Performance Indicator Case Analysis

PRODUCT FLOW ALONG SUPPLY CHAIN: SOURCING IN CHINA vs. HONG KONG They are many aspects involved making a decision on which styles to source from China and which styles to source from Hong Kong. The differences between the producing the products in China and Hong Kong are: * ORDER SIZES: The minimum production quantity for a style in China is 1200 units while in Hong Kong it is 600 units. Thus Hong Kong factory can produce smaller order quantities effectively, thus enabling the company’s to increase the range of products it offered and manage the inventory risk.Reason: This difference in production abilities is mainly due to the high skilled labor coupled with shorter production lines in Hong Kong compared to the low skilled and long production lines in China * LABOUR The workers in Hong Kong worked about 50% faster compared to the workers in China. As a result the parka line in Hong Kong requires only 10 workers to complete all the operations whereas the parka line in China re quire up to 40 workers. This resulted in the longer production lines.In spite of the high quality of workers in Hong Kong, the unemployment rate in the country is very low and most of the younger workers prefer office jobs. Hence it is difficult to acquire labor in Hong Kong. Reason: The differences in the efficiency might be due to the variances in the trainings given to the workers in China and Hong Kong. The workers in Hong Kong were more cross functional and were trained to work in broader range of jobs compared to the Chinese workers. * TOTAL COST The overall cost of production is lower in China as compared to Hong Kong.Though there is a definite cost advantage, there are strict quota restrictions by the U. S government on shipping goods from China when compared to Hong Kong. Reason: The lower production costs in China can be mostly attributed to the low wage rates compared to the wage rates paid in Hong Kong. The workers are paid $0. 16 per hour in China compared to $3. 84 per hour paid in Hong Kong. * QUALITY Another main difference between sourcing in China and Hong Kong is the quality of the products. The quality and reliability of the products from China is relatives low when compared to Hong Kong.Reason: The difference in quality could mainly be attributed to the labor skill and efficiency in both the regions. The workers in Hong Kong have the capability to ramp up the production faster and thus they had the shorter production lines. Longer production lines in China led to the greater imbalances both in the quality and time required in manufacturing the product. Recommendation Based on our analysis we found the order quantity for each of the 10 parkas. A detailed order quantity for each of the 10 parkas is given in appendix 3. Steps for calculating order quantity: For Obermeyer we have Cu = $27 and Co = $9 from this we calculate CSL for Obermeyer = . 75. This means that there is 25% probability for a stock out applicable for each of the 10 parkas. * We used two standard deviations for the normal distribution of demand. * By using the formula Q=Z. S. D+mean for 25% stock out the overall quantity to be ordered is calculated to be 26412. * Since we need to order 10,000 units the summation of order quantity of all the 10 parkas is equal to 10,000. * We assume that the demand for each of the 10 parkas will be in same proposition.Using this we calculate for Z; Z=1. 06. * Using the z value, mean and standard deviation we calculate the order quantity for each of the 10 parkas. (See appendix 3) * Also total expected profit for 10 parkas is approximately $2. 3 Million and average left over quantity is 69 units per parka. APPENDIX 1) Cost analysis at different stages of production. OBERSPORT| Â  | | | cost if made in hongkong | $60. 08 | | | cost if made in China | $51. 92 | | | weighted average cost | $56. 00 | | | | | | | Greig Shell fabric | $9. 00 | | | Finishing of Shell fabric | $3. 90 | | |Finished lining fabric| $3. 90 | | | Ins ulation | $4. 80 | | | Zippers | $3. 60 | | | Thread| $0. 60 | | | Logo,Patches etc | $3. 00 | | | Snaps| $0. 90 | | | Dyeing of snaps | $0. 30 | | | | $30. 00 | | | | | | | Agent fee| Â  | | | Hong Kong | 3. 49| | | China| 2. 98| | | | Â  | | | Labor cost per unit | Â  | | | China| 0. 78| | | Hong Kong| 10| | | | | | | Tranportation cost (weighted average ) | Quantity| charge/unit| total| Ocean | 160000| 1. 4| 224000| Air | 40000| 5| 200000| weighted average | 200000| | 424000| weighted average/unit| Â  | Â  | $2. 12 | Appendix 2 Appendix 3

