Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Term Paper

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Term Paper Example Finally, the essay will look into the application and implantation of reforms to a healthcare institution. There are eight major elements of the Act as outlined by The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010). The first has to do with expanding access to health insurance coverage to most citizens. This is supported by the second element, which entails the provision of financial help to low-income individuals and families. With the second element, there is an automatic expansion of health insurance coverage to citizens. The third element provides for new competitive marketplaces for entities to acquire health insurance, while at the same time ensuring consumer protection in private health insurance. The fifth element looks into closing gaps in the Medicare program that have been costly. The sixth element allows for provision of preventative care, devoid of co-pays or deductibles. This is supported by the seventh element, which promotes movement towards payment systems that reward excellent care for the patient, coupled with positive outcomes, as opposed to rewarding the volume of care. Elements six and seven promote intensive care for the patient, over extensive care. Preventative care is a large component of quality care; it takes up minimal resources in comparison to care aimed at curing the ailment. The last element promotes more transparency and reporting among healthcare practitioners. This element encompasses all the rest because for the PPACA to take full effect there is need to ensure that all practitioners are playing their role towards ensuring such effectiveness. One of the key changes to operations in the hospital is the evolution of healthcare delivery systems from a mid-level care kind of delivery model to a more virtual care kind (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2014). This is

Essentials Mangement (report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Essentials Mangement (report) - Essay Example Early on, the proposition seems to be true as it is appealing but research and retrospection conducted for the study would indicate that the claim is actually oversimplified. The arguments that will prove this point are presented and detailed in the ensuing discussion. Team building is essentially defined as a continuous, multifaceted process where the members learn to work together for a common goal. It can pertain to any assembly of individuals in different areas of concern such as in sport and in business. The core principles that operate in building any successful team include making the members appreciate and develop a shared vision and unity of purpose, gradually forming a collaborative and synergistic teamwork and establishing an open and honest communication process. However, an effective team does not only cooperate for this can be forced or coerced. An effective team is essentially where people forms relationships that surpasses work. It also involves peer and social support and a build-up of trust that combines to create a positive team culture and a cohesive group atmosphere. This process only comes only after several stages of team building. Thus, the process of making people work together as a team involves an understanding of complex social and psychological processes which is further explored in the ensuing discussion. Human Psychology would tell us that every individual is unique in his own ways. Group and team development strategies try to make team members to appreciate common goals. A manager tries to develop in his group a need to achieve the organization’s objectives. He tries to motivate the members to work together as a team. However, the knowledge that all individuals are unique informs us that the development of synergistic relationships is easier said than done. Philosophical undertakings followed by scientific research would tell

