Monday, September 30, 2019

Benefits of the University Model

In Stephen Joel Tractenberg article, † Education Is Not a Luxury† (p. 211-216) states his argument that our current school calendar does a disservice to both students and teachers. Tractenberg conveys that even though this last century has seen an incredible renovation in our society, there is an agrarian calendar that dominates our education that was complimentary in times of agrarian society when school was only an option part time for most Americans. Our educating the youth is not considered a necessity and in our society today and time of luxury and we take this extra (crucial) time for granted, but we maintain a calendar that reflects up to ten thousand years ago. Tractenberg also states that we will never take school seriously if we operate an ancient agrarian calendar. I agree with the Tractenberg and his promotion of the university model calendar to replace the agrarian calendar. Replacing the agrarian calendar means a fulltime student, will take school more seriously. It will define school as a job and will prepare students for college. With the agrarian calendar removed from the system students can have more time to thoroughly learn everything that is meant to teach to the students and have more time to talk to teachers during office hours. Stephen has a friend who disagrees with sex education â€Å"One of the problems, he said, was that the schools were doing things that they should not be doing teaching sex and drugs and driver’s education, as he put it. These things, he pointed out, should be the business of Maan. 2 the family† Sexual education is very important to learn in school and prepares students for the adult world, and is something that is not taught by all families to the students. I had learned things in sex education that my conservative family had not taught me or ever will. Some schools may not have the time to teach this subject without compromising time for other subjects. He states that we should lengthen the school year to have more time subjects that are academic and afterschool help for students who need it by proposing the extension of time â€Å"I’ve been suggesting, by lengthening the school year, say, to eleven months, and the school day from 9 to 5, or a full shift, whatever the starting and quitting times may be. This, I think, would have a number of benefits. † He goes on and says that teacher are permitted more prep time and students get explore extra-curricular activities in their favor. I agree with his strategy and I believe it makes efficient use of time and students will be able learn everything thoroughly and a 9-5 schedule will make school a first priority. I believe with this new schedule students will be better prepared for college. The type of schedule he proposes gets students ready for the endeavors of college because it is in fact a university model. He goes on by saying, â€Å"What I am proposing may look very much like the university model. That’s exactly what it is. Universities, like schools, are driven by their double missions of learning and service. But universities are also driven by the compelling need to be efficient† He goes on about the cost of an idle school building and how it can be utilized after school hours and I believe it’s a convincing idea. He also supports his University model by saying. â€Å"applying the university model to schools would help to create what university administrators like me spend a lot of time and effort doing—promoting an atmosphere of learning† I agree with his conclusion and he further strengthens this by admitting that school boys and girls do not feel like school is their real occupation. This is true for many high school students, they don’t see the potential in their education and don’t realize how unprepared they are for college with a short schedule. I remember my first full load of college I almost flunked every class because I was almost spoiled with high school schedule I was still adjusted to. Introducing the university model to students not yet in university will greatly prepare them and they go into universities with confidence in their success as new student because they have become accustomed to this schedule. Tractenberg explains further reasoning as to why longer hours will be beneficial to students and teachers and goes into the expanded offerings the much needed extra time can bring. He further goes on by supporting his augment by saying, â€Å"It is dismaying to me that many students come to us without any training in foreign languages, or that only a couple of languages, typically Spanish and French, were offered to them; they were offered no classics, no Russian, no Arabic, no Asian languages. I could say the same about other subjects, including art istory, advanced math, and so on. The result, in any case, is a deficit. † This is a matter of concern and putting the extra time into expanded offerings can help learn these subject thoroughly and not just a brief overview of the subject. In order to learn these subjects thoroughly, time outside of school will be needed with our agrarian schedules. The extra time will also allow student to ask teachers for outside help and in my college classes I found emailing my teachers to be a very useful tool and it has made me a better student. He further goes on and supports the occupation of teaching and conveys to us that creating a full time schedule will create future teachers. He promotes this idea by questioning the readers by asking, â€Å"Are our teachers better at their professions because they work at other jobs during the summer—often menial jobs with trivial pay and befits? Would our youngsters be better off learning from teachers who devote their full effort to teaching rather than scrabbling for a living? † This means the teachers get the chance of full time job and the pay they deserve. I notice when I do very well in a class without much effort, it is because I have a passionate teacher who loves her/his job. Tractenberg concludes his augment by saying, â€Å"education is not a luxury for subsistence farmers but a box full of tools for a lifetime, an endless series of points of departure, and a full-time joy†. With the evolution of our society changing so should our schedules. We are no longer the agrarian society we once were and Tractenberg gives an efficient university model we can use to match the present time needs of students. School is not a luxury , it is a necessity we can afford that prepares us for the future.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Conventional Morality Essay

Lawrence Kohlberg: â€Å"Physical consequences of an action determine its goodness or badness regardless of the human meaning or value of these consequences. Avoidance of punishment and unquestioning deference to power are valued in their own right, not in terms of respect for an underlying moral order supported by punishment and authority. † (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern is for self – â€Å"Will I get into trouble for doing (or not doing) it? † Good behaviour is associated with avoiding punishment. Inadequacy of Stage 1 reasoning: Avoidance of punishment regardless of the ethical value of the actions is unhealthy especially under â€Å"bad† authorities such as Adolf Hitler. * Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation Lawrence Kohlberg: Right action is â€Å"that which instrumentally satisfies one’s own needs and occasionally the needs of others. † â€Å"Human relations are viewed in terms like those of the marketplace; elements of fairness, reciprocity and equal sharing are present, but they are always interpreted in a physical or pragmatic way. Reciprocity is a matter of ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,’ not of loyalty, gratitude or justice. † (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern is â€Å"What’s in it for me? † It is still egocentric in outlook but with a growing ability to see things from another person’s perspective. Action is judged right if it helps in satisfying one’s needs or involves a fair exchange. Inadequacy of Stage 2 reasoning: Where the needs of different individuals conflict, can there ever be a fair exchange? Doesn’t this conflict call for sacrifice from one of the parties? Level 2 – Conventional Morality People at this stage conform to the conventions / rules of a society. * Stage 3: Good Boy-Nice Girl Orientation Lawrence Kohlberg: â€Å"Good behavior is that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them. There is much conformity to stereotypical images of what is majority or ‘natural’ behaviour. Behavior is frequently judged by intention. ‘He means well’ becomes important for the first time. One earns approval by being ‘nice. ‘† (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern is â€Å"What will people think of me? † and the desire is for group approval. Right action is one that would please or impress others. This often involves self-sacrifice but it provides the psychological pleasure of ‘approval of others. ‘ Actions are also judged in relation to their intention. Inadequacy of Stage 3 reasoning: * Same person, different roles OR Different groups, different expectations * Different people, different roles * People not living up to their duties or roles * Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation Lawrence Kohlberg: â€Å"Right behavior consists in doing one’s duty, showing respect for authority and maintaining the given social order for its own sake. † A person in this stage â€Å"orients to society as a system of fixed rule, law and authority with the prospect of any deviation from rules as leading to social chaos. † (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern now goes beyond one’s immediate group(s) to the larger society †¦ to the maintenance of law and order. One’s obligation to the law overrides one’s obligations of loyalty to one’s family, friends and groups. To put it simply, no one or group is above the law. Inadequacy of Stage 4 reasoning: * Unquestioning obedience toward authority is unhealthy. * Accepted social order may not be the best possible order. The laws of society may even be bad. Level 3 – POSTConventional Morality The moral principles that underline the conventions of a society in this level are understood. * Stage 5: Social Contract Orientation Lawrence Kohlberg: â€Å"Generally with utilitarian overtones. Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and in terms of standards which have been critically examined and agreed upon by the whole society †¦ with an emphasis upon the possibility of changing law in terms of rational consideration of social utility (rather than rigidly maintaining it in terms of Stage 4 law and order). † (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern is social utility or public interest. While rules are needed to maintain social order, they should not be blindly obeyed but should be set up (even changed) by social contract for the greater good of society. Right action is one that protects the rights of the individual according to rules agreed upon by the whole society. Inadequacy of Stage 5 reasoning: How do we arrive at a consensus on the rules that are good for society? Should a majority group impose their preferences on a minority group? What if you disagree with the decision of the majority? * Stage 6: Universal Ethical Principle Orientation Lawrence Kohlberg: â€Å"Right is defined by the decision of conscience in accord with self-chosen ethical principles appealing to logical comprehensiveness, universality and consistency. These principles are abstract and ethical (the golden rule, the categorical imperative) and are not concrete moral rules like the Ten Commandments. At heart, these are universal principles of justice, of the reciprocity and equality of human rights, and of respect for the dignity of human beings as individual persons. † (Duska, R. and Whelan, M. , 1975) Summary: The concern is for moral principles †¦ an action is judged right if it is consistent with self-chosen ethical principles. These principles are not concrete moral rules but are universal principles of justice, reciprocity, equality and human dignity. Inadequacy of Stage 6 reasoning: Our conscience is not an infallible guide to behaviour because it works according to the principles we have adopted. Moreover, who or what determines these universal principles? Although moral reasoning does not necessarily lead to moral action, the latter is based in part on one’s capacity to reason about moral choices. Kohlberg was more concerned with the reasoning of the action than the action itself. And that reasoning when acted upon becomes our motivation. II – ETHICAL RELATIVISM * Cultural Relativism (sociological relativism): The descriptive view that different groups of people have different moral standards for evaluating acts as right or wrong. A. Hence, it is not an ethical doctrine–it’s a sociological or observational conclusion–even so; the view is somewhat ambiguous. B. For example, different groups might have the same basic moral principle, but apply the principle in radically different situations. 1. A second sense of cultural relativism is less obvious. I. e. , that different cultures differ on basic moral principles. 2. A possible reason for the observation of cultural relativism is shown by the example of basic moral principles which could be said to support different moral rules according to the interpretations of different cultures. In the following diagrams, there are two vastly different interpretations listed for each moral principle. * Ethical Relativism: the prescriptive view that (1) different groups of people ought to have different ethical standards for evaluating acts as right or wrong, (2) these different beliefs are true in their respective societies, and (3) these different beliefs are not instances of a basic moral principle. A. The ethical relativist often derives support for his position by two basic mistakes: 1. The relativist confuses cultural (or sociological) relativism with ethical relativism, but cultural relativism is a descriptive view and ethical relativism is a prescriptive view. (E. g. , cultural relativismdescribes the way the way people actually behave, and ethical relativism prescribes the way people ought to behave. 2. The ethical relativist often argues as follows: â€Å"An absolute ethical standard has never been proved beyond doubt in the history of thought. Thus, an absolute ethical standard does not exist. † This argument is an instance ad ignorantiam fallacy. p is unproved; not-p is true. From the fact that a statement has not been proved, we can logically draw no conclusion. B. Objections to ethical relativism. 1. The Differing Ideals Objection (or, as it is sometimes called, the linguistic objection): it is inconsistent to say that the same practice is considered right in one society and considered wrong in another. (If â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† are to have consistent meaning, then the terms must be used in the same manner. ) Possible counter-objections (by the ethical relativist): a. The relativist sometimes states that â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† have no consistent meaning. These words reflect only emotion or perhaps the ceremonial use of language. In other words, this defense shades into ethical subjectivism. Counter-counter-objection (by ethical absolutist): The problem with believing that â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† have no consistent meaning is the ordinary use of words in this case results in meaninglessness. What would happen if people used the same word in different situations to refer to different things? Communication would not take place. b. Some ethical relativists believe ethical words are reducible to non-ethical values; e. g. , these words have to do with recommendations for survival or well-being. Counter-counter-objection (by ethical absolutist): the problem here is just the difficulty of understanding the nature of a non-ethical value. Would a non-ethical value be an aesthetic value? c. Some relativists believe we can justify relativism by intuition, revelation, authority, etc. Counter-counter-objection (by ethical absolutist): these attempts are subjectively based; they differ from time to time and place to place. 2. Mental Health Objection to ethical relativism (from the definition or criterion of a group): If â€Å"what is right in one group is wrong in another,† where exactly does one group end and another begin? Counter-objections to the Mental Health Objection (by the relativist): * Right and wrong are to be determined in the situation. * Right and wrong are to be determined by what the majority determine at the time and place. * Right and wrong are ultimately established by power or authority. 3. Ad Populum Objection to the relativist’s belief that ethics is established by what most people believe: Simply because most people think something is right does not thereby make it right. Simply because most people think a statement is true does notmake that statement true Counter-objections to the ad populum objection (by the relativist): a. The same difficulty of establishing the meaning of â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† exits for the absolutist, pari passu. The absolutist has been unable to state a universally agreed upon meaning to the terms. (Notice that this response is a variant of the ad hominem—tu quoque.) b. Other solutions to the questions of the meaning of key ethical terms according to the relativist are possible by appealing to survival value, consensus gentium, and so on 4. Moral Progress Objection: If ethical relativism were correct, there could be no such thing as moral improvement or purpose in cultures or a person’s life. To have improvement, we must have a standard by which to judge the difference in moral values. Counter-objections (by the relativist): a. That’s correct–we can make no such judgment that one society is better than another. We could only judge by our own values. b. If something like â€Å"survival value† is used to ground moral beliefs, then moral improvement might be identified with â€Å"increased knowledge concerning survival of the society. † * Ethical Absolutism: the prescriptive view that there are basic or fundamental ethical principles which are true without qualification or exception as to time, condition, or circumstance. * Ethical Nihilism: the view that ethical terms such as â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† have no meaning or are nonsense. A. Objection: but something is meant when we say, â€Å"X is wrong. † Counter-objections (by the nihilist): 1. If there is no empirical meaning to the terms, they have no â€Å"cash value. † (Q. v. , positivism. ) 2. â€Å"Whatever can be said, can be said clearly. † The burden of proof that the terms have meaning is on the non-nihilist. * Ethical Skepticism: the view that ethical terms such as â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† might have meaning but their meaning cannot be established. A. Objection to skepticism at this point is methodological. Ethical skepticism should not be held a priori at the beginning of an investigation but should only be a possible outcome after a thorough study.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

