Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Vacant Chapter 16 Emily

This has to be perfect. Ethan is the most amazing man, and I don't want to disappoint him. So everything has to be flawless. Margie has been a huge help, though, and I don't think I could have – or would have – done this without her. Sometimes I'm so out of my element with this whole love and relationship thing. I know Ethan has more experience, but still†¦ I want him to know how much he means to me. Margie had me over for a girl's night where we watched what she called â€Å"chick licks.† She insisted that the surest way to be able to pull off the perfect anniversary was to see examples of perfect love on the big screen, or a forty-two inch, anyway. We started brainstorming and came up with a plan; a pretty good one if I do say so myself. Now I just have to make sure I don't mess it up. So here I am, standing in the middle of our living room in a new black and pink lace lingerie set and enough lit candles that I may, in fact, set off a smoke alarm. Of course, Ethan has seen me in much less that bra and panties, but these seem†¦dirty somehow. Because of the purpose for which they are intended, the pink and black lace seems obscene. I hadn't wanted to get the â€Å"tonga† cut, but Margie insisted it was the look needed for the occasion. I'm more of a cotton brief kind of girl. All the panties we looked through were so small†¦ and in bright lacy colors, nor did they seem practical. I really hope Ethan doesn't expect fancy panties all the time because I cannot see the practicality of wearing this style on a daily basis. Particularly if one has to frequently bend or stoop I glance at the clock on the wall, which was purchased at Hobby Lobby, thank you very much, and know that Ethan will walk through the front door at any moment. I shouldn't be this nervous, but we have grown so much together in the last year, both in heart and mind. I know without a doubt I will be with this man forever, and I want to experience every last thing imaginable with him. When I hear the key in the door, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Within seconds of the door opening and closing, I hear a loud gasp followed by, â€Å"Holy shhiiittt.† Ethan is in front of me, hands exploring my backside after only a few seconds. I wonder if he sprinted, even though the distance from the door is only a few steps. It makes me relax, realizing he appreciates my gift a great deal. â€Å"Baby, you smell so good,† he whispers. His lips– then teeth skim my neck and shoulder. The contrast in sensation takes my breath away. â€Å"Fuck. What did I do to deserve all this? And you?† I'm frozen for a second because I think he's forgotten what today is. He thinks this is just a random tryst. And while we are extraordinarily honest with each other, I can't bring myself to tell him what this is really about. A pang shoots from my heart down into my stomach. â€Å"Whoa, whoa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ethan pulls away and looks at me. I try to smile, but it's wholly unsuccessful. It makes my throat tighten more, and I need an escape to the bathroom to shed unwanted tears. This isn't how it's supposed to go! He's supposed to see me, sweep me off my feet, pledge undying devotion, and make love to me for hours. Damn you, Hollywood! You're a liar. â€Å"Emily, what's wrong? What did I say?† He turns away from me at the moment my lips quivers. He's fisting his hair, mumbling to himself. Even though I still have on a bra, panties, and stupid black heels Margie insisted made the look perfect, I've never felt more exposed. I want to sink into the carpet, wishing the last half hour hadn't ever happened. Stupid, Emily†¦why do you always have to do something different or fancy? Why not just make fried chicken for dinner and get him a nice card, I argue with myself. â€Å"Shit! Why did I have to say something stupid on our anniversary? I try, Emily. I want to be good for you, I do. I just can't get it right, ya know? God, please say something.† †¦stupid on our anniversary†¦ â€Å"You know it's our anniversary?† I could have heard incorrectly. â€Å"Well, yeah. How could I forget our anniversary? I can't forget a thing about you, Emily.† He starts to walk toward the couch and grabs my hand, pulling me behind him. He flops down then pulls me into his lap. His thumb graces the outer edges of my smile. He didn't forget. â€Å"I remember that you hate high heels.† His hand ghosts down my leg and then draws my leg up. He grasps my spiked heel and slips it off my foot. He tosses the shoe to the floor before he begins to rub my toes. After a few moments, his hand slides up my arm to my neck, landing on my earlobe. â€Å"I remember that you only wear stud earrings because you're afraid of getting them caught on something.† His tongue snakes out a lightly traces the tip of my ear. â€Å"I also remember that you don't wear necklaces†¦.† His hand floats to cup my neck and then draws a finger down my breastbone and into my enhanced cleavage. Ethan shifts on the sofa and pulls something from his pocket. He hands me a small black box with a red bow. â€Å"But I'm hoping to change that.