Cement Clinker Manufacturing Process Manual

What is cement? Cement is a fine powder which sets after a few hours when mixed with water, and then hardens in a few days into a solid, strong material. Cement is mainly used to bind fine sand and coarse aggregates together in concrete. Cement is a hydraulic binder, i. e. it hardens when water is added. There are 27 types of common cement which can be grouped into 5 general categories and 3 strength classes: ordinary, high and very high. In addition, some special cements exist like sulphate resisting cement, low heat cement and calcium aluminate cement.The quarry is the starting point Cement plants are usually located closely either to hot spots in the market or to areas with sufficient quantities of raw materials. The aim is to keep transportation costs low. Basic constituents for cement (limestone and clay) are taken from quarries in these areas. A two-step process Basically, cement is produced in two steps: first, clinker is produced from raw materials. In the second step cement is produced from cement clinker. The first step can be a dry, wet, semi-dry or semi-wet process according to the state of the raw material.Making clinker The raw materials are delivered in bulk, crushed and homogenised into a mixture which is fed into a rotary kiln. This is an enormous rotating pipe of 60 to 90 m long and up to 6 m in diameter. This huge kiln is heated by a 2000 °C flame inside of it. The kiln is slightly inclined to allow for the materials to slowly reach the other end, where it is quickly cooled to 100-200 °C. Four basic oxides in the correct proportions make cement clinker: calcium oxide (65%), silicon oxide (20%), alumina oxide (10%) and iron oxide (5%).These elements mixed homogeneously (called â€Å"raw meal† or slurry) will combine when heated by the flame at a temperature of approximately 1450 °C. New compounds are formed: silicates, aluminates and ferrites of calcium. Hydraulic hardening of cement is due to the hydration of these compounds. The final product of this phase is called â€Å"clinker†. These solid grains are then stored in huge silos. End of phase one. From clinker to cement The second phase is handled in a cement grinding mill, which may be located in a different place to the clinker plant.Gypsum (calcium sulphates) and possibly additional cementitious (such as blastfurnace slag, coal fly ash, natural pozzolanas, etc. ) or inert materials (limestone) are added to the clinker. All constituents are ground leading to a fine and homogenous powder. End of phase two. The cement is then stored in silos before being dispatched either in bulk or bagged. What is concrete? Concrete is a solid material made of cement, sand, water, aggregates and often with admixtures.When fresh, it has a certain workability and takes the form of the mould into which it is put. When set and hardened, it is as strong as natural stone and resists time, water, frost, mechanical constraints and fire. Typically, concrete is the essentia l material used in all types of construction [residential (housing), non-residential (offices) and civil engineering (roads, bridges, etc. )]. Read more: http://www. crusherindustry. com/ skype: anna. smith20121 Email: [email  protected] com

Reader Responses

Real Relationships Fahrenheit 451 , written by Ray Bradbury, introduces many motifs to the reader. One of them being television. Television isn't the problem, but the over-indulging was the thing that hurt the many relationships of this book. Having so much technology and instant satisfaction at one's fingertips can be deadly. Specifically, so many people watch It because It's an escape from the viewer's real life. They don't have to face their problems. Without problems being faced, relationships are being less cared about, and less emotions are rolling to the reface.As In Fahrenheit 451 , the protagonist Montage's wife Mildred attempted seclude because of her great pain and Inability to confront her sad life. As the book says, the only attachment she has, Is to the â€Å"family on her favorite television show. In article â€Å"Face Time vs.. Screen Time†, written by Chancre Johnson, researchers found that people, especially teens are communicating with their families more, but with less emotions. Parenting expert Denies Daniels says, â€Å"These kids aren't connecting emotionally.Just like in Fahrenheit 451, no one in this futuristic society was connecting emotionally. They would talk about things that would happen, but not why. They never wondered. They were never emotional. Dry Kate Roberts says, â€Å"Families text rather than have conversations. We're living in a culture of sound bites, and that is not developing our verbal skills or our emotional intelligence. † Like in the book, a character, Mrs.. Bowels (Milliard's friend) has obviously had problems with emotional attachment, emotional intelligence, and communicating with her cabanas/past husbands.She had one divorce, one husband killed in a car accident, and another that has committed suicide. Not to mention that both of her kids utterly despise her. If she wasn't so superficial and had good verbal skills and emotional intelligence, she would be liked. This isn't necessarily her fault though, because this is a normal thing in this books society. Compared to the article, it is talking about real life too! This isn't part of a science fiction book anymore, this is slowly happening to our society.We are losing our communication skills. And if we cannot turn technology off more often, we are likely to lose the people we love. Reader Responses for Fahrenheit 451 By Audrey-Scrooges Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, introduces many motifs to the reader. Deadly. Specifically TV, so many people watch it because it's an escape from the viewer's real life. They don't have to face their problems. Without problems being faced, relationships are being less cared about, and less emotions are rising to the surface.As in Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist Montage's wife Mildred attempted suicide because of her great pain and inability to confront her sad life. As the book says, the only attachment she has, is to the â€Å"family' on her favorite television show. With less em otions. Parenting expert Denies Daniels says, â€Å"These kids aren't connecting emotionally. † Just like in Fahrenheit 451 , no one in this futuristic society despise her. If she wasn't so superficial and had good verbal skills and emotional life too! This isn't part of a science fiction book anymore, this is slowly happening to

Intrest throughout the three stories Essay

Sherlock Holmes is the main character in the story, as in all the Sherlock Holmes stories. He is a very proper and intelligent man with an extraordinary gift. He is Observant and analytical person and can obtain a large amount of information from a small amount of clues, which most others would overlook. From early on in the story Holmes does not hesitate to show off his detective skills when he meats Helen Stoner: â€Å"You have come in by train this morning, I see. I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver†. This shows that Holmes considers these observations to be trivial, and that they do not stretch his talent whatsoever. Doctor Watson is Holmes’ assistant. He is a fully qualified doctor and so a clever man, but next to Holmes he often comes across as a clumsy, less intelligent person. This contrast makes Holmes and Watson an interesting duo to read about. Watson is used for occasional humour during the story. It is very apparent that Watson admires Holmes: â€Å"I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations and admiring his rapid deductions†. Finally, Conan-Doyle uses Watson to put forward questions and opinions, which the reader may be thinking of. Holmes never openly rejects these opinions, but nor does he accept them or answer Watson’s questions clearly. This creates red herrings, which ensure that the outcome of the story remains a mystery to the reader. Helen Stoner, the lady that has come to Holmes for help, is portrayed in this story as the ‘damsel in distress’. She is in desperate need of assistance and has no one else to turn to. Whilst Helen is trying to explain her predicament to Holmes, He is very calm and collective and does not let her tell the story in full immediately; he frequently asks for details or interrupts Helen. This keeps the reader interested because he or she is eager to learn the story. Holmes’ attitude towards Helen reflects the time the story was written in. Holmes is very sympathetic and gentlemanly towards Helen: â€Å"‘you must not fear,’ said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. ‘We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt'†. Holmes is not being sexist in his assumption that Helen is helpless and afraid, he is merely showing the attitude towards women that was shared by most men at that time. Holmes knows that Helen needs help from someone who is reassuring and confident. Roylott is Helen’s stepfather. Roylott is an aggressive, violent character who threatens Holmes by bending his poker. Roylott is the prime suspect in the story for the reader, because the death of his stepdaughters would mean he would receive their inheritance. Throughout the story, Conan-Doyle gives several clues as to the outcome of the mystery. Firstly, when Helen is telling her story from the beginning, the reader learns that Roylott, who would inherit an amount of money in the case of the two sisters’ deaths, is a short-tempered, dangerous man who has a history of violence: â€Å"There was a series of disgraceful quarrels and brawls with anyone giving him the least offence†. These clues make Roylott the prime suspect for the death of Julia Stoner. Secondly, although it leaves many questions unanswered, Helen reveals that Julia’s last words were: â€Å"Helen! It was the band! The Speckled band! â€Å". It turns out that she was describing the snake that bit her. Finally, there are several important clues given in Helen’s bedroom, next to Roylott’s room, before the plot is unfolded. Above Helen’s bed, which is fixed to the floor, is a bell rope that does not work, and a ventilator. The ventilator is in a very strange place: the dividing wall between the two rooms. It turns out that these features were to allow the snake to get to Helen. Such clues were intended to intrigue the reader and hint to the reader, giving them a chance to work the mystery out for themselves. These clues are typical of the mystery genre. There are also several red herrings in the story, for example, the gypsies living in the grounds: â€Å"It must have been those wretched gypsies in the plantation†. These points are irrelevant but raise questions in the mind of the reader, making them want to read on. Conan-Doyle also uses tension to keep the reader interested. When Holmes and Watson are waiting for the snake to arrive in Helen’s room, they are in darkness and speak in whispers. Holmes makes it clear to Watson that they are in considerable danger and must not get caught. Conan-Doyle also uses language techniques such as shorter sentences to achieve this tension. At the end of the story, as was common in stories of this genre, Holmes gives an explanation of the crime for the benefit of the reader. ‘The Devil’s Foot’ is similar to ‘The Speckled Band’ in that from the start there is a character that we have reason to suspect: Mortimer. At first, Mortimer does not seem to be as vicious an enemy as Roylott, as was common in the time the story was written, but several clues unearthed by Holmes point the finger at him. The murder in this case is also similar to the murder in ‘The Speckled Band’. It is a very horrific and mysterious murder that some in the story believe to be of a supernatural nature. Murders like this were often present in stories of this time and genre and were designed to fascinate and shock the reader. Holmes, however, says: â€Å"if it is beyond this world then it is certainly beyond me†. This makes the reader believe that there must be a logical or scientific explanation. The crime is again solved by Holmes, who solves the mystery by noticing small clues and gathering information, in this case, noticing the link of combustible powder between the two rooms in which the murders took place. To support his idea of this powder being the cause of the deaths, Holmes puts his life on the line and tries it on himself. This eccentricity and willingness to go so far to solve a crime makes Holmes all the more interesting and unusual to the reader.

The Coca-Cola Company Business Environment Term Paper - 1

The Coca-Cola Company Business Environment - Term Paper Example The company is the largest in manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of nonalcoholic beverage syrups and concentrates. It maintains its operations in more than 200 countries. The company thus needs to analyze their internal environments for threats and opportunities in order to maintain their position in the ever dynamic competitive field. These different environments fall under the Pestle analysis that helps the company managers to make macro decisions on policy changes. These include taxes, new laws, trade barriers and government policy changes among others. At the coca cola company, economic challenges are posed by inflation due to the economic crisis in most countries. The customer purchasing power is reducing to high oil and product prices. There is also a high rate of unemployment. Moreover, competition from other brands such as Pepsi is increasing. However, the company does not plan to cut down the price of their products. Socially, the lives of customers especially women is changing. Most of them are going out to work. It has resulted in the need for time management and the preference for healthier foods. Many people currently opt for tea, milk, coffee, and juices putting pressure on the Coca-Cola Company. Consumers between the ages of 37 and 55 are more concerned about extending their lives hence focused on nutrition. Soda and sweetened drinks have been associated with obesity. This has affected sales as consumers have become more aware of healthy lifestyles. Both the legal and political environments affect marketing decisions at the company. These include laws, pressure groups like the â€Å"killer coke† and government agencies. For instance, in the 1970s a subsidiary group in India wanted the company to share their secret formula under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. They declined and had to halt their operations for 16 years (Kaye, 2006). The producers have been forced to provide exclusive territories to distributors.