History of Chess

The precursors of chess originated in India during the Gupta Empire,[2][3][4][5] where its early form in the 6th century was known as chatura? ga, which translates as â€Å"four divisions (of the military)†: infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. [6] Chess was introduced to Persia from India and became a part of the princely or courtly education of Persian nobility. 7] In Sassanid Persia around 600 the name became chatrang, which subsequently evolved to shatranj, due to Arab Muslim’s lack of ch and ng native sounds,[8] and the rules were developed further. Players started calling â€Å"Shah! † (Persian for â€Å"King! â€Å") when attacking the opponent's king, and â€Å"Shah Mat! † (Persian for â€Å"the king is helpless† – see checkmate) when the king was attacked and could not escape from attack.These exclamations persisted in chess as it traveled to other lands. The game was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces largely keeping their Persian names. The Moors of North Africa rendered Persian â€Å"shatranj† as sha? erej, which gave rise to the Spanish acedrex, axedrez and ajedrez; in Portuguese it became xadrez, and in Greek zatrikion, but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian shah (â€Å"king†).Thus, the game came to be called ludus scacchorum or scacc(h)i in Latin, scacchi in Italian, escacs in Catalan, echecs in French (Old French eschecs); schaken in Dutch, Schach in German, szachy in Polish, sahs in Latvian, skak in Danish, sjakk in Norwegian, schack in Swedish, sakki in Finnish, sah in South Slavic languages, sakk in Hungarian and sah in Romanian; there are two theories about why this change happened: 1. From the exclamation â€Å"check† or â€Å"checkmate† as it was pronounced in various languages. 2.From the first chessmen known of in Western Europe (except Iberia and Greece) being ornamental chess kings brought in as curios by Muslim traders. The Mongols call the game shatar, and in Ethiopia it is called senterej, both evidently derived from shatranj. Chess spread directly from the Middle East to Russia, where chess became known as (shakhmaty, treated as a plural). The game reached Western Europe and Russia by at least three routes, the earliest being in the 9th century. By the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe. [9] Introduced into the IberianPeninsula by the Moors in the 10th century, it was described in a famous 13th century manuscript covering shatranj, backgammon and dice named the Libro de los juegos. Chess spread throughout the world and many variants of the game soon began taking shape. [10] Buddhist pilgrims, Silk Road traders and others carried it to the Far East where it was transformed and assimilated into a game often played on the intersection of the li nes of the board rather than within the squares. [10][11] Chaturanga reached Europe through Persia, the Byzantine empire and the expanding Arabian empire. 12] Muslims carried chess to North Africa, Sicily, and Iberia by the 10th century. [10] The game was developed extensively in Europe, and by the late 15th century, it had survived a series of prohibitions and Christian Church sanctions to almost take the shape of the modern game. [13] Modern history saw reliable reference works,[14] competitive chess tournaments[15] and exciting new variants which added to the game's popularity,[15] further bolstered by reliable timing mechanisms (first introduced in 1861), effective rules[15] and charismatic players. [16]

Friday, September 27, 2019

ETHICS 501, Business Ethics, Mod 1 Case Assignment Essay

ETHICS 501, Business Ethics, Mod 1 Case Assignment - Essay Example The best policy is that he talks with the CEP of other firms in order to join him in the attempt to reduce corruption and bribery in the industry. Although many CEOs might not want to join this cause as it might mean reduction in their profits but a lot of other people who care about the ethical issues will join hands with him. He can convince that other CEOs by stating that utilitarianism requires them to act in this way. By utilitarianism we mean that positive and negative consequences of an action should be consider and if some action is yield more positive consequence for the society than negative consequence, then that action should be taken immediately. And since reducing the corruption in the industry in the interest of the society and the company, this action should be taken. Whereas if they allow the corruption and bribery to prevail in the industry, then only the company will benefit and hence it is better to reduce the corruption in the society from utilitarianism framework. This will also yield the benefits other companies in the long run as without corruption and bribery existent in the industry, they will be able to win contracts on merit and corruption expenditure will be reduced which will be contributed in the profitability of the industry. Similarly, we can assess whether this action by Fluor and other companies from the deontology framework is worth taking or not. Deontological ethic framework suggests that morality requires that certain actions are wrong even if the outcomes of these actions are good. For example, bribery and corruption may lead to high profits for the company, but since these actions are immoral, these actions are really wrong and no company should indulge in corruption and bribery. Similarly, Mr. Fluor can also convince the other CEO by supporting his point of view with the goodwill associated with the ethical actions of a country. Since, the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Who is responsible for My Lai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who is responsible for My Lai - Essay Example Nonetheless, the nation was polarized and soon after he was celebrated in a patriotic pop song. President Richard Nixon, sometime later, ordered that he be transferred to a better and comfortable apartment under house arrest. Eventually, his sentence was reduced, and he served three years only. The fact that there were so many other people to hold responsible yet he was the only one convicted, however, elicits so many questions. Looking at the whole episode, even if they really should, it is unlikely that the American people stand in the larger dock of human conscience and guilt. Calley, on the other hand, had the responsibility to look after the civilians in Mr. Lai from the Vietcong not the one murdering them meaning that he was to blame. Upon realizing that the Vietcong had already retreated back into the mountains, it was prudent to have left the villagers alone to go about their daily lives. Secondly, there is evidence that Calley was responsible for the massacre. Pearson’s Keene et al textbook on page 800 In Competing Vision Given to Army investigators states that Calley said to Dennis Conti and to Private Paul Meadlo to â€Å"Take care of them†¦.I mean kill them† (Pearson 800) Wars are very expensive, not only economically, but they undermine the value of humanity. The massacre in Mr. Lai and that that World War II brought are examples that depict how inhuman people can sometimes be. The innumerable atrocities that were committed in Mr. Lai are in the slightest of sense related to the killing in world war. Killing innocent people, mothers, children, and infants in Mr. Lai was unwarranted. The causalities that result from World War II were

Project Management in Safety, Security and Emergency Management Assignment

Project Management in Safety, Security and Emergency Management - Assignment Example Although, organizations fall into different industries, there are specific standards that define the operations, management, and control of reference organizations (Nollau, 2009). The National Fire protection Association (NFPA) 1600 is a standard that seeks to influence Business Continuity Plan development in different organizations. This paper defines, summarizes, and derives the impact of the NFPA 1600 standard on its impact on building a business Continuity Planning to restore stopped business operations at a warehouse. The 2013 edition of the NFPA 1600 is a standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs produced by the National Fire protection Association that can have an impact on Business Continuity Plan development (National Fire Protection Association, 2014). The NFPA 1600 standard enjoys the recognition of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States where it assumes the role of a National Preparedness Standard (National Fire Protection Association, 2014). Subject to its effectiveness, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security adopts the NFPA 1600 standard as a voluntary consensus standard for emergency preparedness. The National Fire protection Association produces different editions of the NFPA 1600 standard with an aim of addressing different issues. The 2013 edition addresses Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (National Fire Protection Association, 2014). As such, the public, governments, private companies, non- profitable associations, and nongovernmental organizations rely on this standard to address local, national, regional, and global issues (Lindstrà ¶m, Samuelsson & Hà ¤gerfors, 2010). As such, the NFPA 1600 standard seeks to inform the audience or users of NFPA, standards, codes, guidelines, and recommended actions that the issuance of Tentative Interim

