Chaucer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chaucer - Research Paper Example These subjects are expanded greatly by the fact that the various individuals in the story come from a variety of backgrounds representing as many aspects of medieval society as he could. This also connects Chaucer with these other authors as they also attempted to cover many of the main issues that affected society in their times. As he continues to present opposing viewpoints through his mixed company of pilgrims, Chaucer presents a story about the journey of religion up to this point and what it was intended to mean for the average person. Rather than being an individual journey of spiritual enlightenment, Chaucer suggests that the experience of religion is something that must be shared with others and explored from a variety of approaches before one can claim they have experienced religion. This brings him into particular alignment with Dante, who also focused his work on explorations of proper religious behavior. Chaucer’s conception of religion as a journey shared by many people is evident in the idea of the journey itself, in which all travelers are brought to the same level despite other social constructions; the activities of the journey as each individual is required to tell two tales as a means of passing the time; and the lessons learned within these tales as they are often placed side by side with an opposing

Eminent Domain Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eminent Domain - Assignment Example Therefore, in this book, Epstein answers four questions: What constitutes a taking of private property? When is the taking not compensated? When is the taking for public use? And when is the taking compensated in cash or in kind? Ryskamp John. The Eminent Domain Revolt: Changing Perceptions in a New Constitutional Epoch. New York: Algora Publishing. 2007. This book gives an explanation on the anger against the eminent domain. It provides an in depth analysis of the profound legal issues and proposed changes that are far a head of seizing of property and regulations of land use. Ryskamp gives a report on the law and politics of eminent domain after the decision of the Supreme Court on the case of Kelo versus the city of New London on June 2005. The book also explains the need for all states to start debating on how to reform their eminent domain laws for it is unconstitutional. Although some legal scholars may not agree with Ryskamp on this issue, this book convinces many readers that they must begin to understand the legal principles involved in this controversy surrounding the eminent domain. Aspen Publishers. ... Among the cases or legal briefs covered in this book is the case of Kelo versus the city of New London. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the case and how the Supreme Court ruled on the same. The book is keyed to particular casebooks by title or author for greater student accessibility. Scaros E. Constantinos. Understanding the Constitution. Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Learning. 2010. The constitution of United States of America was created so many years ago but its historical importance and value still impact the lives of many significantly. Constantinos’ book, Understanding the Constitution, enables the readers to understand and appreciate the United States constitution and its significance on individuals’ daily lives. The book also gives analysis on the relevant topics, such as the controversial eminent domain, that are hotly debated. It provides a good understanding of the eminent domain, the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment and their provisio ns. Without making assumption on previous knowledge of the law, Constantions’ book is an ideal reader friendly introduction to constitutional law. Malloy Paul Robin. Private Property, Community Development, and Eminent Domain (Law, Property and Society). Publishing, Ltd. 2008. This book discusses the fundamental relationship between the government and its citizens and among the citizens themselves. The discussion is centered on the recent ruling of the US Supreme Court on the case of Kelov versus the city of New London (2005). The case involved the use of eminent domain power by the state to transfer private property from Kelov to another private party who would economically make better use of the land. Although the Supreme

Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device Research Paper

Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device - Research Paper Example Effects of Radiological Dispersion Device In recent times, the U.S, Great Britain and most of Europe have seen the use of radiological dispersal devices by terrorists as a key insecurity threat (Runge and Buddemeier, 2009). In addition to the threats, the impacts that come with the detonation of the radioactive devices in public places have some effects depending on a number of factors like wind and temperature among others. The possibility that terrorists can employ a radiological dispersal device in a public area has even enlarged the concerns of governments and the public regarding such weapons. A Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) is a gadget aimed at disseminating radioactive