Final Film Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Final Film Critique - Research Paper Example The movie has gained worldwide recognition due to it being able to address a large audience on a global scale that has been able to relate with every aspect of it. This paper thus helps to provide an insight into the technical factors of the movie including things like its acting, storyline, cinematography as well as style and direction, and how the story of Juno managed to engage people all over the world and help it become worthy of receiving international accolades. Juno the film has a very basic story line as well as concept attached to the tale; it is about a young girl trying to explore the nooks and crannies of intimacy and relationships without understanding the implications that might arise along with the same. The film has been directed in a very concise manner making use of pencil stylized ‘rotoscoped’ images right from the credits in the beginning, making use of animation in order to help the audience understand the maturity level of the girl and the kind of colourful life that she always wanted to live for herself. This entire sequence took a period of seven to eight months to be mastered as each and every shot that follows Juno on her way to the medical pharmacy was taken in short screenings. The set design is incredible, assisting in providing the film with a touch of wonder. The story has been told through the eyes of Juno herself, as she takes the audience along on her woven tale of how she ended up having sexual relations with her classmate whom she did not have any feelings for. The film thus helps teenagers to explore the kind of curiosity that reigns within them, and how the same should be understood not by simply jumping in and trying things out with friends, but by reading about things and comprehending the facts about life from one’s parents first. It helps children and young adults to understand how friends might not be the best option when it comes to understanding such information about pregnancy and intercourse. T hese aspects of life are crucial to one’s existence and they must be understood well by every individual so that he is able to make his own decisions without falling into trouble or having unplanned circumstances crop up in his life. (Sciretta, Peter) Thus, the film achieved mass appeal because of the story telling as well as how the girl managed to learn her lesson without panicking much about the situation. The various characters within the movie have been portrayed in a very interesting manner. The director has taken his time to choose the main protagonists and provide them with a different twist. Juno is a young teenage girl who comes off a little strong on the first meeting with everyone. Full of sarcasm, she helps to put an indie spin on the movie and gives a very intense performance with her dominating nature and need to control everything that might not even be in her reach. However, she understands where she went wrong by getting pregnant but decides to bring about a change in a couple’s life with the help of her baby who she is willing to give up in order to make someone else happy. There was a vast amount of dramatisation in the film played by the other characters, namely Juno’s parents which helped to calm the situation by making her understand what she had gone through, and helping her come out with a solution rather than screaming at her and making her feel the pain of the

Creating False Memories Essay Example for Free

Creating False Memories Essay The brain works in odd ways. The article entitled â€Å"Creating False Memories†, by Elizabeth F. Loftus, is an article about just that. The studies included in the article are proof that the brain can twist certain memories in order to fit them to a suggestion made by someone else; or a suggestion can create entire false memories. Some people are more susceptible than others to â€Å"remember† a false memory when a suggestion is made, but it is likely that anyone could â€Å"remember† a false memory. The article seemed to point out that older memories that would be less clear to begin with, such as childhood memories, are easier for suggestions to twist than a memory that happened in recent years. While reading the section subtitled â€Å"Imagination Inflation†, it became obvious that even one that was reading the article, if one took the example suggestions given in the article, then it would be incredibly tempting to remember things that were imagined. One would realize that it was only imagination at work, but if asked a few days later what was remembered about it, it would be easy to believe that it was a real memory. How can one truly distinguish between memory and imagination? Then again, is the memory of an act of imagination not a true memory in itself? There are many ways that one could be confused on this subject, because technically, memories of imagined things can be true memories. Memory and imagination are so closely related that it would be very difficult to tell the difference between the two. What was especially incredible about this article was the section subtitled â€Å"Impossible Memories. † Individuals actually remembered aspects from their second day of life, even though this is medically impossible. It is common knowledge that people cannot begin to form memories that would be remembered into adulthood until the age of two or three. Yet, given a suggestion, people will just run with it. It could be the â€Å"imagination inflation† theory at work, and it probably is. Many people are influenced daily about what happens when children are born or how children are taken care of in a hospital right after birth. People hear stories, see the scenario in television and film, and perhaps have been there when a sibling was born. However, can certain people actually remember their births or shortly thereafter? After all, there are exceptions to every rule. This article made for fascinating reading. The studies used are impressive and it makes sense. It is hard to believe that psychiatrists can, either knowingly or unknowingly, give their patients suggestions in order to create false memories. How many people are really aware of what others say to them or how it might affect them? The article is compelling and it makes one think twice about how their brain works. It makes one think about how many of the â€Å"memories† one believes are true memories from childhood are actually true memories or false memories. Where childhood is concerned, most individuals have to rely on parents or relatives to relay stories, but what if those memories are inaccurate? This is the point of the article. The human brain is so complicated and delicate that if one is not careful who knows what kind of damage can be done. Loftus, Elizabeth F. â€Å"Creating False Memories. † Scientific American. 277. 3 (September 1997): 70-75.