† Ethan finishes. I open the box and see the most delicate, yet beautiful necklace. A small silver disc holds the date we pledged our love for each other. One year ago, today. I find that I can't resist this thoughtful man. Not only has he not forgotten our anniversary, but he has also purchased the perfect gift. I seductively maneuver myself so that I'm facing Ethan. I straddle his lap and then kiss him like my life depends on it. â€Å"It's perfect. You're perfect,† I mumble in between kisses. I always get this feeling when Ethan and I are about to do it. It's still a million tiny butterflies bouncing in my stomach trying to break free. Honestly, it's the best feeling. The greatest part, though, is that each time is better than the last. I'm not sure if Ethan has been swapping stories in the stock room – although I doubt it, it's not his style – or reading up on the internet, but things have really†¦exploded for us in the bedroom department. There was a Get-to-know-you period, which was followed by the Awkward-movements period. Then there was the This-works-so-let's-do-it-this-way-all-the-time period. Lately, we'd found the â€Å"Life is like a box of chocolates†¦Ã¢â‚¬  period. And let me tell you, I may not know what I'm â€Å"gonna get,† but that shit is good. â€Å"Chocolate† is never a bad thing. â€Å"And I remember,† Ethan pauses, breathing me in. â€Å"You love it when I kiss you here,† he finishes and then sucks my nipple into his mouth. The contrast in sensation of his soft, wet mouth and the lace fabric has me beyond aroused. â€Å"New rule: all panties must be like this.† His hands rub across the exposed flesh of my butt, grabbing a handful of cheek to accentuate his point. Ethan's kiss is now languid, his tongue reaching out and teasing my body. As he moves upward, our eyes connecting once again, he beckons my mouth to open and allow him inside. I'm totally lost to this man and would submit to anything he wanted but after a few moments, I remember I have a plan. â€Å"Let's move to the bedroom,† I say in my most seductive voice. â€Å"I have more surprises for you.† Before I even have a chance to stand, Ethan grabs me and stands, coaxing me to wrap my legs around him. He doesn't carry me like this often, but when he does, there is no safer feeling in this world. He is totally supporting me, exerting his masculinity. I feel small pressed against him – a protector and his charge. â€Å"I love you,† I whisper and rest my head on his shoulder. The journey down the hall to the bedroom is too short. I could stay wrapped up in Ethan this way forever, but I have a massage to render, so I regrettably pull myself from the security of his arms. â€Å"Clothes off and lie down,† I command. Ethan raises a brow at me, showing he's a little shocked by my demand. His smile, however, tells me he likes it. He quickly sheds his clothes and lies face down on the bed. â€Å"No peeking,† I say while removing my bra and panties. I grab the oil from the nightstand and pour a liberal amount in my palm then rub my hands together. I slide my hands over his back and down over his backside, eliciting a moan from Ethan before I move myself into position. I shift and sit on top of his butt, cautious about fully putting my weight on him. â€Å"Is this okay? I'm not too heavy, am I?† His barely intelligible grunt of no helps me relax a little more fully on top of him. Per Hollywood protocol, I've trimmed myself so that I'm mostly exposed. I can't help but grind against him, my bare skin seeking friction with his. â€Å"Emily, that feels so good, but I can't stand it. I gotta turn over and see you.† I rise up to allow Ethan to turn. His hands immediately glide up my legs, his thumbs moving inward. They brush against the smooth skin that hides my clit. â€Å"Say it for me.† I know what he wants, as it has been Ethan's new fascination. I turn red because no matter how many times I say it, I know it will embarrass me. â€Å"Come on, say pussy for me. Tell me how you want my tongue on your pussy, then your mouth on my cock.† I respond with a small yet nervous laugh. â€Å"Come on, my sweet baby girl,† Ethan coaxes. Anything for this man†¦ â€Å"First, Ethan,† I begin with a little attitude. I can do this, and possibly without giggling. â€Å"I want my mouth on your cock.† I make sure to punctuate the word cock. â€Å"Then I want your mouth on my†¦ pussy. And after I've screamed your name†¦I want your cock in my pussy,† I say wanting to add a little naughtiness. That should do it. â€Å"Holy – † Ethan doesn't finish his thought as his words are replaced with vowel sounds when my mouth takes him in. It took me a few tries to get used to the idea of his†¦cock†¦in my mouth, but now there are times I crave it. Ethan says the same thing about going down on me. â€Å"Bring that pussy up here. I need you in my mouth. God, Emily, I – â€Å" I know what he means, even though he doesn't finish saying it. It's always like this, and I hope it always will be. Sometimes, I think I could just come without him touching me; just thinking about his hands and mouth on me is enough. I feel like this level of obsession can't be healthy, though and I shouldn't want someone so much, so often. â€Å"Oh fuck†¦.fuck, fuck. Emily, stop.† Ethan lifts me off of him and lays me on my stomach. He licks down my spine and softly bites my ass. His hands grab at my flesh, separating my cheeks. â€Å"Push your ass up a little, baby. Let me see that perfect little pussy.† Unnnfff†¦ As soon as I comply, his tongue is back on me, tasting me. He's a master at this now. His thumbs rub at my clit while his tongue lavishes attention to my pussy. It only takes a minute before I'm panting and trying to grind my pelvis into the bed. â€Å"Nuh uhh. Keep those hips up,† Ethan reminds me. As much as I enjoy this, I really want the main event. â€Å"Ethan,† I moan. I hope my needy groan tells him I can't wait anymore. â€Å"Don't beg. Never beg, sweetheart.