Thursday, January 23, 2020
I/O psychology :: essays research papers
-I/O psychology is the psychology applied to work -The behavior of an individual in the work place -Motivation to work and feelings about work Psychology- scientific study of the behavior of people -I/O is made up of two parts: 1)     Research methodology used to discover things about work 2)     Put them into work; apply -Three major sub fields: personnel, organizational and human factors/ergonomics 1)     Personnel Psychology – deals with the selection of personnel -Performance appraisal, job analysis (backbone of I/O psychology) -Training: understanding the job well enough to know who to hire and how well they are doing. -Job attitudes: whether or not the employees are satisfied and committed. 2)     Organizational Psychology -Deals with leadership and work motivation -Divide into teams and see how the group affects individuals. 3)     Human Factors/ Ergonomics Psychology -Human Ergonomics- study of the work place fitting the human -studies the workplace and job designs, the safety and the usability of equipment. -Where do I/O psychologists work? -Academia (scientists) doing research and teaching -Production such as a teacher producing knowledge -Researchers publish projects in journals -Important to get research seen by the people who it would benefit. -Industry (practitioners) -Government is the largest employer -Office of personnel management is staffed with I/O psychologists to determine who to hire. -The military, consulting firms (go to clients) and in-house consultants are employers. -Salary: for PhD I/O psychologist $40-$50k a yr; Industry Master or PhD $35-65k a yr; PhD for higher level makes $50-$80k a yr. HISTORY 1900-1917 (about 10 I/O psychologists in the U.S.) -Topics of interest in psychology: 1)     Skill acquisition – how do people learn to be quick and efficient at their job 2)     Personnel selection- what might individual indifferences mean when it comes time to hiring people (interests). 3)     Important Job design – efficiency maximization (most frequently studied). Two parties studied this area early on: 1)     Frank and Lillian Gilberths -Wanted to find most efficiency with activity -Pioneered time and motion studies. -Called units of time â€Å"therbligs†(their last name backwards). 2)     Fredrick Taylor -Focused more about productivity (showed how taking breaks is important) -Wrote Scientific Management. -Scientific management is the breaking down of jobs into smaller and smaller parts. -Bad results from small jobs: boredom, injury and fatigue -Good results from small jobs: increased productivity -At this time all psychologists were working in academic settings. WWI – 1929 (about 50 I/O psychologists working in the U.S.) -Two separate groups of psychologists approached the military. -Selection of officers using psychological intelligence tests (Alpha and Beta units). -Psychoanalysis of recruits. -Selection tests are not totally effective (only educated people show intelligence) -Minorities are hurt by the test (and uneducated people) -Two main groups formed: 1)     The Scott Company: formed by Walter Dill Scott and focused on selection testing. I/O psychology :: essays research papers -I/O psychology is the psychology applied to work -The behavior of an individual in the work place -Motivation to work and feelings about work Psychology- scientific study of the behavior of people -I/O is made up of two parts: 1)     Research methodology used to discover things about work 2)     Put them into work; apply -Three major sub fields: personnel, organizational and human factors/ergonomics 1)     Personnel Psychology – deals with the selection of personnel -Performance appraisal, job analysis (backbone of I/O psychology) -Training: understanding the job well enough to know who to hire and how well they are doing. -Job attitudes: whether or not the employees are satisfied and committed. 2)     Organizational Psychology -Deals with leadership and work motivation -Divide into teams and see how the group affects individuals. 3)     Human Factors/ Ergonomics Psychology -Human Ergonomics- study of the work place fitting the human -studies the workplace and job designs, the safety and the usability of equipment. -Where do I/O psychologists work? -Academia (scientists) doing research and teaching -Production such as a teacher producing knowledge -Researchers publish projects in journals -Important to get research seen by the people who it would benefit. -Industry (practitioners) -Government is the largest employer -Office of personnel management is staffed with I/O psychologists to determine who to hire. -The military, consulting firms (go to clients) and in-house consultants are employers. -Salary: for PhD I/O psychologist $40-$50k a yr; Industry Master or PhD $35-65k a yr; PhD for higher level makes $50-$80k a yr. HISTORY 1900-1917 (about 10 I/O psychologists in the U.S.) -Topics of interest in psychology: 1)     Skill acquisition – how do people learn to be quick and efficient at their job 2)     Personnel selection- what might individual indifferences mean when it comes time to hiring people (interests). 3)     Important Job design – efficiency maximization (most frequently studied). Two parties studied this area early on: 1)     Frank and Lillian Gilberths -Wanted to find most efficiency with activity -Pioneered time and motion studies. -Called units of time â€Å"therbligs†(their last name backwards). 2)     Fredrick Taylor -Focused more about productivity (showed how taking breaks is important) -Wrote Scientific Management. -Scientific management is the breaking down of jobs into smaller and smaller parts. -Bad results from small jobs: boredom, injury and fatigue -Good results from small jobs: increased productivity -At this time all psychologists were working in academic settings. WWI – 1929 (about 50 I/O psychologists working in the U.S.) -Two separate groups of psychologists approached the military. -Selection of officers using psychological intelligence tests (Alpha and Beta units). -Psychoanalysis of recruits. -Selection tests are not totally effective (only educated people show intelligence) -Minorities are hurt by the test (and uneducated people) -Two main groups formed: 1)     The Scott Company: formed by Walter Dill Scott and focused on selection testing.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Fulltec – Business Profile
PROFILE FULLTEC AG A Executive Summary Fulltec AG, Zug, Switzerland, was established in 1973 at Neuhausen am Rheinfall in Switzerland as a private limited company. The company has been taken over by Mr. Frank W. Bencsits in 2000 as the General Manager. He has been forming a fully new innovative R&D company for research and development of active natural substances for pest controlling (repellents as insecticides) since that time. Consequently the company’s activities mainly comprise R&D, but bio-insecticides and repellents are also produced and sold. Fulltec doesn’t sell its products under its own trademarks so far. The products are sold through thoroughly chosen international sales partners who resell under their own brand policies. As the results of intensive research, fully natural based active ingredients with highest activity and lowest toxicity were found in 2001. Fulltec is the patent holding company for these substances. Until 2005 most of the filed patents were granted in the EC and several overseas countries like USA, China, Hong Kong and Australia. In 2002 moved the company to its new modern site in Zug, Switzerland to expand and improve R&D and manufacturing. As these new natural based Active Substances don't have the broadly well-known negative characteristics shown by the common competitive synthetic products available on the market – above all regarding toxic effects – they will possibly completely change the way of pest control business in the near future. The inventions comprise different natural substances of two groups: Ingredients of the first group only repel and those of the second group kill and repel insects and acarides of all kinds. The main objective of Fulltec AG is to be a totally ecologically oriented company, developing and selling insecticide and repellent products containing exclusively natural based and lowtoxic active substances and ingredients. The Fulltec products are based on active ingredients obtained from natural sources by patented pure physical ways of extraction which the one group can effectively be used as Insect Repellent and the other group Insecticide. The production procedure of the active repelling ingredient consists of hydrating firstly under high pressure, followed by a vacuum and water steam treatment from natural oils and fruit acids; The insecticide actives are obtained by saturating of natural oils under comparable conditions. The range of possible applications is very wide, including but not limited to application on human, in the household, use for pets and other animals, as well as for plants. As a result, the available range of products is large and currently includes all possible methods of applications on pets, animals and human, e. g. Spray, Cream, Oil and Lotion as Insect Repellent, Lice Shampoo, Gel, Lotion and Cream, different variations for use against Dust Mites (prophylaxis and cure of Allergies! ) as well as Insecticides in all conceivable forms of application. In this regard Fulltec offers concentrates also, which have to be post processed by the customers as well as â€Å"ready for use formulations†of all products. The worldwide markets for Insect Repellents and Insecticides are enormous, in the size of Billions of Dollars. The Fulltec products have been and still are extensively tested, both inhouse and in-field as well as by independent laboratories, for both efficacy and tolerance. Existing patents and registrations are representing a barrier of entry to potential competitors. With the current trend very clearly pointing towards substitution of toxic products, the market potential for Fulltec must be considered excellent. Sales are and will be effected trough thoroughly selected business and sales partners with their own significant market presence in the respective fields and markets, which sell the products under their own brands and labels. Fulltec intends to continue with this strategy, as it allows a broader and faster international market penetration. Production currently is executed by selected and certified contractors. The production processes are explicitly specified and include st rict quality control. Current infrastructure allows significant production increases without additional costs/investment. Raw materials are available on the market at more than one manufacturer, with no significant dependence on a single source or market. Research & Development will concentrate on the further refining of existing products, on testing further possible applications for the existing products and research for new active ingredients and products. Fulltec AG is already a nicely profitable organization, but has not nearly reached its potential market appearance yet. All figures show that Fulltec only just started to penetrate some major markets, and will be able to show growth rates between 30 % and 60 % revenues each year for the whole planning period. Earnings are likely to grow even faster by a higher use of existing capacity. The further development of already served markets (with additional products and into additional retail channels) as well as the development of new geographical markets will be the main target of Fulltec AG business activities in the years to come. B – The Company Small Growth Company Profitable and financially sound Strong Growth Potential Discovered new natural Active Substances A Family of Products ready for the Markets Many Patents granted and pending Ready for substantial Market Penetration B. 1 History During the period of 2000 to 2002 extensive research was done by the R teams of Fulltec AG which led to the development of different new active ingredients with insecticide and repellent properties. Early in 2000 Fulltec AG changed its business focus from a purely trading agency to a patent holding company for products, applications and systems which cover insecticide and repellent properties – this means active ingredients and formulations including specific fields of applications. Repellents are used to repel insects, whereas insecticides have a lethal effect on such insects. Market introduction started in late 1999 with the launch of a former formulation of Repellent and a Household-Insecticide tested on the market by partially using new actives. Immediate success on the market has been achieved already with these temporary products due to the