materials with the purpose of causing destruction, injuries and damage to the habitats around the detonation site (Radiological Dispersal Device, 2005). A suitable example of an RDD is a dirty bomb which is usually made of explosives that disperse radioactive materials upon detonation which is contrary to the norm that RDDs do not require explosives. RDDs are usually used with intent to cause injuries or damage, which are essentially the goals of terrorists. According to Radiological Dispersal Device (2005), an RDD is any kind of device that results in the intentional dissemination of radioactive matter with no nuclear detonation. The mode of dispersion of these radioactive materials is usually via a dirty bomb which explodes to release radioactive dust plus radioactive and nonradioactive shrapnel (Runge and Buddemeier, 2009). The effects of the explosion include radiation contamination, exposure to radiation in certain circumstances, physical injuries, burns, panic and fear. Other methods of dispersion include active or passive dispersion of sources of radioactive materials that are unsealed with contamination of the people coming from the air, food, soil or water. Harper, Musolino and Wente (2007) argue that the effect of RDD explosion is local although the psychological impact it has is worldwide as well as the attention of the media; hence an overestimation of the effects of the exposure may result. In addition, Musolino and Harper (2006) affirm that RDDs are usually located or rather placed in unexpected areas; thus when they explode, the explosion and the selected location will surprise many. The long-term effect of radioactive dispersion will be easy to realize but the short-term may be hard as it takes time to discover the contamination’s source. The initial indicators of contamination include prior threats, routine monitoring techniques and activities to identify the first responders, monitoring of activities of suspected groups by the intelligence community or plainly by chance. Urban population is usually high in many nations of the world. It is for this reason that terrorists least prefer RDDs since it is tricky to design one that will administer plentiful doses of radiation to result in immediate health defects in a densely populated area (M anagement of Terrorist, 2001). As a result, Tochner and Glatstein (2008) debated and concluded that an RDD is likely to be used to; i. Cause uneasiness in people who are of the view that they have been exposed or are exposed to the radiation. ii. Disrupt the lives of people by contaminating the facilities they use or the places they work or live. The experts went ahead to determine the factors that affect the efficiency of the RDD attacks which include weather conditions, local topography, physical and chemical composition of the

Case Study-Apple in 2010 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

-Apple in 2010 - Case Study Example By 2004 the firm held a 70% market share in the digital music industry. The success of the iPod helped build the brand value of the company. The popularity of the brand helped the company revive its computer business. In 2005 the firm held a market share of 4% in the computer business which was a tremendous feat considering the firm had less than a one percent share a few years earlier. The transformation of Apple helped the firm visualize opportunities in other markets such as the cellular industry. In 2007 Apple released a product that changed the cellular industry. The iPhone was the first smartphone. Steve Job’s leadership was critical to the success of the company. He pushed his engineers and staff to provide innovative ideas. He also had the foresight of getting rid of unprofitable business segments and divisions. The firm had great leadership which motivated the employees to achieve their potential. The COO of the company, Tim Cook, was also instrumental in the success of the company. Apple Computers adapted well to market changes. The firm realized that the success of the company relied on the ability of the firm to look beyond the computer sector for sales. During the 21st century the generic strategy of the company evolved and the firm started utilizing a diversification strategy. â€Å"Diversification growth makes sense when good opportunities can be found outside the present businesses† (Kotler, 2003, pg. 101). The three main business segments Apple penetrated are the computer industry, cellular products, and music media players. The computer industry in 2009 was consolidated with five vendors accounting for 78.5% of the U.S. shipments and 60.3% of the sales worldwide (Marino & Gamble, 2010). The recession of 2008-2009 slowed down the growth in sales and negatively impacted the prices of computers. By the second quarter of 2010 industry sales rose once again experiencing a growth of over 20%. A tendency among computer users was replaci ng desktop computers with laptops and notebooks. As of 2010 Apple despite the fact that a growing number of its sales came from non-computer products considered the computer division its core business. The Mac product line differentiated itself from the competition due its superb quality, superior operating system and graphic interface. The market share of the company jumped from 4% in 