Family History. Why Bother - The Writers For Hire

FAMILY HISTORY. WHY BOTHER? Discovering your family history can be a wonderful and fascinating journey. Whether it is simply out of curiosity, or for the purpose of preserving history for future generations, there are a lot of benefits to finding out where we came from. Top 10 Reasons to Learn your Family History 1. Genetic health concerns Learning about any medical conditions that our ancestors had can help us be aware of possible concerns we should have about our own health (and therefor, prepare us to take any necessary preventative measures). 2. Family traditions Who doesn’t love the idea of celebrating holidays the way our ancestors used to celebrate, and having family traditions to pass down to future generations?!? 3. Inspiration Our ancestors lived through some hard times. Learning about their lives and their experiences can help us to be more resilient and inspire us to push through difficulties we may face in our own lives. 4. Core Identity Learning about where we came from, and the people who came before us, can help us establish a stronger sense of who we really are. 5. Family connection Discovering information about our ancestors and where we came from can help build and strengthen relationships with the family that surrounds us now. 6. Reconnecting Learning about your family history can actually help you to re-connect with long-lost relatives, and maybe even help you find relatives you never even knew existed. 7. Community Finding out about your ancestors can give you a stronger sense of community. Understanding the contributions that your ancestors made in the community in which you live can give you a sense of belonging, and a feeling of connection with other members of the community. 8. Life Advice Words of wisdom from the older generation is a valuable gift that we can pass down to future generations. 9. History Lessons Through researching your ancestors, you can actually get a great history lesson on what was going on in the world during the times in which they were living. These history lessons are important in preventing us from repeating mistakes of the past. 10. Global Awareness Learning about the places where your ancestors came from can help you see just how connected everyone is on a global level. It can also help you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself.

Shakespeare Modernized essays

Shakespeare Modernized essays When comparing the movie version of Romeo and Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann, and the original Shakespeare text, many differences are evident. Baz Luhrmann has modernized the original text, making it appeal to a 21st Century audience. While the movie version tends to position the audience differently, it persists to echo the spirit and enthusiasm of the original. The movie version foregrounds contrasting values, attitudes and beliefs from those of William Shakespeares play (who was writing for a 16th century audience). Baz Luhrmann was directing the movie for modern-day society, and he has chosen to remove certain events from the movie; roles and relationships have also been changed for this same reason. The portrayal of events in the movie has dramatically changed to echo the social and cultural context of modern day. The values, attitudes and beliefs that Baz Luhrmann highlights are a great deal different to those foregrounded by William Shakespeare. One main difference in the play, comparing to the movie, is the amount of respect for her parents by Juliet. In the 16th century (Romeo and Juliet was first written and acted in 1595) the father of the family made all decisions regarding members of the immediate family, and their actions. These decisions were almost never defied, only in very extreme circumstances. The way Baz Luhrmann overcame this problem, was to give Mr. Fulgencio Capulet the personality of an overpowering, controlling corporate figure. This gives him the opportunity to boss his daughter and wife around, usually without defiance. This aspect of domestic violence would be familiar with many viewers, from watching police drama shows on television, such as The Bill. Society currently has entirely different attitudes about the age for relationships, and marriage. In William Shakespe ares time it was appropriate (and quite standard) to marry at the age of 14 or 15, whereas in present times this i...

Environmental Racism and Justice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Racism and Justice - Research Paper Example During the 19th century, the pollution of the Matanza-Riachuelo began, but unfortunately the matter has become extremely critical, and even dangerous. A catastrophe that will affect people’s health is bound to occur and this is according to the General of the Nation Auditor. Also, the matter cannot be governed, as there are no policies of a public nature, which exist. Three jurisdictions have the mandate of taking care of this matter, thus the reasons why complications have arisen. The population is at risk of suffering greatly, due to the consequences of the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin (Hoshaw, 2008). The environment has not been spared either, as it is degrading fast and its improvement is being hampered. Society will benefit if the river basin is well taken care of. The judges of this court issue, further want to make sure that a healthy environment exists. The government has the responsibility of ensuring that a constitutional mandate exists concerning this matter. All t he companies, which have been implicated in this matter, must provide information concerning the contents in the river and what they have dumped. They should make available their insurance, as well as the treatment used to treat the pollution in accordance to the country’s law on the environment. In environmental racism, often decision making opportunities are not offered to communities who are affected by pollution (Hoshaw, 2008). In the case of pollution of the river basin at Matanza-Riachuelo, environmental racism occurred.

