Malaysian Economic Policy and FDI :: History Economics Malasya Essays

Malaysian Economic Policy and FDI BACKGROUND AND COUNTRY ATTRACTIVENESS. Malaysia is the second fastest growing economy in the South East Asian region with an average Gross National Product (GNP) growth of eight-plus percent per year in the last seven years. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has moved from an agriculturally based economy to a more diversified and export oriented one. The Malaysian market is fairly openly oriented, with tariffs only averaging approximately fifteen percent and almost non-existent non-tariff barriers and foreign exchange controls. The open trade based economy is supported by the fact that the total two way trade almost amounts to 120 percent of the GNP (1994). Together with a stable political environment, increasing per capita income, and the potential for regional integration throughout the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia is an attractive prospect for FDI (refer to Tables 1, 2, 3 and Graph 1 for relevant economic indicators). Until 1993, foreign investment contributed 60% of all investment in Malaysia. FDI grew strongly in the late 1980s to reach a peak of RM17.7 billion in 1992. This was followed by a sharp drop to RM6 billion in 1993 due to the world rececession, but rose again to RM15.2 billion in 1994. Malaysia is among the top five recipients of foreign direct investment in the world and while in recent years it has come mainly from other Asian countries, 1993 saw the US as the biggest inward investor with RM1.7 billion. Japan and Taiwan are clearly the largest overall investors with the US third, followed by France, Singapore and the UK (McLeman 1994, 19). The rationale of this report is not to promote Malaysia as an attractive destination for multinational entities, but rather to analyze how Malaysia's economic policy impacts upon FDI. Malaysia, perhaps, represents one of the most successful developing nations that has been able to effectively incorporate economic policy objectives with foreign funds, knowledge and networking throughout FDI (refer appendix 5). FDI in Malaysia is an important catalytic factor, increasing exports, knowledge and provides an economic vehicle towards the Malaysian 2020 vision. THE MALAYSIA PLAN AND THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY FRAMEWORK The Malaysian government uses economic planning to achieve economic and socio-economic goals in close coherence with the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the National Development Policy (NDP). The Fifth Malaysia plan and the Long-term Industrial Master Plan Malaysia, in particular, indicate specific future objectives and economic trends. Malaysian Economic Policy and FDI :: History Economics Malasya Essays Malaysian Economic Policy and FDI BACKGROUND AND COUNTRY ATTRACTIVENESS. Malaysia is the second fastest growing economy in the South East Asian region with an average Gross National Product (GNP) growth of eight-plus percent per year in the last seven years. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has moved from an agriculturally based economy to a more diversified and export oriented one. The Malaysian market is fairly openly oriented, with tariffs only averaging approximately fifteen percent and almost non-existent non-tariff barriers and foreign exchange controls. The open trade based economy is supported by the fact that the total two way trade almost amounts to 120 percent of the GNP (1994). Together with a stable political environment, increasing per capita income, and the potential for regional integration throughout the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia is an attractive prospect for FDI (refer to Tables 1, 2, 3 and Graph 1 for relevant economic indicators). Until 1993, foreign investment contributed 60% of all investment in Malaysia. FDI grew strongly in the late 1980s to reach a peak of RM17.7 billion in 1992. This was followed by a sharp drop to RM6 billion in 1993 due to the world rececession, but rose again to RM15.2 billion in 1994. Malaysia is among the top five recipients of foreign direct investment in the world and while in recent years it has come mainly from other Asian countries, 1993 saw the US as the biggest inward investor with RM1.7 billion. Japan and Taiwan are clearly the largest overall investors with the US third, followed by France, Singapore and the UK (McLeman 1994, 19). The rationale of this report is not to promote Malaysia as an attractive destination for multinational entities, but rather to analyze how Malaysia's economic policy impacts upon FDI. Malaysia, perhaps, represents one of the most successful developing nations that has been able to effectively incorporate economic policy objectives with foreign funds, knowledge and networking throughout FDI (refer appendix 5). FDI in Malaysia is an important catalytic factor, increasing exports, knowledge and provides an economic vehicle towards the Malaysian 2020 vision. THE MALAYSIA PLAN AND THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY FRAMEWORK The Malaysian government uses economic planning to achieve economic and socio-economic goals in close coherence with the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the National Development Policy (NDP). The Fifth Malaysia plan and the Long-term Industrial Master Plan Malaysia, in particular, indicate specific future objectives and economic trends.

WVO Quines Epistemic Paradigm :: Naturalized Epistemology

WVO Quine's Epistemic Paradigm Since its publication in 1969, Quine's seminal essay entitled Epistemology Naturalized has had a polarizing effect on pursuits in this field. Many have rejected the naturalist approach to epistemology on the grounds that it is mere relativism (see below), while others have celebrated Quine's program for articulating an empirical approach to epistemology. In what follows, I will endeavour to provide a clean explanation of some of the central features of Quine's naturalism and point out what I believe are the strengths and weaknesses of these features and, I will offer a brief account of why I believe Quine's naturalism to be an exemplary approach to clarifying how epistemic pursuits ought to be carried out. 1. Quine's Naturalism What then is naturalized epistemology according to Quine? Simply stated, it is the departure from traditional philosophy insofar as it invites empirical science to play a crucial role clarifying the explanatory relation between theory and evidence. The reason that this is a departure from the tradition is because philosophical doctrine has clung to the notion that epistemology is primarily a normative inquiry concerned with the pure justification of our claims to knowledge. One of the major, and perhaps ironic, problems with the traditional view, however, is that there has been much disagreement over just which criteria are to count as justification in the first place. If we need justification to increase the liklihood that our beliefs are true, and thus wind up with knowledge, then how are we to know that our original criteria are themselves justified? The most familiar strategy1 against this risk of infinite regress is to accept only beliefs that are indubitably true, such as first-person reports of conscious phenomena or clear and distinct ideas. From this initial cache of first principles one could then, were this endeavour successful, rationally reconstruct an epistemically justified account of how we come to have knowledge. Quine characterizes this approach generously by drawing a parallel to the attempted reduction of mathematics when he says: "ideally the obscurer concepts would be defined in terms of the clearer ones so as to maximize clarity, and the less obvious laws would be proved from the more obvious ones so as to maximize certainty."2 With this kind of foundationalist epistemology, once one has defined which first principles are to be accepted as justified truths, one can then proceed with the project of explaining science (inter alia) in accordance with them.

Women, Sport and Film :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Women, Sport and Film Out of all the material we covered in this course, the ones that bear most directly on this question I think are the documentary about women in sports, and the movie "Girlfight". However, I felt that both of these films focussed on the issue from women's point of view. This is not to say that it isn't important or necessary to do so, but I started thinking about how men are also greatly affected by gender stereotyping. Being in a women's college, I feel like we focus a lot on the ways in which women are forced into certain roles, but we neglect to also look at how men are forced into certain roles. Last semester I watched the movie "Billy Elliot", about a young boy growing up in Newcastle, England, during the time of the miner's strike. I think the movie illustrates very well the costs and benefits of breaking gender stereotypes. Billy grows up in a mining family and his family consists of himself, his father, and his elder brother. He is surrounded only by male role models, and that too men who engage in manual labour. His father and his brother are both very "masculine" in the traditional sense of the word. The basic plot of the movie is that Billy wants to be a ballet dancer. His father wants him to learn boxing, but he sees a group of girls having ballet lessons at the same time and he starts taking ballet lessons on the sly. He turns out to be very talented, and his teacher wants him to apply to go to ballet school on a scholarship. The rest of the movie follows his progress and his struggle to be accepted by his family once he's been discovered. At first his father prohib its him from doing ballet, and calls him a "pouf", but Billy persists and is finally accepted by his family and community. I found it interesting that even though Billy is pre-pubescent, the mere fact that he wants to learn ballet induces people to question his sexuality even at such an early age. At an age when children aren't supposed to be sexual beings yet, Billy is under constant pressure to decide what his sexual orientation is, both by his family in that he has to defend himself, and by a friend of his in school who fits a certain stereotype of homosexuality and is romantically interested in him.