2005 to 8% by 2009. The firm benefited from a halo effect of users of iPod and iPhone wanting a computer product from the same brand. The computer product offering of the company included the Mac Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini. The notebook offering of Apple was composed of the MacBook Pro, MacBook, and the MacBook Air. The most recent innovation to the Apple line of computer products was the MacBook Air. This notebook targeted customers that seek durability and portability. The computer was designed to have a height of 0.76 inches when closed and it weighted only three pounds. All Apple desktop and notebook products were priced at a premium. This strategy helped boost the profitability of the company. Due to the fact that Apple no longer depended solely on computer sales the strategy worked better than in the past. In order to boost the demand for its computer products the company implemented a 10% or more discount on all its computer products in June of 2009. The law of supply and demand states that a decrease in price will

African American in 19th Century Essay Example for Free

African American in 19th Century Essay The Civil war after effects; set the scene for what would become a long road of discovery, hardship, violence, and freedom however, during this process of transition the American people went through emotional as well economical changes which added additional stress to an already stressed nation where many groups became fearful and were subjected to racism which crossed over the boundary of liberty and Justice for all. Equality had become an endangered liberty guaranteed by a country build upon democracy, regrettably the African American people were not the only ones to suffer many vast groups faced hard days in America at the turn of the century several violent attacks were specifically carried out on the African American men and women even though, the civil war brought a lot of changes it produced little or no results for African American men; however, it did bring harsher persecution all over the country, whereas mass numbers of black men were lynched in the lower southern states in a show of defiance. The Emancipation Act did nothing for the white man but still provided less for the African black man who were still unable to vote in addition to having descent jobs with adequate pay many were forced back to the farm as sharecroppers despite the set backs they percervered through the racial remarks and slanders. Black men and women were segragated from the start and separate waiting rooms bathrooms and dinning facilities openly poject the sentiments of the American people of the era,within the State of Mississippi; In Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), The Supreme Court reinforced that Blacks and Whites should be separate, but equal. The statement SEPERATE but EQUAL! thosewords only produced Segregation on a bias legal system of fairness and equality in which a country struggling already became the fuel on a fire already burning and would later divided the country in later years sparking new violence and refocused hatred. More over the Men and women of that time were forced to swear on separate bibles, they couldnt vote in the election in the country in which they were guaranteed equal rights because they were under disfranchisement, and the racism was developing more and more is some southern locations, for an example many southern states legislated that if your grandfather had cast a ballot then you are allowed to vote and this law supported that nearly all southern white mean were permitted to vote and excluded all African Americans in most situations men whose grandparents had most likely been slaves never voted. Booker T. Washingtons submitted a lot for the African Americans in turn of the century, after his famous speech in Atlanta 1895 (Atlanta Compromise) in about one year the African Americans got more rights, they began to use separated but equal facilities, it was stupid to say the least but it provided a line of truths temporarily and unfourantely included racist ideas inside but it was better than it had been before. Booker T. Washingtons met the American president Theodore Roosevelt at the white house in 1901 and that was a good step towards get the African American and their rights another great pioneer of that time was Du Boise who supported the right for equality and the strive to have equal opportunities within society however Booker T. Washingtons did a lot more for the African American rights, Washington became the Founder of the Niagara movement in 1905. In 1909 the Niagara movement efforts led to foundation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which now is the enforcing representation of the African American whereas Booker T. Washingtons inspiration became a door way to freedom and allowed the African American man to have a voice in society. Finally, if I was African American living at that time, I will say that Booker T. Washingtons and Du Bois were the best representatives of the African Americans all over the country, and Booker T. Washingtons started the movement of the African Americans civil rights, while Du Bois came later to continue and support his efforts, they were great team and deserve the respect.

