International delivery of Coke products(supply chain management) Essay

International delivery of Coke products(supply chain management) - Essay Example Every firm has a functional supply chain that is continuously improved to enhance firm operations; this paper sets out to discuss the international delivery of coke products/ supply chain management. The Coca-Cola company is a multi-billion international beverage company that exclusively licenses and markets over 5oo nonalcoholic beverage brands; most of the beverages marketed by Coca-Cola are primarily glistening beverages, but the company also markets still beverages like waters, enriched waters, juices, ready teas and coffees, and energy/sports drinks. Some of the sparkling nonalcoholic products marketed by the Coca-Cola Company include Coca-Cola, Diet-Coke, Fanta, and Sprite; the company has various segments such as Eurasia and Europe among others, bottling investments and company. Coca-Cola is the world’s most powerful brands that has dominated the global soft drink market for more than a century now due to its highly visionary and excellence oriented operational framewor k. The company’s extensive and complex supply chain includes a number of different organizations such as plants, bottlers, warehouses, and customers, in addition to multiple product lines that follow multiple supply chains though with different objectives. With such vastly complex network, it is quite a challenge to achieve real time information on which to base tactical and strategic decisions in the company, thus the need for effective supply chain management. The Coca-Cola Company has involved ITC and SAP consulting to enhance its Supply Chain Management and to achieve further visibility- the main objective of the collaboration is to create a supply chain and decision making strategy through fast information and metrics (Hochfelder). For instance, Coca Cola’s challenge accessing accurate information to compare, in addition to the challenge of inconsistencies in the reporting rules in new ventures was adequately addressed through the integration of supply chain manag ement with SAP, and this system went live with the launching of Coca Cola North America. This integration was a key milestone for the company because it enabled the company to match the supply chain goals with business goals effectively, providing guidelines into firm to end user supply chain processes to help achieve consistency in its processes. Coca Cola’s supply chain guiding principles entail focusing on metrics needing no manual intervention, focusing on metrics to initiate profit stability and metric stability through the supply chain, in addition to, focusing on industry principles that are not coke precise and development of a robust system for reporting changing hierarchies with changing businesses. The Coca-Cola company complex supply chain network cuts across continents to reach consumers all over the world; for instance, the company has acquired some independent bottlers such as the Carlifornia based Scramental Coca Cola Bottling Company in a move to enhance dist ribution effectiveness (Enterprise Labeling). The company has also devolved the distribution of its products to local bottling companies all over the worl

Components of atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Components of atmosphere Essay The main components of atmosphere are almost invariant. However, the content of water vapor is an exception that it varies with the changing of location, season and time. Oxygen and water vapor plays a significant role on the processes of atmospheric corrosion. Therefore, atmospheric corrosion can be classified in the following three categories: Dry corrosion Damp corrosion Wet corrosion Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Atmosphere 100 H2O. Components of atmosphere (Impurity excluded, 10? ) 2. 1 Dry corrosion In the absence of significant water vapor, many common metals develop films of oxide. In the presence of traces of gaseous pollutants, copper, silver and other non-ferrous metals undergo film formation which is known as tarnishing. The tarnishing of silver in air is well-known. Tarnishing by hydrogen sulfide may be retarded by moisture if present in very small amounts. 2. 2 Damp Corrosion Damp corrosion would occur only when the relative humidity reaches 70% which is considered generally as the critical value for the onset of corrosion. The precise level of critical humidity varies with the type of contaminants, such as dust and salt particles, and the composition of metals. For instance, in the presence of marine salts corrosion is stimulated at lower values of relative humidity. The difference between the damp and wet environment is very narrow and it is more representative of a climatic condition rather than the magnitude of corrosion. Damp environments promote the corrosion of most metals. Water saturated with dissolved gases, such as CO2, H2S and SO2, cause severe corrosion of iron and steels, copper, nickel, silver and other non-metallic materials and alloys. For example, silver loses its luster and develops a tarnished film of sulfide on coming in contact with H2S, and copper develops tints and becomes black. In agricultural areas abundance of ammonia, particularly during the rainy seasons, subjects copper fittings to seasonal cracking and causes serious damage to water distribution systems. 2. 3 Wet Corrosion This is the most frequently observed form of atmospheric corrosion, where the water layers or pockets are formed on the metal surface, and the metal surface remains constantly in contact with water. The rate of corrosion would depend on the solubility of the corrosion product. Higher solubility means a higher rate of corrosion, because the dissolved ions increase the electrolytic conductivity. In case of alternate dry and wet conditions, the dry corrosion product film may absorb moisture from the air which increases the rate of corrosion of the metal by bringing the moisture in contact with the metal surface. Patina formation on copper, such as brochantite, and corrosion of iron and steel structures are common examples of corrosion caused by wet atmosphere.