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

MANAGEMENT WK4 ASSIGNMENG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MANAGEMENT WK4 ASSIGNMENG - Essay Example The work of a leader mainly revolves around coming up with new ideas and keeping the work force enthusiastic about the project that he comes up with. The manager then takes up the idea and works towards achieving the goal set by the leader. The leader tends to be people oriented whereas manager tends to be systems oriented. These two aspects of people can be in the same person. The only difference comes in the mode used to combine the two aspects in the same person. These differences are as summarized in the following table (Murray). Understanding the nature of the staff becomes an essential part of being a leader and a manager. As a leader, knowing and understanding the people a person leads becomes the first priority. Different people have different natures hence need to be treated differently. The understanding of staff can help a long way in managing them. As a leader, the aspects of a manager complement leadership. Some people may not like to be pushed whereas others may get bored in a dull working place. The leader needs to take note of all those qualities and assign duties according to a person’s nature. The nature should also guide the leader in knowing how to motivate different people. Diversity happens to be the main key towards success in any organisation. The qualities that a person lacks become complemented in another person. This helps an organisation to get the players needed in solving any task (Murray). A manager can be best suited to work around organising these people into an effective work force. However, the manger would be forced to lead people instead of organising

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Global Financial Crisis on Japan Country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Financial Crisis on Japan Country - Essay Example Global financial crisis also reduced the flow of money in the country’s economy. During the economic downturn, many Japanese opted to cut down their shopping budgets. This greatly affected the revenues of businesses that already had less ability to access credit. Further more investors became weary of putting their money into companies. This too had a severe impact on businesses. The stock market business collapsed, making many business men lose a large portion of their investment (Needle, 2010, p. 476). Companies found it hard to survive under unconducive environment caused by the economic crisis. The senior managers of the largest Japan realized the need to cut cost for the sake of their company’s survival. Labor being one of the business greatest expenses, many people lost their jobs. The largest companies eliminated job opportunities on a large scale leaving many Japanese jobless (Batten& Szilagyi, 2011, p. 375). Other small businesses simply found out that they could not survive the adverse effect of the global economic crisis. These companies opted to close down their activities, leaving too many of their workers jobless. During the global financial crisis, many companies also reduced their charitable activities across Japan. This act eliminated chances of many Japanese to access resources they desperately needed. Many of them were unable to access clean water and security (Paul, 2010, p. 223). Following the effect of the global market turmoil, the FSA has initiated several measures aimed at regulating the functioning of financial intermediation. FSA has initiated a new capital injection scheme, to enhance proper flow of capital in the country as it was before the downturn (Paul, 2010, p. 254). FSA has also introduced new regulatory framework for credit rating agencies. It has considerably strengthened the disclosure requirement for financial firms with respect to their exposure to securitization

Monday, September 23, 2019

BEIT 336 (Formal Report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BEIT 336 (Formal Report) - Essay Example BEIT 336 (Formal Report) As the array of available flexibility options broadens, contemporary companies are under immense pressure to evaluate how each scheduling program affects their performance in terms of employee performance, as well as, managers’ and supervisors’ perception or acceptance of the program. Understanding the association between flexible scheduling of work and consequent organizational performance is imperative in selecting the most appropriate flexible working technique. Such comprehension is also pertinent to development of flexible working policies that would, in turn, guarantee optimization of projected benefits like increase in employees’ productivity, elevation of morale, reduction of absenteeism and decline in turnover. In addition, understanding this relationship would go a long way towards challenging or confirming assumptions made in regard to flexible work hours and in quantifying the current state of an organization to determine its readiness for implementat ion of a flexible work schedule. Most importantly, outcomes of the employee and organizational performance measurement have implications vital to the future development of flexible work programs in a company. If there is a positive connection between flexible working and employee performance, as illustrated in this research, companies can utilize the information to facilitate change in working culture and plan more effective schedules in the future.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

International Trade and Comparative Advantage Essay Example for Free

International Trade and Comparative Advantage Essay ? In spite of the strong theoretical case that can be made for free international trade, every country in the world has erected at least some barriers to trade. Trade restrictions are typically undertaken in an effort to protect companies and workers in the home economy from competition by foreign firms. A protectionist policy is one in which a country restricts the importation of goods and services produced in foreign countries. The India, for example, uses protectionist policies to limit the quantity of foreign- produced sugar coming into country. In general, protectionist policies imposed for a particular good always reduce its supply, raise its price, and reduce the equilibrium quantity. Protection often takes the form of an import tax or a limit on the amount that can be imported, but it can also come in the form of voluntary export restrictions and other barriers. Tariff rates on dutiable imports have fallen dramatically over the course of history. A tariff is a tax on imported goods and services. A tariff raises the cost of selling imported goods. It thus shifts the supply curve for goods to the left. The price of the protected good rises and the quantity available to consumers falls. Protectionist policies reduce the quantities of foreign goods and services supplied to the country that imposes the restriction. As a result, such policies shift the supply curve to the left for the good or service whose imports are restricted. In the case shown, the supply curve shifts to S2, the equilibrium price rises to P2, and the equilibrium quantity falls to Q2. One of the most common protectionist measures now in use is the antidumping proceeding. A domestic firm, faced with competition by a foreign competitor, files charges with its government that the foreign firm is dumping, or charging an unfair price. Under rules spelled out in international negotiations that preceded approval of the World Trade Organization, an unfair price was defined as a price below production cost or below the price the foreign firm charges for the same good in its own country. While these definitions may seem straightforward enough, they have proven to be quite troublesome. A quota is a direct restriction on the total quantity of a good or service that may be imported during a specified period. Quotas restrict total supply and therefore increase the domestic price of the good or service on which they are imposed. Quotas generally specify that an exporting countrys share of a domestic market may not exceed a certain limit. In some cases, quotas are set to raise the domestic price to a particular level. A quota restricting the quantity of a particular good imported into an economy shifts the supply curve to the left, as in. It raises price and reduces quantity. An important distinction between quotas and tariffs is that quotas do not increase costs to foreign producers; tariffs do. In the short run, a tariff will reduce the profits of foreign exporters of a good or service. A quota, however, raises price but not costs of production and thus may increase profits. Because the quota imposes a limit on quantity, any profits it creates in other countries will not induce the entry of new firms that ordinarily eliminates profits in perfect competition. Voluntary export restrictions are a form of trade barrier by which foreign firms agree to limit the quantity of goods exported to a particular country. Although such restrictions are called voluntary, they typically are agreed to only after pressure is applied by the country whose industries they protect. A voluntary export restriction works precisely like an ordinary quota. It raises prices for the domestic product and reduces the quantity consumed of the good or service affected by the quota. It can also increase the profits of the firms that agree to the quota because it raises the price they receive for their products. In addition to tariffs and quotas, measures such as safety standards, labeling requirements, pollution controls, and quality restrictions all may have the effect of restricting imports. Many restrictions aimed at protecting consumers in the domestic market create barriers as a purely unintended, and probably desirable, side effect. These standards tend to discourage the import of foreign goods, but their primary purpose appears to be to protect consumers from harmful chemicals, not to restrict trade. But other nontariff barriers seem to serve no purpose other than to keep foreign goods out. The conceptual justification for free trade is one of the oldest arguments in economics; there is no disputing the logic of the argument that free trade increases global production, worldwide consumption, and international efficiency. But critics stress that the argument is a theoretical one. In the real world, they say, there are several arguments that can be made to justify protectionist measures. One argument for trade barriers is that they serve as a kind of buffer to protect fledgling domestic industries. The desire to maintain existing jobs threatened by foreign competition is probably the single most important source of todays protectionist policies. Some industries that at one time had a comparative advantage are no longer among the worlds lowest-cost producers; they struggle to stay afloat. Cost cutting leads to layoffs, and layoffs lead to demands for protection. The model of international trade in perfect competition suggests that trade will threaten some industries. As countries specialize in activities in which they have a comparative advantage, sectors in which they do not have this advantage will shrink. Maintaining those sectors through trade barriers blocks a nation from enjoying the gains possible from free trade. A further difficulty with the use of trade barriers to shore up employment in a particular sector is that it can be an enormously expensive strategy. That shifts the supply curve slightly to the left, raising prices for countries consumers and reducing their consumer surplus. The loss to consumers is the cost per job saved. One reason often given for the perceived need to protect Indian workers against free international trade is that workers must be protected against cheap foreign labor. This is an extension of the job protection argument in the previous section. From a theoretical point of view, of course, if foreign countries can produce a good at lower cost than we can, it is in our collective interest to obtain it from them. But workers counter by saying that the low wages of foreign workers means that foreign workers are exploited. This objection, however, fails to recognize that differences in wage rates generally reflect differences in worker productivity. Further, we have seen that what matters for trade is comparative advantage, not comparative labor costs. When each nation specializes in goods and services in which it has a comparative advantage measured in the amounts of other goods and services given up to produce them then world production, and therefore world consumption, rises. By definition, each nation will have a comparative advantage in something. Exports restrictions are the limitations on the goods and services exported to foreign country by the government. These limitations are imposed to prevent a shortage of goods in the domestic market when it is more profitable to export. As a part of foreign policy for a example as a competent of trade sanctions. Government also promotes exports by making following incentives policies under EXIM policy like Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB), Export Promotion Capital Goods, Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s) etc.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Assignment on Training and Development within Vodafone