Miscellaneous Critics on Waiting for Godot :: Waiting Godot Essays

Nothingness â€Å"Accordingly, any interpretation that purports to know who Godot is (or is not), whether he exists whether he will ever come, whether he has ever come, or even whether he may have come without being recognized (or possibly in disguise) is, if not demonstrably wrong, at least not demonstrably right† (Hutchings 27). â€Å"Although works of the theater of the absurd, particularly Beckett’s, are often comical, their underlying premises are wholly serious: the epistemological principle of uncertainty and the inability in the modern age to find a coherent system of meaning, order, or purpose by which to understand our existence and by which to live† (Hutchings 28). Godot’s characters do not despair in the face of their situation, and this â€Å"perseverance remains constant throughout a body of work that, in the words of the citation awarding Beckett the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969 had ‘transmuted the destitution of modern man into his exaltation’ (qtd. in Bair 606)† (Hutchings 30). â€Å"Many relate the play to existentialism†¦:God is dead, life is absurd, existence precedes essence, ennui is endemic to the human condition†¦In many ways, such a reading is an evasion of the play’s complexity, a way of putting to rest the uncertainty of one’s response to it† (Collins 33). The reader, like modern man, must not give into â€Å"the arrogant presumption of certitude or the debilitating despair of skepticism,† but instead must â€Å"live in uncertainty, poised, by the conditions of our humanity and of the world in which we live, between certitude and skepticism, between presumption and despair â€Å"(Collins 36). Tragicomedy is life enhancing because it tries to â€Å"remind the audience of the real need to face existence ‘knowing the worst,’ which ultimately is liberation, with courage and humility of not taking oneself or one’s own pain too seriously, and to bear all life’s mysteries and uncertainties; and thus to make the most of what we have rather than to hanker after illusory certainties and rewards† (Esslin, Theater 47). â€Å"Act II. The next day. But is it really the next day? Or after? Or before?† (Esslin, Presence 109). Many details point out the absence of (meaninglessness of) traditional time, which is just one of many ways that the play resists interpretation and meaning: â€Å"People misunderstand it on all sides, just as everyone does his own sorrow. Explanations flow in from all quarters, each more pointless than the last† (Esslin, Presence 110). Some of the many attempts to impose meaning on the play include

Agribusiness – Essay

The word agriculture indicate plowing a field, planting seed, harvesting a crop, milking cows, or feeding livestock. Until recently, this was a fairly accurate picture. But to days’ agriculture is radically different. Agriculture has evolved in to agribusiness and has become a vast and complex system that reaches for beyond the farm to include all those who are involved in bringing food and fiber to consumers. Agribusiness include not only those that farm the land but also the people and firms that provide the inputs (for ex. Seed, chemicals, credit etc. ), process the output (for ex. Milk, grain, meat etc. , manufacture the food products (for ex. icc cream, bread, breakfast cereals etc. ), and transport and sell the food products to consumers (for ex. restaurants, supermarkets). Agribusiness system has undergone a rapid transformation as new industries have evolve and traditional farming operations have grown larger and more specialized. The transformation did not happen over night, but came slowly as a response to a variety of forces. Knowing something about how agribusiness came about makes it easier to understand how this system operates today and how it is likely to change in the future. Initially agriculture being the major venture it was easy to become a farmer, but productivity was low. Average farmer produced enough food to feed just four people. As a consequence most farmers were nearly totally self-sufficient. They produced most of the inputs they needed for production, such as seed, draft animals, feed and simple farm equipment. Farm families processed the commodities they grew to make their own food and clothing. They consumed or used just about everything they produced. The small amount of output not consumed on the farm was sold for cash. These items were used to feed and cloth the minor portion of the country’s population that lived in villages and cities. A few agricultural products made their way into the export market and were sold to buyers is other countries. Farmers found it increasingly profitable to concentrate on production and began to purchase inputs they formerly made themselves. This trend enabled others to build business that focused on meeting the need for inputs used in production agriculture such as seed, fencing, machinery and so on. These farms involved into the industries that make up the â€Å"agricultural inputs sector†. Input farms are major part of agribusiness and produce variety of technologically based products that account for approximately 75 per cent of all the inputs used in production agriculture. At the same time the agriculture input sector was evolving, a similar evaluation was taking place a commodity processing and food manufacturing moved off the farm. The form of most commodities (wheat, rice, milk, livestock and so on) must be changed to make them more useful and convenient for consumers. For ex. consumers would rather buy flour than grind the wheat themselves before backing a cake. They are willing to pay extra for the convenience of buying the processed commodity (flour) instead of the raw agriculture commodity (wheat). During the same period technological advance were being made in food preservation method. Up until this time the perishable nature of most agriculture commodities meant that they were available only at harvest. Advance in food processing have made it possible to get those commodities all throughout the year. Today even most farm families use purchased food and fiber products rather than doing the processing themselves. The farms that meet the consumers demand for greater processing and convenience also constitute a major part of agribusiness and are referred to as the processing manufacturing sector. It is apparent that the definition of agriculture had to be expanded to include more than production. Farmers rely on the input industries to provide the products and service they need to produce agricultural commodities. They also rely on commodity processors, food manufactures, and ultimately food distributors and retailers to purchase their raw agricultural commodities and to process and deliver them to the consumer for final sale. The result is the food and fiber system. The food and fiber system is increasingly being referred to as â€Å"agribusiness†. The term agribusiness was first introduced by Davis and Goldberg in 1957. it represents three part system made up of (1) the agricultural input sector (2) the production sector and (3) the processing-manufacturing sector. The capture the full meaning of the term â€Å"agribusiness† it is important to visualizes these there sectors as interrelated parts of a system in which the success of each part depends heavily on the proper functioning of the other two.

Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis Essay

Johnson & Johnson had manufactured Extra-Strength Tylenol in capsule and tablet form since 1959. Tylenol became one of Johnson & Johnson’s most successful products, accounting for 17 percent of the company’s profits. Extra-Strength Tylenol constituted 70 percent of all Tylenol sales. Johnson & Johnson also enjoyed a tremendous amount of trust and goodwill from the public, nurtured in part by its adherence to the company credo of responsibility to customers, employees, shareholders, and the community. In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that were laced with cyanide. After this incident, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson was faced with very serious, important decisions; should he recall only the extra strength Tylenol in Chicago or nationwide? He was also concerned that this incident would forever ruin the Tylenol name, even after the investigation, proved that the tampering did not occur within the company. I would have advised the CEO of the company to make a public announcement, assuring the pubic that these cases were isolated to the Chicago area, that this was by no way caused by the negligence of Johnson & Johnson employees. Also, he would need to state that the company is doing everything possible to ensure that this does not occur again and that they were working closely with the authorities to determine the cause. I would also advise a nationwide recall. I believe that a recall should have been issued for the entire nation. Although this would cause a significant loss for the company, it would save their reputation. It would ensure the customers that the CEO was doing everything possible to protect them, which would help reestablish their trust in the company. If a recall were not issued, people still would not be buying the product and it would sit on shelves for months, even years, because people would always be fearful they would get a bad batch. If a recall were issued, this would not be called into question. The new batches would be issued with a tamper evident seal and there would be no question whether or not they were tampered with again. From an economic point of view, recalling the product resulted in a loss of an estimated $150 million dollars. Legally speaking, recalling the product could have saved Johnson & Johnson millions of dollars in law suits not to mention certain laws that they had to abide by through the food and drug administration. Morally, Johnson & Johnson did the right thing. They removed their product from store shelves, re-embedded a certain amount of trust in their company and potentially saved many, many more lives. These results do not significantly differ from the decision Johnson & Johnson eventually made. Economically, the company suffered for a short period of time, but returned full force after precautions were made to ensure this never happened again, sealing the future of the company, literally and figuratively. The company benefitted from their credo because they stated their responsibilities and what they valued to the public which reinstated a certain amount of trust in the company again. There are other companies since Johnson & Johnson that could have used a similar credo, for instance the peanut butter incident and the formula incident (both from a couple years ago). Both of these cases were similar because it involved poisoning of a product. The companies also eventually bounced back from the incident. I believe that the credo had a great deal to do with saving the company brand because it stated all of the main goals and responsibilities of Johnson & Johnson. However, I think that developing the tamper-resistant packaging, recalling the product, and distributing over 80 million in coupons also had a great deal to do with it. Without all of these factors though, who knows whether or not the company would have been able to recover from this incident. I believe that Johnson & Johnson should not have continued to market the capsule form as soon as it returned to the market. The incident was too fresh in the publics’ mind for it to sell as well as it had before the incident. I do however feel that the capsule form should have been reintroduced to the market after a few years. Upon discovering that there was another death three years later from a similar incident, I would advise the company to ensure that this death was not from the previously recalled batch. Also, since this incident was isolated to one person, it would seem that someone tampered with that particular bottle. With all of the new tamper-resistant packaging it would be nearly impossible for someone to poison a bottle with it going unnoticed. However, I would advise the CEO of Johnson & Johnson to inform the public of the incident instead of trying to conceal it. I would be much more interested in purchasing a product from an honest company than one who hides mishaps.

Hell And Heaven Essays - Religion, Mythology, Belief, Hell

Hell And Heaven Essays - Religion, Mythology, Belief, Hell Hell And Heaven Matthew Jay Krachunis May 2000 Hell The idea of heaven entices and encourages believers and non-believers alike. It is enjoyable to envision a place of eternal rest and relaxation, in the presence of God and loved ones. Heaven does exist according to the Bible, and is the destination of the believer in Jesus Christ at the completion of life on this earth. What is not encouraging is the fact that there is a place for those whom God chooses will not inherit everlasting life. This place is commonly referred to in the English language as hell. It is not metaphorical nor is it mythological, it is real in every sense of the word; a true literal hell. It is a time as Guthrie says in New Testament Theology, to inquire about the state of the lost, a subject which tends to be neglected or else glossed over.....the final state of those who are not in the book of life (Guthrie p. 887). This will be the focus of this discussion, the eternal state of those individuals whose name will not be found in the book of life. To fully understand the implications of the declaration of a place of eternal damnation, one must first understand what that place is. The common use of the word Hell is considered colloquial and comical to some. In the bible, the idea of the term hell is expressed in more ways than one. The terms Gehenna (Matthew 5:22), Hades (Matthew 11:23), and Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) are terms that have been interpreted to believe as hell. The term Gehenna occurs twelve times in the King James version of the bible. It occurs in all three of the synoptic gospels, but most notably in the book of Matthew in which it occurs seven times. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines Gehenna as A name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:-hell (Strongs p. 19). Jesus Christ spoke of Gehenna and warned people of it. Jesus said in Matthew chapter five verse thirty, for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go to hell. It is as Guthrie says, There is no way of avoiding the conclusion that Jesus firmly accepted that there was a counterpart to heaven for those who were condemned before God (Guthrie p.888). It is clear that Guthrie believes that there is an eternal and literal hell. Therefore, because Jesus stated it, and Guthrie supported it, shows that it must have a certain importance about it. In Mark chapter nine verses forty-two through fifty, Jesus is talking about the importance of understanding of the implications of a sinful life and where it will lead. In the following passage, the usage of the word hell is interpreted as the Greek word Gehenna and Jesus says, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out (Mark 9:43). It can be construed from this statement that Jesus is adamant about the reality of the conditions in hell. It can be assumed that Jesus is not advocating the actual removal of the hand, but is speaking about the horrifying reality of hell. He is admonishing those who are listening to understand that theoretically, not having one of your hands would be better than spending eternity in hell. As Stamps says in the notes of the Full Life Study Bible, the place of unquenchable fire is so terrible that every influence of sin must be opposed and rejected no matter what the cost (Stamps p. 1497). Clearly, hell is an eternal existence that would be far worse than a missing limb. Next, Stagg states in The Broadman Bible Commentary that Gehenna was a term that came to symbolize the place of judgment for the wicked (Stagg p. 109). Furthermore, Stagg declares that Gehenna is derived from Hinnom, a valley west of Jerusalem, where the garbage was burned from the city (Stagg p. 109). The aforementioned passages reinforce the idea that hell is not a rhetorical or spiritual existence but a