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors Essay Example for Free

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors Essay There are no magic bullets to solve daily problems and the road to reform will be rough, however the solution could be easy when any organization (or even an individual) decide to take advantage of some best practices. â€Å"Supervisors form the backbone of a strong organization because supervisors are the front-line leaders who ensure that the strategy is being achieved on a daily basis. (United Services, Inc. , p. 7)†. Also, according to Hays, S. W. (2004), â€Å"a significant investment in front-line supervisory development is a key aspect of a successful program† (p. 271). Because, â€Å"time and research has shown that poor supervision is a primary source of worker dissatisfaction, attrition, and failure of merit pay plans. † (Hays, S. W, 2004, p. 272) Also, â€Å"a reform’s success depends on leadership† (Hays, S. W, 2004, p. 274). After realizing the importance of the supervisors’ role and how crucial could knowledge and training be for them, the aim of this manual is to provide our supervisors with the necessary knowledge that enables them to succeed in their job. In another word, this manual is considered to be a guide for supervisors to ease their responsibilities. II. Best Practices This section of the manual presents some of the best practices that could help our supervisors in their different responsibilities such as: demonstrating communication skills, determining effective orientation and training methods, improving productivity for teams, conducting performance appraisals, resolving conflict, and improving employee relations. 1. Demonstrating Communication Skills Communication with employees will guarantee alignment with the organization’s overall strategy (mission- vision- goals). Supervisors could use internal communication to provide a supportive working environment with a clear set of expectations for all staff. As a result employees will have a better understanding of the decisions made by the organizations, so supervisors could avoid miss expectations by developing and maintaining communication channels with employees. Figure (1) shows some channels to communicate strategic information 1. 1 Efficient Intranet â€Å"The intranet is one of the best and most valuable tools available for employee communication. A company intranet can help employees and HR save time by giving employees instant access to contact lists, company policies, announcements, training opportunities, and benefits information. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a1, p. 1). However, â€Å"the company should take some steps to achieve this communication channel such as: update frequently, make it simple and easy, provide a search feature, track the usage, organize locally according to departments ad teams, provide a starting page for each department, include files, documents, policies, and procedures, list phone extensions and contact lists, allow for feedback forms, use a content management. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a1, p. 1-2) 1. 2 Open Book Management Style or Dissemination of strategic information Rubin, L. and Merripen, C. (2003) presented this practice which includes sharing information with employees for better understanding of management decisions. Employees became better informed about the business and feel more inclusive and entrepreneurial about their contribution and impact. Then employees moved their focus from just their job to looking at the company as a whole. † (p. 4) Collins, R. and Druten, K. V. (2003) â€Å"found a strong link between organizational performance over the past three years and the emphasis placed on communicating information to all members about the organization’s purpose, aspirations, strategy and performance. † Figure (1) shows some communication channels that managers and supervisors could use to communicate strategic information with employees. Figure (1): Channels to communicate strategic information Source: Collins, R. and Druten, K. V. (2003). Human Resources Management Practices 2. Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods 2. 1 Best practices for effective orientation New employees orientation is important to facilitate the integration of new employees in the organization with understanding the organization’s culture, mission, vision and values. Orsini, B. (2000) presented some best practices for new employees orientation such as: â€Å"sessions for new employees to introduce them to the organization and provide them with an overview of the organizational mandate and structure, mentoring new employees by a staff member, profile of employee new to group by within a local newsletter or e-mail, and office tours as an opportunity to meet staff face-to-face and get a sense of what they do†. 2. 2 Best practices for effective training methods Training nowadays is not a luxury anymore. Due to the competitive marketplace and the complexity of jobs, training became a necessity for surviving and competing for both organizations and employees. Recently. There is â€Å"much greater emphasis on training as a means to cultivate, motivate, and retain quality workers†. (Hays, S. W. , 2004, p. 261) â€Å"Operationally, supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring their employees get the training they need and/or the opportunity to attend the training classes. † (Bjomberg, L. , 2002) 2. 2. 1 Learning for life Program To show how could such practice help the organization, it’s useful to mention a real case study. For example, â€Å"Honeywell Limited’s Scarborough factory developed a learning for life program to improve productivity and quality and reduce costs in an effort to remain competitive in the global economy. Eighty percent of the factory participated in this program and Honeywell has increased its factory throughput by 180% and improved the quality of its products by 92%†. (The Conference Board of Canada, 1998, p. 5) This innovative program â€Å"developed more productive employees, increased productivity, improved quality, effective collaborative decision-making, improved communication skills. † (The Conference Board of Canada, 1998, p. 5) 2. 