The Organisational Structure Of Fedex Commerce Essay

The Organisational Structure Of Fedex Commerce Essay Logistics is managing the flow of goods, information and other resources, including energy and people, between the point of origin and the point of destination to meet the requirements of consumers. The main functions of logistics include purchasing, inventory management, transportation, and warehousing. The transportation industry can be identified in three major sectors such as shipping, passenger transport and manufacturing of equipment. In this paper we discuss about shipping which is responsible for transportation of supplies. FedEx has acquired and realigned number of small companies and managed synergies in order to control more of the market. Acquisition strategy of FedEx has given opportunity to capture different areas of logistics and transportation business with different client base and locations thereby integrating their operations to achieve better synergies and economies of scale. Business without borders Having their own fleet enabled them to reconfigure their systems and reroute existing flights in order to take advantage of the markets. Same way feeding three costly networksair, ground, and information technology is extravagantly expensive. They operated in a Global scale in order to offer customers limitless opportunities thereby expanding customer base and achieve global economies of scale. FedEx involves in many Corporate Social Responsibility programs as a branding strategy by carrying pandas, penguins and whales across the countries to provide them with proper living conditions. Though this type of transportation is considered risky FedEx does this with affection in order to protect them. They maintain a strong brand name as a strategy and advantage of its brand image, the name that customers have counted on for reliable service and cutting edge technology. Frederick W. Smith Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith was a charismatic-visionary leader. He pioneered the transportation field and founded FedEx when he was 27 years of age. He had a desire, a drive to lead the company. He was confident, intelligent and also had the job-relevant knowledge in the field. His military background helped him to believe that the FedExs people are more valuable than technology. Fred always started thinking outside the normal which made FedEx a great success. Though he was a risk taker and invested highly in IT he succeeded in the business because of his visionary thinking and determination to go ahead. Fred re-shaped the entire transportation industry. FedEx believes in leadership through accessibility which makes all forms of interaction with customers. (b) Transportation and logistics infrastructure within FedEx Corporation FedEx acquired its own fleet of transport while competitors were hiring space on commercial airlines and sub-contracting their shipments to 3rd parties. With this, the need for booking space in commercial vessels ceased and FedEx experienced cost advantage over other companies. Landing larger freight planes were allowed after the de-regulation of the airline industry and using these reduced the operating cost. After de-regulation of the trucking industry, FedEx established regional trucking system further reduced the cost. FedExs unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure make it the worlds largest express transportation company, providing speedy, reliable and time-definite transportation with easy access to the locations. To cut down cost and time, packages from all over the country were flown to a central point or hub at night where traffic lanes were comparatively empty. Packages were sorted, redistributed at the hub and again flown to their ultimate destination to reach them next day. Even with the limitations such as adherence to the skyline regulations, ground clearance and administrative issues, FedEx managed to make this a turning point towards their success. (Please refer annexure page à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for more details) Value added services such as multiple warehousing, scanners given to drivers to capture package information and overnight distribution system were external factors contributed to the growth in FedEx business. Just-in-time inventory management created demand for speed and accuracy in transportation and shortened the lead time for companies Integration between FedEx and customers blocked them from going to competitors. How it helped FedEx Michael Porters Value Chain C:UsersvirginiaDocumentsMBAMBA-Second yearGlobal Corporate strategyVIRGI FED EXvalue chain.png How FedEx reduced cost by applying value chain (refer document New FedEx and dragon) Primary activities Outbound Logistics Processing time at the local offices was reduced since they did not need to fill forms and attend to customers individually. In FedExs point of view reducing processing time means reducing labour costs. FedEx has achieved tremendous savings by strategic implementation of IT. Tools such as just-in-time manufacturing and total quality management are adopted for inventory control and enhancing of service quality. Marketing and Sales Information on customers preferences, geographical data and traffic volumes of each web page collected automatically. These data could be used for strategic initiatives, planning and marketing. World Wide Web is a low cost media for advertising in the global market and discovers potential markets. Packaging in a timely fashion was one of the marketing tools they used. Customer Service FedEx discovered that its advanced IT systems contain a mother lode of information about the profitability of each client. They knew which customers create how much profit, which actually end up costing FedEx. Secondary activities Procurement Strategic plans are developed with suppliers to support the process and development of new services. Transactions are managed through Web to achieve greater efficiency. Further they are streamlined through Electronic Data Interchange. FedEx had agreed upon better dealings with the fuel with suppliers. Human Resources FedEx will strive to develop mutually rewarding relationships with its employees, partners and suppliers. They recruited correct people and top positions were filled with competent managers. Further incentives, profit shares and internal promotions are given to keep the staff moral high in order to make their processes less costly and effective. They motivated the front liners conducted a fair treatment program to all staff. Information Technology When customers log onto the FedEx system they could place orders to pick up and pay using the credit cards which made greater convenience. Moving the process to the internet reshaped the transportation industry. In applying systems like Cosmos, PowerShip, EDI and Netscape integrated services supplied to customers are enormous. 