Western History

Western History The epic of Gilgamesh is a fascinating must-read chef-d’oeuvre featuring the king Gilgamesh of Uruk and his companion and friend, Enkidu. The work is a reflection of the social values. Religion is a key social value depicted in the Sumerian society. There is the presence of gods and goddesses who have power over the mortal world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Western History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gilgamesh’s words confirm this when he says, â€Å"Where is the man who can clamber to heaven? Only the gods live for ever with glorious Shamash† (George 7). There are also temples in the society like the one in Enlil, as well as religious rituals. After the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh sets on a quest to find immortality. He travels in search of his ancestor, Uta-naphishtim, who possesses the secrets of immortality. There is a belief in the after life. In fact, he wants to know â⠂¬Å"truly, how†¦to enter the company of the gods†¦to possess everlasting life?† (George 18). Friendship is also a social value in the society. Gilgamesh and Enkidu form a strong bond of friendship between them. Together, they embark on a heroic journey to the Cedar forest and beyond. Antigone is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Spiritual matters take a center stage in Theban society. There are numerous references to various Greek gods. There is a reference to Hades, Zeus and Apollo. In the beginning, Sophocles says â€Å"justice who dwells with the gods beneath the earth† (Sophocles 11). The gods take a pivotal position in the Theban society. The story revolves around the issue of whether Polynices should get a proper burial according to the laws of the gods. Antigone elevates the religious laws above the state laws. Leadership in the society is another social value depicted in the play. Creon as the king offers defective and inconsistent leadership. He grudgingl y orders Polynices not to get an apposite burial, an important ritual in the society, thus, punishing Antigone for doing it. Family honor is another social value displayed in the play Antigone. Antigone’s desire to bury her brother sets her on a collision path with Creon. She has the determination to protect her brother’s honor and that of her family. In fact, she must act to please â€Å"those that are dead† (Sophocles 77), as they hold more weight than the ruler does. She even tells her that they must do it out of their sisterhood and love even if it means going against their ruler. Creon, on his refusal, appears to be to protecting his family’s honor by punishing those against him in the war.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The last days of Socrates feature a group of dialogues by Plato on the trial of the eminent Greek philosopher Socrates on ch arges of corrupting the minds of the youth. Immortality and afterlife is a dominant social value in the dialogues. Socrates argues that the soul exists before birth and after death. He does not fear death by virtue that it is not the end of the soul but only to the body. He even refutes the idea of breaking away from jail. Religion and religious beliefs are a social value that dominates the dialogues. In fact, he faces accusations of not recognizing the gods, which he does. He says, â€Å"He believes that the gods are our guardians, and we men are chattel of theirs† (Plato 62b). He says that the oracle at Delphi told him that he was the wisest of all of the men. Socrates depicts ethics and personal principles when he refuses to compromise his beliefs. He eventually meets his demise by taking poison. The Athenian Jury had given him an option of jail and exile, which he declines. He is so steadfast that he could not break from jail, as it is against his principles. He also coul d not commit suicide, as it is against his beliefs. In fact, he says, â€Å"man ought not to kill himself because he possesses no actual ownership of himself, as he is the property of the gods† (Plato 62c). Beowulf is an English heroic epic that presents courage as a critical social value. Beowulf is a courageous hero. He manages to kill Grendel, a monster who had terrorized Geats, the mother of Grendel and the dragon. His courage enables him to kill Grendel, a monster that had been terrorizing the people. Religion is also a social value that is evident though not so strong. Beowulf is a pagan, a non-believer. Moreover, there is a mention of Almighty God (Haber 701) and the story of Cain and Abel. The author says about Grendel, â€Å"He dwelt for a time in misery among banished monsters, Cain’s clan, outlawed for killing Abel† (Haber 105-110). Grendel the monster, who terrorized the hall of Heorot after killing the sleeping soldiers, did not touch the throne of Hroogar, as a powerful god protects it. The issue of right and wrong, strong and weak is strongly evident in the above works. Those who seek to do the right are virtuous, strong willed and courageous to meet the obstacles and death, as they stand by their principles (Buckler et al. 32). Socrates is wrongfully accused. He refuses to give in to his accusers and eventually meets his death. He dies for what he believes is the right. In fact, he could not even entertain the idea of breaking from jail, as it would cause more harm to the Athenians than it would do right to him. Antigone is determined to offer Polynices a commendable burial. For this, she faces the wrath of the king Creon. She succeeds in her quest but eventually meets her death. Eventually, the right triumphs over the wrong, although this comes at a cost, mainly death being the result.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Western History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn Mor e Strength and weakness are also dominant in epic stories. The heroes courageously do heroic deeds that are near impossible to help others. Gilgamesh manages to complete a heroic adventure where he defeats an ogre in the cedar forest to restore the supply of timber to the kingdom. He also defeats the bull of heaven sent by Ishtar to plague Uruk. Beowulf, on the other hand, defeats the monster Grendel and a dragon despite the fatal wounds that lead to his death. Religion and politics take a center stage in the societies depicted in the aforementioned stories. Each society is religious. There is the belief of existence of supreme beings in all the stories. Religion assumes a crucial part in the lives of the characters’ decisions and day-to-day lives. Characters try to demystify immortality and afterlife. They want to do the will of the gods by going considerable lengths of consulting the oracles and performing rituals. They have build temples for worship of the gods. Po litics plays a foremost role in the societies depicted by organization of government with kings in the societies. The rule of law is evident based on the presence of juries to uphold justice as evident in the case of Socrates. Wars fought control the societies and hence the leadership of the society. The role of women in the societies depicted in the stories is a minimal one as compared to that of men. They appear in the periphery of societies. The only woman who plays a chief role is Antigone who is the main character and protagonist. She is courageous, resilient and does not fear death. Mesopotamians, Greeks and Western Europeans value courage and wisdom. Various heroes like Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu achieve a monumental feat, overcoming main obstacles by defeating creatures sent by the gods. Beowulf defeated Grendel, a monster, and later a dragon. Antigone depicted courage by antagonizing King Creon and going against his rule. Socrates was courageous, as he faced the prospe ct of death, though he stood steadfast and died for his beliefs. Wisdom is present in these societies. The heroes and heroines use their wisdom to overcome their obstacles. Socrates displayed much wisdom in his arguments for his defense. In fact, he claims that an oracle had told him that he was the wisest of all men. This gives the reason behind his trial in a bid to silence him by sentencing him to death. Nevertheless, he happily embraced it as a means to immortality. Death is also present in the end of the stories. Death is inevitable to all. It is the stage to the afterlife. People must perform proper burial rituals to the dead. This is the source of conflict in the story. Of all heroes, Antigone, Gilgamesh, Creon, amongst others mentioned in the paper, Socrates is the most appealing and most difficult according to me. He is intelligent and extraordinarily courageous. He puts across exceptionally thoughtful arguments in his defense. He is also remarkably philosophical, which mak es him also extremely difficult to identify and understand.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Buckler, John, MacKay, John, and Hill, Bennett. A history of western society.10.Volume  A. New York: Bedford-St. Martins’, 2011. George, Andrew. Epic of Gilgamesh. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1993. Haber, Tom. A Comparative Study of the Beowulf and the Aeneid. New Jersey: Princeton University, 1931. Plato. The last days of Socrates. New York: Free Press, 1901. Sophocles. Antigones. London, Routledge, 1999.