fact that a) the major shareholder and current Managing Director has great experience in the marketing of such products and therefore has extensive and valuable contacts in the industry, and b) the astonishing effectiveness of this natural product line. 2 B. 2 Current Situation The Present Board of Directors of the Fulltec Company consists of the following members: Urs O. Kraft (Chairman of the Board) Frank W. Bencsits Trustee and Tax Expert Managing Director Presently Fulltec AG has no permanent employees. So there are no liabilities in dispatches or payrolls. The business location of Fulltec is Zug, Switzerland (45-km outside Zurich). Research & Development is done in the specialized chemical and entomological laboratories in Austria. Production is carried out by beholden contractors under full control of Fulltec. B. 3 Strengths and Weaknesses The following mentioned strengths and weaknesses give an overview on the current situation of Fulltec. They will be elaborated on in more detail though in the following chapters. Strengths: Fulltec owns the one and only registration of Anti-Lice products as a Medical Device according Directive 93/42/EEC in the world. High Products Efficacy of the Repellents even under Hard Circumstances (Sweating, Swimming) All Products on Natural Basis Nigligible Toxicity to Humans, Animals and Plants Repellent has Passed the OECD Skin Absorption Test Repellent Capable of Avoiding Severe Diseases like Malaria, the West Nile Virus and the Tick-born diseases Encephalitis, Tularemie (Francisella tularensis), RockyMountains-Fever (Rickettsia richettsii), Theileriose (Tehileria spec. ) and LymeBorreliosis. Products provide high Added Value in Terms of Profit and Prestige to the Distributor High Market Share in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Hungary French Partner with Best Connections to all French Influenced Countries Rocketed in 2005 in these Well Known Difficult Accessible Markets Attractive Industry Availability of Raw Materials from Various Sources Production at Low Costs, Little Manpower and in Production Units of Small Sizes High Flexibility in Organization, Production and Sales – no Long Term Treaties Competent Management and R Teams High Liquidity High Profitability Strong Financial Base – – Challenges: Still small Market Presence in USA, NAFTA, Asia and Southern Europe 3 – Market Penetration in far countries, like China, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong just started B. 4 Goals / Future Developments Fulltec, with its development of new technologies has an important impact in the industry. The company already gained recognition and a considerable world m arket share of 10 % for Household Insecticides and Repellents. A concentration on the most attractive markets with the best relative competitive situations will allow Fulltec to achieve strong further internal growth. Prime products will be the Repellent line and the Medical Device series of Anti-Lice products for human use, a line of Household-Insecticides and Pet Care products, and a newly developed product for use against Dust Mites. Annual growth rates in the range of 30 % to 60 % for revenues will be attainable under the current economical circumstances. Fulltec AG with its innovative technologies therefore appears as an attractive future partner for potential co-operations, joint ventures, etc. Strategically using such co-operations already allowed Fulltec to achieve market leadership in individual market segments, as the market leadership in sales of repellents in European Community Pharmacies. C Products / Technology Insect Repellents / Insecticides Broad Range of Use (Humans, Household, Indoor Plants, Gardens, Several Branches of Industry, Pets, Animals, Plants) Active Ingredients of Natural and Non-Toxic Base Significant Added Value for the Customer – C. 1 Product Description C. 1. 1 Active Ingredients / Substances Repellents The active repelling ingredients are produced under physical conditions only, e. g. by hydrating under high pressure, followed by several vacuum and water steam purifying processes of different natural oils and / or their natural grown main ingredients. They also could be obtained from semi-synthetically substitutes and fruit acids in the way of patented manufacturing procedures. The active substances used in all repellent products possess the same chemical characteristics independently of their target application on the human or animal skin. Only different concentrations and varying contents of actives and their special synergists are dependent on special requirements of various targets, regardless whether used in the form of sprays, creams, oils or lotions. C. 1. 2 Repelling Effect Pests are in a position to recognize suitable quarry as a result of the presence of so called â€Å"bio receptors†. These are for example (body-) temperature, humidity, CO2-content and certain chemical substances produced in small quantities by mammal skin metabolism processes, such as ammonia, butyric acid and urea. Conventional repellents cover up such bio receptors with a more or less effective aura. Therefore they are extremely limited in 4 their efficacy, as this aura of gas becomes rapidly perforated by friction from clothing, sweat and other external influences, which then leaves an open target for attack by pests. Patented Active of Fulltec products on the other hand finely covers the whole treated skin surface and influences and eliminates the bio-receptors by various mechanisms. These continuous reactions between Receptors and Active make the quarry invisible for the attacker (camouflage effect). This process continues until the Active is entirely exhausted (around 8-hours). As the active ingredient is water resistant, it keeps the full efficacy even during periods of sweating and short periods of swimming. In contrast to most competing products, especially to natural based products, efficacy remains at a very high level for well over eight hours. In contrast to DEET, the most widely used substance in traditional repellents, the skin tolerance of Fulltec's substance is excellent. Fulltec repellent has passed as only substance of its class the very rigorous measures of the well known OECD skin absorption test! The Fulltec products are negligible toxic for human beings and animals. C. 1. 2. 1 Active Ingredients / Substances Insecticides The active insecticide ingredients are obtained by saturation under high pressure, vacuum procedures and partially water steam amidizing from natural oils and plant extracts by a patented manufacturing procedure. Concentrations in different formulations are varying according to the use. C. 1. 2. 2 Insecticide Effect Fulltec Insecticide Actives coat the target insects and acarinas with a fine, oily film. The active substances penetrate through the respiratory openings and block them so that the insect dies within a very short time. In addition, a pronounced water displacement results in the quick and complete desiccation of the pest. Fulltec Insecticides are the one and only products in the sector of insecticide Actives with exclusively physical efficacy. Fulltec Insecticide Actives do not enable resistance build-up because of this natural and physical and completely new system of efficacy. Especially efficacy is not achieved by a nerve poisonous effect how it is the case for most traditional insecticides such as carbamates, phosphoorganics and pyrethrines, which always have more or less severe effects on humans and animals. The effects of Fulltec insecticides only occur in cold-blooded species, such as insects, spiders and mites (ticks). The substances have no negative toxicological effects on the warm-blooded humans and pets. Moreover the solely physical mechanism makes the buildup of resistances of any kind impossible. C. 1. 3. Toxicological Summary Acute oral toxicity : LD50 – > 10g/kg rat Acute dermal toxicity : LD50 – > 10g/kg rabbit Inhalational toxicity : no results, inhalation non poisonous Primary skin irritation : none irritating in patch test on rabbits and humans Mucous membranes tolerance: only slightly irritating in pure concentration Biological degradability : >90% BSB28/CSB according to the modified OECD screening test Fish toxicity : LC50 – > 100mg product/liter Bacterial toxicity : EC50 – > 100mg product/liter C. 2 Products 5 The product lines, due to the substance's unspecific effect on all kinds of insects, cover a very broad range of applications for the benefit of humans, animals, and plants. All products are based on Fulltec? s Active Substances, though in varying concentrations and with different additives to achieve specific requirements of different applications. Moreover further future applications are possible, as tests continue to reveal good results in previously uncovered areas. In addition, the formulas allow various ombinations, so that the products range can include gels, creams, oils, lotions, sprays, additives to cleaning and impregnation products, shampoos, spot-on-products, collars, bracelets and aerosols. The following tables list examples of available products. C. 2. 1 Products for human and environmental use Range of Use – Men – Women – Children Product Mosquito Protector Tick Protector Wasp Protector Horsefly Protector Repellent Bracelets Anti-L ice Shampoo Anti-Lice Lotion Anti-Lice Gel Anti-Lice Spray Lice-Repellent Spray Lice Repellent Gel Insect Killer Insect – Mosquitoes – Ticks – Wasps, Hornets – Horseflies Type Repellent – Men – Women – Children – Mosqitoes, Ticks – Headlice – Crablice Medical device – Clothlice acc. Directive – Nits 93/42/EEC – House Mite Stop – Washing Machine Anti-Lice Detergent – Business premises Roach Killer – Kitchen – Basement – Gels Insect Stop Spider Stop – Flies, Mosquitoes Insecticide – Wasps, Ants – Mites – Cloth Moths – Food Moths – Fleas, Lice – Dust Mites – Lice and Nits – Cockroaches – Cockroaches – Ants – House Crickets – Spiders – Woodlice – Ants – Cockroaches – Silverfish Insecticide Repellent & Insecticide C. 2. 2 Products for Pets and Animals 6 Range of Use Pets – Domestic animals Product Insect – Fleas – Biting flies – Lice and Nits – Mosquitoes – Ticks – Mites – Fleas, Ticks â €“ Mites, Lice – Horse Flies – Lice – Flies – Flees – Ticks – Other pests and nuisances Type Repellent & Insecticide Horsefly, Sandfly, Mosquito and Tick Protector Collars X-Line and Protect Line Spot on products – Dogs, Cats Liquid Sprays – Small farm animals Spot On – Horses Liquid Sprays – Cattle – Sheep – Other Domestic Animals Repellent & Insecticides C. 2. 3 Products for Plants & Garden Range of Use General Use Product Ant Stop Termite Stop Bug Stop Flowerspray Insect Ants – Termites – Beetles – Nematopodes – Mites – Aphids – White Flies – Red Spider Mites – Caterpillars – Ants – Fruit Flies – Caterpillars – Other Insects Type Insecticide Flowers Insecticide Trees Tree Protection Repellent & Insecticide C. 3 Independent Tests and Studies General: Various independent Institutes (1) conducted numerous extensiv e studies and tests on the individual Fulltec Products. Subjects of those were first of all the efficacy under test conditions and in practical use, secondly the tolerance (Toxicology) for humans as well as animals, and thirdly the ecological behavior (biological decomposition). As the insecticide effect is solely physical and not based on a nerve poison, there can't be any buildup of resistance. Regarding the Insecticide Products, the broad range of efficacy on various kinds of insects was demonstrated in the lab as well as in practical use. Furthermore the biological decomposition was demonstrated to be excellent. On the product Roach Killer efficacy against cockroaches was demonstrated. Regarding the Repellent Products – besides efficacy and toxicology – skin tolerance were main subjects of the extensive tests conducted. All tests showed excellent results. In addition, separate studies compared the efficacy in practical use (field tests). All tests revealed superior efficacy of Fulltec's Repellents compared to competitive products 7 including the market leaders Autan (Active: Bayrepel) and OFF (Active: DEET; both products by SC Johnson). On comparable conditions, the repelling effect of Fulltec's Repellents was shown to last longer. Worth to mention explicitly is the fact that Fulltec's Repellents are the only products available on the market yet to pass the rigorous requirements of the well known OECD Skin Absorption Test. 1) LHS Institut fur Hygieneforschung und Schadlingsbekampfung in Labor und Praxis, Miesenbachgasse 7, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria PRAEVMEDIC, Carmenstrasse 8a, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland BioGents GmbH, Universitatsstra? e 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany IS Insect Services GmbH, Dr. Hans Dautel, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163 Berlin, Germany T. E. C. Insec ticides testing, 7 bis rue pont de l'aveugle, 64600 Anglet, France Hopital Avicennes, Professeur Azreki Izri, Laboratoire de Parasitologie, 125 rue de Stalingrad, 93009 Bobigny, France Complete detailed List of Test Reports see Annex I C. 4 Customer Benefits In the following graph, the characteristics of the Fulltec's substances are compared to those of DEET, Bayrepel and essential oils in Repellents. C. 4. 