1 (c) Virtual Information infrastructure at FedEx Corporation How it helped FedEx provides its customers supply chain solution from the point of raw materials to end of the product life cycle. Each stage of the supply chain has IT applications and systems that have been implemented by FedEx in order to fulfill efficient customer solutions. Some of the systems were transportation management solutions, order processing and related distribution centre operations, fulfillment, just-in-time inventory control, purchasing and production which provide peace of mind throughout the entire distribution cycle. COSMOS is a customer oriented services and management operating system. This Centralized computer system kept track of all packages handled by the company. This was made possible by placing a bar-code on each point of pickup making greater reliability to its customers. Further data package movement, pickup, invoicing and delivering data to central data base. PowerShip Features such as Label printing, on-line packaging pickup request, package tracing and stored frequently used addresses of most active customers. EDI and Internet This allowed companies to build one-to-one relationship with customers was the perfect scenario for manufactures. They could match supply and demand without wastage. Agreement with Nescape to adopt their software as the primary technology for accessing its corporate intranet sites. Advantages of the Nescape are mentioned below. Customers would build integrated websites using FedEx application Free down load from fedex.com which incorporated a link enabling them to track packages directly from their own site. Enhancement to package-tracking service. Information with regard to 25 shipments can be checked simultaneously and forward same to three e-mail recipients. Some countries are able to access information in their native language. FedEx claimed to have the largest on-line client server network in the world that operated in real time Web based application 1994 (write) FedEx can reach customers in other countries more easily through internet. This will further expand operations at FedEx in the global market. A creative alliance with marketplace will allow FedEx to tap into the growing e-commerce market for consumers. Web surfers link different companies web sites, where they can order a variety of products and services. IT infrastructure will support supply chain operations. The FedEx website was launched in 1994 and included a package tracking application and allowed customers to generate their own unique bar-coded shipping labels. The web site provided speedy and customer focused features. OUTBOUND TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY ORDER MANAGEMENT MANUFACTURING INBOUND (PURCHASING) SUPPLIER Stages of the Supply Chain FedEx Systems Applications GIVS IMI Multiship Custom Clearance system Transportation Optimization system Global Inventory visibility System (GIVS) Inventory Management Systems (IMI) GIVS IMI Warehouse management systems (WMS) Transport management systems (TMS) Customer clearance system Enterprise resource planning ERP IMI (including invoicing) The FedEx Integrated Logistics Solution FEDEX SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN Strategy Bob de wit Ron Meyer (Page 653) (Please refer annexure for detailed explanation of the systems and application of supply chain at FedEx) Evaluation FedEx has developed many innovative services that would not be possible without its strong IT capability. IT expansion at FedEx effectively created a barrier to new entrants in this industry. Even though FedExs coverage to supply chain through integrated systems by tightening, improving and synchronizing the various parts of the supply chain, it was no longer a competitive advantage but a competitive imperative as the customers saw the benefits of squeezing time and inventory out of the system. The virtual information infrastructure at FedEx immensely supported to maintain the market leadership in the past years. They have forecasted the future in a positive direction and implemented correct decision by funding on IT development. Throughout the years this has helped FedEx to reduce cost, minimize process time and become customer focused and ultimately increased the profit margins which helped in a growth in global GDP and International trade. Even though FedEx has highly invested on IT for upgrading on a periodical basis, technical issues such backup systems, virus protection, handling issues with web hacking have been successfully addressed in order to remain in the market leader position. BRANDING AND BUSINESS STRUCTURE UP UNTIL 19 JANUARY 2000 Mergers and acquisitions (MA) Introduction 2.0.1. Mergers Joining of two or more companies to form a single legal entity can be defined as a merger. The assets of the smaller company are merged in to the larger. Share holders of the smaller company (or the target company) will be bought over by the acquiring company. In general mergers take place in a friendly setting. Executives of the respective companies participate in a due diligence process to ensure a successful combination of all areas of business. 2.0.2. Acquisitions Purchasing of more than 50% of voting shares of a company by another company is an acquisition. Both companies can continue as separate legal entities. Acquiring company will be the parent company (or holding company) and the target company will be the subsidiary. Acquisition may take place through a hostile takeover by purchasing the majority of shares of the company in the open market. (Source:A Simple M Model for all Seasons by Bu Sam Rovit, David Harding, and Catherine Lemire) 2.0.3. Mergers and acquisitions strategies Mergers and Acquisitions are a common strategy in Global Logistics and Transportation industry by which companies in the industry expand geographically and increase the reach and access. 2.1 Benefits and limitations of MA strategies in the Global Transportation and Logistics industry 2.1.1. Benefits Obtain maximum value and create sustainable competitive advantage Increase output Obtain new technologies, expertise and provide entire new products Improved focus on core skills of the firm Improvements in use of the brand names Increased consumer welfare and overall cost reduction from the joint consumption of complementary products Fastest method to achieve growth Creating a broad and deep product portfolio Strength in storage sales and services Integrate technologies and practices across entire product line such as strong capabilities in data archiving, manage products to better address the regulatory compliance and market opportunity Capability to integrate disparate business processes and information into one common framework Quicker and cheaper growth of the organization, synergies of market size and distribution channels, easier finance (revenue and cost synergies), economies of scale, gaining customers, cost efficiencies, improved infrastructure. Achieving maximum benefit of synergies by integration Reduction in transaction cost and transportation cost Fulfilling increasing / complex customers demands Redesigning of the global supply chain Obtain excess capacity in terms of production and warehousing facilities Mergers and acquisitions improve market efficiency by capturing synergies between firms. May help in removing inefficient management or to respond to economic shocks 2.1.2. Limitations Most of the studies have shown that mergers have failure rates of more than 50 percent Acquisitions are complex and difficult to execute and manage successfully. The companies should have the ability to integrate the technical know-how and the resources to bring that know-how to market products. In mergers and acquisitions there may be a significant impact on corporate culture. The purchasing company sets the quality bar high for the people in the company to be acquired. The companies cultural norms will be will be reinforced by the innovation, collaboration and integrity and customer focus of those employees. Generally there are clashes in such a situation. Though companies expect the synergies from take overs, it is found that acquiring companies lose about 10% of their value during the first five years after mergers. 