Nike Company Analysis

Nike Inc. International Strategic Marketing 8 Prepared for: 22-03-2009 Prepared by: Table of contents Case summary3 Analysis Growth strategy4 Competitor Analysis6 SWOT analysis8 Five forces model9 Nike Case Summary Nike is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. It is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, and a major manufacturer of sports equipment. They have a market share in the United States exceeding 40%. Nike also distributes its products outside the US. In 140 countries, Nike sells products through independent retailers , distributors etc. In the ever changing markets, Nike is facing multiple challenges to remain market leader. Foot Locker was always a great partner for Nike. Foot Locker, as the world’s largest footwear retailer, was an perfect way for Nike to distribute and introduce their new products. But Foot Locker wants to meet consumer demands. So Foot Locker said that they would reduce the more expensive Nike shoes, and focus on more midpriced shoes. This caused a break in the close relationship between Nike and Foot Locker. Nike is basically a distributor. They do not produce their products by themselves. Nike’s products are manufactured by third parties. So the main focus at Nike is on R and marketing. Innovation, and making the consumer actually want the product is key for Nike. Nike products are manufactured in Southeast Asia. The producer of Nike products are independent contractors where Nike does not own any of. The main reason why Nike products are manufactured in these countries is because of the low wages. Low cost labor significantly increases the gross margin on their products. These low wage countries had some significant downsides, thought . When the working conditions, as well as allegations of abuse and harassment became public (done by activists) Nike suffered serious bad publicity. For a company that heavily relies on marketing and PR, this is a serious problem. While Nike tried to neglect these allegations, activist continued to blame Nike. Because the focus at Nike is heavily at marketing and R, Nike always tries to create the right image for the consumer. They do this by constantly innovating (such as the Nike+ series), and attaching famous sports players to the brand. Players such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Wayne Rooney. The last years Nike sees that competitions is catching up and in several segments demand is decreasing. While these are all external factors that influence the company, Nike remains stable in terms of sales, gross margin and operating profit (increased to 10,2 percent in 2002, from 9,3 percent in 2001). While Nike remains to have positive numbers, the industry growth is hard to predict. While, for example, women casual tennis footwear sees an explosive growth, premium priced athletic shoes is clearly declining. Also competition is not standing still. The main competitors of Nike are New Balance, Adidas, and Reebok. New Balance is a company focused on athletic sports. They operate in the market segments of running, walking , tennis basketball etc. Along with this, New Balance expanded their target market by acquiring Dunham Bootmakers. With this they were now also on the market of outdoors such as hiking, boat shoes and sandals. Another acquisition of New Balance took place in 2001 with PF Flyers which gave them acces to the casual market. Another competitor, Adidas, is the world’s number two on footwear and apparel worldwide. Adidas is very much comparable to Nike. With high end technology, and important sponsors. The last of the very important competitors is Reebok. Reebok is the largest growing company. The company changed of strategy when they got the exclusive NFL deal and stated sponsoring the in-field gear of NBA teams. The challenge for Nike is to remain ahead of the competition, continue to be innovative and make sure their image stays on top. Analysis Nike and its subsidiaries are selling an extensive line of sports products throughout the world. Nike is competing in the market with Adidas, Reebok, New Balance and many other brands. [pic] Growth Strategy Nike operates in several market segments. Within these segments Nike is always looking for ways to grow. Nike is an international company that makes sure they can sell their products in the best possible way. That is why Nike today has several different retail possibilities such as Nike factory outlets, Nike stores and others. In April 2002 Nike acquired the Hurley International and gained access to the market segment for surfing, skateboarding and other youth lifestyle extreme sports. Nike was already selling different products under brand names such as Bauer. But still Nike’s core business was athletic running shoes. But growth in sales in 2003 was not very large. Only the women tennis casual footwear was experiencing significant growth. But this was due to the fact that the casual lifestyle segment was gaining popularity at that moment. So Nike decided to shift some of its main focus to other markets in the casual market. The casual market is the market with the most potential growth according to analysts, but weak growth in equipment (basketball , running etc). The growth in the casual market takes place in the non-performance segment. Thus Nike has to adapt to the fact that Nike can also be seen as a fashion object. Nowadays Nike is still the company with the most market share not only in the US, but also globally. And with making innovations in the consumer market, Nike was able to increase the market share. An example is the ‘Air-Jordan shoe line ’ which became extremely popular. Nike should stay focused in analyzing the changing demands of consumers in order to maintain the market share. The Air Jordan shoe line were very popular, but when Jordan retired Nike should be ready to come up with a successor. Also, the company should not be afraid to shift to other markets. The casual non-performance market is clearly growing, and in the athletic market (Nike’s core business) growth is clearly declining. Internally, Nike should keep their focus on marketing and R, which is their strength. Nike does not produce its own products. Nike clearly made some mistakes in the past by hiring independent contractors they have no influence over. [pic] Nike has clearly suffered with the image of sweatshops in Southeast Asian countries. Because Nike does not produce the products by their own factories, they heavily rely on the image consumer has of the company. R is also a heavy factor for Nike. Nike is the global leader on the market, but they have to come up with constant new ideas product development and maintaining a high level of research in the desires of the consumer, Heinz will maintain successful. Competitor Analysis The market where Nike in is operating is high competitive. The athletic footwear, apparel and equipment segments are intensely competitive all around the world. Main competitors are the German-based Adidas, New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc and REEBOK. Adidas-Salamon AG The well known ‘three stripes’ Adidas is popular all around the world. Just like Nike, is Adidas producing all kind of products, most of them related to sports. Adidas is one of the largest competitors in the industry. One of the flagships of Adidas is still the ‘old-style’ sneakers (See picture). Also Adidas is working with sport stars in their marketing campaigns, in order to increase brand awareness and revenues. In 2002, this lead to an overall market share of 11% and global sales with a revenue of almost $7 billion. REEBOK In comparison with Nike and Adidas is REEBOK also producing casual clothes. With the brands Greg Norman, Rockport and Ralph Lauren, the company is selling casual clothes. Since 2000, the company is competing again with Nike. With the return of Paul Fireman, operating activities increased and Reebok was able to compete again. The company’s marketing budget for 2003 was reported to be $40 million. A high percentage of this amount is going to the basketball world. Reebok is sponsoring a lot of teams in the NBA in order to create brand awareness. Since 2005, Reebok is part of Adidas. New Balance Athletic Shoes For many years this company was working with the same shoe outlets. The shoe outlets were successful, but New Balance wanted more. Therefore the company decided in 2000 to include independently owned retail stores. In this stores, more products could be sold. By the end of 2002, New Balance was distributing their products to over 90 independent retail stores. With this new corporate strategy, the company was able to increase sales with 25% in 2001 and 2002. SWOT Analysis Nike Strenghts Brand awareness Nike is the most well known sports brand in the world. Everyone knows the Nike logo (the ‘Swoosh’) and the brand is popular because of its premium quality, design and image. Product range The company is offering many products on the market and therefore can compete in many segments. Because of the global market, Nike can produce on economies of scale. Nike does not own any factories, but chooses the cheapest location to produce (almost always Asia). When a cheaper location is found, Nike can easily switch because it does not own the factory. Research & development Nike is famous because of the nice design, and innovative products. Because the company is producing many products, a high amount of R is invested. But this money is worth it. Nike is always able to come up with innovative designs of clothes and products. Weaknesses Production circumstances Because of negative publicity, a lot of people nowadays associate Nike with bad working conditions for the people who manufacture the products. Child labor, unhealthy factories and dangerous work, all contributed to this image what some people have from Nike. The ethical responsibilities from Nike are important in order to create brand loyalty. Opportunities Product development Coming up with innovative products can be really profitable. Or producing so called ‘high profit’ margin products like watches and sunglasses. Threats Competition The market where Nike is in operating is very competitive. Especially the shoe market, has a lot of competition. Therefore Nike should stay focused on innovation, price/value ratio, marketing and customer service. Economic situation Most of Nike’s products are higher priced then comparable products. This mainly because of the brand image. When there is a recession, consumers are more persuaded to buy cheaper, comparable products from a different producer. 5-Forces Model [pic] The power of suppliers is low. For most products, Nike is using simple raw materials. These materials are available with many suppliers. Also Nike is famous for replacing its production many times. Nike produces the products, where it is the cheapest. [pic] The power of customers is also low. Because most of the sales are B2C, the buyers cannot concentrate and have low power. Only threat is that customers, can easily switch to other (comparable) products. pic] The threat of new entrants is low to moderate. The market is high competitive and dominated by a few large players. First of all, a high amount of investment is required. It is not cheap to produce such a high quantity of shoes, like Nike is doing. Next to this, the costs for R and marketing are extremely high. Therefore we can conclude, that a possible new entrant must possess over a lot o f capital, patience and qualities. [pic] The threat of substitutes is medium. Although the ‘switching costs’ for consumers are not there, Nike is noticing high brand loyalty. This is mainly because of the brand image, quality and with the shoes, the level of comfort. But consumers are price sensitive and are seeking for high value with their sports clothes and related products. In times of economic recession, consumers are seeking for ways in order to save money. This can be, searching for alternative brands. Therefore Nike must closely the monitor the consumer market and the domestic economy. [pic] The rivalry in the industry is high. Exit barriers are quite high, therefore the same players are already for a long time competing in the market. ———————– Market Share 2008

Emerging Logistics Strategy Essay

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the emerging business logistics strategies which have emerged in the market place over the last few decades and will remain dominant well into the better half of twenty first century. Analysis through this work will argue that the two strategic concepts, namely supply chain integration and cycle time compression, represent distinctly different yet complementary approaches to corporate logistics which form the frameworks around which hundreds of firms are building successful logistics system. INTRODUCTION Logistics Strategy is the science of evaluating the most cost effective methodology of distributing goods to market while achieving service level objectives. It is important for companies to recognize that logistics strategy can be product-specific, customer-specific, and location-specific and that supply chains for each industry are dynamic and evolving. It is always a challenge for logistics strategy planners to develop a series of logistics strategies for different clients, integrating manpower, facilities and workflow in the logistics strategies together to compromise with other clients’ logistics strategies. The choice of an appropriate and effective logistics strategy must be guided by the objectives of the firm as well as by its capabilities and resources. In addition, the development of successful logistics strategy must recognize and deal with important factors and conditions in the firm’s external business environment. The environment of logistics has changed greatly because of global integration and the gradual shortening of lifecycles of products. For that reason a brief overview of what are, perhaps, the most significant of these factors in the business environment like increasing globalization, mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, new IT systems etc. are also discussed. In this paper, contemporary logistics strategy and evolution of emerging strategies like SCM and Cycle time reduction will be explained. Implementation issues and other challenges like reaping the benefits of IT,  choosing a trade-off between complementary strategies; integration issues etc. are elaborately discussed. This paper will mostly discuss the logistics strategy which the companies are adopting to succeed in the emerging markets like India, China etc. Emerging markets are becoming hot destinations for carrying out business mainly because of access to low cost labors and material. However at the same time how the firm mitigates the risk associated with doing business in foreign territory and how it manages the associated cost of transportation will also be discussed. Logistics Strategy and its importance When a company creates a logistics strategy it is defining the service levels at which its logistics organization is at its most cost effective. Because supply chains are constantly changing and evolving, a company may develop a number of logistics strategies for specific product lines, specific countries or specific customers. The supply chain constantly changes and that will affect any logistics organization. To adapt to the flexibility of the supply chain, companies should develop and implement a formal logistics strategy. This will allow a company to identify the impact of imminent changes and make organizational or functional changes to ensure service levels are not reduced. Parameters Involved in Developing a Logistic Strategy A company can start to develop a logistics strategy by looking at four distinct levels of their logistics organization. * Strategic: By examining the company’s objectives and strategic supply chain decisions, the logistics strategy should review how the logistics organization contributes to those high-level objectives. * Structural: The logistics strategy should examine the structural issues of the logistics organization, such as the optimum number of warehouses and distribution centers or what products should be produced at a specific manufacturing plant. * Functional: Any strategy should review how each separate function in the logistics organization is to achieve functional excellence. * Implementation: The key to developing a successful logistics strategy is how it is to be implemented across the organization. The plan for implementation will include development or configuration of an information system, introduction  of new policies and procedures and the development of a change management plan. Components to Examine when Developing a Logistics Strategy When examining the four levels of logistics organization, all components of the operation should be examined to ascertain whether any potential cost benefits can be achieved. There are different component areas for each company but the list should at least include the following: * Transportation: Does the current transportation strategies help service levels? * Outsourcing: What outsourcing is used in the logistics function? Would a partnership with a third party logistics company improve service levels? * Logistics Systems: Do the current logistics systems provide the level of data that is required to successfully implement a logistics strategy or are new systems required? * Competitors: Review what the competitors offer. Can changes to the company’s customer service improve service levels? * Information: Is the information that drives the logistics organization real-time and accurate? If the data is inaccurate then the decisions that are made will be in error. * Strategy Review: Are the objectives of the logistics organization in line with company objectives and strategies. A successfully implemented logistics strategy is important for companies who are dedicated to keeping service levels at the highest levels possible despite changes that occur in the supply chain. Current logistics operating environment Since 1990s, the environment of logistics has changed greatly because of global integration and the gradual shortening of lifecycles of products. The mode of production in enterprises has changed from the traditional mass production mode led by products into the mass customization production mode to facilitate increasing global market competition. Srinivasa (2001) pointed out three main reasons of such revolution. 1. Change of manufacturing strategy In the past, logistics was recognized as a distinct function with the rise of mass production systems. Since 1990s, the Japanese philosophy of distributed manufacturing and lean manufacturing has become the key technique which is widely adopted around the world. Consequently, the logistics operation is  forced to change in order to fit such new Japanese manufacturing strategy. As a whole, logistics has become an extremely complicated process in which expert knowledge is required. 2. Change of customer demand Business environment as a whole is becoming extremely volatile. As product life cycle becomes shorter, manufacturers can no longer push their products down the supply chain easily. On the contrary, it is the consumer who pulls the products along this supply chain. Price and quality are no longer sufficient to thrive in this market. As speed to market and flexibility of the supply chain become the winning criteria, logistics management has grown much more complex in order to satisfy these conditions simultaneously. 3. Globalization As enterprises expand their markets beyond national boundaries, the need for more sophisticated services like multi-modal transport and international trade rules compliance increases. Hence, redesign of logistics operation is essential in order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness on these issues. These issues revealed the complexity of logistics management in that traditional logistics operation which includes large quantity of stock storage and distribution cannot fulfill the real time, flexibility logistics service demand among the supply chain parties. Moreover, since logistics network has became more complex, it takes time to make critically decision in resource allocation and work task arrangement accurately. In the current dynamic scenario where business landscape has changed a lot and more and more business are becoming customer centric firms have realized that to remain competitive they need to consider logistics as a part of their strategy and not just another fu nction. Companies have gained significant advantages over their competitors by focusing and crafting a logistics strategy which suits their requirement. However, there is no fixed Logistics strategy solution in place for any type of industry. It depends on and varies from the type of goods, nature of industry, the market it serves etc. Below are some of the questions that a firm’s logistics strategy must address. Fast / Slow -A company logistics strategy must handle fast moving products differently from slow and medium moving products within their own  distribution center(s) and within their distribution network. It is to be seen is it economically beneficial to set up regional â€Å"fast† facilities and a centralized â€Å"slow† facility? DSD / Non-stock – A company must have a clear understanding of all of the cost components and lost profit opportunities for products that are deemed â€Å"Direct store Delivery† or â€Å"non-stock† items. There has to be a logistics strategy in place that clearly delineates when an item should be inventoried. Third Party Services -Does your company need to own and/or operate its own distribution facilities or is it more effective to have third party logistics providers manage some or all aspects of your logistics functions? What are the economical, service and other considerations your company needs to consider before taking these steps? Hub and Spoke -Are there economical cost of goods advantages to sourcing products into a centralized distribution center that subsequently distributes to regional facilities or branches through a hub and spoke distribution network? Inbound Logistics -Are there opportunities to reduce your landed cost of goods through improved inbound logistics strategy including load consolidation, reduced handling, backhauls, etc.? Outbound Logistics-Are there opportunities to reduce your outbound transportation costs through improved private fleet routing? Through improved carrier rate shopping, through load consolidation opportunities, etc.? Facility Consolidation-Is your company operating too many distribution centers that are underutilized? What are the economical benefits and service impacts of closing one or more of your distribution points? Inventory reduction-Is your company carrying the right assortment and inventory levels to achieve service level objectives? To minimize inventory assets, to minimize storage and handling costs? Supply Chain-Are there opportunities to work with your trading partners to reduce supply chain complexities and improve service levels for specific products / vendor product lines? Are there internal supply chain policies that hinder cost-effective operations? Global Logistics-Are there opportunities to improve global logistics to reduce inventory levels in the supply chain? To reduce order cycle times? To reduce supplier lead times? To reduce logistics costs? With these questions in mind we proceed to see what have been few emerging and successful strategies and what the challenges in implementing them are. Emerging Logistic Strategies: Given the expanding complexities of global operations, information about logistics costs and capabilities is crucial to evaluating whether and how to leverage emerging markets as a means for increasing profit margin. Globally, there has been a trend to source from or manufacture in low-cost jurisdictions and emerging markets. This trend, however, is often offset by increased logistics costs and delivery times, along with a growing number of complexities that need to be managed. Senior management has begun to realize that lowering unit procurement costs does not translate directly to lower per-unit total landed costs — the total costs associated with importing goods or parts from distant emerging market locations. The complexities of managing logistics in emerging market locations ultimately add to the total landed costs of the associated goods. Therefore, the process of redesigning supply chain operations to establish logistics management capabilities in emerging markets is a fundamental dimension of a long-term business strategy. Components of this strategy should include a focus on end-to-end integrated operations design and sound process discipline. Further, this focus should include a means to achieve flexibility, responsiveness and resiliency to enable more effective competition in today’s environment of increasingly dynamic global business conditions. To leverage opportunities in emerging markets, companies must transition or expand from managing logistics in a limited number of local geographies to managing them in emerging market geographies worldwide — in a very efficient, agile manner that supports the responsiveness and flexibility associated with an On Demand Business. Companies can leverage specific approaches to transforming their global logistics capabilities and better support the business goals of lower cost sourcing or fulfillment by taking advantage of emerging market jurisdictions. Global supply chain management — a rapidly changing environment Because of competitive pressures in the global marketplace, companies are rapidly migrating to low-cost sources of labor and materials, which are typically located in countries that also represent emerging market opportunities. But the speed of this change may bring challenges associated with escalating shipping costs and increased supply chain risk, and these challenges could exceed a company’s internal skill and resource capacity. If  you are adopting global sourcing practices, you may not yet have the foreign trade experience necessary to manage regulatory compliance and related global supply chain management complexities. For example, multiple, autonomous business units within an organization can contribute to a fragmented logistics process as well as create missed opportunities for leveraging economies-of-scale. Individual business units may also lack the necessary economies-of-scale needed to establish a competitive foothold and gain sufficient influence in emerging markets. Balancing inbound and outbound supply chain logistics requires a comprehensive strategy that incorporates all the key functions of a supply chain to accelerate or expand sourcing from emerging markets. This horizontally integrated approach also helps you make strategic decisions regarding partnerships, shipping and other factors, to help ensure that savings from global sourcing are not eroded by increased logistics costs. Even more significantly, such a strategy can enable you to go beyond sourcing to position your organization to leverage your logistics capabilities to sell and distribute products within those emerging markets. Challenges to leveraging emerging markets in supply chain cost management As you expand your geographic reach of global sourcing into emerging markets, you will likely encounter a growing number of supply chain and logistics challenges, many of which directly or indirectly contribute to a large portion of total landed costs. Each issue can be grouped into one of two categories: tangible or intangible. Tangible challenges of working in emerging markets include obvious things such as the limited physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, harbors and airports. Other limiting items include the communications infrastructure needed to support the necessary IT connectivity. As constraints due to infrastructure bottlenecks represent a clear challenge, government agencies are more aptly able to focus on these items because the benefit for improvement extends beyond just the business sector. Enhancements to physical infrastructure help the greater population of the emerging marketplace and contribute to modernizing an entire region or industry. Physical infrastructure improvements tend to have greater visibility and  political momentum, and often involve just a few government agencies. For example, the current infrastructure expansion in China as described by EFT Research in late 2005:1 †¢ Between 2005 and 2008, more than US$70 billion per annum will be spent to create 75,000 new mil es of expressways †¢ Forty-three airports have been added since 2001, a major focus for expansion †¢ By 2010, China plans to double the number of shipping port berths from the 34,000 currently in use and will spend approximately US$6 billion each year to do so †¢ Between 2005 and 2020, China will build 25,000 km of new rail lines at a cost of US$250 billion. The net effects of current infrastructure limitations in China and other emerging markets are longer-than-expected lead times and greater variability in shipment cycle times. These factors have a direct impact on owned inventory levels and the overall cash-to-cash cycle time — both of which drive the need to tie up more working capital in the supply chain. These shipment cycle time delays, which can be typical, are often offset by shifting to expedited, or premium freight service levels. However, these shifts to faster service levels are what significantly erode the expected savings in procurement and sourcing. While tangible infrastructure and expansion challenges within emerging markets often get the most press and visibility, it is the intangible items that create the greatest headaches for global logistics managers. The list of intangibles consists of items that often carry â€Å"hidden costs† not fully grasped by companies entering an emerging market. Included are all the tariffs, duties, taxes, customs declarations processes, security and compliance requirements, and the daunting task of dealing with government agencies and multiple third parties in a foreign language. The complexity is exacerbated by variables that can constantly change and remain in a near-fluid state. Managing day-to-day events is complicated by the need to factor in multiple working locations, distant time zones, multiple handoffs of products and associated information, different national holidays, language and cultural barriers, and the ongoing regulatory changes. For example, effective January 1, 2006, the Ministry of Commerce of China updated numerous regulations for export processing zones, while at the same time Chinese customs issued new regulations for bonded logistics parks that support export-related handling activities. Understanding how such changes  impact your supply chain requires in-country operating experience and deep collaborative relationships with logistics services providers who manage daily in this dynamic environment. Not to be overlooked is the significant influence that culture and management style can have on implementing and managing a logistics operation. For example, some of the fundamental differences prevalent in the Far East: confrontation avoidance, top-down decision making and agreements formed through handshakes with less regard to contractual specifics are the norm. While the Western approach to dealing with supply chain partners and vendors is to collaborate and pursue a win-win outcome, that attitude rarely prevails in many emerging market locations. Do not underestimate the impact of negotiating style and approach for dealing with suppliers found in different business cultures. In emerging market countries where rule of law can be erratic, establishing sound relationships with known entities is critical. Getting a jump on technical obstacles to integrated supply chain management Leveraging emerging markets as both product source and product destination can be a dynamic response to global market pressures; however, many companies are not well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities. The key objectives for the technical aspects of managing logistics in emerging markets are to build flexibility into the design, develop a core competency to bring logistics suppliers on board in a seamless fashion, and to enable meaningful information capture that supports continuous improvement. For example, effective supply chain management depends on visibility into the status and location of in-transit materials and products, but many companies do not have these systems in place. Fortunately, many technology-based solutions are available from a range of providers. Nearly all transportation companies offer some type of shipment status or information-sharing system accessible through their Web sites. In addition, there are dozens of advanced logistics planning and execution software applications that companies can install and use themselves. While there is no comprehensive solution that effectively serves all industry verticals and logistics partners across the supply chain, it remains critical that companies efficiently integrate multiple applications across diverse trading partners. Even with an integrated value chain that seeks to  leverage leading applications, true visibility into order and shipment status across the logistics chain depends on tightly defined processes and the ability of all logistics partners to exchange and provide timely status reports on materials in transit. Managing logistics within and outside of emerging market locations can make these processes even more challenging — the increase in variables makes consistent execution and the timely exchange of information very difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the very nature of an emerging market means that the number of logistics services providers with the appropriate experience is limited. And switching logistics providers can be very expensive. So part of the challenge becomes finding partners who either have the appropriate experience or have established networks and partnerships with reputable local providers. Managing and mitigating the risks associated with emerging market logistics In order to address the challenges of leveraging emerging markets as a cost reducing, and eventually, a profit-boosting strategy, companies are finding that they need to develop a strategy for managing logistics that can support multiple service-level requirements. As one element of such a logistics strategy, you need to determine how, where and to what extent the services of logistics suppliers should be engaged. There are several logistics management options to consider before you enter a new or emerging market. One end of the spectrum involves developing extensive multifunction logistics talent within your company, and then managing specific tactical activities and numerous contracts with logistics suppliers that provide narrowly defined services within a specific region or country. In this scenario, pitfalls include the time it takes to develop or recruit the necessary level of logistics talent and leadership, and the administrative cost of managing dozens, if not hundreds, of logistics suppliers. The other end of the spectrum involves leveraging already established and proven capabilities of a few logistics service providers — or even one — who can orchestrate the many activities, dependencies, and relationships across a global logistics network. Companies taking this approach are able to react to new and emerging opportunities in a shorter, more cost-effective time horizon. Figure 1 summarizes the spectrum of relationships with logistics partners. Figure 1: Logistics service provider options While core asset-based logistics providers are critical to logistics execution, there continues to be a competitive desire among service providers to offer strategically integrated solutions with a global reach that include already established relationships in key emerging market locations. As companies decide which model to pursue and which logistics service provider(s) to engage as potential long-term partners in an emerging market, there are a number of factors to consider: †¢ Experience with integrating logistics across the supply chain and related business functions such as direct procurement †¢ Demonstrated ability to lead supply chain transformation in phased initiatives that align with current and future customer requirements †¢ An understanding of the unique characteristics of the emerging market(s) where you are considering expanding sourcing activities or establishing operations and distribution capabilities †¢ Familiarity with your industry vertical and the nature of your supply chain requirements †¢ Proven capabilities to advise on support and manage international trade and customs regulations †¢ The capacity to offer robust middleware as an enabler of cross-functional IT integration with multiple supply chain partners †¢ The experience and capacity to act as information broker between you and your supply chain partners †¢ Infrastructure and business process designs that are highly scalable and redundant †¢ A track record of solid financial health and sound corporate governance A global logistics view in alignment with a top-down business strategy helps to avoid a piecemeal logistics contracting or outsourcing management approach that could exacerbate the challenge of integration and shipment visibility. Your approach to outsourcing should help you develop a responsive, plug and play, logistics management capability that will support your entry into emergi ng markets. This is also a key capability for enabling an adaptive global supply chain footprint and competitive advantage. To further support this goal, it is important to consolidate and align your supply chain management infrastructure, processes and procedures to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Leading logistics providers now have the resources and expertise to help you design your network and make location decisions that optimize the tradeoffs in cost, service level and risk; but you should be aware that such companies may also be driven by their own business goals. When you  receive advice about which emerging markets to target, ask yourself whether this advice is aligned to your business goals, or whether it reflects the logistics supplier’s own growth strategy. It is very important to look for an objective logistics partner who can establish clear business performance metrics and accountability for the entire ship-to deliver cycle. This includes activity from the shipping dock in the source country through each leg and mode of shipment. Such information should be a key part of the overall supply chain performance management dashboard — your logistics service provider should be able to supply you with a range of data and performance metrics such as on-time delivery, damage rates, error rates, cost/sales percentages and related financial metrics that drive continuous improvement efforts. IBM Case Study — overcoming emerging market implementation hurdles Strong global partnerships with leading logistics suppliers are a highly valued asset when it comes to entering emerging markets. IBM offers a case in point. Several years prior to the sale of their personal computing division to Lenovo, IBM shifted PC fulfillment operations to low-cost jurisdictions and emerging market locations. IBM had been conducting business in China for many years, which provided a leverage point for establishing the necessary legal entity and business model to support a manufacturing operation that could act as a global fulfilment center for a limited line of products. Setting up shop in one of China’s free-trade zones offered proximity to key suppliers and abundant availability of low-cost labor during a time of intense, industry wide cost pressures. But from a logistics management perspective, the implications seemed daunting. IBM needed to design and implement the capability to ship from a factory in Shenzhen to customer locations in the United States, Europe and the rest of Asia. This effort required robust process design with multiple logistics suppliers, not to mention the trade-management-related complexities associated with exporting from a free-trade zone to numerous other countries — most of which had their own unique entry and customs-related procedures. In the high-tech industry, the supply chain must be responsive and fast. In logistics, this means pre-clearing shipments through customs while flights are in-transit. The most minor of data inaccuracies on the commercial invoice or shipping  manifest during the entry process can delay shipments for hours. While an import delay of only a few hours may not seem drastic, the result can be a missed cutoff time with the in-country ground service delivery provider. This means an entire day can be added to the shipment cycle time. IBM found that design and implementation challenges resided at the most basic levels. The infrastructure and necessary processes just for getting the trucks from the manufacturing site to the Hong Kong airport caused delays. The frequency and timing of the flight schedules became the hard constraint that all other cutoff times were forced to meet. Getting the necessary level of lift capacity during the high-volume, end-of-quarter seasonal peaks required frequent communication and forecast updates with freight forwarders. Continuous design improvements were needed to reach the necessary process and system integration needed between the freight forwarder, broker and customs agents in the designated country. For small shipments, IBM took advantage of integrated services provided by UPS and FedEx, both of which have ground and air assets for multi-leg shipment continuity. More problematic were larger shipments requiring multiple third party logistics organizations in a series of freight and information handoffs. IBM believes that a core logistics objective should always be to design