Influences of the Afghani Culture Essay

Imagine living in a country which is completely different from Canada. The lifestyle of this country will be very different from what you are accustomed to. And the culture will be more different. There are many cultures around the world. Each culture has different beliefs and expectations. The lifestyles of people in these cultures are all influenced by the culture. Based on the novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the Afghani culture imposes restrictions on the characters in the novel, consequently resulting in a negative impact on their lives. The Afghani culture inflicts restrictions on relationships, career choices, and household activities. Relationships are an aspect of the characters lives which is restricted by the Afghani Culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people should only marry within their own status: â€Å"People scoffed that [he] would never marry well- after all, he was not of royal blood† (Hosseini 16). Thus, due to the cultural influence, marriages between others of a different status are often forbidden. Royalty only weds royalty, poor only weds poor, and people in merchant families only wed people in other merchant families. Henceforth, a negative impact is imposed upon the characters, Baba and Rahim Khan, as they are not allowed to marry whoever they want. Even if marriage with a person of lower status occurred, the spouse â€Å"‘would have suffered, [the] family would have never accepted them an equal. You don’t order someone to polish your shoes one day, then call them ‘sister’ [or ‘brother’] the next’† (Hosseini 105). Furthermore, the relationship between the two castes, the Hazaras and the Pashtuns, are influenced by the Afghani culture, as the Hazaras are considered a lower caste by the Pashtuns: â€Å"[T]he reason Pashtuns had oppresse[d] the Hazaras, was that Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras were Shi’a† (Hosseini 9). The cultural belief of the Hazaras being an unworthy caste results in restrictions of relationships between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns. Many Hazaras are almost never able to have a positive relationship with Pashtuns, instead they â€Å"have often been persecuted for their distinctive ethnicity and religious beliefs† (â€Å"Hazara†). Therefore, negative consequences are imposed on the Hazaras as they are often faced with a high level of hatred and a low level of respect. In the novel, Ali and Hassan, father and son who are Hazaras, are frequently bullied and teased by many of the Pashtuns in the community. The career choices of the characters in the novel are limited due to the Afghani culture. In the Afghani culture, people believe that people will be more successful in the same career path as their family: â€Å"People were always doubting him. They told Baba that running a business wasn’t in his blood and [that] he should study law like his father† (Hosseini 16). Thus due to the cultural belief of following your family’s career path, people in this culture are often restricted from choosing a career of which they truly desire. If someone was to follow a specific career path which matched their interests but was completely different from the careers of their family, they will be often pressured into not following their dreams. Hence, a negative impact is imposed on people in these situations as they are not able to follow their dreams and do what they wish to do. Similarly, in the novel, Baba’s wishes to become a business man were discouraged and pinned down by his loved ones as it was not a similar career to rest of his family’s. Furthermore, due to the strong discrimination of Hazaras in the Afghani culture, Hazaras will always be servants and cooks: â€Å"What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He’ll never be anything but a cook† (Hosseini 37). The discrimination in the Afghani culture restricts Hazaras from getting a job other than as a servant or a cook. They will be born into servant families and grow up to be servants and that is how it will always be. Following their dream career paths is restricted by the Afghani culture as they do not have a choice of what career they want. The negative impact, as a result of this cultural restriction, is that Hazaras are never going receive the opportunity of having a career other than a servant or cook. They are always going to be burdened with the fact that they are going to be servants and cooks and nothing else. In the novel, even though Hassan, who is a Hazara, had dreams of having a successful career, he has â€Å"accepted the fact that he’d grow old in that mud shack in the yard as a servant, the way his father had† (Hosseini 62), due to the cultural restrictions in the Afghani culture. Household activities are limited and very specific due to the Afghani culture. There are specific activities which are believed to be sins in the Afghani culture such as drinking because â€Å"Islam consider[s it] to be a terrible sin; those who dr[i]nk would answer for their sin on the day of Qiyamat; judgement day† (Hosseini, 17). The cultural belief of specific activities being sins restricts people from performing these activities. These activities do not only include drinking but other activities as well and therefore many activities are restricted. Therefore, a negative impact is imposed on the people of this culture as they are not able to do some activities, even though might want to. Even if someone was to go against the culture, they would have to do the activity in secrecy or face negative attitudes from everyone else. Additionally in the novel, Baba drank even though it was considered a cultural sin and he received many negative comments from the people surrounding him. Moreover, in the Afghani culture, there are specific guidelines on what food can be eaten and how it should be prepared; â€Å"Baba had hand-picked the sheep again this year†¦ The mullah recites the prayer†¦ The custom is to divide the meat in thirds†¦ The custom in to not let the sheep see the knife. Ali feeds the animal a cube of sugar – another custom to make death sweeter†¦ The mullah grabs it under its jaws and places the blade on its neck†¦ before he slices the throat in one expert motion† (Hosseini, 81). These guidelines restrict the people of this culture of eating specific food. All of their food must be a specific food prepared a specific way because â€Å"the common Islamic food prohibitions are respected in Afghanistan. For example meat is only eaten from animals that are slaughtered according to the Islamic law† (â€Å"Culture of Afghanistan†). Therefore they cannot eat all foods. They are negatively influenced by this cultural belief as they are not allowed to eat whatever they want. They must always make sure they are following the specific food prohibitions and therefore they are not able to try different foods. The Afghani culture imposes restrictions on relationships, career choices and household activities. Overall, many negative impacts of the characters in the novel, The Kite Runner, have occurred as a result of the restrictions placed upon them by the Afghani culture. Although the restrictive attributes of the Afghani culture has a negative impact on the people, it is those same attributes which make it unique from other cultures.