Explain, in detail, the process of hearing in humans.

Explain, in detail, the process of hearing in humans. Explain, in detail, the process of hearing in humans. What factors can affect our hearing in terms of perception of loudness, pitch and direction? What part does psychoacoustics play in our perception of sound. Introduction The ear can be divided into three sections each performing a specific role to change sound particles into messages the brain can read. The three major parts of the ear are the outer, middle and inner ear. Simplistically it is somewhat like a mechanical process that changes an analogue signal into a digital message that your brain can understand. However, there are certain factors that can affect our hearing in terms of perception of loudness, pitch and direction. Psychoacoustics needs to be considered when looking at the process of hearing as it examines the relationship between sound and the effect it has upon the brain. Physical Description of the Ear The process of hearing utilises all three sections of the ear. The first section, the outer ear consists of the pinna, the auditory canal and the wax. The pinna is the main part of the ear that you can see, its role, to collect sound and direct it down the auditory canal towards the ear drum. The outside of your ear is perfectly designed to collect sound. This design helps to determine the sounds direction. Sounds waves bounce off the Pinna depending on from which direction they came from. The sound reflection from the Pinna alters the pattern of the sound wave which the brain is able to distinguish and determine where the sound came from. The auditory canal is the main pathway of sound, its role is to direct sound towards the eardrum, the canal is also where earwax is produced. The purpose of ear wax is to keep the ear canal clean by collecting dirt and debris. Once the sound wave has passed through the outer ear and has been directed down the auditory canal to the middle ear it hits the Tympanic Membrane (Ear Drum), this is a very tight thin piece of tissue which converts the sound wave into vibrations. The ear drum separates the outer ear with the ossicles, these are the three main bones in your ear. When the ear drum vibrates this causes the bones to move, the vibrations set the bones into motion passing the signal from one bone to the other. These tiny bones are called the Malleus (Hammer) directly connected to the ear drum, the Incus (Anvil) which is attached to the Malleus and finally the Stapes (Stirrup) which is attached to the Incus and is the smallest bone in the human body. The stapes is attached to the oval window, a membrane which is part of the cochlea and separates the middle ear from the inner ear. The inner ear is the most complex and detailed part, containing the main sensory organ called the cochlea. Its role is to convert the vibrations absorbed through the ossicles and passed through the oval window membrane into electrical impulses. The cochleas shape is a small spiralled tube resembling a snail shell, this is filled with fluid and miniscule hairs. The vibrations from the stirrup cause the oval window membrane to flex which in turn sets the fluid into motion, the moving fluid brushes across thousands of microscopic hair cells called cilia, These are tuned in to certain frequencies, higher frequencies by cillia located near to the oval window membrane and lower frequencies by cillia located at the apex of the cochlea. This allows it to act as a frequency spectrum analyser. The cillia convert the vibrations into electric nerve impulses sent to the brain by the auditory nerve which is then interpreted as sound. Psychoacoustic Phenomenon Psychoacoustics also needs to be considered when looking at the process of hearing as it examines the relationship between sound and the effect it has upon the brain. The Doppler Effect is an example of this. It â€Å"is the change in frequency of awave for an observer moving relative to the source of the wave.† For example, a car emitting a constant horn sound starts to approach you at speed as you are stood at the side of the road. As the car approaches you, the sound of the horn starts to get louder and higher in pitch. Once the car has passed you the sound of the horn starts to lower in pitch and decrease in volume. As the vehicle passes, sound waves from the horn are crowded together in front of the car, the crowded sound waves produce the relatively high pitch sound, as the car passes the sound waves are more spread out resulting in the relatively low pitch sound, as you can see on the diagram below The second phenomenon that can affect our perception is the Haas effect. If two sounds of equal frequency content and intensity are played from different directions, we will only hear the first one to arrive, and we will perceive only one sound coming from that direction. An example of this used in public address systems so that multiple speakers do not affect the perceived direction of the sound coming from the stage. Second