The Steps Involved In Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay

The Steps Involved In Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay The aim of this report is to explain clearly in detail the steps involved in wastewater treatment including the disadvantages and suggested improvements to the process. This report will take on an engineering analysis of the many complex processes and the steps involved in processing wastewater into clean water safe to be discharged into the environment. Also included in this report is an overall process diagram of the wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the limitations and key advantages of this treatment are outlined and the appropriate and suitable improvements that can be made to overcome them are explored. Introduction Water, one of the worlds most important but unfortunately finite source, which is being endlessly used and reused. Wastewater treatment is the process in which wastewater as well as the sewage, is filled with bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants is cleaned so that it can be recycled back safe for use. Once the treatment is complete, all forms of solids called sludge, regardless of the shape and size that was present in the wastewater will be removed. Besides that, oxygen gets restored into the water, which then eventually ends up in the lakes and rivers which require oxygen rich water to support the lifestyle of the aquatic organisms. Wastewater includes a combination of domestic sewage (toilets, kitchen, and laundry) on a smaller scale and on a larger scale this consists of industrial effluent, schools as well as businesses (chemical and wastes, hospitals, shopping centres). Wastewater is also obtained from storm water infiltration and ground water which enters the sewer through the cracks present. Generally the waste can be broken down naturally with bacteria and other biological organisms especially when it is just household or business waste. However, wastes obtained from industries are generally toxic and require a physical/chemical treatment plant, which uses both chemical reactions and physical processes to process the wastewater. Overview of the treatment: As an overview, the wastewater treatment occurs in three stages which will be discussed thoroughly. It begins with the preliminary and primary treatment where 40-60 % of the solids are removed (City of Columbia). Followed by the secondary treatment where 90% of the pollutants are removed, hence completing the liquid portion process (City of Columbia). The next step would be the treatment and removal of the sludge (bio-solids). The number of stages of the treatment varies but generally go up to four depending on the quality of water being treated. Below is a picture of an aerial view of a general wastewater treatment plant. Source: http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Wastewater-Treatment-and-Management.html , 2010 Below, is the overall process diagram of the wastewater treatment. (Source: Wastewater treatment and principals and regulations brochure) Preliminary Treatment The preliminary treatment is the first stage in wastewater treatment with its main purpose removing coarse solids and large materials found in raw water to make the water suitable for the main treatment process. It also ensures that the pumping equipment does not get damaged. This initial stage involves various different processes which include screening, grit removal and odour control. Initially, the sewage is screened to remove large objects which include plastics and paper. This step is crucial to make sure that there is no blockage in the pipe system as well as no damages to the equipment. This is done generally by passing the sewage through mechanically raked bar screens (consisting of vertical bars spaced close together) which are used to capture the large objects and remove them from the wastewater stream. The screenings (material which have been cleared in this step) is disposed safely at a landfill site. Below is an example of a raked screen bar image used in industries. (Source : Huber Technology, 2009) The next step is the grit removal which includes grit, stones and dirt. However, before the sewage enters the grit tanks, Ferrous Chloride (FeCl2) and lime are added to improve the subsequent chemical treatment. Ferrous Chloride precipitates phosphorus thus reducing the growth of toxic algae in the water. Lime on the other hand is added to increase the pH level which aids the Ferrous Chloride in removing phosphorus and other material from the sewage. Various different types of detritus tanks, grinders and cyclonic inertial separation are used including a comminutor and grit chamber to remove the coarse solids. A comminutor is actually a grinding pump which houses a rotating cutting screen that makes shreds large organic matter, therefore making it easier for microorganisms to decompose the organic matter. This step also further prevents any damage to the machines and pumps in the process. The effectiveness of the chemicals added prior in the grit chamber is improved by adding and mixing compressed air into the wastewater. In order to allow the heavier inorganic materials settle out of the waste stream, the velocity of the incoming sewage is controlled. The air flow is also adjusted to create velocity near the bottom part of the chamber to catch the grit in a current hence, allowing it to settle. Chlorination is another step that could be used in the preliminary treatment. However, as chlorination can be used for all the different stages in the treatment, the equipment has to be design specially and carefully for the same operations. All the disposals collected from the preliminary stages are disposed of safely in a landfill. Primary Treatment The next step, following the preliminary treatment is the primary treatment. The purpose of this step is to remove the particles which are able to settle by sedimentation which includes organic nitrogen, organic phosphorous and heavy metals (New York Water operations 2007). This is done by passing the wastewater through the primary sedimentation tanks or primary clarifiers where solid particles are removed by physical settling due to its density, buoyancy and the force of gravity. Coagulants and flocculants such as solid and liquid Aluminium Sulphate and Aluminium Hydroxide Chloride (Accepta Water Treatment, 2010) are often added to expedite this process by encouraging the aggregation of particles. However, the pH level has to be constantly adjusted as they tend to reduce the pH levels of the wastewater. (Source : City of Camarillo, 2010) Above is an image of a sedimentation tank. They are designed to hold wastewater for numerous hours by then which most of the heavy solids would settle at the bottom of the tank. They would then form thick slurry known as sludge and also floating material such as fats, oil and grease to rise to the surface which would then be skimmed off. There are mechanical scrapers that have been designed for the tanks with the purpose of collecting the sludge at the bottom and the scum floating on the top. Both the sludge and skimmed material are generally pumped to a solid treatment process. The sedimentation process is basically mainly to produce a liquid which is able to be treated biologically by reducing the biological oxygen demand, also known as BOD of water. BOD is the quantity of oxygen that is needed by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic matter in a sample of water. The degree of water pollution can also be measured by the BOD. (The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language) When the solids are removed at these early stages, BOD can be reduced by 30-40 percent hence, increasing the efficiency of microbial digestion at a later stage. (Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, 2010) Secondary Treatment The next stage, called the secondary treatment focuses on removing the remaining suspended and dissolved organic matter in the sewage. It is also known as the biological stage as the biodegradable organic contaminants that are dissolved would be broken down by microorganisms cultivated and added to the wastewater such as bacteria and protozoa. These microorganisms feed on the suspended and dissolved organic matter that remained from the primary clarifier. These bacteria can be categorised into aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, which is actually their need to oxygen. Generally, aerobes can degrade pollutants at a higher rate as opposed to anaerobes. (Waste Management, 2004) Numerically, the anaerobic treatment produces 0.1-0.2 kg biomass or sludge per kg BOD as opposed to the aerobic treatment which produces 0.5-1.5 kg biomass or sludge per kg BOD. (V. Jegatheesan, C. Visvanathan and R. Ben Aim, 2008) Also, some factors that increases their rate of degradation is the quantity of their food source and the temperature of the sewer. This secondary treatment can actually be carried out in numerous different methods. Anaerobic Treatment Anaerobic is defined as does not require oxygen. (MedicineNet.com) Firstly, the sewage is flown into anaerobic large tanks or ponds, therefore allowing anaerobic digestion to take place. Anaerobic digestion is when biodegradable material is broken down by the organisms without the presence of oxygen. The product of this digestion includes methane, carbon dioxide and sludge where to our advantage; methane can be used as an energy source categorising the anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy source. There is a membrane cover at the surface of the tanks/ponds which captures the methane and it is then used to generate electricity by combustion in a gas engine as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and odour. Besides that, mixing in the anaerobic process requires less energy compared to the aeration step carried out in the aerobic process. The emission of landfill gases into the atmosphere is also reduced with this anaerobic digestion. However, larger treatment plants are needed f or the anaerobic process as they have slower reaction rates. (Guerrero F. Omil, R. Mà ©ndez and J. M. Lema , 1998) The three main steps of this process are: 1. Hydrolysis and Acidogenesis C6H12O6 Æ’Â   2C2H5OH + 2CO2 (Organic compound) (Ethanol) (Carbon Dioxide) Hydrolysis is a process where the covalent bonds are broken with the use of water. Therefore the complex organic compounds are broken down into their constituent part by enzymes. Subsequently, acidogenesis is where acidogenic bacteria produces short-chain product by converting the hydrolysis products through fermentation and other metabolic processes. 2. Acetogenesis 2C2H5OH + CO2 Æ’Â   CH4 + 2CH3COOH (Ethanol) (Carbon Dioxide) (Methane) (Acetic Acid) 2CO2 + 4H2 Æ’Â   CH3COOH + 2H2O (Carbon Dioxide) (Hydrogen) (Acetic Acid) (Water) Acetogenesis is the process where acid and alcohol are converted into acetate, hydrogen and carbonic gas by acetogens categorised into homoacetogens, syntrophes and suphoreductors. The acetic acid production process may be carried out by Clostridium acetium, Actobacter woodii and Clostridium termoautotrophicum. The products of this process vary with the type of bacteria, temperature and pH levels. 3. Methanogenesis CO2 + 4H2 Æ’Â   CH4 + 2H2O (Carbon Dioxide) (Hydrogen) (Methane) (Water) CH3COOH Æ’Â   CH4 + CO2 (Acetic Acid) (Methane) (Carbon Dioxide) The third step of this process is methanogenesis, a form of anaerobic respiration in which methanogens (microbes) that exist in deep sediments convert soluble matter into methane. The majority of the methane production is from the conversion of acetic acid and the rest comes from the reduction of Carbon Dioxide by hydrogen. In addition to above, Sulphur, sulphite and nitrate under anaerobic conditions are reduced. To produce sulphides by sulphur reduction, Sulphur Reducing Bacteria (SRB) use sulphate or sulphite as electron acceptors and organic compounds such as acetate as electron donors. This is the main reason behind the rotten egg smell that exists from wastewater as they are kept for long periods of time under these anaerobic conditions. As for Denitrification however, nitrogen gas is produced by the reduction of nitrates using the organic compounds in the wastewater by denitrifying bacteria (DB). The bacteria generally require a carbon food source as energy for the conversion of nitrogen. 6NO3- + 5CH3OH Æ’Â   3N2 + 5CO2 + 7H20 + 6OH- (Nitrate) (Methanol) (Nitrogen Gas) (Carbon Dioxide) (Water) (Hydroxide) Aerobic Treatment The next step in this secondary treatment of wastewater is the activated sludge process where atmospheric air or pure oxygen is bubbled through the sewage, combined with microorganisms to create biological flocculants which reduces the organic content of the wastewater quite significantly. This occurs because of the bacteria and protozoa feed on the remaining organic materials in the wastewater. (Guerrero F. Omil, R. Mà ©ndez and J. M. Lema , 1998) Generally, the sewage is transferred into large ponds or tanks which are called surface-aerated basins that have floating surface aerators to promote the biological oxidation of wastewaters. These floating aerators create an oxygen rich aerobic environment in the sewage by removing most of the BOD therefore encouraging the growth of the aerobic microorganisms. Furthermore, the aerators provide mixing required for dispersing the air as well as contacting the reactants namely oxygen, microbes and wastewater. In the final clarifiers, the mixing process improves the settling of the biological solids. As the biological oxidation processes are highly dependent on the temperature changes, increasing the temperature to a certain threshold increases the rate of microbial decomposition. Surface aerated vessels mainly operate at temperatures ranging from 4  °C to 32  °C. (Beychok, M.R 1971) Nitrification is a process where the dissolved ammonia is removed by oxidizing it to nitrate which occurs during the activated sludge process. As a high concentration of ammonia is toxic to marine life, they have to be removed from the wastewater via the nitrification process. Nitrification can be divided into two steps, the oxidation of ammonia into nitrate by Nitrosomomonas and the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate by Nitrobacter. As the nitrifying organisms are chemoautotrophs, they use carbon dioxide as their source of growth and for cell maintenance. 2NH3 + 2CO2 + 3 O2 + Nitrosomonas → 2NO2- + 2H2O + 2H+ (ammonia) (nitrite ion) 2NO2- + 2CO2 + O2 + Nitrobacter → 2 NO3- (nitrite ion) (nitrate) The remaining solid particles flocculate to form larger and heavier particles that settle down more easily based on the biological reaction. Then, this mixture of wastewater and solid particles are pumped into a second clarifier or sedimentation tank where the solid particles are separated from the wastewater similar to the process in the primary sedimentation tank, where the resulting sludge is referred to as the activated sludge. Activated sludge is a biological material, brown in colour consisting of mainly saprotrophic bacteria that is produced by the activated sludge process which affects the purification process. In poorly managed activated sludge, a range of mucilaginous filamentous bacteria including Sphaetotilus natans can develop. These bacteria produce sludge that does not settle easily and therefore a possibility that a sludge blanket decanting over the weirs in the sedimentation tank that will severely contaminate the final effluent quality will form. A portion of the solid is recycled back into the surface aerated basins to be re-used in the nitrification process as the microorganisms in the sludge are still active. Excess sludge which eventually accumulates beyond what is recycled is called Waste Activated Sludge and then removed from the treatment process to maintain the ratio of the biomass to food supply in the balance (F/L balance). As a whole, the aerobic process is preferred as it is more stable, reliable and a clearer process understanding. Tertiary Treatment The final stage of the wastewater treatment is the tertiary treatment. This tertiary treatment is considered the advanced treatment stage of wastewater treatment. The purpose of this stage is to raise the quality of effluent before it is discharged into the receiving environment including the ocean, rivers or lakes. Various different methods can be used to undergo this tertiary treatment, however it is been found that the most cost-effective and environmental friendly method is lagooning followed by the Ultra-Violet disinfection. The wastewater may also be treated by chlorine but high chlorine content will harm the aquatic life that receives the water. A chlorine-neutralising chemical is often added before the stream is discharged in situations where required. However, if very high quality effluent is needed, an additional step, namely the polishing process that use sand or gravel filters and wetlands is carried out as the water from the treatment process are not safe enough to be co nsumed as there is still bacteria present. Below is a picture of a UV channel used in wastewater tertiary treatment. Source : City of Idaho, 2007 The sewage is then flowed into a series of large man made lagoons which are highly aerobic following the secondary treatment. Colonisation by algae and zooplankton is often encouraged due to their aerobic nature. The algae that grow in the lagoons captures trace amounts of organic nutrients and compounds in the wastewater which are then grazed by the zooplankton. The remaining algae and plankton settle to the bottom hence binding the nutrients in the sediment. Other microorganisms which are present in the sewage assist in reducing if not removing the harmful pathogens in water. Furthermore, the sewage left in these lagoons are exposed to the ultra violet radiation from the sun coupled with the grazing zooplankton, which creates a far from ideal environment for the bacteria which results in a great reduction their quantity. Where greater intensity of UV radiation or where there is insufficient, the sewage may be transferred into ponds that generate the UV radiation with ultra violet light bulbs for further disinfection. This disinfection eliminates pathogens and cist and is very use friendly as well as operates at a low cost. How it works is that the UV radiation actually damages the genetic structure of the bacteria, viruses and other pathogens hence inhibiting them to reproduce. A key advantage is that no chemicals are added to the sewage when the UV light method is used, hence no adverse effect on organisms that later consume the water. (http://wastewater-treatment.org) Generally lagoons need large spaces to operate however they do not need as much money and time as the traditional tertiary treatment wastewater procedures. The lagoons have also been found to be an important habitat for the birds. After the lagooning process, the treated effluent is ready to be released back into the environment and regarded as safe. Below are pictures of lagoons, the first one being an aerial view and the second one a close up. Source : City of Idaho, 2007 Source : City of Idaho, 2007 Disadvantages of the process First and foremost, to operate a wastewater treatment plant, a significantly large amount of energy is needed. In most communities, they are often regarded as the largest energy consumer. As previously mentioned, energy is generated by the biogas produced onsite, however in most situations, this only accounts for approximately half the plants energy requirements. This is due to the fact that the wastewater treatment plants are consistently operating to keep up with the ever increasing inflow of sewage. This consumption of external energy, other than the one being produced in the plant leads to high operational costs and also, more importantly affects the environment if the energy is sourced from fossil fuel. As the primary focus of the wastewater treatment is to remove contaminants from water, and eventually recycled into drinking water, recent studies show that the presence of certain contaminants including hormones and synthetic material can have an adverse impact even at minimal levels on the natural biota and for some cases, humans. For even processes that remove 99% of microorganisms, the final effluent declared as safe to drink may contain about 50 000 microorganisms. (Environmental Protection Agency United States, 2002) This is a threat when the receiving water is used for activities such as swimming or shellfish harvesting which need to be carried out in an environment with as little microorganisms as possible. BOD levels also affect the environment as although they are greatly reduced throughout the whole process the levels leaving the plant in most cases are high enough to damage the quality of the receiving environment. In the preliminary treatment, the main disadvantage highlighted is the high cost of the screening due to high labour and maintenance costs, as well as high maintenance cost of the machinery. In the primary treatment, the accumulation of sludge that is disposed off onto landfills that will eventually get full and hence taking up a larger area. In the secondary treatment however, there are quite a few limitations. Firstly, in the anaerobic digestion process, the bi-product requires substantial wet biomass handling and disposal. If this waste was to be disposed of in a landfill, often they would break down anaerobically, releasing methane into the atmosphere where methane is about twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, hence significant adverse effects on the environment. (ABC News, 2008) For the aerobic digestion however, the operating costs are marginally greater due to the additional costs needed to add oxygen. Skilled manpower is also needed for the operat ion and maintenance of this process. Finally, in the tertiary treatment, the major limitation is the lagooning process which depends highly on the climate condition that affects the toxicity of municipal wastewater and effects in the receiving environment which includes dissolved oxygen content in sewage, temperature of wastewater as well as efficiency of microbial processes. Hence, the effluent produced is of different qualities. For the UV disinfection, frequent maintenance and replacements incur additional costs. Besides that, not all organisms are actually affected by the UV radiation. (http://wastewater-treatment.org) The wastewater treatment process manages to remove almost all of the organic chemicals and metals present in the wastewater, however due to environmental degradation, the contaminants should not be discharged in large quantities as the contaminants may be toxic and stay in the environment for long durations. The contaminants will accumulate in the living tissue and be passed up along the food chain. Suggested Improvements to the Process General Improvements to the Process Overall Alternative sources of energy, especially renewable energy should be explored as wastewater treatment plants generally consume large amounts of energy. The generation of energy from the produced biogas during the process is insufficient to run the plant thought it helps reduce the environment consequences and overall operational costs. A named alternative to be considered is the use of hydroelectric power. The flow of water before the final effluent is released into the receiving environment could be used to generate electricity by the use of turbines. However, the capital and maintenance costs of the plant would increase. The volume of wastewater entering the treatment plant can be reduced by reducing the pipes diameter or by a inserting a valve is important as this smaller flow of influent leads to improved treatment, longer system life and a lower chance of overflowing. Overall, the quality of effluent will be increased with the reduction of influent flow as the waste will remain in the system longer; therefore more time is provided for settling, decomposition and aeration. Unfortunately, the volume of wastewater is largely dependent on the amount of water used in the community. Therefore campaigns and awareness should be carried out to help reduce the inflow of sewage by conserving the use of water. Odour Control By their nature, processes involved in the wastewater treatment, primarily from the anaerobic digestion process generate odour. Odour is actually one of the biggest concerns of the operators of the wastewater treatment as well as the general public. One way to overcome the release of odour into the surroundings is to capture the gas resulting from the anaerobic process and treat the trapped gasses. Examples of some treatment systems include activated charcoal bed systems, chemical scrubbers (often using hypochlorite solution), a compost pile type bio-filter and UV radiation treatment. The captured air may also be treated by pumping it through soil where the odorous compounds are absorbed into the soil particles and destroyed by naturally-occurring soil bacteria. (Wastewater treatment technologies) Other methods may include the addition of ferrous chloride to the wastewater collection system to reduce the release of hydrogen sulphide gas. Ion generators may also be installed onsite to help reduce the odours. Reaction Rates Anaerobic and specific aerobic microbial processes are temperature sensitive, and generally if the temperature is reduced the rate of reactions also decreases. Therefore, the climate conditions affect the quality of the final effluent through the lagooning process and open air ponds. As the biogas produced is used to generate power usually by combustion, the heat generated from this can be used to regulate the temperature in the lagoons. This is a cost-efficient way to curb climate conditions with minimal environment impacts. When the rate of the Nitrification process increases with the use of the ringlace fixed film system, the rate of reaction also increases. Ringlace is material developed in the 1980s by the Japanese and consists of a rope like material of high surface area and chemical composition conductive to bacterial attachment and growth. This system has been proven to increase the nitrification rates by 25% when the operation temperature is less than 1 °C. Apart from being cost effective due to its minimal installation and maintenance costs, the ringlace system also positively affects the BOD reduction and hinders algae growth. (Richard, M) Activated Sludge Process For the effective removal of organic matter, the activated sludge process requires sufficient oxygen supply and thorough mixing. The rate of which the microorganisms decompose can be increased tremendously if the aeration systems in the sludge tanks design be improvised as to provide a higher input of oxygen into the sewage. A key advantage to this design improvement would be the decreased amount of ammonia discharged into the environment as final effluent. Bio-solid Processing and Disposal The sludge that accumulates from the wastewater treatment processes has to be dealt with and can be done in a number of ways. As these bio-solids are highly toxic, they require intensive treatment before it is ready for disposal. For now, the conventional means of bio-solid treatment is sufficient as in to be disposed off in landfills. However, in time to come, the space requirements to accommodate these solids are not practical. Worthless sludge can be converted into marketable bio-solids through a process called Thermal Drying. The volume and mass of the solids are greatly reduced by evaporating the majority of their water content by the thermal dryers. To assist in forming larger aggregates of solids and releasing of water, chemical coagulants are usually used. Higher temperatures produce higher quality of bio-solids that can be sold as fertilizer. The product is easily handled, stored and transported. The main advantage of this process is that it can provide extra revenue to the plant. To the environment, it reduces odours resulting from the decomposition of the sludge. (Viessman, W Jr, 2010) A picture of the final product of the thermal drying is as below: (Source : Stibbe Management, 2006) On the other hand, thermal oxidation is an efficient process that converts bio-solids into an energy source, producing carbon dioxide, water and ash. The process occurs in a fluidized bed reactor that is highly energy efficient as it can be self-sustaining without auxiliary fuel when the combustion air is preheated to high temperatures. Heated air, gas, steam, water or oil which can be converted into electricity is recovered from these reactors. The advantages of this process include its low life-cycle cost, its ability to destroy all volatile solids and pathogens, minimising odour and offsets the energy consumption of the plant. Another approach involves treatment with lime (calcium oxide), which kills pathogens due to its high alkaline content. The heat generated from this reaction also helps in producing a drier final product. The waste sludge may also be treated by a means of anaerobic digestion which is similar to the anaerobic digestion which occurs in the water treatment process. In the anaerobic digestion of bio-solids, the waste activated sludge and primary sludge are mixed together without the presence of air. The digestion takes place in two steps and involves two distinct groups of bacteria. In the first step, acid-forming bacteria convert complex organic wastes (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) into organic fatty acids. The second step is where bacteria convert these organic acids into methane, carbon dioxide and other trace gasses. As before, the methane produced may be used to generate energy by a means of combustion. This process stabilises a majority of the organic waste in the sludge thus allowing the bio-solids to be utilised as a soil conditioner. The stabilised bio-solids contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are beneficial to plant growth. Application of these bio-solids in ag riculture has lead to increased crop production. (Bio-energy from wastewater treatment) Conclusion The bioprocess involved in the steps of the wastewater treatment process namely the preliminary treatment which includes screening, grit removal the primary treatment which involves the primary sedimentation process, the secondary treatment which consists of the anaerobic and aerobic digestion and the secondary sedimentation and finally the tertiary treatment which is made up of the lagooning and the ultraviolet disinfection has been outlined in this report. The improvements as well as the key advantages were also discussed in the report. Improvements to the processes that would increase the quality of water discharged into the environment as well as the revenue of the wastewater company were focused on. Wastewater treatment is essential to ensure the preservation of our water and marine life and to the environment as a whole.