Life in the Iron Mills

. Life is Not Merely a Coincidence â€Å"Theatre of the Absurd† is designated for plays of absurdist fiction and refers to the avant-garde theatre of a loosely associated group of dramatists such as, Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, and Albee who first emerged during and after World War 11. The plays express the belief that â€Å"in a godless universe human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down† (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). Logical construction and argument gives way to irrational and illogical speech and to its ultimate conclusion which is silence. Absurdist theatre is often called a reaction to realism, as instead of conforming to the concept of real life, absurdist sought to provide an unmistakably unreal experience. The absurd dramatist relates to existentialism and the philosophical approach in understanding human existence and experiences. Existentialism is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own choices and actions. Hence, people are not victims of circumstances as there is the freedom of choice. In an absurdist play, time and settings are generally ambiguous, if they are even defined at all. The characters are not meant to mimic real people, but instead are often â€Å"metaphorical or archetypal† (Britannica Online Encyclopedia). Absurdism is a form of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence by employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing situations, and plots that lack realistic or logical development. The guiding principle of absurdism is to look at the world without any assumption of purpose and its usefulness is it exists without prejudices or specificity. As it is equally alien to everyone, Absurdism is meant to be accessible to everyone. One of the common misconceptions of theatre of the absurd plays is that nothing makes sense. On the contrary, the characters in absurdism tend to behave in a serious way, reacting realistically to the bizarre occurrences of their environment. The protagonists of Endgame by Samuel Beckett, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, and Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco are all overwhelmed by the irrational nature of their respective environments and the general effect they share is a nightmare and dreamlike atmosphere that is their existence involving the forces of hope, truth, identity, reality, alienation, meaning, and human existence; all of which are forces they are struggling against. The idea of the Endgame is taken from the game of chess where the concept designates the last, and entirely predictable, stage of a game, the end. The play portrays a universe which is nearing its end. Hamm and Clov both are the protagonists in Beckett’s one-act play, Endgame. Hamm is the chess King, paralyzed and wheelchair bound, who moves only when he makes demand for Clov to service him â€Å"get me ready, I am going to bed† (391) or â€Å"I feel a little too far to the left / Now I feel a little too far to the right† (399). Clov is his submissive Knight who staggers around erratically submitting to Hamm’s every whim. Hamm controls everything and everyone while having absolutely no control over himself or his environment. Frustration and anger dictates his existence as he sees the end all humanity seem to be moving towards is both uncertain and elusive, and he is terrified. Hamm channels his anger at God by shouting â€Å"The bastard! He doesn’t exist! † (Levy 410). The forces of a meaningless existence, reality, and Armageddon are the forces Hamm and Clov struggles against. Both are starving for identity and a healthy relationship with others but it is an impossible feat. They want to preserve their own unique identity, but it is necessary for both to relate to the outside world and nature to develop a true identity. Hamm and Clov are confined in a depressing, stagnant, bare, and dismal vacuum of their environment located partially underground, and their relationship with nature is nonexistent as Beckett reveals â€Å"nature has forgotten us / There’s no more nature† Levy 393). Since both fail to develop an identity the result is a failure to establish a healthy mature relationship with each other. Outside all seems dead, barren, and nothing occurs as Hamm states â€Å"outside of here it’s death† (393). Inside, Hamm and Clov, his caretaker is passing the time mortifying each other and toying with fears and illusions of a possible change that will never occur. Clov indicates â€Å"I can’t be punished anymore† (390) when he reflects on his life with Hamm. In return Hamm declares that he is miserable, â€Å"can there be misery—loftier than mine? † (391). Hamm is attracted to whatever light there is in the gray world and constantly asks Clov to push him under the window so he can feel the light on his face. Light is used as a symbol of hope and life which expresses many of the nuances of Hamm’s personality. Hamm is cursed with darkness and he wants Clov to share the same miserable fate so he continuously antagonizes him. The antagonist is at times Hamm as well as the environment and death. The antagonist death will ultimately prevail and win the chess game. Clov and Hamm are in the â€Å"endgame† of their life and death lurks around the corner. Endgame is the term used to describe an ending in chess where the outcome is already known. The chess endgame parallels the final stages of life. Hamm and Clov will succumb to death regardless of how the game is played. They are stuck in a perpetual loop that never allows final closure. Hamm claims he wants to be â€Å"finished† (410), but admits that he hesitates to do so. He has no answers to the basic existential questions of why he is alive, why he has to die, and why is injustice in his miserable, suffering, and empty existence. Just as death cannot arrive to seal off life, neither can Hamm or Clove escape to close the book of one existence and open another. The Zoo Story by Edward Albee is more anchored in reality than most typical works in the genre of Theatre of the Absurd. The drama is a confrontation between middle-class America and the outcasts of society, Peter and Jerry. Albee presents the setting in a simple structure in New York’s Central Park consisting of two park benches. The play never changes, and the action unfolds in a linear manner, from beginning to end. There are three overriding themes in the short one-act play. They are absurdity versus reality, alienation and loneliness, and wealth and poverty. The protagonist is Peter, a complacent publishing executive of middle age and upper-middle income. He is a conventional family man with morals, mainstream social values, and financial stability. Peter is contending with forces of loneliness, hope, identity, and meaning in his life. Marriage, his cage, and life in general has not played out the way Peter anticipates as his household is female-dominated and he is forced to comply with the desires of his wife. He desires to be freed from the cage and the zoo of his life as Albee shows Who better than a nice married man with two daughters and†¦a dog? [Peter shakes his head] No? Two dogs. [Peter shakes his head again] Hm. No dogs? [Peter shakes his head sadly] Oh, that’s a shame. But you look like an animal man. CATS? [Peter nods his head, ruefully] Cats! But, that can’t be your idea. No, sir. Your wife and daughters? [Peter nods his head] Is there anything else I should know? (549) Jerry, the antagonist is an aggressive, dysfunctional, lonely, disheveled thirty something man in search of human interaction who also yearns to be released from his cage. Jerry is in a personal conflict with his sexuality and Peter is dealing with his emasculation. The distinctions being, Jerry is a social outcast who is free spirited and morally obligated. He is a free man in respect to Peter restrained life. Jerry is in a search of meaning and his struggle is to find his purpose in life. Without the purpose he seeks his life is meaningless and he chooses death to end it all. Peter is a template of American societal male and is a caged animal. Through the serious failed conversation and misrepresentation of the act of love, Jerry begins his life experiment to see if the middle class are animals after all. The lives of both Peter and Jerry is forever altered when they encounter each other on that faithful day and The Zoo Story highlights what happens when one character enters the life of another and rapidly changes it forever. Neither character prevailed in the drama with the violent conclusion of the psychological attack by retreat by Jerry when he tries to teach Peter the nature of human existence and relationships. Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco explores issues of chaos while arriving at a clear message about the chaos. Despite the wild themes and constant activity in the play, a structure and a plot does move forward. Ionesco challenges the point of life and rational nature of humans and forces humanity to challenge to understand ourselves and our actions. The protagonist is Berenger, an everyman who has strong moral character and individuality. The force he has to contend with is the decision to be an individualistic or conform because the masses have succumbed. He is not so different from everyone else in many respects, however, his strength of self and individualism is highlighted when he resists the call to conformity when he says â€Å"But they won’t get me / You won’t get me! † (Levy 469). Berenger chooses to be alone and to give rationality another try. The question becomes is he being true to himself or not? Is human condition one more of rationality or irrationality? To what degree should one resist the pull to conformity, and to what degree should one capitulate to the ways of the world? The antagonist is the ruling government and Nazism and the protagonist Tom prevailed by standing for what he believes even though at times he doubts his decision. Life is full of challenges faced on a daily basis. The many circumstances of life test the human existence, identity, hope, truth, and alienation among many other. Existentialism is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own actions and choices. Humans are not victims of circumstances as the freedom of choice is a reality. One gets to make conscious choices when faced with challenges in life. The primary difference between the Theatre of the Absurd and existentialism is that while existentialism recommends a certain type of response to the apparent failure of the human condition, the works of Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, and Albee makes points without providing any integrated human solution. If the nature of man is partly or mostly irrational, the Theatre of the Absurd expresses the absurdity of human life in a relatable fashion. Works Cited â€Å"Electronic Encyclopedia. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2011 Web. 11 Nov. 2011 . Levy, Walter. Modern Drama: Selected Plays from 1879 to the Present. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. Print.