Describing a Memorable Meal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describing a Memorable Meal - Essay Example   The reason is that all of these things came around once each year so it was more like a ritual or a habit rather than a celebration. The time that I remember the most is when my family and I went on our holiday out of the country. It was to a small island located in the Caribbean, and it was a special moment in my childhood. The setting was remarkable as the waves crashed against the shore while a magnificent sunset occurred daily. There was one restaurant on that island that I shall never forget because of the awesome feeling I got from the delicious food that they served. Once we arrived to eat, the waiters and waitresses came to take our order. My siblings and I were given permission from our parents to select whatever dish or dishes we wanted because we would likely never be able to return here again. As all kids do, I immediately fixed my eyes on the most expensive item on the menu. It did not occur to me at that young age that price doesn’t necessarily equate to quality, but that did not matter to me. I was feeling famished and I couldn’t wait to tuck into the most delicious dinner dish I had ever tasted. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, we noticed the ambiance in this particular restaurant. There was a young lady quietly playing the violin over in the corner, while the flickering lights created a sense of calm over the whole place. After some time our food was brought out to us; not the main course, just the entrà ©e. As I chose not to order one of these, I had to wait a little bit longer for my food. After the rest of my family had finished their appetizers, we noticed a long-bearded man come into the room and begin to play his guitar. He was quite talented with this musical instrument, and the remarkable sound coming from his guitar kept our minds off the impending arrival of our main courses.  Ã‚  

Final Global Media writing task Final Exam 500 words Essay

Final Global Media writing task Final Exam 500 words - Essay Example I learnt that digital media for instance the internet, has played a major role in simplification of worldwide transmission of information. Internet is easily accessible in most parts of the world and therefore provides a platform for easy transmission of information in numerous parts of the world instantaneously. In the course Global Media Trends, I had the chance of acquainting myself with various issues pertaining global media presently. For instance, I realized that despite solving the problem of information transmission, global media continues to face challenges. The project on, â€Å"The growth in the concentration of media ownership around the world: A Case Study of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp†, presented me with a chance to realize one of the current problems facing global media. The problem of media monopoly in the ownership of media leads to unethical practices. Media in a very critical part of the society and any unethical practices would lead to sabotage of societal rights. Through this course, I learned various ways in which developments in global media have simplified ways of sharing information throughout the world. The group assignment about online activism in particular widened my knowledge on how improvements in technology have made a great contribution in global media. Through online activism, it is possible to pass various messages to many people throughout the world. For instance, one is able to create awareness regarding an issue like pollution by publishing information online. The YouTube assignment made me realize how advancements in global media have contributed improvement of the education sector. Through YouTube, students can share education videos with their colleagues. Others get the chance of accessing scholarly videos at no cost. This course made me realize that, advancements in the global media, apart from

Biometric Authentication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biometric Authentication - Essay Example This kind of authentication is what is referred to as biometric authentication. The security of a nation is very sensitive and therefore military bases and locations of security valuables need to be under 24 hour surveillance to ensure that there is no breaching in the perimeter. Ministries of defense in various developed countries have therefore employed biometric authentication in their military bases to restrict access to only authorized personnel and not just anyone. This paper will be assessing biometric authentication in the context of Ministry of Defense and its necessities, alternatives, weaknesses and strengths among other pertinent issues. Why is a dedicated biometric "solution" needed? Briefly and critically review leading edge approaches to role based authentication. What alternative solution(s) are applicable to this context of use? Provide their distinction(s) to rule-based authentication mechanisms. The biometrics technology does not go without fault as it has been ter med as both a promising and disruptive technology. The inapplicability of the current authentication services deem a dedicated biometric solution extremely necessary. ... It should also be unique to a particular person. Another important factor is permanence. This is in relation to the manner in which the biometric changes over time. Role-based access control is a concept of two extremes. At one end, it is simple while the other end is characterized by sophistication. According to the NIST model (Ferraiolo et.al, 2007), there are four sequential approaches to role based authentication. The sequence is arranged in terms of increasing functional capabilities. The first is the flat role-based access control. It embodies the essential aspects of role based access control. According to this approach, permissions and users are assigned to roles and therefore for a user to gain permission, it is necessary for them to be part of a role. It is however key to note that many roles can be assigned to one user while one role can be assigned to many users. The second is hierarchical role based access control. This level adds a requirement which supports the hierarc hy in that the senior staff gains permission of the juniors. This approach has two levels. The first level is general hierarchical role-based authentication. In this case, there is support for an arbitrary partial order to serve as the role hierarchy. In the second level, restrictions may be imposed in the role hierarchy by the system and this level is referred to as restricted hierarchical role-based authentication. The third approach is constrained RBAC. Separation of duties, a technique that existed before the computer to reduce the possibility of fraud and accidental damage, is added as a requirement in this approach. There are two ways in which separation of duties can be implicated and they are static, and dynamic

An empirical analysis of manufacturing overhead cost drivers Essay

An empirical analysis of manufacturing overhead cost drivers - Essay Example According to a Cornell University website, Gordon Potter is still with the School of Hotel Administration of the Cornell University. The same website revealed that Cornell has a PhD in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and a B.A. Economics from Rutgers College-Rutgers University. The economics background of Gordon Potter may partly explain why the research methodology employed by Banker et al. (1995) are similar to those used in economics or in econometrics. In Cornell University, Potter has been an Associate Professor since 1993 until today. However, Potter has taught at the University of Wisconsin from 1982 to 1986. His resume in the Cornell University website does not reflect a job description entry from 1986 to 1993, possibly indicating that he took his PhD schooling during the period. Potter’s 5-page resume in the Cornell University website indicates Potter’s numerous achievements that included authorship of several papers.Roger Schroeder is a distinguished author in a textbook called Operations Management. According to the website of the Sage Publication, the ISI has classified him as the most highly cited scholar in the world in the field of Operations Management. The Sage Publication also reported that he holds the Frank A. Donaldson Chair in Operations Management at the Carlson University School of Management of the University of Minnesota.... (1995) are similar to those used in economics or in econometrics. In Cornell University, Potter has been an Associate Professor since 1993 until today (no indication in the Cornell University website that he was promoted in the University of Cornell since 1993). However, Potter has taught in the University of Wisconsin from 1982 to 1986. His resume in the Cornell University website does not reflect a job description entry from 1986 to 1993, possibly indicating that he took his PhD schooling during the period. Potter’s 5-page resume in the Cornell University website indicates Potter’s numerous achievements that included authorship of several papers. Roger Schroeder is a distinguished author in a textbook called Operations Management. According to the website of the Sage Publication, the ISI has classified him as the most highly cited scholar in the world in the field of Operations Management. The Sage Publication also reported that he holds the Frank A. Donaldson Chair i n Operations Management at the Carlson University School of Management of the University of Minnesota. The Sage Publication website identified Schroeder as the author of over 100 articles in academic journals. The topic addressed by the work of Banker et al. (1995), overhead costs, is an important issue for manufacturers. This is indicated by the abundance of internet entries on the concern. A quick check on the internet indicates that there are at least 3.6 million entries on the worldwide web on the importance of reducing overhead costs for manufacturers. In 1995, during which the Banker et al. (1995) was published, overhead costs is one of the primary concern of manufacturers and manufacturers had

TMA 04 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

TMA 04 - Essay Example This provides a visual reinforcement of her miserable plight which in Ovid is done through the account of her tears and words. In Titian’s painting, Andromeda’s royal parents are left out entirely. The dialogue that takes place between Perseus and Andromeda’s parents, wherein he extracts the promise of their daughter’s hand in marriage from them before attempting to save her, is an important point of note; especially in the present literary milieu which encourages such gendered readings of myth. This possible source of feminist contention is done away with entirely in Titian’s work. Ovid’s account of Perseus slaying the monster is an amazingly descriptive, rapid piece of verse. Almost like cinematic action, Ovid’s account unfolds the event in blow-by-blow descriptions. This wonderful tactile and immediate quality of Ovid’s writing is transformed in Titian into the unrealistic, expressive postures of the characters painted. Titia n’s Perseus is depicted almost entirely upside down and his face is enraged, alive. The monster too looks poised, tightly coiled as if in fear and with a similar, intense look on its face. The effect of the colourful textual description is adapted and encapsulated into the painting by way of intense expressions, visual contrasts and exaggerated body postures. Even Andromeda’s physique in the painting looks robust and strong, even though feminine; unlike the more helpless Andromeda in Ovid. Titian’s painting allows a reader of Ovid’s mythical story of Perseus and Andromeda to visualise the most intensely alive moment of the narrative. The action-packed description in verse is aided by the vivid colours and extravagant detail in Titian. The foregrounding of Andromeda, her voluptuous and robust physique, and the absence of the mourning parents serve to create an alternative version of Andromeda. Andromeda is given a more liberated and central position in Tit ian as opposed to the meek Andromeda, helpless and largely without agency that we see in Ovid. To compare it with another famous painting of Perseus and Andromeda, one by Peter Paul Rubens, it is interesting to note the differences. Rubens selects a different moment in the myth to represent. The moment shown here is after Perseus has slain the monster and depicts his victorious conquest of both monster and Andromeda. The picture is busy and crowded with minor characters. There is the head of the monster in Perseus’s hand; there are cherubs and angels and even a flying horse in the picture. Rubens, having studied Titian, must have been aware of his version of the painting and yet chooses a much more tranquil moment to paint. [497 Words] Part II In what ways does Ovid manipulate myth in order to highlight his theme of metamorphosis? Do you consider that this technique can lessen the myth’s impact and coherence at times? Answer with reference to specific mythic narrative in Metamorphoses. Answer: In Metamorphoses, in a bid to highlight his chosen theme of metamorphosis, Ovid uses myth to substantiate his claims. Sometimes this is done at the cost of authenticity of myth; of course, authenticity of myth is in itself a rather problematic issue. Unlike in Amores, where Ovid claims to have been misled by Cupid into writing about love, in Metamorphoses Ovid invokes the gods to make him able to write about the history of transformation in the world: In noua fert animus mutatas dicere formas corpora: di coeptis (nam

Rawlsian Civil Disobedience Speech or Presentation

Rawlsian Civil Disobedience - Speech or Presentation Example However, this kind of struggle is not the kind of struggle swamped with blood and precious life. It is the kind of resistance to injustice employing non-violent means, the kind of struggle wherein civil disobedience takes center stage. After all, I've always believed that violence breeds violence and that pure goals can never justify impure or violent actions. After World War 1, I began the Indian campaign for home rule and as a strong advocate of Satyagraha - "truth and firmness" -- I launched the movement ofnon-violent resistance to Great Britain. My protest against the Rowlatt Acts led to the slaughter of Indians at Amritsar by British soldiers; and in 1920, when the British government failed to make amends, I declared an organized campaign of non-cooperation. With this campaign, my fellow Indians in public office walked out from their jobs, government agencies were boycotted and Indian children were withdrawn from government schools. As a consequence, all throughout India, streets were blocked with crouching Indians who declined to rise even when beaten by police. True to expectations, I was again arrested. Economic independence for India, involving the absolute boycott of British goods, was an outcome of my Swaraj movement.