A World of Guilt Essay -- essays research papers

A World of Guilt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All human beings will, at some point carry some amount of guilt with them. Whether they could have prevented what happened or not, humans tend to carry guilt. Hester Prynne will forever carry the guilt of committing adultery. This is shown when Hawthorne writes, ?Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life? (53). In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about sin and hypocrisy by describing the trials and tribulations of Hester Prynne. Hawthorne wants the readers of his book to dig deeper into their own thoughts and beliefs and examine if they themselves are hypocritical in daily life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester shows throughout the book that she carries a great deal of guilt. Hester refuses to give the name of her lover in an attempt to shield him from her grief. She shows this early in the book when she says, ?I will not speak? (64). She also tries to conceal the name of Pearl?s father to shield him from guilt. Hester tells the crowd at the scaffold that her child will not know her father when she says, ?And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!? (64).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester bears her guilt in a variety of ways. First she pampers her only treasure, Pearl. She wants the focus of peoples attention to be on Pearl, which she shows when the story states ?Her mother, with a morbid purpose, that may be better unde...

Comparing relevant theories, principles and models of reflective practice Essay

Reflective practice is an evolving concept. In the 1930s, John Dewey defined reflective thought as: ‘Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends.’ He set out five phases or aspects through which we can see a process of reflection. However using phrases such as phase and stage does give a sense of sequence, a set method and there seems to be no room for interaction or dialogue rather that the teacher reflects individually. Of course, this can be the case we don’t all have someone to discuss and reflect with following every teaching experience. However it there is a definite place for interaction and dialogue with e.g. colleagues, mentor in order to evaluate what has gone before and how we can move on. I have found that through reflection with my mentor and by discussing points raised I have seen my teaching from another perspective and have taken on board different approaches. Shortly after starting teaching I was keen to achieve more involvement of the students in my sessions and through reflecting with my mentor I introduced various questioning techniques that have made my sessions more interactive and have benefitted the students. This use of Blooms’ taxonomy of questioning (1956) broadened my way of thinking about questions and as well as impacting my sessions developed my literacy skills by thinking about the way in which I communicate with others and being aware of my audience. The work of Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985), addressed emotions and reduced Dewey’s five phases to three. For them reflection is an activity in which people: ‘Recapture their experiences, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it.’ This approach is very much reflecting on action which enables us to spend time exploring why we acted as we did, what was happening in the group etc. This goes against the idea of reflection as a continual process, a way of life, and there was criticism of Boud et al from Cinnamond and Zimpher (1990) when they argued that: ‘They (Boud et al) constrain reflection by turning it into a mental activity that excludes both the behavioural element and dialogue with others involved in the situation.’ More and more I find myself reflecting as I’m teaching and adapting my teaching as the session progresses to meet the needs of individuals who have brought their own view to the session and presented me with an additional way of looking at the subject matter or prompted me to use an example which I had previously dismissed or forgotten about. The work of Kolb (1984) has been influential for the majority of educators as he approaches reflection in a cyclical way as one that is ongoing and constantly striving for improvement (see Diagram below). This to me is a practical and usable model of reflection that can be applied to many aspects of our life experiences not solely education. An example of how I have worked in this cyclical way and developed my ICT skills is my use of power point presentation within sessions. I began teaching using pre-prepared power points that did add to my sessions but could still be quite dry at times. By researching ways in which to improve on this I have progressed to adding animation, DVD clips, sound and am now in the process of compiling my own power point presentations using up to date and more relevant information which the students can relate to. By using this ICT tool in this way I have seen students response increase as well as their interest in further research. Brookfield (1995) saw reflection as viewing teaching from four different perspectives, he maintains that: ‘The heart of the reflective process is viewing teaching from four different perspectives or â€Å"lenses†: our autobiographies as teachers and learners; our students’ eyes; colleagues’ perceptions; and relevant theoretical literature.’ We all come to teaching from different backgrounds and with differing life experiences. Using this together with information gleaned from dialogue with colleagues and students and researching our subject specialism so as to keep up to date with new information will all add to the reflective process. On my short courses I like to find out, if possible, what type of electrical work the students are currently undertaking and then I attempt to relate the theory to practical situations they will be familiar with. This dialogue with students is, I believe, one of the reasons they have been so successful. Reflective practice requires a commitment to self-development and the time to achieve it, this as we know is one of the issues facing us all as educators as we strive to improve our teaching but can be held up by a lack of resources including time. Teachers improve their ability to react and respond as they are teaching, to assess, revise and implement approaches and activities on the spot. Reflection is key to moving forward and providing the best possible education for those students in our care. Word Count: 774 References: Boud, D et al (eds.) (1985) Reflection. Turning experience into learning, London: Kogan Page. Kolb, Da. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as a source of learning and development, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Brookfield, S (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York: Longmans, Green. Cinnamond and Zimpher. (1990). Reflection. Available: www.infed.org/biblio/b-reflect.htm. Last accessed 20 March 2010.