The Root Causes of the American Revolution

The Root Causes of the American Revolution The American Revolution began in 1775 as an open conflict between the United Thirteen Colonies  and Great Britain. Many factors played a role in the colonists desires to fight for their independence. Not only did these issues lead to war, but they also shaped the foundation of the United States of America. The Cause of the American Revolution No single  event caused the revolution. It was, instead, a series of events that led to the war. Essentially, it began as a disagreement over the way Great Britain governed the colonies and the way the colonies thought they should be treated. Americans felt they deserved all the rights of Englishmen. The British, on the other hand, thought that the colonies were created to be used in ways that best suited the Crown and Parliament. This conflict is embodied in one of the rallying cries of the ​American Revolution: No Taxation Without Representation. Americas Independent Way of Thinking In order to understand what led to the rebellion, its important to look at the mindset of the founding fathers. It should also be noted that this mindset was not that of the majority of colonists: Only about one-third of the colonists supported the rebellion. One-third of the population supported Great Britain, and the other third were neutral. The 18th century is known historically  as the age of Enlightenment. It was a period when thinkers, philosophers, statesman, and artists began to question the politics of government, the role of the church, and other fundamental and ethical questions of society as a whole. The period was also known as the Age of Reason, and many colonists followed this new way of thinking. A number of the revolutionary leaders had studied major writings of the Enlightenment including those of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the Baron de Montesquieu. From these thinkers, the founders gleaned such new political concepts as the social contract, limited government, the consent of the governed, and the  separation of powers. Lockes writings, in particular, struck a chord. His books helped to raise questions about the rights of the governed and the overreach of the British government. They spurred the republican ideology that stood up in opposition to those viewed as tyrants. Men such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were also influenced by the teachings of the Puritans and Presbyterians. These teachings included such new radical ideas as the principle that all men are created equal and the belief that a king has no divine rights. Together, these innovative ways of thinking led many in this era to consider it their duty to rebel against laws they viewed as unjust. The Freedoms and Restrictions of Location The geography of the colonies also contributed to the revolution. Their distance from Great Britain naturally created a sense of independence that was hard to overcome. Those willing to colonize the new world generally had a strong independent streak with a profound desire for new opportunities and more freedom. The Proclamation of 1763 played its own role. After the French and Indian War, King George III issued the royal decree that prevented further colonization west of the Appalachian Mountains. The intent was to normalize relations with the Native Americans, many of whom fought with the French. A number of settlers had purchased land in the now forbidden area or had received land grants. The crowns proclamation was largely ignored as settlers moved anyway and the Proclamation Line eventually moved after much lobbying. Despite this concession, the affair left another stain on the relationship between the colonies and Britain. The Control of Government The existence of colonial legislatures meant that the colonies were in many ways independent of the crown. The legislatures were allowed to levy taxes, muster troops, and pass laws. Over time, these powers became rights in the eyes of many colonists. The British government had different ideas and attempted to curtail the powers of these newly elected bodies. There were numerous measures designed to ensure the colonial legislatures did not achieve autonomy, although many had nothing to do with the larger British Empire. In the minds of colonists, they were a matter of local concern. From these small, rebellious legislative bodies that represented the colonists, the future leaders of the United States were born. The Economic Troubles Even though the British believed in mercantilism, Prime Minister Robert Walpole espoused a view of salutary neglect. This system was in place from 1607 through 1763, during which the British were lax on enforcement of external trade relations. Walpole believed this enhanced freedom would stimulate commerce. The French and Indian War led to considerable economic trouble for the British government. Its cost was significant, and the British were determined to make up for the lack of funds. They levied new taxes on the colonists and increased trade regulations. These actions were not well received by the colonists. New taxes were enforced, including the Sugar Act and the Currency Act, both in 1764. The Sugar Act increased already considerable taxes on molasses and restricted certain export goods to Britain alone. The Currency Act prohibited the printing of money in the colonies, making businesses rely more on the crippled British economy.   