2. 2 Other best practices The Conference Board of Canada (1998) presented many other best practices in training or workplace literacy such as: ? Empowering adult learners ? Excellence in workplace literacy ? Skills for a stable workplace ? Literacy through e-learning ? Establishing a baseline for training ? Peer tutoring: employee helping employees Such practices has resulted in increased productivity, reduced staff turnover, enhanced performance, improved quality, effective collaborative decision-making, improved communication skills, in another word, it helped in creating a positive environment for both the employer and employees because benefits was achieved for both of them. 3. Improving Productivity for Teams Improving productivity for teams and for employees in general is the ultimate goal for all organizations to maximize the overall performance. And because we are talking about humans or employees, improving productivity should include creating a convenient environment that could help them to work productively. 3. 1 Work life balance (developing a family-friendly work environment) â€Å"Don’t be fired by your family† Best practice has shown that â€Å"both employees and employers can benefit when staff are able to adapt flexible work practices thereby enabling them to better manage their work and family responsibilities† (UQ, 2007, p. 1). In the end result this could increase employees productivity. â€Å"Supervisors have an important role in developing and maintaining a family-friendly work environment† (UQ, 2007, p. 1). â€Å"A supervisor could help creating this environment by flexibly organizing work arrangements and workloads taking into consideration certain factors such as night lecturing, summer schools, acting as a role model demonstrating understanding and acceptance of work family balance, and take a positive approach to negotiating flexible arrangements† (UQ, 2007, p. 1-2). 3. 2 Teleworking is good for business and employees Teleworking is another practice resulted in improving productivity. According to Business Legal Reports (2006), †teleworking has some benefits such as: relocation cost savings, increased productivity by reducing employees absentee, reduced costs for office space, and employee satisfaction† (p. 7). So, when supervisors consider benefiting from telework, they won’t only provide an improved work-life balance for the employee, but also they will get improved business performance for the employer. 3. 3 Other best practices 3. 3. 1 Concern for employee community (Employee Care Program and Employee Relations Program) This practice proved that it could reduce employees’ turnover. This kind of program â€Å"monitors how people are doing in their jobs and in their lives, offers rewards, gifts, annual picnic and holiday, flexible scheduling and telecommuting, and medical coverage. † 3. 3. 2 Encourage employees to take their vacations This practice is important to enable employees to relax enough to avoid stress, anxiety, emotional problems, job burnout in order to let employees perform at their optimum level. 3. 3. 3 Consumer-driven health care Textron, Inc is an example company that adopted this practice. The company â€Å"consolidated employee healthcare options and shifted to consumer-driven healthcare. This resulted in increased productivity, a significant decline in healthcare costs, and decrease in the casual absentee rates and the incidence of disability leave. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007b, p. 3) 4. Conducting Performance appraisals â€Å"Monitoring staff performance is a key for any supervisor. It should be part of on-going discussions with staff and volunteers about their work and the results obtained. † (Mathew, M. , 2007) According to Hays, S. W. (2004), â€Å"an immense amount of energy has recently been devoted to upgrading the quality of performance appraisals by tying them to organizational missions and goals. † (p. 262) 4. 1 Best practices for evaluation? According to Hays, S. W. (2004), best practices concerning evaluation showed that â€Å"HR experts agree that evaluations ought to (a) be based on objective and observable criteria, (b) involve mutual goal setting, (c) avoid the tendency to assess irrelevant worker traits, and (d) be tailored to each individual job and worker (rather than using one form for every employee). † 4. 2 360-Degree performance management feedback system According to Business Legal Reports (2006), â€Å"this system, which solicits feedback from boss, peers and direct reports if there are any, has been increasingly embraced as the best of all available methods for collecting performance feedback. † (p. 4) â€Å"The 360 process allows for multiple points of view to be given on any given individual. It neutralizes what might otherwise be one rater’s bias (either positive or negative) and helps to paint a more comprehensive picture of that individual’s performance. † (p. 4) 4. 3 Other best practices Hays, S. W. (2004) also mentioned other best practices in conducting performance appraisals such as: â€Å"Employee Performance Management System (EPMS), 360-degree evaluation, Team-based evaluations, and Gainsharing. † (p. 262) 5 Resolving Conflict According to Vogel, A. (2007), â€Å"unproductive workplace conflict arises when appropriate communication breaks down. The result is wasted work time; a drop in motivation, productivity and quality of service; employee attrition; loss of authority; a stressful work environment; and even direct damage to the company. † 5. 