Explain how governments are attempting to overcome the problems of rapid urbanisation

Urbanisation is the rapid movement of people from rural areas into urban areas. This generally occurred in MEDC's in the mid 19th Century, and is currently occurring in LEDC's. Urbanisation has many negative effects on a city, these can include deindustrialisation, housing problems, ethnic minority groups and poor quality of life. Deindustrialisation is the movement of manufacturing industries away from inner city areas. New technologies which start up in the area require a smaller work force. This leads to unemployment. What jobs are available are split into two jobs with half the wage, this leads to under employment where people can barely afford to live. The housing problems which become associated with urbanisation are mostly overcrowding, where there are more than one person per room in the house, and the other many problem is that there are many more owner occupancy housing, and these tend to be situated away from the inner areas. Those people who cannot afford to buy properties are forced to rely on smaller and declining council rented houses. In LEDC's the new migrated population tend to build up temporary housing areas around the city, these are called different things in different places; Brazils call them favelas, in Peru they are called barricades, Mexicans call them colonias proletarias and in India they are called bustees. Discrimination against ethnic minorities in both employment and housing opportunities often leave these people trapped in the inner cities. In general ethnic minorities live in wards which are even more deprived than the average Unemployment amongst ethnic minorities are almost always higher than the rate among the white population and ethnic minorities suffer higher rates of overcrowding. Quality of life criteria have been used to highlight the substandard housing, educational disadvantage, ill-health, deprivation and poor environments (e.g. pollution). The residential populations typically include those least able to move such as the elderly and recent immigrants. A number of policies have been introduced to try to reduce the problems of inner-cities, these include; gentrification, conservation and rehabilitation and central government policies. Gentrification is the term used to describe the improvement of old buildings usually by private investment. The external of the appearance of the building is restored to its original quality and the interior is modernised. Gentrification can involve housing directly, like the Georgian terraces of London, another example is the Docklands Development Scheme where old factories or warehouses have been converted into houses. By providing high quality accommodation in areas where the environment has also been improved, in this way investment is drawn into the inner city areas. Conservation and rehabilitation involves the wide spread clearance of old terraced housing and replacement with high-rise flats, or by modernising the old houses to make them more suitable for people to live in. In Birmingham 75,000 houses were involved in the new housing scheme. The high-rise flats solution are thought to have failed because of the disruption to community life and the difficulty that living in flat can create. Central government policies have aimed to stimulate economic development and improve the urban environment so that new investment is drawn into the area. These policies include grants enterprising zones and city action teams. The London Docklands Development Corporation started a massive project in redesigning the Docklands, they built the light railway the city airport, new housing areas and new industrial opportunities. Much redevelopment has taken place in Salford Docks, in Manchester, where hotels, houses, factories, warehouses and a leisure complex have all been added to the Dockland area. In conclusion, urbanisation has caused many problems in both MEDC's and LEDC's, the governments of these areas have been trying to counteract these problems by reversing them or slowing them down. The solutions are often expensive but have many positive effects to the area. The aims of these policies are to improve the quality of life for the people in the inner city areas and to provide better opportunities for them. Many of these solutions have provided these results.

The History of Sao Paulo

The History of Sao Paulo So Paulo, Brazil is the largest city in Latin America, edging out runner-up Mexico City by a couple of million inhabitants. It has a long and interesting history, including serving as home base for the infamous Bandeirantes. Foundation The first European settler in the area was Joo Ramalho, a Portuguese sailor who had been shipwrecked. He was the first to explore the area of present-day So Paulo. Like many cities in Brazil, So Paulo was founded by Jesuit Missionaries. So Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga was established in 1554 as a mission to convert Guains natives to Catholicism. In 1556-1557 the Jesuits built the first school in the region. The town was strategically located, being between the ocean and fertile lands to the west, and it is also on the Tietà ª River. It became an official city in 1711. Bandeirantes In the early years of So Paulo, it became the home base for the Bandeirantes, which were explorers, slavers, and prospectors who explored the interior of Brazil. In this remote corner of the Portuguese Empire, there was no law, so ruthless men would explore the uncharted swamps, mountains and rivers of Brazil taking whatever they wanted, be it native slaves, precious metals or stones. Some of the more ruthless Bandeirantes, such as Antonio Rapà ´so Tavares (1598-1658), would even sack and burn Jesuit missions and enslave the natives who lived there. The Bandeirantes explored a great deal of the Brazilian interior, but at a high cost: thousands, if not millions of natives, were killed and enslaved in their raids.​​ Gold and Sugar Gold was discovered in the state of Minas Gerais at the end of the seventeenth century, and subsequent explorations discovered precious stones there as well. The gold boom was felt in So Paulo, which was a gateway to Minas Gerais. Some of the profits were invested in sugarcane plantations, which were quite profitable for a time. Coffee and Immigration Coffee was introduced to Brazil in 1727 and has been a crucial part of the Brazilian economy ever since. So Paulo was one of the first cities to benefit from the coffee boom, becoming a center for coffee commerce in the nineteenth century. The coffee boom attracted So Paulo’s first major wave of foreign immigrants after 1860, mostly poor Europeans (particularly Italians, Germans, and Greeks) seeking work, although they were soon followed by a number of Japanese, Arabs, Chinese, and Koreans. When slavery was outlawed in 1888, the need for workers only grew. So Paulo’s considerable Jewish community also was established around this time. By the time the coffee boom fizzled in the early 1900s, the city had already branched out into other industries. Independence So Paulo was important in the Brazilian independence movement. The Portuguese Royal Family had moved to Brazil in 1807, fleeing Napoleon’s armies, establishing a royal court from which they ruled Portugal (at least theoretically: in reality, Portugal was ruled by Napoleon) as well as Brazil and other Portuguese holdings. The Royal family moved back to Portugal in 1821 after the defeat of Napoleon, leaving eldest son Pedro in charge of Brazil. The Brazilians were soon angered by their return to colony status, and Pedro agreed with them. On September 7, 1822, in So Paulo, he declared Brazil independent and himself Emperor. Turn of the Century Between the coffee boom and wealth coming from mines in the interior of the country, So Paulo soon became the richest city and province in the nation. Railroads were built, connecting it to the other important cities. By the turn of the century, important industries were making their base in So Paulo, and the immigrants kept pouring in. By then, So Paulo was attracting immigrants not only from Europe and Asia but from within Brazil as well: poor, uneducated workers from the Brazilian northeast flooded into So Paulo looking for work. The 1950s So Paulo benefited greatly from the industrialization initiatives developed during the administration of Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-1961). During his time, the automotive industry grew, and it was centered in So Paulo. One of the workers in the factories in the 1960s and 1970s was none other than Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, who would go on to become president. So Paulo continued to grow, both in terms of population and influence. So Paulo also became the most important city for business and commerce in Brazil. So Paulo Today So Paulo has matured into a culturally diverse city, powerful economically and politically. It continues to be the most important city in Brazil for business and industry and lately has been discovering itself culturally and artistically as well. It has always been on the cutting edge of art and literature and continues to be home to many artists and writers. It is an important city for music as well, as many popular musicians are from there. The people of So Paulo are proud of their multicultural roots: the immigrants who populated the city and worked in its factories are gone, but their descendants have kept their traditions and So Paulo is a very diverse city.