Assignment on Training and Development within Vodafone Human Resource Management (HRM), a relatively new term, that emerged during the 1930s. Many people used to refer it before by its traditional titles, such as Personnel Administration or Personnel Management. But now, the trend is changing. It is now termed as Human Resource Management (HRM). Human Resource Management is a management function that helps an organization select, recruit, train and develops. Human Resource Management is defined as the people who staff and manage organization. It comprises of the functions and principles that are applied to retaining, training, developing, and compensating the employees in organization. It is also applicable to non-business organizations, such as education, healthcare etc. Human Resource Management is defined as the set of activities, programs, and functions that are designed to maximize both organizational as well as employee effectiveness Scope of HRM without a doubt is vast. All the activities of employee, from the time of his entry into an organization until he leaves, come under the horizon of HRM. The divisions included in HRM are Recruitment, Payroll, Performance Management, Training and Development, Retention, Industrial Relation, etc. Out of all these divisions, one such important division is training and development. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT is a subsystem of an organization. It ensures that randomness is reduced and learning or behavioral change takes place in structured format. TRADITIONAL AND MODERN APPROACH OF TRAINING AND DEVLOPMENT Traditional Approach Most of the organizations before never used to believe in training. They were holding the traditional view that managers are born and not made. There were also some views that training is a very costly affair and not worth. Organizations used to believe more in executive pinching. But now the scenario seems to be changing. The modern approach of training and development is that Indian Organizations have realized the importance of corporate training. Training is now considered as more of retention tool than a cost. The training system in Indian Industry has been changed to create a smarter workforce and yield the best results TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES The principal objective of training and development division is to make sure the availability of a skilled and willing workforce to an organization. In addition to that, there are four other objectives: Individual, Organizational, Functional, and Societal. Individual Objectives help employees in achieving their personal goals, which in turn, enhances the individual contribution to an organization. Organizational Objectives assist the organization with its primary objective by bringing individual effectiveness. Functional Objectives maintain the departments contribution at a level suitable to the organizations needs. Societal Objectives ensure that an organization is ethically and socially responsible to the needs and challenges of the society. Role of HRD Professionals in Training This is the era of cut-throat competition and with this changing scenario of business; the role of HR professionals in training has been widened. HR role now is: 1. Active involvement in employee education 2. Rewards for improvement in performance 3. Rewards to be associated with self esteem and self worth 4. Providing pre-employment market oriented skill development education and post employment support for advanced education and training 5. Flexible access i.e. anytime, anywhere training The HR functioning is changing with time and with this change, the relationship between the training function and other management activity is also changing. About Vodafone Vodafone Group Plc is the worlds leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States through the Companys subsidiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments. The Groups mobile subsidiaries operate under the brand name Vodafone. In the United States the Groups associated undertaking operates as Verizon Wireless. During the last few years, Vodafone Group has entered into arrangements with network operators in countries where the Group does not hold an equity stake. Under the terms of these Partner Market Agreements, the Group and its partner operators co-operate in the development and marketing of global products and services, with varying levels of brand association. At 30 September 2009, based on the registered customers of mobile telecommunications ventures in which it had ownership interests at that date, the Group had 323 million customers, excluding paging customers, calculated on a proportionate basis in accordance with the Companys percentage interest in these ventures. The Companys ordinary shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Companys American Depositary Shares (ADSs) are listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market. The Company had a total market capitalisation of approximately  £71.2 billion at 12 November 2009. Vodafone Group Plc is a public limited company incorporated in England under registered number 1833679. Its registered office is Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN, England. Vodafone Training and development We provide training and development opportunities to help our employees gain new skills and experiences, and encourage them to reach their full potential. Vodafone offers a wide range of online courses related to specific aspects of the business or key skill sets. Performance Dialogues All employees complete an annual Performance Dialogue with their line manager, enabling them to review their performance annually and set clear goals and development plans for the year ahead. The process ensures our people can make a clear connection between their goals and Vodafones business objectives. Development Boards Vodafone employees with key skills are discussed at an annual Development Board, where their line managers rate their performance and potential. We use this information to identify employees with leadership potential in each local operating company. These employees are encouraged to complete leadership development training, such as Inspire. Inspire leadership development Inspire is a global programme designed to identify and develop high potential employees and accelerate their progression into leadership roles. Participants take part in a three-month international rotation and receive commercial training and personalised leadership development through Imperial College, Oxford Said Business School and the Hay Group. They also gain from exposure to and learning from members of our Executive Committee. The programme promotes cross-cultural understanding within Vodafone and encourages employees to take advantage of the breadth of experience across the Group. Promoting career opportunities within Vodafone We want people to develop at Vodafone and promote recruitment from within. This encourages people to progress their careers within the company, either through promotion or a change of role to broaden their experience. All vacancies across Vodafone are advertised on the job-posting page of our global intranet, which encourages the transfer of talent across the Group. Equal opportunities and diversity We believe employee diversity is an asset to our business. Men and women of various ages from different backgrounds and cultures, with a range of different experiences, help us understand and serve our customers around the world. We have a strategy to improve diversity and inclusion across the Group. It aims to ensure Vodafones workforce reflects its diverse customer base, and that the company has an inclusive working environment that embraces the benefits diversity brings. Vodafone aims to create a working culture that respects the value of differences among colleagues and encourages individuals to contribute their best within an environment that is inclusive, open, flexible and fair. We will not tolerate discrimination or unfair treatment on any grounds. Employees must act with integrity and respect for their colleagues and customers. We are committed to helping talented people from diverse backgrounds meet their potential at all levels of the company. Gender diversity We are working to improve gender diversity at Vodafone, as part of our diversity and inclusion strategy. This includes carrying out senior leadership training on inclusion and diversity. At Group level, we instruct our recruitment consultants to recommend a minimum of one credible female candidate for interview for every vacancy we advertise at management level. We recognise that women can often be more affected by family commitments than men and encourage flexible working to help employees balance their work with their family commitments. Cultural diversity With operations worldwide, Vodafone is not only multinational but multicultural. We encourage our managers to gain experience working in different countries and almost half our senior managers have international experience. International rotation is a key part of our Inspire programme for employees with high potential. See Training and development. Employees with disabilities We are conscious of the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities, and make every effort to ensure access to the Groups facilities and services. Disabled people are assured of full and fair consideration for all vacancies for which they offer themselves as suitable candidates. We do our best to meet their needs, particularly in relation to access and mobility. Where possible, modifications to workplaces are made to provide access for the disabled. Every effort is made to continue the employment of people who become disabled during their employment, through the provision of additional facilities, job design and appropriate training. Reward and recognition We aim to provide competitive and fair rates of pay and benefits in each market where we operate. This helps us attract and retain the best employees. Pay and benefits vary in each local operating company. Vodafone rewards employees based on their performance, potential and contribution to the success of the business. We want to ensure that our people feel their efforts are recognised. Our global short and long-term incentive plans reward performance. Health, safety and wellbeing The health, safety and wellbeing of our employees is a priority for Vodafone. We believe all incidents and injuries are preventable and we are committed to ensuring that our people can do their work safely. And we understand that employee wellbeing is vital for a healthy and effective workforce. Our wellbeing framework tackles significant issues such as attendance and stress management, as well as helping our people understand the importance of work-life balance and the benefits of healthy lifestyles. Many of our operating companies run programmes which aim to keep their employees healthy and free from stress, including flexible working initiatives. Flexible working enables employees to balance work and family commitments better and helps us to attract and retain the best people, as well as use space more efficiently. Our health, safety and wellbeing principles apply equally to Vodafone employees, our service providers, contractors and suppliers. We set consistently high health and safety standards across the Group, and have robust management systems to ensure these are implemented. Our Group Health and Safety Policy covers health and safety management, radio frequency fields and health, and driving safety. Each local operating company must comply with this policy and implement a health and safety management system that is consistent with local operating conditions and legislation. We also provide health and security advice for employees travelling abroad on business. Our Group Health, Safety and Wellbeing Board oversees implementation of health, safety and wellbeing management by local operating companies. Operating companies share information and advice through our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Network and at annual conferences. Employee volunteering Many of our employees give their time as volunteers to support good causes. This benefits charities and communities but also allows our employees to learn new skills. We encourage employee volunteering and help to raise additional funds from third parties. Most of our local operating companies have programmes to encourage employees to volunteer in working hours. Examples of employee volunteering programmes include: Refurbishing a residential care home for young children, by Vodafone Malta to mark its seventh annual Corporate Responsibility Day. Distributing blankets, clothes and food supplies to 10,000 needy families. Over 160 Vodafone Egypt employees volunteered three hours each on average to the cause. Giving blood at Vodafone Albanias Blood Donation Day, in co-operation with The Red Cross. Donors are urgently needed in Albania because 8% of the population carries Thalassemia, a blood condition that can be treated with blood transfusions. Vodafone Australias Beyondyou programme, to help employees make a personal difference to their community and the environment. Beyondyou offers individual and team volunteering, as well as career development opportunities with community partners. Employees can take one additional day of paid leave each year to volunteer.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Implementing Product Life Cycle Management in Indian Product

Implementing Product Life Cycle Management in Indian Product IMPLEMENTING PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN PRODUCT MANUFACTURE ORGANIZATIONS Abstract Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from market demand, product design, manufacturing, services and disposal. By integrating people, data, process, business systems to provide product information which can foster a companys product innovation ability and their extended enterprise. In short all-encompassing vision for managing all data relating to the design, production, support and ultimate disposal of manufactured goods. The aerospace, medical devices, military, nuclear and automobile industries need to maintain safety and control extremely important. This safety and control measure brought about the concept of PLM in to the market. The configuration management further evolved into electronic data management systems. This further evolved into data management systems. By using the PLM features, many manufacturers of industrial machinery, capital goods, consumer electronics and packaged goods have benefited largely in the past ten years, since the advent of the PLM. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT: Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the procedure of managing the complete lifecycle of a product. It symbolizes the encompassing vision for supervising all the data relating to the design, manufacturing, support and the dumping of the produced goods. The concept of PLM was first introduced in the areas where safety and control were extremely important like aerospace, nuclear industries, military and medical device. These industries invented the discipline of configuration management (CM), which later got evolved in to the electronic data management system (EDMS), and this was further developed to the product data management (PDM). The usage of PLM solution has benefited the manufacturers of the industrial machinery, packaged goods, consumer electronics and complicated engineered products, and also there is a rapid increase in the adoption of PLM software by the industries. Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the procedure of managing the complete lifecycle of a product from its beginning, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal. PLM integrates people, data, processes and business systems and provides a product information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise. Product lifecycle management is one of the four cornerstones of a corporations information technology system structure. Every company needs to communicate and share information with their customer relation management (CRM) and also shared with the supply chain management and their resources with enterprises management (ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning) and their planning (SDLC-System Development Life-cycle). The manufacturing and engineering companies should compulsorily develop, describe, manage, and communicate information about their products. 1.2 PLM SOLUTIONS:[1] 1.3 Some requirements of PLM: * Data File Control Management (The right data†¦) * Product Data Access Control (To the right person†¦) * Workflow Process Management (At the right time†¦) * Geometry Management * CAD File Control Management * Digital Mockup * Integration Point For Single Source of Product Data * Information System Interfaces * Authoring Application Integration * Product Data Distribution * Product Data Viewing * Change Control * Configuration Identification * Configuration Status Accounting, Verification and Audit * Program / Project Management Coordination * Requirements Design Traceability 1.4 Benefits: Benefits of product lifecycle management include:- * Reduced time to market * Improve product quality * Reduced prototyping costs * Saving through the re-use of original data * A frame work for product optimization * Reduce waste * Saving through the complete integration of engineering workflows 1.5 History: Inspiration for the burgeoning business process now known as PLM came when America Motor Corporation (AMC) was looking for a way to speed up its product development process to compete better against its larger competitors in 1985, according to Francois casting Vice President for Product Engineering and Development. After the introduction of its compact jeep Cherokee (XJ), the vehicle that launched the modern sport utility vehicle (SUV) market, AMC began to develop a new model, which later came out as Jeep Grand Cherokee. The first part in its quest for faster product development was Computer Aided Design (CAD) software system that makes engineers more productive. The conflicts are very easily solved by using new communication system .By this system costly engineering also changes because of availability of drawings and documents in a central database. AMC was purchased by Chrysler because of the effectiveness of the product data management .This made the designing and building product to connect with enterprise. While an early adopter of PLM technology, Chrysler was able to become the auto industrys lowest-cost producer, recording development costs that were half of the industry average for the Burge owning business process now known as PLM came when America average by the mid-1990s. C:Documents and SettingskranthiDesktoprakesh_prj_imgRKSH_IMG4.bmp Fig 1. Layout of Product life cycle management 1.6 Timeline -Increasing Productivity with Technology:[2] 1980s  § Introduction of Commercial Computer Aided Design (CAD) radically improved  § Productivity in Product Design 1990s  § Adoption of ERP Systems  § ERP Systems included Engineering and Change Management Modules  § Design Build remained separated in silos 2000s  § Adoption of Workflow Web technologies accelerated PLM concepts  § Workflow enabled collaboration between different company silos  § PLM drastically improved NPI cycle cutting time cost  § PLM extended visibility and collaboration to CMs Suppliers using the we Present  § PLM extended Product Design to 3rd party Design Outsourcing  § Collaboration extended across the global chain to Customers Suppliers  § Introduction of Industry Government Standards Compliance  § Adoption of Collaborative Quality Improvement across the supply chain  § Adoption of Program/Project based PLM Portfolio Management  § Adoption of PLM Analytics and Intelligence for Cost/Process Analysis Improve. 1.7 Phases of Product lifecycle:[3] There are many software solutions now developed which are use to organize and integrate the various phases of the product ‘s life cycle. PLM is the single software with a suite of tools with several working methods, all these integrates to define single or different stage of product life cycle. PLM range is covered by some software providers but other only single application. Some of the applications can span various fields of PLM with different modules, with in the similar data model. All fields in PLM are covered here. It should also not be forgotten that one of the main goals of PLM is to collect knowledge that can be reused for other projects and to coordinate simultaneous concurrent development of many products. PLM is mainly related with engineering tasks and also involves the activities of marketing like Product Portfolio Management (PPM), and mainly with regards to the new product introduction (NPI). 1.7.1. Phase 1: Conceive: Imagine, specify, plan, and innovate The initial phase in idea is the definition of its requirements based on customer, company, market and regulatory bodies viewpoints. Major technical parameter can be defined by this product specification. Many functional aspect and requirement specification are carried out parallel with the initial concept design work carried out by defining the visual aesthetics of the product. For the Industrial Design Styling, work many different media are used from pencil and paper, clay models to 3D Computer Aided Design software 1.7.2. Phase 2: Design: Describe, Define, Develop, Test, Analyze and validate This is where the detailed design and development of the products form starts, progressing to prototype testing, through pilot release to full product launch. It may also include the redesign and ramp for improvement to present products as well as Planned obsolescence. CAD tool is used for design and development. This can be a simple or plain 2D Drawing / Drafting or 3D Parametric Feature Based Solid/Surface Modeling. Such software includes technology such as Hybrid Modeling, Reverse Engineering, KBE (Knowledge Based Engineering), NDT (Non Destructive Testing), Assembly construction This step covers many engineering disciplines including: Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Software (embedded), and domain-specific, such as Architectural, Aerospace, Automotive, Along with the actual creation of geometry there is the analysis of the components and product assemblies. By standing alone the CAE (Computer-aided engineering) software can perform simulation validation and optimization task or it may carry out by integrating with CAD package. These are used to perform tasks such as: Dimensional tolerance (Engineering) analysis task is performed by using CAQ (computer aided quality) such as Dimensional Tolerance (engineering) Analysis. Another task which is carried out at this phase is the sourcing of bought out components, possibly with the aid of Procurement systems. 1.7.3. Phase 3: Realize Manufacture, Make, Build, Procure, Produce, Sell and Deliver: The method of manufacturing is defined when the design of the products componnent is completed. It performs task such as design creation of CNC machining instructions for the products part as also it can perform tolls to manufacture those product which can be done using integrated or separate CAM. Process simulation for operations such as casting molding and die press forming will also be involve in the analysis tools. CPM comes in to play only when the manufacture method gets identified. The original CAD data with the use of Computer Aided Inspection equipment and software is used for checking the geometrical form and size of the components after they get manufactured. Sales product configuration and marketing documentation work will be taking place parallel to the engineering task. This could include transferring engineering data (geometry and part list data) to a web based sales configuration and other Desktop Publishing systems 1.7.4. Phase 4: Service: Use, Operate, Maintain, Support, sustain, phase-out, Retire, Recycle and Disposal In final stage of the lifecycle the managing of in service information is involved. The repair and maintence, waste management/recycling information is provided to the customers and to service engineers. Maintenance repair and operation management software tools are involved. 1.7.5. All phases: Product lifecycle: Communicate, Manage and Collaborate In many cases or in real practical a project does not run sequentially or maintain isolation of other project development project. The co-ordination of and management of product definition data is the main part of PLM, it includes release status of the components, managing of engineering changes, management of documents, project resources planning, configuration product variations, timescale and risk assessment. The text and metadata such as the product bills of materials needs to be managed. At the engineering departments stage this is the area of PDM (Product Data Management) software, at the commercial level EDM (Enterprise Data Management) software; it is typical to see two or more data management systems within an organization. These systems are also linked to other systems such as SCM, CRM, and ERP. Associated with these systems are Project Management Systems for Project/Program Planning. Numerous collaborative product development tools cover this central role which runs throu ghout the whole life cycle and across organizations. This needs various technology tools in the area of Conferencing, Data Sharing and Data Translation. CHAPTER 2 Research study conducted on (Cell phone) During past decade of time the, cell phone has become a part of our daily life .Like any product, making a cell phone and its parts requires natural resources and energy. Understanding the life cycle of a product can help you make environmental choices about the products you use, and how you dispose of them. Let us consider the example of a Nokia cell phone product life cycle management. 2.1 Concept Design:[4] The design of the product influences each stage of its lifecycle and also influences the environment. Design will affect the materials which are used in manufacturing of a product. If cheaper materials are used they are less durable, the product will have a short useful life. Waste can be prevented by proper design of the product. The design of the product with modular components can be easily replaced and entire product need not be thrown away if only one part of the product gets broken. The items having long life, trendy design should be avoided because they are not thrown away when they go out of style. 2.2 Materials Extraction:[4] All products are manufactured from the materials which are found in or on the earth. Raw materials, such as trees or ore, are directly mined or harvested from the earth and this process can create a lot of pollution and also involves usage of large amounts of energy and depletes the limited natural resources. The manufacturing of new products from recycled materials will reduce the amounts of the raw materials, being taken from the earth. The hand set consists of 40 percent metals, 40 percent plastics, and 20 percent ceramics and trace materials. The circuit board which is also termed as a printed wiring board, present in the hand set is the main component and is the brain of the cell phone controlling all of its functions. The circuit boards are up of mined and raw materials like silicon, copper, lead, nickel, tantalum, beryllium and other metals. Circuit board manufacturing requires crude oil for plastics and limestone and sand for the fiberglass, these materials are also known as â€Å"persistent toxins† and can stay in the environment for long periods of time even after their disposal. The cell phone consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a low power, flat- panel display on the front of the phone that shows information and images. The passage of electric current through it makes it opaque. The contrast between the opaque and transparent areas forms visible characters. Various liquid crystalline substances, either naturally occurring (such as mercury, a potentially dangerous substance) or human-made, are used to make LCDs, require the usage of plastic or glass. The rechargeable batteries used to power the phones can use several types of batteries: nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium-ion (Li-Ion), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad), or lead acid. These batteries contain nickel, cobalt, zinc, cadmium, and copper. 2.3 Materials Processing:[4] Once materials are extracted, they must be converted into a form that can be used to make products. For example, in cell phones: Crude oil is combined with natural gas and chemicals in a processing plant to make plastic; Copper is mined, ground, heated, and treated with chemicals and electricity to isolate the pure metal used to make circuit boards and batteries. The resulting copper pieces are transported to the manufacturer where they are formed into sheets and wires. 2.4 Manufacturing:[4] The basic shape of the circuit board is made by using plastics and fiberglass, and is then coated with gold plating. The board has several electronic components which are connected with wires made of copper and are soldered to the board, are secured with coatings and protective glues. LCDs are manufactured by sandwiching the liquid crystal in between layers of plastic or glass. Batteries have two separate parts known as electrodes, which are made from two different metals. Electrolyte is a liquid substance which touches each electrode. 2.5 Packaging Transportation:[4] The use of packaging can protect products from damage and provide product information. Finished products are transported in trucks, planes, and trains to different locations where they are sold. All of these modes of transportation burn fossil fuels, which can contribute to global climate change. The finished products and the parts of the cell phone require packaging and transportation in order to get from one place to another. The transportation done by plane, rail or truck requires the usage of the fossils fuels for energy, which contribute to the global climate change. While the packaging of the product protects it from getting damaged, identifies contents and provides information, decorative or excessive packaging can be wasteful. Packaging makes use of the valuable natural resources which include paper (from trees), plastics (from crude oil from the earth), and aluminum (from ore) and other materials, all of which makes use of energy to produce and can result in waste. 2.6 Reuse/Recycling/Disposal:[4] The way products are used can impact the environment. For example, products that are only used once create more waste than products that are used again and again. Using a product over and over again prevents the need to create the product from scratch, which saves resources and energy while also preventing pollution. Recycling or re-manufacturing products also reduces the amount of new materials that have to be extracted from the earth. Always comparison shop to be sure that you get the proper service and the phone that is right for you. By using the rechargeable batteries in cell phones reduces the amount of the waste and toxicity that disposable batteries will create. Be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for charging your batteries so you can extend their life as long as possible 2.7 Life:[4] Recycling or donating the cell phones when they are no longer needed by you or want them extends their useful lives, and preventing them from going into the trash where they can cause problems relating to the environment. 2.8 Reuse:[4] Many organizations including recyclers, Charities, and electronics manufacturers accept working cell phones and offer them to schools, community organizations, and individuals in need. Reuse provides people, who cannot afford them, free or reduced cost access to new phones and their accessories. And thereby it extends the useful lifetime of a phone. 2.9 Recycle:[4] Springing up of electronics recyclers is every-where. Today, various stores, recycling centers and manufacturers accept cell phones for recycling. While few electronics recyclers only allow large shipments, the communities, schools, or groups can work together to collect used cell phones for shipment to electronics recyclers. Some of the rechargeable batteries can also be recycled, as many retail stores and some communities have started collecting them. The material recovered from the rechargeable batteries when they are recycled can be used for making new stainless steel products and batteries. You can use the phone book or Internet to find the local contacts that refurbish and recycle cell phones. 2.10 Disposal:[4] By 2009, the rate at which cell phones are discarded is predicted to exceed 125 million phones each year, resulting in more than 65,000 tons of waste. The cell phones which are thrown into the trash end up in a landfill or are burned. As the cell phone contains plastics, chemical, metals and other hazardous substances, you should always recycle, donate or trade in your old cell phone. 2.11 Headset:[4] Many people use a cell phone headset when they are driving or when they are walking around to keep their hands free. Most models of headsets can be reused when you buy a new phone. 2.12 Belt clip:[4] Some people buy belt clips to carry cell phones while not in use. Reusing or donating your belt clip when you are finished using it prevents waste. 2.13 Face plate:[4] Decorative face plates can be trendy and fun, but you dont need them to use a cell phone. The best way to prevent waste is to simply not buy products you dont need. If you do buy face plates, donate unwanted ones to a charity or swap them with your friends instead of throwing them away. Portable gaming cell phones have a lot of the same parts as hand-held video game and CD players, consoles and portable CD players, including speakers, circuit boards, and LCDs. Old or broken consoles and players can also be reused or recycled when no longer wanted. Advances in cell phone technology have given phones many uses today. CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDY 3.1 Case study: Siemens Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices (SHC) is a leading company for home and office communication infrastructure. The company sells its products in more than 50 countries. 3.1.1 Business Challenge: SHC has several engineering and manufacturing disciplines which are unique and located at one single site, in Germany. Mold tooling development, mechanical design development, manufacturing and assembling are all done in Bocholt, Germany. For Siemens the market pressure is very high in electronics and electric and consumer goods, and there is stress from this competition to reduce development cycles and its time to market new goods, as there is a wide range of products introduced into the market year after year with new designs and more complexity. Therefore Siemens recognized that it has to make improvements in its quality and thus needed to enhance the supply chain integration and collaboration to meet its marketing challenges. Siemens soon recognized that to overcome the external and internal pressures it has to improve its development and product life cycle for the future success of Siemens SHC. Siemens had been working with a 3-D CAD system â€Å" Euclid 3† for about 10 years on which it had made all possible improvements and it cannot upgrade it any further, so it has to get help from outside partner to help and implement a new product life cycle (PLM) system. 3.1.2 Solution: Siemens in partnership with IBM services implemented CATIA V5 and SMART TEAM as a new PLM platform for improvement in product development. CATIA V5 has a set of predefined product and process templates, helps to quickly complete even sophisticated design tasks with a high level of accuracy. With CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM, SHC has improved design innovation, taking advantage of the existing know-how and design to manufacturing process to the development and reduction of costs. In addition to that, this tool has helped make the mold tool development and NC manufacturing very competitive with low-cost suppliers from places like China. 3.2 Case study 2: Airbus UK 3.2.1 Business Challenge: To meet tight deadlines for delivery and reduce design and manufacturing costs by constantly improving working processes throughout the aircraft lifecycle. 3.2.2 Solution: IBM has provided with a team of flexible and scalable experts which included strategic business consultants, aircraft industry specialists and project managers to define and implement transformation programs in business, financial and organizational disciplines. 3.2.3 Business Benefits: Improved collaboration with suppliers eliminated data re-entry, saving â‚ ¬18 million on collaboration with suppliers. * Improved concurrent engineering reduced lead time on wing by 41 weeks (36% reduction). * The worlds first flight of largest passenger aircraft completed on time. * Keeping Scheduled programming. * Innovative practices introduced from concurrent engineering and collaborative working. 3.2.4 Why it matters? IBM team created new business, financial and organizational processes to meet the deadlines while cost cutting the design and manufacturing for the new Airbus A380. These changes has transformed the airplane manufacturing methodology while enabling Airbus UK to cut cost and time out of design and manufacture, improve collaboration with suppliers and deliver key components on schedule to ensure the A380 aircrafts on-time first flight. 3.2.5 Key Components: IBM Global Business Services In developing the new technologies and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the aerospace industry Airbus is leading the world. Airbus is an extremely complex business, which employs advanced technologies and procedures, some of which have mainly been developed for this project. In such a large-scale, modern design and manufacturing process, a lot of attention is paid at keeping costs under control. Wing assembly is one of the most complex parts of the aircraft, an element for which Airbus UK has the design and manufacturing responsibility. The company realized early in the A380 program that new processes would be needed to achieve the aggressive timeline for the airplane. â€Å"We needed to radically transform our approach to the A380, and saw value in bringing in an objective external consultancy to help define and implement new ways of working,† says Iain Gray, Managing Director of Airbus UK. Nowhere is this more evident than in its design and development of the A380, the worlds largest passenger jet. Airbus is a highly complex business, employing advanced technologies and processes, some of which have specifically been developed for this project. In such a large-scale, innovative design and manufacturing operation, much attention is paid to keeping costs under control. Airbus UK commissioned IBM Global Business Services to bring together a team of experts to analyze designs, design processes and manufacturing operations. â€Å"IBM is exclusively placed to give advice and help us transform Airbus UK,† s ays Gray. â€Å"It has enormous breadth and depth of knowledge, with expertise in business, financial and organizational disciplines as well as the aircraft industry and computer technology.† The core IBM Global Business Services program team includes strategic business consultants, aircraft industry specialists and project managers. This team is expanded when ever required by drafting in specialists and consultants who bring a complete cross-section of business and technical skills relevant to the specific problem being addressed. 3.2.6 Designing out cost: â€Å"Initiatives from IBM Global Business Services help us drive cost out of design and manufacture, improve collaborative working, and transform the way we work with our many subcontractors,† explains Gray. Improved collaboration with suppliers eliminated data re-entry, saving â‚ ¬18 million. The IBM team has helped the Airbus UK improve the concurrent engineering, reducing lead time of the wing by 41 weeks (36 percent reduction). Sometimes, initiatives originated directly from the IBM team. Airbus built complete 3D models of A380 components to analyze clash conditions in airframe systems and structure before committing to cut metal—for example, to ensure that there were adequate clearances for slat and flap mechanisms on the wing and the landing gear. Such large-scale 3D modeling involves an enormous volume of number-crunching, which would normally trigger the purchase of large processors. Seeing this situation, IBM consultants introduced Airbus to the concept of GRID computing, which pools unutilized processing capacity in hundreds of distributed workstations for use with processor-intensive applications. A prototype was developed, and IBM then completed the implementation of GRID technology, there by saving Airbus a considerable investment. In the area of business transformation, IBM Global Business Services is organizing an experienced team of human resource and organizational specialists to help Airbus UK transform from a development organization to one undertaking large-scale serial production. The key aspect in the success of the A380 program is educating several hundred people across Airbus UK and its many of the subcontractors in the new tools, processes and collaborative working. With an infinite pool of resources, IBM responded very rapidly to Airbus training needs, building and delivering of tailored courses that reflect the processes and technologies defined at the strategic level. 3.3 Case Study 3: Maruti Udyog Ltd Maruti Udyog Ltd., a subsidiary of Suzuki Moto Corporation of Japan, has been the leading Indian passenger car maker for about two decades. The company has a diverse portfolio that includes: the Maruti 800;the Omni; a premium small car, Zen; the international brands, Alto and WagonR; an off-roader, Gypsy; the mid-size Esteem; a luxury car, Baleno; an MPV, Versa; a premium subcompact car, Swift; and a luxury SUV, Grand Vitara XL7. The companys 11 base platforms encompass300 variants for 100 export destinations. According to Marutis vision statement, its goals include maintaining leadership in the Indian automobile industry, creating customer delight, increasing shareholder wealth and being â€Å"a pride of India.† Customers have shown their approval, ranking Maruti high in customer satisfaction for six years in a row according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2005 India Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study. The company has also ranked highest in the India Sales Satisfaction St udy. 3.3.1The need for PLM: Among the companys product development challenges, the need for shorter cycle times is always at the top. Management wants to be able to launch new models faster and reduce the time required for minor changes and development of product variants. Another challenge is co-development. Marutis goal is to collaborate closely with its global teams and suppliers on the development of new platforms and product freshening. Other challenges include streamlining the process of vehicle localization and enhancing quality and reliability. These challenges pointed directly to a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution with capabilities for information management, process management, knowledge capture and support for global collaboration; a PLM solution directly addressing Marutis business challenges. For example, PLMs information management capabilities address the issue of the many plat forms, local variants and export destinations. Process management permits concurrent development and faster c hange management and provides a platform for other process improvements for faster vehicle development. Knowledge capture increases innovation and also reduces costs by increasing part re-use. PLMs collaboration capabilities permit global development by ensuring fast and accurate dissemination of product information. 3.3.2. Implementation profile: Maruti selected the UGS PLM software solution because â€Å"UGS leverages the business value by offering complete PLM solution,† according to C.V. Raman, general manager, Engineering Division, Maruti Udyog Ltd. Marutis PLM implementation includes Team centre, NX and Techno matrix software. Team centre provides a wide range of functionality for release management including bills of material management and change management. Team centre also handles the vehicle localization process, coordinates the part approval process and integrates design and engineering information with the companys ERP system. Team centre also provides Implementing Product Life Cycle Management in Indian Product Implementing Product Life Cycle Management in Indian Product IMPLEMENTING PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN PRODUCT MANUFACTURE ORGANIZATIONS Abstract Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from market demand, product design, manufacturing, services and disposal. By integrating people, data, process, business systems to provide product information which can foster a companys product innovation ability and their extended enterprise. In short all-encompassing vision for managing all data relating to the design, production, support and ultimate disposal of manufactured goods. The aerospace, medical devices, military, nuclear and automobile industries need to maintain safety and control extremely important. This safety and control measure brought about the concept of PLM in to the market. The configuration management further evolved into electronic data management systems. This further evolved into data management systems. By using the PLM features, many manufacturers of industrial machinery, capital goods, consumer electronics and packaged goods have benefited largely in the past ten years, since the advent of the PLM. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PRODUCT LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT: Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the procedure of managing the complete lifecycle of a product. It symbolizes the encompassing vision for supervising all the data relating to the design, manufacturing, support and the dumping of the produced goods. The concept of PLM was first introduced in the areas where safety and control were extremely important like aerospace, nuclear industries, military and medical device. These industries invented the discipline of configuration management (CM), which later got evolved in to the electronic data management system (EDMS), and this was further developed to the product data management (PDM). The usage of PLM solution has benefited the manufacturers of the industrial machinery, packaged goods, consumer electronics and complicated engineered products, and also there is a rapid increase in the adoption of PLM software by the industries. Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the procedure of managing the complete lifecycle of a product from its beginning, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal. PLM integrates people, data, processes and business systems and provides a product information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise. Product lifecycle management is one of the four cornerstones of a corporations information technology system structure. Every company needs to communicate and share information with their customer relation management (CRM) and also shared with the supply chain management and their resources with enterprises management (ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning) and their planning (SDLC-System Development Life-cycle). The manufacturing and engineering companies should compulsorily develop, describe, manage, and communicate information about their products. 1.2 PLM SOLUTIONS:[1] 1.3 Some requirements of PLM: * Data File Control Management (The right data†¦) * Product Data Access Control (To the right person†¦) * Workflow Process Management (At the right time†¦) * Geometry Management * CAD File Control Management * Digital Mockup * Integration Point For Single Source of Product Data * Information System Interfaces * Authoring Application Integration * Product Data Distribution * Product Data Viewing * Change Control * Configuration Identification * Configuration Status Accounting, Verification and Audit * Program / Project Management Coordination * Requirements Design Traceability 1.4 Benefits: Benefits of product lifecycle management include:- * Reduced time to market * Improve product quality * Reduced prototyping costs * Saving through the re-use of original data * A frame work for product optimization * Reduce waste * Saving through the complete integration of engineering workflows 1.5 History: Inspiration for the burgeoning business process now known as PLM came when America Motor Corporation (AMC) was looking for a way to speed up its product development process to compete better against its larger competitors in 1985, according to Francois casting Vice President for Product Engineering and Development. After the introduction of its compact jeep Cherokee (XJ), the vehicle that launched the modern sport utility vehicle (SUV) market, AMC began to develop a new model, which later came out as Jeep Grand Cherokee. The first part in its quest for faster product development was Computer Aided Design (CAD) software system that makes engineers more productive. The conflicts are very easily solved by using new communication system .By this system costly engineering also changes because of availability of drawings and documents in a central database. AMC was purchased by Chrysler because of the effectiveness of the product data management .This made the designing and building product to connect with enterprise. While an early adopter of PLM technology, Chrysler was able to become the auto industrys lowest-cost producer, recording development costs that were half of the industry average for the Burge owning business process now known as PLM came when America average by the mid-1990s. C:Documents and SettingskranthiDesktoprakesh_prj_imgRKSH_IMG4.bmp Fig 1. Layout of Product life cycle management 1.6 Timeline -Increasing Productivity with Technology:[2] 1980s  § Introduction of Commercial Computer Aided Design (CAD) radically improved  § Productivity in Product Design 1990s  § Adoption of ERP Systems  § ERP Systems included Engineering and Change Management Modules  § Design Build remained separated in silos 2000s  § Adoption of Workflow Web technologies accelerated PLM concepts  § Workflow enabled collaboration between different company silos  § PLM drastically improved NPI cycle cutting time cost  § PLM extended visibility and collaboration to CMs Suppliers using the we Present  § PLM extended Product Design to 3rd party Design Outsourcing  § Collaboration extended across the global chain to Customers Suppliers  § Introduction of Industry Government Standards Compliance  § Adoption of Collaborative Quality Improvement across the supply chain  § Adoption of Program/Project based PLM Portfolio Management  § Adoption of PLM Analytics and Intelligence for Cost/Process Analysis Improve. 1.7 Phases of Product lifecycle:[3] There are many software solutions now developed which are use to organize and integrate the various phases of the product ‘s life cycle. PLM is the single software with a suite of tools with several working methods, all these integrates to define single or different stage of product life cycle. PLM range is covered by some software providers but other only single application. Some of the applications can span various fields of PLM with different modules, with in the similar data model. All fields in PLM are covered here. It should also not be forgotten that one of the main goals of PLM is to collect knowledge that can be reused for other projects and to coordinate simultaneous concurrent development of many products. PLM is mainly related with engineering tasks and also involves the activities of marketing like Product Portfolio Management (PPM), and mainly with regards to the new product introduction (NPI). 1.7.1. Phase 1: Conceive: Imagine, specify, plan, and innovate The initial phase in idea is the definition of its requirements based on customer, company, market and regulatory bodies viewpoints. Major technical parameter can be defined by this product specification. Many functional aspect and requirement specification are carried out parallel with the initial concept design work carried out by defining the visual aesthetics of the product. For the Industrial Design Styling, work many different media are used from pencil and paper, clay models to 3D Computer Aided Design software 1.7.2. Phase 2: Design: Describe, Define, Develop, Test, Analyze and validate This is where the detailed design and development of the products form starts, progressing to prototype testing, through pilot release to full product launch. It may also include the redesign and ramp for improvement to present products as well as Planned obsolescence. CAD tool is used for design and development. This can be a simple or plain 2D Drawing / Drafting or 3D Parametric Feature Based Solid/Surface Modeling. Such software includes technology such as Hybrid Modeling, Reverse Engineering, KBE (Knowledge Based Engineering), NDT (Non Destructive Testing), Assembly construction This step covers many engineering disciplines including: Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Software (embedded), and domain-specific, such as Architectural, Aerospace, Automotive, Along with the actual creation of geometry there is the analysis of the components and product assemblies. By standing alone the CAE (Computer-aided engineering) software can perform simulation validation and optimization task or it may carry out by integrating with CAD package. These are used to perform tasks such as: Dimensional tolerance (Engineering) analysis task is performed by using CAQ (computer aided quality) such as Dimensional Tolerance (engineering) Analysis. Another task which is carried out at this phase is the sourcing of bought out components, possibly with the aid of Procurement systems. 1.7.3. Phase 3: Realize Manufacture, Make, Build, Procure, Produce, Sell and Deliver: The method of manufacturing is defined when the design of the products componnent is completed. It performs task such as design creation of CNC machining instructions for the products part as also it can perform tolls to manufacture those product which can be done using integrated or separate CAM. Process simulation for operations such as casting molding and die press forming will also be involve in the analysis tools. CPM comes in to play only when the manufacture method gets identified. The original CAD data with the use of Computer Aided Inspection equipment and software is used for checking the geometrical form and size of the components after they get manufactured. Sales product configuration and marketing documentation work will be taking place parallel to the engineering task. This could include transferring engineering data (geometry and part list data) to a web based sales configuration and other Desktop Publishing systems 1.7.4. Phase 4: Service: Use, Operate, Maintain, Support, sustain, phase-out, Retire, Recycle and Disposal In final stage of the lifecycle the managing of in service information is involved. The repair and maintence, waste management/recycling information is provided to the customers and to service engineers. Maintenance repair and operation management software tools are involved. 1.7.5. All phases: Product lifecycle: Communicate, Manage and Collaborate In many cases or in real practical a project does not run sequentially or maintain isolation of other project development project. The co-ordination of and management of product definition data is the main part of PLM, it includes release status of the components, managing of engineering changes, management of documents, project resources planning, configuration product variations, timescale and risk assessment. The text and metadata such as the product bills of materials needs to be managed. At the engineering departments stage this is the area of PDM (Product Data Management) software, at the commercial level EDM (Enterprise Data Management) software; it is typical to see two or more data management systems within an organization. These systems are also linked to other systems such as SCM, CRM, and ERP. Associated with these systems are Project Management Systems for Project/Program Planning. Numerous collaborative product development tools cover this central role which runs throu ghout the whole life cycle and across organizations. This needs various technology tools in the area of Conferencing, Data Sharing and Data Translation. CHAPTER 2 Research study conducted on (Cell phone) During past decade of time the, cell phone has become a part of our daily life .Like any product, making a cell phone and its parts requires natural resources and energy. Understanding the life cycle of a product can help you make environmental choices about the products you use, and how you dispose of them. Let us consider the example of a Nokia cell phone product life cycle management. 2.1 Concept Design:[4] The design of the product influences each stage of its lifecycle and also influences the environment. Design will affect the materials which are used in manufacturing of a product. If cheaper materials are used they are less durable, the product will have a short useful life. Waste can be prevented by proper design of the product. The design of the product with modular components can be easily replaced and entire product need not be thrown away if only one part of the product gets broken. The items having long life, trendy design should be avoided because they are not thrown away when they go out of style. 2.2 Materials Extraction:[4] All products are manufactured from the materials which are found in or on the earth. Raw materials, such as trees or ore, are directly mined or harvested from the earth and this process can create a lot of pollution and also involves usage of large amounts of energy and depletes the limited natural resources. The manufacturing of new products from recycled materials will reduce the amounts of the raw materials, being taken from the earth. The hand set consists of 40 percent metals, 40 percent plastics, and 20 percent ceramics and trace materials. The circuit board which is also termed as a printed wiring board, present in the hand set is the main component and is the brain of the cell phone controlling all of its functions. The circuit boards are up of mined and raw materials like silicon, copper, lead, nickel, tantalum, beryllium and other metals. Circuit board manufacturing requires crude oil for plastics and limestone and sand for the fiberglass, these materials are also known as â€Å"persistent toxins† and can stay in the environment for long periods of time even after their disposal. The cell phone consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a low power, flat- panel display on the front of the phone that shows information and images. The passage of electric current through it makes it opaque. The contrast between the opaque and transparent areas forms visible characters. Various liquid crystalline substances, either naturally occurring (such as mercury, a potentially dangerous substance) or human-made, are used to make LCDs, require the usage of plastic or glass. The rechargeable batteries used to power the phones can use several types of batteries: nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium-ion (Li-Ion), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad), or lead acid. These batteries contain nickel, cobalt, zinc, cadmium, and copper. 2.3 Materials Processing:[4] Once materials are extracted, they must be converted into a form that can be used to make products. For example, in cell phones: Crude oil is combined with natural gas and chemicals in a processing plant to make plastic; Copper is mined, ground, heated, and treated with chemicals and electricity to isolate the pure metal used to make circuit boards and batteries. The resulting copper pieces are transported to the manufacturer where they are formed into sheets and wires. 2.4 Manufacturing:[4] The basic shape of the circuit board is made by using plastics and fiberglass, and is then coated with gold plating. The board has several electronic components which are connected with wires made of copper and are soldered to the board, are secured with coatings and protective glues. LCDs are manufactured by sandwiching the liquid crystal in between layers of plastic or glass. Batteries have two separate parts known as electrodes, which are made from two different metals. Electrolyte is a liquid substance which touches each electrode. 2.5 Packaging Transportation:[4] The use of packaging can protect products from damage and provide product information. Finished products are transported in trucks, planes, and trains to different locations where they are sold. All of these modes of transportation burn fossil fuels, which can contribute to global climate change. The finished products and the parts of the cell phone require packaging and transportation in order to get from one place to another. The transportation done by plane, rail or truck requires the usage of the fossils fuels for energy, which contribute to the global climate change. While the packaging of the product protects it from getting damaged, identifies contents and provides information, decorative or excessive packaging can be wasteful. Packaging makes use of the valuable natural resources which include paper (from trees), plastics (from crude oil from the earth), and aluminum (from ore) and other materials, all of which makes use of energy to produce and can result in waste. 2.6 Reuse/Recycling/Disposal:[4] The way products are used can impact the environment. For example, products that are only used once create more waste than products that are used again and again. Using a product over and over again prevents the need to create the product from scratch, which saves resources and energy while also preventing pollution. Recycling or re-manufacturing products also reduces the amount of new materials that have to be extracted from the earth. Always comparison shop to be sure that you get the proper service and the phone that is right for you. By using the rechargeable batteries in cell phones reduces the amount of the waste and toxicity that disposable batteries will create. Be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for charging your batteries so you can extend their life as long as possible 2.7 Life:[4] Recycling or donating the cell phones when they are no longer needed by you or want them extends their useful lives, and preventing them from going into the trash where they can cause problems relating to the environment. 2.8 Reuse:[4] Many organizations including recyclers, Charities, and electronics manufacturers accept working cell phones and offer them to schools, community organizations, and individuals in need. Reuse provides people, who cannot afford them, free or reduced cost access to new phones and their accessories. And thereby it extends the useful lifetime of a phone. 2.9 Recycle:[4] Springing up of electronics recyclers is every-where. Today, various stores, recycling centers and manufacturers accept cell phones for recycling. While few electronics recyclers only allow large shipments, the communities, schools, or groups can work together to collect used cell phones for shipment to electronics recyclers. Some of the rechargeable batteries can also be recycled, as many retail stores and some communities have started collecting them. The material recovered from the rechargeable batteries when they are recycled can be used for making new stainless steel products and batteries. You can use the phone book or Internet to find the local contacts that refurbish and recycle cell phones. 2.10 Disposal:[4] By 2009, the rate at which cell phones are discarded is predicted to exceed 125 million phones each year, resulting in more than 65,000 tons of waste. The cell phones which are thrown into the trash end up in a landfill or are burned. As the cell phone contains plastics, chemical, metals and other hazardous substances, you should always recycle, donate or trade in your old cell phone. 2.11 Headset:[4] Many people use a cell phone headset when they are driving or when they are walking around to keep their hands free. Most models of headsets can be reused when you buy a new phone. 2.12 Belt clip:[4] Some people buy belt clips to carry cell phones while not in use. Reusing or donating your belt clip when you are finished using it prevents waste. 2.13 Face plate:[4] Decorative face plates can be trendy and fun, but you dont need them to use a cell phone. The best way to prevent waste is to simply not buy products you dont need. If you do buy face plates, donate unwanted ones to a charity or swap them with your friends instead of throwing them away. Portable gaming cell phones have a lot of the same parts as hand-held video game and CD players, consoles and portable CD players, including speakers, circuit boards, and LCDs. Old or broken consoles and players can also be reused or recycled when no longer wanted. Advances in cell phone technology have given phones many uses today. CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDY 3.1 Case study: Siemens Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices (SHC) is a leading company for home and office communication infrastructure. The company sells its products in more than 50 countries. 3.1.1 Business Challenge: SHC has several engineering and manufacturing disciplines which are unique and located at one single site, in Germany. Mold tooling development, mechanical design development, manufacturing and assembling are all done in Bocholt, Germany. For Siemens the market pressure is very high in electronics and electric and consumer goods, and there is stress from this competition to reduce development cycles and its time to market new goods, as there is a wide range of products introduced into the market year after year with new designs and more complexity. Therefore Siemens recognized that it has to make improvements in its quality and thus needed to enhance the supply chain integration and collaboration to meet its marketing challenges. Siemens soon recognized that to overcome the external and internal pressures it has to improve its development and product life cycle for the future success of Siemens SHC. Siemens had been working with a 3-D CAD system â€Å" Euclid 3† for about 10 years on which it had made all possible improvements and it cannot upgrade it any further, so it has to get help from outside partner to help and implement a new product life cycle (PLM) system. 3.1.2 Solution: Siemens in partnership with IBM services implemented CATIA V5 and SMART TEAM as a new PLM platform for improvement in product development. CATIA V5 has a set of predefined product and process templates, helps to quickly complete even sophisticated design tasks with a high level of accuracy. With CATIA V5 and SMARTEAM, SHC has improved design innovation, taking advantage of the existing know-how and design to manufacturing process to the development and reduction of costs. In addition to that, this tool has helped make the mold tool development and NC manufacturing very competitive with low-cost suppliers from places like China. 3.2 Case study 2: Airbus UK 3.2.1 Business Challenge: To meet tight deadlines for delivery and reduce design and manufacturing costs by constantly improving working processes throughout the aircraft lifecycle. 3.2.2 Solution: IBM has provided with a team of flexible and scalable experts which included strategic business consultants, aircraft industry specialists and project managers to define and implement transformation programs in business, financial and organizational disciplines. 3.2.3 Business Benefits: Improved collaboration with suppliers eliminated data re-entry, saving â‚ ¬18 million on collaboration with suppliers. * Improved concurrent engineering reduced lead time on wing by 41 weeks (36% reduction). * The worlds first flight of largest passenger aircraft completed on time. * Keeping Scheduled programming. * Innovative practices introduced from concurrent engineering and collaborative working. 3.2.4 Why it matters? IBM team created new business, financial and organizational processes to meet the deadlines while cost cutting the design and manufacturing for the new Airbus A380. These changes has transformed the airplane manufacturing methodology while enabling Airbus UK to cut cost and time out of design and manufacture, improve collaboration with suppliers and deliver key components on schedule to ensure the A380 aircrafts on-time first flight. 3.2.5 Key Components: IBM Global Business Services In developing the new technologies and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the aerospace industry Airbus is leading the world. Airbus is an extremely complex business, which employs advanced technologies and procedures, some of which have mainly been developed for this project. In such a large-scale, modern design and manufacturing process, a lot of attention is paid at keeping costs under control. Wing assembly is one of the most complex parts of the aircraft, an element for which Airbus UK has the design and manufacturing responsibility. The company realized early in the A380 program that new processes would be needed to achieve the aggressive timeline for the airplane. â€Å"We needed to radically transform our approach to the A380, and saw value in bringing in an objective external consultancy to help define and implement new ways of working,† says Iain Gray, Managing Director of Airbus UK. Nowhere is this more evident than in its design and development of the A380, the worlds largest passenger jet. Airbus is a highly complex business, employing advanced technologies and processes, some of which have specifically been developed for this project. In such a large-scale, innovative design and manufacturing operation, much attention is paid to keeping costs under control. Airbus UK commissioned IBM Global Business Services to bring together a team of experts to analyze designs, design processes and manufacturing operations. â€Å"IBM is exclusively placed to give advice and help us transform Airbus UK,† s ays Gray. â€Å"It has enormous breadth and depth of knowledge, with expertise in business, financial and organizational disciplines as well as the aircraft industry and computer technology.† The core IBM Global Business Services program team includes strategic business consultants, aircraft industry specialists and project managers. This team is expanded when ever required by drafting in specialists and consultants who bring a complete cross-section of business and technical skills relevant to the specific problem being addressed. 3.2.6 Designing out cost: â€Å"Initiatives from IBM Global Business Services help us drive cost out of design and manufacture, improve collaborative working, and transform the way we work with our many subcontractors,† explains Gray. Improved collaboration with suppliers eliminated data re-entry, saving â‚ ¬18 million. The IBM team has helped the Airbus UK improve the concurrent engineering, reducing lead time of the wing by 41 weeks (36 percent reduction). Sometimes, initiatives originated directly from the IBM team. Airbus built complete 3D models of A380 components to analyze clash conditions in airframe systems and structure before committing to cut metal—for example, to ensure that there were adequate clearances for slat and flap mechanisms on the wing and the landing gear. Such large-scale 3D modeling involves an enormous volume of number-crunching, which would normally trigger the purchase of large processors. Seeing this situation, IBM consultants introduced Airbus to the concept of GRID computing, which pools unutilized processing capacity in hundreds of distributed workstations for use with processor-intensive applications. A prototype was developed, and IBM then completed the implementation of GRID technology, there by saving Airbus a considerable investment. In the area of business transformation, IBM Global Business Services is organizing an experienced team of human resource and organizational specialists to help Airbus UK transform from a development organization to one undertaking large-scale serial production. The key aspect in the success of the A380 program is educating several hundred people across Airbus UK and its many of the subcontractors in the new tools, processes and collaborative working. With an infinite pool of resources, IBM responded very rapidly to Airbus training needs, building and delivering of tailored courses that reflect the processes and technologies defined at the strategic level. 3.3 Case Study 3: Maruti Udyog Ltd Maruti Udyog Ltd., a subsidiary of Suzuki Moto Corporation of Japan, has been the leading Indian passenger car maker for about two decades. The company has a diverse portfolio that includes: the Maruti 800;the Omni; a premium small car, Zen; the international brands, Alto and WagonR; an off-roader, Gypsy; the mid-size Esteem; a luxury car, Baleno; an MPV, Versa; a premium subcompact car, Swift; and a luxury SUV, Grand Vitara XL7. The companys 11 base platforms encompass300 variants for 100 export destinations. According to Marutis vision statement, its goals include maintaining leadership in the Indian automobile industry, creating customer delight, increasing shareholder wealth and being â€Å"a pride of India.† Customers have shown their approval, ranking Maruti high in customer satisfaction for six years in a row according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2005 India Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study. The company has also ranked highest in the India Sales Satisfaction St udy. 3.3.1The need for PLM: Among the companys product development challenges, the need for shorter cycle times is always at the top. Management wants to be able to launch new models faster and reduce the time required for minor changes and development of product variants. Another challenge is co-development. Marutis goal is to collaborate closely with its global teams and suppliers on the development of new platforms and product freshening. Other challenges include streamlining the process of vehicle localization and enhancing quality and reliability. These challenges pointed directly to a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution with capabilities for information management, process management, knowledge capture and support for global collaboration; a PLM solution directly addressing Marutis business challenges. For example, PLMs information management capabilities address the issue of the many plat forms, local variants and export destinations. Process management permits concurrent development and faster c hange management and provides a platform for other process improvements for faster vehicle development. Knowledge capture increases innovation and also reduces costs by increasing part re-use. PLMs collaboration capabilities permit global development by ensuring fast and accurate dissemination of product information. 3.3.2. Implementation profile: Maruti selected the UGS PLM software solution because â€Å"UGS leverages the business value by offering complete PLM solution,† according to C.V. Raman, general manager, Engineering Division, Maruti Udyog Ltd. Marutis PLM implementation includes Team centre, NX and Techno matrix software. Team centre provides a wide range of functionality for release management including bills of material management and change management. Team centre also handles the vehicle localization process, coordinates the part approval process and integrates design and engineering information with the companys ERP system. Team centre also provides