1 The best approach to avoid â€Å"The best approach to workplace conflict is to avoid unproductive quarreling altogether. And suggested four strategies –mentioned by Daniel Dana- for eliminating strife: (1) address conflict early, (2) avoid a one-sided solution, (3) take risks such as apologizing, (4) respect others’ peace-making gestures. † (Vogel, A. , 2007) 5. 2 Guidelines for managing the situation Vogel, A, (2007) mentioned some guidelines to help managing scuffles before they escalate into real crisis such as: mediating conflict between two employees, decide to mediate, hold preliminary meetings, conduct a three-way meeting, work out a deal, self-mediation, step outside your office, listen first, and finally manage diverging viewpoints. † 6 Improving Employee Relations 6. 1 Create a newsletter One practice to improve employee relations is to create a newsletter that works for employee communications either a printed one or an electronic one (by e-mail or on the website). 6. 2 Build a forum on your website or intranet This forum will provide an informal communication channel for employees to share their ideas, events or even their problems 6. 3 Create shared events Being a supervisor you could make some events shared even if you turn the routine group tasks into fun shared events. For example CMP Technology made the spring-cleaning records become an event. â€Å"Employees worked together in teams and competed to win a dinner for the team and discarded 12 tons of unnecessary paper in the process. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a2) III. Conclusion The main conclusion is that best practices can -for sure- help supervisors and enhance the way they deal with their responsibilities with employees by adopting approaches, techniques, and policies to create a positive, creative, and supportive work environment. Another conclusion is that information technology has an important role in providing effective HR practices. Finally, supervisors should be a model themselves for their employees in order to make a real change. References Bjomberg, L. (2002). Training and development: Best practices. Public Personnel Management. Winter 2002. International Public Management Association for Human Resources Survey. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. entrepreneur. com/tradejournals/article/160542388_1. html Business Legal Reports, Inc. (2006). Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management for 2008. United States of America: Business Legal Reports, Inc. Business Legal Reports (2007a1). 10 Tips for HR to Boost Intranet Efficiency. Best Practices in HR. (838), pp. 1-2 Business Legal Reports (2007a2). ‘Bin There, Dump That’-Spring Cleaning Recors Becomes Event at CMP Technology. Best Practices in HR. (838), pp. 3 Business Legal Reports (2007b). Case study: Move to consumer-driven healthcare decreases costs, improves employee health. Best Practices in Compensation Benefits. (734), pp. 3 Collins, R. Druten, K. V. (2003). Survey of Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Practices, CCH and AGSM. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www2. agsm. edu. au/agsm/web. nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/CCHREPORT2003/$FILE/CCH+Final+2003. pdf Hays, S. W. (2004). Trends and Best Practices in State and Local Human Resource Management: Lessons to be learned? Review of Public Administration, 24(3), pp. 256-275, SAGE Publications. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://rop. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/256 Mathew, M. (2007). Best Practices Module: Human resources management. British Columbia Museum Association. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. museumsassn. bc. ca/Images/Best%20Practices%20Modules%202/Human%20Resource%20Management%20FINAL. pdf Orsini, B. (2000). Improving Internal Communications. Internal Auditor. December 2000. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_6_57/ai_69759744/pg_1 Rubin, L. Merripen, C. (2003). IGDA Business Committee: Best practices in Human Resources. IGDA. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. igda. org/hr/IGDA_Best_Practices_HR. pdf The Conference Board of Canada (1998). Workplace Literacy Best Practices Reader. The Conference Board of Canada . Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. conferenceboard. ca/education/pdf/Awards/litread. pdf United Services, Inc.. Best Practices for Supervisor Training. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. mhrrg. com/images/UnitedServices02. PDF UQ: University of Queensland (2007). Balancing Work and Family/Life Responsibilities: Guidelines for supervisors. April 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. uq. edu. au/equity/docs/bwfl_super_guide. pdf Vogel, A, (2007). Resolving Workplace Conflict. Body-Mind-Spirit Review. June 2007 Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. inneridea. com/library/balanced-business-resolving-workplace-conflict

Concurrent Engineering Vs Traditional Sequential Methods

Concurrent Engineering Vs Traditional Sequential Methods In order to signify the differences between the traditional approach of sequential engineering and the modern concurrent engineering approach, I will simulate the release of an aircraft component onto the market, and explain in detail the process. I will point out differences between the methods as I go along. Traditionally, products were designed and manufactured following the sequential engineering methods, where people from different departments work one after the other on successive phases of development. This method of production is in a linear format. The different steps are done one after another, with all attention and resources focused on that one task. After it is completed it is left alone and everything is concentrated on the next task. The product is first completely defined by the engineering design department, and then the manufacturing department take over and define the manufacturing process, etc. This was a lengthy process, and often led to a lot of design changes as the prototype testing began, due to production