Spread of Islam in the Post Classical Period Essay Example for Free

Spread of Islam in the Post Classical Period Essay The Sassanid Empire served as the revival of the Persian Empire from 244-651 C.E., Persian traditions had endured during this time period and kinships as well as Zoroastrian religion were part of their everyday life. Bedouin or nomadic societies inhabited the Arabian Peninsula as well, with a culture based on goat and camel herding. However, life styles and interactions changed with the introduction of Islam in the Post Classical period. In the 7th century Islam began a series of conquest and conversions, making their potential to become the first truly global civilization unstoppable. Once the Muslim raids began in India in 711 C.E. Islam’s influence changed the Hindu way of life and cultural unity between these and other civilizations began. The introduction of Islam to the Middle East and India from 622-1450 C.E. brought cultural, political, and economic continuities and changes to these societies. Cultural and economic continuities included architecture and the growth of a strong trading system; however, there were changes in political systems from kinships and Persian influence to religious based kingdoms and rulers. Cultural unity became one of the leading characteristics of the Empire. Architecture was one of the ideas that spread throughout the continents as well. Not only did it reach India and Africa, but the European continent as well. The mosque is a place of worship for those who follow the Islam faith. The first mosque to be built was the Quba Mosque in Medina, which was built when Muhammad arrived from the hijra back in 630 C.E. After the construction of the first mosque the idea of a place for worship spread. The first mosques had dome shaped roofs and minarets to call people for prayer. As these ideas spread they became continuous in different societies as they adopted the same architectural techniques. As Islam spread, and architecture spread with it the idea of the mosque, a place for worship, and full devotion to Allah remained throughout its history. India adapted many of the Islam-Persian ideas for construction such as domes and minarets. The idea of the mosque is prolonged until this day. However, within this continuity changes arose. India and the Middle East were located in nearly the same region and shared a common climate. Their architectural ideas didn’t differ to extremes. What did affect their differences was their idea of beauty and the materials available to them at that time. Both civilizations developed nearly isolated from each other until the first raids in 711 C.E. and the formal establishment of a political Islamic power in India on 1206 C.E. By that time each of them had developed their own concept of beauty, which they introduced to architectural designs. For a long period of time Hindus had used wood as their primary material in construction, and had learned to modify it and use it to their taste. When this material became scarce they started using brick or stone like the Arabs. Both civilizations used the same materials, but Hindus managed stone differently since they brought many of the ide as and techniques they used with wood to this material. Nevertheless, a mosque can be clearly recognized in most societies, and although cultures introduced their concept of beauty into it, the idea of a place of worship to Allah was and still is continuous. Trade, no matter where and when, has always been an economic continuity throughout history. Dar al- Islam referred to the freedom to practice the religion in different places. As the religion spread, Dar al- Islam became more prominent among societies. Religious beliefs arrived at different civilizations and were soon adopted by them. Trade had been seen before in civilizations, however with Islamic conquests it flourished. In Bedouin society tribes and towns traded with each other on a small scale. With the introduction of Islam landmasses were linked by important trade routes like: the Silk Road, the Trans- Saharan trade, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Middle East was in the middle of this trading business and so it benefited from this constant interaction. For the Post Classical part of its history, the Middle East controlled much of India’s trade with other civilizations. As trade flourished, new demands for materials took place. Although trade was sustained throughout history and it became a continuity in every society, during this time period some of the ways it was used and some of the demands for materials changed. In the Indian Ocean trade grew bigger each time, and demands for silk, porcelain, spices, gems, cotton, horses, and even slaves increased. Changes in the demand for goods reflected in the prosperity of the civilizations. Now, people mainly traded luxurious, and beautiful objects, which they couldn’t find where they lived but were not really essential for their survival. The materials they traded may have changed, but trade flourished during these years making many economies dependent to its growth. Many changes were seen once the Muslims adjusted the Persian society to a religious based empire. Politically, many traditions and cultural influences from the Persians changed during the early development of Islam. The Middle East was a mix between nomads, Kingdoms, and empires ending with the Sassanid Empire in 651 C.E., Past societies used kinships to choose their rulers, unlike Islamic ones who used religious leaders as successors of Muhammad. The same happened with India, which was a Hindu society ruled by the caste-system. The religion did influence the civilization politically if we take the caste system into account, but aside from that no Hindu beliefs and traditions were used in the government. Islam changed this idea completely. The religion believed in a government fully merged with Islamic beliefs. The Zakat, for example, was a tax for charity obligatory for the new faith, the places under Islamic control most be involved in paying this tax. Islam caused unity as well, warriors and leaders were given a common cause and strength to glorify their new religion, and so this encouraged them to spread to other regions. Jihads, which were holy wars, took place, all because of the words of Allah in the Qur’an. Everything being done was influence by the word of Allah. Sharia, which is the moral codes and laws of Islam, became the fundamental set of laws to follow. This set of moral codes and laws are derived from the Qur’an, showing its strong influence in politics from the reign of Muhammad to today. India was influenced by all these changes as well, which in a way mixed with Hinduism. The idea that men and women both could reach heaven promoted equality, and it was something that the Hindus adopted from the religion. However, the Arabs also adopted some of the Hindus ideas like the veil and harem, which still placed women as inferiors and submissive. Historically, Arab culture did not show this type of behavior towards women. In fact, Muhammad’s first wife Khadija was actually of great importance in Islamic religion, often referred to as â€Å"mother of Islam† and being the first real adherent of Islam. Khadija was given great value and respect among with other women who became adherents afterward. After this huge change however, Islamic politics became continuity throughout the whole Post Classical Period and even to present day. An Islamic based government was soon incorporated into their culture and became normal from there on. With the introduction of religion to the government a significant change was made from Persian culture to Islamic beliefs, after the fall of the Sassanid Empire, however once this change was made it became perpetual to the society. The Post Classical period, raging from 622-1450 C.E., was a period of change and continuous growth. Islam became the first global society in history, extending its territory and providing similar cultural aspects like architecture and economic aspects like trading to different societies. Political changes were prominent in this era, and they changed the way civilizations under Islamic power functioned, from kinships and clan leaders to religious based empires. Islam had a rapid growth and with the growth of Dar Al-Islam, the religion was able to spread to different continents and change past traditions, but at the same time integrate with local traditions and create a lasting influence in various societies.

Question Conservation of Energy Essay Example for Free

Question Conservation of Energy Essay Missy Diwater, the former platform diver for the Ringling Brothers Circus had a kinetic energy of 15 000 J just prior to hitting the bucket of water. If Missys mass is 50 kg, then what is her speed? Solution: According to energy conservation, the kinetic energy at the bottom of the dive (15,000J) is equal to her gravitational potential energy before the dive. We can use this fact to find her dive height: PE = mgh h = PE/mg = 15,000J / (50kg)(9. 81m/s? ) 31m (rounded) Her speed can also be found from energy conseration: E(final) = E(initial) 0. 5mv? = mgh v = v[2gh] = v[2(9. 81m/s? )(31m) = 25m/s 2. A 750-kg compact car moving at 100 km/hr has approximately 290 000 Joules of kinetic energy. What is the kinetic energy of the same car if it is moving at 50 km/hr? Solution: KE =v^ 2 (Kinetic Energy = speed ^2 If the speed is reduce by a factor of 2 (as in form 100 km/hr) then the KE will reduce by a factor 4. Thus,the new KE = 290 000 J / 4 KE = 72 500 J 3. A cart is loaded with a brick and pulled at constant speed along an inclined plane of an angle of 30o to the height of a seat-top. If the mass of the loaded cart is 3. 0 kg and the inclined distance of the seat top is 0. 45 meters, then what is the potential energy of the loaded cart at the height of the seat-top? Solution : PE = mgh PE = 3 kg x 10 m/s/s x 0. 45m PE = 13. 5 J 4. A 75kg trampoline artist jumps vertically downward from the top of a platform with a speed of 5m/s. How fast is he going as he lands on the trampoline 2m below? If the trampoline behaves like a spring of spring constant 5. 2E104 N/m, how far does he depress it? Soluiton : a) s = 1/2(u+v)t 2. 0m = 0. 5 * 5m/s * t 2. 0m = 10 * t t = 2. 0m/20 t = 0. 1s b) Hookes Law states F=kx x is the displacement of the spring (depression) F = Restoring force k = spring constant Rearrange. x = F/k What is the force upon hitting the trampoline? We have the mass so lets work out the acceleration. Acceleration = velocity/time Acceleration = 5/0. 1 = 50m/s^2 F=ma F = 75*50 = 3750N Substitute into Hookes Law x = 3750/(5. 2*10^4N-m) = 0. 072m of depression