Analysis of The Telegram a short story by writer Iain Crichton Smith Essay

‘The Telegram’ is a short story by writer Iain Crichton Smith. The story follows two women’s experiences as the fate of their sons. The writer uses character and setting to increase the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Through the use of setting in terms of time and place the writer increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. The story is set in a Scottish costal island during the Second World War. The two women live in a one road village and war is alien to them. Not just the women but the whole village does not understand the purpose of the war: â€Å"It came as a strange plague.† The village of the women was a very close knit community and this meant that everybody knew everybody else. To the village people the war was an attack on them rather than the country because the war was killing their young men and they felt that it was not their war to be part of. The Telegram itself had an impact on the village as it felt like ‘a strange missile’ because it would only cause havoc and destruction amongst the village people and most importantly ruin their lives. The setting of the story is effectively used by the writer to influence or have an impact on the characters, this use of setting increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Crichton Smith description is mainly focused on the thin women, the writer uses the imagery of a bird: â€Å" The other more aquiline, more gaunt, or to be more precise, more like a buzzard.† The thin women is perceived to be a person who is not very pleasant. The thin women has had a very hard life to cope with and because of this she is very independent. Through the imagery of a buzzard, a bird of prey, the thin women gives the impression that she is better than everybody else and like a buzzard she is stronger too. The use of the buzzard is also significant because the story is set in Scotland and the buzzard is Scotland’s most common bird of prey. However, even though the thin women is portrayed in a bad way, the thin women has been forced to make a lot of sacrifices. The thin women only received ten shillings in pension was forced into not buying new clothes. The realisation of the harsh circumstances that the thin women has faced make the reader enjoy the story more because the reader has sympathy for the thin women and knowing that her son is not dead gives the thin women hope. Despite all the sacrifices , the thin women saved and saved until she could send her son to university. This is a reason why the thin women thought she was better than everybody because others could afford to send their children to university but chose not because they thought of it as snobbish . The fact that the villagers thought education is snobby gives the reader insight into society the women lived in, the society that would not send their children to university in case that someone spoke ill of them. To deal with the hardships, the thin women has had to develop a lot of discipline and self-control to survive. The hardships the women has faced have left her to show no emotions and sympathy towards anybody but herself. However, for a moment the thin women tries to comfort the fat women in her time of need, this change in character is unusual because the thin women does not expect sympathy from others but now she is sympathetic towards someone else. Iain Crichton Smith uses the setting to show how it influences or has an impact on the characters, this use of setting increases the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Like the thin women, the author uses the imagery of a bird to describe the women: â€Å"†¦a fat domestic bird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The fat women is described like ‘a fat domestic’ this suggests that the fat women is very dependant on others unlike the thin women. The word fat’ gives the reader the idea that the fat women has had it all in her life. Through the writers use of domestic bird’ it is suggested that the fat women. Due to the different lives both women lived they have differing views on things, this causes arguments between them: â€Å" Well, I just thought they’re better off.’ said the fat women in a confused tone, ‘ they get better food and they get better conditions.’ â€Å" The fat women is jealous how the thin women’s son is better off than her son even though the thin women is poorer e.g. the thin women’s son is of higher rank and gets better pay than the fat women’s son. The writer gives insight into the fat women when she explains why she did not risk sending her son to university in case others thought she was snobbish. Despite not sending her son to university it is evident that the fat women loves her son unconditionally, unlike the thin women, the fat women does not expect compensation from her son for bringing him up, this make the fat women a likeable character thus increasing the reader’s enjoyment of the story. When the fat women knows that the elder is not coming to her house she is all excited but then she realizes that it could be the thin women’s son who has died and only then does the fat women realise what the thin has gone through and tries to sympathy but she cannot. The reasons for the fat women showing no sympathy are that firstly, she does not like the thin women and because the thought of losing her own son has emotionally drained the thin women. The setting adds to suspense and tension throughout the story and especially the climax. From the thin women’s window they can see the entire village: â€Å" As the watched they could see at the far end of the street the tall man in black clothes carrying in his hand a piece of yellow paper. This was a bare village with little colour therefore the yellow was both strange and unnatural.† The fact that the women could see the man at the end of the village from the thin women’s window emphasise to the reader how small the village is, the village being small suggests that it is a very close knit community. The village consists of one road and as the elder walks along the road the suspense and tension builds and the reader expects the elder to visit the homes of the women however this does not happen. In the end the reader is shocked how it is actually the elder’s son who has died and the suspense and tension that leads to this increases the impact. In conclusion, Iain Crichton Smith successfully uses setting, character, imagery as well suspense and tension to increase the readers enjoyment of the story.