A Conflict of Loyalties Case Study

A Conflict of Loyalties Case Study The government is mandated to implement policies that bring a greater good to the public. Government policies are implemented by people who work in the public service. These are better known as the civil servants. Public administrators have a wide scope of roles that they are supposed to execute. However, their major objective is to ensure that the government is functioning properly.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on A Conflict of Loyalties specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, most of the activities that the public administrators carry out are concerned with the management of governmental programs, making decisions on behalf of the government, as well as analysing government policies before they are implemented. Public administration faces a number of problems that affect proper functioning of the departments that public administrators head. In addressing the problems, it is important to first analyse the f actors that cause these problems. This article is an assessment of the factors that are the main source of the problems of public administration in the â€Å"conflict of loyalties† case study. The paper describes the problems faced by A.J. Stewart as a public administrator in the Department of Defence. The paper ends by recommending how issues in public administration should be resolved. Case factors The author of this case mentions about A.J. Stewart who was employed as a public servant in the Department of Defence Production and the challenges he was facing in administering his duties. Stewart was working in the electronics branch. The Department of Supply and Services was later established within the larger department where Stewart worked. Stewart was the head of the Union in 1975. The department had up to 8,100 members. It is indicated that the Union did not have any certification to work as a bargaining agent on behalf of the Purchasing and Supply Group. Public Service A lliance of Canada (PSAC) was the certified agent for the group. This Union was, however, a founding member of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which Stewart was a member, and the Civil Services Association of Canada. Stewart constantly complained about the state of affairs in the Department of Supply and Services. The management of the department did not consult with the Union to restore order. This led to further problems that greatly affected the performance of the department negatively.Advertising Looking for case study on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The efforts by Stewart to meet the President to resolve the problems were all in vain. He made efforts to reorganize the department, but nothing fruitful came out of his efforts. This made him frustrated, especially with the management that was supposed to attend to his concerns. From the case, it is observed that one of the major fact ors that lead to the problems in public administration is poor communication because communication is very important in any setup. It facilitates success and has a positive effect on job performance and execution of activities. The poor communication system in the department deterred any efforts by Stewart. He wrote letters to the concerned parties, but they were all ignored. It is difficult to solve any problem without dialogue. On the other hand, identification of problems that affect an organisation is always easier when there is effective communication. In addition, it is easier to make decisions because all the concerned parties are involved in the process. Policies are not implemented effectively when there is poor communication. Therefore, it is the obligation of all the concerned parties within the Department of Supply and Services to improve the current level of communication so that the current problems can be addressed comprehensively. There is an extent to which the gove rnment employees are expected to express views publicly. There is information that public servants are not supposed to release because it can expose the government and may affect its functioning and effectiveness in serving the public. The public service union should make it clear to the employees the information that they are not supposed to release to the public. It is also the role of the Union to inform the employees which information is safe for release to the public. Stewart expressed his views publicly through the newspaper called, â€Å"The Citizen† when he realised the issues that were affecting the public service union. This was a move that could greatly affect the reputation of the Union. Therefore, Stewart should have found other ways of trying to find a solution to the problem. For instance, he should have identified the employees of the Union who would support his idea and engage them in the process. He would have communicated with these individuals about the po ssible solutions to the problems affecting the Union at the time.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on A Conflict of Loyalties specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since the top management seemed not to listen to him, he would then use his supporters to exert pressure on the top officials and influence other employees. In the long run, someone would have listened to him and his grievances would have been taken into consideration. Bureaucracy is the other factor that is leading to problems in the Department of Supply and Services. The purchasing process is slow due to the many protocols that are put in place. In the past, it has been observed that the department has no intentions of speeding up the process. The purchase costs have also increased rapidly. Every additional senior management post is accompanied by an additional staff. The cost of maintaining these workers is added to the purchases, further making operations of the department more expensive. Doing away with the Department of Supply and Services could be an option, but this will only affect the lower staff members who are likely to lose their jobs. The rest of the senior members have the power and the ability to quickly create another department, meaning that scrapping the Department of Supply and Services would hurt them less. The complex bureaucracy could affect the flow of information. The minister should open consultations with the Department of Supply and Services to address the bureaucracy issue, but he has failed to do so. This has led to the persistence of the same problem. Unfortunately, the problem is escalating as a solution continues to delay. Stewart took it upon himself to expose the issues in his department through an article in the newspaper. This was a move that put him in trouble. He was summoned by the Deputy Minister and ordered to take corrective measures for breaching the loyalty and discretion required to be exhib ited by a public officer. Mr. Roches, the Deputy Minister, was right about the issue. However, the right decision was not to seek for a suitable problem resolution technique that would engage Stewart in a respectable and non-threatening manner. He was not supposed to threaten Stewart by stating that he would likely lose his job position. Instead, he would have called Stewart in private and discuss the issue with the aim of coming up with an amicable solution.Advertising Looking for case study on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He would have asked Stewart to express his mind to him while listening attentively to identify the problem and the cause of the problem. This would build a platform where both of them would agree to find a solution to the problems affecting the Department of Supply and Services. Mr Stewart has the option of making an apology to the public or privately apologizing to the board as stipulated under the Public Service Staff Relation Act. Otherwise, the board has the powers to check whether he failed to carry out his obligations and take action against him. The action taken should be guided by the need to restore discipline when communicating departmental issues to the public. Recommendation It is normal for organisations or departments to experience issues that are likely to affect performance. How the problems are resolved is what matters for such organisations. One of the major factors that should be considered in such cases is communication. The employees should have a clear line thr ough which they communicate their issues to the top management. On the other hand, the top management and officials should be ready and willing to listen to the employees. In a public service union, it is against the regulation to express views to the public without consulting. Any employee who does that should face the right actions against him. However, the actions should be justified and not seen to be discriminatory. The aim of taking any action should be restoring sanity of public service administration and not cowing public servants.

The Evolution of the Farm Tractor

The Evolution of the Farm Tractor The first engine-powered farm tractors used steam and were introduced in 1868. These engines were built as small road locomotives and were handled by one operator if the engine weighed less than 5 tons. They were used for general road haulage and in particular by the timber trade. The most popular steam tractor was the Garrett 4CD. Gasoline Powered Tractors According to the book Vintage Farm Tractors by Ralph W. Sanders, Credit goes to the Charter Gasoline Engine Company of Sterling in Illinois for first successfully using gasoline as fuel. Charters creation of a gasoline-fueled engine in 1887 soon led to early gasoline traction engines before the term tractor was coined by others. Charter adapted its engine to a Rumley steam-traction-engine chassis and in 1889 produced six of the machines to become one of the first working gasoline traction engines. John Froelich Sanders book Vintage Farm Tractors also discusses several other early gas-powered tractors. This includes one invented by John Froelich, a custom Thresherman from Iowa who decided to try gasoline power for threshing. He mounted a Van Duzen gasoline engine on a Robinson chassis and rigged his own gearing for propulsion. Froelich used the machine successfully to power a threshing machine by belt during his fifty-two day harvest season of 1892 in South Dakota. The Froelich tractor, forerunner of the later Waterloo Boy tractor, is considered by many to be the first successful gasoline tractor known. Froelichs machine fathered a long line of stationary gasoline engines and, eventually, the famous John Deere two-cylinder tractor. William Paterson J.I. Cases first pioneering efforts at producing a gas traction engine date back to 1894, or maybe earlier to when William Paterson of Stockton, California came to Racine to make an experimental engine for Case. Case ads in the 1940s, harking back to the firms history in the gas tractor field, claimed 1892 as the date for Patersons gas traction engine, though patent dates suggest 1894. The early machine ran, but not well enough to be produced. Charles Hart and Charles Parr Charles W. Hart and Charles H. Parr began their pioneering work on gas engines in the late 1800s while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. In 1897, the two men formed the Hart-Parr Gasoline Engine Company of Madison. Three years later, they moved their operation to Harts hometown of Charles City, Iowa, where they received financing to make gas traction engines based on their innovative ideas. Their efforts led them to erect the first factory in the United States dedicated to the production of gas traction engines. Hart-Parr is also credited with coining the word tractor for machines that had previously been called gas traction engines. The firms first tractor effort, Hart-Parr No.1, was made in 1901. Ford Tractors Henry Ford produced his first experimental gasoline-powered tractor in 1907 under the direction of chief engineer Joseph Galamb. Back then, it was referred to as an automobile plow and the name tractor was not used. After 1910, gasoline powered tractors were used extensively in farming. Frick Tractors The Frick Company was located in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. George Frick started his business in 1853 and built steam engines well into the 1940s. The Frick Company was also well known for sawmills and refrigeration units.

Primary Source Focus Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Primary Source Focus Questions - Essay Example Duties that masters and mistresses expected from their servants include retaining honesty and overall morality in the house. According to Mrs. Beeton, one of the most important qualities of a good mistress is her ability to engage her servant. Another quality is informing her friends and relatives of an empty house through friendly domestics and a relatively lasting willpower (Clark 415). Beeton says some of the most typical issues that exist between masters and servants are decadence and somewhat disposed attitudes towards each other. Beeton’s instructions tell modern readers of the radical change in relationships between household owners and their house cleaners within a span of hundred and fifty years. However, the instructions do not portray any contemporary relevance since this culture was completely abandoned during the twentieth century. 1) In The Ladies Paradise, how is the department store personified (i.e. portrayed) and what do you think this says about the new culture of 19th C consumerism? What challenges and advantages did shop-girls like Denise face? The writer gives the department store the features of a monster-like apparatus and personifies it. The book portrays the department store as a â€Å"continual cascade of materials† flowing alongside the rumble of a river (Zola 36). This portrayal of the department stores paints the image of the 1800s Parisian department store by using numerous definitive pictures. These pictures allow Zola to make an unambiguous comparison between what a customer views at the store and what took place behind the curtains. Challenges Denise faced as a shop girl include supporting her orphan siblings by working at the kid’s section of the store and the store’s uninviting working conditions. However, Denise benefited from the â€Å"match of progress† and her immunity to shopping desires (Zola 41). The theory of evolution challenged conventional belief systems by crossing