2.2. How FedEx Corporation managed the acquisition of Caliber Systems in 1998- whether it is a success or failure FedEx Acquisition History up to year 2000 YEAR ACQUISITION OVERVIEW 1984 Gelco Express International FedEx dramatically expands its presence outside of the U.S. with the acquisition of Gelco Express, a worldwide courier with service to 84 countries. 1989 Tiger International Inc. With the integration of the Flying Tiger Line, FedEx becomes the worlds largest full-service, all-cargo airline. The acquisition includes routes to 21 countries, a fleet of cargo aircraft including Boeing 747s, facilities throughout the world and Flying Tigers expertise in international airfreight. 1998 Caliber System Inc. FedEx creates FDX Corporation (later renamed FedEx Corporation) and grows its portfolio of services with the addition of ground small-package carrier RPS (now FedEx Ground), Western U.S. less-than-truckload carrier Viking Freight (now part of FedEx Freight), Caliber Logistics (now FedEx Supply Chain Services), Caliber Technology (now part of FedEx Services) and Roberts Express (now FedEx Custom Critical). 2000 Tower Group International Inc. World Tariff Ltd. FedEx Corp. creates FedEx Trade Networks. Today, FedEx Trade Networks is one of the largest-volume customs entry filers in North America and provides FedEx customers with end-to-end transportation and customs clearance solutions around the world. acquisitions history.cfm.htm 2.2.1 Caliber Systems FedEx acquired caliber systems in 1998 and five separate subsidiary companies were formed such as Federal Express, RPS (Roadway package Systems), Robert express, Viking freight and FDX Logistics. They focused mainly on the small package business. Each subsidiary was managed separately and was responsible for its own accounts. Caliber had developed its expertise in moving raw materials, plates of steel bars and managed in work-in-progress. It manufactured cars and fork-lift trucks. After acquisition FedEx started offering other services besides express shipping. 2.2.1.1. Federal Express Federal Express was the world leader in global express distribution. They offered 24 to 48 hours delivery. Also was the leader in overnight package delivery business. Goods shipped ranged from flowers to lobsters to computer components. 2.2.1.2. RPS RPS was the second largest ground small package delivery of business-to-business. Also it was a low cost, non-union, technology-savvy company. Shipments were done in one to three days. RPS had the lowest cost models in the transportation industry. With the take-over by FedEx, RPS moved on to business-to-consumer delivery service and took advantage of electronic commerce. They operated through independent truckers who are contractors and specialized in delivering small packages between businesses at rates lower than UPS. 2.2.1.3. Viking Freight This was the first less-than-truck-load freight carrier in western USA. They shipped 13,000 packages per day. 2.2.1.4. Robert Express This was the worlds leading surface-expedited carrier for non-stop, time critical and special-handling shipments. This was the smallest company within the FedEx group. Robert Express Exclusively allowed customers greater control at a price. They had a limited number of aircrafts but they had to pay for use and crew time. 2.2.1.5. Caliber Logistics Caliber logistics was the pioneer in providing customized, integrated logistics and warehousing solutions worldwide. The acquisition of caliber brought over the-road transportation and warehousing capabilities. Caliber Logistics was renamed as FDX Logistics. 2.3 Merging of Caliber Logistics and FLEC New company was FedEx Logistics brought together all splintered operations of logistics in all the subsidiaries, streamlined costs and presented one menu of logistic services offered to clients. They aligned R D of systems upon common, agreed platform. 2.4. HOW FEDEX MANAGED THE ACQUISITION OF CALIBER SYSTEMS? Acquisition contributed to reinforce FedEx commitment to become more than just a delivery company. With the acquisition, company image was transformed to a holding company. Accordingly company changed its name to FedEx Corporation. FedEx managed the subsidiaries by operating independently, each company focused exclusively on delivering the best service for its specific market. They competed collectively. Under the FedEx banner they offered entirely different services, different customer terms and different sales procedures. Usage of IT resources spread among the group. FedEx introduced a one-stop shopping as solution for all levels of supply chain. This was the ultimate goal of FedEx in order to bring the subsidiaries closer together to create synergy. FedEx brand name had been inculcated in the peoples minds throughout the years. This strong global brand name and the brand image created among the entire world from the inception had sufficient market for FedEx to operate even after acquisition. Operating under the FedEx banner created customer confidence although the companies acquired were operating in their own names. Acquisition improved FedExs non-express delivery capabilities and brought in other new businesses to the company. When UPS had the advantage of promoting just one brand, UPS was to sell the entire company and the services it offered. Acquisition of Caliber Systems enabled FedEx to match UPS in offering a wide variety of delivery options. But, UPSs extensive network for making door-to-door deliveries was far ahead of FedEx. Business at UPS was slightly affected after the acquisition of Caliber Systems by FedEx. Further the strategies adopted by the FedEx management such as enhancing business capabilities though IT and building up strong relationships regularly with clients and communication with the global market, created competitive advantage at the time of acquisition of the Caliber Systems. Hence acquisition of the Caliber Systems by FedEx was a success. 