† Ethan pushes me forward, and my chest is now pressed into the mattress. He holds his cock and strokes me a few times before drawing back and sliding inside me. The description of fullness seems so trite, but it's the most accurate description. When Ethan enters me, we are connected, one in mind, body, and soul. â€Å"I wish you could see this, Emily; how my cock glides in and out of you†¦seeing your wetness on my dick.† Ethan stops and runs his hand down through my lips, gathering moisture. â€Å"Turn over.† He grasps his cock and begins to stroke himself. Within seconds, his lips are back on my breast, tugging at my nipple with his teeth. After a few more moments, he leans back, hooks my thighs with his forearms, and pulls me forward. He wastes no time in aligning himself and sliding home again. With my legs pushed back, he can get so much deeper and I feel him in my belly. His thrusts become aggressive and I know that he's close. â€Å"Do you want me to take you this way, or do you want to ride me, so I can see your tits bounce?† Ethan quickly adjusts himself so that he's sitting up. He pulls me into his lap. â€Å"Or maybe like this, so I can see your perfect face and the glisten of sweat that forms on your nose as you come?† All of Ethan's dirty talk is driving me crazy, and quite frankly, I don't care how we get the job done because I'm ready to burst. He lies back, pulling me with him. His hands knead the flesh of my breasts as I moan and writhe on top of him. â€Å"I want to come inside you, baby,† he pleads. I'll never deny him. As soon as we are connected again, we grasp hands, me using him for leverage. The first few times we did it this way, I felt self-conscious, but now I love the feeling of control and power I have to bring him to his end, to coax his lust and love from his body as it spills into mine. I meet my climax first, but Ethan soon follows. We collapse together, me still on top of him. I hug him like a child hugs her favorite teddy bear, and feel safe, warm, and satisfied. We lay together for a while, just caressing and kissing. It is always like this – the tenderness afterward. We'd never†¦ deep breath†¦ fucked. I adored our lovemaking, but also wanted to know what it felt like to be taken in the dressing room of Victoria Secret or the bathroom stall at a nightclub. But we had time, time to experience all of those things. This was the end of one year in a long line of many. Margie says that's love and I just need to go with it. She explained there is a natural progression and I won't always ache for him. She explained that– eventually, he'll just be a small pain in my ass. â€Å"I love you, Ethan.† â€Å"I love you, Emily. Happy anniversary.†

Political Disputes In Early Nineteenth Century Essay

The North and South in the nineteenth century were different in lifestyle and morale as well as economy. The north had a booming industrial economy while in the South, cotton was king. Because of this, congress was continuously addressing controversial matters and providing answers that did not satisfy either one side or both. The early 1800s were full of the North and the South making many attempts at reconciliation that just fell short. Among those were the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the Great Compromise of 1850. Other tempestuous attempts led to the Tariff/Nullification Controversy, anti slavery debates in congress, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Whether it was one side or the other, there was always someone to oppose – and in some cases, defy – the laws put in place, which eventually led to the succession of the southern states and the Civil War. The issue of slavery became an even greater concern when the Louisiana Purchase territories were to enter the Union a s states. The question was, would new territories enter the Union as slave or free states? The South wanted a balance of power. They knew that if the North were to have more free states, then slavery in the south could be facing extinction through congress. In an attempt to conciliate with the South, the North agreed upon the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Through this, slavery was banned above the 36 degrees 30 minute line and Missouri entered as a slave state, Maine a free state. For a while, it retained the balance of power. However, tempers in the south rose again later in the 1820s over high tariffs. The tariffs benefitted the north but threatened southern cotton exports. In 1828, the tariff was around 50%. President Jackson modified it to around 33% in 1832 only to have South Carolina nullify it in the state. It raised the question of whether or not the federal government could legally impose protective tariffs and whether it was constitutional for a state to nullify a federal law. â€Å"South Carolina†¦by a course of legislation†¦can defeat the execution of certain laws of the United States†¦.it is utterly impracticable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [Document A] Henry Clay believed it impractical for South Carolina to oppose the federal law and also believed that South Carolina had no intention of leaving the Union, which depicts just how blind people were to just how great the rift really was. In 1833, the Compromise Tariff was put into place and would reduce rates to 20% by 1842. At this time, most people considered compromise to still be possible. As time goes on, slavery becomes as much of a moral  issue as a political one. The American Anti-Slavery Society believed that the practice of slavery was against God’s teaching and that those who kept slaves were man stealers. [Document B] Slaves should be set free and slaveholders shouldn’t be compensated a dime. â€Å"†¦we concede the Congress†¦has no right to interfere with any of th e slave states†¦But we maintain that Congress has a right†¦to suppress the domestic slave trade†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [Document B] As abolitionists started to make an even greater fuss over slavery, congress was backed into a corner. To release the slaves and prevent slavery in the new territories would incite the wrath of the South, however to allow more slave states to enter the Union would anger the abolitionists. Eventually, the gag rule was put into place. â€Å"All petitions, memorials, [etc.]