The paper must deal with a particular third world country and a Term

The must deal with a particular third world country and a particular development issue. I was assigned Costa Rica - Term Paper Example The construction of the Hydroelectrical Project El Diquis (PHED) in southern Costa Rica has an effect on the native population of Terraba. The core players are anthropologists and sociologists who are hired by the development plan to deal with the involved indigenous community. The PHED’s anthropologists and sociologists face the issue of how to negotiated between the project’s management and militant factions in Terraba (Haffar & Carls 2010). A group of native protesters in Terraba downright opposes the building of the dam. They thoroughly analyze the ideas and agendas of its executives, claiming in its place the freedom to take in their own notions of an independent local development. As shown in the above figures, the Costa Rican people enjoy high life expectancies. Customarily reliant on beef, banana, and coffee exports, the country has undergone economic diversification. The launching of a major computer component factory in the 1990s was a boost to the economy, though its wealth has been at the mercy of the rising and falling global demand for computer parts. The primary source of foreign trade in the country is tourism (BBC News 2011). Its rainforests boast a great diversity of bionetwork. According to BBC News (2011), Costa Rica has also been a global advocate of environment concerns, guaranteeing that economic development is not attained to the detriment of its abundant natural resources, and effectively maximizing connections between poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. Costa Rica is successful in terms of economic development. Classified as an upper middle-income nation, Costa Rica was successful in lowering the rate of poverty from 23% in 2004 to 17.7% in 2008 (World Bank 2011, para 7). Nevertheless, inequality is widening as development has mostly promoted skilled work, and education is left behind, particularly among the country’s lower class. Costa Rica has encountered stable economic development over the

Operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operation management - Essay Example This essay states that the task of operation management team is to convert the inputs into the output in the most beneficial way. They are the real causes for the net operating profit of the organizations. Operation management team has to take care of all the processes starting from the acquisition of resources to delivering the products or services to the end user. They have to come across the tactical and strategic level of the operations. The strategic level includes deciding the structure of service networks, determining the size and location of manufacturing plants and deciding the technology of the supply chain etc. The tactical level issues are project management, plant layout, selection of equipments etc. Now a day’s, operations management is employing more and more information technology to get the work done more accurately and more effectively. This is being done to improve the organization’s respond to the five objectives of operations: speed, flexibility, de pendability, quality and cost. These are the core objectives of the operation management. The think tanks of the organization are up to date about the information technologies that can be applied to the each and every process of the operation management. The field of technology and operations management is concerned with the design, management and improvement of the processes and operating systems. The global market experiences a rapid change of technology and the companies face big challenges to compete with the world class standards in production and delivery of products and services. ... ramatically due to the emergence of a truly global economy, significant advances in information and process technology, and the continued growth of services. The Technology and Operations Management Area (TOM) focuses on value creation on a global scale through innovative product and process design, project management as well as on value capture through effective supply chain management† (Technology and Operations Management 2011). The theory of constraints (TOC) is much successful application of information technology in operations management. The TOC starts with through-put driven business policy, seven step resource management methodology through the cost/utilization capital investment technology and ends with drum-buffer-rope production activity procedure. Total quality management (TQM), just in time (JIT) and the theory of constraints are well absorbed in the field of operations management. Some of the information systems used in production and operations management are gi ven below: Inventory system: Inventory system uses techniques like just in time, ABC, first in first out, last in last out, etc. Such information is then used for reorder purposes. Stub control (used by retailers) enables the manager to retain a portion of the price ticket when the item is sold. The manager can then use it to put record about the item that was sold. Production System: The manufacturing system often produces the standardized products in large volume. The plant and machinery will have a limited capacity. The system facilitates with fixed costs, variable costs, labor costs and material costs. While producing the products, the net value and the economic value are forecasted and added to the product. Service System: The service system is more complicated as the service is not

Health investment in relation to other forms of economic investment Essay

Health investment in relation to other forms of economic investment - Essay Example It is a fact that most countries find difficulty in meeting healthcare needs of citizens because of the limited resources. Economic concept emphasises that when resources are limited then they should be prioritized so that it generates maximum economic gain for the society. In one of the estimates of World Bank in relation to developing economies, it was found that a 10 percent increase in public health expenditure will reduce maternal mortality by 7 percent, child mortality by 0.69 percent and a 4.14 percent decrease in low weight for newborns. Such outcomes will certainly result in significant increase in economic productivity in long-term. A healthy child free of any disease and disability will have more opportunity to develop higher skills and education. All these factors will finally catapult into higher economic contributions in the society.The following policy recommendations towards allocation of resources can improve long-term health and economic outcomes.A large portion of healthcare resources including nurses and healthcare workers should be diverted to the prenatal and post natal care including care for mothers. Prenatal screening needs to be enhanced in risk-prone population for some of the deadly genetic diseases that later on becomes a burden on society. More rural quality healthcare centers should be established to take care of children with 100 percent coverage.A large-scale immunization programme should be run covering children of all age group to make them free of major communicable diseases.