part (also 750 words): Giving at least 2 significantly different examples, discuss why certain instruments sound the way they do, How do factors such as their physical construction and the method of playing affect their individual characteristcs and timbre? How does the harmonic series come into play, and how does this determine concepts such as scale and temperament Acoustic Guitar Construction and playing style A guitars construction is split in to three parts, the body, the neck and the head. The sound generating part can be found on the body and is called the soundboard. The soundboard has a large round hole in the centre called the sound hole. Also attached to the soundboard is a piece called the bridge, to which one end of the six strings are attached. The bridge has a thin, hard piece embedded into it called the saddle, which is the part that the strings rest against. When the strings are plucked, the vibrations travel through the saddle onto the bridge and then into the soundboard. The soundboard then vibrates. As the body of the guitar is hollow, these vibrations are amplified and emanate from the sound hole. Harmonic Series When a note is struck on a guitar the sound produced is a series of notes. The first harmonic, the fundamental is the loudest and lowest of the series. Along with that you are also hearing tones that accompany the fundamental and are responsible of making the guitar sound the way it does. Guitar harmonics are created when you lightly touch the string at specific positions and then pluck the string, when plucked the string vibrates at its fundamental frequency, also vibrating the integer multiples of the frequency as displayed on the diagram below: The performance of the guitar depends on the quality of the wooden soundboard. The Timbre of the can have a huge impact on the choice of wood, the way the wood is supported, the glue and even the varnish are all taken into consideration as this can have an effect on the sound of the guitar due to the quality of the sound produced DRUM A drum consists of a skin, a shell or body and a mechanism that holds the two pieces together. The skin of the drum is a flexible membrane, stretched tightly around the rim. Drum skins were originally made from animal skins but nowadays most use synthetic skins. The skin is held onto the rim in a variety of ways. Some use tacks or glue while others use ropes or adjustable metal brackets to attach the skin to the body. When a drum is struck, it makes a loud sharp sound followed by a rapidly decreasing tone. The sharp sound is called the attack, and it is made by a stick or hand banging onto the surface. The strike also pushes the drum head downwards. Because the drum head is elastic, it springs back up again with a lot of energy, causing it to go up higher than the position it started in. This causes it to spring back down again. The drum skin goes up and down very quickly, pushing air in front of it and creating the tone, sometimes known as the decay. Some drums, such as the snare, have a sharp attack with almost no tone. Others, like frame drums, have a more mild attack with a tone that goes on and on. The hair cells in the organ of Corti are tuned to certain sound frequencies, being responsive to high frequencies near the oval window and to low frequencies near the apex of the cochleaThe hair cells in the organ of Corti are tuned to certain sound frequencies, being responsive to high frequencies near the oval window and to low frequencies near the apex of the cochleaThe hair cells in the organ of Corti are tuned to certain sound frequencies, being responsive to high frequencies near the oval window and to low frequencies near the apex of the cochleaSecond part (also 750 words): Giving at least 2 significantly different examples, discuss why certain instruments sound the way they do, How do factors such as their physical construction and the method of playing affect their individual characteristcs and timbre? How does the harmonic series come into play, and how does this determine concepts such as scale and temperament Second part (also 750 words): Giving at least 2 significantly d ifferent examples, discuss why certain instruments sound the way they do, How do factors such as their physical construction and the method of playing affect their individual characteristcs and timbre? How does the harmonic series come into play, and how does this determine concepts such as scale and temperament Second part (also 750 words): Giving at least 2 significantly different examples, discuss why certain instruments sound the way they do, How do factors such as their physical construction and the method of playing affect their individual characteristcs and timbre? How does the harmonic series come into play, and how does this determine concepts such as scale and temperament Bottom of Form

Bass Pro Shops Business Analysis Essay -- Business Strategy Analysis