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 26

Psychology - Essay Example Cognitive therapy helps in changing and reconstructing faulty thought processes while shaping them into a more organized form and behavioral therapy helps in modifying and improving an individuals problematic behaviors and actions. Together, the task of the therapy is to understand the interrelation and the workings of emotions, behaviors and thoughts as well as the impact that these components may have over the events in an individuals life. The main purpose of cognitive therapy is to enable the person to be aware of the thought pattern that is resulting into psychological distress and also the behavior that is reinforcing the distress. It aims to correct the psychological problems through giving an entire outlook to the causes of distress. CBT understands the thoughts and experiences of the person and works with the person in getting to the depth of the problem. (Whitfield & Davidson, 2007) Some criticisms of CBT are related to the view that merely telling the client that something is not true is not likely to make the person feel that way. This would not necessarily change the belief that a person has. However, counter arguments show that CBT psychologists do not just tell the person that a certain view is wrong; they help the client explore these themselves. There is a new perspective in the idea of dissociative disorder after the 1980s, after which the condition received more theoretical as well as clinical attention from psychologists and psychiatrists. Dissociative disorders can be described as conditions that involve breakdown of ones perception of his or her surroundings, identity, memory or consciousness. According to the American Psychiatric Associations DSM VI, there are four forms of dissociative disorders including dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder (Formerly called multiple personality disorder), dissociative fugue and depersonalization disorder. Dissociative amnesia

Bill Gates Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Bill Gates - Research Paper Example After he stepped down as the CEO in Microsoft in 2000, he and his wife, Mrs. Melinda Gates established Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is one of the biggest charitable trusts in the world (Microsoft, â€Å"Bill Gate†). Global surveys have ranked Gates among the world’s richest persons at several instances, as on May 2013 (Cuadros & Crayton Harrison, â€Å"Bill Gates Retakes World’s Richest Title from Carlos Slim†). Bill Gates was the son of William H. Gates, Sr. and Mary Maxwell Gates born in Seattle, Washington on October 28, 1955. Bill’s father was a well-established and respected American attorney as well as a philanthropist of his time. His father was also a member of a Boy Scout troop, who also had won the ‘Eagle Scout Award’ in 1941. Bill’s mother, Mrs. Mary Maxwell Gates also belonged from Seattle, Washington. She held the designation of being the first female president of King County’s United Way. She also held the  directorial position of First Interstate Bank of Washington. She even worked as a board member of the University of Washington until the end of her career. Bill’s wife, Melinda Gates belonged from Dallas Texas. She is a bachelor in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University on 1986. She is also an MBA from the same university batch for 1987.She worked at Microsoft Corporation as a product development officer prior to her m arriage with Bill Gates. Bill Gates has two daughters and a son, Jennifer Katharine Gates, Rory John Gates and Phoebe Adele Gates (Encyclopedia of World Biography, â€Å"Bill Gates Biography†). Bill Gates, until date has been a living inspiration and icon for many young entrepreneurs around the world. In his early life, Bill Gates was very much fascinated towards computers and software. He and his friend Paul Allen used to practice their skills in their school’s minicomputers when studying together in Lakeside School in Seattle. Besides, working in the computer lab of their

Effects of Supply Chain and Logistics on Performance

Effects of Supply Chain and Logistics on Performance INTRODUCTION In this particular chapter, information is presented with the aim of providing a background in with regards to the topic on hand. This topic will include several aspects; background of the study, research problem, the aim and objectives of the study, hypothesis, problems and limitations of the study and definition of terms. Background of the study is the general introduction to supply chain and logistic management and financial matters related to these management systems with relevant information regarding JJ food service as a distribution firm. The research problem provides the primary focus of the study which includes a wider range and detailed questions which needs to be answered through this study. The aim and objectives of the study provides the goals which are to be achieved at the end, although there are different methodologies engaged in answering the research problem that is mentioned. The research hypothesis is considered to be statements which are to be proven throughout the study using the congregated data. In the study statistical analysis will be used to create an easy understanding of the data. The definition of terms provides the technical concepts that are used within the study to provide an easier reference to understand how the information is used through the study. Background of the Study At the current time the Market conditions