Analysing data production

Analysing data production The process of research is not only about learning and discovering, but also about sharing these discoveries with others, so that society as a whole can benefit from the efforts put in by the individual. When it comes to complex academic concepts, the choice of words for how a concept is described can make a difference to how well it is understood by others , especially when moving between research domains.    Hence we make such use of metaphors and analogies when it comes to describing complex concepts. Tying a concept (for example, quantum superposition) to a real world â€Å"thing† (for example, a cat in a box ) allows people unfamiliar with the original concept to connect it with something they have experience of, and provides a foundation which can be elaborated on. If, upon further examination, it is found that the analogy gets stretched beyond all reason, then that is acceptable, as long as those using it don’t simply rely on it as an article of blind faith. Analogies and metaphors require critical thinking. Scientific concepts are formulated in human language, and as such, are intended to be processed by the human brain (even if that brain needs to be highly trained before it can properly grasp the concepts being described). Scientific data, on the other hand, is designed to be machine consumable (as well as predominantly machine produced). Measurements are often not useful without the context surrounding them. It is one thing to know that a particular river level rose by 10cm. It is only by knowing where this happened, how high the river was to begin with, and how high the rise would have to be at that location to flood the houses built there, that we are able to put the data into context, and make it useful. Yet we still need that data. If a homeowner who got flooded wished to claim on their insurance for flood repairs, having that data and context available means they’d have proof that it was river flooding that caused the damage, rather than a burst pipe. We also need to have the research data which underpins key research findings available and understandable, both for reproducibility and to prevent fraud/misuse. Making data usable by others takes effort and time and is often unrewarded by the current system for gaining academic credit. Metaphors and Analogies â€Å"No one metaphor satisfies enough key data system attributes and that multiple metaphors need to co-exist in support of a healthy data ecosystem†(Parsons Fox, 2013) Data publication as a metaphor has been addressed extensively in (Parsons Fox, 2013), leading to the quote above. But before we dive into examples of metaphor and analogy in the data domain, it is helpful to review what they mean. From (Gentner Jeziorski, 1993): ‘Analogy can he viewed as a kind of highly selective similarity. In processing analogy, people implicitly focus on certain kinds of commonalities and ignore others. Imagine a bright student reading the analogy â€Å"a cell is like a factory.† She is unlikely to decide that cells are buildings made of brick and steel. Instead she might guess that, like a factory, a cell takes in resources to keep itself operating and to generate its products. This focus on common relational abstractions is what makes analogy illuminating.’ (Gentner Jeziorski, 1993) p448 This action of focussing on some commonalities and ignoring others is crucial when using analogies to illustrate scientific concepts. We can produce an analogy that â€Å"a dataset is like a book†. Commonalities include that both contain information, in a structured and formatted way, which is consumable by a user, and both are the product of sustained effort, potentially from a wide range of actors. The differences between them make it just as easy to say â€Å"a dataset is not like a book†, in that a dataset can be constantly changing; may not be a physical, but a virtual object; mostly isn’t designed for humans to read unassisted ; and often a dataset isn’t a self-contained unit (as it requires extra information and metadata to make it understandable and usable). Obviously, it is possible to push analogies too far, and have them break. This is more likely to happen when users of the analogy don’t have a good understanding of each of the two things being compared. In the (Gentner Jeziorski, 1993) quote above, if the student didn’t have any other concept of what a cell was, she could easily imagine that they were tiny buildings made of bricks and steel, and the analogy used would do nothing to correct that misapprehension. It’s also important to remember that analogy is not causation – if two phenomena are analogous, it does not imply that one causes the other. Types of metaphor and real world scientific examples: Data Publication Data publication, as a metaphor, came about as a result of the drive for researchers to publish as many works as possible in as many high impact journals as possible, and the need for those involved in creating datasets to be given recognition for their work, and their efforts to make the data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. This resulted in pressure to squeeze all research outputs into shapes that resemble publications, hence the proliferation of the data journal, a place where researchers can publish a paper about their dataset, linked via permanent identifier to the dataset itself (stored in a trustworthy repository). The data paper then can be cited and used as a proxy for the dataset when reporting the importance and impact of the researcher’s work. A real-world example of a dataset that has been published in a data journal is the Global Broadcast Service (GBS) datasets (Callaghan et al., 2013), measurements from a radio propagation dataset investigating how rain and clouds impact signal levels from a geosynchronous satellite beacon at radio frequencies of 20.7 GHz. The data streams linked to the paper, and which the paper describes in detail, are the result of a definite, discrete experiment, resulting in a well-defined, discrete and fully completed dataset, which will not change in the future. The dataset has been through two levels of quality assurance: the first was performed on ingestion into CEDA , where the file formats were standardised and metadata was checked and completed. The second level of quality assurance was performed as part of the scientific peer review process carried out when the data paper and dataset were submitted to the Geoscience Data Journal for review and publication. As this dataset is complete, well-documented and quality assured, it can be considered to be a first-class, reference-able, scientific artefact. There are other peer-reviewed journal articles which use the GBS data as the basis for their results, see for example (Callaghan et al., 2008) . However, datasets can be discrete, complete, well-defined and permanently available without the need for the proxy of a data paper, or any other publication attached to them. This is of particular value when it comes to publishing negative results, or data that don’t support the hypothesis they were collected to verify, but may be useful for testing other hypotheses. These types of datasets are possibly the closest thing we have to the â€Å"dataset as a book† analogy, and therefore are the easiest to fit into the data publication mould. Unfortunately, many other datasets do not fit in with this shape. Many datasets are dynamic, and are modified or added to as time progresses. Then there are issues with granularity – some researchers may only need a subset of a larger dataset for their work, but need to accurately and permanently identify that subset. Citing at the level of every one of the subsets results in reference lists that are long and unwieldy, and can make it difficult to find the subset required in a long list of very similarly named datasets. For text based items, such as books and articles, tools exist to compare text from one instance of an article to another, allowing the reader to be sure that the contents of two instances are the same, regardless of the format they are in (for example, an article in hard copy in a journal as compared with a pdf). We currently do not have a way of evaluating the scientific equivalence of datasets regardless of their format. The ease with which it’s possible to modify datasets (and not track the changes made) also means that it can be very hard to tell which dataset is the canonical, original version, or even what the differences are. Data publication can work very well as a metaphor, but users must be aware that it really is only applicable to the subset of datasets which can be made complete, well-documented, well-defined, discrete and quality controlled. Big Iron (industrialised data production) Big Iron, as defined in (Parsons Fox, 2013) typically deals with massive volumes of data that are relatively homogenous and well defined but highly dynamic and with high throughput. It is an industrialised process, relying on large, sophisticated, well-controlled, technical infrastructures, often requiring supercomputing centres, dedicated networks, substantial budgets, and specialized interfaces. An example of this is the data from the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, but in the Earth Sciences, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP) are another. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) regularly issues Assessment Reports, detailing the current state of the art of climate models, and their predictions for future climate change. These reports are supported by the data from the climate model runs performed as part of CMIP. Each CMIP is an international collaboration, where climate modelling centres around the world run the same experiments on their different climate models, collect and document the data in standard ways and make it all available for the wider community to use, via custom built web portals. CMIP5, the most recent complete CMIP, resulted in datasets totalling over 2 PB of data. As this data is the foundation for the IPCC assessment and recommendations, it is vital that the data is stored and archived properly . Dealing with these data volumes requires not only custom built infrastructure, but also standards for file and metadata formats (e.g. NetCDF, CF Conventions, CMOR, etc.). Collecting the metadata describing the experiments that were run to create the datasets alone took several weeks’ worth of effort, and several years of effort to design and build the CMIP5 questionnaire which collected the metadata (Guilyardi et al, 2013). The industrialised production of data is likely to increase over the next years, given the increased ability of researchers to create and manage big data. The opposite of this analogy is also valid in many cases, as described in the next section. Artist’s studio (small scale data production, unique and non-standard output) Similar to Big Iron, this analogy focusses on the method of production of a dataset, rather than the dataset itself. The artist studio analogy covers the long tail of data produced by small groups or even single researchers, working in relative isolation. Artist studios generally produce one-of-a-kind pieces, which may have standard shapes and forms (e.g. oil paintings) but may equally come in non-standard shapes, sizes and materials (e.g. sculptures, video and audio installations, performance art etc.) The aim is to produce something of use/interest to a consumer, even if they are part of a limited domain. Similarly, it’s often not easy, or even possible to share the outputs of the studio (it is possible to make copies/prints of paintings, and smaller models of sculptures, but other objects of art, like Damien Hirst’s famous shark in formaldehyde (Hirst, 1991) are nearly impossible to reproduce ). Datasets produced by small research groups follow this analogy. The emphasis is on the production of the finished product, sometimes with the supporting documentation and metadata being neglected, due to lack of time, effort and potentially interest on the part of the creator. If the dataset is only aimed at a small user group, then the metadata is provided as jargon, or users are simply assumed to have a sufficient level of background knowledge. Sharing the data is often not considered, as for the researchers, holding the only copy of the data makes it more valuable, and therefore more likely that they’ll receive extra funding. An example â€Å"artist studio† is the Chilbolton Facility for Atmospheric and Radio Research (CFARR) . It is a small facility, located in Hampshire, UK, with approximately 6 permanent staff, who collectively build, maintain and run a selection of meteorological and radio research instruments. In recent years, the focus of the facility has been on collaborations with other research groups in universities and other research centres. Previously the facility had been more focussed on radio research, and as such had developed its own data format for the instruments it built, rather than tying in with existing community standards. Similarly, the data was stored on a variety of servers, with a bespoke tape backup system. When CFARR’s funding structure changed, pressure was put on the staff to archive all new data and the majority of existing data in CEDA. This made it easier for the facility staff, in that they no longer needed to maintain servers or the backup system, but it made things harder in that effort was needed to convert the data files to netCDF, and to collect and agree on the metadata that should accompany them. The culture change to move from the artist studio model to a more standardised and collaborative model took effort and time, and should not be underestimated. Science Support Science support is what CEDA do on an operational, everyday basis. Even though we’re not directly (or physically) embedded in a research organisation , we interact with researchers and research centres on a regular basis to ensure that the processes for data ingestion are carried out smoothly and efficiently. For data centres embedded in a research centre, data management can be seen as a component of the broader â€Å"science support† infrastructure of the lab or the project, equivalent to facilities management, field logistics, administrative support, systems administration, equipment development, etc. In our case, CEDA concentrates on data management, and providing services to make it and use of data easier for the researcher. Different data centres will have different ways of providing science support to their core user base. For example, an institutional data repository, responsible for all the data being produced by, for example, a university, will have datasets which are non-standardised and are usually geared towards a specific set of intended uses and local reuse in conjunction with other local data. In terms of the â€Å"artist studio† analogy, an institutional repository is like an art gallery or museum, where different datasets will have different data management requirements. By contrast CEDA, which has multiple PB of data in the archives, must standardise in terms of file formats, metadata models etc., hence moving towards a more â€Å"Big Iron† metaphor. In common with institutional repositories, CEDA also focusses on managing data (and sometimes merging datasets to create more useful resources) in order to meet the needs of our user community, which is international in scope and covers a wide range of users, from schoolchildren, to policy makers, to field researchers and theoreticians. Map Making Map making as a metaphor refers to the final representation of the data, and the process of putting the data into a context, primarily geographical. Maps also help to define the boundaries of what is known, and what isn’t. Though data presented in this way tend to be fixed in time, maps are useful for showing dynamical datasets, or time slices through complex multidimensional processes, e.g. the four dimensional structures of clouds/rain changing in time. The results of map making, the maps themselves, are datasets in their own right, and so need to be treated in the same way as other datasets with regard to preservation, metadata etc. The act of plotting some parameter on a geographical map results in a well-standardised structure for intercomparison and visualisation. Linked Data The â€Å"data† in Linked Data are defined extremely broadly and are envisioned as small, independent things with specific names (URIs) interconnected through defined semantic relationships (predicates) using model and language standards (e.g. the Resource Description Framework, RDF). It has a major emphasis on Open Data, as linked data focuses on enabling the interoperability of data and capitalising on the interconnected nature of the Internet. Linked data isn’t commonly used for dealing with scientific data, but instead, is predominantly used in our metadata, where we have complete focus on preservation, curation and quality, unlike other linked datasets available elsewhere. Using linked data for metadata structures does require standardisation and agreement on the formal semantics and ontologies. Linked data is very flexible, and lends itself well to distributed and interdisciplinary connections, provided the formal semantics can be agreed to be applicable across multiple domains. Linked data as a concept unfortunately hasn’t fully permeated the research environment as yet – many scientific researchers don’t understand the semantics (and have little interest in them). Linked data is often used as a support structure for Big Iron. The Cloud: â€Å"x as a service† There is an argument that the mechanisms for data publication should be invisible, and data should be accessible and understandable without any prior knowledge. Cloud services such as Dropbox allow users to store their data, and access them from any web browser, or mobile app, provided they have an internet connection. â€Å"Data as a service† ties in with â€Å"software as a service†, in that the users only take the data they need at any given moment, and in some cases may not even download it, instead using dedicated computing resources elsewhere to perform the manipulations needed on the data. An example of this is JASMIN , a system that provides petascale storage and cloud computing for big data challenges in environmental science. JASMIN provides flexible data access to users, allowing them to collaborate in self-managing group workspaces. JASMIN brings compute and data together to enable models and algorithms to be evaluated alongside curated archive data, and for data to be shared and evaluated before being deposited in the permanent archive. Data, in this context, aren’t the fixed and complete products described in other analogies, but instead are more fluid and dynamic. Still, once the datasets are deposited in the permanent archive, they become fixed products, and are citeable and publishable. Providing significant resources for data manipulation is undoubtedly useful, but the focus with this system is on the service, not necessarily on the data. The data however, is the backbone of the system – there is no point having the service without the data and the users who want to analyse it. Conclusions It goes without saying that all analogies are wrong, but some are useful, and hence should come with a health warning – especially when following an analogy to the furthest reaches of its logic can result in sheer absurdity . When dealing with data, just like in life, there is no all-encompassing metaphor for what we do. Instead, metaphors and analogies should be used in ways to illuminate and clarify, but we should always remember that metaphors are useful tools for thinking about things, but can also limit how we think about things. (Ball, 2011). Pushing an analogy so far that it breaks can be a useful process, in that it helps determine the limits of understanding, especially as part of an ongoing conversation. Finally, for this essay, the author would like to leave the reader with some very appropriate words from (Polya, 1954, page 15): â€Å"And remember, do not neglect vague analogies. But if you wish them respectable, try to clarify them.†

Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ghana - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the first reason provided is the existence of a free media in both broadcast and print. Ghana’s radio stations actively engage their political class by holding the government accountable and demanding for transparent elections. Ghana also has vibrant and vigilant NGO’s and civil society groups which promote a variety of issues such as combating corruption and good governance.As the discussion stresses  the existence of these groups is made possible by the country’s freedoms of expression, association, and movement. The maturing of political leaders in Ghana has also contributed to the country’s rise to the top of the peace index. Political rivals have learned to put animosity aside for the greater good of the nation. By graciously conceding defeat and congratulating opponents, political leadership within the country has aided to breakdown stereotypes about election loss in Africa. Ghana has also been lucky to have one of its sons, Koffi Annan, as a major world peace broker. In his bid to broker peace deals among warring factions across the globe, the nation has rallied behind his efforts by promoting peace within their country first.  Ghana’s democratic political system has contributed to the country’s growing economic prosperity and made it a regional powerhouse in West Africa.  The country is regarded among the globe’s leading gold and diamond producers.

Money as Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Money as Debt - Essay Example But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let the bankers continue to create money and control credit." I thought that it would be a fitting quote to open up this essay, seeing that I am to write about the financial crisis that is going on in the United Kingdom. What better person's quote to use than the director of the Bank of England As if people may not know, the world is experiencing a so-called global financial crisis. Everywhere an individual turns; there is talk of job-losses, recession, tough times and times getting harder, no matter which politician or elected official gets put in office. It is as if Charles Dickens' novel "A tale of two Cities" really isn't a tale at all. It seems that this author's book was and is effectively serving a preamble of things to come and what is happening right now. Truly it is the best of times and the worst of times simultaneously. It is the best of times because as you may know, there are winners and losers in every situation in life. In this essay we will analyze the financial crisis that is happening in the United Kingdom. We will analyze the crisis thereof using political, economic, social, and technological factors and attempt to discover useful solutions to the problem at hand. We will take a no nonsense approach to identifying the problem, government attempts to solve the problem, and The relationship between United States and Great Britain It has been exactly two hundred thirty two years since the United States declared independence from Great Britain, and now it seems as if both nations are in the same predicament. And even though the founding fathers of the United States didn't want to have a central banking system similar to Great Britain because of the evils inflicted upon the colonies, have similar systems of central banking. Both of the nations have the same colors on their flag, which are red, white, and blue. Let's just hope that England's colors don't represent the same virtues as America's flag; red being blood, white being purity and blue meaning truth. Henceforth, here is a truth again taken from the film Money as Debt from American founding father Benjamin Franklin. "The inability of the Colonist to get power to issue their money permanently out of George III and the international bankers was the PRIME reason for the revolutionary war." However, the colors of the two nation's flags are not as important as the shade of times that the two countries are living right now. Let's look at the Bank of England and look at our friend who started the whole concept of banking. For the sake of this essay, let's call him Gary the Goldsmith. The History of money Mr. Paul Grignon's video which can be found www.google.com

Birth control Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Birth control - Movie Review Example The cost of sustaining the use of contraceptives is clearly evident and younger women, especially those in colleges cannot afford it. This can be a barrier to the women’s choice of contraceptive method. Given the extent to which contraceptives are important to women, more so college women, the government has an obligation to fund the low-cost birth control for college women. This will enable most women to access to birth control services at relatively low costs. As a result, there will be a reduction in the cases of unplanned pregnancies which often lead to abortions. In response to the post by the student, I agree with her that women need to embrace the use of contraceptives. The benefits of using contraceptives are very evident for those who choose to use it. However, it is also very true that the cost of sustaining contraceptives limits many women to adopt its usage. For this reason, the government needs to come with other options to ensure that most women are able to access this critical health care. Including approved contraceptive methods in most health insurance cover is one step in the right direction to ensure that women have access to contraceptive methods that are suitable for them. I strongly agree with her that there should be no politics around such a critical subject as contraception since it is a matter that touches on the health of

Study Guide Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Study Guide - Coursework Example His music was mainly politically focused thus being referred to as King of Blues. I agree with Peter Wald, that Josh White had become a leading top blind blue singer in the 1920s, and the first young man to stir a competition in the race record market (Wald 75). During the period of 1920, Josh White was considered the most popular blue stars and could not even be compared to Robert Johnson. Later on in 1930s, he discovered the notorious New York public which occasionally appeared alongside his jazz band making it become popular in the folk world as many of his counterparts referred to him as Mr. Folk. Amidst, all these Josh White struggled to maintain a balance that will keep his career afloat by making a declaration that his main purpose was to unite the communist. In conclusion, Josh White’s outspoken stance on civil rights issues were greatly manifested during the folk revival. This accorded him the opportunity to be renowned as the most popular folksinger enabling him performs in such events like the Martin Luther King’s promotion at glory (Wald

Pornography Read and focus on the instruction Essay

Pornography Read and focus on the instruction - Essay Example For example, piracy threatens music industry if it is left without monitoring and other legal measures. This indicates that there should be moral and legal issues to govern copyright (Bouchoux 108). Mostly, people who benefit from the program are the composers. Therefore, increasing the use of technology can enhance the knowledge of internet users. In this regard, strict laws and encouraging morality are the best ways to prevent music piracy and protect intellectual property by upholding copyright laws (Crane and Matten 24). Music industry, for example, creates a number of employment opportunities for those who are interested in that sector or operating entertainment joints. As an economic venture, the musicians and music producers believe that the technologically driven products have a future in the competitive market due to increasing preference for online products. The music industry is capital intensive and if the products is free on internet, then those who engage in this activi ty for economic gain will not benefit. Therefore, music should not be free on internet to make sure that the musicians benefit from their effort (Kelly 81). Since the children who are below the recommended age, sometimes those less than twelve years could have access to internet; they might access the pornographic pictures with pronounced impacts on the child’s psychology. Indeed, such psychological changes might not conform to the societal norms and could ruin the development of the child. Question 2: critical analysis of hard-core art Focusing on the â€Å"hard-core art† film, it is evident that internet pornography is a real impediment to the virtuous practices in the society. In fact, it is addictive, thus wipes out the ethical values among the youths in the society. Since these groups of people are considered as the future of the society, actions that could significantly alter their morality have to receive a major opposition from the different groups of people (B laxill and Eckardt 107). Culturally, sexual actions are regarded as sacred and should be exposed unnecessarily, mostly to the children. However, with the use of internet, controlling the children’s access to such pornographic actions might be difficult, because they could access them through mobile phones, cyber cafes, video CDs, which are easily within their reach (Blaxill and Eckardt 112). With increased accessibility to internet pornography, the children might start engaging in prostitution, which have adverse effects on their lives. This is because; there has not been any mechanism to detect the age of the internet user, thereby making it difficult to bar the children from accessing them. Some of the impacts of engaging in prostitution at an early stage might cause include, dropping out of school, contracting sexually transmitted infections and erosion to the moral practices of the people (Crane and Matten 48). In this regard, it is necessary to note that such practices a re not desirable, thus it is the responsibility of the person and other members of the society to eliminate them. Therefore, the fight on internet pornography is justified (Hughes and Kroehler 97). Increase of online bullying has raised a lot of concern among the internet users in both developed and developing countries. Notably, the people’s awareness of its prevalence in many internet sites has significantly increased, and

Introduction to the Criminal Justice System Essay

Introduction to the Criminal Justice System - Essay Example The authority of the agencies involves law deception and law exemption, secret police and other law issues outside power and control of the local law enforcement agencies. The Office of the United States Attorneys is an important body as it represents such institutions as federal government in US district court and the court of appeal. From this perspective, federal law enforcement is essentially a straightforward matter: the law and common sense are all that are required. Bittner remarked that organizations are 'permanently flooded with petty military and bureaucratic regulations' Legalism is closely linked to the conception of police organizations as effective bureaucracies. The federal judiciary consists of the Circuit Courts and permanent appellate court for each circuit. Today, 94 courts are established around the country. The federal judiciary is headed by the chief judge of the court of appeal. There are 12 circuits in the USA, and each of these courts has its own court of appeal. This can get complicated because more than one person may have control over an area. People unfamiliar with the legal system may also find the concept of standing complicated. Generally, people must have had their own rights violated before they can object in court (Koletar, 2005).