Primary Problems/Decisions to be made: Bass Pro shop started as an 8-foot-long display area in the back of a liquor store in 1971 and has expanded into a Fortune 500 company that employs over 8,800 employees and has annual sales estimating somewhere around $1.25 billion today. The question at hand is: should Bass Pro Shops continue to expand, and if so at what rate should they? The primary problems they might face when expanding are as follows. Could expansion hurt their brand image and if so how? The Competition outside of Missouri is going to be much greater. They will not have the publicity and brand recognition as they do in Missouri. Does Bass Pro have the financial resources in order to open new stores, if not then what are some options they can exercise? Will Negative publicity threaten their brand image as they continue to grow? Is the cost of overhead going to be too high initially for Bass Pro to expand at a fast rate, if so then at what rate should they expand yearly? These are all problems Bass Pro is going t o have to face in the future. Through research and extensive problem solving, they will be able to make an accurate decision on rather they should expand. II. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: 1. Brand image: a. Identification with consumer -Store brand name enables product to be accepted and adopted more easily by consumers because of brand recognition 2 Selective Distribution: a. Bass Pro is able to expand the product, name, and experience to a larger customer base without cannibalization of their company by setting a radius limit on how close their stores are built. b. They meet the needs of their target market by building their stores in closer proximity. 3. Unique Store Image: a. ... ... a high brand image; while, maintaining customer satisfaction with existing customers and breaking into new markets. Bass Pro is one of the largest U.S. retailing chains of outdoor sporting goods and has an image to uphold, not only with its name but with its products. Maintaining customer satisfaction with existing customers keeps them loyal. Breaking into new markets helps the company grow and brings in new customers, which leads to higher profit margins. Objectives: 1. Open two stores each year for the next five years. a. Expand at least two of those stores in western states 2. Increase sales by 25% to $1.5 billion in the next 4 years 3. Increase sales to current customers by 5% each year by using innovative technology in order to find more efficient ways to distribute and manufacture our products leading to more competitive pricing.

Why Support the Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act

For the past years, health and health care have transformed to become the dominant economic and political issues in the United States and many other countries. Because most nations have experienced rapid rises in health care spending over the past 30 years, governments have assisted patients in their countries because the cost is simply becoming unaffordable for them.During the earlier times, provision of health care was a relatively simple matter. Doctors carried most of the equipment they used in a black bag and the same doctor was likely to attend a patient for most, or all, of her or his life. During those days the range of medical and surgical interventions was quite modest. Today, sophisticated diagnostic technology complements an extensive array of medical and surgical options making medical care a very complex, highly specialized, and costly commodity.One of the most alarming diseases that had burdened American people is kidney failure. According to a U.S. Newswire report (16 March 2005),   approximately 400,000 Americans currently suffer from kidney failure and of those, around 300,000 require dialysis several times a week, for an average of 3.5 hours per session. At the current rate of new cases — many the results of diabetes, obesity and hypertension — the number of patients is expected to quadruple to more than 2.2 million by the year 2030. Many experts recommended that early detection and better disease management is regarded as the best means to delay the onset of kidney failure.Definitely, kidney function is essential for life. Once a person’s own kidneys fail, some form of treatment is necessary if they are to go on living. Currently, there are two forms of treatment – dialysis (in which the kidney function is taken over by artificial means) and transplantation (in which another person’s kidney is used instead). Successful treatment – by dialysis or a transplant – now gives people with kidney fa ilure a new lease of life, sometimes for many years (Stein 2002, p. 122).However, death can be inevitable. Patients and families usually want to know how long a person can survive with untreated end-stage kidney failure. This too is variable, depending on the extent to which their old kidneys are working – and therefore the amount of urine that they pass. The kidneys may be able to get rid of some excess fluid, but unable to process waste products such as creatinine and urea, or salts such as potassium. It is the