Supply Chain Strategy Essay Example for Free

Supply Chain Strategy Essay What recent changes have caused supply chain management to gain importance? 2. With so much productive capacity and room for expansion in the United States, why would a company based in the United States choose to purchase items from foreign firm? Discuss the pros and cons. The use of foreign firms can provide a U. S. firm more alternatives in selecting a supplier. The pros are more choices, potentially reduced costs in the areas of materials, transportation, production, and distribution, and potentially moving closer to a foreign market. The cons are the distance is generally increased, communications problems are increased due to distance, culture, and technology. There may be problems with customs, government regulations, political stability, etc. 3. Describe the differences between functional and innovative products. Functional products are staples that people buy in a wide range of retail outlets. Typically, they do not change much over time, have low profit margins, stable predictable demand and long life cycles. Innovative products, on the other hand, give customers additional reasons to buy. Fashionable clothes and personal computers are examples of innovative products. Innovative products have short life cycles, high profit margins, and volatile demand. 4. What are characteristics of efficient, responsive, risk-hedging and agile supply chains? Can a supply chain be both efficient and responsive? Risk-hedging and Agile? Why or Why not? As a supplier, which factors would you consider about a buyer (your potential customer) to be important in setting up a long-term relationship? The financial stability and credit worthiness of the company is of primary importance. The reputation of the company visavis their supplier is also very important. For example, is this a company that is fair with its suppliers and honors its payables in a timely fashion? Is the technological match between supplier and customer sufficient? Will delivery schedules and quantities be stable, facilitating smooth operations? For the value density example in Exhibit 10. 9, what would the effect be if a competing firm offers you a similar service for 10 percent less than Federal Express’s rates? 7. What are the advantages of using the postponement strategy? Process postponement delays the process step that differentiate the product to as late in the supply chain as possible. The advantages of this approach are that lower levels of inventory, and fewer models are needed to match customer requirements. This results in higher levels of customer satisfaction at a lower cost.

The Passing of the Crown by Shakespeares Henries Essay -- Henry IV He

The Passing of the Crown by Shakespeare's Henries      Ã‚  Ã‚   In his histories from Richard II through Henry V to Richard III, Shakespeare depicts the English monarchy as a game between family and friends of vying for a gold ring -- the crown. Shakespeare gives his reader a central metaphor through which to see this equation in King Henry IV part one. The prank Prince Hal, later King Henry V, and his friend, Poins, play on their friends, particularly Falstaff, parallels the plot's focal passing of the crown.    In the first act, Poins outlines his plan to play a prank on Falstaff and their other friends to Prince Hal, "They [Falstaff and others] will adventure upon the exploit [of stealing money from travelers] themselves, which they shall have no sooner achieved but we'll set upon them" (I.ii.169-71). This exactly represents the larger action that takes place in this same piece. King Henry IV, previously Bolingbroke, usurped the crown from King Richard II in Shakespeare's play of that title, and now, in this King Henry Hotspur is trying to take from "Bolingbroke," the name he contemptuously insists on using for the king, the crown which the king 'rightfully' stole already. Hal's prank can, in fact, be seen as the summarizing play within the play so popular in Elizabethan drama. Not only does Hal's light-hearted game sum up the events of this history, it also works as a microcosm of the events in King Richard III, a tragedy wherein Richard steals the throne from his brothers, Ed ward and George, who, in turn, stole it from Henry VI. The metaphor becomes even more obviously applicable when we hear Falstaff's self-defense for giving up the stolen money so easily, "Was it for me to kill the heir apparent?"... ...taining the position and participating in its ceremonies is a game. However, I don't think this means that the role is an impossible one to actually possess, that it's always simply an unreachable construct that everyone pretends at. I think it just means that Shakespeare sees the crown as not being as serious a thing to possess as is commonly thought. It's a joke, a gag, a prank, always a gold ring made of cardboard. Where there's "a kingdom for a stage," so too can there be 'a stage for a kingdom' (Henry V, prologue line 3). Being King means playing.    Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Henry IV: part one. Ed. P. H. Davison, New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Shakespeare, William. Henry IV: part two. Ed. P. H. Davison, New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. Ed. A. R. Humphreys, New York: Penguin Books, 1996.   