International Finance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Finance - Term Paper Example Such as a skewed change rate can create a business's exports inexpensive as compared to their foreign counterparts, although for a nation to attain this artificially, they have to trade their own currency by borrowing against the country's assets to pay for another country's currency. If exports or all investment is in high demand, a nation's currency will increase in value due to the demand for that currency to fund exported commodities, services, as well as investment. Companies that depend on exports can find their goods unexpectedly competitive - or excessively costly - in a foreign country’s markets as exchange rates rise and fall. In the same way, businesses that depend on imports can see the charges of these imports fluctuate with the exchange rate. â€Å"Exchange rates directly affect the realized return on an investment portfolio with overseas holdings. If you own stock in a foreign company and the local currency goes up 10 percent, the value of your investment goes up 12 percent even if the stock price does not change at all† (Levi, p. 201, 2009). The study of international finance usually refers to trade and foreign investment as alternative policies. This replacement can however be called into uncertainty as the need to struggle on several foreign markets taken into account. With reference to the theory of international trade, classical conclusion of Mundell has been challenged because of inadequate competition. In addition, macroeconomic series of foreign investment and trade emphasize that these two approaches of internationalisation are complements evidently. â€Å"If foreign investment displaces trade, exports will be at least replaced by local sales on foreign markets, detrimental to the domestic industry of the investor. On the contrary, if trade and foreign investment are confirmed as complements, investing abroad might lead to greater competitiveness in foreign markets, which is beneficial to exports from the investing country and thus to its industry. In order to clarify these relationships, a bilateral and sectoral empirical approach is proposed based on a matching of trade and foreign investment data authorising a break down by industry and partner country. It permits to control for joint determinants of trade and foreign investment such as market size, per capita income or regional integration, or conversely for economies of scale having an opposite impact on both forms of internationalisation† (Sercu, p. 184, 2009). With the most disaggregated data, the finding of complementarities involving trade and foreign investment flows is legalized for many industries. Outward foreign investment is linked further exports and imports, within the industry considered, in comparison with the state of investment. However, in view of the fact that the previous rise more as compared to the latter, investment in a foreign country is linked with a trade excess. On the other hand, inward foreign investment is lin ked with a trade deficit of the host nation. Overflows between industries are substantial. The impact of foreign investment on trade is much higher as these overflows are accounted for, even if the international trade surplus stays comparable with the one approximated on the industry of investment level. A huge share of the complementarities between trade and foreign investment at the macroeconomic level can be clarified by huge overflows between i