build-up of these substances in the blood (especially the potassium) that usually leads to death. This is why dialysis represents the success of our knowledge and skill in conquering a kidney illness. Dialysis is all about life. And, it could cost an insurmountable amount of money when someone goes to dialysis three times a week for the rest of his or her lifeIndeed, there is an immediate need to improve the government’s program that provides dialysis care for those with kidney failure. This is why the members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate introduced bipartisan legislation to update the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program, which 75 percent of the nation's dialysis patients rely on to live.This is called The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005, sponsored by Senators Rick Santorum and Kent Conrad, and Representatives William Jefferson and Dave Camp. This legislation would update Medicare's composite rate for ESRD — which does not automatically adjust for inflationary increases — as well as provide for important education and preventative programs to help stem the rising tide of kidney failure in the United States (U.S. Newswire, 16 March 2005).The primary reason for health care is to prevent or cure diseases or attend to people with chronic or terminal illnesses. It may be possible, however, for health care costs to undermine the soundness of what our pockets can afford, and such an eventuality would be und esirable. Hence, a pressing issue entails how to achieve a situation in which expensive medical care can continue to be available while, at the same time, the total cost of health care is scaled back so as to keep this cost in line with the overall rate of skyrocketing prices.For instance, Talladega in Alabama has only two dialysis units and there are almost 100 patients that cramp the two units. With The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 patients will be assured for better care among patients stricken with kidney disease through improvements in Medicare and enhanced education programs, which would prevent numbers in Talladega County from growing any more. Although the act currently sits in a Senate committee awaiting approval, that’s not stopping local doctors from offering warnings to at-risk patients.Ghayas Habash, a nephrologist, said that the main thing people need is to get the message across to people at risk for kidney failure, those with diabetes, hyper tension, black people and those with a family history. If only we address these people aggressively, we can prevent a lot of kidney failure (Casciaro, 18 August 2005).True enough, medical costs have more than doubled over the last decade, and health insurance premiums have risen nearly five times faster than wages. Americans are spending far more on health care than residents of any other industrialized country while receiving lower-quality care overall. Meanwhile, big U.S. businesses that provide health coverage to workers complain that the high costs are crippling their ability to compete with companies abroad whose workers get government-subsidized care.The Bush administration is encouraging consumers to switch to consumer-directed health plans, whose high co-payments would force them to shop for more cost-effective care. But critics argue that individuals can do little to control costs. Instead, they argue, the plans would primarily benefit the wealthy and that society must make hard choices about which care should be paid for by public and private dollars (Clemmit, 7 April 2006).The overwhelming amount of health care purchased in the United States is paid for by the government through Medicare and Medicaid or by privately owned health-insurance companies. Both Medicare-Medicaid and health insurance firms employ personnel, process claims, and issue payments. Their procedures and personnel are expensive and add to the cost of health care without actual medical benefit to anyone.Proposals have been made to dismantle the so-called third party infrastructure and change to a single-payer system in which government would provide and pay for health care. Taxes would be adjusted to cover the costs and administrative bureaucracy would be kept to a minimum so as to maximize efficiency. While a single-payer system has obvious merits, a national consensus in favor of such a system has not emerged. Thus, the problem of health care dollars paying for administrative infr astructure remains, and there is no clear indication as to how to resolve it.For kidney patients, The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 is long overdue because dialysis is not an option but a necessity for them to continue living. This legislation modernizes the Medicare ESRD program by: ·    creating public and patient education initiatives to increase awareness about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and to help patients learn self-management skills; ·      ensuring patient quality through improvements in the