†¦to the subject of slavery or the abolition of slavery, shall†¦be laid on the table and that no further action whatever shall be had thereon.† [Document C] However, each time a territory wanted to become a state, whether slavery would be permitted or not was a forefront issue – starting with the lands gained from the Mexican War. The Compromise of 1850 was put into place here. California was admitted as a free state and New Mexico and Utah entered under popular sovereignty (the citizens would decide whether they wanted slavery or not.) From this compromise also came a stronger Fugitive Slave L aw (all escaped slaves were to be turned in and returned.) Northerners blatantly ignored this federal law which angered the Southerners, for when they had tried not to comply to a federal law, they had been punished. [Document D] The Southerners felt wronged, and rightly so. Compromise seemed less and less possible. In 1854, there were questions on whether there should be slavery in the Kansas-Nebraska territories, even though it was prohibited by the Missouri Compromise. The South was unhappy about this however because the shaky balance of power would then decisively shift to the North. The South needed more slave states. Because of this, the Missouri Compromise was then repealed. Popular sovereignty was then ruled in the territories. At the sound of that, abolitionists and pro-slavery citizens began to rush Kansas in spades. Fighting broke out so horrifically it was given the name Bleeding Kansas. During this, a new political party arose: the Free-Soilers. They were against slavery and fought state constitutions such as the Lecompton Constitution. After this, slavery issues began to spin out of control. Things like the Dred Scott Decision and John  Brown’s Raid and other slave revolts kept slavery at the forefront of everyone’s minds. The Free-Soilers then turned into the Republicans who firmly believed in the end slavery. Compromise was now nearly impossible. The possibility of compromise was then nailed shut when a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, won the election of 1860. North Carolina then seceded from the Union and other southern states soon followed suit. It’s possible that if the South had only picked one candidate, they could have won the election. [Document H] But because they hadn’t, the South then felt threatened. And because they felt threatened, they seceded. The reasons and events stated led to the eventual conclusion of the impossibility of compromise by 1860.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Price Of Life Aids

1. This communication piece is presented in the form of a documentary. The documentary is titled â€Å"The price of life† and is part of a series called â€Å"The money programme†. The documentary was aired on BBC2; the reporter was Nils Blyth and was about the aids epidemic in Africa and how their government is not funding treatment for those who suffer from aids. 2. I think the fact that this documentary was aired on BBC2 an educational television channel along with the complexity of some of the wording and terminology in the documentary suggests this article would be aimed at a target audience of professionals, such as people working in the medical profession, people in government and people working in the pharmaceuticals industry. However I think this documentary would also be of interest to anyone who has a general interest in the subject of aids. 3. I think the initial purpose of this documentary is to provide information. The documentary provides information such as the percentage of people infected by aids, medical treatments and other health issues that affect people once infected by the aids virus. This is achieved by shown interviews with different professionals throughout the documentary such as university professor Alan Whiteside, Aids consortium director Morna Cornell and Doctor Sean Drysdale. Another purpose of the documentary I think was to shock people, I think you would have t watch a documentary like this one to get a good insight to the suffering that goes on in Africa due to aids, I for one was very shocked by their living conditions, medical care and their lack of what seemed to me as their understanding of the seriousness of unprotected sex and their risk of contracting the aids virus. 4. I think this documentary achieves the purposes outlined in answer three by the way the reporter Nils Blyth presents the documentary he speaks in a professional manner covering all the issues, he has good eye contact and good body language. Another speaker in the documentary is Busi Chamane where she talks about her own battle with the HIV virus and how it affects her and her daughter's everyday life, listening to Busi gives you a personal insight of an aids sufferer. 