Analysis Of Strategic Communication Plan Communications Essay

Analysis Of Strategic Communication Plan Communications Essay 2008-09 was an important year for JSW STEEL LTD as companys evolution and growth was comprehensively tested their will to survive, succeed and flourish in the midst of an economic meltdown. The financial crisis that brought back the painful memories of the Great Depression of the 1930s, affected the Indian economy as well. JSW Steel was no island in this crisis. JSW Steels vision, mission and core values, policies and strategies in accordance with needs and expectations of stakeholders are developing balance and short term and long term needs of the company. In addition, plant-level policy making and strategy in mind from the external environment, internal capabilities would receive information, and performance. Involved in the process of planning a major step strategy is shown in the picture below: Major source of macro environmental analysis for the National Steel Policy, technical reports published in leading journals, seminars and workshops. The marketing department at corporate office was primarily responsible for analyzing the external and internal environment. Information about markets and market segments is obtained from customer surveys, and various other means. Means for raising and customer needs and expectations of law index list given in Table below. Information about the internal atmosphere of plant was gathered by senior officials. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, analyzing relevant business practice, and threats are analyzed and the results of exercises with company leaders and senior management are as follows: Strengths: Rich geological resource base (11 billon tonnes of iron reserves) Large consumer Base The only integrated steel plant producing flat products in southern India Low labour cost and high productivity Flexibility in adopting innovative technologies Growing skilled and technical human capital Weakness: Indian economy , high reliance on services High cost of finance High cost of energy Deficit infrastructure High Ash Coal Socio-Political Intervention Opportunities: Strong and growing Economy (@8% GDP growth/annum) Low per capita steel consumption of 47 kg/yr as compared to > 400 kg in develop countries Growth in steel exports and imports Growth in automobile sector Global manufacturing destination for steel Threats Fluctuation in steel prices Green- field steel projects by international players Expansion of capabilities through green -field and brown -field players by by existing players Input from Stakeholders for the formation of Policies and Strategies Policies and strategies of the companys construction is a systematic method for identifying input from stakeholders, and understand the needs and expectations of suppliers, employees, customers and other stakeholders. Review and analysis of requirements and expectations as to appropriate initiatives are in various stages shown in below table: Area Scope of information Inputs from People HR practices / Skill competence levels / Employee perceptions / Benchmark data / Employee development and training / Compensation and recognition systems HR meet Employees Satisfaction Survey Consultants Customers Markets Customer end user requirements, Price and commercial , Segment wise market growth / trends / expectations, New emerging markets, internal markets, Govt. regulations on imports, exports Customer Survey Customers of Competitors Product Application Group Competitive Environment Competitors activities and their plans Global competitiveness Industrial analysis of competitiveness Product Application Group Customer Services Group Corporate Communications Currents efforts on corporate communication Communication strategy and plan Top management Technology Risks, Cost of capital, Profitability analysis, Cost forecast, Excise sales tax regulations VAI, Austria Technology Control Groups JFE, Japan Corporate Communication Objectives: Due to sudden Meltdown, steel prices went down drastically and made steel buyer‘s to relax for sometime thinking it will go even low and will create worst time for steel manufacturers. Similar consequences were faced by JSW Steel Ltd and it was time for them to act and act fast and strategically. Their main goal was either to: To nurture JSW Steel Brands as an asset for the company. Being 3rd largest steel producer in India, JSW Steel Ltd was facing heat from top two companies i.e. TATA Steel and ESSAR Steel Ltd as these two big guns were dropping their Export products prices with ease as they had better market share and doubled the price of Same products that are exported in other countries by JSW STEEL. The short term strategy adopted by these two big companies was to reduced the price of the steel for short period still managing to achieve the profit compare to other steel producer and can recover as time passes. But for JSW steel it was one decision to take to decrease the production all across units in India and wait for steel prices to go up and get back into race again. To manage stakeholder perceptions to maximize business value. JSW Steel also called as â€Å"The Challengers† in steel industry in India (Annual Reports). While steel Industries were trying to balance and hold their feet together globally and in India, it was time for JSW Steel to build the strategy which will help them to bounce back and keep them in competition and can win back shareholders trust. The Eloquent drawing of the corporate strategy: They should adopt the strategy that is based on the unparallel curves and they distinguished the atmosphere of depression and emerged as the real winners: Due to high involvement of cost and financial compaction, a drastic cut back in production was on priority for Marginal cost producers of steel in India. To go domestic as rural and semi urban demand for steel was the opportunity to tap. To involve Indian fiscal systems as effective banking practices as they meant that India was doing better compared to US and European countries. The pro-active policies of the Government with its fiscal stimulus packages meant that the revival would be sooner than later in the Indian economy. The communication approach adopted by JSW Steel to achieve above defined goals is DAGMAR Model approach. The approach involves advertising planning and the exact method to select the measuring goals and to use these objectives to measure the performance. The communication task contains advertising objectives which creates awareness; impart information by developing positive attitude and implementing action. The model suggests advertising goals which builds company image and credibility, and this are can be achieved by involving and interacting with customers, dealers and stakeholders. This approach also helps in allocating the cost in the effective way by help direct marketing. So from the above defined objectives it is clear what JSW Steel has to achieve, and to achieve these goals setting of internal tangible targets will help them to measure their performance, there is also need of distinctive objectives for each group which is an inspirational, realistic and time scaled. Planning of communication Strategy by JSW Steel In a strategic role, marketing aims of JSW Steel is to transform corporate objectives and business strategy into competitive market position. So their Marketing communication Strategy should focus on the following areas: Maximising Value added products, Customisation, Import Substitution along with expanding Pan India Reach. Consistent product quality and timely deliveries enabled a long-term business relationship with its valued set of customers, both in the domestic as well as International markets. A prominent domestic supplier of Flat and Long steel products and a leading strategic exporter of coated products. Leveraging plants location advantages to increase market share strategically in Southern and Western regions. Growing focus towards rural and semi-urban domestic markets having a large demand potential. So the estimated saleable steel will be targeted 3.2428 Mt tonnes and will be sub-divided this target all across marketing and sales department in all region. Strengthening International presence to 100 countries, also increasing dealer base to over 300 numbers and to open more 50 JSW Shoppe outlets in the domestic market to get proper reach and serve the customer in the country. These marketing targets should be achieved in next 6 months following the promotional activities. Communicating Strategy for creating awareness of the demanded products in domestic market was also high on their agend. Hot rolled products: Key business drivers Substituting imports with focus on product quality, Customisation and timely deliveries. Thrust on project based orders from sectors such as Oil Gas conforming up to Grade API 5L X-70, water pipe-line projects and other infrastructure and construction projects. By virtue of its longstanding relationship, the Company emerged as a preferred supplier, leading to consistent and sustained orders, despite a downturn in the latter part of 2008-09. A prudent mix of long-and-short-term contracts to balance volumes with value. Leveraged retail market potential, compensating the volume drop from the automobile segment. Strong distribution network with close proximity and strategic focus in southern India, helped during the period of sagging demand in the latter half of 2009-10. Cold rolled products: Key business drivers Developing of well structured distribution network assuring easy flow of sales along with good reach. Approval process with Automobile majors helped to graduate the quality ladder along with other process and supply related parameters. South India being supply deficit region helped to achieve sales volumes through extended distribution network. Higher Sales in Semi-Urban and Rural areas. Extended presence by adding new dealers and opening new JSW Shoppe outlets (Branded Distribution Network). Entered into long-term contracts with suppliers for telecom and power which continue to grow at a rapid pace. Strategic foray into Pre-Engineered Building segment catering to growing demand for Industrial Construction. The Marketing communication strategy thus adopted by JSW Steel are as follows  · Push Strategy: A push strategy adopted by JSW Steel suggest heavy use of sales force and trade promotions, is best suited to situations where there is a low level of brand loyalty, as the choice is generally made at the point of purchase and the benefits are well understood by buyers. The other point was also to create good distribution channel. Targeting Segments (customer wise and product wise): JSW Steel strategy for targeting segments is to interact with customers, dealers and other distribution channels consistently. Use of sound and creative media strategy: Good use of promotional mix, methods and tools for delivering the messages by JSW Steel. Moving towards strategy implementation, following are as follows: The most important point was to reduce the cost. This involved reducing their high cost on inventory of input raw materials as soon as possible. This is only possible by employing production logically in all quarter and adopting aggressive marketing strategy in the rural segment they can quickly overcome the dull and slow period. All this meant that a space was being created in supply and demand of steel in the Indian context. Highly cost reduction was on their agenda. So use of amended techno-economics in the plant and the fall in input raw materials they could bring down the cost of production of steel by around 43% as compared to their past figures. Branching out the Product hoop: Keeping aside the cost reduction, JSW Steel should enter the long product segment strategically as there is an increased government spending in the infrastructure projects which will in turn provide them ready market to serve.In other product segment where the demand has not been affected drastically, like the flat product, they should concentrate judiciously on the value added product hoop. Tapping the rural Indian market: The essence of their strategy was to push aggressive Marketing activities in the domestic markets. Undertaking Direct marketing in to stride and meeting dealers, distributors face to face and persuading them to serve customers in rural and semi-urban areas. The benefit of this activity helps increasing JSW Steel reach in domestic and rural market. Apart from this the best part of this strategy help JSW Steel in adding 50 new dealers and distributors total numbers to 300 hundred in excess. Making availability of steel and also making steel more customers friendly, JSW Steel added more 50 JSW Shoppe outlets and opened in year 2008-09 all across India. The main intention behind this activity was to make â€Å"Pan India† presence of JSW Steel. Growth during Meltdown: The strategy adopted by JSW Steel in past yield results and showed positive effect for the company profitability in fourth quarter. They not only got rid of their excess inventories but also reinstated conventional production in all their production facilities and by February 2009 the new 2.8 MTPA project was also licensed. This growth of JSW Steel made them stand apart from the competitors in the steel sector as they recorded their crude steel production capacity at 7.8 MTPA. Thus growth in depression times motivated them in all possible way and they reached at the top tasting the profitability. From the above defined marketing strategy, JSW Steel has used â€Å"Push strategy† as they have involved promoting heavily to distribution channel, this is, to dealers, agent on the assumption that they will in turn promote heavily on the end users. The Push strategy here means promoting the steel products which is targeted to different segments were pushed through different distribution channels to reach the end users. Push strategies tend to place emphasis on direct marketing (personal selling) and sales promotion. JSWs ability to see beyond the current scenario, induce them to embark on new Blast Furnace with confidence which is also incidentally Indias biggest. It is praiseworthy for the strategy implemented by JSW Steel is really commendable as they can forecast the profitability by 60% when other steel manufactures across the world were struggling back and cutting down their production. This achievement of reflection will be not only for JSW Steels productive strategy but also for underlying intensity and bouncing back of the Indian economy Co-ordinated promotional mix for JSW STEEL The communication tools and Promotional Methods applied by JSW Steel are as follows: Co-ordinating with corporate communications department for creating awareness: The corporate communications team facilitates communication to reinforce brand-building, enhance visibility and a long-term PR policy through the following initiatives: Building JSWs brand equity Coordinating PR activities to strengthen the image Building a central team to create communication synergy Streamlining PR and promotional events Facilitating senior managements participation in global corporate, spiritual philanthropic forums and foundation-related activities. Media relations: The Company maintains cordial relations with media professionals. Its media transparency is critical for correct and factual information dissemination, building a positive brand perception. The communication activities conducted during the fiscal under review comprised the following: Press conferences: The team should organized 10 press conferences to announce quarterly results, policy issues and key business decisions in 2009-10. Quarterly results Commissioning of Indias largest blast furnace in Vijayanagar Works Visit of Al Gore to India to establish ‘The Climate Project India Establishment of Earth Care Awards Inaugural ceremony for Steel plant in West Bengal Financial communications: The Companys financial PR involved proactive two-way communications with global investors, analysts and securities professionals. Analysts meets will be organized every quarter. Analyst and Investors visits will be conducted to plant locations. CEOs media training workshop: The corporate communication team should organized media training workshop for the top management covering media management, dos and donts of media relations and inter-personal management with the media. The workshop will be attended by more than 20 top management team members. Media visits: Print and electronic media visits should be organized to all across and major branches. . Positioning platforms: The Companys communication modes comprised the following: physical (print, poster, banner, gift, giveaway, face-to-face), digital (advertising, audio/visual), web (internet/ intranet) and experiential (events, exhibitions, associate gatherings, project execution, recruitment). It instituted communication guidelines as well as focused communications and commitment to deliver the brand promise. Understanding the JSW Brand: The Companys branding strategy is to nurture the JSW brand as an asset and manage stakeholder perceptions to maximize business value. The crisscross patterns in the corporate logo represent a networked organization networking across people, technology and skills. The base represents a strong foundation and the apex points towards continuous growth. Internal communications: The Company emphasizes internal communication to help employees interact with the senior management. The Companys quarterly news journal called ‘Connect covers relevant organizational (including overseas Subsidiaries) information. Website management In a world where information is critical, the Companys website is regularly updated to disseminate time-critical stakeholder information. The corporate communication team posts news briefings, minimizing paper use. Daily news brief: The Company introduced an easy-to-access and paper saving communication mode for employees. The Daily News Brief covers all important news items published in newspapers. This strategy suggest the integrated marketing strategy triangle. (CHRIS FILL:2006) IMC STRATEGY TRIANGLE Marketing communications is concerned with conveying the messages to a set of customer, distribution channel and stakeholders. As marketing also has to manage relationships with those people who are responsible for producing and distributing the goods and services. Thus Marketing and Public Relations are very much interlinked and there is a public relation element in every aspect of marketing communications. However, PR extends beyond marketing in that it is concerned with the total communications of the organization, embracing the community as a whole, funding bodies and shareholders, political and legal interfaces, the media, the organizations employees and their trade union. The needs of PR strategy is there therefore based upon decisions in the three areas and same can be seen in JSW Steel Ltd. The extent and frequency of the communications with involved public. The degree of importance attached to the communications in terms of their ability to harm or help the organization. The effectiveness of these communications in achieving objectives. Human Resources and financial planning Intellectual capital Employees Locations 7,669 5 Recruitment Process: JSW Steel Process of recruiting fresh graduate and experienced executives is critical as they tend to get good knowledge students and having practice experience and good intership background. Experienced executives are recruited for the critical positions for which skills sets are not adequate in the existing teams. Strategy Process: Hiring of engineers and management graduates from premiere institutes is on their agenda. Hiring fresh and experience charted accountants for financial positions. This is done by sending recruiting team from HR, Technical, and Management visiting directly to reputed colleges. Company also conduct their entrance test for the shortlisted candidates for the final and interview called O.P. Jindal entrance test, also JSW Steel group lays programmes for recruiting students from campus and also sponsors various events and target alumni group of the premiere institutes. JSW website for direct application Employee referral for experienced people Personal interview. The Company outsources certain routine jobs to contractors supplementing the key functional areas. Training JSW consistently invest in training and development programmes, as they believe it is the most important asset and will provide sustainable growth to the company for long term. So they invested in growing the teams learning curve. Induction Training includes:   All new recruits for the company include a 15-day training program which provides compressed. The program includes in-depth technical and operational training at shop floor level. The practical visits to plant is followed by theory, are the activities which is commensurate in each class of the training. In addition, training for behaviour, safety and environmental aspects are given. As part of the installation program for new members of all steel making plant locations and the entire process is clarified, in addition they are provided information about the group. After training, involved appropriate locations for personal contact is made with new recruits. All team members completing the training module can easily access the uploaded module through Human Resources Portal. Overseas Training: The Company sends teams on regular basis to other reputed global steel companies so that they can enhance their skills and can deliver best for their organization. Training effectiveness is evaluated by comparing pre-training performance with the post training. The above investments and strategy adopted by JSW Steel related to Human resources and finance planning shows they are fully equipped to undertake the campaign. In past the performance of JSW also shows the same results in fulfilling the achievement and conveying right message to targeted segments. Scheduling and Implementation of communication plan by JSW Steel: JSW Steel needs schedule their promotional activities on weekly basis and also implementing other plans on weekly basis during the campaign. The following below table give an appropriate scheduling and implementation of the activities undertaken by the company in rolling out the communication plan. Integrated campaign schedule for JSW STEEL LTD TIME 1 week 2 week 3 week 4week 5week 6 week 7week ADV XX XX XX Sales XX XX XX XX PR XX XX XX XX XX XX XX Merchandising Direct Maktng XX XX XX XX XX XX XX The above table represent the schedule weeks when the promotion will take place. The above results suggest that JSW Steel concentrate more on PR and Direct Marketing to ensure the objective to spread the awareness is done in every week. Apart from this they also concentrate on the advertising of their retail outlets by moving rural- semi urban areas on alternate weeks. To overcome the logistic problems and making availability of the products during the campaign, the implementation of the distribution plan is also on weekly basis as decided between the dealers and the distributors. The objective to be served by a distribution implementation will typically cover how, when and where the company market offerings should be made available to the targeted markets. The implementation of this activity by JSW will provide means to communication plans of the company as scheduled. It is reasonable to suggest that implementation is often key determinant in the success or failure of any strategic activity. Therefore, it should be an integral part of any marketing communication plan. This view is supported by examining the history of corporate strategy. Recent times have seen a move away from corporate planning to the concept of the strategic management. The main difference is that strategic management addresses the issues of implementation. Success Vs Failure Strategy Appropriate Inappropriate SSS Good Strategy and Execution (source: Adapted from Bonoma, 1984) Evaluation and control Prior to promotion, the objective of JSW to build the brand perception and build the long-term relationships with the dealers and distributors in domestic markets was fulfilled and the level of awareness and recognition was high. The evaluation of Public relation as a main promotional tool used by JSW Steel in overcoming the problems in domestic market was achieved. Good media coverage and product placement was also achieved during and after the campaign. The graph shows the profitability of the JSW STEE LTD During Campaign and down rise of the time lapse. Methodology of evaluation and controlling the strategy at the coporate level is primarily based on Periodicity and effectiveness of the existing review mechanism Updating process from time to time Giving major emphasis on customer feedback and thrust on performance of equipments process Control is the simple way making sure what is supposed to happen actually haapens. The term itself control- often appears to have negative connotations and is seen as limiting and coercive. This similar with the case of JSW Steel Ltd, the company management should or can develop effective control systems to monitor the campaign in future. Compare to their achievement of their objective in past JSW Steel is did well in time of recession and hoping to keep the pace going on to be the consistent challenger in the steel industries. Feedback The Communication planning strategy Adopted by JSW Steel Ltd was fair enough to convey their message to their targeted segments and other counterparts. The profitability achievement during the times of market being unfavourable corporate communications of JSW Steel was clear with their objective and how to achieve their goal by using proper promotional mix and other communication tools. Looking at the future of steel industries JSW Steel will be the market leader in coming future as they tends to adapt as per market change and deliver the quality products to consumers. Reference and bibliography Books Chris Fill 5th edition (2009), marketing communication interactivity, communities and content Richard M.S. Wilson and Colin Gillian 2nd edition (1997), Strategic Marketing management: Planning, implementation and control Graeme Drummond, John Ensor, Ruth Ashford 2nd edition (2001 reprinted 2002,2003 (twice)): Planning and control Jim Blyth 3rd edition (2006), Essentials of marketing communication Patrick De Pelsmacker, Maggie Geuens, Joeri Van Den Bergh, (2005) Foundations of marketing communications (A European Perspective) Websites and databases http://www.jsw.in/ (accessed 21.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/companies/JSWSteel_aboutus.shtml (accessed 21.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/organization/overview.shtml (accessed 21.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/companies/company_JSWSteel.shtml (accessed 21.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/beyond_business/future_prospects.shtml (accessed 21.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/investor_zone/steel_presentation_analyst.shtml (accessed 22.11.2009) http://www.jsw.in/investor_zone/financials_quarter.shtml (accessed 22.11.2009)