1 Comparison: Customer Benefit Repellents Active Ingredients Insect Repellents Fulltec DEET Bayrepel ++ + ++ + + + + ++ -+ ++ -0 0 0 + ++ ++ ++ + Essential Oils â€â€+* + 0 ++*1 – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 * = in low concentration, higher concentrations are irritant *1= banned after 01. 09. 2006 acc Directive 98/8/EEC Explanations: Comparing Fulltec's repellent against DEET, BAYREPEL containing products and essential oil: ++ = very good + = good 0 = reasonable -= could be better = unacceptable Comments: 8 1 – Long Term Effect: Contrary to the essential oils, Repellents from Fulltec show a high repelling effect for over 8 hours. DEET and Bayrepel also have proven to be effective under laboratory conditions whereas the effectiveness depended highly on the amount of active ingredient (high doses of > 30 %+ are effective like Fulltec’s Actives. Lower concentrations have poorer efficacy). 2 – Broadband Efficacy: Fulltec’s Repellents show the best broadband repelling efficacy against a wide range of nuisances, including multiple species of mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, horseflies, biting flies, black flies and mites. Products containing DEET at higher concentrations (> 30 %) are also effective widely. Bayrepel is only available in concentrations 10 and 20 % and exhibits just short protection times so that reapplications every 2 to 3 hours are necessary to get a safe level of protection. Essential oils are unsuitable because of practically non-existing protection time and broadband efficacy. 3 – Water/Sweating Resistance: Compared to the other substances, Fulltec’s products are more water resistant. As they are deactivated neither by sweating nor under water contact (e. g. short swimming) they keep their effectiveness also during sports. 4 – Skin Care: The substances used by Fulltec show significantly more skin care qualities than the competition. They only contain highly skin tolerant and even skin caring base- and active ingredients. Therefore the products are not only highly effective repellents, but also high quality cosmetic products. The plant oils and their skin caring derivates give the skin energy and vitality, whereas natural Vitamin E fights potential inflammations. Evenly applied, the product maintains the skin's natural moisture, and makes it soft and elastic. 4 – Skin Tolerance: Traditional, effective Repellents all contain high levels of skin irritating and partially highly toxic substances. Contrary, Fulltec products have never caused eczema or allergic reactions so far. Essential oils in higher concentrations cause skin and mucous membrane irritations. Furthermore they can solve plastics and synthetic textiles, which is a problem of DEET products, too. Bayrepel seems to have second best Skin Tolerance but examinations of its toxicological properties are not finalized yet. 5 – Ecological Tolerance: Fulltec products are natural non-poisonous products with a high ecological tolerance. Essential oils, above all technical qualities of Rosemary and Citronella exhibit toxic effects on soil bacterias and show only poor ecological tolerance. DEET on the other hand is an ecotoxic substance. Bayrepel seams to have only slightly ecotoxic potential. 6 – Price: The Fulltec product’s prices are usually conforming competitors and markets policies. Fulltec’s low standing expenses allows following all prerequisites of different markets and competitors pricing. 7- Availability: Bayrepel (Autan) definitely has the best availability in all retail channels today. Being the No. 1 in Central European pharmacies Fulltec? s Repellents reached a high level of availability. Furthermore they are able to substitute all Natural Actives based competitive products which will be banned after 01. 09. 2006 (deadline of Directive 98/8/EEC). These other Natural products mainly are sold through drug stores, but constantly decreasing customer acceptance and demand will lead to only a narrower availability in the future in countries outside of the EC as well in NAFTA under further restrictions by the EPA and the Canadian PESTICIDE REGISTRATION and EVALUATION COMMITTEE. 8 – User friendliness: All products are user friendly in the sense of easy application. However DEET is aggressive against several materials like plastics, is toxic and causes skin and mucous membrane irritations. This is also valid for several essential oils. Bayrepel seems to be more safe and gentle but is restricted for application on children below an age of 2 years. Only Fulltec Repellents fulfilled requirements of the OECD skin absorption test and can be used safe under observance of the recommended directions for use. In summary, the Fulltec products clearly offer the highest customer. The Fulltec products are highly effective against insects comparable to high concentrated DEET. In contrast to DEET, Fulltec products are based on natural ingredients and show excellent skin tolerance 9 and skin care qualities. In comparison essential oils repellents are of natural base, too but they show a low efficacy in terms of repelling insects over a longer period of time. Moreover a lot of them cause skin and mucous membrane irritations and possess photosensitizing potential. C. 4. 1 Protection against Competition The products are adequately protected by granted or pending patents). Fulltec AG owns the patents protecting the repelling as well as the lethal features of the active substances. In addition, the isolated declaration of ingredients according UPAC or INCI usually does not allow gaining knowledge on the exact composition and special nature of the Actives. Fulltec’s exclusive knowledge of the patented manufacturing process of Actives guarantees imitation protection of Fulltec Repellants and Insecticides by competitors. D Markets Very attractive market (extremely high market volume, high growth) Fulltec shows all pre-requisites to be successful Market is already accepting the Fulltec Products Consumer Trend clearly going towards Natural Products Barriers of entry already overcome D. 1 Market Overview D. 1. 1 Description / Characteristics If only for its enormous size, the market for Insect Repellents and Insecticides should be considered extremely attractive. Despite the big established competitors dominating the market, there are various attractive niche markets available to innovative companies. Fulltec, with its range of nature products falls into such a niche. The currently most widely used ingredients in competitive products are DEET (in repellents) and Pyrethroids (in insecticides). All those substances are being increasingly questioned and therefore avoided by many consumers and more and more even by governments and appropriate authorities. It can be expected that those products with questionable active ingredients will have to be substituted more and more by natural products. This opens up an extremely high potential for Fulltec to firmly establish itself in this market. As the products meet a high consumer acceptance already today, a bigger market penetration can be safely foreseen. D. 1. 2 Market Segments The segmentation of the market shows the following criteria: †¢ †¢ Range of use: Humans and Environment / Pets / Animals / Plants Type of use: Repellent (to repel insects) / Insecticide (to kill insects) Region: Switzerland / European Community / USA / Canada /Australia †¢ To identify the estimated total market volume, the various market segments were analyzed at first (Supplements: Estimated Market Volume). Starting points were market studies of IHA GfM for Switzerland and GFK for Germany. In addition, the relevant market segments for Fulltec in terms of distribution channels, competition, prices and margins were analyzed. On the basis of market data of the specialized trade (pharmacies, etc. ), the total market volume for Switzerland and Germany was estimated. In order to calculate total 10 world market volume, Switzerland's and Germany? s per capita consumption was taken as a base. However adaptations to in some instances different distribution channels, price levels, usages, etc. were made. D. 1. 3 Client Structure To distribute its products, Fulltec currently uses the following channels: †¢ †¢ Specialized Trade (Pharmacies, Drug Stores), and more sparely in Retail Chains and Stores However it is a set goal to penetrate all segments of distribution. In Switzerland for example, the specialized trade segment could be covered by big players in pharmaceuticals and special chemicals (for Repellents), and the retail chains and stores by international players (for Insecticides). Moreover, Fulltec currently is in negotiation with various Multinational Companies. D. 1. 4 Factors for Success In the Insect Repellent and Insecticides markets, the most important factors for success are definitely the efficacy of the products and the presence at the â€Å"point of sale†, i. . the easy availability for the consumer. Moreover the tolerance of the products for human and environment is of increasing importance. In addition, an increasing sensibility against synthetic, toxic substances is recognized, as more health consciousness of people leads to preference of natural products. The Fulltec products are both, highly efficient and ecologically well tolerated. In order to imp rove easy availability for the consumers, Fulltec decided to collaborate exclusively with established distribution partners. It is possible to achieve a high market presence in short time with this strategy. Fulltec products perfectly meet the factors of success, which allows the continuation of the quick market penetration by Fulltec products. D. 2 Market Position Current Situation Currently, the strongest market position held by the Fulltec products is repellents, a highly attractive market segment. The second position in terms of market penetration as well as attractiveness of the market segment is held by the natural insecticides, especially the market segment Pet Protection. All remaining product groups (Repellents and Insecticides in all their broadness) are positioned in relatively highly attractive market segments, but have not reached significant market penetration so far. Future Situation Longer term, Fulltec expects to achieve fairly dominant market positions in the following segments: Insect Repellents, Anti-Lice product line, Household Insecticides, Pet Protection and Mite Stop, which at the same time are the most attractive product groups and market segments. Less dominant, but nevertheless sizeable market positions are expected to be attainable in the egments Agricultural Insecticides and Garden Products. Repellent 11 At least for the next one or two years, Repellent products are expected to continue contributing the largest share to total revenues among all product groups, as the total world market for such products is huge and extremely attractive. Furthermore, Fulltec? s natural and non-toxic products today are already well accepted in Europ e and USA. It is assumed that over time, natural products will increasingly challenge the established toxic products, gaining in market share also due to legislation changing towards more restrictive forms. Anti-Lice Products Market penetration of these products is on the best way to get No. 2 in Europe and No. 1 in Medicine Devices in EC. It is expected to significantly increase its share, as being of natural base and pure physical efficacy often is the decisive factor for being chosen by consumers. Efficacy of the product is excellent, and it is being very well tolerated. Pharmaceutical trading (Drug stores and Pharmacies) will be the preferred sales channel, thereby guaranteeing high margins and profits. Pet Products By nature, the market for pet products is very attractive and competition is very high. As Fulltec will concentrate its efforts on those markets, which offer the best relative competitive position, pet products will not be at the forefront of marketing efforts at the moment. A potential cooperation with one or more established companies in this field however could change this assessment rapidly. Natural Insecticides Due to ever increasing requirements in terms of ecological tolerance and to the extensive restrictions of Directive 98/8/EEC according Biocides, natural insecticides should gain significant market share over the coming years. This product group therefore is expected to contribute markedly to total revenue growth. Mite Stop Taking into account the steady increase of Dust Mite Allergies, this segment is clearly a market of the future. Dust mite allergies come from a saturation of the air with dust and excrement particles. A Fulltec product to exterminate dust mites is already fully developed and successfully introduced into Central European markets. It is applied by spraying into air and on mite-infested surfaces. The dust particles become saturated with Mite Stop and drop to the floor, which already brings about a cleaning of the air. The fallen down particles start to act as insecticide against the dust mites population. The circle of the extermination of dust mites therefore is closed. A relatively quick market introduction is possible, as a registration as Anti-Allergicum can be avoided if the product is advertised and sold as primarily an Air Cleaner. All other currently available products on the market are still based on toxic Pyrethroids, which puts the Fulltec product into an advantageous position. Alternative methods used are various medications, which however combat the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem. Furthermore, as such drugs are high margin products, the Fulltec alternative can also be expected to sell at premium prices with high margins. D. 3 Market Assessment The following points peak in further increasing market penetration by the products of Fulltec: 1. Acceptance of the Fulltec Products 12 On the markets already served, the Fulltec products generally achieve a high market acceptance. 