Should certain types of products be banned from advertised through Essay

Should certain types of products be banned from advertised through magazines billboards, commercials posters - Essay Example Advertising employs some mental pressure by attracting feelings of insufficiency on the targeted consumers, sometimes causing harm. It is, therefore, the responsibility of any advertising agency to adhere to the rules and regulations that are stipulated to shield the consumer from false and unsafe information. Some adverts still do not comply with the aforementioned rules and regulations hence leading to advertisement bans on some products (Cohen, 2011). This essay will analyse certain products that need to be banned from public domain and give appropriate reasons why they should be banned. Discussion The first product that should be banned is tobacco products like cigarettes. Tobacco manufacturers have been able to penetrate the market through a diverse media promotion campaigns including use of posters and billboards. Some of the countries have banned tobacco adverts, and it should be banned fully. The early 20th century adverts were more pronounced using large posters and billboar ds. Some of the companies had created slogans for different types of cigarettes and also acquired full support from renowned people. Some of these adverts went to the extent of using doctors and children in their attempts to lure new customers. At this time, smoking was fashionable, and there were fewer reports on health effects (Johnson, 2006). Today, tobacco has many serious complications. Tobacco is responsible for lung cancer and erectile dysfunction among its users, and approximately greater than half a million people die annually hence a lot of health costs to the tax payer. These tobacco bans will shield many children from the disastrous effects of advertising. A substantial young audience will also be salvaged from these adverts. Advertising to children is dangerous since their comprehension of personality and money is much undeveloped. They also know little on their desires and preferences and on utilization of their resources rationally to fulfill their needs. These advert s can, therefore, lead to false beliefs among them. To shield these immature children and youth, the advertisers should not deliberately deceive children and these adverts should be banned (Cohen, 2011). Secondly, slimming products should be banned from the public domain. Recently, the demand for these products has risen among the young teens, and the manufacturers have taken advantage of this scenario to deceive their customers (Srinivasan, 2009). Majority of these adverts gives the impression that slenderness is equal to beauty. Some have gone to use Photoshop drawings to bring out these impressions. These adverts mainly appeal to the teen girls who labour with body appearance issues, recognition and self esteem. When these teens look at how faultless and immaculate women look in those magazines and billboards, this motivates them to be like the models not knowing that it is just a marketing strategy employed by the manufactures in order to lure them to buy their products. This ma kes them make irrational decisions about these products which might end up being harmful to their health (Johnson, 2006). Thirdly, the category of products that should be banned is the fast and high fat content food. These foods if taken in small quantities do not pose any serious health challenge; however, majority of people recently have become obese hence increasing their susceptibility to lifestyle diseases like cancer. Health experts link these problems to consumption of high

Orgniasing and managing across cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Orgniasing and managing across cultures - Essay Example As such, this report seeks to critically analyse the significance of culture in the management systems in organisations in Africa. The report will also attempt to establish if the ideas that characterise the concept of ubuntu can be applied in other cultural contexts. The philosophy of ubuntu The concept of ubuntu mainly originated from the culture of African people which puts more emphasis on social behaviours such as sharing and treating each other equally (Schultz, 2005). Ubuntu is a metaphor that describes the significance of group solidarity, morality, humanness, hospitality and understanding (Mbigi & Maree, 2005). This concept is very important on survival issues in African communities which as a result of poverty have to survive through brotherly group care and not individual self reliance. This concept is applicable to poor communities and the main idea behind it is to empower the marginalised people and the idea has been harnessed in the management of people in the organisat ions to reflect their interests. With regards to organisations, the concept of ubuntu emphasises the need to harness the solidarity tendency of the African people in developing management practices and approach. Western and African cultures are very different and behaviour of people from these places is also different. In Africa, the philosophy of extended family is given priority while in western cultures, emphasis is on the nuclear family and the individual and competition is encouraged. From an African perspective, reality of underdevelopment cannot be ignored and ubuntu can be possible because of the individuals in the group who collectively pull their efforts towards the attainment of set organisational goals. This philosophy can be harnessed in the nation building process and in the workplace. By gaining a full and deep understanding of the cultural and philosophical basis of the people in a business team or community, one is better positioned to harness their energies (Boon, 2006). One can synergise the operations of an organisation towards a shared vision and comprehend interdependence through the adoption of the ubuntu philosophy in managing business. Without a deep cultural understanding, it may be difficult to coordinate the efforts of the people towards the attainment of the set goals. Managing diversity Africa is comprised of people from diverse cultural backgrounds and these people are often unique and different from the others. The cultural diversity concept of human resources (HR) posits to the effect that the leaders must emerge from the workplace to motivate and direct workforce towards the attainment of the set goals (Grobler et al 2006). Managing diversity in the workplace has become an important part of HRM. Every individual is unique but at the same time we share common characteristics with other people. Therefore, diversity in the workplace means recognising in a positive way that groups of people share common characteristics and others have different characteristics (Kleynhans et al 2007). Thus, the HR professional has a duty help the organisation to comply or go along with the legislation that prevents unfair practices or discrimination because of these differences between people. The concept of ubuntu comes in handy to solve problems likely to be related to managing diversity at the workplace. Managing diversi

Strategic Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Operation Management - Essay Example To begin with, Schmenner & Swink (1998) argue that operations management has its basis in the known theories of natural science. They argue that the discipline of operations management can explain the reasons why two production centers are not alike in their productivity. According to them, certain deductive laws such as Law of Variability, and the Law of Bottlenecks can explain the ways of improving productivity to a certain extent. Productivity gets hampered due to myriads of variability factors in the processes. It can be measured in terms of labor output, machine output, or total factor productivity output. Similarly, when bottleneck issues are addressed, overall productivity can be improved. The effect of above mentioned laws can be further augmented by certain other laws that have been derived out of real life experiences and they are: the Law of Scientific methods, the Law of Quality and the Law of Factory Focus. The law of scientific methods, for instance, is based on empiric al findings using industrial engineering tools. The law of quality states that productivity gets enhanced as quality of product improves through changes in processes or product design. The law of factory focus explains why outsourcing has become so popular in current times. The rationale is that only core functions are focused within the unit and all other activities such as small component or utility services are procured from outside sources. Other processes or parts are outsourced to those who can better produce them more efficiently and can be assigned as their core activities. In recent years, supply chain management has been a most crucial issue for several transnational companies. They not only market their products globally but operate several production centers across several countries. Their success in these countries depends upon how efficiently they manage and coordinate different activities. Supply chain management is becoming more and more crucial for their success. Se veral theories have emerged in last decade or so that revolve around supply chain management issues. Kor and Mahoney, (2004) argues about resource-based view theory that resources of the organization create, sustain and built competitive advantage of the firm. The origin of this theory goes back to the theory of comparative advantage proposed by famous economist David Ricardo. The crux of the theory lies in its recognition that resources are rare and cannot be substituted to gain competitive advantage. Many authors emphasize that in the changing world scenario, knowledge is a resource that is crucial for gaining competitive advantage. For most modern organizations, this is a discerning characteristic to differentiate from others (Grant, 1997). Strategic decision making has been cornerstone of the successful organization that is where Strategic Choice Theory comes into play. According to this theory, managers play a crucial role in making strategic decision to advance the organizatio n towards fulfilling its objectives (Ketchen and Hult, 2007). McNichols and Brennan (2006) propose Network perspective (NP) as an important theory that can be applied in augmenting supply chain management efficiency. According to NP theory, networks among the support organizations increase competencies and resource capabilities of firms through coordinated activities (Robert and Mackay, 1998). It

Wal mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wal mart - Essay Example government for $508 million, it can be predicted that the verdict of the court will be in favor of the plaintiffs, as this case is also headed in the same direction (Forbes, 2004). Being an HR, at the outset, I will try to accumulate the statistical data that can be used by the plaintiffs. The next step will be to locate any such fact that could reveal the companies’ position against the issues raised. For an instance, if the accumulated data support that few of the women employees are in high-paying job compared to their male counterparts, then it might be beneficial for the company to handle the issue. Simultaneously, I shall give my entire effort to ensure that the pay system is fair. Publicizing data is definitely subject to admission of the liability for past discrimination but on the basis of the current status of the case, it can be said that there is minimal chances of getting victory. Therefore, it will be better to emphasize more on modifying the policies and previous practices to enhance the productivity and future performance level of employees. In March 2005, Wal-Mart was fined $ 11 million because of employing myriad of illegal immigrants to clean its stores in United States. From Wal-Mart’s perspective, it was made clear that they did not have any information regarding the status of the nationalities of the employee force as their contractors were in charge of hiring. This is another legal issue that involved Wal-Mart (White, n.d.). Sournar, F. A., (2007). Pay Discrimination Backfires on Wal-Mart. The Smith College Sophian. Retrieved Online on September 20, 2010 from http://media.www.smithsophian.com/media/storage/paper587/news/2007/02/15/Opinions/Pay-Discrimination.Backfires.On.WalMart-2723733.shtml White, D., (No Date). Part 3 - US Employers Routinely Hire Illegal Immigrants, With Little Penalty. Illegal Immigration Explained - Profits & Poverty,

Apple Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apple - Case Study Example free sharing and downloading found application in the way P2P services functioned. This raised the popularity of such services where it was possible for users to share their favorite albums free of cost. When compared to subscription services that charged a fee for their services, the P2P services provided the users with flexibility as well as a range of choice. Q3) I feel that P2P services would grow in popularity though companies like Apple can minimize the impact using iTunes by flexible licensing, stricter control over sharing by encoding the iTunes music etc. My prediction for iTunes is that it is better equipped to deal with the threat of piracy and free downloads because of the way it is marketed as well as the concept itself. Q4) The greatest threat to Apple is from the â€Å"me-too† clones that can usurp its market share and derail its sales in the way it is marketed. As happened in its software venture, Apple faces the real possibility of its unique approach towards its products being copied by rivals and marketed at a lower price as well as in a generic manner (as opposed to the niche way in which Apple markets its

Wal mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wal mart - Essay Example government for $508 million, it can be predicted that the verdict of the court will be in favor of the plaintiffs, as this case is also headed in the same direction (Forbes, 2004). Being an HR, at the outset, I will try to accumulate the statistical data that can be used by the plaintiffs. The next step will be to locate any such fact that could reveal the companies’ position against the issues raised. For an instance, if the accumulated data support that few of the women employees are in high-paying job compared to their male counterparts, then it might be beneficial for the company to handle the issue. Simultaneously, I shall give my entire effort to ensure that the pay system is fair. Publicizing data is definitely subject to admission of the liability for past discrimination but on the basis of the current status of the case, it can be said that there is minimal chances of getting victory. Therefore, it will be better to emphasize more on modifying the policies and previous practices to enhance the productivity and future performance level of employees. In March 2005, Wal-Mart was fined $ 11 million because of employing myriad of illegal immigrants to clean its stores in United States. From Wal-Mart’s perspective, it was made clear that they did not have any information regarding the status of the nationalities of the employee force as their contractors were in charge of hiring. This is another legal issue that involved Wal-Mart (White, n.d.). Sournar, F. A., (2007). Pay Discrimination Backfires on Wal-Mart. The Smith College Sophian. Retrieved Online on September 20, 2010 from http://media.www.smithsophian.com/media/storage/paper587/news/2007/02/15/Opinions/Pay-Discrimination.Backfires.On.WalMart-2723733.shtml White, D., (No Date). Part 3 - US Employers Routinely Hire Illegal Immigrants, With Little Penalty. Illegal Immigration Explained - Profits & Poverty,