Feeling underrepresented, overtaxed, and unable to engage in free trade, the colonists rallied to the slogan, No Taxation Without Representation. This discontent became very apparent in 1773 with the events that later became known as the Boston Tea Party. The Corruption and Control The British governments presence became increasingly more visible in the years leading to the revolution. British officials and soldiers were given more control over the colonists and this led to widespread corruption. Among the most glaring of these issues were the Writs of Assistance. These were general search warrants that gave British soldiers the right to search and seize any property they deemed to be smuggled or illegal goods. Designed to assist the British in enforcing trade laws, these documents allowed British soldiers to enter, search, and seize warehouses, private homes, and ships whenever necessary. However, many abused the power. In 1761, the Boston lawyer James Otis fought for the constitutional rights of the colonists in this matter but lost. The defeat only inflamed the level of defiance and ultimately led to the Fourth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. The Third Amendment was also inspired by the overreach of the British government. Forcing colonists to house British soldiers in their homes infuriated the population. It was inconvenient and costly to the colonists, and many also found it a traumatic experience after events like  the Boston Massacre in 1770. The Criminal Justice System Trade and commerce were overly controlled, the British army made its presence known, and the local colonial government was limited by a power far across the Atlantic Ocean. If these affronts to the colonists dignity were not enough to ignite the fires of rebellion, American colonists also had to endure a corrupt justice system. Political protests became a regular occurrence as these realities set in. In 1769, Alexander McDougall was imprisoned for libel when his work To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York was published. His imprisonment and the Boston Massacre were just two infamous examples of the measures the British took to crack down on protesters.   After six British soldiers were acquitted and two dishonorably discharged for the Boston Massacre- ironically enough, defended by John Adams- the British government changed the rules. From then on, officers accused of any offense in the colonies would be sent to England for trial. This meant that fewer witnesses would be on hand to give their accounts of events and it led to even fewer convictions. To make matters even worse, jury trials were replaced with verdicts and punishments handed down directly by colonial judges. Over time, the colonial authorities lost power over this as well because the judges were known to be chosen, paid, and supervised by the British government. The right to a fair trial by a jury of their peers was no longer possible for many colonists. Grievances That Led to Revolution and the Constitution All of these grievances that colonists had with the British government led to the events of the American Revolution. And many of these grievances directly affected what the founding fathers wrote into the U.S. Constitution. These constitutional rights and principles reflect the hopes of the framers that the new American government would not subject their citizens to the same loss of freedoms that the colonists had experienced under Britains rule.

Company A and B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company A and B - Essay Example mpany A and Company B arrange a derivative to be transacted on the 1st April 2014 so that Company A pays fixed interest over the period and Company B pays floating rate interest over the period. Assuming that the fixed interest rate agrees with the Company A is LIBOR + 7% (fixed at inception), that LIBOR is 0.5% on April 1 2014 and that on June 30, 2014 the LIBOR rate raises from 0.5% to 1%. a) Describe the derivative trade that would enable such an exchange, the reasons why each company might want to transact such a derivative and calculate what the swap rate would be for Company A at inception. A derivative is a security whose value is dependent or derived from its underlying assets. The derivative represents a contract agreement between two or more parties. Its price is affected by any slight changes in its original assets. Some common underlying assets include bond’s interest rates stocks, commodities, currencies and market indexes. The major characteristic of derivatives is high advantage. For the case of company A and B would adopt the interest rate swaps as described below Interest rate swap occurs when Party A agrees to pay Party B through a fixed interest rate, and the counterpart Party B agrees to pay Party A through a floating/variable interest rate which is attached to a reference rate (the most used reference rate is the London Interbank Offered Rate, LIBOR).Each counterpart in a swap has a "comparative advantage" in a different credit market and it is through such an advantage in a particular market that is used to obtain an equal advantage in a another separate market to which credit access was denied. Companies in the two different markets agree to an exchange deal in which a fixed rate is exchanged with a floating/variable interest rate loan. In this case Company B prefers liabilities which are floating but would prefer a fixed loan rate. It is therefore prudent that enters into a swap with company A and exchange its fixed rate loan for