2. Barriers of Entry The barriers of entry to new contenders are quite high. Fulltec has already overcome them as the products lready have been tested in terms of efficacy and tolerance, and as patents and registrations processes have already been initiated. 3. Trends A major trend within today's society points towards substitution of toxic substances by natural ones. Accordingly, the market potential for Fulltec's natural and non toxic products can safely be considered very excellent. E Competition Competition in Repellents mostly DEET and Bayrepel based Competition in Insecticides mostly Pyr ethroid, Carbamates and Organophosphonics based Significant competitive advantage for Fulltec Fulltec is ready for competitive strategies E. 1 Competitive Products E. 1. 1 Repellents In competing repellents worldwide, almost universally the substance DEET (N,N-Diethyl-mtoluamide) is used. This specifically effective Insect Repellent is toxic and has a strong irritating effect on eyes and mucous membranes. Some children have shown a harming of nerves and, due to inhaling DEET, cases of death have been reported (Tenenbein, M. JAMA, J. Am. Medical Assoc, 1987, 258). In competing repellents in Europe, almost the substances Icaridin (Bayrepel) and IR3535 are used. Alternative repellents such as essential oils show a rather low efficacy and can cause allergic reactions. E. 1. 2 Insecticides A multitude of active ingredients is used by competing insecticides products. Most of them are nerve poisons. A lot of the formerly highly praised substances (DDT, Dieldrin, Lindan) are banned today in many industrialized countries because of their toxicity. Alternatively, Pyrethroids are used very widely today (about 50-75% market share). Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides. Although the toxicity of this insect specific biocide is markedly lower for mammals, it is still a factor of up to 100-times higher compared to the Fulltec Insecticides. In addition, Pyrethroids show a considerably higher fish toxicity. Other natural insecticides currently show a clearly lower efficacy compared to both, the synthetic insecticides and the Fulltec products. E. 1. 3 Most Important Competitors The following table gives an overview on Fulltec's most important competitors and their products. In the Supplements section, there is a table listing the most important companies within the various market segments in Switzerland with their market shares. 13 Competitors and Competing Products Company Bayer SC Johnson 3M Corp. Reckitt & Coleman Shell Vogt AVON Description Multinational Chemical Co. Multinational Chemical Co. Multinational Chemical Co. Multinational Chemical Co. Multinational Chemical Co. Small Specialty Co. Intl. Cosmetics Co. Geographic al Presence International International International International International Switzerland USA and Intl. Market Position Market Leader worldwide Marked Leader USA No. 2 USA No. 3 worldwide No. 1 in Market Segments Leader Repellents CH No. 1 Mail-order USA Company Bayer SC Johnson Insecticide Baygon Raid Substance pyrethroids pyrethroids Repellent OFF, Autan Ultrathon KIK Anti-Brumm Skin So Soft Substance DEET/DMP Bayrepel DEET/DEP DEET/DMP DEET Natural Base 3M Corp. Reckitt & Coleman Heropic, Neocid pyrethroids Shell Shelltox pyrethroids Vogt AVON E. 1. 4 Competitive Advantages / Disadvantages Advantages: The products of Fulltec have enormous advantages of being based on substances well tolerated by human and environment. They do contain neither the toxic DEET nor any other harmful substances. Moreover the products show high efficacy – comparable or higher to the synthetic products and significantly higher than essential oils. Initial success, especially due to above factors, is clearly visible on already covered markets. Disadvantages: The products themselves do not have any apparent disadvantages. As the market position of the competitors is fairly dominant so far, a successful market entry of small companies like Fulltec is not easy. However, the massive advantages of Fulltec products cited above as well as an experienced management will help Fulltec to overcome such hurdles. E. 1. 5 Competitive Strategies The constantly increasing demand for natural products may tempt competitors into imitating Fulltec's substances. However the patents as well as the product know-how speak against such strategies. A substitution of the Fulltec formula by another, equally effective natural substance, is not discernible so far. After all, some competitor might be tempted into trying a takeover of Fulltec AG. The current shareholder structure though represents an insurmountable barrier at least for unfriendly and unwelcome takeover attempts. In any case the interests of the shareholders will be of major importance. F F. 1 Marketing Market Coverage 14 F. 1. 1 Distribution / Sales Distribution is effected through sales partners with a high market presence in the respective market segments. This strategy will be continued, as it allows a relatively rapid penetration of the markets. In addition, it allows using more than one distributor in a single market with the different Actives and slightly modified formulas in different structured market segments. This strategy also allows opening up the various distribution channels in a given market (Specialized Trade, Retail Trade, Mail-order Business Partners, etc. . However it is possible that some distributors are in direct competition with others selling a different form and Active Ingredient of the same basic product. For products or product groups which are not part of first priority marketing plans, strategic alliances with companies firmly entrenched in those market segments are planned. F. 1. 2 Communication Communication will be expanded to new partners to develop new markets and activities of business. Further it will be necessary to perfect and extend information. The end users will be more clearly informed about both, the negative effects of the competitive products, and of course about the advantages of the Fulltec products. This strategy will lead to accelerated substitution of the traditional synthetic products by natural Fulltec products. For this purpose, various media, like Internet TV and radio advertisement appear predestined. F. 2 Product and Marketing Design Currently Fulltec does not sell any products under its own name. The distributor or sales agent can individually choose a brand name of his own. F. 2. 1 Product Line The product line of Fulltec is described in detail earlier in this report. All products are available either as bulk ready to use, as concentrate (container, barrel) or already packaged as lotion, spray, etc. Future Years In the following years Fulltec expects continuous gain of overall market share. This should lead to a sustainable growth in revenues of at least 40 -60% per year. It will be looked for further sales partners in Europe as well as in the USA, Asia, Africa and South America, mainly for the Repellent, the Insecticide and the Anti-Lice Product line. G Production / Procurement/ Ecology / Location / R & D Patented Production Processes – Ample unused Production Capacity – No specific Dependence on Suppliers of Raw Materials – Environment-friendly Production – Good Location – R & D Emphasis – Refine existing Products – Develop further Applications G. 1 Production All sold products are produced under control of Fulltec by indep endent contractors. The production processes mainly consist of the manufacturing of Active Substances by physical 15 conversion of natural substances into efficient derivates and mixing various substances according to proprietary and secret processes and formulas. Consequently only a relatively small number of equipment and technical installations are needed. To get to the finished products, automatic filling and packing machines are used. The production process itself is high technology, although just common lab equipment (including gas chromatography and thin layer chromatography) is necessary. As the production process is highly automated, labor costs are kept low, too. Fulltec has the option to build up its own production facility or seek external contractors for tasks like mixing, filling and packaging. However at the moment such a construction step is not planned. G. 2 Procurement All ingredients and raw materials needed for the production are easily available. Suppliers are mainly big companies, competing against each other price-wise as some of the raw materials used are also traded on the commodity markets. The prices for the raw materials used do not fluctuate widely. Therefore no problems regarding the supply side are foreseeable, which should guarantee an ongoing smooth production process. G. 3 Ecology G. 3. 1 Legal Compliance All relevant laws and orders of Switzerland and the EC are strictly followed by Fulltec. However it is important to note that Fulltec does not fall under the order on ecological tolerance (Umweltvertraglichkeitsprufung) or the Storfallverordnung). For all products, safety data sheets are available, as requested by the regarding directives, e. g. Stoffverordnung (order on materials used). G. 3. 2 Raw Materials The main components of the products consist of natural raw materials. Apart from water, mainly non-toxic and well biodegradable substances are used. Some other ingredients of very low toxicity (all within Swiss poison class 4 or 5 or not classified) are just used as additives in very low quantities. All raw materials are well biodegradable. G. 4 Location Fulltec AG is located in Zug, Switzerland. Infrastructure: Currently production is done by contractors which are capable of increasing volumes significantly without causing any problems. The (rented) offices are fairly new, and adequate for Fulltec's sales activities. As most of the clients are located in different foreign countries and transport costs are low at current sales volumes, this point is of no major importance at the moment. At a later stage though, when sales continue increasing at estimated rates, other (outsourced) production facilities within major client regions or countries will be installed. The generally very high level of education of employees in Switzerland and countries of contractors (Austria, Germany) represents a competitive advantage. Locations are very attractive for employees. 16 Distance to clients: Education: Labor Costs: Corresponding to the high level of education, salary levels are quite high as well, at least compared to other countries. However, as the operation of Fulltec is not very labor intensive, this does not represent a major disadvantage. G. 5 Research & Development Research & Development is being conducted in laboratories in Austria. As this division caused no problems in the past, there is no plan to combine these efforts in one single place. In R, emphasis is being put on refining existing products. In addition, further potential applications for the same basic formula inherent in all Fulltec products are also developed as new Actives on natural basis. H Organization / Management Direct major efforts to the goal of achieving competitive advantages Lean Organization Management with proven capabilities Profit Sharing by Management H. 1 Organization H. 1. 