ESRD payment system, including establishing an annual update framework and evaluating the effect of the new Physician Fee Schedule G-code visit requirements; ·      providing Medicare coverage for CKD education services for Medicare-eligible patients; ·    establishing an outcomes-based ESRD reimbursement demonstration project; ·    aligning incentives for physician surgical reimbursement for dialysis access to promote quality and lower costs;  ·      establishing a uniform training for patient care dialysis technicians; and ·    improving ESRD coverage by removing barriers to home dialysis and creating an ESRD Advisory Committee (RPA Website, 2006).Some critics have argue about the use of CKD education. In deeper analysis, CKD education is very crucial because people need to know the things about it prior to developing kidney failure but there is no funding for education that could have helped prolong your kidney function. This Act will be beneficial not only for CKD patients, but also for people who may be at risk. This act will definitely enable people that you (or your loved one) can get more treatments. With the current policy, most people cannot avail the dialysis they need because Medicare doesn't pay for more than 3 treatments a weekAs quality of care is everyone’s privilege, Medicare reimbursement should be updated annually for dialysis clinics just like it is for other providers. Medicare's low reimbursement could result to employer health plans paying more than their share and private companies have to pay higher. This would be a heavy burden for people with CKF because they need to pay higher premiums or their health coverage is reduced, or sometimes employees with CKF or employees that have dependents with CKF have the risk to lose their jobs because of the high costs on their part.Kidney patients need life-saving treatments that need to be improved because their lives are on the line and it is sapping them out of their funds because of the costs. Enacting Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 should therefore be prioritized and Congress should not think twice. Everything should be done to help CKF patients combat this lethal disease, and support them with all our efforts to get better treatments before it is too lateReferencesClemmitt, M. (2006, April 7). Rising health costs. CQ Researcher, 16, 289-312. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from CQ Researcher Online, http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2006040700.Renal Physicians Association (RPA). (2006). The Kidney Care Quality and Improvement Act of 2005 Bill #S.635. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from RPA Website at http://capwiz.com/renalmd/issues/bills/?bill=7319331&size=fullStein, A. (2002). Kidney Failure Explained. London: Class Publishing.U.S. Newswire. (2005, March 16). Members of Congress Announce Bipartisan Legislation to Update, Improve Kidney Care Quality and Ensure Access to Dialysis. Retrieved September 12, 2006 at http://www.prnewswire.com/products-services/reach-us-media-bloggers.htmlpublic-interest-newslines-2.htmlGetRelease.asp?id=44507

Project Definition essays

Project Definition essays Located at the heart of Beulah Bog County and established in 1990, Exodus Twp. currently has a population of three hundred. The township is faced with the problem of enticing businesses and residents to their locale. Previous residents and businesses vacated their homes and store fronts due to high taxes and crime rates. Since the current Administration has been in office the crime rates have dropped to acceptable levels and the operating budget has been streamlined in addition to being balanced enabling the Trustees to reduce taxes. The Board of Trustees, Perkins, Hardy and Markham, want to reach prospective businesses and residents through the Internet, but do not have a web page for the township. With the absence of any Intra/Internet in place, the new Trustees cannot efficiently develop or support a web page. Once this web page is implemented, prospective residents and businesses can make contact with the Trustees and voice their concerns and opinions of current policies and prac tices. They will also have twenty-four hours access to their representatives and services. The objective of the township is to have this web page operational by the beginning of the next physical year, November 2002. The Township Trustees are setting aside $10,000 dollars for the development of the web page. Once the web page has been designed and implemented the townships Data-Processing Unit will be responsible for the maintenance. The township is faced with the risks of this project not being completed within set budget limits and time frame. They are also faced with the possibility that the web page will not draw the potential businesses and residents to their location. The purpose of the Exodus Township web-page is to attract people to the fine living available in their community. It should also attract businesses as well. ...