America Needs Affordable Health Insurance :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health Insurance is one of the nations top problems, the cost is rising for premiums, and many businesses just cannot afford it. As Americans many of us have the luxury of health insurance, but far too many of us have to go without it. This is something that always seems to brought up at congressional debates, but little is done about it. â€Å"In 2013 there were 41 million people reported with out health insurance coverage, this is too many considering those people probably were sick at some point through out the year, and they couldn’t afford treatment.† We need to find someway to make sure that every citizen of the United States is able to have affordable healthcare for themselves, and their families.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people rely on their employers to provide them with health insurance, but with many health care is not available through the employers. Many small businesses can simply not afford the high cost of health care, or it may be available, but the employee needs to pay the entire premiums.   A lot of employers are utilizing part time employees, the part time employees are usually not qualified for benefits, like health insurance. This is very unfortunate for these part timer’s not only because they will not get benefits such as health insurance, but also they probably have a slim chance of going full time because of the health insurance dilemma. Business owner’s need to assess what is good for them financially, and having plenty of part time employees who do not require insurance is probably the most cost effective method to keep the Business up and running.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An option for folks who have no money is Medicaid. Medicaid is designed for the very poor people. Unfortunately you must meet Medicaid guidelines in order to be eligible for it. â€Å"In order to be eligible you must make below the poverty level that the government allows, this is about $1,497 a month for a single person, also if you are a child who is under 19, if you are pregnant, if you are out of work for a long time, or if you are HIV positive, you may be eligible to apply.† These guidelines alone generally rule out many of Americans. â€Å"The U.S. Census reported young adults (18-to-24 years old) remained the least likely of any age group to have health insurance in 2001.† More than 28% of this group does not have coverage.

Comparing Frances Zefferilli’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay ex

Comparing Frances Zefferilli’s Hamlet and Shakespeare’s Hamlet I believe Frances Zefferilli’s version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, made in 1990, is one of the best versions of the play to be put onto screen. The film, starring Mel Gibson as Hamlet, and Glen Close as Queen Gertrude, takes a different look to the play. Zefferilli explores the physiological stability of Hamlet very well, especially in Act 3, Scene 4. My interpretation of that scene in the text was different to the one given in the movie. After reading the scene, I had the notion that Hamlet was already quite confused - he had just come out of a scene where he could have killed the king, but his blunted purpose gets in the way. The killing of Polonius in the text gave me the idea that Macbeth was anxious to find out who h...