1 Core Functions In the following, we comment on the core functions within Fulltec today, in the order of current importance or weighing (number of people involved, financial resources). Marketing / Sales: This part definitely requires the most attention in the current phase of development. New distribution and sales partners have to be located, new markets have to be developed, new products introduced, etc. Strong partners offer the best prospects in terms of the variety of products represented and of potential market penetration. Production: The production processes are very well matured. Therefore it can be outsourced to thoroughly selected partners. However Fulltec controls the whole process at any stage. Of course there will be efforts to optimize production, to use free capacities, etc. Even though good patent protection is given, the producers have to prove reliability in keeping the exact formulations secret. R: The major phase of R, the development of the formulations and the final products, is basically done. Therefore main R emphasis will be put into the refinement of existing products and the identification and development of additional applications. However this does not mean that no new products or product lines will be developed in the future. Procurement: As already mentioned in other sections of this business plan, the procurement of the raw materials does not pose any problems, neither in terms of availability nor in terms of price. Increased sales volume in future will even lead to better purchase conditions. Service: Sales advice and support is of major importance for every production company. However, regarding the specific construction of the company, service does not play a major role in the case of Fulltec, as the products do not require any kind of maintenance, repairs, or other frequent advice. Speed and accuracy of delivery on the other hand is of paramount importance. 17
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Social Structure Definition and Overview in Sociology
Social structure is the organized set of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships that together compose society. Social structure is both a product of social interaction and directly determines it. Social structures are not immediately visible to the untrained observer, however, they are always present and affect all dimensions of human experience in society.​ It is helpful to think about social structure as operating on three levels within a given society: the macro, meso, and micro levels. Social Structure: The Macro Level of Society When sociologists use the term social structure they are typically referring to macro-level social forces including social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships. The major social institutions recognized by sociologists include family, religion, education, media, law, politics, and economy. These are understood as distinct institutions that are interrelated and interdependent and together help compose the overarching social structure of a society. These institutions organize our social relationships to others and create patterns of social relations when viewed on a large scale. For example, the institution of family organizes people into distinct social relationships and roles, including mother, father, son, daughter, husband, wife, etc., and there is typically a hierarchy to these relationships, which results in a power differential. The same goes for religion, education, law, and politics. These social facts may be less obvious within the institutions of media and economy, but they are present there too. Within these, there are organizations and people who hold greater amounts of power than others to determine what happens within them, and as such, they hold more power in society. The actions of these people and their organizations behave as structuring forces in the lives of all of us. The organization and operation of these social institutions in a given society result in other aspects of social structure, including socio-economic stratification, which is not just a product of a class system but is also determined by systemic racism and sexism, as well as other forms of bias and discrimination. The social structure of the U.S. results in a sharply stratified society in which very few people control wealth and power  and they have historically tended to be white and male  while the majority has very little of either. Given that racism is embedded in core social institutions like education, law, and politics, our social structure also results in a systemically racist society. The same can be said for the problem of gender bias and sexism. Social Networks: The Meso Level Manifestation of Social Structure Sociologists see social structure present at the meso level  between the macro and the micro levels  in the social networks that are organized by the social institutions and institutionalized social relationships described above. For example, systemic racism fosters segregation within U.S. society, which results in some racially homogenous networks. The majority of white people in the U.S. today have entirely white social networks. Our social networks are also a manifestation of social stratification, whereby social relations between people are structured by class differences, differences in educational attainment, and differences in levels of wealth. In turn, social networks act as structuring forces by shaping the kinds of opportunities that may or may not be available to us, and by fostering particular behavioral and interactional norms that work to determine our life course and outcomes. Social Interaction: Social Structure at the Micro Level of Everyday Life Social structure manifests at the micro level in the everyday interactions we have with each other in the forms of norms and customs. We can see it present in the way patterned institutionalized relationships shape our interactions within certain institutions like family and education, and it is present in the way institutionalized ideas about race, gender, and sexuality shape what we expect from others, how we expect to be seen by them, and how we interact together. Conclusion In conclusion, social structure is composed of social institutions and patterns of institutionalized relationships, but we also understand it as present in the social networks that connect us, and in the interactions that fill our everyday lives. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Written - 1014 Words
Nucleic Acid Hybridization Nucleic acid hybridization is a general method in determining the sequence of homologous DNA, it is also used to differentiate order of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism and the size of limitation fragments that contain such sequence. Meaning, it is possible to study the genetic differences between different organisms and individual here on Earth. A nucleic Acid Hybridization analysis uses five laboratory skills the Restriction fragment preparation: where a restriction enzyme is added to a DNA sample, Electrophoresis: separate the restriction fragment from DNA sample, Blotting: single strands are transferred onto special paper or nylon membranes through capillary action, Radioactive†¦show more content†¦Plasmid C has some similarity from plasmid A but the similar sequences are found on the different size in the fragments. The autoradiograph gives us more information than the agarose gel or its own. In Vitro Mutagenesis In vitro mutagenesis a technique used to introduce specific changes into the sequence of a cloned gene. Mutations alter function of protein product. Mutated gene turned to the host cell, is possible to determine function of the missing normal protein by examining what changes occur in the cell. Methods of In Vitro Mutagenesis: 1. After cloning, the double-stranded plasmid is denatured to obtain a single-stranded DNA template that includes the wild-type version of the DNA of interest. 2. A mutagenic primer is allowed to base-pair with the single-stranded template. The primer consists of two regions that are complementary to template regions on either side of a mismatched region – a region where the base sequence of the mutagenic primer is not complementary and will not pair with the base sequence in the template DNA. 3. Addition of DNA polymerase elongates the primer strand to produce a double-stranded plasmid, one strand representing the original genetic information and the other strand representing the new mutant DNA. 4. The vectors (plasmids) are then used to transform bacterial cells, which replicate both strands of the plasmid. When such a transformed cell first divides,Show MoreRelatedWritten Mode- English Language1518 Words  | 7 PagesUrban Environments Written Mode Introduction Communication is a tool with which we exercise our influence on others, bring out changes in our and others’ attitudes, motivate the people around us and establish and maintain relationships with them. Communication forms a major part of our life and is a social activity. This social activity is pursued verbally through speech, reading and writing or non-verbally through body language. The focus of this report will be mainly on written side of communicationRead MoreWritten and Spoken English Language Essay726 Words  | 3 PagesWritten and Spoken English Language The English language consists both of written and spoken features. Until recently, items and structures most typically found in spoken language have not been fully described. Most grammars of English have had a bias towards the written language. They are many differences between spoken and written English. Text A and B show written and spoken versions of an account of a days activities. Text A is a written account of these activities, while Text B is aRead MoreThe Features of Written Language and Speech Essay604 Words  | 3 PagesThe Features of Written Language and Speech In English language there are two different ways of actually presenting language. These are written language and speech. These two factors of speech both include many different features between themselves. These features are mostly opposite to each other as they are completely different ways of presenting language. Written language is structured into paragraphs unlike general speech which is hardly thought about before beingRead More The poem Carrickfergus was written by an Irish writer called Louis700 Words  | 3 PagesThe poem Carrickfergus was written by an Irish writer called Louis MacNeice in The 20th Century. The poem Carrickfergus was written by an Irish writer called Louis MacNeice in The 20th Century. It was written in four line stanzas and now I am going to analyse this poem and talk about each stanza. In the first line of the first stanza, we notice that the child Louis MacNeice is using specific detail in his poem as he says he was born in Belfast between the mountain and the gantries.Read MoreMulti-Modal Essay1030 Words  | 5 Pagesuse such as :) for a smile. The message is then carried on by the next participant replying as â€Å"not really†¦x†. There is a use of an ellipsis, and it could be used to signify the meaning that the message is continuous even though there is nothing written after it. The same participant also states â€Å"dunno tbh but somethings up with my stomach/ribs :/ idk I didnt know ya liked her.......