and implement an integrated end-to-end solution that includes a process and technology design spanning all involved parties, from the shipping site to the final customer delivery location. Other emerging-market implementation hurdles faced by IBM China is not the only major emerging market with strategic significance to the IBM supply chain and global business model. For many years, IBM has sold and distributed products in East European countries. Over the past two years, IBM has expanded operations in countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. IBM’s most recent effort included going live with assembly and fulfilment operations with an OEM partner in Hungary. Prior to making a decision about the final location, IBM conducted a network optimization study. Its purpose: to understand the tradeoffs between fulfillment costs, logistics costs, inbound transit times from supplier locations, and outbound transit times to customers throughout Europe. The longer transit times and greater variability were key to understanding if entering the Hungarian marketplace to seize the benefit of lower fulfillment costs was an optimal  supply chain decision. The distance from the manufacturing site to the primary airport in Budapest is a three-hour commute on a two-lane highway. For time-sensitive orders, this long transit time effectively pushes back the cutoff time for shipping to around noon, a loss of nearly a half day. Once the decision was made to operate and ship finished products from Hungary, several supply chain and logistics design points became important to the overall cost reduction strategy. Here are some key elements that helped enable logistics management for IBM in an Eastern European emerging market location: †¢ Extended vendor managed inventory (VMI) programs and pricing agreements with OEM partners to ensure purchase-order flow continuity and control †¢ Extended IBM’s logistics contract agreements to components suppliers on inbound lanes in order to mitigate rising logistics costs and transit time variability †¢ Formed strong partnership with logistics service provider to allow for vendor on premises activity — service supplier resources and systems that manage the flow of finished goods off the back dock †¢ Utilized the network of experienced logistics management professionals in the European region to ensure operational communications and continuity within the same time zones †¢ Took advantage of IBM business presence in-country and local resources to ease the language, culture, and knowledge barrier during transition and initial set up. The above examples reflect IBM’s ability to efficiently enter and enable logistics operations as a strategic component of our global business operating model. Figure 2: IBM logistics cost savings 1995–2004 The cost savings illustrated in Figure 2 were realized during a time when IBM was entering emerging market locations to enable an integrated global footprint. The largest portions of savings were in procurement by utilizing fewer core service providers, and the physical network design efficiencies of operating in key emerging market locales. Realizing competitive advantage from logistics transformation You can prevent rising costs and complexities from eroding the benefits of your global sourcing strategy. The advantages of a strategic approach to logistics are broad and can result in a significant increase in shareholder value. In fact, managing logistics  costs, service-level lead times and overall supply chain security is critical to your marketplace competitiveness. Figure 3: IBM Global Logistics Operating Model The IBM model for managing global logistics highlights its capabilities as a Global Trade Orchestrator. IBM is able to scale this capability for both internal divisions and external customers. The key to managing global logistics is to enable your company’s supply chain with the capability to efficiently unplug from one location or operating scenario, and enter a new or emerging market location. This capability will be both a strategic requirement and a competitive advantage, as long as worldwide business, economic and socio-political variables remain dynamic. Enabling this strategic capability requires cross-function process design, technology integration, and subject matter expertise ranging from network optimization, logistics contract and operations management to global trade and compliance management. This level of orchestration and collaboration is very scalable when merged seamlessly with a global governance model and strategically oriented leadership. Cycle time compression Logistics managers have long recognized the importance of order cycle time, and this concept has entered into the planning and operation of inventory control and distribution systems for decades. More recently, logistics executives have come to recognize the strategic significance of planning, and indeed reducing, the cycle times in their systems. Throughout many different industries, and taught by the examples of successful Japanese competitors, firms are working to reduce the total time required to bring products to marketplace. As George Stalk and Thomas Hout explan in their best-selling book competing against time, today, time is on the cutting edge of competitive advantage. The ways leading companies manage time- in production, in sales and distribution, in new product development and introduction- are the most powerful new sources of competitive advantage. A cycle time compression logistics strategy can be applied to distribution and production, and firms have also shown how the strategy can be employed in product development and roll out. In one frame of reference, cycle time can  be thought of as the time which elapses between the point at which a customer places an order and the point at which the property is received. Traditionally, logistics managers have attempted to control or reduce this order cycle time by increasing in stock availability rates, pre-positioning field inventories close to customers, or using premium flight services to speed delivery. While effective, these tactics are not without cost. From another point of view, customer order cycle times are obviously important, but they do not measure the true response time of the firm since the finished goods inventory performs the function of uncoupling the demand process from the production process. From this point of view, the cycle time is the length of time material remains in the firm as it flows from raw material, to production, to finished goods, and on to delivery to the customer. Attacking this cycle time has several benefits. First, it makes the firm more responsive; that is, the firm may be able to produce and distribute a product to a given customer more quickly. Second, cycle time reduction will reduce the time that material is held as inventory, and hence will increase inventory turnover and return on assets. Firms have employed many different tactics to achieve cycle time compression in their logistics processes, but most successful applications share these common characteristics: (1) The responsiveness of the total system is increased. The firm can more quickly respond to changing customer requirements because the logistics system has become more flexible and adaptive, and more easily able to react to changes in plans. (2) Inventory levels are reduced at all points in the system as on-hand stocks come to reflect more closely true customer requirements. (3) Risk and the associated costs of risk are reduced. As the cycle time falls, the demand forecasting horizon can be reduced, which reduced the risk of stock out, lost sales, obsolescence, redistribution, expediting, and all the other problems associated with forecast error. (4) The information content of the system increases. The system comes to rely  on fast and accurate transmission of information as a substitute for the inventory previously used to operate the system. To reduce cycle time companies need to look at the four major discrete cash cycles within their firms. The sales cycle is the first one to tackle. How long does it take from first contact with a customer to get a signed purchase order? Typically you’re incurring, and paying for, sales expenses during that process. If your normal sales cycle is three months, is there any way to collapse it to two months? One of the best ways to answer that question is by bringing together people within the organization who both work in the sales arena and interface with it. It can also be helpful to have someone from the outside who is not all that familiar with the process in the review. Benefits of cycle time reduction are common in all four areas. The result will be reduced cycle times that translate into a more effective organization and additional money in the bank. Cross-docking: The need for speed In today’s high velocity supply chain world, companies are increasingly focusing on distribution methods that will drive efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. Gone are the days where customer service was merely a buzz word. With the focus on customer service, companies have moved away for a supply driven business towards a demand driven business. Companies are also constantly searching for ways to reduce inventory and holding cost. The increase in speed has forced companies to search for ways to reduce product cycle time and move product quickly and cost effectively. Over the years, companies have seen a dramatic increase in the number of stock keeping units (SKU). The increase in the number of SKUs has added complexity to the business and also has increased the cost and time needed to manage the business. Department heads face additional pressure as they are required to stock shelves with the right products and ensure that customer demand is met all times. In today’s high speed world, shipping windows are changing rapidly, as retail clients demand increased speed to meet store requirements. To achieve these goals, cross-docking has been pushed to the frontline of the distribution strategy. What is cross-docking? Cross-docking is a system that relies on speed and agility and is normally used in hub-and-spoke operations. Cross-docking, in short, is the shipment and receiving of goods by bypassing the storage facility. In the process of cutting out the need for a storage facility, inventory can move quickly from one end of the supply chain to the other. Cross-docking is a fairly simplistic way of handling inventory that involves loading and