5. This documentary is about aids in Africa and the struggle the people have to receive any sort of medical treatment. The documentary shows a woman Busi Chamane an HIV sufferer and talks a bit about her experience coping with aids. Busi was infected with the HIV virus by her husband who worked away from home, Busi's husband left her and her children and sold their home; Busi was then sacked from her job due to being HIV positive and was also throwing out by her family. On top of this the biggest fear Busi was going through was that her daughter who was born after Busi was infected would also be infected with the HIV virus but after months of tests her daughter was giving the all clear. The documentary also touches upon the issue of government funding for medical treatment for those who suffer from the virus. British made drug AZT (Glaxxo Welcome) is a drug that can prevent the virus being passed from mother to child and is being offered to Africa at a cut price 75% but the African Government say they wont bulk buy as they have doubts in regards to the price, safety and effectiveness. The documentary also films the workers of the platinum mines where hundreds of men work they all live around the mines sharing hostels and are away from their wives and families all year only returning home once. The mines are surrounded by shanty towns and prostitutes who have contributed to 45% of the miners carrying the HIV virus and taken it home to their wives. 6. Busi Chamane showed a few different feelings and emotions throughout the documentary at the start of the documentary you see Busi looking happy and singing at church but throughout the documentary her feeling about being infected with the HIV virus become more apparent. Busi said when she first found out she was infected she was was angry, scared and in denial and also feared for her daughters health. Throughout the time Busi has been infected she has managed to come to terms with her virus and is determined to make the most of the rest of her life, however she still shows anger towards the government and the drugs companies who appear to have the attitude that profits are more important than life. 7. I think this documentary has been very effective in achieving the purposes outlined in question three, it achieves this by the good communication, body language, eye contact, good vocabulary. It films people in their homes, out in their community and in the hospitals where you see one patient dying surrounded by family and friends singing and praying around her bedside. It also achieves the purpose of giving information by talking to professionals i.e. medical, government, university professors and people working for the aids consortiums. It shows good footage of the miners drinking and mixing with prostitutes and also talks to a girl who worked as a prostitute who is now campaigning for safer sex in order to help stop the aids epidemic from rising further.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Unit 7 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit 7 Assignment - Essay Example Given that the society consists of people who can afford to purchase drugs at high prices and others do not have the capacity, it should not impose limits on pricing. It should allow the practice of price discrimination, so as to ensure those with financial difficulties access the drugs at a fair price. More to these, it should encourage public subsidies to enhance access to critical care, as well as conform to its moral obligation to its citizens. In addition to this, limiting prices would result in low volumes of production in the industry, thus making it inefficient (Reinhardt, 2001). The government should not impose limits on the amounts purchased as it cannot control the illness of its people. Most elderly citizens in the country have chronic ailments; hence limiting the amounts to be purchased would interfere with their medication process. More to these, the rest of the population faces a range of diseases, which require unlimited access to medication for their recovery. Therefore, such limits should be discouraged as they can reduce the life expectancy of the population, thus hinder their contribution to the growth of the economy as their productivity level decreases (Kleinke, 2001). These financial figures give the incomes and expenses of the three hospitals. The expenses of the hospital are quite high, making two of the hospitals operate at loses. This follows the 1.0 income expenses ratio, which shows that the hospitals incur huge expenses to operate. Most of the expenses relate to the programs of the hospitals, which mean that the health conditions of the people visiting the hospitals are critical. Watuaga medical center, for example, spends 92% on expenses related to the health, while Ashe uses 81% of its expenses to finance such costs. Ashe memorial hospital manages to earn an annual profit. Consequent to this, the hospital has the capacity to set aside a substantial amount of the profit, and invest it in promoting