†. She uses initialism to shorten the time to type this message. She also uses contractions as well to shorten theRead MoreThe Process Of Learning For Read Can Be Difficult For Young Children1096 Words  | 5 Pagestheir vocabulary and understanding of words, at a relevant level with the support and guidance of the educator. Many children are fortunate enough to be surrounded by print and written language from a very young age. When exposed to signs, posters, books and even imitation writing, children are developing the concept that written words have a meaning, just like spoken words do (Tompkins, Campbell Green, 2012, p. 104). Parents and teachers alike have enormous opportunities to expose children to conceptsRead More Flannery O’Connor’s Short Story A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay examples1021 Words  | 5 Pagesevery true Southern woman. She related stories of old mansions and of the little ‘pickaninny’ by a door. This was not a racial comment because for it to be there would have to be an intent to insult an African American and there was not. This was written to further convey the notion of her embodying all the true characteristics of Southern women, including their adherence to devout Christianity. The Misfit exemplifies the cold, contemporary world. In the conversation The Misfit’s declares aboutRead MoreThe Necklace Short Story1468 Words  | 6 Pagesâ€Å"The necklace†was written in French and published in a French newspaper in 1884. Maupassant wrote the short story about a young married women, who is a fantasist, certain that she should be living a complete different lifestyle. Regardless of the period it was written, portrays Matilde as being a jealous egotist who lives her life through self-delusion and self-pity which are all timeless and universal themes. The presentation of women is very particular, if you weren’t a rich women you wouldn’tRead MoreThe Mystery Of The Myth925 Words  | 4 Pagesas it was years ago it still has left its mark on history. Many countries like to borrow, Japan is one of those that like to borrow a lot. Japan is a country that like’s to borrow many things and language is one of them. First Japan had their own written language â€Å"hiragana†, but then they decided to completely adapt a new one from the very successful Tang Dynasty. Japan created a new writing system called â€Å"kanji†even though they had their own. In more contemporary time Japanese is still continuingRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading And Writing For Writing893 Words  | 4 Pagesreading and writing every day. In this essay I will explain why I believe that literature is important. I will give personal examples about why I think that reading and writing are important. We have used written language from the beginning of time. Our ancestors from a long time ago left us written records, symbolism, and pictures to tell us a story about their lives. A lot of these languages I personally cannot read but they are just as important as our language is now. If they did not leave these
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Alzheimers Disease Essay - 2414 Words
Alzheimers Disease Alzheimer’s disease is the disease of the century. This disease is affecting many lives, families, and caregivers. This research presented is to help educate on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease, which many people aren’t aware enough about. Statistics are given to show how extreme this disease is, and how many people it’s affecting in society. Also statistics are presented that give the amount of money being spent relating to Alzheimer’s disease. This research explains the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. Also giving advice and strategies to help caregivers manage and support their loved one if they are struck with this disease. Not much is known for sure on what causes this disease, so†¦show more content†¦Essentially, Alzheimer’s causes the computer of the brain to go down, and the whole of life becomes gradually disarrayed (Gray-Davidson, 1996). The American Psychiatric Association’s definition of Alzheimer’s disease contained in the diagnostic manual DSM-IV, is as follows: The essential feature of the presence of Dementia of insidious onset and gradual progressive course for which all other specific causes have been excluded by the history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. The Dementia involves a multifaceted loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory, judgement, abstract thought, and other higher cortical functions, and changes in personality and behavior (Gray-Davidson, 1996). Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that causes a steady decline in memory. This results in dementia, loss of intellectual functions such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning, severe enough to interfere with everyday life (Gwyther, 2000). As with all dementia’s, the rate of progression in Alzheimer’s patients varies from case to case. From the onset of symptoms, the life span of an Alzheimer’s victim can range anywhere from 3 to 20 or more years. The disease eventually leaves its victims unable to care for themselves. While a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is possible only through the examination of brain tissue, which is usually done at autopsy, it is important for a person suffering fromShow MoreRelatedAlzheimers Disease945 Words  | 4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive neurological disease; it often attacks the brain tissues causing memory loss of one’s identity and regular behaviors. Statistics indicates that the rate of predicted people to get Alzheimer’s will increase briskly as time goes on. There are currently no cures for such disastrous disease, but there are currently approved treatments available that can help people within the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Once the disease is too far alongRead MoreAlzheimers Disease3170 Words  | 13 PagesThe Role of Caregiving to Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Megan Zann April 27, 2012 Health Psychology Dr. Ackerman Introduction It is normal to periodically forget your keys or a homework assignment, because you generally remember these things later. However, individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often, but they do not remember them again. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease has dramatically increased because people are living longer. This is a result ofRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease1503 Words  | 7 Pagesâ€Å"Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that gets worse over time. It leads to nerve cell death, and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions. It gradually destroys a persons memory and ability to learn and carry out daily activities such as talking, eating, and going to the bathroom†(What Is Alzheimer’s). Early symptoms include personality changes, memory impairment, problems with language, decision-making ability, judgmentRead MoreAlzheimer†™s Disease Essay2544 Words  | 11 PagesAlzheimer’s disease defined: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025. Alzheimer disease generally occurs in people over seventy five years of age; however it does strike people in their forties, fiftiesRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease2405 Words  | 10 PagesAlzheimers Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in todays society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day whichRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease813 Words  | 4 Pagesï » ¿Topic: Alzheimer’s Disease Specific Purpose: To help my audience understand what Alzheimer’s Disease is. Thesis Statement: The need to educate people on Alzheimer’s Disease for family members or friends in-case a loved one is diagnosed. Introduction: A. What would one do if their family member or friend knew of someone who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease? What would they do to help or take care of this family member? Well, I work in a nursing home with the elderly with this diseaseRead MoreAlzheimers Disease Essay2168 Words  | 9 PagesAlzheimer’s disease or AD is an incurable disorder of the brain that results in loss of normal brain structure and function. In an AD brain, normal brain tissue is slowly replaced by structures called plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The plaques represent a naturally occurring sticky protein called beta amyloid and in an Alzheimer’s brain, sufferer’s tend to accumulate too much of this protein. Neurofibrillary tangles represent collapsed tau proteins which, in a normal brain along with microtubulesRead MoreEssay on Alzheimers Disease 512 Words  | 3 Pagesmajor medical advancements like the world has never seen before, some diseases still continue t o plague the human race and confuse even some of the brightest scientists today. Unfortunately, Alzheimer Disease (AD) is one of them and it affects between 2.4 and 4.5 million people in America. Alzheimer’s is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 65, but in rarer cases people as young as 16 have it. Since it is a degenerative disease, patients develop it with few symptoms at an earlier stage, but thenRead More Alzheimer’s Disease Essay1176 Words  | 5 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. 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Saturday, December 14, 2019
Cape Verde Macro-Economic Analysis Free Essays
string(67) " costs of goods in 2007 was 15 percent higher than it was in 2000\." Cape Verde| â€Å"Most Improved Country†| Introduction Cape Verde is a small country that spans ten islands and is 570 kilometers off the coast of Western Africa. There is very little rainfall per year and the land on most of the islands are of volcanic origin. On several of the islands the land is fairly flat, sandy and dry, whereas the rest of the islands are covered in rocky land. We will write a custom essay sample on Cape Verde Macro-Economic Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now It, therefore, lacks in natural resources and has experienced severe droughts. Agriculture is made difficult by lack of rain and is restricted to only four islands for most of the year. It is ironic that the country is called â€Å"Verde†meaning â€Å"Green,†even though most of the land is not green. Due to the scarcity of agriculture, most of the nation’s GDP comes from the service industry; more specifically tourism, light manufacturing industries, and fisheries. Cape Verde’s economy has been steadily growing since the late 1990s, and it is now officially considered a country of average development. Through an economic analysis of Cape Verde, we will see the connections between its economy, society, and government. The analysis will recognize not only the flaws and struggles of the country, but will pose possible solutions to its problems. Government: Past and Present Learning about a country’s government is essential to figuring out their economic details. Uninhabited on their discovery in 1456, the Cape Verde islands became part of the Portuguese empire in 1495. Portuguese people began establishing settlements throughout the islands, especially along the ports. They were still governed by the Portuguese government and abided by all the same laws; however, the Portuguese government did not have much involvement with the settlements. Therefore, without strong sustainable investment from the homeland’s government the people grew increasingly discontent with them. However, the Portuguese continued to refuse to provide the local authorities with more autonomy, or self-governing. This discontent aggravated and culminated in 1956, when a movement led by Amilcar Cabral laid the stepping stones for independence for Cape Verde. Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organized the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea. The PAIGC began forming armed rebellions against the Portuguese government in Guinea, but were more passive in Cape Verde. In 1974, following the coup in Portugal, after which Portugal began abandoning its colonial empire, the islands were granted a transitional government comprising of Cape Verdeans and Portuguese officials. Eventually, the Cape Verdeans elected a national assembly which drafted a declaration of independence on July 5, 1975. Their government became known as the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, or the PAICV. Until 1990, the PAICV ruled Cape Verde as a one party democratic system; however, opposition began building up towards a multiparty government. On Jan. 13, 1991, the first multiparty elections since independence resulted in the ruling PAICV losing its majority to the new Movement for Democracy Party (MPD). This was a major event in Cape Verde’s history because it sealed their intentions to become a self-reliant country. The only problem now was how could they stabilize their economy? GDP: A Breakdown What is Gross Domestic Product (GDP)? GDP is defined as the overall goods and services produced within a country’s boarders during a given year. The GDP of a country is an important piece of data which measures the size of the economy of a country. To calculate GDP, you add the amount of money spent on consumption, investments, government expenditures, exports, and imports. Once you find out what the GDP is, you can change it into dollars by using purchasing power parity (PPP) or exchange rates and then you can find out the growth rate and GDP per capita. Cape Verde’s economy is relatively small compared to the rest of the world. Their economy has always primarily been a service economy, meaning that most of their income and GDP is from services rather than agriculture or industrials. Cape Verde is consistently in the bottom half of the GDP spectrum. It is pretty obvious how underdeveloped their economy truly is when comparing it to that of countries with similar size and geography. For example, Senegal, Cape Verde’s eastern neighbor, also is primarily a service economy. Their economy, however, is much stronger than Cape Verde’s. Senegal has a Purchasing Power Parity of $23. 