are far more dynamic than at any time in the past. Leaders and managers now have to think and act appropriately in order to minimize the harmful effects of the economic downturn on their organisation, in terms of both its performance and future growth. The importance of supply chain and logistics management has always been dependant on market conditions and the imperatives that drive organisations` strategic goals. The same could be said for todays dynamic market. The integration of logistics process has given birth to what we now describe as supply chain management. Supply chain management is the term used to describe the management of the flow of materials, information, and funds across the entire supply chain, from suppliers to component producers to final assemblers to distributors and ultimately to the consumers. In fact it often includes after-sales service and returns and recycling. Supply chain and logistics management have generated much interest in recent years for various amounts of different reasons. Many managers now realize that action taken by one member of supply chain can influence the entire profitability of other supply chains. Supply chain management typically involves coordination of information and materials among multiple firms. The cost of poor coordination can result in extremely high back fall in the firm. Therefore, managing supply chains and logistics effectively, is very important for managers to be able to make decisions about the balance between cutting expenses and continuing to provide better service for the end user. There have been many articles written on how to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through improving technologies and processes. In this dissertation, impacts of well-managed supply chain and logistics activities are taken into consideration by executives to have enough faith to believe that supply chain and logistics management have as much value as sales and marketing. Effective and efficient supply chains and logistics operations have significant factors in organisations which affect overall and financial performance. This topic has been chosen for many reasons. Firstly, managing logistics and supply chain processes are essential for companies to reduce unnecessary costs and to give best service to consumers. Secondly, managing delivery infrastructure during financial recession periods often proves its importance, because it provides valuable data by which is considered to have effective outcomes. During the recession period it is very vital for businesses to make stable decisions which will affect the companies financial performance, therefore the act of cutting down on costs has to be carefully considered. Finally, keeping performance levels high during economic downturns can really help the companies, keep and attract their customers. The term supply chain management varies in different forms, however in reality it is an extension of the ideas which have been developed from the nature of logistics. This is the major difference between supply chain management and traditional logistics. In this dissertation both management areas are examined in order to see how they differentiate, how they are connected to each other and in what cases they affect on firms financial performance and future growth. The supply chain and logistics management can take many forms depends on the structure of the business. The concept for the food service industry is if you are out of stock, you are out of business. Therefore, the importance of getting products ordered, stored and delivered make supply chain management and logistics management very essential for a food service distributor. Most of the concept surrounding distribution is related to cost. Analysts and strategists are managers for supply chains and logistics operations who are able to balance the costs while maintaining a good level of performance. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the differentials of supply chain and logistics managements that create various effects on firms financial performance in a food service. Research Problem This study focuses on supply chain and logistics management activities, which are essential for companies` financial performance in both long and short term preparation. JJ food service is a food distribution firm which has managed to improve its financial performance and kept growing even during financial recession periods. The specific research problems for this dissertation includes following questions: What is the importance of an effective supply chain and logistics management? How has the evolution in the market affected the supply chain and logistics management role? Does technology help the supply chain and logistics activities? How can functions be improved between operations and finance? The Aim and Objectives of this Study The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of supply chain and logistics management on financial performance. In addition, it is very important to consider all issues of logistics and supply chain management related to financial performance to meet the research aim. Following research activities will be considered: To provide relevant and additional information, regarding supply chain management, logistics management, cost analysis and financial activities within organisations. To add existing body of knowledge. To investigate the relationship between logistics and supply chain management and companys financial performance. To investigate the value of supply chain and logistics management and how