was Charlie Brown.Everyone was happy with the end result. Both Coca Cola and Wieden + Kennedy felt that the ad communicated the desired message perfectly while bringing out the kind of warm emotions that had emanated from Coca Cola ads for decades. The hunches of these ad veterans proved correct. The day after the game, Coke’s balloon ad had 350 blog posts, while Pepsi’s ads had only 250. A week after that, the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad was the most talked about ad online. SuperBowl-Ads. com had it rated a s the top ad of the dozens that aired on the 2008 gridiron matchup.And later in the year, the spot won a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions festival, the most prestigious award event in the industry. There is no doubt that the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad achieved more buzz and more size than Coca Cola’s ads in recent history. But that’s only a first step to advertising success. In the end, the only result that really matters is whether or not the ad has the intended effect on consumers. Although the impact of Coca Cola’s â€Å"it’s Mine† ad or its history of other outstanding ads on actual beverage sales may never be known, one broader conclusion is clear.Every year, Interbrand publishes the premier ranking of global brands based on monetary value. And every year since Interbrand began publishing the list in 2001, Coca Cola has held the top spot. At $ 65 billion, Coca Cola is the world’s most valuable brand. Thus, it’s pretty easy to make the connection between Coca Cola’s brand value and more than 100 years of stellar advertising. Questions for Discussions 1. Consider Coca Cola’s advertising throughout its history. Identify as many commonalities as possible for its various ads and campaigns. (For a list of Coca Cola slogans over the years, check out http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Coca-Cola_slogans) 2. Analyze the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad based on the process of creating an advertising message. 3. Discuss issues of selecting advertising media for the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad. How might this process differ from that of other Coca Cola’s campaigns? From another campaigns for other companies? 4. Based on the information given in this case, how might Coca Cola measure the effectiveness of the â€Å"It’s Mine† ad? What else might Coca Cola want to measure? ———————– Coca Cola: Another Advertising Hit Famous c artoon: Underdog Stewie Griffin from Family Guy Charlie Brown

English Class Reflection Paper Essay

It’s hard to believe that my amazing journey in English 104 is coming to an end. The journey has been so much more enjoyable than I initially expected. I have tried to avoid taking English 104 numerous times because reading and writing have not been my strong points. Each time I attempted to take this course, I dropped it due to a particular instructor style, or a boring set of literary materials. This time around was different, as I set my goal to obtain my bachelor degree in Business Administration by the end of this summer. Therefore, I was determined to force my way through this class no matter what challenges I had to endure. To my pleasant surprise, this class was much better than the others. I felt the information and learning come much easier. I enjoyed the class materials and the professor did a very good job responding in earnest to my submissions. Because of the much better experience, I truly believe I have become a better writer and a better critical thinker. Through the discussion board and the professor‘s guidance of our writing assignments, I have improved my analytical skills as well as developed a greater organizational skills. The discussion board was an important tool in developing my understanding of different aspects of the literature reviewed in this course. This new discussion format allowed me to read other students contributions on the same topic, as well as Professor Duclos-Yourdon’s direct and prompts for a deeper analysis. For example, in week five discussion three, we discussed Sister James‘ character, as I said â€Å"Father Flynn offers reasonable explanation about the situation and his involvement with Donald and Sister James’ doubt is appeased. This shows that Sister James is easily persuaded and has no eager to actively seek the truth on her own†(Vickery DB) Following my thread, Kimberly raised a very interesting question by adding, â€Å"who is the real criminal in this play Is it Father Flynn with what reported or is it Sister Aloysius as she manipulates Sister James for her own benefit?†(Voss DB) Through engaging discussion with students on a regular basis, I was able to develop a more detailed understanding of literature work. Additionally, alternative views helped me to incorporate logic and critical thought into my arguments. As a result, I am better equipped to gather necessary information to begin writing my assignments. Professor Duclos-Yourdon’s guidance was crucial in helping me develop my critical thinking skills. Our first literary analysis essay was the most difficult one for me in this course as I had not written an academic paper in nearly ten years. I decided to write my first paper on â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and wanted to submit my rough draft for initial feedback. For fear of not achieving the minimum 1000 word requirement, I began to construct random ideas in my paper, as the professor commented, â€Å"Your argument should stay focused on the story. These larger implications can be raised in the conclusion if they come naturally from your argument.†(Dulcos Essay1) Later, she suggested, â€Å"To develop this argument, you could first write a paragraph establishing the wallpaper as a symbol for entrapment (as you have done). Move from there to the narrator’s loss of individuality, and finally explore the narrator’s transformation into this shadow woman.†(Duclos Essay1) These comments resonated with me and gave me great ideas on the direction I wanted to take the paper. I began to interpret the evidence in a deeper way and rethought my thesis statement to be more focused. Moreover, I deleted the unnecessary paragraphs, reorganized my ideas and supported with factual evidence. As a result, the comments I received from Professor Duclos-Yourdon were so insightful it helped not only develop confidence, but also resulted in a perfect grade. With the additional practice of literary analysis in this course, I conclude that writing is a lot like mathematic. Like mathematics, where there is a specific formula to follow to get a result, so there is also a formula in literary analysis to construct an organized essay. I learn in my previous English class that an essay consists of some very basic elements, for example, an introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. It all sounds really easy, but without following some formula, the result wanders and is difficult to follow. What helped me in this course was learning to break paragraph down into more detail. For example, the topic sentence should clearly tell the reader what the paragraph will explore. Then, simple lead in sentences should be followed by evidence from the literature work. Finally, I complete the prograph with my own interpretation of the evidence. It’s a pretty straight forward method and I can relate to it more as I love formulas. So every time I got baffled, I think of my paper as this giant math equation to solve. Taking these baby steps has helped me in completing all my assignments without feeling defeated. Finally, I realize the importance of taking English classes during the first two years of one’s college career because it prepares a person to communicate well in written words as well as spoken. Although I waited till the final year of college to take this course, the analytical, writing, and organizational skills I learned will benefit me for many years to come. I am looking forward to utilizing these newfound skills in my next career opportunity as well as graduate school. Work Cited Duclos-Yourdon, Melissa. Vickery_ Essay# 1. May 13, 2012 Vickery, Susie. Discussion# 3 Sister James. May. 29, 2012 Voss, Kimberly. Discussion# 3 Sister James. May 31, 2012

Loki Essays - Jtnar, Sir, Synjur, Sons Of Odin, Loki, Lokasenna

Loki Essays - Jtnar, Sir, Synjur, Sons Of Odin, Loki, Lokasenna Loki LOKI Loki is probably the most misunderstood of all the gods. Most people have come to see him as a most vile being, but this is a misconception. As everyone knows his actions will help destroy the gods, but there is more to him than that. What he gave to humanity as a whole outweighs what he has done and what he will do. He gave us choice; to understand that statement you need to know more about him, the events which led to his imprisonment, and the events that will lead to his eventual death. Loki is mentioned in Volsupa, Thrymskvitha, Hymiskvitha, Svipdagsmal, Reginsmal, Gylfaginning, Hyndluljod, and Baldrs Draumar. He is the subject of Lokasenna. Eilif Gudrunarson, Thjodolf of Hvin, and Ulf Uggason myths about Thor and Geirrdr, Idunn and Thjazi, and Heimdall and Loki have Loki playing a part in them. Loki came from the east. He is the son of the giant Bergelmir, or Farbauti (the dangerous striker, ie, the storm), and giantess Laufey (or Nal, needle). His wife is Sigyn, who is included among the Asynjur by Snorri. They have two sons Vali and Narfi. In Hyndluljod, He also had three other children by the giantess Angrbodha (Boder of Sorrow), the Vanargand (Fenris Wolf), the Midgard Serpent (Jormungand or Ioemingang), and Hel. He is also mother/father to Sleipnir (Gylfaginning 42, Volupsa 25). Also in Hyndluljod, he ate the cooked heart of a woman which he found in the embers through this he came with child, and gave birth to an unknown monster. In Gylfaginning (33) Snorri says that Included among the Aesir is he whom some call the slanderer of the Aesir or the author of deceit and the shame of god and men. To outward appearance Loki is beautiful and comely, but evil in disposition and most fickle in nature. He excelled in sleight and had strategems for all occassions. He often brought the Aesir into great difficulties, but then delivered them with his cunning. He elsewhere says; How shall Loki be referred to? By calling him comrade and table-companion of din and the Aesir, Geirrdr's visitor and casket-ornament, thief from giants, of goat and Brisingamen and Idun's apples, enemy of the gods, Sif's hair-harmer, maker of mischief, the cunning As, accuser and tricker of gods, contriver of Baldr's death, the bound one, wrangler with Heimfdall and Skandi. In Heimskringla din is called Lopt's friend, and Snorri speaks of him as Evil companion and bench-mate of din and the Aesir. Other descriptions by Snorri are: Foe of the gods, the sly god, Slanderer and cheat of the gods, Wolf's father, the cunning Loki. He calls himself Lopt (the airy one), and this name is also given to him by others (Lokasenna 52), and may be connected with lopteldr (lightning). The name Lodur, which occurs only in Volupsa (18), as that of an associate of din and Hnir, is generally supposed to be an early name of Loki, who was companion and friend of Hnir according to Thjodolf of Hvin (Skldskaparml 22). DUALITY As already stated, Loki and din are blood brothers. This is how he came to be included among the Aesir, despite that the Aesir and the giants are maternal blood relatives. Yet he has always brought much woe to the gods. Loki does mischief for mischief's sake. He is a thief (of the Brisingamen) or he causes theft (Idunn and her apples). He dislikes others to be praised, even as a servant, as when he slew Fimafeng at Aegir's banquet (Skaldskaparml 33, Lokasenna Intro). He is foul-mouthed and slanderous, as Lokasenna shows. However, he has also been the key in bringing about situations which have helped the gods. If it wasn't for Loki how would Thor come about having the hammer Mjollnir, or din his spear Gungnir and horse Sleipnir? Loki was always welcome, to a certain extent, among the gods (until Lokasenna). Whenever anyone went to Jtunheim, he was usually there as an intermediary. In those days he was a mischievous god bent on a little personal gain. His actions were never truly evil, but eventually his pranks took on a more serious turn. His nature has been sought in the meaning of his name, which may be connected with Logi, German

Promotion of Health within Adult Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Promotion of Health within Adult Nursing - Essay Example The last part was the questionnaire that questioned about the individual daily limit, knowledge about three adverse physical effects of binge dinking, and assessment of level of information after visit to our booth. Eighty-one questionnaires were filled out with 100% response rate in question 1, question 2 demonstrated a failure arte of 1.23%, and on question 2, 1 out of 81 knew already about binge drinking, he did not know from the stand. There was very strong impact on the public, specially the university students with this group’s promotional effort on binge drinking. The slogan poster, â€Å"How Much is Too Much†, the snacks and the food, and the experiment and information all should have impact on the emotions of the students, embarrassment, insecurity, new knowledge, and enriched awareness about binge drinking. This project highlighted the fact that this kind of drinking is addiction, even if this is social outing to them as of now, in no time, this would transform into addiction, and they were aware of this possibility after coming into our booth. Our objectives were to let the visitors be aware about pros and cons of binge drinking, and since every one knew what his unit amount was, how many units make one a binge drinker and how that can affect the body in the long run, it can be considered that the objective of this promotional activity were met, although this is a trial setting and learning ex ercise, and predictive accuracy depends on the evaluation of the outcome after followup at 6-month or 1-year interval in the actual practice setting, and that is not possible in this setting because this is population in transition, many will be leaving the university in a short while, short enough to baffle any long-term promotional plans in the near future. Our experiment with the glass of wine measured the university students’ daily alcohol intake. We applied the group’s research data of daily over the limit allowance, and the group was well prepared to

History of the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of the Internet - Essay Example This paper will trace the history, growth and development of internet and how World Wide Web has changed the world which is based on the vision, hard labor and dedication of a few committed people. Internet is a network of networks that joins many government, university and private computers together. It provides an infrastructure for the use of e-mail, bulletin boards, file archives, hypertext documents and other computational resources (Slater, 2002). This network transports data and messages across distances which can be anywhere from the same office to anywhere in the world. The internet today is a widespread information structure and the initial prototype of internet is often called the National Informatics Infrastructure and has a complex history. The history of internet can be traced back to the launch and orbit of Sputnik I in 1957 which sent scientific and psychological shock waves in the science policy community as well as throughout American politics and the American public (Russell, 2001). This formed the basis for fundamental breakthroughs in American science, which resulted in a dramatic increase of federal spending on scientific research. Immediately after this, President Eisenhower created an agency known as Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA later known as DARPA) which would be responsible for coordinating advanced, high-risk research that could lead to technological breakthroughs for the military at the height of cold war. The idea of ARPA was basically shaped by a group of scientists who feared that the government either misused or misunderstood modern science and technology. Since World War II scientists had been exploring how advanced computing could enhance national security. The SAGE air defense system, funded by the Air Force was developed by the MIT scientists during the 1950s (Russell, 2001). Computers were initially used as batch processing number-crunchers but subsequently they were used to work with people in real time to