86 billion, which is almost 23 times the size of Cape Verde’s! The magnitude of this difference is probably due to the fact that Senegal has a bigger population and geographic size. A positive sign for Cape Verde over Senegal is that its GDP real growth rate is 4. 5% as opposed to Senegal’s 3. 9%. This shows that Cape Verde’s economy is slowly improving as inflation rises. GDP (2010)| Amount (in US $)| World Rank| GDP (PPP)| $1. 861 billion| 186th | GDP official exchange rate| $1. 573 billion| 162nd | GDP per capita| $3,700| 160th | GDP real growth rate| 4. 5%| 71st | Is Cape Verde Growing? When figuring out the growth of Cape Verde, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) helps determine the rate of inflation. The CPI is a measure of the overall goods and services bought by a typical consumer. It is the primary method to monitor the changes in the cost of living over time. To calculate the CPI you compare a basket of goods’ prices to a certain base year, where the prices are set as $100. The inflation rate is based on the increases or decreases in price of the basket of goods. In other words, you take the current price and subtract the previous price and then divide the whole equation by the previous price. If you multiply that by 100, you get the rate of inflation. I have chosen to compare three countries’ CPI to show how Cape Verde’s economy has grown over the past decade. As seen in the chart below, the costs of goods in 2007 was 15 percent higher than it was in 2000. You read "Cape Verde Macro-Economic Analysis" in category "Papers" The CPI increase reflects the high inflation that occurred over this time period. By using the CPI, you also can see that Cape Verde and Senegal were equally susceptible to inflation in comparison to the larger, more economically stable United States. When relating back to GDP, these numbers make sense, due to the fact that the growth of the U. S. is significantly greater than these countries. Country| 2000 Prices (US$)| 2005 Prices (US$)| 2007 Prices (US$)| Cape Verde| $95| $100| $110| Senegal| $93| $100| $108| United States| $88| $100| $106| | | | | In the graph below, notice the relation between the growth rate and the inflation rate. Over the past decade, GDP growth has pretty constantly exceeded inflation, excluding 2008. This implies a positive real GDP growth rate. Therefore, the GDP of Cape Verde represents positive growth, and when you take inflation into account, the economy is growing at a positive rate. The reason the inflation rate outgrew the GDP growth rate in 2008 was because the World Trade Organization approved a deal that would see Cape Verde become part of the WTO. This brought their inflation rate up above their growth rate because Cape Verde had to abide by the regulations set by the WTO. However, this was not necessarily a bad thing because it strengthened a multilateral trading system for Cape Verde and allowed them to continue to integrate into the world’s economy. How Do They Sustain Themselves? Due to their lack of natural resources, Cape Verde has resorted to heavy trade between countries. This is why their recent entry into the World Trade Organization has been so pivotal. The graph below shows a breakdown of the GDP of Cape Verde by sector. As previously mentioned, the economy of Cape Verde is mostly made up of services. The services include: commerce, transport, and public services. Recently, the government has primarily focused on the development of tourism and fisheries. They hope to take advantage of their geographic location by luring tourists in to their exotic resorts. Also, due to the fact that they are an island country off the coast of Africa, they can capitalize on the development of their fisheries. Cape Verde’s agriculture is made difficult by the lack of rainfall during the year and only four of the ten islands are fertile. Therefore, they have to resort to importing most of their food. About 82% of food is imported into Cape Verde annually, causing them to run a high trade deficit. This means that they have to receive a heavy amount of foreign aid in order to sustain themselves. The industry part of Cape Verde’s economy mostly consists of refining minerals such as clay and salt. The other industrial part of Cape Verde is made up of shoes and garments. Even though the industrial sector does not play a major role in the GDP of Cape Verde, it still supplies jobs for the citizens of the country. Are Too Many People Unemployed? Labor is an essential factor of a country’s economy. In order for an economy to be sustainable, it has to have enough people that are able to work and produce GDP for the country. To determine the participation of the labor force of a country, you must figure out how many people in the labor force are employed and unemployed. Simply put, the labor force participation rate is number employed plus unemployed divided by the total adult population. To calculate the unemployment rate, you take the total number unemployed and divide it by the labor force. In other words, the unemployment rate tells us how much of the labor force is being utilized. In 2000, Cape Verde had an unemployment rate of 21%, with a total of 155,981 people in the labor force. The unemployment rate is pretty poor compared to the rest of the world; however, considering that it is a developing country, there is a lot of room to improve. Another interesting data point is that in the same year 2000, 30% of the population was below the poverty line. This begs the general question: is there a connection between the unemployment rate and the percentage of people in poverty? In my opinion, there is a correlation between the two. I believe that in poor economic times, or in the case of Cape Verde poor economic strength, people feel down on their luck and are less inclined to work. For example, prior to 2000, Cape Verde was heavily reliant on foreign investments, stunting GDP growth and creating an unstable economy. People became reliant on foreign aid rather than finding jobs to support themselves. However, in 2001, there was a new President, Pedro Pires, who primarily focused on bringing up the economic status of Cape Verde. He looked to capitalize on the strengths of the country, such as its touristic appeal and fishing capacity. This gave people a positive outlook for the future of their economy and they began searching for jobs. The GDP of Cape Verde began increasing while the unemployment rate steadily decreased. As the unemployment rate went down so did the poverty levels. According to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, Cape Verde is â€Å"on track to halving its 1990 poverty level. †This shows that when economic growth is stimulated, people begin finding jobs and the poverty levels decrease. Conclusion Throughout my research, I have seen a positive trend for Cape Verde’s economic growth. For such a small country and the amount of time it has been independent, Cape Verde has been through a lot, both economically and politically. Both the politics and economics of Cape Verde have played influential roles in the development of the country. When it first declared its independence from Portugal, Cape Verde was under a single party democracy, however, it soon became a two party system, the PAICV and MPD. Each party has had a chance to preside of the country; however, it is the current president, Pedro Pires of the PAICV party, who has lifted the country out of its economic slump. As mentioned above, Pires has changed the focus of the economy to be more self-reliant and take advantage of the country’s strengths. Under Pires’ presidency, GDP growth and inflation has steadily increased while the unemployment rate has steadily decreased. The government has had a major influence on the economy of Cape Verde and because of that, in 2008, Cape Verde officially attained the status of a â€Å"Middle Income Country,†a step up from â€Å"Least Developed Country. †However, the question must be raised: Can Cape Verde, whose economic growth is heavily based on the growing trend of tourism, continue to be carried to higher economic statuses or will the country slump back down again to where it started? As the saying goes: Only time will tell. Works Cited CIA World Factbook: https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cv. html UN Millennium Development Goals: http://www. un. org/en/mdg/summit2010/debate/21092010. shtml World Databank – WDI: http://databank. worldbank. org/ddp/home. do? Step=2id=4DisplayAggregation=NSdmxSupported=YCNO=2SET_BRANDING=YES Enterprise Surveys: http://www. enterprisesurveys. org/ExploreEconomies/? economyid=36year=2009 U. S. Department of State – Republic of Cape Verde http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2835. htm How to cite Cape Verde Macro-Economic Analysis, Papers
Friday, December 6, 2019
New Introduction To Supply Chain Management - MyAssignmenthelp.com
Question: Discuss about the New Introduction To Supply Chain Management. Answer: Intermodal Transport Company Intermodal transportation involves joining of several modes of transportation to form a chain which helps in delivering goods efficiently and effectively. These help in reducing the cost of transportation and also allow movement of large quantities of goods. In this form of transportation, there are transfers in between the modes being used in that road transport can be used from one place to the other and then from there a different mode is used. Intermodal terminals are of thee types each having its own location and materials requirements, they are port terminals, rail terminals, and distribution centers. Port terminals are substantial when dealing with traffic, space consumption and financial requirements. Has container sea terminal which links maritime and inland systems. Due to increase in distance of the maritime containers, the intermediate center terminal has been born to help transfer containers from one network to the other; it also acts as a barrier as containers wait to be put to the other ship. Rail terminal is joined with port terminals at the beginning of the inland Distribution centers are terminals which do extra functions to the freight. Performs three duties: - Its a trans-loading facility as it transfers items in the maritime containers to trucks or local containers -it does cross-docking at retail supply chain segment -warehousing where items/containers are kept within the supply chains. What makes it different from multimodal transportation is that intermodal involve movement of cargo from one origin to a destination by use of many modes of transport whereby each mode has its own carrier with own independent contract, whereas multimodal is the movement of cargo from an origin to a destination using several modes of transport and that each has its own different carrier but with single contract. Intermodal transportation is largely used because the road transportation has been congested and their rates are expensive and competitive, hence the operators are forced to the jungle to survive, road transport favors transport of most perishable goods, counter the problems of truck breakdown. Other benefits of using intermodal transportation are decreased emissions of carbon when the rail is used compared to trucks, has to lead to improvement in safety and security as the use of Rail is safer than truck service, decreased congestion in the highway because over 200 trucks are reduced to one train. Martens, et.al ( 2012). The advantages of multimodal transportation are: tracking can be easily done as monitoring is done with one carrier from door-to-door, you can be able to access remote areas while carrying the cargo with one transport carrier, delivery time is well-organized, and it has the minimal coordination of the logistics. Intermodal transportation from early days to the current era uses container according to Bektas and Crainic (2007) includes: -Early container which some were wooden -Containerization which is steel made containers -Containers and container handling which is mainly used when using a ship as a mode of transport - Load securing in intermodal containers -Container ships used to carry containers by sea -Railways where containers are put on container well cars -Trucks can be used to transport cargo within the terminal or for deliveries to the customers. -Barges -Land bridges which