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown Essay -- Angels and Demons Dan Brown Es

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown Title of the book: Angels and Demons Author: Dan Brown Year original book was published: 2000 Four words to describe the author: Cosmopolitan, Witty, Articulate, Sophisticated Characters in the book: The Hassassin: Strong, Merciless Commander Olivetti: Disciplined, Stubborn The Camerlengo/Janus: Deceitful, Powerful Cardinal Mortati: Fortunate, Patient Robert Langdon: Clever, Cautious Leonardo Vetra: Humanitarian, Loving Victoria Vetra: Gorgeous, Dangerous Maximilian Kohler: Cold, Ruthless Setting of the book: This novel takes place during present times, but has several historical facts dating back several hundred years. The setting takes place from Harvard University in Massachusettes to Rome, Italy where Vatican City is located. The story takes place from underground tunnel systems and secret society dungeons and lairs, to the inside of famous architectual feats such as the Vatican Archives. Was the setting very important or not so important to the events of the story? Yes, the setting was absolutely crucial for this novels plot and storyline. With the entire story devoted to the Catholicism and its root of power, Vatican City had to be the setting for this exciting novel. Without Vatican City and Rome in our story, the most critical details would have been forgotten. Without factual settings and places to help build and construct the thrilling and action packed scenes, the reader would have difficulty following along with this fast pace trek. What is the main conflict in the book? There were three major conflicts in this novel, all of equal importance to the stories plot. With the Anti-Matter device threatening to blow up Vatican City and half of Rome, the Illuminati Hassassin kidnapping cardinals, leaving them for dead on the eve of â€Å"conclave,† and trying to keep everything from the public gives this book mulitiple conflicts. How was this conflict resolved? The conflict is resolved when Robert and Victoria are no longer able to save anymore Cardinals lives, but follow the suspected Hassassin. When they reach him, Victoria is captured and Commander Olivetti is murdered. When Robert follows the Hassassin and frees Victoria, killing the Hassassin in the process, they return to Vatican City and the Camerlengo. With the Camerlengo’s help, they are are able to locate the Anti-Matter device and... ...d eye, has now gone missing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vittoria and Robert travel to the Vatican in an attempt to help find the canister (before it†¦explodes!) and bring all things dark into the illumination, so-to-speak. They get to The Vatican just in the nick of time- it is about to be closed since the papal election is about to start- but they do get in. The horror of it is-should the anti-matter canister explode, the entire upper echelon of the Catholic Church would be wiped out in an instant. Brown’s conjecture here is that so would a lot of the wealth of the Catholic Church, because all those rumored â€Å"treasures of the Vatican† would be vaporized in the fireball. And then, with the deaths of a lot of Catholic Church leaders gathered in Europe, and the erasure of a lot of the Catholic Church’s money, it would he only a matter of hours before the church would all fall apart like a big house of cards, and then, presumably, would all the Protestant and Independent churches all come tum bling down, and Christianity would Be No More. Meanwhile, back at the Rancho-de-Vaticano, helped by the Swiss Guard, Robert and Vittoria do their best to solve the riddles and right the wrongs†¦before it is too late.

Release Me Inc. “Embrace Them”

INTRODUCTION The Criminal justice system in the US is very strong and effective. The system not leaves the criminals but it did not address welfare of the dependants and family members of such criminals. Ultimately the family members would become main victims. The family members would loose education, health, social matters etc. Even the criminals coming outside after release from jail, they lack support from the society.   In order to address and providing rehabilitation services, the Release Me Inc.established to bring the changes in lives of such persons including juveniles and released persons from jail.Release Me Inc known as RMI provides assistance to those people are separated from the system with the effect of criminal justice system so that they may connect with society to lead normal life. The assistance of RMI may be in the shape of providing legal help, offer education and vocational skills, health care etc. The operational activities of the RMI presently limited to New York but it is planning to extend the operations to other states also within five years. To work more effectively, the NGO desire to become partner of the global NGO community i.e. Non-governmental organizations associated with the United Nations. Besides the other the following services offered by the RMIJUVENILES The individuals who are charge under the age of 18 called as juveniles and as they are not treated as adults but trials made in juvenile courts. Rehabilitation services should be provided to such juveniles in order to prevent them from committing additional offences by providing other options and skills by RMI. The services are: Conducting with local attorney or related child’s probation offer in order getting the details policies of selective state and country. Contacting country government to know the rehabilitation options available and access the state or local government web sites, which will be helpful information on rehabilitation policy.Contacting other lo cal social services agencies, legal aid agencies for sharing of information and to access of useful information. Adoption of counseling for the juvenile and adult addressing the core issues of unlawful behavior and rehabilitation process. In case still not satisfied with the rehabilitation process, the RMI will approach national advocacy groups such as American Civil Liberties Union for offering adequate rehabilitation options.OTHER PERSONS Providing legal help with the help of possible laws and tries to bring them out as early as possible. Providing medical assistance to the family members Providing education facilities to the children. Conducting of frequent meetings with the prisoners and family members to increase moral support among them. To achieve the objectives and goals of the organization, the RMI addresses the following methods:Conducting monthly meetings with community originations, political leaders, business owners and members of the community to exchange the more info rmation. The organization also arranges meetings with the incarcerated men, women, juveniles and their families in order to discuss the challenges. Finally feedback will be taken and possible solutions will be searched out. All these efforts would be initiated by the group of lawyers belongs to various familiar institutions. Besides the organization also takes volunteer helps to achieve the organization goals.The RMI also recruits the tutors from the Ready program, local high schools, and colleges to give assistance to the juveniles and adults members to increase educational skills. For better facilitation, the RMI become the representative of Economic Development center   every Tuesday for giving assistance for enhance economic stability.VISION STATEMENT Vision statement is the best possible outcome. The purpose of the vision statement is to inspire, energize, motivate and stimulate the creativity, which is linked with the objectives and goals. The Vision statement should be a em otional. The visions statements prepared with inner or outer vision. The inner vision statement refers the internal thoughts, emotions and feelings, whereas outer vision statement expresses the future goal of the organization. The vision statement required to be updated according to the long-term objectives and goals of the organization. Quarterly review also recommended so that the vision statement is still describing the outcome of the desired output. Vision statement is a strategic plan and blue print of the organization’s work.RMI works with a vision to bring the change among the persons who have badly effected with the criminal justice systems. The persons include prisoners, juveniles who have come out from jail or dependants or family members of such prisoners. When the prisoners are not inside the society, the care of dependants or family members would be undertaken to some extent by the RMI, which is a non-profit organization.MISSION STATEMENT Mission statement is a b rief statement of organization. It includes the slogan also. The intention of a mission statement is to keep the related members and users with the aware of organization’s purpose. The mission statement should include the purpose and values of the organization. The primary interest of the members should be addressed in the mission statement. Every Non profit organization must have mission statement. It describes the use and purpose of the organizational goals.Normally when the person goes to the jail, the individual or family members of such criminal will be separated from the society. The normal life of the family members of such criminal disturbed thereby growth of the family stopped and even their minimum needs also would be insufficient. As separated from the society, no help or assistance permitted by the society.   At this juncture, the RMI provides the assistance to the persons so that they can give reentry into the society to lead the better life.NEEDS STATEMENT It is evidently noticed that the repetition of crimes and the crime rate is increased more and more thereby so many persons were under custody in New York. Even the New York becomes highest county out of six counties, which has increased prison rate. As a nonprofit organization with social obligation with the society, the Release me Inc recognized the needs of such persons. At this situation, the interference and role of non-profit organization is more to bring normal life to the persons those who have lost, which was linked with criminal justice system.ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS Goal is the organization’s indicates output results of the organization. Goals are connected with the systematic plans. Goals may be short-term or long term goals. The RMI has set of goals, which provides assistance to the needy persons who have been affected with the criminal justice system. Hence RMI planned to provide assistance with initial level such as offering assistance legal help either it may be civ il, criminal or other family matters. It also offers education and vocational skills to the persons so that they will have their independence. The RMI also provides healthcare assistance to the persons or their family members.ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES The RMI planned to provide the assistance for 200 men, 100 women and 75 juveniles per year. The assistance extends to the family members also. The RMI also undertakes to provide assistance with 250 legal cases per year. It offers advocacy with 20 DYFS cases per year. DYFS is Division of Youth and Family Services, a child welfare agency within Department of Children and Families. DYFS is such mission to ensure the safety, permanency of children and to support families.Besides the RMI targeted to provide high school diploma or GED classes to 150 members per quarter. The objectives include providing psychological assistance to 25 members per quarter, providing 100 free physical and HIV testing per month, communications with employers to c reate employment etc. To have better performance, RMC conducts monthly meetings with community organizations, political leaders, business owners and members of previously incarcerated persons. The RMI also have lawyers belongs to famous institutions who are from Rutgers University Law School, Seton Hall University law School, etc. Besides; some volunteer lawyers also provide assistance to the RMI. The monthly meeting focuses on rehabilitation programs.ORGANIZATIONAL TIMELINE Internal operations timeline Since RMI is new and nonprofit organization, it requires establishment of name and logo for the organization. Hence the RMI planned to complete the establishment of name and logo of the organization within the first quarter of the 1st year and first month. For this name is already decided, but still log design is required. For logo design, the RMI should have various samples of other organization. The Logo should also contain the meaningful word.   During the first month, the RMI h as also to design such as Mission statement, vision statement, definition of the organization, and identification of Board of Directors etc. preliminary basic requirements such as Articles of incorporation, by-laws of the organization etc are planned to complete within the first quarter.After completion of the basic steps the first Board of Directors meeting should be conducted to finalize and approve the Mission Statement, Vision statement and objectives. Because mere framing of policies are not enough, these should be approved by Board of Directors of the organization. Besides filing of the copies under 501  © (3) are also planned during the 2md month of 1st quarter. After completion of all these formalities, the origination becomes into existence and it should create new platform to interact with the related agencies for sharing of the information and getting expertised. For this the RMI should contact with local agencies, educational institutions and political leaders etc. dur ing the third month of first quarter.Services provision timeline Providing the services according to the goals and objectives of the organization, funds are required to the organization. During the 2nd quarter, it has to create a fundraising plan. During the year 2008, the RMI estimated with the Net assets of $55,000 with the liabilities of $30,000. Accordingly it has to create of fundraising plan in order meet the expenditure. After creation fundraising plan, marketing techniques are to resorted. The next step is to approach the Division of Children ad Families for identification purpose and should take the details of the persons of the needy persons. It should be done in the 2nd quarter. During this period, the RMI should also contact the Essex County Economic Development Center for having better facilitation and exchange the ideas to provide more assistance to the victims. All these are planned to complete by the 4th month. In the month of five, productivity plan for five years s hould be designed.Getting of feedback from various sides such as community organization, political leaders are done during the 5th month. Whatever the information, it may be communicated to the local jails and prisons to have interaction. Then the work will be started in the sixth month. The grant opportunities should be researched during the 7the month. Because the RMI individually cannot help, it has to seek the help or assistance from the local institutions or government. Hence more concentration is required on grants research.  Ã‚   The fund raising techniques should be finalized and should be implemented. With the available funds, the organization starts communicating with the community. Preparation of commercials and radio broadcasting planned for 7th month. Thereafter the RMI approaches to the State and local government after such advertising for getting grants. It will also apply for approval of non-profit status.After completion one month i.e. in the ninth month, board of directors meeting should be conducted and to discuss with the responses of any grants. If any responses from the grants should be discussed in the board meeting in the nine month. After finalization of grants, preparation of applications for members should be decided. In the tenth month first fund rising event should be described and implemented according to the schedule or programme. Until the construction is completed, the members should be sent to the public library during the eleventh month. At the end of the year i.e. in twelfth month, the agency building should be established, where the members can meet.