Examine the theme of deception in Much ado about nothing Essay

The theme of deceit is apparent throughout the whole play and it helps to propel the plot forward. At the start of the play we are introduced to the idea that there is a gap between illusion and reality when Claudio is described as having â€Å"the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion.† Despite being youthful, he is deceptively strong. Furthermore, â€Å"Lady Disdain† is presented to the audience as a contented maid, cynical about love â€Å"I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loved me.† And Benedick is presented as a man who values his freedom and independence and proclaims that he would never succumb to marriage, he claims if he does his friends are free to â€Å"pluck off the bull’s horns and plant them in my forehead.† Both of these claims are false, as ironically, the two marry at the end of the play. The feuding pair, Beatrice and Benedick form a platform for the theme of deception as beneath the antagonism and mockery lies deep rooted emotions for each other. Their hatred is simply and illusion as a â€Å"false face† is presented to the world. Later in the play their love blossoms and Benedick’s views are ironically transformed â€Å"get thee a wife† Deception is further highlighted where Don Pedro offers to woo Hero on Claudio’s behalf. â€Å"I will assume thy part in some disguise.† Don Pedro’s dominance leaves the reticent Claudio no choice but to accept his offer and under a â€Å"mask† he woos the unsuspecting Hero. Deception is used here to form relationships. Masks are used to confuse illusion and reality in the ball Beatrice speaks openly about her thoughts on Benedick â€Å"why he is the prince’s jester† It is debatable whether Beatrice knows that Benedick is the stranger behind the mask but if she does happen to know this then she is deceiving him to make a fool out of him. In a lighter manner, Benedick and Beatrice are deceived into love by their matchmaking friends. In frivolous Messina the joy of courtship and matchmaking helps to highlight the trivial society in which they exist. Through eavesdropping they listen to false claims about love. Claudio claims that Beatrice is sick in love with Signor Benedick and â€Å"baits the fish† as they reel him in with intrigue and swelling pride. Similarly, Beatrice’s friends hope that â€Å"her ear lose nothing of the sweet bait we lay for it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and both characters are tricked into love as their friends orchestrate a cunning plan. The most prevalent form of deception is used when the malevolent Don John uses deception to break the fragile relationship between Claudio and Hero at the climatic point of the play. He uses the male fear of cuckoldry to forge and administer his plan. Through claiming, †the lady is disloyal† he deceives his brother and encourages Claudio to believe the innocent Hero is â€Å"soiled† deceit is used here to slander an innocent maid. Rather that fall foul to the shame of infidelity, Claudio publically shames Hero and refuses her on the basis that she is a â€Å"rotten orange† again suggesting that outer appearances can be deceptive and she is rotten at the core. This sparks a catalyst for further deceit where Hero â€Å"fakes† her death. False friendships between Claudio and Benedick are exposed â€Å"I must discontinue your company.† and the calm, tolerant Leonato is unveiled to reveal a more aggressive and violent character who fears dishonour and public shame. â€Å"hence†¦let her die!† he would rather his daughter die than face the public humiliation. The tangled web of deceit continues where Leonato insists that Claudio marry his niece who is infact the â€Å"re-born† and cleansed â€Å"Hero† of the story. Claudio is deceived into thinking that his bride is dead. His willingness to accept the unknown, â€Å"Which is the lady I must seize upon?† shows that marriage for social grace is more important than love but also shows his commitment to show remorse. Finally, the very language of Much Ado about Nothing helps to illuminate the key theme of deception as the pomp of the aristocracy and the use of elaborate language encourages the audience to assume a moral and ordered society; yet lurking beneath this lies sinister and deceitful behaviour often born out of jealousy and desire.

George Orwell s The Perils Of Indifference Lessons...

Actions Define the Human Condition Philosophical issues have been debated for centuries. One of the more recent dilemmas in philosophy is the â€Å"Trolley problem† (Foot). The basic premise is, a runaway train going straight will kill five people, if it is diverted, it will kill one person, which do you choose? George â€Å"Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant† (Orwell 407) and Elie Wiesel’s â€Å"The Perils of Indifference: Lessons Learned from a Violent Century† (Wiesel 289) both examine the effect of human actions. Wiesel’s speech is the more persuasive due to the emotional element as well his plainly stated view upon indifference, whereas Orwell’s narrative leaves the reader questioning his action. Elie Wiesel born in 1928 is a Jewish holocaust survivor, who later in life won the noble peace prize and published over 40 different books. The speech The Perils of Indifference: Lessons Learned from a Violent Century was given at the white house during the Millennium Evenings. He expressed his gratitude to the president, the army that saved him and the country that sent them. Wiesel is descriptive in his recollection of his time spent in the camps as well as bold in his statements about all of humanity. At one point he is even critical of the country that saved him from Auschwitz. But in the end he speaks of hope for the future. George Orwell, who used the pen name Eric Arthur Blair, was born in India in 1903. A British man, who after his education returned to India and became an Imperial