are used in intermodal transportation to align containerized ocean cargo which is being transported across a large body of land. -Planes which are bigger carry cargo in the containers - The pipeline is used in intermodal transportation as it is suitable for carrying gas and liquids. They are damaging to the environment, cannot be stolen since they are put underground and cannot be noticed easily, more economical, safe, convenient and reliable mode of transportation. Liquid fertilizers, liquidified natural gas, and carbon dioxide can also be carried by use of pipelines. Despite your choice of transportation, shippers need transportation management systems to allow easy tracking during the deliveries, to enable them to do an analysis to determine the best shipping cost with the best routing transit time. Transportation management systems can coordinate well with other carriers and suppliers. Meixell and Norbis ( 2008) Currently focus is on the policies that suit motorization and does not consider the essential elements of sustainability, but more focus on sustainable transportation should be looked into, one that covers intermodal transport for both passengers and cargo. This is achieved by overcoming problems faced in the industry and putting incorrect policies and decision-making systems with general participation from everyone. Qube is one of the largest logistics company in Australia which embraces intermodal transportation and offers import and export services to clients. Its growth has been aided by its highly skilled and experienced management team with dedicated, skilled workforce. Has a large site which is able to accommodate two terminals as it includes import-export terminal joining container station. NSW will form the biggest intermodal freight division in Australia. Logistics management theories Slack (2008) Supply chain and general systems In this theory, the assessment of existing and representative systems shows no advancement in technology yet, and therefore measures in the general theory should be adopted to aid development in the industry. This theory states that the larger the developed system, the more the resources required to maintain it. Therefore when a company makes a plan to improve their logistic system, they should consider the cost implications. General supply chain model It shows that there is no defined chain model as the existing supply chain deals with one aspect, organization measures, Technology and individual conditions. Other theories and practice of supply chain management- In this theory, much improvement of systems is shown. Organizational buying behavior Deals with management of procurement procedures. Decisions made differ in terms of the level of risk imposed to the organization and the decisions are influenced by environmental factors like suppliers, competitors. Its affected by organizational factors like the buying organizations size, structure, and finally, its affected also by buy-classes like product type, the complexity of purchase. Halldorsson, et.al (2007) Contracting of economics(agency theory) This involves a situation where the principal delegates the work of delivering some activities to an agent and he ensures that the work delegated is done as per the standards put and his interests. This relationship can also be seen when a buyer engages a seller to deliver some products or services to them. The theory only bases on getting to know how efficient result is achieved other than knowing how the relationship buyer and seller should be. Network and inter-organizational relationships Deals with supplier management relationship, supply advancement and improvement of performance. Focuses on different theories as stated by Janvier-James (2012): Relational contract theory- this states that exchange transactions work in a social matrix and follow relational patterns. Resource dependency theory- focuses on the idea of power relations in the supply chains. Social exchange theory- involves networking in the business Integrated supply chain management Deals with operational delivery procedures and answer questions about monitoring and management of supplier relationship. It begins work from logistics, management of materials and operations management. Has game theory and systems theory. Game theory states that many economic decisions involving buyer and seller occur in step by step and their continuous interactions enable them to know each other well. Systems theory is an organization and management theory which helps in giving information on the processes within and between the organizations. It states that procedures and results of a system can be comprehended by looking at it closely and to the fullest. There are factors which affect the choice of intermodal transportation as per Meixell and Norbis (2008) over other forms are: The frequency of shipping- intermodal transport does well when cargo is to be transported continuously maintaining the quantities. The distance between the origin and destinations also determine the form of transport to use as longer distances suits intermodal form. Nature and quantity of cargo also determine the form of transport be used in that intermodal form is good for transporting in-between and finished products. Cargo value- an intermodal form of transport suits in-between cargo values. Sequence of modes being used- intermodal uses many modes which organized a chain Logistics strategies Logistics being the major function in the success of a business is facing a lot challenges in its operations, some of the challenges include: Transportation costs- the continuous rise of fuel cost has caused a great effect as it has increased wages and hike inflation rates hence increase the costs of transportation. Processing of information- managers deal with a lot of office work on a daily basis apart from managing the operations of the fleet. This can be tiresome and time-consuming to the person undertaking the duties. Manpower management- dealing with each an every personnel and their issues and work can be a hurdle. Managers, therefore, should be able to handle them and organize them and their duties hence good delivery. Dealing with segmented and customized services as operators should offer some experiences to different customers at a time hence saving time and effort. Regulations compliance- its a great challenge as rules and regulations of transport different from one region to the other and handling this in each region and also showing the personnel how to deal with them can be a hectic activity. Road safety laws have been a hinder to easier movement, the force applied to effect the laws can cause the cost of doing business to go high. The rules and regulations set by government sometimes affect logistic movement this is because of poor disagreement in funding in Australian government and this can affect transport as there will be no roads if by the time of disagreements there were no roads. Regulations governing logistics may hinder movement and especially when a company needs special transportation, there is need to get permits for the case. Advancement of technology in the world affects logistics sector too as installation can be costly. How to solve the challenges All these problems faced by the management can be solved so as to achieve the best in the business. The process of problem-solving can be step by step as follows according to Slack (2008) are: Finding out the problem and describe it objectively so as to reach a solution Find out what might be the cause of the problem which is hindering the success of the company, more research and close evaluation should be done to come with all the causes and how it has affected the companys performance Try coming up with solutions to the problem identified. All possible ways can be noted down and then analyze them to come up with an appropriate solution. Try by solving the problems part by part, not as a whole; here you can involve other stakeholders or friends to get different ideas and approaches to some problems. Decision making- this is a crucial part as it determines whether a problem will be solved or not. Apply the solution and assess its success in each problem, if after applying the solution and you find there is no change, you will have to go back to drawing board. The challenges discussed above can, therefore, be solved as follows: The transport costs problem can be solved by embracing an approach of reducing bottlenecks in the network designs. Clear information about the existing and future deliveries should be sought and find an efficient way of handling them. Automation application should be applied to help in reducing the workload of the enormous amount of information being processed daily. Software to offer an automatic solution to the extrapolative process of offering services to different customers should be incorporated hence saving time. A delegation of responsibilities through appointing managers at key regions helps in efficient management of the working team and the management can be able to handle each personnel on the same page. Audit software can be adapted to counter the problems of regulation compliance NSW involvement NSW government has in many ways tried to engage their selves in the process of trying to solve the problems faced by transportation companies and solved where a solution is found. We shall look at how they have involved themselves in different challenges and how they have tried to solve them (Bujak and Gubskaya, 2012). Urban problems which include road changes, toll roads, and traffic congestion are some of the problems encountered by Australian freight companies. The government has developed plans to decongest the places and also ensure warehouse, where the goods are stored, are not located in the city, find alternative roads for freight trucks so as to avoid the toll roads. Regional challenges which include long distances between the origin and the destinations has been a challenge and sometimes causes drivers fatigue which can lead to accidents.NSW, therefore, developed a logistic program and the introduction of the use of trains has helped ease the challenge of distances. Sometimes there are also animals crossing the road and therefore bull bars are used to protect vehicles. Change in seasons also has an impact on transport even at times there is the unavailability of some spare parts for the trucks, snow falls affect rail and air mode of transport. During summer, perishable goods are greatly affected; NSW, therefore, recommends availability of coolers in the warehouses to counter these problems and also the health of workers should be a card for during this season. Conclusion. Transport industry faces a lot of challenges but despite that, the use of an intermodal form of transport has helped in some areas. In the near future with the advancement of technologies and other measures, freight will be delivered door-to-door as agreed by the customer and the transport company. References List Bektas, T., and Crainic, T., (2007)A brief overview of intermodal transportation. CIRRELT. Crainic, T.G., and Kim, K.H., (2007) Intermodal transportation.Handbooks in operations research and management science,14, pp.467-537. Bujak, A. and Gubskaya, N., (2012) Innovations and changes in the logistics tasks implementations.Studia Ekonomiczne/Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach, (121 Developing of transportation flows in 21st century supply chains), pp.45-58. Chapman, R.L., Hyland, P.W., Jenkins, R.J. and Sloan, T.R., (1997) Continuous improvement in Australian manufacturing firms: findings of a survey in New South Wales.International Journal of Technology Management,14(1), pp.102-115. Halldorsson, A., Kotzab, H., Mikkola, J.H. and Skjtt-Larsen, T., (2007) Complementary theories to supply chain management.Supply chain management: An international journal,12(4), pp.284-296. Janvier-James, A.M., (2012) A new introduction to supply chains and supply chain management: Definitions and theories perspective.International Business Research,5(1), p.194. Martens, K., Golub, A., and Robinson, G., (2012) A justice-theoretic approach to the distribution of transportation benefits: Implications for transportation planning practice in the United States.Transportation research part A: policy and practice,46(4), pp.684-695. Meixell, M.J., and Norbis, M., (2008) A review of the transportation mode choice and carrier selection literature.The International Journal of Logistics Management,19(2), pp.183-211. Slack, B., (2008) Intermodal transportation. InHandbook of Logistics and Supply-Chain Management(pp. 141-154). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
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