3.1 DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNET MARKET AND E-TAILING http://media.techtarget.com/searchCIO/images/spacer.gif http://media.techtarget.com/searchCIO/images/spacer.gif Internet is the extensive, worldwide computer network available to the public. It is interconnected to computer networks that are connected by internetworking. E-tailing (electronic retailing) means the selling of retail goods via Internet. E-tailing done mostly with business-to-consumer (B-to-C) transactions. E-tailing began to work for some major corporations and smaller entrepreneurs were started around year 1997. (Source: http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci212079,00.html) 3.2. How internet/e-tailing had been applied to the transportation and logistics industry? At the time when the web based purchases were growing, UPS one of FedEx competitors were ahead of them in terms of ground transport. FedEx identified the booming opportunities arising with the growth in internet based purchases. FedEx bought over Caliber System in January 1999 and the aim was to enhance the reach of business to business coverage while catering to increasing demand from internet based buying. FedEx anticipated growth in ecommerce and planned to start FedEx Home Delivery to co-op specializing in business-to-consumer e-tailing. At that time, in 1997 FedEx was handling shipping for only 10% of all goods sold online, compared to the 55% handled by UPS. In 1999 FedEx signed up with CISCO with mission of critical one stop online source for sales tools and client information. Web portals such as Yahoo! had been offering store-building services for some time, as did all other Internet service providers. By that time UPS, their main competitor was had been offering the same services since 1997 through vendors Harbinger Corp. and IBM Corp. FedEx started to offer its ecommerce Builder Internet platform free to clients later, with e-commerce services. 3.3. Non-financial performance at FedEx in the context of Internet market and e- Tailing Internet was the basis for competition. It opened opportunities in logistics management as most businesses started integration with customer supply chains using the internet. FedEx had the right business model to take advantage of this opportunity. Growth in e-tailing needed assistance of express transportation to fulfill the customer expectations and FedEx already was a giant in the field achieved advantage over the situation. FedEx was the leader in the market and enjoyed a strong brand image in the transport and logistics industry. Even though they identified and anticipated enormous opportunities which came up with the development in e-tailing, UPS was the leader in ground transportation. FedEx made a smart move by buying over Caliber Logistics and later integrating all systems and a powerful technical architecture that enabled internet commerce usage. The competition became fierce with the as the major transportation companies were betting big on technology. Even though FedEx were investing millions on IT and introduced internet in 1994, it became the industry norm rather than a competitive advantage. FedEx developed all its software in-house where competitors like UPS formed strategic alliances with Open Market Inc., and worked with IBM. One of main reasons for FedExs successful performance financially and non-financially was that they identify anticipate the changes and adopt themselves accordingly. 3.4. Financial performance at FedEx in the context of Internet market and e-tailing Online holiday shopping, which accounted for $650 million in 1997, grew to rapidly $4 billion over the holiday season of 1999. By the end of year 2000, more than 20,000 client Web sites were linked to the FedEx Marketplace, and the ecommerce Builder unit had secured around 2,000 customers. Despite the analysts concerns their earnings totaled $688 million on sales of $18 billion. The expected growth associated with e-tailing was USD 7.0 billion in 2000 and USD 327 billion in business-to- business presented enormous opportunities for FedEx. (Source: http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/444/Fedex-Corp-MOVE-INTERNET.html) Annual report of 1999 reflects that the growth in revenue as follows. Year Growth in Revenue 1999 5.67% 1998 11.48% 1997 11.91% 1996 8.5% 1995 13.76% FedExs average revenue growth is around 10%. In year 1999 this has reduced to 5.67% which they claim as a result of the high fuel price. FedEx has invsted in IT and was Market share growth REFER ANNUAL REPORTS DATA

The Storm: An Inner Reflection Essays -- Emotions Psychology Essays

The Storm: An Inner Reflection Memories are all we have sometimes, but what if memories bring out unwelcome feelings? In Romesh Gunesekera's short story "Ranvali," a young lady goes back to her father's old holiday bungalow and begins to discover new feelings toward her beloved Communist father. The story is set in an idyllic bungalow in Ranvali, by the coast of India. Theorists such as Roland Barthes would argue that setting in modern narratives "no longer need meaning: they simply are: that is their meaning." (qtd in Chatman 145). However, in "Ranvali," the storm that besieges the bungalow while the young lady is there clearly mimics her thoughts and gives the reader a greater sense of the inner turmoil that she must be going through. It can thus be shown that the storm is an essential part of the setting that Gunesekera uses to evoke certain feelings in the readers of "Ranvali." In the story, the storm mimics the narrator's inner turmoil at discovering new feelings about her father. But is the storm part of setting? Chatman makes a distinction between existents - characters and setting. For Chatman, "setting 'sets the character off'; it is the place and collection of objects 'against which' his actions and passions appropriately emerge" (Chatman 134). The storm is part of the description of the 'place' where the story unfolds. The memories of the narrator's father, which may be considered the 'actions and passions' within the story, emerge before and after the occurrence of the storm. The storm is thus part of the background to which the events in "Ranvali" occur. Chatman also gives three criteria for being a character - presence, being named and importance (Chatman 139). The storm in "Ranvali" is clearly not explicitly... ...der is given a definite analogy to how she might be feeling. Gunesekera's use of this narrative device as opposed to using the narrator to describe her emotions makes the reader sympathetic to the narrator's plight in an almost unconscious way. Although the storm is part of the setting, it subconsciously draws a connection to the narrator's inner thoughts. The reader thus can imagine that a storm rages within her mind, with thoughts about her father's idealism conflicting with her love for him. Without this narrative device of the storm, the story would have been much impoverished, as the final effect of "Ranvali" would have been much reduced. Works Cited Chatman, Seymour, "Existents" Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1978. 131-145. Gunesekera, Romesh. "Ranvali." Monkfish Moon. London: Granta, 1992: 89-102.