Social Media Is Retarding Our Communication Skills Essay Example for Free

Social Media Is Retarding Our Communication Skills Essay Social Media is Retarding our Communication Skills According to Cara Pring, writer and author of thesocialskinny. com, as of May, 2012, 62% of adults use some form of social media. If you observe any post secondary classroom before instruction begins, you’ll see the majority of students engrossed in some type of social media. We have become more comfortable engaging in the digital world than we are with the people right in front of us. Social media has allowed us to become more connected yet, potentially, more disconnected than ever before. Social media is creating a generation of â€Å"over-sharers†. This need to over share can also create a dangerous environment. We have become very comfortable telling the world things, which in years past, would have been considered private information. Facebook allows you to check in at a destination or share vacation photos in real time. While this need to over share can seem harmless, we are unwittingly telling sinister people that we are not home or maybe that we are home alone. We are slowly losing our ability to determine what information to keep private and what information to share. Social media is creating a false sense of connection and an atmosphere of friendship. According to Cara Pring, in 2012 Facebook had 845 million monthly active users and there was an average of 750 tweets made per second. We are doing a lot of communicating but are we really saying anything of value. The more â€Å"friends or followers† a person has the more popular they may feel. Unfortunately popularity does not equate to friendship. Social media only requires us to have surface relationships and does not require meaningful conversation. True friendship requires investing in a relationship through quality time with open and honest face-to-face communication. As a society we have come to value frequent communication rather than meaningful conversation. In an article written by Susan per Danko for Forbes magazine, about 7% of communication is based strictly on words while the other 93% is based on nonverbal communication, also known as body language. The words â€Å"I’m fine† may not always mean that everything is okay. Having the ability to hear and observe non-verbal cues allows you to understand more clearly the meaning behind the words. An email, text message or tweet can never really replace a telephone or face-to-face conversation that allows you to receive these nonverbal cues. Taking the time to build relationships through meaningful conversation will create friendships for lifetime instead of just acquaintances for today. Social media has created a generation with an addiction to over sharing, a need for popularity and a desire for constant communication. This ability to interact with other people 24/7 has driven us to simply share information rather than requiring us to develop relationships. We have moved away from social gatherings with face-to-face conversations in lieu of chat rooms and instant messaging. I do not look forward to the day when we will never have to physically interact with another human being.