Text and Image in Landscape Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Text and Image in Landscape Painting - Essay Example The essay "Text and Image in Landscape Painting" discovers the nature of painting and analyzes text and image in landscape painting. This silk panel is filled with intricate detail, while it retains the impressionistic character of Chinese silk paintings. The brush techniques used allow the deposit of varying amounts of ink from different parts of the brush. The technique took many years of practice to perfect, especially in consideration of the medium and the canvas: ink from solid sticks and silk. The brushes were very soft and it was difficult to learn to control them. One can imagine that many many practice paintings were done before the various techniques were mastered. Chinese silk painting is not an art one can master overnight. It is easy to believe that the artists of the day, including Guo Xi, did extensive travel in order to investigate all the various landscapes around, and then, having once chosen one to paint, spent hours, or even days, contemplating the scene they were going to paint. It is obvious at close inspection that there are many layers to this painting, and knowing the characteristics of the block ink, it had to be done slowly, a little at a time. We can imagine that the artist applied layer after layer of almost transparent ink before daring to add any details with a drier brush. Guo Xi’s document begins with an appreciation of what such paintings can do for busy men, especially rulers and others with heavy responsibility. He also talks about the responsibility of the artist.

Battling Clean Up and Striking Out by Dave Barry Essay

Battling Clean Up and Striking Out by Dave Barry - Essay Example The basic premise of this particular column is about the different sensitivity of men and women to dirt and to sports, and Barry uses humor consistently throughout it, while at the same time pointing out factual information as well. Barry makes stereotypical remarks throughout this column, such as the fact that basically 'all women care about is cleaning up and men care about sports'. In regards to my own personal opinion and how well I conform to Barry's generalization here, I would say that the answer to this would go hand in hand with the issue of what ways I am stereotypically male or female. I am female, however, I do not consider my only worries to be in regards to 'dirt', and in fact, I enjoy sports very much. Therefore, in regards to Barry's stereotypical generalizations, I would actually consider that I am more stereotypically male in this case. As well, in regards to whether or not such generalizations as this amuse or merely annoy me, I can honestly and truthfully say that they amuse me. Generalizations such as the ones that Barry produces in his Battling Clean-up and Striking Out column, are not harsh or cynical in any way but are rather general stereotypes that can be seen in the world around us every day. I find them to be amusing, and they are even more obviously kidded about in this column by Barry in order to allow readers to see that he is joking around. Generalizations such as this certainly can be made to be rude or hurtful, but in this work of Barry’s, they are anything but. Dave Barry is an intelligent and incredibly humorous writer, and this work of his goes to prove this.

Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management - Coursework Example The example given by Ezell helps explore the question under discussion (Clawson, 2012).  Laura Dickson has comprehensively discussed the ways in which leaders can recognize talents. Laura highlights the role of human resources, which form a crucial part of an organization’s talents (Clawson, 2012).  This argument mirrors on the realization of the role that other people can play in the organization. In my understanding, the discussion by Smith majorly outlines the role of other stakeholders (such as employees) in the recognition of talents. However, the use of such strategies as promotion does not necessarily mean that talents will be easily recognizable (Clawson, 2012).  In the discussion, the main elements that help in the attainment of an organization’s vision are discussed. This discussion explores how leaders can build teams from individuals who possess multiple skills (Clawson, 2012).  As stated in the discussion, it is crucial to listen to the personal sto ry of the employees in order to ascertain what the employee likes or does not like (Clawson, 2012). However, this may not be an effective strategy as the reasons were given by some employees may not be valid.  This discussion has completely discussed the strategies that can be employed to influence employees who lack motivation, as well as unwillingness. The discussion is helpful; as it highlights the role played by effective leadership when it comes to influencing others in the workplace (Clawson, 2012).  This discussion gives a comprehensive overview of the ways through which leadership can be strengthened in organizations. I agree with the argument that leaders ought to take time to know their teams.