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family Law - Essay Example n his judgment, Lord Nicholls was of the view that: â€Å"Often than not, tribunals and courts in interpreting the requirement threshold outline under section 31 0f the Act have constantly have to decide whether or not an alleged event actually took place. In his wise decision, Lord Nicholls further observed that as a general rule where there is a possibility that a past event might have taken place then that is proof enough to the requisite standard or threshold and the law regards such an incident as definitely having taken place† 2 The legal implication of such a decision by the court is that the determination should be made following the statutory, legal policy or otherwise. Consequently, determination of such an issue is susceptible to change since it is the judiciary and not the legislature that sets the policy and it is still in the hands of the court to reconsider the viability solution for the problem. In the case of Lancashire County Council and Another v. Barlow and Another and One Other Action Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead stated that the court is empowered under section 31(1) of the 1989 Children Act to make an order putting the child under the local authority supervision or placing him or her under the care of local authority, or even under the care of a probate officer. Nevertheless, certain minimum conditions must be met before the court making such an order this conditions are usually referred to as threshold conditions. These threshold conditions are outlined under section 31(2) the 1989 Children Act which reads: A care order or a supervision order may be made by a court if it satisfied ­_ a); that the child in question is suffering, or is likely to suffer, substantial harm; and b). that the harm, or possibility of harm, is actually attributable to the... Courts have held that they are empowered under section 31(1) of the 1989 Children Act to make an order putting the child under the local authority supervision or placing him or her under the care of local authority, or even under the care of a probate officer. Nevertheless, certain minimum conditions must be met before the court making such an order this conditions are usually referred to as threshold conditions. These conditions include: that the child in question is suffering, or is likely to suffer, substantial harm; and that the harm, or possibility of harm, is actually attributable to the care accorded to the child, or the care likely to be given to the child in the event the order was not made, and the care not being what it would be rational to suppose a parent to give the child; or where the child is beyond control of the parent . The court further noted that in the interpretation of section 31 of the Children Act of 1989, particular attention should be paid under section 1(3 ) of the Act which sets out the Childs' welfare checklist. The welfare checklist under the foregoing section includes consideration of any harm that the child is at risk of suffering or any harm that the child concerned has suffered and the capability of each of the child's parent to satisfy the needs of the child. Accordingly, the connection between the casual likelihood need not be that direct, sole, or dominant cause and effect and that a causal connection that is contributory meet the requirements.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Training and Development in Food & Beverage Dissertation

Training and Development in Food & Beverage - Dissertation Example In this current business environment, various factors have direct influence over the operations and entire performance of an organisation. The prior reason behind the establishment of any businesses is to sell maximum products and/or services to the customers with the prime intention of earning high revenue. In this regard, it becomes quite crucial and important for the organisations to effectively manage and utilise the various resources in an efficient manner for maintaining the economies of scale in their respective operations. In the current scenario of increasing level of globalisation and business market competition, the organisations tend to effective manage their internal practice and desire to provide exceptional products and/or services in the dynamic business environment. This particular scenario has certainly led the organisations to carry out their different activities in a well and integrated manner with forming as well as preserving well-built contractual relationship amid the workforce. The performance of any business is highly dependent on how efficiently the organisations are involved in producing goods and/or services to satisfy the customers. Thus, placing required number of workforce does not led towards ensuring the succession of the business (Saks, 2010). In relation to the above context, the workforce should remain efficient in terms of their skills and necessary responsibilities that have been assigned to them. In this regard, appropriate and regular training along with development are necessary.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Research Article Critique Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article Critique - Research Paper Example Then, the article seeks to identify the alternatives to traditional insurance adopted by physicians so as to maintain viability amidst this medical malpractice insurance crisis. Thirdly, the article seeks to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each of these alternatives. 