Cost benefit analysis CanGo Essay

VIA Consulting has been hired in CanGo’s behalf to assist its management group in the decision making of the implementation of the new operating ASRS system, and we came out with the following financial information and data. CanGo started operating as a small company in 2006. In 2008 the company reported a net profit of $7,000,000 and $15,000,000 for the 2009. The company’s most profitable division has been its online book sale. Due to the fact that CanGo has been increasing its sales and revenue for more than 100%, the company has demonstrate that it is a profitable organization, but at the same time, it has been reporting an increase on client’s complains for a deficient customer service. According to management at the organization, some of the issues are unproductive personnel, the time for an order to be processed is too long, small warehouse space, and short inventory. CanGo is looking for a new operating system that allows them to decrease labor, lower spac e and increase productivity and revenue. An ASRS (Automated storage and retrieval system) consists of a variety of computer-controlled systems for automatically placing and retrieving loads from defined storage locations. This type of system is utilized majorly for companies with a very high volume of loads being moved into and out of storage. The benefits of an ASRS system include reduced labor for transporting items into and out of inventory, reduced inventory levels, more accurate tracking of inventory, and space savings (Wikipedia, 2014). VIA Consulting is going to help CanGo to calculate the costs of the new ASRS system. Utilizing tools like net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), we will examine and evaluate if the investment will benefit economically the organization. The cost for a new ASRS system is  approximately of $2,000,000 and according with the most recent financial statements, CanGo, Inc. Working capital†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. $132,520,000 Cost of Operations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 32,560,000 Cash inflow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 58,000.000 Inventory†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 32,000,000 It is necessary to know if the company has the economic resources to acquire the new automated system and finance the cost of operation derived from the project. To find out, we need to know three major costs; Cost of capital, Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The ASRS and costs of operation represent the Cash Outflows, of this project and the revenues and profits represent the Cash Inflow. Looking at the Net Profit, or cash inflow, CanGo has limited capital to invest; however, the company may find the monetary resources through bonds, private investors and banks that are willing to finance the project as long as they receive their dividends or profits. Cost of Capital reflects the minimum amount that a firm must earn on its assets in order for those assets to add value to the firm. On other words, capital is the rate at which assets must provide cash inflows to justify their cost. Therefore, if the rate of return of the net cash flows from a project, includi ng the initial investment and all future net cash flows, exceeds the cost of capital, the project will add to the value of the firm. For example, when the ASRS investment generates a return of 21.31 percent, while the cost of capital was assumed to be 15 percent. The Net Present Value (NPV), is one of the most common methods used to evaluate investments. At its simplest, NPV is the present value computed by using the firm’s cost of capital as the discount rate of cash inflows, minus the present value of cash outflows, including the initial investment. NPV= PV of Cash inflows – PV of Cash Outflow According to the divisional revenues, in 2009, the company reported revenues (Cash Inflow) for $58,000,000 being books the most profitable sales division with $15,000,000. Actually, the company employs 6 operators on the first shift and two operators on the second shift to pick books at the average rate of 45 books per hour, but during heavy demand periods, the pick area  can accommodate eight operators. Salaries expense and machinery and equipment would be the company’s cash outflow. The cash outflow is $2,250,000. NPV= 58,000,000- 2,250,000 =55,750,000 Projects with a positive NPV add value to the firm. Cash inflows and outflows can occur at any time during the project. The NPV of the project is the sum of the present values of the net cash flows for each time period t, where t takes on the values 0 (the beginning of the project) through N (the end of the project). With this formula we can also calculate the time and the amount of money the capital invested in the project will have generate profits. The NPV calculation provides a dollar measure of how much a project is expected to add to a firm’s value. Analysts may also want to know what the rate of return on a project is in order to compare it to the cost of capital. This rate is called the internal rate of return, or IRR. The IRR is the discount rate that makes the present value of the cash inflows equal to the present value of the cash outflows. This is the same as saying that the IRR is the discount rate that makes the net present value equal to zero. The formula that represents the IRR is In conclusion, and taking into consideration the financial data of Divisional Revenues from 2009 for $58,000,000 and cash outflow of $2,250,000 to 3,000,000 (ASRS equipment, labor and other expenses) the new project will allow CanGo to increase productivity from 45 books per hour to double or triple the number of books picked per hour and at the same time employing less people. This will derivate in an increase of net revenue for the company. Also, the employees will be able to more accurately track inventory, and the warehouse will have more space available to keep up to date the inventory. Customers will receive their books faster when the company won’t have to order books from different distributors and wait too long to receive them, and then, packing them and sending them to customers. The employees also will be able to see if they have the ordered book in stock and clients won’t complain for receiving the wrong book(s). VIA  consulting advices CanGo, Inc., that t he new ASRS system will benefit the company increasing productivity and profits for the company. References Retrieved on September 2014, from: https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/premba/finance/s5/s5_5.cfm Retrieved on September 2014, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_storage_and_retrieval_system