World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

World War I - Essay Example Since Germany and Austria wanted a quick attack on Serbia, so that other countries would not get involved, an ultimatum was sent. When the ultimatum was sent to Serbia in July 23, 1914, which demanded Serbia to abolish all 'anti-Austrian activities', and allow Austria to investigate the assassination of Francis Ferdinand. Serbia accepted to the ultimatum, but did not allow Austria to investigate the murder. This caused Austria to declare war on Serbia on July 28. When Austria attacked Serbia, as the German leaders had anticipated, Russia prepared to attack Austria. Germany warned Russia to stop the preparation, but because Russia did not listen, Germany attacked Russia on August 1. Two days later, Germany also declared war against France, which was Russia's ally. Germany planned to invade France through Belgium, but unfortunately, Belgium refused this. On August 3, Germany invaded Belgium. The British then became involved in the war, for they had promised Belgium could be neutral, and not get involved in wars.1 In addition, the British had to join in the war because if they did not, Germany would control the continent of Europe. In less than six weeks, the domino effect had caused Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and Britain to fight against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The WW1 fi... The WW1 finally broke out in June1914 because of an accident in Bosnia. It was the Sarajevo incident, the immediate cause of WW1. It took place on June 28, 1914. On that day, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife were shot dead by a young Serbian student at Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. Austria considered the murder of the heir to the throne an open Serbian attack.2 Austria would be left without an heir. Although she could not find any evidence that the Serbian government was connected with the assassination, Austria still declared war on Serbia. Within two month, the war became a world war. Finally, the war ended in 1918. The Central Power included Germany had lost. The First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918 and was called The Great War or the war to end all wars until World War II started. Some scholars believe that the First World War was simply the first phase of a 30-year-long war that entailed the period of 1914 to 1945. The outbreak of the clash is often ascribed to the European alliances. Germany-Austria-Italy formed an alliance against France-Russia; Britain and Serbia supported France and Russia. In fact, none of the alliances was initiated in the early outbreak, though Russian general mobilization and Germany's declaration of war against France were motivated by fear of the opposing alliance being brought into play. By 1882, Germany was allied with Austra-Hungary and Italy, in an alliance called the Triple Alliance. Then, in 1887, they signed the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. Thus, Germany was allied with three major European nations and France was left isolated. In 1890, the German Kaiser set out to make Germany a major world power. He aimed to increase the number of Germany's overseas colonies.3 To do

Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management - Coursework Example The example given by Ezell helps explore the question under discussion (Clawson, 2012).  Laura Dickson has comprehensively discussed the ways in which leaders can recognize talents. Laura highlights the role of human resources, which form a crucial part of an organization’s talents (Clawson, 2012).  This argument mirrors on the realization of the role that other people can play in the organization. In my understanding, the discussion by Smith majorly outlines the role of other stakeholders (such as employees) in the recognition of talents. However, the use of such strategies as promotion does not necessarily mean that talents will be easily recognizable (Clawson, 2012).  In the discussion, the main elements that help in the attainment of an organization’s vision are discussed. This discussion explores how leaders can build teams from individuals who possess multiple skills (Clawson, 2012).  As stated in the discussion, it is crucial to listen to the personal sto ry of the employees in order to ascertain what the employee likes or does not like (Clawson, 2012). However, this may not be an effective strategy as the reasons were given by some employees may not be valid.  This discussion has completely discussed the strategies that can be employed to influence employees who lack motivation, as well as unwillingness. The discussion is helpful; as it highlights the role played by effective leadership when it comes to influencing others in the workplace (Clawson, 2012).  This discussion gives a comprehensive overview of the ways through which leadership can be strengthened in organizations. I agree with the argument that leaders ought to take time to know their teams.

International Purchasing and Supply-Chain Management Essay

International Purchasing and Supply-Chain Management - Essay Example Furthermore, the work at hand presents some remarkable concepts and models pertaining to purchasing and supply-chain management. It was found that none of these models could actually explain in detail the prevailing business model that Wal-Mart employed. However, Porter’s value-chain model and Reck and Long model were found to have closer resemblance to Wal-Mart’s employed model at present. However, there is a substantial reason to believe that Wal-Mart considers purchasing and supply-chain management as integral components of a general marketing activity, rather than separate entities as Porter suggested in his value-chain model. Keywords: Wal-Mart, purchasing, supply-chain management, value chain Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 What Wal-Mart is doing? 4 What the concepts and models are saying? 9 Evaluation of Wal-Mart’s approach 13 Conclusion 15 References 16 Introduction Every firm has its own story to tell, including its humble inception, its ups and downs along the way, and finally the relevant moves it might have put into consideration in order to reach the highest point where it might have successfully situated itself at present. There are many firms that finally reached this point. Among them is Wal-Mart, a firm that is more than just a name, but it speaks of value for customers, that is why it is one of the most recognised retail brands and companies in the world for consumer goods. The firm is widely recognised as the retailing giant with major operations across 28 countries under 60 different banners. It was able to branch out overseas, extending its competitive advantage way beyond the bound of the competitive market in the United States. Wal-Mart is a retailer of consumer goods that Sam Walton founded in 1962. Its ultimate strategy is to offer products with low costs. Its low-cost strategy is the leading source of its competitive advantage, but behind this, its purchasing and supply-chain management have gr eat contribution too, which have become the common primary interest among various business experts in the academe and in the actual business world. The firm is able to maintain its reputation in the retailing industry by counting on its purchasing and supply-chain management. Here where the firm is able to generate great volume, a continuing growth of its large scale and eventually lower cost for its product offerings. The firm is able to establish efficient and advanced inventory management system, and little and not so costly promotion and advertising efforts. Concerning this, it is of great interest to know whether the prevailing concepts and models about the purchasing and supply-chain management reflect on the condition of Wal-Mart at present. Regarding this point, the work at hand tries to critically evaluate the Wal-Mart approach to purchasing and supply-chain management against models and concepts explored in the class. There are many important points to be discussed regardi ng the above objective, but it is important to consider first the things that Wal-Mart is doing in the industry, primarily in the context of purchasing and su

Emerging Logistics Strategy Essay Example for Free

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