Operation Management Assignment Essay

Question1: Why is operations management important in this company ?Operations management refers to the administration of business practices to create the highest level of efficiency possible within an organization. Operations management is concerned with converting materials and labor into goods and services as efficiently as possible to maximize the profit of an organization (Stevenson, W. J., & Hojati, M., 2007). The operations function comprises a significant percentage of the employees and physical assets in most organizations. Operations managers are concerned with each step in providing a product or service. They determine what should go into an operating system, such as equipment, labor, facilities, materials, energy, and information, to produce the output(Stevenson, William J., and Mehran Hojati., 2007). Operations managers are also responsible for critical activities such as materials management, capacity planning, purchasing, scheduling and quality. The importance of operat ions management has increased dramatically in recent years. Significant competition, shorter product and service life cycles, better educated and quality-conscious consumers, and the capabilities of new technology have placed pressures on the operations function to improve productivity while providing a broader array of high-quality products and services. Concept Design Services was an inward looking manufacturing company which focused on complex and cyclical industrial mouldings. Since 1999, it transformed and upgraded to more profitable household products business. Right now, it is an integrated service provider that works with design houses to provide end-to-end product design, manufacturing and distribution of high-quality design homeware. Jim Thompson explained the differentiation CDS from other competitors is that CDS uses the latest, precision equipment, bought the best quality moulds, and generally positioned as ‘technical professionals with a customer focused service’. Under the management of Linda Fleet, they discovered that one of their major strengths could be turned into a high generator of profitable business. They set up two different brands. ‘Focus’ and ‘Concept’. Focus products are more traditional with stable volumes, while concept products  are much more fashion and seasonal with variable sales volumes. Within two years of introducing their new product lines, concept products began to generate 75 percent of their profits. For dealing with the more and more requirements, 24 large injection-moulding machines and robotic devices are involved in the productive process. However these new products require more complex machinery and longer operating times. With the company’s expansion and increased demand for their products, operations management is important for achieving time efficiency so that to achieve the profit efficiency the most. It is also significant because it enables proper production planning through coordination of activities among the design, manufacturing, sales and distribution departments. The complexity of their production process and delivery services with seasonal volume change demand good operation management if they are to succeed in forecasting and meeting their customer demands on time meanwhile reserve reasonable inventory(Drà ¶ge, C., Vickery, S., & Mark land, R. E., 1994). Through proper operations management, out of stock occurrences can be greatly reduced by accurately forecasting sales leading to reduction in delivery costs. Moreover, due to the product life cycle becomes shorter and shorter, developing new products to fulfill the needs of customers and understanding the fashion trend are also needed great operation management. Question 2: How do the 4 V’s (volume, variety, variation, visibility) influence the way CDS operates? Draw a 4 V’s profile for the companies’ goods and services. Volume: CDS has two main brands ‘Focus’ and ‘Concept’. Concept products take up 75% of their revenue and the bulk of their profits. Concept products are premium-priced whose lift cycle is short from the survey of a lifestyle magazines. The products are low repetition with high unit costs due to the SKU are with large numbers, but the only unit sales volume is not very high. The old fashioned products are usually replaced by a new version in pretty short time. Concept products are less systemization compared with Focus products. Focus products focus on a small handful of customers with large size of each order. Variety: CDS has an excellent new product development process. It usually takes around three months to get a new mould, which then has to be tested. For the help of bonus payment, they have good output and excellent productivity. The products are flexible according to the market  condition and customer needs. Concept products and the whole design, ma nufacture, sales, distribution process is rather complex. The new product development department receive detailed drawings of the new products from the Design Office managed by Marketing department, which shows CDS pay much attention to match customer needs. For doing the whole things above, the unit cost of CDS product is high. Variation: For Focus products , the vast majority of deliveries are to a small handful of customers. The size of each order is usually very large, with deliveries usually to customers own depots, which means the variation is stable, predictable. While for the more profitable Concept products, they are much more seasonal so that it is difficult to makes capacity planning and scheduling at peak times around November and Easter just after the spring trade fair in London. Take the consideration that concept products hold the bulk of profit, in total, the variation of the products is changing capacity and flexible. They are in touch with demand so that the unit cost of product is very high. Visibility: CDS pay much attention to understand the needs of customers. They use different kinds of methods to interact with customers, such as magazine survey, face to face interaction, questionnaire, etc. From their research, they find some customers keep their products ‘on display’ in their kitchens as lifestyle statements rather than putting them away in cupboards. And they use this research result in marketing and products design, especially to develop the same product with different color to fulfill the seasonal needs. Since they produce fashion products with high quality, the time lag between production and consumption is very short, otherwise they may fall behind the fashion trend. Their sales and revenue increase very fast reflects that customers satisfy their service including products and distribution. Question 3 What would you recommend to the company if they asked you to advise them in improving their operations? (45 marks) Concept product and Concept offic e needed to be focused on, while at the same time maintain Focus products sales. From the chart 1, we can tell the total sales increase dramatically, especially after 2001 concept products are sold in the market. The net profit before tax also goes up in a pretty fast speed. As chart 2 shows, the rate of profit doubled during the year between 2001 and 2006. From chart 3,  we can see the trend of Concept products is increasing dramatically, which means CDS needs to be paid much more attention in this series. The company should go deep to research the needs of customers and the fashion trend to develop a series of satisfying products with high rate of profit and reputation score. However, after a peak in 2001, the focus products sales becomes smooth and steady, the company need to maintain the sales volumes. Due to the stable sales of focus products, company is suggested to forecast the sales and arrange the manufacturing beforehand with satisfactory accuracy. By doing that, the rate of profit of focus products may have certain increase by reducing the cost of inventory and overhead (Xiao, Y., Li, G., & Zhang, J., 2011). Inventory management needs to be strengthened. From the chart above, we can conclude that with the dramatically development of the products, the inventory increases as the sales goes up even much sharper than sales. The company should take care of the inventory management seriously. They have to take some methods to reduce inventory. On the one hand , it can reduce a lot money , on the other hand, for fashion and short life cycle products the longer time they keep in the warehouse, the less value they have. Sales channels are not only limited to the offline, but also online sales channels needed to be adopted. With the development of internet, Internet has become the fastest way and the most effective method to understand customers. Customer can upload their feedback of products immediately, and the company can use these material to arrange the following design plan. Online sales channel is good for inventory management, which meets the finding of the second suggestions. More oversea cooperation with local company brings their culture into design. Different country has different culture and different understanding of beauty and fashion. CDS is advised to cooperate with local company from oversea to enter the market with the products needed by the customers at local. The local company may better at understanding the needs of local customers. CDS can take in the efforts of local company and design the product in accordance with the market demand(Robb, D. J., Xie, B., & Arthanari, T., 2008). Adopt computer-assisted software for improve the whole process. Computer software such as ERP can effectively improve the company efficiency. A company can  use to store and manage data from every stage of business, including: Product planning, cost and development, Manufacturing, Marketing and sales, Inventory management, Shipping and payment. Measurements, analysis and simulation capabilities can help companies plan better and react sooner and more effectively to changes in demand, competitive actions, and supply chain disruptions. Balance between customers’ needs and operation costs. As a company, the main task is getting profit. The idea of being customer centric does not means that customer must be provided with everything they want. Company must have to strike balance between what customer would like and what operation can afford. Reference Stevenson, W. J., & Hojati, M. (2007). Operations management (Vol. 8). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Xiao, Y., Li, G., & Zhang, J. (2011). Passive data storage based housewares store management system. In Web Information Systems and Mining (pp. 51-56). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.Stevenson, W. J., & Hojati, M. (2007). Operations management (Vol. 8). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Drà ¶ge, C., Vickery, S., & Markland, R. E. (1994). Sources and outcomes of competitive advantage: an exploratory study in the furniture industry. Decision Sciences, 25(5†6), 669-689. Robb, D. J., Xie, B., & Arthanari, T. (2008). Supply chain and operations practice and performance in Chinese furniture manufacturing. International journal of production economics, 112(2), 683-699.