6. It was found out that the unavailability and high cost of insurance premiums was the reason for medical malpractice insurance crisis. Thus, captive insurance and risk retention and risk purchasing groups were the alternatives adopted as a remedy. Though each had unique disadvantages, these alternatives increased purchasing power, offered flexibility in savings and improved on cost effectiveness of medical malpractice insurance. This study provides malpractice insurance solutions to healthcare providers. c. In the first topic, the research questions could be on how the current state of medical malpractice has impacted on claims settlement and how the current state of medical malpractice has influenced the approach by insurers to medical practitioners, particularly with regards to premium computation. On the second topic, probable research questions could be how medical malpractice insurance crisis affected availability of healthcare services and how the impact on public confidence in healthcare provision amidst the current medical malpractice insurance crisis. e. The first topic would provide information on how medical malpractice has resulted in increased insurance premiums for medical practitioners. Such costs would be passed down to the consumer hence the need for families to prepare to bear the increased cost of healthcare. The second topic would justify the reason for more healthcare providers opting out of the business as a result of increased cost of doing business, thus the need for families to be on the look on the performance of their healthcare providers to avoid disappointments when their need

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Personal Statement for Engineering Course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Statement for Engineering Course - Essay Example It is my belief that anybody who wants to have a future working in the field of electronics needs to be familiar with and a graduate of that particular course. Specially if one is preparing for a career in Electrical Engineering. I can still recall the very first time that I came to understand the importance of Electronics in our lives. I was a child whose inquisitive mind was indulged by my parents. So they did not think anything of it when they caught me disassembling our transistor radio, my dads calculator, or my moms hair dryer. They knew that my fascination for all things electrical drove me to open things up just to see what made it work and how. My interest in electronics turned out to not be a passing childhood fancy. As I matured I found myself getting more and more interested in the background of electronics and how these various, boards, and circuits managed to come together to create a working, fluid, and super charged electrical circuit. So it came as no wonder when I told my parents that I wanted to study college courses that would lead me towards a career in Electrical Engineering when the time came for me to attend college. Although my parents supported my dreams, they both agreed that I would best benefit from strengthening my electronic background and knowledge first. Hence the 2 year Electrical Installation degree. It really did help prepare me better for my goal of attending an electrical engineering course. I have always been a numerical person and my interest in Math came in quite handy in this case. It seems that Math and Electronics make for perfect bedfellows. Its merging in my personality creates the ulti mate Electrical Engineer in the best possible way. With my Electrical Installation degree tucked under my belt, I feel that I am now in a position to further pursue my dreams of becoming an electrical engineer. With my courses in Application

Demings point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Demings point - Essay Example Result orientation focuses on the output of the process. Result orientation focuses on the quality and quantity of the output. In the workplace, it includes having a setup list that is used to determine if the goals of the process have been achieved. For example, in factory, the management is supposed to make sure all the departments are taken care of. The departments, which include manufacturing, sales, processing, human resource and the finance department, should be well coordinated so that whole process smooth. A neglect of any one department can lead to the collapse of the whole system or the whole system being inefficient. A firm should have a good relationship with its customers, community and the employees themselves. A good relationship with the community is reached when the firm has a social responsibility programme that benefits the community. The programmes may include funding community projects,organizing trade fairs that educate them and giving the locals a priority during hiring of employees. A good working relationship enhances the firms image; hence boosting its

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Business Models and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Models and Planning - Essay Example With the best motives for the society, they can either run a business or none-profit organizations that would quench their social quest. On the other hand, social media movement refers to the use of social networks to serve the society with all kinds of information. The networks transmit messages about the culture, traditions, politics, beliefs, education and bodies of the society. The messages reflect the values and the force for change of the society. The social media used are Facebook, twitter, YouTube, web pages, blogs, Myspace, newspaper, movies, television, radio, journals, books, magazines and billboards among others. All these social media serve to fuel and propel the social discussions. Also, there are social movements that serve to fight on behave of individuals of the society for their right. The social movements take the form of non-governmental organizations and greatly depend on social media to achieve their part (Roy, William G. 2010. 101-103). The social media movements and social movements see business as the source of the social problems in the world. They do not think how the business could be a catalyst for solutions of the society problems. In regard to social entrepreneurs, they take a business to be a solution for the society problems. They search for a solution for a social- business related problem within the business sectors. They have an insight that the development of the way businesses operate in the society could fix the social-economic problems and open up the door for more opportunities. In fact, the social entrepreneurs have a powerful drive and urge to serve the society. They do not just make money but empower individuals at a personal level and restore balance as well as flow to people in the world through economic, social, environmental and emotional ways. In social entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurs put much time to appraise and evaluate