Sales and inventory documentation Essay Example for Free

Sales and inventory documentation Essay Why Inventory Control? Control of inventory, which typically represents 45% to 90% of all expenses for business, is needed to ensure that the business has the right goods on hand to avoid stock-outs, to prevent shrinkage (spoilage/theft), and to provide proper accounting. Many businesses have too much of their limited resource, capital, tied up in their major asset, inventory. Worse, they may have their capital tied up in the wrong kind of inventory. Inventory may be old, worn out, shopworn, obsolete, or the wrong sizes or colors, or there may be an imbalance among different product lines that reduces the customer appeal of the total operation. Inventory control systems range from eyeball systems to reserve stock systems to perpetual computer-run systems. Valuation of inventory is normally stated at original cost, market value, or current replacement costs, whichever is lowest. This practice is used because it minimizes the possibility of overstating assets. Inventory valuation and appropriate accounting practices are worth a book alone and so are not dealt with here in depth. The ideal inventory and proper merchandise turnover will vary from one market to another. Average industry figures serve as a guide for comparison. Too large an inventory may not be justified because the turnover does not warrant investment. On the other hand, because products are not available to meet demand, too small an inventory may minimize sales and profits as customers go somewhere else to buy what they want where it is immediately available. Minimum inventories based on reordering time need to become important aspects of buying activity. Carrying costs, material purchases, and storage costs are all expensive. However, stockouts are expensive also. All of those costs can be minimized by efficient inventory policies. Inventory Control Inventory control involves the procurement, care and disposition of materials. There are three kinds of inventory that are of concern to managers: †¢ †¢ Raw materials, In-process or semi-finished goods, †¢ Finished goods. If a manager effectively controls these three types of inventory, capital can be released that may be tied up in unnecessary inventory, production control can be improved and can protect against obsolescence, deterioration and/or theft, Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 1 of 8 The reasons for inventory control are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Helps balance the stock as to value, size, color, style, and price line in proportion to demand or sales trends. Help plan the winners as well as move slow sellers Helps secure the best rate of stock turnover for each item. Helps reduce expenses and markdowns. Helps maintain a business reputation for always having new, fresh merchandise in wanted sizes and colors. Three major approaches can be used for inventory control in any type and size of operation. The actual system selected will depend upon the type of operation, the amount of goods. The Eyeball System This is the standard inventory control system for the vast majority of small retail and many small manufacturing operations and is very simple in application. The key manager stands in the middle of the store or manufacturing area and looks around. If he or she happens to notice that some items are out of stock, they are reordered. In retailing, the difficulty with the eyeball system is that a particularly good item may be out of stock for sometime before anyone notices. Throughout the time it is out of stock, sales are being lost on it. Similarly, in a small manufacturing operation, low stocks of some particularly critical item may not be noticed until there are none left. Then production suffers until the supply of that part can be replenished. Such unsystematic but simple retailers and manufacturers to their inherent disadvantage. Reserve Stock (or Brown Bag) System This approach is much more systematic than the eyeball system. It involves keeping a reserve stock of items aside, often literally in a brown bag placed at the rear of the stock bin or storage area. When the last unit of open inventory is used, the brown bag of reserve stock is opened and the new supplies it contains are placed in the bin as open stock. At this time, a reorder is immediately placed. If the reserve stock quantity has been calculated properly, the new shipment should arrive just as the last of the reserve stock is being used. In order to calculate the proper reserve stock quantity, it is necessary to know the rate of product usage and the order cycle delivery time. Thus, if the rate of product units sold is 100 units per week and the order cycle delivery time is two weeks, the appropriate reserve stock would consist of 200 units (I00u x 2w). This is fine as long as the two-week cycle holds. If the order cycle is extended, the reserve stock quantities must be increased. When the new order arrives, the reserve stock amount is packaged again and placed at the rear of the storage area. This is a very simple system to operate and one that is highly effective for virtually any type of organization. The variations on the reserve stock system merely involve the management of the reserve stock itself. Larger  items may remain in inventory but be cordoned off in some way to indicate that it is the reserve stock and should trigger a reorder. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 2 of 8 Perpetual Inventory Systems Various types of perpetual inventory systems include manual, card-oriented, and computer- operated systems. In computer-operated systems, a programmed instruction referred to commonly as a trigger, automatically transmits an order to the appropriate vendor once supplies fall below a prescribed level. The purpose of each of the three types of perpetual inventory approaches is to tally either the unit use or the dollar use (or both) of different items and product lines. This information will serve to help avoid stock-outs and to maintain a constant evaluation of the sales of different product lines to see where the emphasis should be placed for both selling and buying. Stock Control A stock control system should keep you aware of the quantity of each kind of merchandise on hand. An effective system will provide you with a guide for what, when, and how much to buy of each style, color, size, price and brand. It will reduce the number of lost sales resulting from being out of stock of merchandise in popular demand. The system will also locate slow selling articles and help indicate changes in customer preferences. The size of your establishment and the number of people employed are determining factors in devising an effective stock control plan. Can you keep control by observation? Should you use on-hand/onorder/sold records? Detachable ticket stubs? Checklists? And/or physical inventory? If so, how often? With the observation method (the eyeball system), unless the people using it have an unusually sharp sense of quantity and sales patterns, it is difficult to keep a satisfactory check on merchandise depletion. It means that you record shortages of goods or reorders as the need for them occurs to you. Without a better checking system, orders may only be placed at the  time of the salesmans regular visit, regardless of when they are actually needed. Although it may be the simplest system, it also can often result in lost sales or production delays. Detachable stubs or tickets placed on merchandise provide a good means of control. The stubs, containing information identifying the articles, are removed at the time the items are sold. The accumulated stubs are then posted regularly to the perpetual inventory system by hand or through the use of an optical scanner. A checklist, often provided by wholesalers, is another counting tool. The checklist provides space to record the items carried, the selling price, cost price, and minimum quantities to be ordered of each. It also contains a column in which to note whether the stock on hand is sufficient and when to reorder. This is another very simple device that provides the level of information required to make knowledgeable decisions about effective inventory management. Most smaller operations today, except for the very smallest, are using some form of a perpetual online system to record the movement of inventories into and out of their facilities. In a retail operation, the clerk at the register merely scans the ticket with a reader, and the system shows the current price and removes the item from the inventory control system. A similar process occurs in a manufacturing operation, except that the sale is actually a transfer of the inventory from control to production. This is a particularly critical system in a large operation such as a grocery store where they regularly maintain 12,000 plus items. Often a vendor will provide on-site or computerized assistance needed to help their smaller customers maintain a good understanding of their own inventory levels and so keep them in balance Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 3 of 8 Inventory Control Records Inventory control records are essential to making buy-and-sell decisions. Some companies control their stock by taking physical inventories at regular intervals, monthly or quarterly. Others use a dollar inventory record that  gives a rough idea of what the inventory may be from day to day in terms of dollars. If your stock is made up of thousands of items, as it is for a convenience type store, dollar control may be more practical than physical control. However, even with this method, an inventory count must be taken periodically to verify the levels of inventory by item. Perpetual inventory control records are most practical for big-ticket items. With such items it is quite suitable to hand count the starting inventory, maintain a card for each item or group of items, and reduce the item count each time a unit is sold or transferred out of inventory. Periodic physical counts are taken to verify the accuracy of the inventory card. Out-of-stock sheets, sometimes called want sheets, notify the buyer that it is time to reorder an item. Experience with the rate of turnover of an item will help indicate the level of inventory at which the unit should be reordered to make sure that the new merchandise arrives before the stock is totally exhausted. Open-to-buy records help to prevent ordering more than is needed to meet demand or to stay within a budget. These records adjust your order rate to the sales rate. They provide a running account of the dollar amount that may be bought without departing significantly from the pre- established inventory levels. An open-to-buy record is related to the inventory budget. It is the difference between what has been budgeted and what has been spent. Each time a sale is made, open-to-buy is increased (inventory is reduced). Each time merchandise is purchased; open-to-buy is reduced (inventory is increased). The net effect is to help maintain a balance among product lies within the business, and to keep the business from getting overloaded in one particular area. Purchase order files keep track of what has been ordered and the status or expected receipt date of materials. It is convenient to maintain these files by using a copy of each purchase order that is written. Notations can be added or merchandise needs updated directly on the copy of the purchase order with respect to changes in price or delivery dates. Supplier files are valuable references on suppliers and can be very helpful in negotiating  price, delivery and terms. Extra copies of purchase orders can be used to create these files, organized alphabetically by supplier, and can provide a fast way to determine how much business is done with each vendor. Purchase order copies also serve to document ordering habits and procedures and so may be used to help reveal and/or resolve future potential problems. Returned goods files provide a continuous record of merchandise that has been returned to suppliers. They should indicate amounts, dates and reasons for the returns. This information is useful in controlling debits, credits and quality Issues. Price books, maintained in alphabetical order according to supplier, provide a record of purchase prices, selling prices, markdowns, and markups. It is important to keep this record completely up to date in order to be able to access the latest price and profit information on materials purchased for resale. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 4 of 8 Controlling Inventory Controlling inventory does not have to be an onerous or complex proposition. It is a process and thoughtful inventory management. There are no hard and fast rules to abide by, but some extremely useful guidelines to help your thinking about the subject. A five step process has been designed that will help any business bring this potential problem under control to think systematically thorough the process and allow the business to make the most efficient use possible of the resources represented. The final decisions, of course, must be the result of good judgment, and not the product of a mechanical set of formulas. STEP 1: Inventory Planning Inventory control requires inventory planning. Inventory refers to more than the goods on hand in the retail operation, service business, or manufacturing facility. It also represents goods that must be in transit for  arrival after the goods in the store or plant are sold or used. An ideal inventory control system would arrange for the arrival of new goods at the same moment the last item has been sold or used. The economic order quantity, or base orders, depends upon the amount of cash (or credit) available to invest in inventories, the number of units that qualify for a quantity discount from the manufacturer, and the amount of time goods spend in shipment. STEP 2: Establish order cycles If demand can be predicted for the product or if demand can be measured on a regular basis, regular ordering quantities can be setup that take into consideration the most economic relationships among the costs of preparing an order, the aggregate shipping costs, and the economic order cost. When demand is regular, it is possible to program regular ordering levels so that stock-outs will be avoided and costs will be minimized. If it is known that every so many weeks or months a certain quantity of goods will be sold at a steady pace, then replacements should be scheduled to arrive with equal regularity. Time should be spent developing a system tailored to the needs of each business. It is useful to focus on items whose costs justify such control, recognizing that in some cases control efforts may cost more the items worth. At the same time, it is also necessary to include low return items that are critical to the overall sales effort. If the business experiences seasonal cycles, it is important to recognize the demands that will be placed on suppliers as well as other sellers.  A given firm must recognize that if it begins to run out of product in the middle of a busy season, other sellers are also beginning to run out and are looking for more goods. The problem is compounded in that the producer may have already switched over to next season’s production and so is not interested in (or probably even capable of) filling any further orders for the current selling season. Production resources are likely to already be allocated to filling orders for the next selling season. Changes in this momentum would be extremely costly for both the supplier and the customer. On the other hand, because suppliers have problems with inventory control, just as sellers do, they may be interested in making deals to induce customers to purchase inventories offseason, usually at substantial savings. They want to shift the carrying costs of purchase and storage from the seller to the buyer. Thus, there are seasonal implications to inventory control as Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 5 of 8 well, both positive and negative. The point is that these seasonable implications must be built into the planning process in order to support an effective inventory management system. STEP 3: Balance Inventory Levels Efficient or inefficient management of merchandise inventory by a firm is a major factor between healthy profits and operating at a loss. There are both market-related and budget-related issues that must be dealt with in terms of coming up with an ideal inventory balance: †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the inventory correct for the market being served? Does the inventory have the proper turnover? What is the ideal inventory for a typical retailer or wholesaler in this business? To answer the last question first, the ideal inventory is the inventory that does not lose profitable sales and can still justify the investment in each part of its whole. An inventory that is not compatible with the firm’s market will lose profitable sales. Customers who cannot find the items they desire in one store or from one supplier are forced to go to a competitor. Customer will be especially irritated if the item out of stock is one they would normally expect to find from such a supplier. Repeated experiences of this type will motivate customers to become regular customers of competitors. STEP 4: Review Stocks Items sitting on the shelf as obsolete inventory are simply dead capital. Keeping inventory up to date and devoid of obsolete merchandise is another critical aspect of good inventory control. This is particularly important with style merchandise, but it is important with any merchandise that is turning at a lower rate than the average stock turns for that particular business. One of the important principles newer sellers frequently find difficult is the need to mark down merchandise that is not moving well. Markups are usually highest when a new style first comes out. As the style fades, efficient sellers gradually begin to mark it down to avoid being stuck with large inventories, thus keeping inventory capital working. They will begin to mark down their inventory, take less gross margin, and return the funds to working capital rather than have their investment stand on the shelves as obsolete merchandise. Markdowns are an important part of the working capital cycle. Even though the margins on markdown sales are lower, turning these items into cash allows you to purchase other, more current goods, where you can make the margin you desire. Keeping an inventory fresh and up to date requires constant attention by any organization, large or small. Style merchandise should be disposed of before the style fades. Fad merchandise must have its inventory levels kept in line with the passing fancy. Obsolete merchandise usually must be sold at less than normal markup or even as loss leaders where it is priced more competitively. Loss leader pricing strategies can also serve to attract more consumer traffic for the business thus creating opportunities to sell other merchandise as well as well as the obsolete items. Technologically obsolete merchandise should normally be removed from inventory at any cost. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 6 of 8 Stock turnover is really the way businesses make money. It is not so much  the profit per unit of sale that makes money for the business, but sales on a regular basis over time that eventually results in profitability. The stock turnover rate is the rate at which the average inventory is replaced or turned over, throughout a pre-defined standard operating period, typically one year. It is generally seen as the multiple that sales represent of the average inventory for a given period of time. Turnover averages are available for virtually any industry or business maintaining inventories and having sales. These figures act as an efficient and effective benchmark with which to compare the business in question, in order to determine its effectiveness relative to its capital investment. Too frequent inventory turns can be as great a potential problem as too few. Too frequent inventory turns may indicate the business is trying to overwork a limited capital base, and may carry with it the attendant costs of stock-outs and unhappy and lost customers. Stock turns or turnover, is the number of times the average inventory of a given product is sold annually. It is an important concept because it helps to determine what the inventory level should be to achieve or support the sales levels predicted or desired. Inventory turnover is computed by dividing the volume of goods sold by the average inventory. Stock turns or inventory turnover can be calculated by the following equations: Stock Turn = Cost of Goods Sold Average Inventory at Cost Stock Turn = Sales Average Inventory at Sales Value If the inventory is recorded at cost, stock turn equals cost of goods sold divided by the average inventory. If the inventory is recorded at sales value, stock turn is equal to sales divided by average inventory. Stock turns four times a year on the average for many businesses. Jewelry stores are slow, with two turns a year, and grocery stores may go up to 45 turns a year. If the dollar value of a particular inventory compares favorably with  the industry average, but the turnover of the inventory is less than the industry average, a further analysis of that inventory is needed. Is it too heavy in some areas? Are there reasons that suggest more inventories are needed in certain categories? Are there conditions peculiar to that particular firm? The point is that all markets are not uniform and circumstances may be found that will justify a variation from average figures. Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 7 of 8 In the accumulation of comparative data for any particular type of firm, a wide variation will be found for most significant statistical comparisons. Averages are just that, and often most firms in the group are somewhat different from that result. Nevertheless, they serve as very useful guides for the adequacy of industry turnover, and for other ratios as well. The important thing for each firm is to know how the firm compares with the averages and to deter- mine whether deviations from the averages are to its benefit or disadvantage. STEP 5: Follow-up and Control Periodic reviews of the inventory to detect slow-moving or obsolete stock and to identify fast sellers are essential for proper inventory management. Taking regular and periodic inventories must be more than just totaling the costs. Any clerk can do the work of recording an inventory. However, it is the responsibility of key management to study the figures and review the items themselves in order to make correct decisions about the disposal, replacement, or discontinuance of different segments of the inventory base. Just as an airline cannot make money with its airplanes on the ground, a firm cannot earn a profit in the absence of sales of goods. Keeping the inventory attractive to customers is a prime prerequisite for healthy sales. Again, the sellers inventory is usually his largest investment. It will earn profits in direct proportion to the effort and skill applied in its  management. Inventory quantities must be organized and measured carefully. Minimum stocks must be assured to prevent stock-outs or the lack of product. At the same time, they must be balanced against excessive inventory because of carrying costs. In larger retail organizations and in many manufacturing operations, purchasing has evolved as a distinct new and separate phase of management to achieve the dual objective of higher turnover and lower investment. If this type of strategy is to be utilized, however, extremely careful attention and constant review must be built into the management system in order to avoid getting caught short by unexpected changes in the larger business environment. Caution and periodic review of reorder points and quantities are a must. Individual market size of some products can change suddenly and corrections should be made. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Edited by SCORE 471 Handout 06/02 – Inventory Control Page 8 of 8