Definition and Examples of Semantic Satiation

Definition and Examples of Semantic Satiation Definition Semantic satiation is a phenomenon whereby the uninterrupted repetition of a word eventually leads to a sense that the word has lost its meaning. This effect is also known as  semantic saturation or verbal satiation. The concept of semantic satiation was described by E. Severance and M.F. Washburn in The American Journal of Psychology in 1907. The term was introduced by psychologists Leon James and Wallace E. Lambert in the article Semantic Satiation Among Bilinguals in the Journal of Experimental Psychology (1961). For most people, the way theyve experience semantic satiation is in a playful context: deliberately repeating a single word over and over again just to get to that sensation when  it stops feeling like an actual word. However, this phenomenon can appear in more subtle ways. For instance, writing teachers will often insist that students use repeated words with care, not just because it demonstrates a better vocabulary  and a more eloquent style,  but to avoid the loss of significance. Overuse of strong words, such as words with intense connotations or profanity, can also fall victim to semantic satiation and lose their intensity.   See Examples and Observations below. For related concepts, also see: BleachingEpimoneGrammatical Oddities That You Probably Never Heard About in SchoolPronunciationSemantics Examples and Observations I began to indulge in the wildest fancies as I lay there in the dark, such as that there was no such town, and even that there was no such state as New Jersey. I fell to repeating the word Jersey over and over again, until it became idiotic and meaningless. If you have ever lain awake at night and repeated one word over and over, thousands and millions and hundreds of thousands of millions of times, you know the disturbing mental state you can get into.(James Thurber, My Life and Hard Times, 1933)Have you ever tried the experiment of saying some plain word, such as dog, thirty times? By the thirtieth time it has become a word like snark or pobble. It does not become tame, it becomes wild, by repetition.(G.K. Chesterton, The Telegraph Poles. Alarms and Discursions, 1910)A Closed LoopIf we pronounce a word over and over again, rapidly and without pause, then the word is felt to lose meaning. Take any word, say, CHIMNEY. Say it repeatedly and in rapid succession. Within some seconds, th e word loses meaning. This loss is referred to as semantic satiation. What seems to happen is that the word forms a kind of closed loop with itself. One utterance leads into a second utterance of the same word, this leads into a third, and so on. . . . [A]fter repeated pronunciation, this meaningful continuation of the word is blocked since, now, the word leads only to its own recurrence.(I.M.L. Hunter, Memory, rev. ed. Penguin, 1964) The MetaphorSemantic satiation is a metaphor of sorts, of course, as if neurons are little creatures to be filled up with the word until their little bellies are full, they are sated and want no more. Even single neurons habituate; that is, they stop firing to a repetitive pattern of stimulation. But semantic satiation affects our conscious experience, not just individual neurons.(Bernard J. Baars, In the Theater of Consciousness: The Workspace of the Mind. Oxford University Press, 1997)Disconnection of Signifier and Signified- If you stare continuously at a word (alternatively, listen to it over and over), the signifier and signified eventually appear to fall apart. The aim of the exercise is not to alter vision or hearing but to disrupt the internal organization of the sign. . . . You continue to see the letters but they no longer make the word; it, as such, has vanished. The phenomenon is called semantic satiation (first identified by Severance Washburn 1907), or loss of the sign ified concept from the signifier (visual or acoustic).(David McNeill, Gesture and Thought. University of Chicago Press, 2005)- [B]y saying a word, even a significant one, over and over again . . . you will find that the word has been transformed into a meaningless sound, as repetition drains it of its symbolic value. Any male who has served in, let us say, the United States Army or spent time in a college dormitory has had this experience with what are called obscene words . . .. Words that you have been taught not to use and that normally evoke an embarrassed or disconcerted response, when used too often, are stripped of their power to shock, to embarrass, to call attention to a special frame of mind. They become only sounds, not symbols.(Neil Postman, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992) OrphanWhy has my fathers death left me feeling so alone, when he hasnt been a part of my life in seventeen years? Im an orphan. I repeat the word out loud, over and over again, listening to it bounce off the walls of my childhood bedroom until it makes no sense.Loneliness is the theme, and I play it like a symphony, in endless variations.(Jonathan Tropper, The Book of Joe. Random House, 2004)Boswell on the Effects of Intense Inquiry (1782)Words, the representations, or rather signs of ideas and notions in the human race, though habitual to all of us, are, when abstractly considered, exceedingly wonderful; in so much, that by endeavouring to think of them with a spirit of intense inquiry, I have been affected even with giddiness and a kind of stupor, the consequence of having ones faculties stretched in vain. I suppose this has been experienced by many of my readers, who in a fit of musing, have tried to trace the connection between a word of ordinary use and its meaning, repeating th e word over and over again, and still starting in a kind of foolish amazement, as if listening for information from some secret power in the mind itself.(James Boswell [The Hypochondriack], On Words. The London Magazine, or, Gentlemans Monthly Intelligencer, Volume 51, February 1782)

Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Example

Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Example Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Cricket Cell Phone Service Essay Essay Topic: Zone One I’ve found that if you mention Cricket mobile during a conversation about cell phone service providers, no one wants to hear what you have to say. Many people already have an opinion of Cricket and it’s not usually a very good one. As a faithful customer, I can relate to the negative attitude some have; I’ve experienced most of the issues that have given Cricket the bad rep they can’t seem to shake. I always want to add my own two cents to the cell phone chat. I want to tell them about my positive experiences, the tremendous change I’ve seen as this company grew and why I stick with them, for better or worse. I’d be the first one to tell you that I don’t have the coolest phone or top of the line service available but for me, it works. My loyalty as a customer has been pushed to the limit more than once and I am now someone who loves to hate them. I have come close to jumping ship several times but always stick with Cricket. I stick with them because I feel for the money; it’s the best deal around. They offer some great benefits and features that I could not afford if I signed with Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint. It’s definitely not the service for everyone. But for someone like me, who is on a limited budget, doesn’t want to watch minutes, plan calls around nights and weekends and doesn’t need the hottest phone on the market, Cricket mobile is perfect. On their web page, it states â€Å"cheap cell phones and prepaid plans you can count on make Cricket the best choice for a no hassles and no signed contract cell phone service. † (mycricket. com/shop) The original selling point for me was the â€Å"no signed contract† feature. It really drew me in. I had not fulfilled my contract with another provider; I couldn’t get a decent signal where I lived and making calls from home was almost impossible. I was not at all happy that I had to pay them approximately $250 because my house was in an area that was a dead zone. Also, with less than perfect credit, all other cell phone companies required a hefty deposit before I could establish service. Cricket didn’t require any type of deposit. No deposit and no contract, I couldn’t help but give them a try. My total monthly cell phone bill is $59. 00. That’s everything, including taxes and fees. I have the $45 plan and lots of unlimited features including: talk, text, mobile web, picture and video messaging, long distance directory assistance calls and international texts. My plan also includes voicemail, caller id, call waiting, 3-way calling and call forwarding. I pay an additional $5 for the insurance plan. So, that’s 50 bucks for an excellent, unlimited everything plan with insurance for the phone and 9 bucks for taxes, fees etc. They offer four plans, the basic for $35, the $45, the $55 plan and the $60 plan. Cricket only offers prepaid plans so you pay for the upcoming month of service, never service from last month. I couldn’t get a plan that good anywhere else and not have to pay a deposit and sign a contract. It’s really an awesome deal. That’s a lot of unlimited features that make my personal cell phone usage less stressful. When I had to keep track of my minutes, pay attention to what time I called my family in Chicago so I didn’t eat up those minutes and send texts in strange code in hopes of not exceeding my allowed limit per month, I was always confused or nervous. I didn’t like the restrictions. When I ignored the restrictions, it cost me. And who wants to try and figure out if the free nights and weekends that start at 9pm is going to include your next call, two time zones away? Not me. I felt much of my time was wasted, tracking my minutes, planning my calls and somehow, more often than not, I messed up and got slammed on my next bill. The unlimited directory assistance feature Cricket offers really excited me because I would no longer pay almost $2 each time I dialed 411. I’d discovered the hard way that those calls could add up quickly. With Cricket, no surprises on the bill, for anything. That makes me very happy; it’s easy to budget and I get a lot for my money. A lot more then I would with other cell companies. Cricket claims they have cheap cell phones and they don’t lie. On their official company website, they currently offer refurbished phones on sale from $29 to an Android Smartphone for $249 or a Blackberry Smartphone for $299. The sales are pretty good online and most all phones offer a web only discount, a mail in rebate or both. The sales that they are currently offering on their official company website make the refurbished phone free and the Android and Blackberry both with a sale price of $179. If you buy a Smartphone, either the $55 or $60 plan is required for all phone features to work. On the official company website for T-Mobile, I found an unlimited talk, text and web, with no service contract plan for $79. I added some additional services; phone insurance for $5. 99 and unlimited international text for $5. Total cost for a plan that matched closest to my Cricket plan was $91 and that was not including taxes and fees. When I looked at their shop for phones page, I discovered an overwhelming number of phones to choose from, priced from $49 to $499. There were so many choices, it got rather confusing. If you chose a phone like a Blackberry, add an additional $29 for the data plan to the unlimited plan bringing you up to about $110. So, for the unlimited type of service I prefer, even if I had a smart phone or Blackberry, I would pay approximately $30 more per month if I went with T-Mobile service instead of Cricket. To me, that’s a huge monthly savings. Cricket made some improvements that helped keep me as a customer. Now, there are more Cricket authorized dealers which mean more places to get what I need whether it’s a new phone or an accessory for my old one. They have added a feature called bridgepay; if I am unable to pay my bill by the due date I can can pay $20 and get a seven day extension. So you will never see a late fee on your bill. The newest addition to their product line is the addition of the broadband modem, which I bought just this month. I purchased the modem for $50, received a $50 rebate and it is unlimited hours of internet access for $50 per month. This will be added to my cell phone bill and I will receive a multi line discount of $5 so next month, for cell phone and internet, I will pay $104. I can use my modem at home on my laptop or unplug it from the USB