Behavior Modification Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Behavior Modification - Assignment Example Action stage is that when an individual embraces new behavior for a period of 3-6 months. This is followed by the maintenance stage during which an individual continuous commitment to sustain the new behavior. The last stage is the relapse when an individual tend to have a resumption of old behaviors. Have continued to recall information have read and heard from different sources about the importance of conserving our environment. Even though it has been had to take an initiative as an individual, I have been able to resolve that I will react emotionally to the warnings of environmental protection. I have considered environmental protection as an important aspect of livelihood of mankind. I consider environmental conversation as a means of changing ways that make the entire kingdom of living things happy. Environmental protection enables the sustainability of the life from one generation to the other. As such I have resolved to save my little resources and place them with the agencies that work towards environmental protection. I have mobilized my classmates and other friends who have agreed to work with me towards the same goal. I have found that creating awareness on environmental protection is a productive way of sp=ending my free time outside school. I develop the sense of self satisfaction when I participate in environmental conservation. Environmental conservation helps in protection of property’s value through enabling the restrictions on land use and development. This helps in putting land into proper use thereby enhancing land productivity. This in turn enhances food security for both man and animals on the both short and long run. Environmental conservation enables the protection of water sheds that help in the provision of water supply for agricultural and domestic use (Bethesda, 2008). The resolve for social health change through environmental conservation has encouraged many people

Discussion on the Current situation of Inner Mongolia franchise hotel Dissertation

Discussion on the Current situation of Inner Mongolia franchise hotel industry in marketing and strategy aspect - Dissertation Example Physical data of each hotel is first presented after which the perception of the interviewees would be presented. This would however, not be individually presented but the outcome as a group would be presented. Super8 This is a part of the chain hotel with 136 rooms in Inner Mongolia. Three employees from different managerial levels could be interviewed. The headquarters is in charge of the hotel management while daily operations rest with the manager appointed by the headquarters. They are positioned as a high class hotel and cater to the segment that has a relatively high taste for accommodation, according to the AGM but the FOM and the cashier believe that they are positioned in the industry as a hotel that caters to the price-sensitive customers. The AGM and the FOM consider their neighbors as their main competitors but the cashier considers hotels with similar price structure to be the main competitors. Hailiang Hotel Only the Sales Manager from this hotel could be interviewed. They have 660 rooms and the franchisee require room space and room number. Their main competitors are the hotels that belong to the same star category. They are positioned as a hotel with interests in group and business segment. They are in the Group accommodation franchise model. Haixia Hotel This independent 110 room hotel does not belong to any chain and is an independent hotel with the voluntary chain franchise model. The General Manager, who was interviewed at this hotel, claims that they have no competitors. They maintain excellent relationships with other hotels in the area as they share market information and business groups. The GM declined to answer how they have positioned themselves in the sector. Hua Chen Hotel Hua Chen is a part of the regular chain with 149 rooms and 3 restaurants having a total of 550 sites. Their competitors are those that belong to the same category. They have positioned themselves as a 4 star hotel focusing on the mining business customers. Iron B ull Hotel The Sales Manager of the Iron Bull Hotel with 268 rooms considers Erdos holiday hotel and Erdos Dong Shi Days Inn as their main competitors. They follow the regular chain model and consider themselves as an upscale hotel in Erdos. Phoenix Hotel Two marketing representatives and one sales representative from this hotel were interviewed. They have 280 rooms and the franchisee has no requirements. Their main competitors include Inner Mongolia hotel, Jinjiang hotel, Shangri-la hotel, holiday hotel and Kingshidom hotel. They focus on the upscale independent business traveler. They are a part of the regular chain of the Air China Group and they target the business and conference groups as their primary target and the tourists as the second target segment. The franchised hotels follow certain strategy based on various factors. The responses of the interview have been categorized under different headings to evaluate the success of the franchised models. Factor for success The inte rviews were open-ended which revealed several factors, opinions and perspectives. Thus, to the question on which were the factors they considered as critical to the success of the franchised operations, different hotels came up with different perspectives. The factors ranged from location, pricing, service, clean environment to overall management and training of employees. Some also pointed out the relationship with the travel agents and the local government is critical to the