unloading inventory from an incoming truck onto an outboard truck. During cross-docking storage time varies. However, most experts would agree that anything less than two days can be considered as cross-docking. In some cases staging also takes place. For all of its simplicity, cross-docking requires detailed planning and collaboration with partners. Companies require advance knowledge of product shipment and final destination of goods. Setting up the required infrastructure and systems can take time and capital. Logistic managers are increasingly making use of technology such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and automated processes. It is important to note that technology is not the key to success. However, the right system can smooth out problems and increase visibility in the chain. Companies now have the ability to send products on a Friday night, receive them on Saturday, and sell the products later in the day. How is it used? Cross-docking is used in a variety of strategies that include consolidating loads of less-that-truck load (LTL) carriers, consolidate loads from multiple suppliers and/or plants, deconsolidating orders, and preparing for shipping. Cross-docking can be divided into different complexity levels including one-touch, two-touch and multiple-touch. One-touch is considered the highest productivity as products are not loaded on the dock, but is loaded directly on the truck. During two-touch the focus is on load optimization and driving efficiencies. Inventory is received and staged on the dock, without making use of a storage facility. During multiple-touch, products are received and staged for reconfiguration and customization. An increasing number of companies are starting to use cross-docking in their operations. In a 2008 cross-docking trends report in the US, 52 percent of respondents stated that use cross-docking with a further 13 percent planning to start cross-docking in the next 24 months. A number of companies are  outsourcing cross-docking. By doing so, they avoid the challenges of setting up and running a cross-docking operation. Many companies start small and pilot projects are common as they explore the configuration that best fits their needs. For cross-docking to succeed it needs to be a coordinated effort that relies on close partnership and collaboration. What are the advantages? One of the key advantages of cross-docking is that companies are reducing their need for warehousing space, which reduces inventory holding cost. Cross-docking facilities are much cheaper to set up and run than warehouses and companies can save on the capital investment in warehouses. In some cases, companies can reduce warehouse floor space and sell off or lease out underutilized facilities. Companies like Toyota have designed and built their own cross-docking facilities. Normally these facilities are strategically located to reduce distance and maximize support. Some of the biggest advantages for companies are transport related. Companies can achieve significant cost savings, by consolidating loads of LTL carriers. Pallets that are heading for the same destination are consolidated and staged by order sequence. By doing this, companies can reduce the distribution cost of the total supply chain and pass the savings on to the consumer. By making use of cross-docking, companies can furthermore reduce the impact of rising energy cost. Companies like Toyota have used this strategy to great effect. With the increased reliance on Just-in-Time (JIT), parts are being shipped at higher frequency and lower quantity. By making use of cross-docking, Toyota has reduced distribution cost by consolidating smaller part supplies into consolidated loads. Cross-docking has allowed companies to increase JIT and remove waster or muda in the organization. The increased speed in the supply chain helps companies to reduce product cycle time and move product quickly and efficiently down or up the chain. In Toyota’s case, this has allowed them to increase delivery frequency and in some cases even double delivery cycles. Cross-docking also have some major benefits where inventory is limited. As inventory is not kept in storage, companies require less stock. The reduction in inventory will reduce holding cost and at the same time satisfy demand. One of the major benefits of cross-docking is also the reduction of labour cost. With the downturn in the  economy, companies will increasingly look at cross-docking as a possibility. Cross-docking can reduce staff numbers and their associated labour cost and also gives the organization greater flexibility during an economic downturn. Many companies, however, do not start cross-docking primarily for cost reasons. They start to improve customer service. Today’s customers require greater speed and are also more demanding. Companies should establish clear goals and be willing to test different options. For companies that want to streamline operations and increase the supply chain velocity, cross-docking may be the right solution. Implementation Issues and Conclusions Many firms have embraced and employed supply chain management and cycle time compression strategies in their logistics operations with dramatically positive results. However, not all such attempts have been successful, nor has every implementation proved straightforward or simple. In this section, I will list observations and conclusions drawn from scores of firms which have implemented these logistics strategies: (1) Supply chain management and cycle time compression are complementary strategies. The logistics manager is not forced to choose between these two strategies in and either/or basis. In fact, the two strategies are often mutually supportive and self-reinforcing. The strategies so frequently are seen together that it can be difficult or arbitrary to distinguish between them. In practice, the distinction between the two strategies is often blurred. A principal reason to develop supply chain management is often to capture and amplify the benefits of cycle time compression by applying the strategy at all levels in the chain. (2) Each strategy has common barriers to successful implementation. There are many pitfalls involved in employing these strategies, but the most significant problems are generally of two types: High complexity. The new systems are usually much more complicated than the systems and procedures which they replace. Supply chain management, as embodied for example in a quick response system, requires co-ordination of SKU-level item flows across firm boundaries in near real time with great precision and reliability. Low  inventory levels place the entire operation at risk to errors at any level in the system. New data systems and communications systems are needed to drive the logistics flow, and these systems are needed to drive the logistics flow, and these systems must perform flawlessly. In a successful cross docking operation, vehicle schedule and despatching is crucially important as well, and completely reliable carriers must be found. High trust. Supply chain management and cycle time compression must be based on high levels of trust within the various parts of a given firm, such as between production and distribution and between sales and distribution. In addition, very high levels of trust must be established and maintained between buyers and sellers in the supply chain, as well as between shippers and carriers and warehouses. Supply chain members must share and safeguard highly sensitive data, and all parties must be given candid estimates of production schedules, shipping status, and delivery dates. Inability or unwillingness to share these data will generally frustrate meaningful attempts to establish the close co-ordination implied by these strategies. (3) Information technology is the key enabling technology. Another common thread in the successful implementation history of these strategies in American firms is the reliance on fast and accurate information technology. Most such logistics systems use barcode scanning or some other form of automatic identification to provide input of SKU-level transaction data onn sales, inventory and shipments. Data are normally telecommunicated between various operating locations, usually by EDI. In addition, some form of high-level logistics system software is needed to guide the operation of the strategy. (4) Inventory reduction as a benefit. Most successful case histories of supply chain management or cycle time reduction will include inventory reduction, but inventory reduction will not be the whole story. Generally, inventory reduction will be one item on the list of benefits and cost savings which were sought or obtained. In many cases savings due to inventory reduction will be substantial, while in other cases inventory reduction may be a relatively minor consideration. (5) Successful logistics strategies must be integrated with production, marketing, and total corporate strategy. Supply chain management and cycle time compression are strategies which are often highly compatible with the overall strategy being pursued by the firm. Compression of the logistics component of the firm’s total cycle time is an integral component of the firm’s overall strategy of time-based competition. Logistics cycle time compression and supply chain co-ordination are also highly supportive of the general strategy of flexible manufacturing towards which many firms are moving. Many other firms are moving towards a marketing strategy which looks beyond mere ―customer satisfaction in an attempt to move past the competition by ―delighting the customer. In this context, compression of logistics cycle time increases the responsiveness of the logistics system to the customer’s desires. Incorporating the customer into the formal supply chain system should improve the level of support provided to the customer as well as increase the customer’s ability to convey its needs and wants to the firm and have them acted on. In this way supply chain approach will work to reinforce the marketing strategy. Supply chain management and cycle time compression are complementary logistics strategy which progressive firms are employing in many different ways and in many different settings. These strategies are not simply or easily developed, but the results achieved through their use are often dramatic. Any firm which is truly serious about competing in the marketplace should very carefully consider the implications of these strategies for its operations.