port and take it anywhere. It was easy to install and easy to use. The issues with Cricket that kept many away from trying their service are sporadic but all in all, they have improved greatly, in all areas over the years. When I first started with Cricket, the limited coverage areas had me upset. Now, they have 3G and have expanded so much, I rarely have a problem getting a decent signal to make a call. They offer better quality phones then a few years back, so my phones tend to last longer, even though I’m pretty rough with them. The customer service department has been an area of repeated troubles for me through the years. Nowadays, it’s not so hard to speak to a live person or change your plan or get technical assistance with your phone. Cricket has greatly improved in this important area. It seems that this cell phone provider really pays attention to what makes their customer’s happy. They offer more of what we like and continue to make changes to things that don’t work right. To keep their customers loyal, they continue to grow their product line. If they continue with that trend, they have a life customer in me. So, if you have to have the hottest phone on the market, you don’t want to have the stigma of being a Cricket customer and have good credit or money for a deposit, then maybe Cricket isn’t the cell phone company for you. But if you use your cell phone so much, it’s become part of you, yet you can’t afford most companies unlimited plans, Cricket’s plans may be just what you need. Of if you are a college student on a limited budged or the parent of a teenager who doesn’t want to foot the bill for someone that doesn’t keep track of minutes and texts sent, give Cricket a try. You will be hard pressed to find a better wireless deal, from any other carrier. You might just become a loyal customer like me. Cricket Communications, Shop page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. mycricket. com/shop] Cricket Communications, Shop plans page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. ycricket. com/cell-phone-plans] Cricket Communications, Shop phones page of official Cricket company website, Web, October 29, 2010 [www. mycricket. com/cell-phones] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop plans page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010 [www. t-mobile. com/shop/plans] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop phones page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010, [www. t-mobile. com/shop/phones] T-Mobile USA Inc, Shop services page of official T- Mobile company website, Web, October 30, 2010, [www. t-mobile. com/shop/addons/services]

Introduction Apple, Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction Apple, Inc - Research Paper Example was incorporated on January 3, 1977,  in  Cupertino, California (About-apple.com, 2015). In December 1980, Apple went public by launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO was a smashing hit and raised more money than any other IPO since Ford Motor Company’s IPO in 1956. Many of Apple’s employees became instant millionaires by virtue of their stock options (Deffree, 2014). In January, 1984, Steve Jobs unveiled the Macintosh, a computer equipped with graphical user interface. A strained relationship with John Sculley, the then CEO, led to Steve Job’s resignation from Apple Computer, Inc. in 1985 (Siegel, 2011). Apple Computer, Inc. did not fare well after Jobs departure and the company nearly collapsed. It reported one of its worst financial performances in the last quarter of 1996 and the initial phase of 1997. The top management decided to bring back Steve Jobs (Hemert, 2010). Thereafter, there has been no looking back for the company. Apple Computers launched a series of immensely successful products including the iPod in 2001, iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010. Since the company expanded its product portfolio, Apple Computer, Inc. was renamed Apple, Inc. in January 2007 (Honan, 2007). As of today, Apple, Inc. is a well-renowned name in the world of consumer electronics, personal computers and software (Apple, 2015). Deffree, S. (2014). Apple IPO makes instant millionaires, December 12, 1980.  EDN Network. Retrieved from http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4403276/Apple- IPO-makes-instant-millionaires--December-12--1980 Hemert, K. (2010).  25 Years Ago Today, Steve Jobs Left Apple.  Gizmodo. Retrieved 20 February 2015, from

Fundamentals of Decision Support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fundamentals of Decision Support - Essay Example Some more problems arise which may be linked with increasing the size of the facility. Consequently the cost of operation of the facility will shoot creating another problem. Industry siting may be regulated the existing state regulations’ and local laws. ‘This imposes another problem due the technique of increasing the size of the facility in each region in order curb diseconomies of scale. (Watzlawik) Completion for raw materials by other companies which are related to plastic manufacturing company may also impose another threat. In this case growth of different facilities in different regions may be returded. (Michael, 2009) Technological change can also affect manufacturing and also the utilization of the plastic product hence affecting the growth of plastic manufacturing companies in different regions The increase in the size of the company or organisation leads to the overload of management team due to large scale operations which draw the attention of the managers all through. (Guttmann, Michael, & John). A larger number of employees are employed which requires maximum supervision to ensure smooth operation of the company. Managers should ensure that company resources and materials are not wasted. As a result of overworked management, minimal supervision and control of staff operation emerges leading to laxity of cost of production control. Scale enlargement of the facility in an region of the world could lead to decreased attention on customers individual taste .goods of the same quality are produced consequently as a result of large economies of scale. Fall in demand of the plastic product follows. Hired employees controls the operation of the large sized business in absenter of the owners There usually be loss of personal interaction between the employer and employees which can later lead to staffs strikes and lack outs .This