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Opinion on Philosophical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opinion on Philosophical Theories - Essay Example As the discussion stresses free will helps people to achieve desires by controlling their target environment at any given time. The people must be aware of the realties that exist in that environment in order for them to exercise free will and control. The responsibility that comes after exercise free will is used to measure the amount of control that has been achieved. It dictates the extent a person has exercised control. Responsibility and control define free will and determinism, but they are done with consciousness featured in existentialism as proposed by Jean Paul Sartre.From the study it is clear that  majority of people in the society do not interfere with private actions of certain people because of their positions in the government in fear confrontation by the rule of the law. The will of an individual should not be ignored in favor of general will, but it should not be a determinant factor for implementing particular actions. The will of a person to keep his or her priv ate affairs from the public domain does not subdue them to any rule of the law. Liberalism is meant to protect any person from tyrannical requirement based on provisions of the constitution as long as the affairs do not interfere with the interests of the public. A person is free to pursue their private affairs according to Classical Laissez Faire and limit the government or the power of the majority from any forced imposition.

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Types of Phones Essay Example for Free

The Types of Phones Essay The telephone is one of the best and most effective ways to communicate with people who are far away from you. It is a common household device used to transmit and receive sound by sending electronic signals through a network. The invention of the telephone basically revolutionized the mode of communication among people from different places in the world as it basically overshadowed the earlier ways of communicating such as snail mail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the vast improvement of technology over the past decade or so gave rise to new types of phones that are being used by people in most parts of the world. These include the car phone and the mobile phone, which can be further classified into analog phones and digital phones. The introduction of the car phone is possibly one of the first significant developments in phone history. Basically, it provided convenience to people who are not at home most of the time and are unable to answer calls from the telephone. However, the boom of mobile phones basically made the car phone obsolete as the latter proved to be more effective and accessible when communicating with other people. Like the telephone, a mobile phone basically can also make and receive calls. It can be classified into two types, namely the analog phone and the digital phone.   The analog phone was the original type of mobile phone. Its size is relatively larger compared to its digital counterpart and its sound, image, and data transmission is done through a continuous signal flow which varies in phase and amplitude, among others. The disadvantage of an analog phone is that is slower in transmitting signals than the digital phone. However, it is more efficient than its digital counterpart when it used in other countries.   On the other hand, digital mobile phones transmit sound, images, and other types of data through a service provider that receives these data and retransmits it to another mobile phone. In addition, digital phones can also send instant messages through a system called Short Messaging Service (SMS) which is now commonly known as text messaging. Moreover, due to the rise of technology, certain digital phones also enable users to access the internet, take pictures, send email, shoot videos, and listen to music, among others. Some digital phones also have the capability to send images and other information through a wireless feature called â€Å"Bluetooth† and â€Å"Infrared† provided that the recipient also has these features. Furthermore, unlike analog phones, the digital phone transmission data faster to other mobile phones as there are usually multiple network providers. Using digital phones, SMS messages can be sent in a matter of seconds. However, a digital phone is not suitable for use especially when traveling to other countries since the network or service provider may not be compatible with the phone or may not be available in the area. Today, while the standard telephone still remains as a standard and necessary device in any home, the continuous surge of technology has made mobile phones almost a necessity than a luxury for almost everyone in the world.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance