Wendy Geiger

Your friend, Wendy Geiger, owns a small retail store that sells candies and nuts. Geiger acquires her goods from a few select vendors. She generally makes purchase orders by phone and on credit. Sales are primarily for cash. Geiger keeps her own manual accounting system using a general Journal and a general ledger. At the end of each business day, she records one summary entry for cash sales. Geiger recently began offering items in creative gift packages.This has increased sales substantially, and she is now receiving orders from corporate and other clients who order large uantities and prefer to buy on credit. As a result of increased credit transactions in both purchases and sales, keeping the accounting records has become extremely time consuming. Geiger wants to continue to maintain her own manual system and calls you for advice. Required: In Microsoft Word write a memo to her advising how she might modify her current manual accounting system to accommodate the expanded business activities.Geiger is accustomed to checking her ledger by using a trial balance. Your memo should xplain the advantages of what you propose and of any other verification techniques you recommend. Dear Wendy. I see that your business has grown significantly from where you started off and I thought that I might offer you a few suggestions regarding your record keeping. you are gaining larger clients, that it is necessary for you to not only keep a record of cash customers as a whole, but cash and credit customers individually.This will keep you 100% protected from fraudulent charges and bank related issues as well as will eep you organized and on top of things fguratively. No matter how big or small your business is, numbers can make or break you. You need to keep track of each number as if it was your only one.Manual Accounting Modifications for Expanded Business This memo is to advise you of the best possible ways for you to modify your current manual accounting system to accommodat e the expanded business activities for your retail store.Pursuant to our conversation, you generally obtain your goods on credit using purchase orders, and your sales are primarily cash. You currently keep your manual accounting system using a general Journal and a general ledger, and you make one summary entry for cash sales at the end of each business day. Due to increased demand for your products and higher sales volume, including credit sales, maintaining the accounting records has become time consuming, but you would like to continue with your manual system.Allow me to provide pertinent information that ill assist you in continuing your manual system in the most efficient way. The accounting information system is one that collects and processes relevant data from transactions, and organizes them into relevant reports. This system is also used to report and record the exchange of goods and/or services. It is critical for you to understand how and what transactions are occurring in your business. A small business like yours can be effective with a manual process and with the use of special Journals and subsidiary ledgers.With the issues you mentioned in mind, most f your transactions can be categorized into the special Journals with the use of four individual Journals to complement the general Journal you are currently using. Special Journals are used to record and post transactions, and are uniquely designed for each business, but for most merchandising companies, the Journals used are sales Journals, for recording sales on credit; cash receipts Journals, to record sales made by cash; purchases Journals, for recording goods obtained on credit; and cash disbursements Journals, for†¦

Becoming Yourself from the Short Story the Secret Lion

English 102 14September2012 Becoming Yourself Alberto Alvaro Rios’ short story The Secret Lion, captures the spirit of a coming-of-age story between childhood and adolescence through the eyes of two boys, presumably from a lower-class Latino background. Through the use of various symbols, the theme of change is made apparent through the first-person, unnamed narrator. The use of this narrator is what shapes the story and the lessons learned within.Due to the author’s choice of careful character construction within the unnamed narrator, the reader faces a significant amount of emotions and reactions within a very brief, yet compelling short story. The usage of the first-person point of view immediately presents the narrator to be a round character, due to the intimate opportunities the style of writing provides for fiction writing. Although we do not know the narrator’s name, due to the narrative style the audience can relate to the stories and experiences the cha racter has.We know how the character feels internally quite often, which is iconic of the round fictional character. For example, we are provided internal insights that only a round character would allow the audience the opportunity to discover. For example, the character reveals how he felt â€Å"personally abandoned somehow† when describing junior high school (Rios 201). We also discover a lot about the character’s personality through the actions and habits mentioned in the story. The following passage exemplifies a traits only a round character could have: â€Å".. hat we would do down there was shout every dirty word we could think of, in every combination we could come up with, and we would yell about girls, and all the things we wanted to do with them. † (Rios 201) This reveals that the narrator and his friend Sergio are going through a hormonal, rebellious stage where new sensations and impulses drive what pretty much most junior high student malesâ€℠¢ experience. Since he is a round character, the reader has a stronger connection with him, and ultimately will reap the moral of the story the author wanted to provide. Feature Article –  The Plane of the Sleeping Beauty AnalysisDue to the usage of the round character, the narrator’s motivations are very apparent. The motivations explain why the character is doing what he is doing. If the narrator was a flat character, the context of growth the two boys experience within their travels would be lost, and the story would lose an immense amount of what makes it so compelling. For example, without revelations of the motivations the character speaks of, then the story would be more or less just two boys simply walking around outside the desert, arriving to a golf course, and leaving.The passage revealing what the children did to protect their treasured metal ball states â€Å"We came up with the answer. We dug a hole and buried. And we marked it secretly. Lots of secret signs†¦ We dug up the whole bank, and we never found it again. † (Rios 202) Without knowing that they were trying to hide this discovery and cherished item and then return to search for it, the audience would be left wondering exactly why these two children are digging up holes on an entire bank in the middle of an arroyo. Also, his motivations real why the character does what he does in terms of story progression.Without motivations, there would be no engaged plot with a rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, rendering this work just a series of meaningless anecdotes. Because we know the background of the character as a middle school student itching to discover life, we can understand why he and Sergio leave adventuring to the arroyo and head to the mountains in the first place (Rios 205). They wanted to find out what the adults, specifically his mother, were keeping from them first hand; all because she told them not to worry about lay on the other side of the pass.Their motivation and intrigue to discover what secret they had been missing out on led them to ultimately discover their version of heaven (the golf course) a nd ultimately the impermanence of life and change is inevitable. Due to the character’s said discovery that change is the only the thing that is permanent, makes him a dynamic character. He goes from being a curious, innocent naive boy at the beginning of the story who found magic in matters that were familiar to the realization that some things you love can e taken away from you, and that sadly, the grass is sometimes greener on the other side of the fence. This is revealed in the penultimate paragraph when the boys who had dug up the entire mound looking for their new treasure at the beginning of the story â€Å"didn’t look so hard for it† the second time (Rios 204). This newfound peace and acceptance that things get taken away is what makes the character dynamic; without the narrator would have not learned anything, been a static character, and the reader would have been left with an uncertainty no successful fiction author wishes to convey.Ultimately, the un named narrator in The Secret Lion drives the story with his well-said first person point-of-view. Due to the choices the author made when giving the character his traits of being a round, dynamic character, the story’s themes of change and acceptance are successfully conveyed. Works Cited Rios, Alberto Alvaro. â€Å"The Secret Lion. † Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirsner and Stephen R. Mandell. United States: Uhl, 2013. 201-205. Print.

Quality Special Education Program Essay

Recent reforms in education have emphasized the need for sensitivity and responsiveness to students’ social contexts. This is to increase not only the effectiveness of educational programs but also to create individual relevance to the student learning. Behavioral management is critical in special education programs because students’ behavior are often used by the public to determine the social roles and value of special-needs children. This can prove to be challenging for special education programs since social standards may vary in communities and therefore behavioral and social integration requirements will vary as well (Kopelowicz et al, 2006). Therefore, there is a need for special education teachers to have the means to evaluate individual student socialization requirements to ensure that they accomplish not only academic and behavioral educational goals but also to enhance their social integration and empowerment. Proposal The development of academic and behavioral programs that highlight socialization requires educators’ access to relevant research and the capacity to both research and their individual experience in developing interventions. In either case, Williams and Reisberg (2003) point out that teachers depend greatly on institutional support of such objectives and often have little direct participation in program development. This may be because of the need to develop general policies, procedures or methodologies but it also limits social context input thus diminishing the social relevance of interventions (Sailor et al, 2007). Therefore, there is a need for individual educational programs to develop their own evaluation methods to determine the socialization and social integration requirements of their students Recognizing the limitation on resources and manpower common to special education initiatives in public schools, the research’s target population will be limited to its existing students and extent of integration will only range from family to the school community interactions (Kopelowicz et al, 2006). It should be noted that the project should emphasize community and professional collaboration to create awareness and collect to multi-dimensional perspectives in improving socialization components to currently implemented academic and behavioral programs. Moreover, the evaluation or assessment programs must be easy to replicate so that it can be utilized in other educational settings and provide a baseline for socialization component evaluation. Rationale The assessment will then serve to develop high-impact low cost interventions, each intervention or program having a duration of twelve weeks. According to the studies conducted by Barry and Burlew (2004), Smith and Gilles (2003) and Koh and Robertson (2003), educators’ level of commitment to educational programs is often used as an indication of institutional commitment and concern to an issue. Thus, it is important for educators to take an active role in initiatives particularly where external stakeholders are involved. This is not only to utilize the social recognition of teachers’ role in education but also to utilize their professional practical experience. This becomes even more critical in special education programs since there is a limitation to public awareness and understanding of the socialization requirements of special needs students (Sailor et al, 2007). Even more critical is that without direct involvement in the evaluation or assessment program, educators will diminish their capacity to rational research and study results which in turn will impair the development of individual interventions and programs. Considering that the component of concern is socialization, the degree of sensitivity and relevance of the programs to specific social contexts will directly impact the level of social competency developed by students (Kopelowicz et al, 2006). More importantly, the assessment or evaluation program will be able to create a means to discuss perceived limitations in special education programs in addressing social stigmas and misconceptions regarding special education students, curriculum and requirements (Sloan et al, 2003). This will afford educators insights to the socialization impediments not only in education settings but society as a whole. In addressing such issues, programs will not only be able to sustain the relevance of programs after school but also initiate long-term social support systems for students. Conclusion In the case special education, this has become even more critical as the advocacy for social recognition and participation become critical to policies and treatments (Kam et al, 2004). Furthermore, research suggests that social skills development has been linked directly with perceived quality of special education and overall social acceptance of conditions being addressed by special education curriculum (Koh & Robertson, 2003). This has translated to the inclusion of social integration objectives in both academic and behavioral interventions. This has increased the demand for collaborations between schools, parents and community (Sailor et al, 2007). However, to be able to fully meet this need, education stakeholders must not only develop programs but also institute evaluation and feedback systems to ensure the fulfillment of not only program objectives but also create opportunity to develop competencies, collaborations and public knowledge about special education concerns and issues. References Barry, Leasha M. and Burlew, Suzanne B. ( 2004). Using Social Stories to Teach Choice and Play Skills to Children With Autism.Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Jan; 19: 45 – 51. Kam, Chi-Ming, Greenberg, Mark T. and Kusche, Carol A. ( 2004). Sustained Effects of the PATHS Curriculum on the Social and Psychological Adjustment of Children in Special Education. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Jan; 12: 66 – 78. Koh, Myung-Sook and Robertson, Janna Siegel ( 2003). School Reform Models and Special Education. Education and Urban Society, Aug; 35: 421 – 442. Kopelowicz, Alex, Liberman, Robert Paul and Zarate, Roberto ( 2006). Recent Advances in Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull, Oct; 32: S12 – S23. Sailor, Wayne, Stowe,Matthew J. , Turnbull, H. Rutherford and Kleinhammer-Tramill, P. Jeannie ( 2007). A Case for Adding a Social—Behavioral Standard to Standards-Based Education With Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support as Its Basis Remedial and Special Education, Dec; 28: 366 – 376. Sloan,Morris, Hughes, Marie Tejero, Elbaum, Batya and Sridhar, Dheepa ( 2003). Social Skills Interventions for Young Children with Disabilities: A Synthesis of Group Design Studies. Remedial and Special Education, Jan; 24: 2 – 15. Smith, Stephen W. and Gilles, Donna L. ( 2003). Using Key Instructional Elements to Systematically Promote Social Skill Generalization for Students with Challenging Behavior. Intervention in School and Clinic, Sep; 39: 30 – 37. Williams, Gregory J. and Reisberg, Leon ( 2003). Successful Inclusion: Teaching Social Skills Through Curriculum Integration. Intervention in School and Clinic,

Comparing the psyche of immigrants as depicted in the novels Call it Essay

Comparing the psyche of immigrants as depicted in the novels Call it Sleep By Henry Roth (1934) and Bread Givers by Anzia Yizierska (1925) - Essay Example But these historical migrations were triggered by single dimension grounds. As the modern era arrived into the scene it was found that the act of migration was the cause of a web structure that contained a multi strata formation and is far more complex than the previous historical migrations. This complexity developed in the minds of the immigrants themselves. This is particularly depicted in the novels "Call it Sleep" By Henry Roth written in 1934 and "Bread Givers" written by Anzia Yizierska in 1925. 'Bread Givers' written by Anzia Yezierska and 'Call It Sleep' written by Henry Roth each would give us unique perspectives on the lives of immigrants in the earliest years of the twentieth century. The comparisons between the two are quite interesting, as the contrasts would also be. The settings are similar; the families which are central figures in each book are far from that in the numbers of members and the areas they would come from. The texts enable the reader the ability to almost sense the differences and similarities between Sara Smolinsky and young David as they live their lives in the New York area. Comparing their life experiences and then contrasting their ideals of the life they would in America would indeed be intriguing. Call It Sleep exemplifies Henry Roth's fascination with modernist ... As a cultural portrait, Call It Sleep paints a vivid picture of immigrant life in early twentieth century New York, specifically that of the very large immigrant Jewish population. As a commentary upon the struggles of a minority group, Call It Sleep offers a poignant tale of a young boy and his often unsettling experiences both at home and in his community. On the contrary, Bread Givers, Anzia Yezierska's autobiographical novel, endures for the way it relates universal truths about the poverty and despair of new immigrants to America at the turn of the century. Within that universality, Yezierska's voice emerges as strong, female, and idiosyncratic as it reveals the particulars of her characters' inner lives. Like many of her female protagonists, Yezierska immigrated to New York's Lower East Side in her early teens. She was born in around Warsaw in the early 1880s - the exact year is not known. Her older brother Meyer had immigrated to America a few years earlier and had saved enough money to bring his parents and seven siblings to New York. Like many immigrants who passed through Ellis Island, Meyer was renamed, and Max Meyer set out to reinvent himself accordingly. Anzia, called Harriet Meyer when she joined him, later reclaimed her identity and took back her given name. "Bread Givers" can be regarded as a source of cultural and social history because, even though it is fictionalized, it gives rich details of life in the early 20th century and illustrates many social conditions. It should be noted that the book is not a primary history source, but rather a secondary source, full of facts that would be of immense value to get a notion of the insight and the psyche of an immigrant at that juncture of the period in American history. This book is the story of a young

Interpersonal Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example (Haar, Retaining Experienced, Qualified Teachers: the Principal’s Role). These effective teachers can help the students to adopt their skills and learn many things from them; things that are not taught by them verbally. Among these skills, teachers can teach the students to develop their interpersonal skills, so that the students can interact or deal with others in a better way. Teachers should educate the students to build their interpersonal skills so that these skills can help them to build their confidence and improve their relationship with each other. To embed positive interpersonal skills in the students, teachers can use number of role plays that can help the students to polish their skills to this extent that it becomes part of their life. My strengths as a communicator Anything that is done by a person affects another person emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually is called communication. Communicating with one another is the main skill on which the entire l iving thing relies, to fill their special and daily needs. Since communication is a two way process therefore I understand that if one is a good speaker as well as a good listener only then the person can prove himself as a good communicator. As a communicator few of my strengths include; my willingness to listen to other people. As a person I prefer to listen to others so that I can understand them better and make them comfortable. I am also careful about other’s emotions; my sensitivity has also helped me become a good communicator. Other than this, my friendly personality also helps me to become more approachable for others and they feel free to talk to me in any regard. These were my strengths that I possess as a listener. As a speaker few of my strengths include; effective speaking, I am very comfortable in talking to others. At one time I can listen to others, while at the same time I can also make them understand my stance very easily. Moreover, I am also a confident i ndividual who is able to communicate with others and can adjust with them in no time. Other than this, I am also a quick thinker who can comprehend the situation comfortably, thus can act accordingly. However, though I possess all these strengths but unfortunately, I am only able to perform these tasks effortlessly when I am communicating in my first language, Arabic. When it comes to express myself or communicate with others in any other language, or in English for that matter, the problem arises as I do not have enough command on it. What do I yet need to develop in myself? The area that I find I need to develop as a communicator is my body language. Since the body language helps one improve their communication skills, the way one holds oneself also has an impact on how others perceive them and treat them. This shows that the body language helps others make decision on how to treat people in public and in person. As a communicator a major problem that I faced was poor eye contact with others. I understand the importance of having an eye contact while talking to anyone in order to prove your words and let others have interest in your conversation. Even though, I can contentedly make eye contact with the other person when I am talking in my native language, however, in second language the same task seemed difficult to me. In addition to this, I had weak listening skills for a foreign

Corporate Tax Policy between USA and Ireland Article

Corporate Tax Policy between USA and Ireland - Article Example The policies also vary from country to country, as they are formed to suite the existing environment. Therefore, this manuscript will compare the tax policies of USA and Ireland using the opinions of various scholars. In the article by Sinn, the author suggests that corporate tax policy in Ireland is more effective in creating jobs and tax revenue than United States. He mentions Ireland as one of the European nations that have improved their corporate tax collection through alterations in the Irish tax Code. The author further explains the different techniques applied by most European countries in corporate tax collection to generate revenue and create more jobs. For instance, the use of proportional taxes called ‘flat taxes’ are utilized to attract foreign investors. In addition, the earnings retained in the corporate sector are not taxed while those on distributions are. The article continues to applaud the corporate tax policy system of Ireland as a source of tax reve nue with a potential of creating numerous job opportunities than the US. In other words, Sinn maintains that with increased foreign investment because of friendly taxation policies, revenue is increased which in turn generates jobs (Steinmo, 1989). The author also proposes two defensive mechanisms that can help in tax collection including the corporate tax especially in European countries. For instance, Sinn talks about tax harmonization such as that of indirect taxes to the import country and de-taxation of the income earned through corporate profits. This, he argues will boost the revenue collection in Ireland, which is transformed into job opportunities across the country. It is also significant to note the observation by the author concerning tax harmonization in the corporate world and other sectors of the economy in return for an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sven Steinmo, on the other hand, explains the advancement of taxation policy especially in developed countr ies such as the United States and those from Europe. The author continues to explain the development of the theory of historical institutionalism in relation to the taxation policy. This is in the form of the connection of taxation policy with ideas, policy outcomes and interests. Sven proceeds to analyze the history of current taxation techniques. In this analysis, he explains the reason of how the issue of ‘good’ tax policy arose because of capitalism. In other words, the Sven reveals that many nations discovered several areas of generating revenue through utilization of fresh ideas. As a result, the government jumped in the advancement of the economy because of the new revenue resources such as corporate organizations and other sectors. The writer explains that this was not possible during the old days hence such a move attracted many policy makers and other stakeholders. Sven further analyses the politics involved in the tax policy system of the United States especi ally during the 1980s. This article puts emphasis on the Tax Reform Act that swept America in 1986 (TRA ’86). The author describes how the influence of this historic Act under the presidency of Ronald Reagan influenced other states around the world in the implantation of their tax reforms. Such tax reforms led to improved corporate tax policy systems in Europe especially in Ireland. This helped generate revenue and create job opportunities for their citizens. The author further points that, the integration of corporate taxes, and progressive income had several influences on the proceeding taxation developments. This led to the transformation of many nations into modern states because of increased

Globalization and State Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Globalization and State Power - Essay Example The South keeps on widening, it cannot be gainsaid that the political and military repercussions of this schism can significantly change the complexion and direction of inter-capitalist competition that, in turn, urn alter global politics in a manner that could change the nation-state as we now know it to be. In political society, we have governments (parliament the s; the legislature, executive, and judiciary), dominant political parties ("leftist", "centrist" and "rightist"), the police, the military service, penology, welfare service, central banks and national treasuries. The Constitution, of course, since it codifies the ideological will of political society. Many social foundations and educational institutions fall in this sphere. Included, too, are international global associations (World Bank, International Monetary fund, World Trade Organization, ASEAN, NATO, Warsaw Pact), etc. Civil war and war between states fall in this chunk. The capitalist nation-state is an embodiment of political society. The nation-state still clings to the throne as the prime cultural institution in contemporary political society. It is, however, fast losing grip. The end of the Cold War and the powerful wave of Globalization vastly reconfigured the world order. We have seen the end of the old colonial world and the rise of Islamic militancy in the mid-90s. Post-Cold War globalization served to unleash many pent-up social contradictions previously held hostage by the Cold War, like racial and ethnic clashes both within the North and South alike. The most profound changes, however, are in the economic realm. Globalization—the accelerated expansion and heightened contradictions of international capitalism -Â  is bound to intensify even more within the decade. (Hirst & Thompson, 2000) Vicious international competition among highly industrialized capitalist nation-states animates the world order. Economic globalization was mainly corporate-led.

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors Essay

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors - Essay Example The Arab socialism was led by President Gammel Abel Nasser while the success regime was led by Anwar Sadat and later the president Hosni Mubarak. Nasser ruled from his time of election in 1956 to his death in 1970. President Hosni Mubarak was elected after the death of his mentor Anwar Sadat. Comparison of the two regimes Mubarak was likened to Abel Nasser is some ways and was different in other factors that that made them different. For instance, Nasser used to make speeches that were scraping more thorns as Hosni did when he assumed the seat. Again, during the tutelage of Arab Socialism under Nasser, the cost of basic commodities was relatively low compared to the transitory regime of Hosni Mubarak. The Nasser and Mubarak regime were characterized by periods when the two leaders were not accepting bribes in the military army. The two leaders never showed any form of favoritism to anyone. At the time of President Nasser the nation was more secure one could walk along the streets without any fear, but at the time of Hosni the country was more insecure (Nordenman, 2012). President Nasser was much loved by the people of Egypt because of his friendly governance to the citizens. Nasser regime enjoyed the greater peace that was prevailing among the Arab nations, and people were much satisfied by political atmosphere of the time. During the time of Mubarak, the country was much insecure because it was a time when Muslim extremists from the army had assassinated the predecessor of President Hosni Mubarak.

The necessity of Government Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The necessity of Government - Article Example This paper helps to provide an insight regarding renowned mine disasters that took place in the United states of America and how the presence of the government has been necessary in order to counter these disasters and keep the people together in a calm and dignified manner so that they are able to cope up with the effects of these mine disasters. The Centralia Mine disaster took place on the 25th of March in the year 1947, in the Centralia coal mine in Illinois. According to reports, the disaster killed around eleven people and was caused because the coal dust was ignited by a shot blown out of proportion, causing havoc and upheaval. During the time that the shot took place, around 65 workers within the mine itself were injured severely and died. (Drogin, Bob, and Nicole Santa Cruz) The Sago mine disaster on the other hand took place in the year 2000 in Sago, West Virginia and has been recorded as one of the worst mine disasters that the United States of America has been hit by or h as faced. According to this blast, around thirteen people had been trapped alive within the mine out of which twelve of them had been able to survive and make it out alive. The blast received a great amount of media coverage and press coverage by various news channels and newspapers. (Feds Blame Mine Operator for Fatal Collapse) In Utah, the Crandall Canyon Mine has been known for a long time for its supply of bituminous coal and in the year 2007, this mine suffered a collapse because of which six miners had been trapped within its confines. Even the rescue workers who were trying to uncover and find the trapped miners were found dead. The miners were never found and thus had been declared dead by the government within a matter of a month. (Roston, Aram) All these incidents taking place mean that there needs to be a certain existence of law and order with respect to taking proper care and caution of the resources that exist within the environment around society, and such action need s to be carried out by the government. Different mine disasters taking place during different points in history simply calls for the government not being responsible enough to take care of and call for action regarding doing something or taking certain precautionary measures for both the miners and rescue workers as well as the people living in nearby towns and villages. The main similarities between all the mine disasters that have been talked about above are the number of people that were killed as well as the fact that nothing was done in order to make the situation better for the people. The government is a very necessary element required within society especially during such times of need when the resources of the country are being utilized in a manner not befitting society. In this case, the mines are a part of the country and need to be handled with care on part of the government. The biggest question is why proper care was not taken in the later years after having experience d deadly mine disasters in the 90s already. It is important for a country to have a government that is able to carry out action in a manner befitting the people. The g

Illustrate the case for reading the poem as (in part) a study in becoming Roman Essay Example for Free

Illustrate the case for reading the poem as (in part) a study in becoming Roman Essay To both modern and ancient readers alike perhaps one theme of the Aeneid has generally been perceived most strongly, that of the poems glorification and aetiological justification of the values and society of the Imperial Rome in which its poet, Vergil, lived. In contrast to the Hesiodic concept of the decline of society from a bygone Golden Age, Vergil implicitly argues in the Aeneid for the constant evolution of society as having produced in Rome the very pinnacle of civilisation. However, this does not mean that his view is universally rose-tinted: Vergil, also, manages to portray the pathos of those who give their lives for this end (e.g. the self-sacrifices of Dido in book IV and Nisus and Euryalus in book IX [at whose plight Vergil says siquid mea carmina possunt, nulla dies umquam memori vos eximet aevo1]). Like Augustus, Vergil tends to relate the present to mos maiorum, so that innovation is given the guise of conservatism (as Rome was, after all, a generally conservative society). In this essay, I shall discuss the ways in which the poem expresses the development of such a Roman identity. From the outset the poem explains that Aeneas struggles (with which we are first met) are not in vain: his descendants are, famously, to obtain imperium sine fine, in the words of Jupiter (1.277). By book XII, that goal is within clear sight. The fact that the all-powerful father of the gods programmatically and teleologically tells of such future greatness so early in the poem gives the reader no option but to focus subsequently on how Aeneas achieves this fated goal. Vergil tends not to involve the gods as directly in the narrative of human affairs as does Homer, but uses them to great effect symbolically and to give such weighty pronouncements. Another programmatic feature of the first book involves its emphasis on kingship: to give just two examples, at line 265 we are told, by Jupiter, that Aeneas will reign over Latium and he is soon after described as king of the fugitive Trojans by Ilioneus (544). Dido is [termed] regina eleven times in book I.2 This may not be particularly surprising considering that kingship was the traditional form of government in epic poetry and the heroic world, but such emphasis could be said not only to foresee the supreme power of Augustus (though he did not, due to the negative connotations, style himself as rex or dictator) but also to legitimise it. Augustus may be seen as a benevolent dictator in the mould of Hellenistic kings. To become truly Roman it follows that Aeneas must, equally, become less Trojan, and we can see this process occurring in the poem. Due to the high esteem of Homers epics (and the relative paucity of other accounts), the Trojan world is, for both Vergil and ourselves, a predominantly Homeric one; accordingly, some critics have seen in the poem of a gradual rejection of Homeric values. For example, the Aeneas that we see in book II can be said to be rash, implusive, brave [and] seeking when all is lost the glorious death3: all perfectly Achillean attributes, which, one could argue, slowly recede as the poem progresses. In the second half of the poem (i.e. the Iliadic half), Turnus is a clear foil to Aeneas (n.b. his bellicose words to Pandarus at the end of book IX: You will soon be able to tell Priam that here too you found an Achilles!). The Roman way of life involves, arguably, a reliance on debate and compromise more than the manliness and aggression of Homeric heroes. However, this analysis cannot be treated too simplistically as there are points, even towards the poems dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nouement, where Aeneas is just as ruthless and cold as ever: for example, at many points during book X he rejects pleas for mercy and jeers at those who are on the point of death. Anchises prophetic statement in the underworld of book VI has, also, been seen by critics as important in showing both us and Aeneas how to become Roman, whilst also sanctioning the power of the Roman state: Your task, Roman, and do not forget it, will be to govern the peoples of the world in your empire. These will be your arts and to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and war down the proud. (6.851-3) It is important to note the context, for Aeneas is now starting to act very much like the good king, by acting in accordance with the gods when he leads his men to the Sibyl; whilst in the underworld, Aeneas sees a number of his descendants and successors, many of whom are rulers, and by doing so his right to rule is implicitly confirmed. The speech of Anchises, however, sets Rome within a firm tradition: it was well accepted by many Romans that Greek culture was superior in many respects. If we look at the lines above in which Anchises mentions the Greek arts of sculpture, oratory and astronomy, he can surely be said to define Rome against Greece by tacitly accepting their superiority in these realms, but he implies that the arts of Rome, the arts of peace and war, are what really matter. Though this may seem like an exceptionally aggressive mission, the extent to which clemency (a famous virtue of Augustus) and ultimate peace are emphasised must be noted. In the light of these ideals, Aeneas Achillean anger towards Turnus seems in this light disturbing.4 Perhaps the ideals are too idealistic to reflect reality truly. However, whether they were actually achieved or not, the ideals seem to have been held dearly in historical Rome, if we read what Claudian wrote (albeit with some degree of bias) four centuries after the time of Augustus: This is the only nation which has received conquered people in her embrace, and protected the human race under a common name like a mother not a tyrant, has called those whom she defeated her citizens, and has united the distant parts of the world in a bond of affection for her.5 One has to consider, however, that Roman bravado is often tempered in the poem. The many Trojan deaths throughout the poem are often glorified to emphasize the individual sacrifice for the communal goal. For example, Vergils apostrophe to Lausus: harsh deaths misfortune and your noble deeds I shall not indeed leave unsung, nor you, O unforgettable youth. 6 Such apostrophes seem to be based upon formulae deriving from Homeric invocations of the Muse, however, which might imply that the sentiment is not so personal as it seems.7 Dido, too, is seen as merely another obstacle which needs to be overcome for Rome to flourish (though she is repeatedly described, perhaps in Vergils own voice, as pitiable). Indeed, in one startling way she could be said to resemble a disgraced Homeric warrior: she falls on her own sword. Aeneas escape from her thus further represents his retreat from Homeric values. To look at one final such death, the final two lines of the poem focus on the death of Turnus: The limbs of Turnus were disolved in cold and his life left him with a groan, fleeing in anger down to the shades. (12.951-2) The coldness of Turnus body may recall in our minds the first storm scene in which we meet Aeneas at sea, and may reiterate the degree to which Aeneas has reversed his despair (turning it into the despair of his main adversary). These lines thus emphasize both the pathos of the death and the certainty of Aeneas victory. It recalls, and is based upon, Homer, i.e. the deaths of both Hector and Patroclus (Iliad 16.857 22.363).8 The sadness of his death is thereby emphasised, since he is equated with such heroes on either side of the Trojan war. His death was a natural end to the poem (though perhaps an unnatural end for him). It may now be useful to look closely at a part of the poem that is, undoubtedly, looking forward to Rome perhaps more explicitly than any other: the ecphrasis towards the end of book VIII (626-728) focusing on the shield of Aeneas wrought for him by Vulcan as a foresight of the coming Roman glory. However, the crucial intertext on which this scene was modelled is that of the ecphrasis on Achilles shield at Iliad 18.478ff, so Vergil is still using a Homeric model to emphasise Romes greatness; Greek epic has such gravitas as a genre that, if Rome is to be such a towering civilisation, Roman epic needs to look back to its Greek antecedent. Indeed, in Homer Achilles has a desperate need for new armour (with the loss of his own after the killing of Patroclus), whereas it seems that Vergil includes this scene merely to show before the full-scale fighting begins, what is to be achieved by it. 9 The final, and (both literally and symbolically) central, scene of the shield shows Augustus celebrations after the battle of Actium (31 BC) in which he gained imperium from M. Antonius. Indeed, the shield itself is reminiscent of the shield that was hung in the Curia to commemorate Augustus virtues in 27 BC; such virtues (i.e. virtus, clementia, iustitia and pietas) surely apply equally to the Roman imperator and Aeneas (especially pietas, since Aeneas pietas was proverbial and pius is a common epithet applied to him throughout the poem). The two men are poetically conflated, thereby giving heroic prestige to the emperor. Most pertinent, however, is that the scene shows numerous and various peoples of the earth (e.g. Nomads, Scythian Gelonians, Gaulish Morini etc.) offering Augustus gifts: the implication is clearly that virtually everyone throughout the world is universally thankful for the arrival of pax Romana. The message is not quite so clear-cut and confident, however, since the theme of war is also almost always present in this vignette. Quite obviously, the theme of war is apt both for the Shield as a martial instrument and for the circumstances of its delivery,10 however, it moreover emphasizes the extent to which Roman peace relies upon the willingness to fight, however counter-intuitive that might seem. Virgil is certainly patriotic, but he nevertheless neither shies from or tries to obscure the realities of the early-Imperial political situation. In conclusion, the Aeneid can clearly be seen as a study in becoming Roman. Aeneas divine mission is reiterated throughout the poem with increasing intensity, especially throughout religious symbolism and prophecy: Aeneas is well aware that he must become Roman. The poem appears to move towards Roman values as it progresses, values such as pietas and clementia, in the face of Homeric impulses and aggression. However, such an analysis needs to be tempered: most notably because of such incidents as Aeneas rage against and murder of Turnus when he sees him wearing Pallas sword belt. Moreover, the poem continuously looks forward to a Rome to come, especially the Augustan Rome of Vergils era. Some have seen the poem as a mere propaganda piece, but it is clear that Vergils implicit praise for the Augustan rà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½gime is sophisticated and not blind to the woes of war and those who are killed to make way for the Roman superpower: to use the phrase of the Aeneid, sunt lacrimae rerum. Through imitation (and innovation), Vergil also looks back to Homer. Perhaps the best summary of the message of the Aeneid is given by the ancient commentator Servius: Virgils intention is to imitate Homer and to praise Augustus by means of his ancestors.11 Vergil may, ultimately, have succeeded in his aim, when we consider that the poem was considered a seminal text in Roman civilisation and acquaintance with the poem was a primary method of teaching ancient children not only Latin but also the Roman way of life. Bibliography Cairns, F. (1989). Virgils Augustan Epic. Cambridge. Hardie, P.R. (1986). Virgils Aeneid: Cosmos and Imperium. Oxford. Lyne, R.O.A.M. (1987). Further Voices in Vergils Aeneid. Oxford. Williams, R.D. (1985). The Aeneid of Virgil: A Commentary. London. Williams, R.D. (1990). The Purpose of the Aeneid in Oxford Readings in Vergils Aeneid (ed. S.J. Harrison), Oxford. 1 Aeneid 9.446-7. 2 Cairns (1989), 2. 3 Williams (1990), 28. 4 Lyne (1987), 112. 5 Cairns (1989), 205. (De Consolatu Stilichonis, 3.150-3.) 6 Aeneid 10.791-3. 7 Lyne (1987), 235. 8 Lyne (1987), 135-6. 9 Williams (1985), 90. 10 Hardie (1986), 347. 11 Williams (1990), 21.

Continuing Professional Education in Nursing

Continuing Professional Education in Nursing Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature This section shows the significant studies about the literatures on factors influencing continuing participation education among nurses in selected tertiary hospitals. This section talks about the discussions of the research. It is made up of the following; what is continuing professional education, Motivations to CPE, Barriers to CPE and the Requirements for CPE. What is Continuing Professional Education or CPE? Continuing Professional Education is a type of education that is conducted for participants in different professional fields that will help them keep their knowledge and skills updated and other relatable information that will aid them to achieve wider understanding of their selected profession. The CPE consist of programs that are properly arranged and planned set of activities, the implementation of the program requires the participation of well determined group of professionals that are seeking improvements with their knowledge and skill to maintain their capacity to work for their profession. The American Nursing Association defines continuing nursing education as education activities planned to construct the educational and experience base for professional nurses and to strengthen practice, education, administration, research or theoretical development, with a view to improving users’ health (Peà ±a, Castillo, 2006). It is the responsibility and accountability of a professional to continue his/her professional development and is vital to organizational and professional success (O’Sullivan 2004). Continuing Professional Education is considered as the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for execution of professional, technical duties throughout the individual’s working life (A.Yfantis et al., 2010). The primary objective of continuing professional education is to facilitate continuous career growth, professional development and to improve nursing practices (National League for Nursing, 2001). Motivation to Continue Professional Education Motivation is what drives a professional to participate in an activity like continuing professional education that will help them improve their skills and knowledge regarding their profession to make them more competent and more reliable to execute things that should be done in their work area. In this area, the previous studies showed some motivational factors that affected the decisions of nurses to continue professional education. Improving quality of patient care involves the participation of nurses in continuing education (Rebecca, 2000). The previous Jordanian study showed the consistency of result that for nurses to improve their knowledge and skills they have to participate in continuing education (Al-Bakheit, 1991). Professional reasons are what motivate nurses to participate in continuing education (F. Hayajneh, 2009). Upgrading skills and knowledge to increase professionalism are the factors that motivate Malayan nurses to participate in continuing professional education (Muthu, 2006). Increasing professional knowledge, compliance with the policy of the hospital, improvement of skills in taking care of patients and to meet the recommended goal of status are the major factors identified that motivate Hong Kong nurses to participate in continuing professional education (Lai, 2006). The study found that participating in continuing professional development had a great beneficial effect in the planning of nursing care and formulating techniques and thinking what to do in practice (A. Yfantis, I, Tiniakou E, Yfanti, 2010). Those nurses who are less satisfied with their career goals for income and advancement may realize that their work environment is stressful and they may believe that an additional nursing degree will afford them wider chance, and this will make them more motivated to enroll for higher degree program (J. I. Warren, M. E. Mills, 2009). The results showed that those nurses who are satisfied with their career are less likely to engage in continuing professional education because they are already contented with their job (J. I. Warren, et al., 2009). The patients are expecting high quality health care services from health care providers which lead them to enhance their educational status in order to meet the expectations of the patients (A. Yfantis e t al., 2010). The main goals of participating in continuing professional education are to enhance and improve practice and to make sure that the care being delivered is the highest quality that a professional can give for its patient (Claflin, 2005). Nurses supported the importance of lifelong learning and recognized the value of continuing education that assists them in coping with changes in their work environment (Hayajneh, 2009). The primary motivator to continue extended education came from personal desire, which quoted as consistent with the literature (Delaney Piscopo, 2004; Reilley, 2003). Professional knowledge, professional advancement, relief from routine, compliance with authority, improvement in social welfare skills, and improvement in social relations and acquisition of credentials are the most common factors found in the previous studies that motivates professional nurses to participate in continuing education (Kristjanson Scanlon, 1989; Thomas, 1986; Waddell, 1993). Technology and nursing practice continually change, creating a need for nurses to pursue continuing education to remain competent (D. J. Schweitzer, T. J. Krassa, 2010). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are the reasons why nurses participate in continuing education (Kubsch, Henniges, Lorenzoni, Eckardt, Oleniczak, 2003). With the attendance to continuing education, job satisfaction increases (Kubsch et al., 2003), burnout decreases (Espeland, 2006; Kubsch et al., 2003), and skills are updated (Sousher et al., 2999; Wood, 2006). Motivational factors includes nurses’ desire to be current, obtain immediate practical benefit, secure advancement, meet formal requirements, and interact with colleagues (Dealy Bass, 1995). One way to keep on nursing advances is to attend continuing professional education opportunities (D. J. Schweitzer, T. J. Krassa, 2010). Barriers to Continuing Professional Education The barriers are the factors that hinder professionals to continue professional education hence, making them less competent or less reliable compared to those who are motivated to enhance their skills and knowledge to perform better in the work area. Here, we will see the different barriers identified by the previous studies that affect the decision and eligibility of nurses to join in activities that will improve their skills and knowledge as a professional. The common barriers include money, family, time and interest to pursue professional education. These factors are still present since the past years and are not easy to eliminate in the list of barriers. The barriers includes the cost of tuition, responsibilities in the family, lack of information about program and work responsibilities, opinion of peers, and the attitudes (Glass, T. Atkinson, 1999).Lack of availability of courses on personal interests, lack of time, and difficulty in requesting time off from work are some of the barrier in continuing professional education (Lee, Tiwari, Choi, Yuen and Wong, 2005). Non supportive supervisors, non-supportive spouses, unchangeable work schedules, not enough funds and time, and distance of travel (Beatty, 2001). Schedule of work and responsibilities, lack of budget, travel distance to CE, and lack of available programs that will provide their needs were major barriers for nurses to continue education (Aucoin, 1998). On the other hand, According to (Yfantis, A., Tiniakou, I., and Yfanti, E, 2010) another finding is that nurses doesn’t have past experiences and also can’t assess the effectiveness because of the new programs that are established. There were consistent deterrents over the last 20 years of study regarding continuing professional education and these include lack of quality or interesting topics, lack of benefit in attending continuing education, lack of support from the administration, and peer opinions and attitudes (D. J. Schweitzer, T. J. Krassa, 2010). There were five major factors listed that prevented nurses from participating in continuing professional education and these are work commitments, time constraints, schedule of continuing education programs, domestic responsibilities, and the cost of courses which is consistent in the previous studies about continuing professional education (M. C. Chong, K. Francis, K. L. Abdullah, 2011). In the past 20 years, there were identified deterrents that are consistently present in the list of barriers and these are lack of quality or interesting topic for the participants, lack of benefit in attending Continuing Education, lack of support from the administration and the peer opinions and their attitudes. All these deterrents have a great effect on the motivation of a professional to pursue continuing education (D. J. Schweitzer, T. J. Krassa, 2010). Minimal research has been conducted to investigate the perception of rural health care providers regarding the availability and accessibility of relevant continuing education (A. Jukkala, S. Henly, L. Lindeke, 2008). There are multiple barriers experienced by the rural health care professionals when they try to access continuing professional education, geographic isolation (Curran, Fleet, Kirby, 2006; Hegge, Powers, Hendrickx, Vinson, 2002), lack of financial resources (Alexander, Chadwick, Slay, Petersen, Pass, 2002), and in ability to take time away from work (Hendrickx). There are identified natural barriers to participation in distant continuing education and these are rough geographic terrain and inclement weather which makes travel in rural areas complicated (A. Jukkala, S. Henly, L. Lindeke, 2008). Top reasons selected for not pursuing higher education included: too old, won’t earn more money, not needed by hospitals, and not needed to give good care (Altmann, 2011). Work commitments, domestic responsibilities, time constraints, scheduling of CPE activities, and cost of course are the top five most important factors that prevented nurses from participating in CPE based on the previous studies (M. C. Chong, K. Francis, K. L. Abdullah, 2011). Time constraint and family commitment were factors affecting the flexibility of the nurses’ availability for CPE such as arrangement for household chores and child care, travelling, and access to computers during nonworking time are other barriers (M. C. Chong, K. Francis, K. L. Abdullah, 2011). Younger and less experienced nurses participated in continuing professional education to a lesser level because of the financial implications associated with accessing continuing professional education (M. C. Chong, K. Francis, K. L. Ab dullah, 2011). Participation in continuing education was made as an obligation to the nurses in other countries because they knew that professionals are lacking in motivation to voluntarily update their skills and knowledge when there is no external pressure (Peà ±a et al., 2006). Requirements for Continuing Professional education There are things that a professional must have to make them eligible to participate in an activity that can help them grow as a more trustworthy person in their chosen career. In this area, the different studies showed some of the requirements needed to make a professional be engaged in an activity that will make them more proficient. In continuing professional education it is important to develop a positive attitude to benefit more and to have a significant improvement in professional self-development and growth of an individual (F. Hayajneh, 2009). Professional reasons like improving knowledge and nursing skills to provide better care for patients are stated as the reason why nurses are participating in continuing education. Study showed also that nurses are aware that they need to enhance their knowledge and skills in nursing to provide a more quality care for their patients (F. Hayajneh, 2009). Recent studies showed that senior nurses are more capable of participating in continuing education because of their higher income compared to those nurses in lower position (M. C. Chong, K. Francis, K. L. Abdullah, 2011). But this finding was contradicted by Bariball and While (1996) stating that younger and less experienced nurses favored continuing professional education. Enabling continuous professional development in health care needs a revitalizing work environment, mentoring and support for the registered nurses. Clinical managers in the United Kingdom stated that Continuing Professional Development is a very important factor in enhancing job satisfaction. Having an attainable and high level continuing educational programs are connected to job satisfaction (Andrews et al., 2005; Levett-Jones, 2005). The capacity of group to encourage and maintain health care professionals is greatly needed to convince nurses to continue professional education (Booth Lawrence, 2001; Brewer, Zayas, Kahn, Sienkiewicz, 2006). Specialization requires that nurses keep up-to-date with new information in nursing science (Hayajneh, 2009). Positive attitudes will increase the number of nurses who participate. Program developers can focus on needed continuing education content within their institutions to develop and maintain professionally and scientifically guided care for patients (Hayajneh, 2009). In order for nursing profession to achieve professionalism, nurses must develop greater skills, undertake higher educa tion, and engage in lifelong learning (Happell, 2004). Nursing prudence demands that nurses continue to advance their knowledge in nursing and its foundational disciplines (Orem, 2001). Full commitment of health care agencies and schools of nursing with dedicated mentors at all sites can identify and motivate nurses to enrol for an advanced degree. Admission, registration, advisement, and instructional support designed to ease transition to the student role are effective. Tuition support and instructional flexibility are major incentives (J. I. Warren, M. E. Mills, 2009). The nursing degree curriculum in Malaysia generally encompasses nursing sciences, behavioral science, health sciences, and information technology and communication skills. Research is an important component of degree program, student are required to attend three credit hours of research and biostatic courses, and to conduct a project with contribute six credit hours of the courses (Chong et al., 2011). The Nursing Board of Malaysia in 1998 was influenced by the globalization wave regarding development in nursing to include the requirement of CPE in the Nurses’ Code of Conduct. All nurses should have at least ten hours in CPE activities per year (Chong et al., 2011). The Malaysian Nurses’ Board required the participation of nurses in a minimum of hours of education and training each year (Chong et al., 2011). References: Andrews,M.E., Stewart,N.J., Pitblado,J.R., Morgan,D.G., Forbes,D., DArcy,C. (2005).Registered nurses working alone in rural and remote Canada.Canadian Journal of Nursing Research,37(1), 14-33. Beatty,R.M. (2001). Continuing professional education, organizational support, and professional competence: Dilemmas of rural nurses.The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,32(5), 203-209. Booth,B., Lawrence,R. (2001). Quality assurance and continuing education needs of rural and remoter general practitioners: How are they changing?Australian Journal of Rural Health,9(6), 265-274. Deacon,M., Warne,T., McAndrew,S. (2006). Closeness, chaos and crisis: The attraction of working in acute mental health care.Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing,13, 750-757. Gould,D., Daniel,K., Len,G., Maidwell,A. (2001). The changing training needs of clinical nurse managers: exploring issues for continuing professional development.J AdvNurs, 34(1), 7-17. Griscti,O., Jacono,J. (2006). Effectiveness of Continuing education programs in nursing: Literature review.Journal of Advanced Nursing,55(4), 449-456. Hayajneh, PhD, RN,F. (2009).Attitudes of Professional Jordanian Nurses toward Continuing Education.The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,40(1), 44. Huseman,R.C. (2009). The importance of positive culture in hospitals.Journals of Nursing Administration,39, 60-63. Lee,A.C. K., Tiwari,A.F. Y., Choi,E.W. H., Yuen,K.H., Wong,A. (2005). Hong Kong nurses’ perceptions of and participation in continuing education.The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,36(5), 205-212. Schweitzer,D.J., Krassa,T.J. (2010). Deterrents to Nurses Participation in Continuing Professional Development.The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,41(10), 441-447. Rebecca,M.B. (2000).Rural nurses attitudes toward participation in continuing professional education.Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Pennsylvania State University, State College. Yfantis,A., Tiniakou,I., Yfanti,E. (2010).Nurses attitudes regarding Continuing Professional Development in a district hospital in Greece.Health Science Journal,4(3), 198.

Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems

Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Investigation on the improvement of Global Supply Chains by using Information Systems. ABSTRACT The process of globalisation continues to increase the competitive pressures on all firms. Those who wish to lead the market have to continue to raise the bar in terms of operating in the most efficient possible manner. One key area for companies today is how they manage particular or own SC activities via the increasing utilisation of Information Systems (IS). The scope of think over on to research a role of Information System within global supply chain management (SCM) and understand advantages and profits it fetches. Results showed that in order make SCM to be effective, suppliers and customers must work in close collaboration together to truly integrate their business processes. From the results of the analysis undertaken, it has been concluded that using IS throughout the Supply Chain increases efficiency by reducing inventories, which in turn reduces costs to the entire Supply Chain, but also adds significant value from the end customers perspective. Furthermore, the use of IS throughout a Supply Chain enables better speed of response to unpredictable demand APPENDIX A: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS 57 List of Abbreviations SC = Supply Chain S-A = Sigma-Aldrich SCM = Supply Chain Management MNC = Multinational Company SME = Small to Medium Enterprise IS = Information System E-commerce = Electronic Commerce B2B = Business to Business B2C = Business to Customer EDI = Electronic Data Interchange ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning MRP = Material Requirement Planning MRPII = Manufacturing Resource Planning POS = Point of Sale MPS = Master Production Schedule CRP = Capacity Requirement Planning RFID = Radio Frequency Identification APS = Advanced Planning Scheduling APO = Advanced Planner and Optimiser SCC = Supply Chain Cockpit ATP = Available-to-promise CPFR = Collaborative planning, forecasting Replenishment Chapter 1: Introduction Over the past ten years, retailers and suppliers invested huge capital in reducing the occurrences, where customers cannot find right products in stores. This has created a serious problem in retail and other industries (Collins, 005). Gerry Jastremski (Gillette Co) reported that this serious problem is causing a $69 billion loss for top retail companies. Recent studies revealed more than 70 percent companies face the same problem that their customers cannot find the products they want to buy in stores due to out of-stock mostly because of inappropriate supply and forecasting of products (Gruen, Corsten et al 2002). When more focused on markets during special offers and sales campaigns, the probability of finding desired product is always one in five times ratio when customers visit the store. As a result, customers change their mind and delay their purchase or look for alternative brands products. Thus retailers will not achieve their targeted ROI (return of investment) and custome r loyalty goes down. Though organizations and big companies wish to solve the above problem but disruptions are unavoidable. The most efficient way to manage and maintain the stock in stores is through Supply Chain Management (SCM). Supply chain with globalisation created fresh/modern era in the market environment in recent days. Businesses in todays market are increasingly considering global atmosphere. Organizations need to be completely aware of external factors like economic trends, competitive and technological innovations at home and abroad markets, which affect their ability to grow and sustain. Globalisation means, a product can be developed in China, manufactured in UK and sold in USA. This process of globalisation shows the need and urgency for organizations to change the way in which their logistical and operational activities are managed, explainingthe the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Simple Supply chains were designed in the past using paper, pen and calculators. As business process and supply chain networks grew more complex in nature (Christopher, 2005) it became more difficult and impossible to manage SC activities without appropriate technological support. Its quite impossible to receive an effectuate and efficient SCM without IS/IT tools (Gunasekaran, Ngai. 2005). 1.1 Background/Supply Chain System In 21st century for achieving the global organizational competitiveness, Supply Chain Management System has evolved. Organizations are trying to find ways of increasing their competitiveness, responsiveness and flexibility by changing their operational strategies, technologies and methods which include the implementation of SCM (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2003). SCM is an approach for companies to integrate their activities in the changing market requirements which improve companys agility level and dynamic nature. Through the view of Simchi Levi (2000) â€Å"SCM is bunch of addresses to effectuate gather suppliers, store warehouses, manufacturers so that trade is created and dilivered at the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time in order to minimize system wide cost while satisfying service level requirements (cited in Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2005). Supply chains created a viable way for satisfying customers needs around the world. What is a Supply Chain? SC is a strategy introduced in organizations to enhance the ways of distributing the products from the firms to end consumers. It is all about purchasing raw materials, developing them into products and distributing those finished goods to customers with the help of intermediate sources. Janyashanker, Stephen (1996) defined supply chain as ‘a network of autonomous or semi autonomous business entities collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing and distribution activities associated with one or more fami lies of products. Due to greater demand of products and high global competition of firms resulted in implementing Supply Chain. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing , warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Example of a Supply Chain: A very well SC flow of goods is shown above. In some cases, the product is shipped from the Manufacturer to the distribution centre as soon as it is manufactured. In other cases, such as spoke model and Hub the product is held at the manufacturer once produced and on only on the requirement it is sent to the distribution centre. In reality, every step in Supply Chain activity has complex calculations during the globalisation process; however this increases business efficiency and brings benefits to the organization on greater scales. So the Supply Chain activities must be well planned, organized meticulously as efficiency plays major role and advantageous in competitive markets (Bartlett et al. 2007). Activities in Supply Chain entail purchasing raw materials, converting into bulk or finished products and sending those products to various warehouses / distribution centres. They are then directly or indirectly delivered to 1st tier customers who add further more value to the end customers. The activities like planning and delivery should be managed and coordinated well in terms of both time and place. IS or software tools which have been developed all these years to manage these activities have evolved and became increasingly specialized. Hence organizations need to understand and carefully select the IS too ls that are best suited to their needs. SC ACTIVITIES Integrated Behaviour Mutually Sharing Information Mutually Sharing Risk And Rewards Cooperation The Same Goal and The Same Focus on Serving Customers Integration of Processes Partners to Build and Maintain Long-Term Relationship 1.2 Identified Problem SCM allows the organizations to manage numerous relations in SC for ongoing business process, for which IS plays a major role. Sanders (2005) says that ‘IS/IT which permits for the transmission and processing of information useful for synchronous decision making between organisations can be viewed as backbone of SC business structure. As a result organizations started using IS especially SCM systems in order to have closer contacts with suppliers and vendors and to reduce problems in SC activities. Though technology is growing and investigating new methods to solve SC problems, Maguire (2000) states: The IS community faces a paradox: despite impressive advances in technology, problems are more abundant than solutions; organizations experience rising cost instead of cost reduction. IS misuse and rejection are more frequent than acceptance and use. Major factor that leads IS to a failure is alignment between IS and the organization that is applied in. However there is a paucity of research in IS when efficiency is considered. Even though there is a SCM system for reducing problems in SC, but still it is not efficient. And due to lack of collaboration between different departments in the organizations, information is not shared exactly for targeted tasks. Though sophisticated technologies have been introduced to reduce problems, due to employees misuse and resistance, efficiency is being reduced. In this project we will discuss how technology (SAP) is being used in an organization and what problems have been identified. More over in this report enhancement has been investigated on SC. The reason for choosing SCM with SAP is due to the complexity of system that operates as a chain between suppliers and vendors. And also nature of the case is too complex as the organization has businesses with numerous suppliers and vendors internationally. One more reason for selecting this case and topic is the researches founded an opportunity to investigate how the SC activities are managed in the organization and proble ms existing in the usage of the SAP. The reason SAP is selected: It is a powerful tool for integration purposes and also researchers personal interest in acquiring more knowledge about SAP technology. 1.3 Aims and Objectives This examination sets out to carry the investigation and the factual goal of the dissertation is- To understand the ways in which the information technology or Information systems (IT/IS) are able to find the management of global Supply Chains (SC). In order to achieve these aims the following objectives have been set: To broaden knowledge by researching in two main areas i.e., Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Information Systems or Technologies that are specifically designed to be used in SC. To do research and understand how Supply Chains have been created with globalisation. To conduct a thorough research on the literature of SCM Identifying advantages and challenges faced while implementing the IS/IT tools in SCM by doing the comprehensive review on the literature gathered on SCM. Identifying the factors that are driving and affecting the technologies / information systems used in SCM. A real case study will be carried out using a research methodology. Information will be collected through semi-structured interviews from employees of the case study organisation: Sigma Aldrich. An evaluation of the outcome, based on literature and data collected during interviews is used to find the gaps between literatures (theoretical) and practise (practically) in real world. Recommendations (if any) about SC in company. 1.4 Research Approach The Interpretive Method is applied to understand the complex nature of IT in Supply Chain system. This will identify the sociological features like behaviour of employees, benefits of technologies employed and issues arising in business with the use of IS/IT in SCM. The interpretive method involve gathering literature on SCM, IS/IT tools used, and semi structured interviews. The research aim will be fulfilled by studying the current literature, analysing what are the factors which indicate SCM and identifying existing gaps with reference to the literature studied. Further, the research continues on existing technologies used in supporting the SCM system in the present business market. Benefits associated with implementation of IT in SCM, adoption factors and any kind of implementation issues will be determined. For gathering the literature review core textbooks, journals, online papers, conference proceedings and information from internet have been used. After the literature study, we find out the gaps which exist in the literature read and provided. After identifying the gaps, an empirical study will be applied to give an alternative to the gaps which already been discovered in literature gathered. A qualitative research methodology has been applied. Both primary and secondary research methods are adopted. Primary method of research deals with conducting semi structured interviews and collecting data, where as secondary method of research is in the form of literature review. 1.5 Dissertation Outline This dissertation include of seven chapters, spanning the development of research from aims and objectives to the conclusions. Dissertation has been structured in the following way: Chapter one deals with the introduction of the topic with adequate theoretical background on Supply Chain and provides overall aims and objectives of the topic. Furthermore it provides types of research methodologies employed in this dissertation to achieve the aims and objectives. Chapter two provides literature review with the topics covering Globalisation, Supply Chain system, IS/IT tools used in SCM and it goes on with functionalities and issues arising in SCM system and also the use of IT in SCM. Chapter three deals with the research methodologies adopted and their advantages and limitations In chapter four, case study about a Life Science and Bio-chemical manufacturing company and its heavy utilisation of IT in SCM have been discussed. Technical characteristics of Supply Chain in that company have also been discussed. In chapter five, case study interview findings are analysed. Future recommendations are discussed in chapter six. In chapter seven conclusions of the whole research are provided. 1.6 Summary This chapter gives an introduction of the research area, highlights aims, objectives and outlines of examination. Next chapter is going to present crucial points through literature. Chapter 2: Literature Review/Background study 2.1 Introduction In this chapter adequate background is developed to demonstrate that this study will adjust the current knowledge in SC. Part one provides information about globalisation and how it has been achieved in recent years, Which is followed by implications in global SC. Part two emphasis on definitions, concepts of SC and IS in SC, which is followed by defining various technologies in SC. part three explains integration and IS applications in SC. Part four identifies issues and challenges in SC todays market and next part talks about identifying a technology which address those challenges. Part six summarizes the chapter. 2.2 Overview/Globalisation Over the last two centuries globalisation process underwent remarkable changes and established closer contacts between human societies over the globe. In modern days, rapid and significant Changes in terms of technologies, communications, and transportation led to new impetus for global processes and more interdependent world than before. Business started moving rapidly than ever to new perspectives in many perceptions like coordinating closely, cooperating more in networks, competing with other networks (Schary, Skjott-Larsen, 2001). According to Mehmet (1996, P31) chartered companies in the past and multinational companies in the present are the driving factors behind the remarkable process of globalisation, Further saying, the main goal and motivation of these companies is for global profits and honestly, the inner logic of globalisation is ‘capitalisation on a world scale. Globalisation created new markets, wealth, and the march led to have major impact on manufacturing com panies. National and international economies merged under trade, technology and capitalization. Multinational companies started manufacturing goods and sell to customers in different countries, this process initiated the movement of products, raw materials, money and technology swiftly circulate all around the world freely. Schary, Skjott-Larsen (2003, p. 450) states that ‘Globalisation involves markets, production and global infrastructure. Companies started racing toward global competitive efficiency which caused organizations to produce and sell their products all over the world. This process made supply chain, its management and activities became more complex in nature. Hill (2007, P.5) states that ‘globalisation refers to the shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalisation has several facets, including and globalisation of markets and globalisation of production. 2.1.1 Implications of Globalisation The motivations were completely different from those of todays, which drove firms into foreign markets. For example tire industries extended their growth to abroad for rubber plantations whilst oil companies grew to Middle East countries to open new oil fields. According to Bartlett et al. (2008, P. 8) ‘though they moved initially often opportunistic many organisations eventually realized that extra sales enabled them to exploit sales economies of scope scale, thereby providing a source of competitive advantage over their domestic rivals. It can be easily seen that over a period of time, those firms realized that benefits could be gained not only by suppliers sourcing but also by selling in those new markets. Companies like Reebok manufacture their goods in lesser developed nations like Vietnam where manufacturing cost are comparatively low. By using modern transportation facilities like airways and containerization, these products can be easily moved to destinations quickly, reliable and efficiently at low cost. 2.2 Supply Chains In todays globalise market; SC has become a centre of focus to all business organizations especially larger firms with multiple branches globally. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become basic competitive requirement in order to satisfy and compete for the attentions of modern customers who is more empowered and have greater demand on total value package (Harrison, 2001). Significant supply chain decisions and supply chain performance is the key for success of any firm. Any supply chain combination of all parties which have involvement either indirectly or directly, in satisfying a consumers request. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Supply chain flow encompasses whole bunch of activities including organization and flow of materials, other resources to produce finished product to final customer Mannheim (1994), Treacy Wiersma (1993) cited in (Schary Skjott 2001). A sequel of process that add value to firm is product development, customer relationship and SCM (Schary Skjott , 2001). No process is considered as individually important, all three work together to make supply chains successful and profitable. It is a difficult task to manage SC and failures in SC can be devastating to firms, example Nike and Cisco found in 2001 loosing $100 million and $2.2 billion respectively due to improper management and problems in their SC. But on the other end organizations like Wall-Mart demonstrated huge success on daily basis on its SCM which provided a great deal of successful competitive advantage (Taylor, 2004). A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. SC can be also considered as network of suppliers, manufacturing, assembling and distributing facilities responsible for materials procuring, and converting into final products and distributed to end customers (Barbuceaunu, Teigen 1998, Fox, Barbuceaunu et al 2001, Agnetisa, Hallb et al 2005, Stadtler, 2005). SC consists of numerous networked organizations aiming to produce goods and services to customers. A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. In this sense the definition of S C can apply to finance Internet technology and many other industries. A SC strategy restricts how SC supposed to behave in order to compete in their business relatively. And this strategy describes the cost relating to the operation and the benefits. SC strategy mainly targets the actual operation of the company and SC which will be used to meet a specific goal. Another term SCM (supply chain management), which is focusing on oversight of materials, information and finances as they are distributed from supplier to consumer. The SC also contains all the required stops between the supplier and the consumer. Above figure clearly indicates SC always needs the collaboration between various organizations. Functions ranging from ordering materials to delivery of finished products to customers need to operate in integrated manner (Angerhofer Angelides, 2005). Supply Chain Management (SCM) was introduced for ‘Gathering organizational units along a SC coordinating information, material and financial flows in order to provide customer demands with the aim of improving competitiveness of the SC as a whole (Verwijmeren, 2004). SCM plays a major role for a good planning, organizing and coordinating of SC activities. SCM (supply chain management) can be divided into three important flows: The product flow contains moving materials or goods from supplier to consumer, as well as fulfilling the customer requests. The information flow contains delivery status and order information. The Financial flow contains credit terms, payment schedules and additional arrangements. 2.3 Information systems in SC Due to increasing customer demand value and global competition supply chain concept has become a bigger concern thus to run a smooth operation the important information must be accessible in real time across the supply chain and this cannot be achieved without an integrated software system for SCM( supply chain management) . To improve customers satisfaction SCM members have to share information and collaborate with each other. In real time to trade with suppliers and customers over the internet, web technologies have played a major role to become effective. For this, company have to integrate their applications and IS with their customers and suppliers. The implementation of this will result in as an increase in companys profits and competitiveness. IS in SC making business to grow rapidly and is bringing both opportunities and challenges at the same time and pace. SC design and management has been intensified with IS tools which span organizations to integrate, manage and automate SC functions. Various IS tools like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), World Wide Web (WWW), E-commerce, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Systems Application products in Data (SAP). These tools help to overcome the complexities of systems which initiates vendor-customer-supplier relationships. Aim of SC activities with the use of IS is: reducing paper work, controlling cost, lowering inventories and shorten product cycles Chou et al., (2004). Below table shows different stages how IS has been used from recent years. Stages Year Milestone Firms IS Developments Introduction 1960-1970s MRP Firms are closely linked with MRP Only Internal integration was practised for customer services. Growing 1970-1980s EDI In-time delivery was practised for efficient communication between Suppliers. Pre-Mature 1990-2000s E-Commerce Organizations and vendors in SC B2B B2C started using internet for effectiveway to communicate. Mature 2000- present C-commerce Business organizations started ERP Collaborating for improving the Efficiency of SC System. Table 2.1 Stages of IS Evolution in SC. Chou et al., (2004) The above mentioned IS have advantages and disadvantages as well. EDI and E-commerce can be used for external operations in SCM. 2.3.1 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) EDI is defined as being ‘specifically the electronic exchange of structured business documents between different computer applications across enterprise boundaries (The Edi zone, 2008). Ruppel defined EDI as electronic data communication of invoices, purchase orders and other applications which use standard EDI format between supplier and customer. For purchasing orders and sending requisitions EDI has been used by trading partners for information exchange. EDI has been adopted for many reasons- faster and easier communication of data in trading, improved accuracy in information, reduced clerical errors, and reduced inventory cost, labour, and automation of tasks. These all together improves firm relationship with customers and suppliers (Ruppel, 2004 Leonard, et al., 2006). Disadvantages associated with EDI is its adoption and implementation cost (Williams et al., 2002, Chou et al., 2004) and it does not operate in real time. EDIs standard format of structure makes it more d ifficult to follow (Chou et al., 2004). The swap of business data from one company or organisations system application to the computer application of a trading partner. Why EDI? For accuracy, push up the no of accuracy by eliminating r-keying of data. The standard quality of data is found by agreeing product cost. By reducing supply chain cost co related with manual processing EDI helps to build up the partnership between supplier or customer. Those suppliers who are enabled with EDI are very simpler and having very low cost to deal with. Because of EDI electronic documents can be transferred from system to another computer system means one trading company to another trading company. EDI conveys a row of messages between two organisation or companies or parties in which one can be a recipient or originator. The sequel of the data shows the documents might be passed from originator to recipient via telecomm or delivered physically on electronic storage media. To carry out smoothly supply chain operation EDI plays a very important role. EDI is able to explain a very strict standardized format of electronic document. Companies that send and receive papers between both of them are known as â€Å"trading partners† in EEDI methodology. 2.3.2 Internet, World Wide Web When compared to EDI which requires technological expenditure, internet and World Wide Web have been widely accepted as the scope of connectivity between individuals and businesses is broadened (Chou et al., 2004 William et al., 2002). ‘This is the vision of the digital future: If there is an increased demand for woollen pullovers in Benton shops, a farmer in New Zealand receives an order via the web to shear his sheep (Rohrict, Teufel et al 2002). Internet became a ubiquitous and cheaper means to communicate between firms and partners and which initiated global SCs. Cost involved in exchanging information has been greatly reduced with the usage of internet in e-SCM. It has been observed that web based networks provides professional services which are quick, accurate and synchronized in global SC (Folinas et al., 2004). A new trend evolved in supporting SC applications is use of ‘third party softwares. Firms recognized the value of developing partnerships with vendors and consultants. That softwares must be compatible, capable of integrating with SC allowing partners to include any other modules which helps to include programming interfaces to current systems for future use (Green, 2001). Now-a-days SC business processes are scattered over multiple members, so SC system should be actively flexible to handle and respond effectively to the dynamic changes in the global market (Chandrashekar, 1999). 2.3.3 Evolution of ERP From business perspective ERP has broaden from co- ordination of manufacturing processes to the integration of enterprise wide backend processes. Recent studies show that organizations all around the world are investing billions of money on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), when consulting expenditure is calculated then the figure may be doubled (Themistocleous, Irani et al., 2001). Before integrating business process of a firm with customers and suppliers, initially their internal processes have to be operated more efficiently. For this purpose, software/technology ‘ERP is used commonly. According to Hamilton (2003, p. 12) â€Å"An ERP system provides transaction processing and a common database to model operations within a manufacturing firm, and supports several levels of decision making†. MRP (Material Requirement Planning) is earliest form of ERP, which was used in ordering materials and components (Wallace kremzar, 2001). Master production schedule (MPS) is considered as heart of MRP. MPS calculates production requirements according to meet distr Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Improving Global Supply Chains by Information Systems Investigation on the improvement of Global Supply Chains by using Information Systems. ABSTRACT The process of globalisation continues to increase the competitive pressures on all firms. Those who wish to lead the market have to continue to raise the bar in terms of operating in the most efficient possible manner. One key area for companies today is how they manage particular or own SC activities via the increasing utilisation of Information Systems (IS). The scope of think over on to research a role of Information System within global supply chain management (SCM) and understand advantages and profits it fetches. Results showed that in order make SCM to be effective, suppliers and customers must work in close collaboration together to truly integrate their business processes. From the results of the analysis undertaken, it has been concluded that using IS throughout the Supply Chain increases efficiency by reducing inventories, which in turn reduces costs to the entire Supply Chain, but also adds significant value from the end customers perspective. Furthermore, the use of IS throughout a Supply Chain enables better speed of response to unpredictable demand APPENDIX A: PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS 57 List of Abbreviations SC = Supply Chain S-A = Sigma-Aldrich SCM = Supply Chain Management MNC = Multinational Company SME = Small to Medium Enterprise IS = Information System E-commerce = Electronic Commerce B2B = Business to Business B2C = Business to Customer EDI = Electronic Data Interchange ERP = Enterprise Resource Planning MRP = Material Requirement Planning MRPII = Manufacturing Resource Planning POS = Point of Sale MPS = Master Production Schedule CRP = Capacity Requirement Planning RFID = Radio Frequency Identification APS = Advanced Planning Scheduling APO = Advanced Planner and Optimiser SCC = Supply Chain Cockpit ATP = Available-to-promise CPFR = Collaborative planning, forecasting Replenishment Chapter 1: Introduction Over the past ten years, retailers and suppliers invested huge capital in reducing the occurrences, where customers cannot find right products in stores. This has created a serious problem in retail and other industries (Collins, 005). Gerry Jastremski (Gillette Co) reported that this serious problem is causing a $69 billion loss for top retail companies. Recent studies revealed more than 70 percent companies face the same problem that their customers cannot find the products they want to buy in stores due to out of-stock mostly because of inappropriate supply and forecasting of products (Gruen, Corsten et al 2002). When more focused on markets during special offers and sales campaigns, the probability of finding desired product is always one in five times ratio when customers visit the store. As a result, customers change their mind and delay their purchase or look for alternative brands products. Thus retailers will not achieve their targeted ROI (return of investment) and custome r loyalty goes down. Though organizations and big companies wish to solve the above problem but disruptions are unavoidable. The most efficient way to manage and maintain the stock in stores is through Supply Chain Management (SCM). Supply chain with globalisation created fresh/modern era in the market environment in recent days. Businesses in todays market are increasingly considering global atmosphere. Organizations need to be completely aware of external factors like economic trends, competitive and technological innovations at home and abroad markets, which affect their ability to grow and sustain. Globalisation means, a product can be developed in China, manufactured in UK and sold in USA. This process of globalisation shows the need and urgency for organizations to change the way in which their logistical and operational activities are managed, explainingthe the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Simple Supply chains were designed in the past using paper, pen and calculators. As business process and supply chain networks grew more complex in nature (Christopher, 2005) it became more difficult and impossible to manage SC activities without appropriate technological support. Its quite impossible to receive an effectuate and efficient SCM without IS/IT tools (Gunasekaran, Ngai. 2005). 1.1 Background/Supply Chain System In 21st century for achieving the global organizational competitiveness, Supply Chain Management System has evolved. Organizations are trying to find ways of increasing their competitiveness, responsiveness and flexibility by changing their operational strategies, technologies and methods which include the implementation of SCM (Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2003). SCM is an approach for companies to integrate their activities in the changing market requirements which improve companys agility level and dynamic nature. Through the view of Simchi Levi (2000) â€Å"SCM is bunch of addresses to effectuate gather suppliers, store warehouses, manufacturers so that trade is created and dilivered at the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time in order to minimize system wide cost while satisfying service level requirements (cited in Gunasekaran, Ngai, 2005). Supply chains created a viable way for satisfying customers needs around the world. What is a Supply Chain? SC is a strategy introduced in organizations to enhance the ways of distributing the products from the firms to end consumers. It is all about purchasing raw materials, developing them into products and distributing those finished goods to customers with the help of intermediate sources. Janyashanker, Stephen (1996) defined supply chain as ‘a network of autonomous or semi autonomous business entities collectively responsible for procurement, manufacturing and distribution activities associated with one or more fami lies of products. Due to greater demand of products and high global competition of firms resulted in implementing Supply Chain. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing , warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Example of a Supply Chain: A very well SC flow of goods is shown above. In some cases, the product is shipped from the Manufacturer to the distribution centre as soon as it is manufactured. In other cases, such as spoke model and Hub the product is held at the manufacturer once produced and on only on the requirement it is sent to the distribution centre. In reality, every step in Supply Chain activity has complex calculations during the globalisation process; however this increases business efficiency and brings benefits to the organization on greater scales. So the Supply Chain activities must be well planned, organized meticulously as efficiency plays major role and advantageous in competitive markets (Bartlett et al. 2007). Activities in Supply Chain entail purchasing raw materials, converting into bulk or finished products and sending those products to various warehouses / distribution centres. They are then directly or indirectly delivered to 1st tier customers who add further more value to the end customers. The activities like planning and delivery should be managed and coordinated well in terms of both time and place. IS or software tools which have been developed all these years to manage these activities have evolved and became increasingly specialized. Hence organizations need to understand and carefully select the IS too ls that are best suited to their needs. SC ACTIVITIES Integrated Behaviour Mutually Sharing Information Mutually Sharing Risk And Rewards Cooperation The Same Goal and The Same Focus on Serving Customers Integration of Processes Partners to Build and Maintain Long-Term Relationship 1.2 Identified Problem SCM allows the organizations to manage numerous relations in SC for ongoing business process, for which IS plays a major role. Sanders (2005) says that ‘IS/IT which permits for the transmission and processing of information useful for synchronous decision making between organisations can be viewed as backbone of SC business structure. As a result organizations started using IS especially SCM systems in order to have closer contacts with suppliers and vendors and to reduce problems in SC activities. Though technology is growing and investigating new methods to solve SC problems, Maguire (2000) states: The IS community faces a paradox: despite impressive advances in technology, problems are more abundant than solutions; organizations experience rising cost instead of cost reduction. IS misuse and rejection are more frequent than acceptance and use. Major factor that leads IS to a failure is alignment between IS and the organization that is applied in. However there is a paucity of research in IS when efficiency is considered. Even though there is a SCM system for reducing problems in SC, but still it is not efficient. And due to lack of collaboration between different departments in the organizations, information is not shared exactly for targeted tasks. Though sophisticated technologies have been introduced to reduce problems, due to employees misuse and resistance, efficiency is being reduced. In this project we will discuss how technology (SAP) is being used in an organization and what problems have been identified. More over in this report enhancement has been investigated on SC. The reason for choosing SCM with SAP is due to the complexity of system that operates as a chain between suppliers and vendors. And also nature of the case is too complex as the organization has businesses with numerous suppliers and vendors internationally. One more reason for selecting this case and topic is the researches founded an opportunity to investigate how the SC activities are managed in the organization and proble ms existing in the usage of the SAP. The reason SAP is selected: It is a powerful tool for integration purposes and also researchers personal interest in acquiring more knowledge about SAP technology. 1.3 Aims and Objectives This examination sets out to carry the investigation and the factual goal of the dissertation is- To understand the ways in which the information technology or Information systems (IT/IS) are able to find the management of global Supply Chains (SC). In order to achieve these aims the following objectives have been set: To broaden knowledge by researching in two main areas i.e., Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Information Systems or Technologies that are specifically designed to be used in SC. To do research and understand how Supply Chains have been created with globalisation. To conduct a thorough research on the literature of SCM Identifying advantages and challenges faced while implementing the IS/IT tools in SCM by doing the comprehensive review on the literature gathered on SCM. Identifying the factors that are driving and affecting the technologies / information systems used in SCM. A real case study will be carried out using a research methodology. Information will be collected through semi-structured interviews from employees of the case study organisation: Sigma Aldrich. An evaluation of the outcome, based on literature and data collected during interviews is used to find the gaps between literatures (theoretical) and practise (practically) in real world. Recommendations (if any) about SC in company. 1.4 Research Approach The Interpretive Method is applied to understand the complex nature of IT in Supply Chain system. This will identify the sociological features like behaviour of employees, benefits of technologies employed and issues arising in business with the use of IS/IT in SCM. The interpretive method involve gathering literature on SCM, IS/IT tools used, and semi structured interviews. The research aim will be fulfilled by studying the current literature, analysing what are the factors which indicate SCM and identifying existing gaps with reference to the literature studied. Further, the research continues on existing technologies used in supporting the SCM system in the present business market. Benefits associated with implementation of IT in SCM, adoption factors and any kind of implementation issues will be determined. For gathering the literature review core textbooks, journals, online papers, conference proceedings and information from internet have been used. After the literature study, we find out the gaps which exist in the literature read and provided. After identifying the gaps, an empirical study will be applied to give an alternative to the gaps which already been discovered in literature gathered. A qualitative research methodology has been applied. Both primary and secondary research methods are adopted. Primary method of research deals with conducting semi structured interviews and collecting data, where as secondary method of research is in the form of literature review. 1.5 Dissertation Outline This dissertation include of seven chapters, spanning the development of research from aims and objectives to the conclusions. Dissertation has been structured in the following way: Chapter one deals with the introduction of the topic with adequate theoretical background on Supply Chain and provides overall aims and objectives of the topic. Furthermore it provides types of research methodologies employed in this dissertation to achieve the aims and objectives. Chapter two provides literature review with the topics covering Globalisation, Supply Chain system, IS/IT tools used in SCM and it goes on with functionalities and issues arising in SCM system and also the use of IT in SCM. Chapter three deals with the research methodologies adopted and their advantages and limitations In chapter four, case study about a Life Science and Bio-chemical manufacturing company and its heavy utilisation of IT in SCM have been discussed. Technical characteristics of Supply Chain in that company have also been discussed. In chapter five, case study interview findings are analysed. Future recommendations are discussed in chapter six. In chapter seven conclusions of the whole research are provided. 1.6 Summary This chapter gives an introduction of the research area, highlights aims, objectives and outlines of examination. Next chapter is going to present crucial points through literature. Chapter 2: Literature Review/Background study 2.1 Introduction In this chapter adequate background is developed to demonstrate that this study will adjust the current knowledge in SC. Part one provides information about globalisation and how it has been achieved in recent years, Which is followed by implications in global SC. Part two emphasis on definitions, concepts of SC and IS in SC, which is followed by defining various technologies in SC. part three explains integration and IS applications in SC. Part four identifies issues and challenges in SC todays market and next part talks about identifying a technology which address those challenges. Part six summarizes the chapter. 2.2 Overview/Globalisation Over the last two centuries globalisation process underwent remarkable changes and established closer contacts between human societies over the globe. In modern days, rapid and significant Changes in terms of technologies, communications, and transportation led to new impetus for global processes and more interdependent world than before. Business started moving rapidly than ever to new perspectives in many perceptions like coordinating closely, cooperating more in networks, competing with other networks (Schary, Skjott-Larsen, 2001). According to Mehmet (1996, P31) chartered companies in the past and multinational companies in the present are the driving factors behind the remarkable process of globalisation, Further saying, the main goal and motivation of these companies is for global profits and honestly, the inner logic of globalisation is ‘capitalisation on a world scale. Globalisation created new markets, wealth, and the march led to have major impact on manufacturing com panies. National and international economies merged under trade, technology and capitalization. Multinational companies started manufacturing goods and sell to customers in different countries, this process initiated the movement of products, raw materials, money and technology swiftly circulate all around the world freely. Schary, Skjott-Larsen (2003, p. 450) states that ‘Globalisation involves markets, production and global infrastructure. Companies started racing toward global competitive efficiency which caused organizations to produce and sell their products all over the world. This process made supply chain, its management and activities became more complex in nature. Hill (2007, P.5) states that ‘globalisation refers to the shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalisation has several facets, including and globalisation of markets and globalisation of production. 2.1.1 Implications of Globalisation The motivations were completely different from those of todays, which drove firms into foreign markets. For example tire industries extended their growth to abroad for rubber plantations whilst oil companies grew to Middle East countries to open new oil fields. According to Bartlett et al. (2008, P. 8) ‘though they moved initially often opportunistic many organisations eventually realized that extra sales enabled them to exploit sales economies of scope scale, thereby providing a source of competitive advantage over their domestic rivals. It can be easily seen that over a period of time, those firms realized that benefits could be gained not only by suppliers sourcing but also by selling in those new markets. Companies like Reebok manufacture their goods in lesser developed nations like Vietnam where manufacturing cost are comparatively low. By using modern transportation facilities like airways and containerization, these products can be easily moved to destinations quickly, reliable and efficiently at low cost. 2.2 Supply Chains In todays globalise market; SC has become a centre of focus to all business organizations especially larger firms with multiple branches globally. Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become basic competitive requirement in order to satisfy and compete for the attentions of modern customers who is more empowered and have greater demand on total value package (Harrison, 2001). Significant supply chain decisions and supply chain performance is the key for success of any firm. Any supply chain combination of all parties which have involvement either indirectly or directly, in satisfying a consumers request. In another words supply chain is the movement of substances or products as they drive through their origin point to the end customer. SC includes manufacturing, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, transportation, supply planning, demand planning and supply chain management. It is the involvement of the people, information, activities involved in moving products from its supplier to customer. Affective management of the supply chain can be a real challenge though definition sounds very simple. Supply chain flow encompasses whole bunch of activities including organization and flow of materials, other resources to produce finished product to final customer Mannheim (1994), Treacy Wiersma (1993) cited in (Schary Skjott 2001). A sequel of process that add value to firm is product development, customer relationship and SCM (Schary Skjott , 2001). No process is considered as individually important, all three work together to make supply chains successful and profitable. It is a difficult task to manage SC and failures in SC can be devastating to firms, example Nike and Cisco found in 2001 loosing $100 million and $2.2 billion respectively due to improper management and problems in their SC. But on the other end organizations like Wall-Mart demonstrated huge success on daily basis on its SCM which provided a great deal of successful competitive advantage (Taylor, 2004). A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. SC can be also considered as network of suppliers, manufacturing, assembling and distributing facilities responsible for materials procuring, and converting into final products and distributed to end customers (Barbuceaunu, Teigen 1998, Fox, Barbuceaunu et al 2001, Agnetisa, Hallb et al 2005, Stadtler, 2005). SC consists of numerous networked organizations aiming to produce goods and services to customers. A Supply chain is a network of distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities and mostly active member in this process is suppliers that take part in production, selling of the product to the customer and delivery. A supply chain is specially those who co-ordinate activities to set themselves apart from the competition by the multiple companies. It has three main key parts: Supply: targets on the raw materials supplied to manufacturing, including when how and from what location. Manufacturing: mainly active in converting raw materials into finished goods. Distribution: targeting on ensuring these products reach the customers through an organized network of distributors, warehouses and retailers. While implemented to customer products and manufacturing a supply chain can determine to show how different processes supply to one another. In this sense the definition of S C can apply to finance Internet technology and many other industries. A SC strategy restricts how SC supposed to behave in order to compete in their business relatively. And this strategy describes the cost relating to the operation and the benefits. SC strategy mainly targets the actual operation of the company and SC which will be used to meet a specific goal. Another term SCM (supply chain management), which is focusing on oversight of materials, information and finances as they are distributed from supplier to consumer. The SC also contains all the required stops between the supplier and the consumer. Above figure clearly indicates SC always needs the collaboration between various organizations. Functions ranging from ordering materials to delivery of finished products to customers need to operate in integrated manner (Angerhofer Angelides, 2005). Supply Chain Management (SCM) was introduced for ‘Gathering organizational units along a SC coordinating information, material and financial flows in order to provide customer demands with the aim of improving competitiveness of the SC as a whole (Verwijmeren, 2004). SCM plays a major role for a good planning, organizing and coordinating of SC activities. SCM (supply chain management) can be divided into three important flows: The product flow contains moving materials or goods from supplier to consumer, as well as fulfilling the customer requests. The information flow contains delivery status and order information. The Financial flow contains credit terms, payment schedules and additional arrangements. 2.3 Information systems in SC Due to increasing customer demand value and global competition supply chain concept has become a bigger concern thus to run a smooth operation the important information must be accessible in real time across the supply chain and this cannot be achieved without an integrated software system for SCM( supply chain management) . To improve customers satisfaction SCM members have to share information and collaborate with each other. In real time to trade with suppliers and customers over the internet, web technologies have played a major role to become effective. For this, company have to integrate their applications and IS with their customers and suppliers. The implementation of this will result in as an increase in companys profits and competitiveness. IS in SC making business to grow rapidly and is bringing both opportunities and challenges at the same time and pace. SC design and management has been intensified with IS tools which span organizations to integrate, manage and automate SC functions. Various IS tools like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), World Wide Web (WWW), E-commerce, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Systems Application products in Data (SAP). These tools help to overcome the complexities of systems which initiates vendor-customer-supplier relationships. Aim of SC activities with the use of IS is: reducing paper work, controlling cost, lowering inventories and shorten product cycles Chou et al., (2004). Below table shows different stages how IS has been used from recent years. Stages Year Milestone Firms IS Developments Introduction 1960-1970s MRP Firms are closely linked with MRP Only Internal integration was practised for customer services. Growing 1970-1980s EDI In-time delivery was practised for efficient communication between Suppliers. Pre-Mature 1990-2000s E-Commerce Organizations and vendors in SC B2B B2C started using internet for effectiveway to communicate. Mature 2000- present C-commerce Business organizations started ERP Collaborating for improving the Efficiency of SC System. Table 2.1 Stages of IS Evolution in SC. Chou et al., (2004) The above mentioned IS have advantages and disadvantages as well. EDI and E-commerce can be used for external operations in SCM. 2.3.1 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) EDI is defined as being ‘specifically the electronic exchange of structured business documents between different computer applications across enterprise boundaries (The Edi zone, 2008). Ruppel defined EDI as electronic data communication of invoices, purchase orders and other applications which use standard EDI format between supplier and customer. For purchasing orders and sending requisitions EDI has been used by trading partners for information exchange. EDI has been adopted for many reasons- faster and easier communication of data in trading, improved accuracy in information, reduced clerical errors, and reduced inventory cost, labour, and automation of tasks. These all together improves firm relationship with customers and suppliers (Ruppel, 2004 Leonard, et al., 2006). Disadvantages associated with EDI is its adoption and implementation cost (Williams et al., 2002, Chou et al., 2004) and it does not operate in real time. EDIs standard format of structure makes it more d ifficult to follow (Chou et al., 2004). The swap of business data from one company or organisations system application to the computer application of a trading partner. Why EDI? For accuracy, push up the no of accuracy by eliminating r-keying of data. The standard quality of data is found by agreeing product cost. By reducing supply chain cost co related with manual processing EDI helps to build up the partnership between supplier or customer. Those suppliers who are enabled with EDI are very simpler and having very low cost to deal with. Because of EDI electronic documents can be transferred from system to another computer system means one trading company to another trading company. EDI conveys a row of messages between two organisation or companies or parties in which one can be a recipient or originator. The sequel of the data shows the documents might be passed from originator to recipient via telecomm or delivered physically on electronic storage media. To carry out smoothly supply chain operation EDI plays a very important role. EDI is able to explain a very strict standardized format of electronic document. Companies that send and receive papers between both of them are known as â€Å"trading partners† in EEDI methodology. 2.3.2 Internet, World Wide Web When compared to EDI which requires technological expenditure, internet and World Wide Web have been widely accepted as the scope of connectivity between individuals and businesses is broadened (Chou et al., 2004 William et al., 2002). ‘This is the vision of the digital future: If there is an increased demand for woollen pullovers in Benton shops, a farmer in New Zealand receives an order via the web to shear his sheep (Rohrict, Teufel et al 2002). Internet became a ubiquitous and cheaper means to communicate between firms and partners and which initiated global SCs. Cost involved in exchanging information has been greatly reduced with the usage of internet in e-SCM. It has been observed that web based networks provides professional services which are quick, accurate and synchronized in global SC (Folinas et al., 2004). A new trend evolved in supporting SC applications is use of ‘third party softwares. Firms recognized the value of developing partnerships with vendors and consultants. That softwares must be compatible, capable of integrating with SC allowing partners to include any other modules which helps to include programming interfaces to current systems for future use (Green, 2001). Now-a-days SC business processes are scattered over multiple members, so SC system should be actively flexible to handle and respond effectively to the dynamic changes in the global market (Chandrashekar, 1999). 2.3.3 Evolution of ERP From business perspective ERP has broaden from co- ordination of manufacturing processes to the integration of enterprise wide backend processes. Recent studies show that organizations all around the world are investing billions of money on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), when consulting expenditure is calculated then the figure may be doubled (Themistocleous, Irani et al., 2001). Before integrating business process of a firm with customers and suppliers, initially their internal processes have to be operated more efficiently. For this purpose, software/technology ‘ERP is used commonly. According to Hamilton (2003, p. 12) â€Å"An ERP system provides transaction processing and a common database to model operations within a manufacturing firm, and supports several levels of decision making†. MRP (Material Requirement Planning) is earliest form of ERP, which was used in ordering materials and components (Wallace kremzar, 2001). Master production schedule (MPS) is considered as heart of MRP. MPS calculates production requirements according to meet distr