Purity Steel Corporation

Harvard Business School 9-197-082 rP os t Rev. February 15, 2000 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 op yo â€Å"I’m no expert in high finance,† said Larry Hoffman, manager of the Denver branch for the Warehouse Sales Division of Purity Steel Corporation, to Harold Higgins, general manager of the division, â€Å"so it didn't occur to me that I might be better off by leasing my new warehouse instead of owning it. But I was talking to Jack Dorenbush over in Omaha the other day and he said that he's getting a lot better return on the investment in his district because he's in a leased building.I'm sure that the incentive compensation plan you put in last year is fair, but I didn't know whether it adjusted automatically for the difference between owning and leasing and I just thought I'd raise the question. There's still time to try to find someone to take over my construction contract and then lease the building to me when it's finished, if you think that's what I ought to do. † Purity Steel Corporation was an integrated steel producer with annual sales of about $4. 5 billion in 1995. The Warehouse Sales Division was an autonomous unit that operated 21 field warehouses throughout the United States.Total sales of the division were approximately $225 million in 1995, of which roughly half represented steel products (rod, bar, wire, tube, sheet, and plate) purchased from Purity's Mill Products Division. The balance of the Warehouse Sales Division volume was copper, brass, and aluminum products purchased from large producers of those metals. The Warehouse Sales Division competed with other producer-affiliated and independent steel warehousing companies and purchased its steel requirements from the Mill Products Division at the same prices paid by outside purchasers.No tC Harold Higgins was appointed general manager of the Warehouse Sales Division in mid1994, after spending 12 years in the sales function with the Mill Products Division. Subject only to the approval of his annual profit plan and proposed capital expenditures by corporate headquarters, Higgins was given full authority for his division's operations, and was charged with the responsibility to â€Å"make the division grow, both in sales volume and in the rate of return on its investment. † Prior to his arrival at division headquarters in St.Louis, the Warehouse Sales Division had been operated in a centralized manner; all purchase orders had been issued by division headquarters, and most other operating decisions at any particular warehouse had required prior divisional approval. Higgins decided to decentralize the management of his division by making each branch (warehouse) manager responsible for the division's activities in his or her geographic area. In Higgins's opinion, one of the key features of his decentralization policy was an incentive compensation plan announced in late 1994 to become effective January 1, 1995.The description of the plan, as presente d to the branch managers, is reproduced in Exhibits 1, 2, and 3. Monthly operating statements had been prepared for each warehouse for many years; implementing the new plan Do Doctoral Candidate Antonio Davila and Professor Robert Simons prepared this updated case based on an earlier version. Case material of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration is prepared as a basis for class discussion and not to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of administrative problems.Copyright  © 1997 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685 or write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business School. 1 This docume nt is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013.Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 rP os t required only the preparation of balance sheets for each warehouse. Two major asset categories, inventories and fixed assets (buildings and equipment), were easy to attribute to specific locations. Accounts receivable were collected directly at Purity's central accounting department, but an investment in receivables equal to 35 days' sales (the average for the Warehouse Sales Division) was charged to each warehouse.Finally, a small cash fund deposited in a local bank was recorded as an asset of each branch. No current or long-term liabilities were recognized in the balance sheets at the division or branch level. At the meeting in December 1994, when the new incentive compensation plan was presented to the branch managers, Higgins had said: tC op yo Howard Percy [division sales manager] and I have spent a lot of time during the last few months working out the details of this plan. Our objective was to devise a fair way to compensate those branch managers who do a superior job of improving the performance in their areas.First, we reviewed our salary structure and made a few adjustments so that branch managers do not have to apologize to their families for the regular pay check they bring home. Next, we worked out a simple growth incentive to recognize that one part of our job is simply to sell steel, although we didn't restrict it to steel alone. But more importantly, we've got to improve the profit performance of this division. We established 5% as the return-on-investment floor representing minimum performance eligible for a bonus.As you know, we don't even do that well for 1994, but our budget for next year anticipates 5% before taxes. Thus, in 1995 we expect about a third of the branches to be below 5%? and e arn no ROI bonus? while the other two-thirds will be the ones who really carry the weight. This plan will pay a bonus to all managers who help the division increase its average rate of return. We also decided on a sliding scale arrangement for those above 5%, trying to recognize that the manager who makes a 5% return on a $10 million investment is doing as good a job as one who makes a 10% return on only a half million dollars.Finally, we put a $50,000 limit on the ROI bonus because we felt that the bonus shouldn't exceed 50% of salary, but we can always make salary adjustments in those cases where the bonus plan doesn't seem to adequately compensate a branch manager for his or her performance. No After the telephone call from Larry Hoffman in May 1996, quoted in the opening paragraph, Harold Higgins called Howard Percy into his office and told him the question that Hoffman had raised. â€Å"We knew that we probably had some bugs to iron out of this system,† Percy responded. Let me review the Denver situation and we'll discuss it this afternoon. † At a meeting later that day, Percy summarized the problem for Higgins: Do As you know, Larry Hoffman is planning a big expansion at Denver. He's been limping along in an old multistory building with an inadequate variety of inventory, and his sales actually declined last year. About a year ago he worked up an RFE [request for expenditure] for a new warehouse which we approved here and sent forward. It was approved at corporate headquarters last fall, the contract was let, and it's to be completed by the end of this year.I pulled out one page of the RFE which summarizes the financial story [Exhibit 4]. Larry forecasts nearly a triple in his sales volume over the next eight years, and the project will pay out in about seven and a half years. Here [Exhibit 5] is a summary of the incentive compensation calculations for Denver that I worked up after I talked to you this morning. Larry had a very high ROI last year, and received one of the biggest bonuses we paid. Against that background, I next worked up a projection of what his bonus will be in 1997 assuming that he moves into his new facility at the end of the year.As you can see, 2 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 197-082 rP os t his ROI will drop from 17. 3% to only 7. 2%, and even on the bigger investment his bonus in 1997 will go down substantially. Finally, I dug out the file on New Orleans where we're leasing the new warehouse that was completed a few months ago.Our lease there is a so-called operating lease, which means that we pay the insurance, taxes, and maintenance just as if we owned it. The lease runs for 20 years with renewal options at reduced rates for two additional 10-year periods. Assuming that we could get a similar deal for Denver, and adjusting for the difference in the cost of the land and building at the two locations, our lease payments at Denver during the first 20 years would be just under $250,000 per year. Pushing that through the bonus formula for Denver's projected 1997 operations shows an ROI of 7. %, but Larry's bonus would be about 15% less than if he was in an owned building. op yo â€Å"On balance, therefore,† Percy concluded, â€Å"there's not a very big difference in the bonus payment as between owning and leasing, but in either event Larry will be taking a substantial cut in his incentive compensation. † As the discussion continued, Larry Hoffman and Howard Percy revisited the formula for ROI: Net Income Return-on-investment = Investment in Operating Assets Net Income Sales x Sales Investment in Operating Assets = ( Return on Sales) x (Asset Turnover) No tC = DoBoth wondered whether the proposed bonus plan needed further revision or clarification. 3 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 I. Branch Managers’ Compensation Plan, Warehouse Sales Division Objectives rP os t Exhibit 1 The Warehouse Sales Division has three major objectives: A. To operate the Division and its branches at a profit. B. To utilize efficiently the assets of the Division. C. To grow.This compensation plan is a combination of base salary and incentive earnings. Incentive earnings will be paid to those managers who contribute to the achievement of these objectives and in proportion to their individual performance. op yo II. Compensation Plan Components There are three components to this plan: A. Base Salary Base salary ranges are determined for the most part on dollar sales volume of the district(s) in the prior year. The higher the sales volume, the higher range to which the manager becomes eligible. The profitability of dollar sales or increases in dollar sales is an important consideration.Actual salaries will be established by the General Manager, Warehouse Sales Division, and the salary ranges will be reviewed periodically in order to keep this Division competitive with companies similar to ours. tC B. Growth Incentive If the district earns a net profit before federal income tax for the calendar year, the manager will earn $1,750 for every $500,000 of increased sales over the prior year. Proportionate amounts will be paid for greater or lesser growth. C. Return-on-Investment Incentive No In this feature of the plan, incentive will be paid in relation to the size of investment and the return-on-investment.The manager will be paid in direct proportion to his effective use of assets placed at his disposal. The main emphasis of this portion of the plan is on increasing the return at any level of investment, hi gh or low. Do III. Limitations on Return-on-Investment Incentive A. No incentive will be paid to a manager whose branch earns less than 5% return-oninvestment before federal taxes. B. No increase in incentive payment will be made for performance in excess of 20% return-on-investment before federal taxes. C. No payment will be made in excess of $50,000 regardless of performance. 4This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. 197-082 Exhibit 1 (continued) IV. Calculations on Return-on-Investment Incentive rP os t Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Exhibit 2 is a graphic presentation of this portion of the incentive. Since all possible levels of investment and return-on-investment cannot be detailed on the chart, exact incentive figures cannot be determined. However, a rough estimate can be made by: A.Finding the approx imate level of investment on the horizontal scale. B. Drawing a line vertically from that point to the approximate return-on-investment percent. op yo C. Drawing a line horizontally from that point to the vertical scale which indicates the approximate incentive payment. The exact amount of incentive can be determined from Exhibit 3 by the following procedure and example. Example: Investment: ROI: Step 1. $8,263,750 7. 3% Subtract 500,000 from the last six digits of investment figures if they are above 500,000. tC EXAMPLE: 263,750 is below 500,000; nothing is subtracted.Step 2. Divide the number from step 1 by 500,000. The result is a percentage. EXAMPLE: 263,750/ 500,000 = . 5275 No Step 3. Do Step 4. In the 1% Column in Exhibit 3, take the difference between the next highest investment and next lowest investment. EXAMPLE: Investment 1% $8,000,000 $2,100 Difference $50 $8,500,000 $2,150 Multiply the result of Step 3 by the result of Step 2 and add to the 1% Column figure for the nex t lowest investment. EXAMPLE: $50 x . 5275 = $26. 37 + $2,100 = $2,126. 37 Step 5. Multiply the result of Step 4 by the actual ROI%. EXAMPLE: $2,126. 37 x 7. = $15,522. 54 Incentive Payment 5 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Exhibit 2 Incentive Payments at Various ROI Percentages 50 20% 45 40 15% 35 30 Series1 25 10% 20 15 10 5 0 0. 5 1. 5 2. 5 3. 5 op yo Incentive Payment ($ thousands) rP os t 197-082 4. 5 5. 5 6. 5 7. 5 8. 5 Series2 Series3 Series4 5% 9. 5 10. 5 11. 5 12. 5 13. 5 14. 5 Do No tC Investment ($ millions) This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Ince ntive Payments at Various Investments and ROI Percentages Investment 5% 10%No incentive will be paid for less than 5% ROI. 7 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860. No (24) Payback period 300,000 2,612,500 1,059,650 100,000 153 Add back depreciation and relocationAnnual return of funds $ 7. 3 years 4,072,150 5,534,549 96 (177) Less 35% tax Net income $ (220) (53) (273) Less depreciation Total return over 8 years (in dollars) Capital expenditures required (in dollars): Land Building Equipment Relocation expenseForecast Additional Sales, Expenses, and After-Tax Profits Due to New Facility (doll ars in thousands) Gross profit dollars Service income Total income Less expenses excluding depreciation Sales dollars Exhibit 4 Do Purity Steel Corporation, 1995 Return-on-investment and Incentive Compensation (in dollars) rP os t Exhibit 5 197-082 Denver Branch 1997 Projected Total Warehouse Sales Division 1995 Investment at Year-end Land $ Buildings (net of depreciation) 5,144,500 $ 13,950,500 Equipment (net of depreciation) 124,500 $ 300,000 $ – 1,010,425 1,010,425 481,000 3,879,385 1,010,425 50,000 1,382,500 ,568,960 32,000 21,817,000 Accounts receivable Building 50,000 50,000 op yo Subtotal Leased Building 324,500 2,722,000 Cash fund Owned Actual 1995 Actual – Total year-end investment Investment at start of year 22,517,500 Less: depreciation Less: lease payments Net pre-tax profit 3,466,250 4,904,500 8,782,135 5,913,175 5,263,500 8,395,650 5,483,150 100,404,000 5,084,000 8,588,895 5,698,150 4,147,310 917,870 710,000 710,000 (40,000) (92,765) (49,225) (648,705) (4 20,565) $ tC Return on investment 1,386,500 3,466,250 99,795,500 Profit before depreciation & taxes 1,386,500 3,132,000 101,012,500Average investment during year 1,241,500 55,295,500 Inventories 3,078,040 – $ 3. 07% 877,870 $ 17. 27% (243,200) 617,235 $ 417,575 7. 19% 7. 33% Incentive Compensation Sales volume increase (decrease) $ Bonus @ $1,750 per $500,000 ROI bonus: $ – 1,565,000 $ 1,565,000 8,500,000 5,500,000 2,150 1,810 60 Difference to next base 5,478 1,750 Value for 1% column, Exhibit 3 5,478 5,000,000 Base investment No (870,000) 50 65 25. 76 Interpolated portion 10. 08 8. 89 Total value per percentage point 1,760 2,159 1,836 30,392 15,515 13,453 ROI bonus Total incentive compensation $ 30,392 $ 20,993 $ 18,931Assumptions used for 1997 projections at Denver: Old facility and equipment sold at the end of 1996, proceeds remitted to corporate headquarters. Depreciation on new facilities in 1997 is $43,540 (60 years, straight line) and $49,225 on equipment (vario us lives, straight line). Year-end investment in receivables and inventory will approximate 1995 relationship: receivables at 10% of annual sales, inventories at 25% of annual sales. Average total investment assumes that new fixed assets are acquired on December 31, 1996, and that other assets at that date are the same as at the end of 1995.Profit taken from RFE (Exhibit 4) as $995,000 less $185,000 first-year decline, less $100,000 relocation expense. Additional mill profit of $65,000 does not reflect on divisional books and was used only at corporate headquarters for capital expenditures evaluation purposes. Do 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9 This document is authorized for use only by Corrado Cuccurullo at Second University of Naples until October 2013. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. [email  protected] harvard. edu or 617. 783. 7860.