Project plan for esso supermarket

Project plan for esso supermarket I have to create a project plan for a Deferent branch for a Esso Supermarket. This involve import all necessary hardware likes computers for check out stations, mobile barcode readers for scanning the prices and relabeling them for any reduced price offers etc. It has been said that the building infrastructure already exists and is developed by local builder. However, i need to develop a plan that incorporates all electrical, plumbing and networking. All these tasks are done by electrician, plumber and network engineer; each and every cost  £200,  £250 and  £300 a day correspondingly. Major tasks include getting the quotations from different vendors, comparing the prices and deciding the specs and vendor, ordering the checkout stations, cabling, physically installing the checkout stations, putting the LAN cables and connecting all the checkout stations to the network and finally installing all the required software for the system. I need one week to decide the specification and get it approves by our top management. Vendors usually its take two to three weeks to get you the order delivered. Assume all check out stations hardware, mobile barcode readers are supplying by one vendor. However, the air conditioning units are supplying by a different vendor and takes up to two weeks. Cabling work is done by a network engineer and installation of air conditioning units is done by a contractor. These jobs may take a maximum of 3 working days. After all hardware is in its place, all the software must be is required to be installed. This takes a maximum of 5 working days. This has done by internal IT staff member from the head office. We had already that all required software is available and ready to be installed. As the store is largest , we decided to buy 30 checkout stations, each of which include a monitor, keyboard, card (magnetic stripe) reader, bar code reader, digital weighing scale, printer, pin and chip card reader, conveyor belt system etc. Each check out station would normally cost  £1000. Twenty air conditioning units, 10 freezers to store frozen food are also necessary. Air conditioning units and freezers cost  £500 and  £750 respectively. Two security systems be installed at each of the two entrances. This cost  £1000 each unit. Hardware staff cost  £300 per day. There are 2 hardware specialists working on the project. The budget for this project is  £150,000. Base on this Scope as project manager i have to develop the Esso supermarket Period of three months if i finished early my teem get eligible to get bones 1. Identifying the most important tasks A) Collecting quotation from Various Vendors B) Compare the prices range and decide the specs C) Order the checkout station D) Plumbing E) Electrical F) LAN Cables G) Networking H) Installing all the request soft ware This main project can be divided into major 5 tasks. Under this major task there will be several sub tasks which will be executes one after another and parallel according to the project need. 1) Initiating This is the first phase of the project. Here the project formally commencing between the project sponsor and the project manager. Here first kick off meeting will be initiated here the outline of the project will be discussed and the detailed project charter will be formally developed. After developing the project charter the project manager will review the key points with project sponsor and finalise the project with project sponsor. 2) Planning Here the project planning will be started. Before the actual project implementation the project should be well planned in every area of execution. Here the project manager develop a comprehensive project plan this includes the project scope, project objectives, the project deadlines, project quality plan, project communication and project configuration plan this will be outline the roles and responsibility of the individual people. This plan will be sent to the project sponsor approval and review after make necessary changes and finally accepting the project plane. 3) Executing Here the actual project implementation starts. Before the project implementation the required hardware, software and other equipments had to be purchased. So the project behalf of the Esso supermarket is decided to develop a RFP (Request for proposal) and decided to call for the proposal from the different supplier and then review the capabilities of each supplier and then short listed some of the very famous supplier in UK. Thereafter the interview has been concluded and the final vendors are selected and the price and the after sales services arrangement were negotiated and the project contract is signed. After that the vendors are in different time periods they send all the necessary hardware and equipments to the site. The electric cable wiring and the electric circuit installations were done in the site. The main plumbing has been done from plumbers and order to install the air condition and the freezers. After that the computer local area network is done by network engineers an d all the connection were connected then the checkout stations were installed. After this the security cameras were installed at the stores. Then the required software is installed after this check the functionality with SRS and reviews any changes. Then the user or new staffs are s recruited and given the training 4) Controlling Controlling the system is done by in the way of continues status report and monitoring the progress review meetings. 5) Closing After the project is implemented the project post analysis is done and checks whether the actual project milestones were achieved 2. Identify the order the tasks (Top-to-Bottom) To setup a new superstore branch Electrical   Electric cable Wiring   Electric cable Wiring   Electric cabling designing   Freezers, Air Conditions   Computers, security cameras   Checkout Stations Purchasing Hardware Implementation Outsourcing application Analysis Design Closing Post Analysis Review Progress Review Meeting    Status Report Project Plan approved and baseline Review Project Plan Develop Project Plan Devolve project scope Controlling Develop Project Charter Kick-off meeting Charter signed Executing Review Project Charter Initiating Planning   Air condition plumbing Plumbing   Freezers Plumbing Local Area Network Designing   Local Area Network Till Installations   LAN Cable Wiring   Install Check out work stations   Implementing Application Software   Data Wiring connecting all Checkout Stations   Air Condition Installation   Installing freezers   User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Install Software Review SRS Install Security camera   2.1 Low level detail task (Finish-to-Start, Parallel) 1 Initiating 2 Kick-off meeting 3 Develop Project Charter 2 4 Review Project Charter 3 5 Charter Signed 4 6 Planning 7 Devolve project scope 5 8 Develop Project Plan (Quality, Communication, Configuration) 7 9 Review Project Plan 8 10 Project Plan approved and baseline 9 11 Executing 12 Analysis and Design 13 Prepare RFP 9 14 Sourcing 15 Call for Proposals 13 16 Review Proposals 15 17 Shortlist Suppliers 16 18 Negotiate Select Supplier 17 19 Prepare Contract 18 20 Implementation 21 Purchasing Hardware 22 Purchase Checkout Station 19 23 Purchase Computers and all other accessories 22 24 Purchase Air condition 23 25 Purchase Freezers 24 26 Purchase Security Camera 25 27 Electrical 28 Electric cabling designing 22 29 Electric cable Wiring 23 30 Electric fittings 25 31 Plumbing 32 Air condition plumbing 28 33 Freezers Plumbing 28 34 Local Area Network Till Installations 35 Local Area Network Designing 33 36 LAN Cable Wiring 35 37 Install Check out work stations 36 38 Data Wiring Connecting all Checkout Stations 37 39 Air Condition Installation 32 40 Installing freezers 32 41 Install Security System 37 42 Implementing Application Software 43 Install Software 37 44 Review SRS 43 45 User Acceptance Testing (UAT) 44 46 recruit user User Training 45 47 Controlling 48 Status Report 46 49 Progress Review Meeting with Management 48 50 Closing 51 Post Analysis Review 49 Serial Tasks or Finish-to-start Parallel Task According to above detail task the blue colour task shows the serial tasks which a particular task will start when another task is finish (Finish-Start). The yellow colour tasks are the parallel task which can be executed simultaneously at a same time. In the above question there are 5 major task been divided into sub tasks as it is shown above task list. Task number 10 11 will be parallel executed after the task 9 is completed. Task number 23 28 will be parallel executed after the task 22 is completed. Similarly the task number 26 30 will be parallel executed after the task number 25 is finished. The task 32 33 will be parallel executed similarly after the task number 28. The task 39 40 will be parallel executed similarly after the task number 32. Finally the task 41 43 will be parallel executed similarly after the task number 37. 3. Risk Matrix The following risk matrix shows the level of risk which affects the project. High R6 R2, R3 significant R5 R8 Moderate R7 R1, R4 Low R10 Probability Low Moderate Significant High Impact Risk = probability x impact R1: Inefficient staff R2: Shortfalls in externally supplied equipments R3: Staff sickness affecting critical activities R4: Shortfalls in contract employed staff R5: Failure of checkout workstation R6: Failure of electricity network R7: Failure of Local area Network equipment R8: Staff unhappy with the payment. R9: Defect in Software Application R10: Mistake in Plumbing design 4. Total Time taken to finish the superstore to up and operational Initiating 5d Mon 06/09/10 Fri 10/09/10 Project preparation 1d Mon 06/09/10 Mon 06/09/10 Develop Project Charter 1d Tue 07/09/10 Tue 07/09/10 Review Project Charter 1d Wed 08/09/10 Wed 08/09/10 Charter Signed 2d Thu 09/09/10 Fri 10/09/10 Planning 9d Mon 13/09/10 Thu 23/09/10 Devolve project scope 3d Mon 13/09/10 Wed 15/09/10 Develop Project Plan (Quality, Communication, Configuration) 2d Thu 16/09/10 Fri 17/09/10 Review Project Plan 2d Mon 20/09/10 Tue 21/09/10 Project Plan approved and baseline 2d Wed 22/09/10 Thu 23/09/10 Executing 51d Fri 24/09/10 Fri 03/12/10 Analysis and Design 4d Fri 24/09/10 Wed 29/09/10 Prepare RFP 4d Fri 24/09/10 Wed 29/09/10 Sourcing 9d Thu 30/09/10 Tue 12/10/10 Call for Proposals 1d Thu 30/09/10 Thu 30/09/10 Review Proposals 1d Fri 01/10/10 Fri 01/10/10 Shortlist Suppliers 1d Mon 04/10/10 Mon 04/10/10 Negotiate Select Supplier 3d Tue 05/10/10 Thu 07/10/10 Prepare Contract 3d Fri 08/10/10 Tue 12/10/10 Implementation 37d Wed 13/10/10 Thu 02/12/10 Purchasing Hardware 28d Wed 13/10/10 Fri 19/11/10 Purchase Checkout Station 5d Wed 13/10/10 Tue 19/10/10 Purchase Computers and all other accessories 1w Mon 01/11/10 Fri 05/11/10 Purchase Air condition And all other accessories 3d Mon 08/11/10 Wed 10/11/10 Purchase Freezers And all other accessories 3d Thu 11/11/10 Mon 15/11/10 Purchase Security System and all other accessories 4d Tue 16/11/10 Fri 19/11/10 Electrical 24d Wed 20/10/10 Mon 22/11/10 Electric cabling designing 5d Wed 20/10/10 Tue 26/10/10 Electric cable Wiring 2w Mon 08/11/10 Fri 19/11/10 Electric fittings 5d Tue 16/11/10 Mon 22/11/10 Plumbing 7d Wed 27/10/10 Thu 04/11/10 Air condition plumbing 5d Wed 27/10/10 Tue 02/11/10 Freezers Plumbing 3d Wed 27/10/10 Fri 29/10/10 Aircondition cabling 2d Mon 01/11/10 Tue 02/11/10 Freezer cabling 2d Wed 03/11/10 Thu 04/11/10 Local Area Network Till Installations 27d Wed 27/10/10 Thu 02/12/10 Local Area Network Designing 1d Fri 05/11/10 Fri 05/11/10 LAN Cable Wiring 5d Mon 08/11/10 Fri 12/11/10 Install Chck out work stations 5d Mon 15/11/10 Fri 19/11/10 Data Wiring Connecting all Checkout Stations 5d Mon 22/11/10 Fri 26/11/10 Air Condition Installation 3d Wed 27/10/10 Fri 29/10/10 Installing freezers 3d Wed 27/10/10 Fri 29/10/10 Install Security System 4d Mon 29/11/10 Thu 02/12/10 Implementing Application Software 10d Mon 22/11/10 Fri 03/12/10 Install Software 5d Mon 22/11/10 Fri 26/11/10 Review SRS 2d Mon 29/11/10 Tue 30/11/10 User Acceptance Testing (UAT) 2d Wed 01/12/10 Thu 02/12/10 recruit user User Training 1d Fri 03/12/10 Fri 03/12/10 Controlling 2d Mon 06/12/10 Tue 07/12/10 Status Report 1d Mon 06/12/10 Mon 06/12/10 Progress Review Meeting with Management 1d Tue 07/12/10 Tue 07/12/10 Closing 1d Wed 08/12/10 Wed 08/12/10 Post Analysis Review 1d Wed 08/12/10 Wed 08/12/10 According to the working the super store will be finished and up and running on the 24th of Dec2010. This date is well inside the 3 month target period. 5) Establish the labour costs and provide a work breakdown structure and contain these costs. The WBS have to contents a estimates and mirrored on the work breakdown structure and have to be capable of rolling-up to show the overall cost of the project and the individual cost of each sub deliverables Develop a work breakdown structure for the hardware tasks which have tangible outcoming and a (PBS) process breakdown structure for those tasks which are process oriented. We can link the two structures, i.e. WBS and PBS so one project manager can manage the project or do you have other suggestions? The Total Labour Cost for this Project  £ 53,400 All Details Attach on Appendix 1 The Total Materials Cost for this Project  £ 51,500 All Details Attach on Appendix 2 Total Direct cost  £ 104,900 Assuming the Direct Overhead cost and General and Administration Cost from the total Direct cost Total Direct Cost  £ 104,900 Direct Over head cost 20%  £ 20,980 Total Direct Cost  £ 125,880 General and administrative (GA) over head cost 20%  £ 20,980 Total Cost  £ 146,860 Profit  £ 3,140 Total BID  £ 150,000 5. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 5.1 Labour Cost WBS Labour Cost  £ 53,400 Air Condition Installation  £ 2000 Contractor  £2000 Install Security System  £ 600 Installing freezers  £ 600 LAN Cable Wiring  £ 1200 Air condition plumbing  £1200 Electric cable wiring  £3000 Hard Ware Staff  £6600 Install Check out work stations  £ 4200 Install Security System  £ 1200 Data Wiring  £ 8400 LAN Cable Wiring  £ 6000 Local Area Network  £ 600 Freezers Caballing  £ 1200 Air condition caballing  £ 1200 Net work Engineer  £ 25200 Plumber  £6000 Freezers Plumbing  £3000 Air condition plumbing  £ 3000 Install Security camera  £ 400 Data Wiring  £ 800 Electric fittings  £ 3200 Electric cabling designing  £ 1600 Electric cable wiring  £ 7200 Electric cabling designing  £ 1600 Electrician  £13600 Hard Ware Task 5.2 Hardware WBS Install Security System Install Security System LAN Cabling LAN Cable Wiring Freezers Plumbing Freezer Cabling Air-condition Air condition plumbing Electric cable Wiring A/C Electric Cabling Freezers pipe lining Pipe lining to A/C Electric cable Wiring Freezer Fixing The Security System on suitable place Under Floor LAN Lining Electric cable wiring for Check out station 6. Develop a project plan using Project 2007 6.1 WBS using Project 2007 6.2 GANN Chart using Project 2007 6.3 Network Diagram using Project 2007 7. Organisational Breakdown Structure (OBS) The OBS provides an organizational rather than a task-based perspective of the project.   The hierarchical structure of the OBS allows the aggregation of project information to higher levels when project responsibilities are defined. An OBS might include the Project Manager at the top of the structure with Internal IT team, Building team l feeding into the Project manager. Each of the responsible team would have staff/staffs responsible for that organization. Pictorially, the structure might resemble this. This Performing Department level is where the responsibility and resources needed to accomplish. Project Manager Internal IT Team Tea Building Team Electrical Staff Tea Plumbing Staffs Tea Software staffs Tea Hardware Staffs Tea Network staff Tea 8. Critical path analysis The critical analyse made from Project 2007 the following red colour task were shown in the Gann chart. The Critical Path is follows as Kick-off meeting -> Develop Project Charter -> Review Project Charter -> Charter Signed -> Devolve project scope -> Develop Project Plan -> Review Project Plan -> Project Plan approved and baseline -> Prepare RFP -> Call for Proposals -> Review Proposals -> Shortlist Suppliers -> Negotiate Select Supplier -> Prepare Contract -> Purchase Checkout Station -> Electric cabling designing -> Freezers Plumbing -> Air-condition cabling -> Freezer cabling -> Local Area Network Designing -> LAN Cable Wiring -> Install Check out work stations -> Install Software -> Review SRS -> User Acceptance Testing (UAT) -> Status Report -> Progress Review Meeting with Management -> Post Analysis Review Main Problem is in the task number between 22 and 26. If the outside vender is not supply the equipment then the whole project will get delay 9. Responsibility matrix. The following matrix shows the responsibly of each Role and Responsibilities: Project Sponsor Project Manager System Engineer Network Engineer IT executive Plumbing staff Electrical staff Allocation of funds R P Overall supervision P Project Management R Analysis Design p   p Plumbing R Electricity cabling R   R Purchasing Hardware   R R P P Data/Power Wiring Hardware Installation R R R R R R Implementing Application Software R R R R R R Status Report P R R Quality Assurance R R R R R R R R R R R Acceptance   R P P Responsibility -R Participation -P 10. Reference Kamaran Saqib(2008), Class Notes. Clifford F. Gray and Erik W.Larson(2008), Project Management, the managerial process, (4th edn), McGraw-Hill International Edition. Schwalbe K.(2005), Information Technology Project Management, (4th edn), Thomson course technology. Appendix Appendix 3 Building planning Air Conditions Check out station Security System Freezers Network Cabling and Electric Caballing Plumbing and Electric Caballing 4 8 10 9 2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 5 3 6 7 14 15 11 10 8 4 188 19 21 1 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 20 17 16 12 8 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 3 1 9 11 12 13 1000 2 4 14 15 16 20 19 18 17 4 14 15 11 10 188 19 21 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 20 17 16 12 8 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9