operations can be mapped with finance. To draw conclusion and provide specific recommendations regarding the relationship between supply chain-logistics management and firms financial performance. The Research Hypothesis Hypothesis of this study are stated as follows: Supply chain and logistics management need to justify the cost of delivery. It is also necessary to measure the impact of these management activities on financial performance. The new system, Microsoft Dynamics AX (Axapta), has proven itself to be very efficient and a highly recommend technological tool in terms of getting products ordered, stored and delivered. Definition of Terms Microsoft Dynamics (Axapta) Axapta is defined by Mourao and Weiner (2005) to be the Microsofts entry in the packaged business application market and it provides out-of-the-box functionality for managing your business or organisation, including modules for every business area, from supply chain management (SCM) and financials to shop floor control to warehouse management. RouteNet (Distribution Resource Planning Software) Baker B. (2006) defines DRP systems as they operate by breaking down the flow of material from the source of supply through the distribution network of depots and transportation modes. This is undertaken on a time-phased basis to ensure that the required-at the right place, at the right time, one of the classic distribution definitions. Integrated systems of this nature require complex, computerised information systems as their basis such as RouteNet. RoadNet consent you to route and schedule your orders quickly and efficiently in a continuously changing environment. If you know what needs to be where and when, then RoadNet will tell you which of your vehicles to use to service which customer, at what time and in what order. Cisco Mobile Sky Device (M3 Sky) M3 Sky from M3 Mobile is a fully-featured PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) that runs a version of Microsoft Windows Mobile 5. The M3 Sky combines different technologies such as Bluetooth, GSM, GPS and GPRS. RELATED LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter the existing literature is provided for a purpose of giving insights to what has been known, and what has been previously done in relation to the topic being discussed. There are several sections that are covered from different prospective and literature which are gathered from different authors. The sub-topic covered in this chapter includes supply chain management, logistics management and related financial performance in relationship to the mentioned management activities, Supply chain management Overview In the times before the 1980s organisations were using terms such as operation management and logistics. In early 1980s, the concepts of materials, transportation and distribution management began to combine into a single term: Supply Chain Management. In the late 1980s the term supply chain management has grown significantly and came into widely used in 1990s. According to Jayashankar et al. (1996) supply chain is to be a network of independent or semi-independent business bodies collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing, and distribution activities linked with one or more families of related products. After 1990s supply chain management has become one of the main topic and challenge facing all companies. Companies were believed that every product has its own supply chain; therefore supply chain management was getting more complicated. It is even more complex in reality, as each organization works with many different products-often thousand. Cohen. S and Roussel J. (2005) stated that now many companies have addressed major supply chain challenges through selection and implementation of ERP and APS tools such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and so on. They are finding that after implementation they are once again challenged with discovering and managing the core disciplines of supply chain management. The challenge of the next decade is to leverage the founding principles of supply chain management and move this management discipline forward. Defining the Supply Chain Management There are different definitions of supply chain management from different authors. Some definitions are offered below: Stanley E. Fawcett, Lisa M. Ellram, Jeffery A. Ogden (2007) defines the supply chain management as managing the flow of information and materials from the suppliers` suppliers to customers` customers. From a practical point of view, managers associate Supply chain management with better shared resources, information exchange, and win-win relationships among the members of the chain. The job of the Supply chain manager is to find opportunities to work with customers and suppliers to reduce costs while improving services given. The mission is to use technology and teamwork to build efficient and effective processes that create value for the end customer. (Stanley E. Fawcett, Lisa M. Ellram, Jeffery A. Ogden, 2007) The definition of supply chain management is the management of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole. (Christopher M. 1998, p: 18) The supply chain is not only includes the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customer themselves. The systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. (Mentzer, DeWitt, Deebler, Min, Nix, Smith, and Zacharia , 2001, p: 8). Supply chain management is the integration of business processes from end user through original suppliers that provides products, services, and information that add value for customers. (Lmabert M. D, Stock M. J. and Ellram M. L., 1998, p: 504) According to Hugos M. (2006) supply chain management is the coordination of production, inventory, location, and transportation among the participants in a supply chain to achieve the best mix of responsiveness and efficiency for the market being served in lowest cost. It must be identified that the concept of supply chain management is in fact no more than an extension of the logic of logistics. Logistics management is primarily concerned with optimising flows within the organisation supply chain management recognizes that internal integration by itself is not sufficient. Supply Chain Management Activities Planning and Forecasting Every supply chain program starts with a plan. Planning gives the ability to forecast and analyze product demand, economic trends and customers needs. According to Blanchard D. (2007) supply chain planning plans the assets to optimize the delivery of good and services and also balances supply and demand with the information from supplier to customer. Supply chain planning provides what-if scenarios that weigh real-time demand commitments when creating forecasts. And Hugos M. (2006) states that supply chain management decisions are based on forecasts which allow to define which products are required, how many of these products is to be called for, and when they are needed. The demand forecast is essential for companies to plan their operations and to work together among each other to reach market demand. Purchasing and Procurement In a definition provided by Waters D. (2003) purchasing is a mechanism to initiate and control the flow of materials through the supply chain and procurement is one of supply chain management activity that acquire all the materials needed by an organizations. Procurement and purchasing are usually taken into same meaning. However, purchasing stands for the actual buying, while procurement has a broader meaning. Procurement includes different types of acquisition (purchasing, contracting, rental etc.) and also negotiating, agreeing terms, transport, materials handling, monitoring supplier performance, receiving goods from suppliers and warehousing. Procurement is crucial for any organisation, if procurement is managed badly, for instance wrong materials are delivered to wrong place in wrong quantity and so on. Procurement and purchasing is essential and also responsible for a lot of expenditure. They are directly responsible for spending; relatively small improvement in these activities can give substantial benefits. Manufacturing One of the main spotlight of supply chain management appears in manufacturing. Product design, manufacturing scheduling, facility management, order management are the main activities of manufacturing which is passing from customers back through supply chain and from supply chain to manufacturing. Inventory and Warehousing Waters D. (2003) point out that an inventory is a list of things held in stock. Regardless the fact that there are o lot of differences between a multi billion international retailer and a single one stop shop, in fact they opera2te on the same principles: if you are out of stock, you are out of business. A warehouse management system controls, manages, and regulates the movement of goods within a warehouse or distribution centre. Typical features of a warehouse management system include inventory management, picking and put away, order visibility, and fulfilment. Blanchard D. (2007, p: 128) Transportation Waters D. (2003) defines that transport is responsible for the physical movement of materials between points in the supply chain. Blanchard D. (2007) highlights that transportation is the lifeblood of any supply chain, however a companys logistics department tends to be an invisible link in that chain and transport is certainly one of its main components. Location Selection Blanchard D. (2007) states that on-time delivery is fundamental for supply chain management, and its a key benchmark to achieve the perfect order. A perfect distribution network has to be built to give the best service to the customers. The best-run organizations have developed their supply chains that extend from their customers customers to their suppliers suppliers. Globalization In recent years, an increasing rate of globalization has changed the nature of organisations and also their supply chains. Products even different parts of a product are no longer produced and consume within the same country. This creates more complex supply chains, and therefore it also changes the requirements within supply chain management. This also affects the effectiveness of computer systems employed in the supply chain. Globalization also brings foreign competition into markets that traditionally were local. Local companies are thereby forced to respond by improving their manufacturing practices and supply chain management. Fox M.S. (1992) states that market conditions force companies to reduce inventory levels and lead times and increase flexibility with maintaining high level of performance. Issues in Supply Chain Management Clasic logistics management objective is managing the activities to have the right product, in the right quantity, at the right place, at the right time and at minimum cost. On the figure below Newem-Workgroup creates four main areas for this objective within the supply chain management which are flexibility, delivery reliability, delivery time and inventory level. Delivery reliability and delivery time directly link customer service, and highly depends on flexibility, and inventory level. Supply Chain Management Drivers Supply chain management activities are mentioned in previous section. There are main driver which coordinates all the activities in supply chain and main drivers of supply chain management are connected with the information chain among these drivers. Information is based on the decisions regarding the other four supply chain drivers. It is the connection between all of the activities and operations in a supply chain. It is clearer to see on the figure below how information drives other four. According to Hugos M. (2006) information is used for two main purposes in supply chain management: Coordinating daily activities related to production, inventory, location, and transportation. Supply chain management uses the available data which is gathered from these drivers to decide on weekly production schedules, inventory levels, transportation routes, and stocking locations. The information is used to make tactical forecasts to plan the setting of monthly and quarterly production schedules and timetables. Information is also used for strategic forecasts to plan decisions about whether to create new facilities, enter a new market, or exit an existing market. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on Financial Measures Profitability is the ultimate measure of business success. When we look at the basic financial figures that make up the various elements of profits we will realize that supply chain management without doubt has significant affect on financial measures. First of all, managing supply chain cost is half the battle in executing that mission. Supply chain management does indeed influence corporate value. In the previous chapters affectivity of supply chain management activities on financial performance have been examined briefly. The topic of this chapter is to feature the effect of supply chain management on common financial indicators. Balance sheet reports and the income statement are already recognized as indicators of an organisations financial performance. According to Stolowy H. and Lebas M. (2006), the income statement measures profitability by taking into account the revenues and expenses during a period of time. The income statement reports how the companys financial performance is achieved. We must also take into measure that it is useful to show the impact of supply chain management activities during a period of time from the perspective of sales and costs. In a definition provided by Hales J. (2005) a balance sheet presents a financial status or net worth of a business. It shows the amount or balance between the assets and liabilities which will partly be based on the activities that are summarized in the income statement. We will concentrate on these financial elements to explain the impact of supply chain management on financial performance. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on the Income Statement The main figure of the income statement is net income, which is obtained through the calculation of various figures; as it is seen from the table below operations, which are managed via supply chain activities directly, affect the figures on this table even though figures are not related to costs. Effect of supply chain management on the income statement will be detailed in the following figures: sales, sales returns and allowances, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, interest expenses and income taxes. Sales The first component of income statement is sales. This depends on the operations which are managed mostly by supply chain activities. Camerinelli, E. (2009) lists the benefits, glitches, etc. of supply chain management activities on sales as follows: The first problem of the supply chain is known as usual suspect which occurs when a company runs out of inventory. When this happens, sales will be certainly affected negatively. The affect of this can be dramatic. A study has proven that when this happens this may affect the shareholders value up to 25 percent. Supply chain problems can negatively affect sales growth when a company fails to switch from production to owned or contracted facilities located in markets that have high retail process for the products that are being produced. if a company wants to improve sales flows and supply a greater volume of products to customers showing high levels of demand, then the company must be flexible, responsive and reliable in the delivery of those products. Achieving this goal to a high standard is heavily dependent on the quality of supply chain operations. When a company fails to be flexible, this will affect the supply chains affectivity to respond to changes in the market when needed, this will cause latency in the speed of delivering goods to the consumer. If the supply chain is not reliable, a company will perform poorly and this might mean: not being able to deliver the right product to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity, in the right packaging, with the right documentation and to the right customer. Supply chain management has a growing potential to be viewed as a front-line office tool. The supply chain can be critical in supporting the exchange of goods, information and funds. By taking in hand a study taken from General Motors that is in the automobile industry it showed that sales of $9 billion in parts and services contributed $2 billion in profits, on parallel to this car sales of $150 billion produced earnings of just $1 billion for the company. Service and support, therefore, are becoming just as important as the product itself. If the supply chain is to be at the heart of a companys service and support processes, then it must ensure that it does not fail to overcome the demands placed by the companys needs. Sales Returns and Allowances When we look into sales returns and allowances, it is easy to highlight another area where supply chain management must retain its strength. Camerinelli, E. (2009) mentions that one of the typical faults in supply chain management which impact on sales returns and allowances is delayed deliveries. Return of goods can happen for many reasons such as poor quality of product or service, incomplete or partial delivery of goods, incorrect quantities delivered or incorrect product attributes. These returns will eventually reduce total sales figures. If a company chooses to compensate the negative impact of these factors on customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering discounts or special prices, this will increase the allowance value and sales figures will be further eroded. Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Another important component of income statement is cost of goods sold which represents the costs of resources consumed in manufacturing a particular product for sale, including the actual cost of materials and direct labour costs associated with getting the product into marketable condition. This component is directly related to supply chain operations because the activities and operations performed during the production are managed by supply chain activities. Camerinelli, E. (2009) lists the impacts of supply chain activities as follows: The purchase price of the goods or services negotiates between the purchasing department and the suppliers sales department. If an organisation separated purchasing from supply chain operations which focuses on cost of materials, it will not benefit from the organic and cross-departmental perspective that tries to connect supplier relationship management closely with the characteristics of an efficiently and effectively managed supply chain. The purchase price may often stands for only a part of the total cost. The final price paid for a product or service must take into account the purchase price plus the costs of all other activities along the supply chain. Those companies that achieve best practice in cost management take this into account and factor in all the costs associated not only with producing a product or service, but also with delivering it to their customers which are managed by supply chain activities. Supply chain processes, such as warehouse management, materials handling, manufacturing operations management, production forecast planning, delivery, returns and post-sales operations management should be supported with programmes that use stream-mapping models, value-added and other techniques to avoid additional loses that might occur due to mismanagement of the supply chain. Failing to run these programmes, for instance, might unavoidably affect direct labour expenses which comprise the other element of the cost of goods sold calculation. This confirms that the elements cost of goods sold calculation is directly related to supply chain management. Operating Expenses Operating expenses is the cost spent converting raw materials into sales in a specific time period. Administrative expenses, labor costs (both direct and indirect), marketing expenses, utility costs, etc. are all combined in operating expenses. Camerinelli, E. (2009) states that the supply chain management activities, which are registered under this heading usually occur in the back office. Operating expenses should all be taken into account so surprises or inexplicable hidden costs will be avoided. Failure to take into account of all these activities could potentially lead to harmful disruption. Camerinelli, E. (2009) has submitted that the most common activities of supply chain, which affects operation expenses, are as follows: One of the first back-office processes that must be taken into account to measure accurate operating expenses is the management of business rules during planning cycles. This refers to the process of establishing and maintaining support criterias for supply chain planning. When the demand planning function is made more reliable, the flow of business along the supply chain will be much more stable; consequently, the people responsible for running the supply chain will need less time to adapt to changes needed. This will cause in a more responsive supply chain, which means less time spent on tackling ideas. This is an example that was carried out by EyeOn, a consulting firm that specializes in the delivery of planning and control solutions to complex organisations. This research shows that an additional benefit of a more stable flow along the supply chain is reduced overtime in the production process. Another potential source of hidden operating expenses is the planning of total inventory limits, which includes raw materials, work in progress, and purchased finished goods. As investigations have been done to define an integrated supply chain transportation strategy by maintaining the data that characterizes the supply chain transportation requirements, there is significant potential to increase operating expenses. Another significant underestimated figure of operating expenses, which is directly affected by supply chain management activities, is the group of activities related to managing existing purchase orders or supplier contracts. These