problems, delays or design flaws. This is therefore a slow and costly approach, often leading to a low-quality and less competitive product. Concurrent Engineering, sometimes called Simultaneous Engineering or Integrated Product Development (IPD), can be defined as a systematic approach to the integrated, concurrent design of products and their related processes, including manufacture and support. This approach is intended to cause the developers, from the outset, to consider all elements of the product life cycle from conception through disposal, including quality, cost, schedule, and user requirements. This results in the product development team clearly understanding what the product requires in terms of mission performance, environmental conditions during operation, budget, and scheduling. In this method, several teams within an organization work simultaneously to develop new products and services andthis therefore allows a more streamlined approach. Decision making involves full team participation and involvement. The team often consists of product design engineers, manufacturing engineers, marketing personnel, purch asing, finance, and suppliers, and the role of the leader is to supply the basic foundation and support for change, rather than to tell the other team members what to do. In concurrent engineering, different tasks are tackled at the same time, and not necessarily in the usual order. This means that info found out later in the process can be added to earlier parts, improving them, and also saving a lot of time. Examples from companies using Concurrent Engineering techniques show significant increases in overall quality, 30-40% reduction in project times and costs, and 60-80% reductions in design changes after release. BENEFITS ADVANTAGES of concurrent Concurrent engineering provides many benefits over sequential engineering, including lower manufacturing and production costs, improved quality of resulting end products and increased accuracy in predicting and meeting project plans, schedules, timelines, and budgets. Because the multidisciplinary teams working together early in the process can make informed decisions about cost, quality, process and product issues, trade-offs can be made between design features, part manufacturability, assembly requirements, material needs, reliability issues, serviceability requirements, and cost and time constraints. Any differences are usually reconciled early in the design process, leading to increased efficiency and performance, higher reliability in the product development process, reduced defect rate and ultimately a faster time to market which results in increased market share. This also means faster reaction times in responding to the rapidly changing market, which in turn fosters increased customer satisfaction and a higher return on investments due to the reduced labour and resource requirements, improved inventory control and scheduling. Improved communication between individuals and departments within the firm also encourages cohesiveness, and a more pleasant working environment, which in turn can positively affect productivity of the workforce. Concurrent engineering is not a trivial process to apply; therefore companies must be careful in using this approach. To be successful, they should initially compare themselves with their competitors to set a benchmark, and identify potential performance improvements and realistic targets by analysing the market and knowing the customers. It is paramount to have the top managements support, and to develop a clear strategy and implementation plan which must be continually reviewed and revised with progress. Individualism should be suppressed within the team and project leaders must have a clear overall visualization of the project and goals. Cross -functional integration and collaboration needs to be established and encouraged, so as to foster team ethics and freely transfer technology and information between individuals and departments. Some organisations have been known to have problems in the past, which manifest themselves when there is an unwillingness to institutionalize concurr ent engineering, and new reporting lines and reward systems are not set up to agree with the new approach. Problems can also arise if the employees have not had any training in teamwork, or if the schedules set are unrealistic. There needs to be a change in relationships with vendors in order for the concurrent engineering methods to work at their best, alongside a focus on process improvement rather than computerisation. Concurrent engineering is an evolving process that requires continuous improvement and refinement. This continuous improvement cycle consist of planning, implementing, reviewing, and revising. The process must be updated and revised on a regular basis to optimize the effectiveness and benefits in the concurrent engineering development process. Conclusion In todays business world, a quick effective response to changing market needs is paramount if a corporation is to be successful. They must be able to reduce their time to market with an adaptable attitude and decision must be made quickly and correctly the first time around. If the firms waste time repeating tasks, as might happen using sequential methods, they will become less competitive, therefore concurrent engineering has emerged as way of bringing rapid solutions to product design and development process. Concurrent engineering is indisputably the future for new product development for all companies regardless of their size, sophistication, or product portfolio. In order to be competitive, corporations must be able to complete diverse tasks concurrently, even if that means altering their product and process development cycle. Although it will require a major reorganisation and be reviewed and adjusted for continuous improvements of engineering and business operations, this new process will benefit the company in the long-term.