Application of Evidenced †Based Practice Essay

Application of Evidenced-based Practice Regarding pediatric Patients and Otitis Media 1 Running head: Application of Evidenced -based Practice Application of Evidence-based Practice Regarding Pediatric Patients and Otitis Media Running head: Application of Evidence-based Practice 2 The nursing practice heavily relies on the evidence based clinical information to determine current standards of practice within the nursing scope of practice. A multitude of informational journals and peer reviewed articles are readily available to help guide the decisions placed into practice. The nurse is responsible for recognizing the quality of evidence collected to improve the standard of care patients receive. This paper will investigate four articles regarding the appropriate care and treatment of the pediatric population with otitis media. In addition, an appropriate recommendation for antibiotic therapy will be made based on information gathered during the research. To answer the question of whether a wait-and -see approach is recommended, an initial validation of the information collected must be determined. Four articles will be assessed based on the type of research collected as filtered, unfiltered, or general information. The source will be investigated as inappropria te or appropriate. Lastly, the articles will be classified as primary research evidence, evidence summary, or evidence-based guideline. In addition to the four articles, a study and interview from current patients of the clinic will be discussed. The first article by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians discusses the diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. This article is a filtered resource as several large studies have been completed on the topic. The article is from a reliable and reputable source and is determined to be appropriate. The type of research is an evidence summary as well as providing evidenced based guidelines for practice. The second article by The Pediatric Infectious disease Journal provides unfiltered information. The author Dr. Block discusses evidenced collected within studies of her own as well as collected data from Running head: Application of Evidenced-based practice 3 previous studies and as a result the article is mainly primary research. This source would be considered inappropriate for a nurse evaluating a standard practice to recommend. The information presented within the article is too broad and does not recommend a best practice standard. The article is an unfiltered article based on the foundation of a multitude of studies and expert opinion presented. A physician may find this article useful if investigating which pathogen would best respond to a specific antibiotic. The third article is a general informative resource for the clinic to apply evidence based practice. The resource is a filtered article which provides appropriate information relating to general practice. The research is evidence summary as well as evidence-based guideline. This article provides general information regarding pain and treatment of ear problems. This article may by appropriate for the diagnosis of specific ear conditions and treatments however may not be approp riate to determine if a wait-and-see approach is supported. The last article reviewed discusses treatment of otitis media in an era of increasing microbial resistance. This is an unfiltered resource and appropriate for determining if a practice change should be implemented. The type of research is evidence summary and evidence-based guidelines. This article would support an evidenced based approach to support a change of practice within the clinic. Finally, interviews collected from patients who utilize the clinic is unfiltered information and inappropriate to base a clinical change of practice. The type of research is primary research evidence. This information may be helpful for determining the type of culture who utilizes the clinic and how accepting the community may perceive a change in practice. All pieces of information collected has valuable information, however from nursing standards an article should present current evidence based practice standards. Running head: Application of Evidenced-based Practice 4 The evidence presented within one article supports a watchful waiting approach to treating acute ear infections in children. Data is strongly supported with evidenced based practice guiding the appropriate course of treatment as prescribed by physicians. For example, The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians have provided a practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of acute otitis media. This article should be considered the gold standard of practice for physicians and presents filtered information. The article clearly provided recommendations based on the presentation of the patient in addition to practice standards. The article is current and is supported by regulatory licensing agencies. Future research goals are also discussed along with current recommendations. This informative practice guideline should be reviewed with additional information to fully support a practice change within the clinic . However, additional current studies would be required to implement a change of practice with more supportive data. Considering multiple resources were obtained to investigate a change in practice, some articles were outdated and referenced studies which may not be applicable to modern practice. In conclusion, research does support a more watchful approach to treating patients; more supportive current data would be required so an informed decision can be made. To implement a policy change within a clinic, a committee should be established to review current evidence based literature to support a change in practice. A review of current recommendations for practices can be investigated along with a discussion with a larger pediatric medical facility. Having a better understanding of current trends from neighboring establishments can better prepare the facility for a change in practice. Educational information should be prepared for parents to establish a clear understanding of why a practice change has been implemented. Nursing will have a vital role in educating families and possibly reminding practitioners of practice Running head: Application of Evidenced-based practice 5 recommendations. By the nursing staff having the knowledge of best practice, they can advocate a higher quality of care for their patients. Ethical concerns and vulnerable populations should be considered when researching and changing clinical practice  guidelines. The practitioner and nursing staff must assure they are implementing practice changes to improve quality of care for their patients. Well supported and researched standards should only be implemented. The patient population of the clinic should not be uses as a test group or population without prior knowledge or informed consent. During the process of informed consent, all risks must be explained to the patient and family. Patients must be educated by the practitioners and nursing staff regarding the implementation of a new practice. The staff must be aware of credible resources for data collection and applications to practice. Reassurance of protecting patient privacy should be discussed with patients and parents. The nurses must continue to advocate for human rights during the research process by identifying vulnerable populations. These populations may include children, pregnant woman, elderly, and cultural differences. If any language barriers exist, the nursing staff should be p repared to have alternate communication methods. State and federal guidelines must be followed during any research process and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. References Block, S.L. (2008). Causative Pathogens, Antibiotic Resistance and Therapeutic Considerations in Acute Otitis Media. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 15(4), 448-456. Hay, W.W., Levin, J.J, Sondheimer, & Deterding, R.R. (2006). Current pediatric diagnosis and treatment. Ear, Nose and Throat. (pp. 159-492). Denver, Colorado: Lange. McCracken, G.H. (1998). Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in an Era of Increasing Microbial Resistance. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 17(6), 576-579. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2004). Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media, 113(5), 1451-1465.

Ethan Frome Essay

Ethan Frome Essay Destiny can shape the lives of many different kinds of people, such as princes who are meant to be kings and the poor who know they will not have the opportunity to be wealthy. Ethan Frome taught me that it is human nature to follow the destiny and predetermined life patterns bestowed on us upon birth. In one of the earlier chapters of Ethan Frome, the author describes the gravestones of many Ethan Fromes before the main character. It shows that Ethan will live and die in Starkfield, and he cannot change that regardless of what his aspirations are. Humans seem to have picked a spot and stayed there. A girl who grows up in a small town in the Midwest in a school with a class of one hundred, will experience the same lifestyle but through the eyes of a grown up woman. Even though this girl might have had dreams of living her own lifestyle, the barriers her destiny have formed between her aspirations and the reality of her predestined future. Life seems to be similar to a computer for many, as it is for Ethan Frome. One can type in a course for someone to follow, and it seems to never run off the tracks. Having a predetermined life does not always have to be about where you come from geographically. Even looking around Morristown High School, you can see patterns where, sadly, certain students do not have the same opportunities for success as others because of their past. The child of a well known cardiologist who lives in The Summit is given the drive and determination to learn as a characteristic from their parents, and it is already programmed into their life course. The child of an immigrant who is doing as much as they can to get by, might not be able to find that drive and determination as easily within themselves as the child who has been given those qualities from birth. On the other hand, there are those who can break those barriers. Every once in a while, you hear about a success story of somebody who fell off the life course but eventually found their way to a new and improved one. Those people are far to scarce. I will never forget a billboard I once saw in New York that read â€Å"Homeless to Harvard. † The picture showed a girl who looked as normal as a next door neighbor, but her struggles and accomplishments brought her to an ivy league school. Ethan Frome, Zeena, and Mattie Silver fell unbeknownst into the course of life that Starkfield Massachusetts had made. Cold winters and relationships forced them to stay on a path to mental destruction and misery. The story taught me that it is human nature to follow the set of rules made by the surrounding society.