activities include processes such as the management of volume pricing, resolving problems and maintaining an exact picture of purchase orders or contracts. The factors mentioned above are linked the activities within the organization. Supply chain managers generally more focused on managing cooperation with external partners which will partly form day-to-day tasks such as collecting, maintaining information to support delivery planning, and delivery requirements to warehouse data, transportation data and so on. Interest Expenses and Income Taxes Interest expenses and income taxes seem to be affected by non-operational activities which take into account only financial activities. Some researchers such as Fawcett, Ellram and Ogden, (2007) suggest that there is a linkage between supply chain management and accounting, international tax law and corporate finance. However, none of the models proposed so far effectively consider the close coupling of production decisions with cash flow movements, royalty fees and dividend repatriations. On the other hand, with a little bit of investigation we can see that if an organization carefully selects a location to run supply chain activities, it can potentially benefit from tax intensives and financial assistance for industry. Likewise Camerinelli, E. (2009) stated that supply chain decisions which are related the choices such as new machinery and equipment, inventory on goods in transit and raw materials used in manufacturing can also affect excise tax exemption. The Impact of Supply Chain Management on the Balance Sheet Having seen how the quality of supply chain practices can positively or negatively affect the principal elements of income statement, we can now look at how supply chain management impacts on the other key report used by the financial community, the balance

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay -- Pregnancy Alcohol Birth Defects Essays

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome... is the name given to a group of physical and mental birth defects that are the direct result of a woman's drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a series of mental and physical birth defects that can include mental retardation, growth deficiencies, central nervous system dysfunction, craniofacial abnormalities and behavioral maladjustment's. Fetal Alcohol Effect is a less severe set of the same symptoms. All communities nationwide, and especially high-risk women in their childbearing years, need better information about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. But most health care providers are unfamiliar with and untrained in the issues of substance abuse among pregnant women. FAS/FAE is widely misdiagnosed and under diagnosed and less than 10% of medical schools require students to complete a course on the proper diagnosis and referral of individuals with alcoholism and other drug addictions. Statistics study found that doctors appear less likely to tell a black woman to quit drinking and smoking during pregnancy than they are to tell a white woman. Pregnant black women were thirty percent more likely than white women to report that they had never been told to quit drinking. (The New York Times,January 19, 1994) If you drink wine, beer, or liquor when you are pregnant, your baby could develop FAS. A baby with FAS can suffer from mental retardation, central nervous dysfunction, organ dysfunction and facial abnormalities. These disabilities will last a lifetime. No amount of alcohol has been proven safe to consume during pregnancy. FAS and FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects) are 100% preventable when a pregnant woman abstains from alcohol. In 1991, The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation. At least 5,000 infants are born each year with FAS, or approximately one out of every 750 live births. Thirty to forty percent of babies whose mothers drink heavily throughout pregnancy have the Syndrome. FAS/FAE is a problem found in all races and socio-economic groups. FAS and FAE are widely under diagnosed. Some experts believe between one third and two-thirds of all children in special education have been affected by alcohol in some way. FAS/FAE produces irreversible physical, mental and emotional effects. Behav... ... mother is not an alcoholic, her child may not be spared the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. †¢ Cognitive performance is less affected by alcohol exposure in infants and children whose mothers stopped drinking in early pregnancy, despite the mothers' resumption of alcohol use after giving birth. †¢ One analysis of 6 year-olds, with demonstrated effects of second-trimester alcohol exposure, had lower academic achievement and problems with reading, spelling, and mathematical skills. †¢ Approximately 6 percent of the offspring of alcoholic women have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS); the FAS risk for offspring born after an FAS sibling, is as high as 70 percent. †¢ Those diagnosed as having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome had IQ scores ranging from 20-105 with a mean of 68. Subjects also demonstrated poor concentration and attention. †¢ People with FAS demonstrate growth deficits, morphologic abnormalities, mental retardation, and behavioral difficulties. Secondary effects of FAS among adolescents and adults include mental health problems, disrupted schooling (dropping out or being suspended or expelled), trouble with the law, dependent living as an adult, and problems with employment.