Sample Business Plan Essay Example for Free

Sample Business Plan Essay Executive Summary Business Description Business Success Consulting is a new business located in North Creek, British Columbia, specializing in consulting services for small and medium sized businesses. Primary services will include market feasibility studies, business plans, operational reviews, re-engineering, strategic planning, seminars and workshops. Our mission is to provide our clients with business services that help them become more successful and to become a leader in consulting to small and medium sized businesses. To keep our overhead costs low, Business Success Consulting will be located in the home of Mark B. Assets. The home is equipped with a computer, fax machine and photocopier. Ownership and Management Business Success Consulting is a sole proprietorship, owned by Mark B. Assets. As the business expands the firm may develop strategic alliances with other companies. Mark B. Assets is a Certified Management Consultant and a member of the Institute of Management Consultants of British Columbia. He has a commerce degree from the University of Brigham and a Masters in Business from the University of South Seymour. Mark B. Assets has been a consultant for 15 years with Smith and Smith specializing in small and medium sized businesses. Business Success Consulting will initially only have one employee, Mark B. Assets. Additional staff support will be obtained on a subcontract basis. Secretarial service will be contracted out as required to TempServ company in North Creek. Key Initiatives and Objectives Business Success Consulting is currently in the process of obtaining a bank loan for $30,000 to finance the start up of the business. Our key objective during the first 12 months of operation is to develop a profitable consulting business. To do this, a strong client base will be developed through networking with local business leaders and business associations, affiliating with small business loan divisions of the local banks, and holding seminars and workshops. During the first four months of operations eight small business seminars and four small business workshops will be developed. Marketing Opportunities Due to high overhead costs Smith and Smith recently restructured to focus more on large corporate and government clients. This meant the elimination of their small business division. Large consulting firms such as Smith and Smith typically target larger businesses and government contracts; thus creating an opportunity for smaller consulting firms such as Business Success Consulting to provide small and medium sized businesses with affordable consulting services. There are currently no other firms that specialize in this type of consulting located within the region. Mark B. Assets left Smith and Smith to continue to provide small and medium sized businesses with much needed affordable consulting services. Competitive Advantages The key competitive advantages of Business Success Consulting are the small business experience and expertise of Mark B. Assets as well as the businesss relatively low overhead costs compared to competitive consulting firms. Mark B. Assets is a Certified Management Consultant with extensive consulting experience for small and medium sized businesses. Overhead costs are comparatively low because Business Success Consulting will be based at the home of Mark B. Assets and labour costs will be low as there are no other full time employees. Marketing Strategy Our target markets will be small and medium sized new and existing businesses in the surrounding region. Business Success will market its services by placing an ad in the yellow pages, listing with all local business and industry associations, developing a brochure to be distributed to lending institutions and clients, becoming an active member of a number of business and consulting associations, networking with the local business community, and developing workshops and seminars for small businesses. Our seminars and workshops will be used to promote our other consulting services. Attendees will be able to pick up our corporate brochure and ask any questions regarding the services we provide. The corporate brochure will outline Business Success Consultings services and fee structure. The brochure will also highlight the past experience and level of expertise of Mark B. Assets. The brochures will be distributed at our workshops and seminars, to lending instituutions, associations, key business leaders, and to potential clients. Business Success Consulting will not do much advertising except for placing an ad in the local yellow pages. Within the next three years, Business Success Consulting may develop an Internet site highlighting key services, level of expertise and fee structure. Mark B. Assets will join local business associations to maintain contacts in the business community as well as to stay well informed about the business issues that are important to local businesses. Summary of Financial Projections The revenue of Business Success Consulting are projected to increase from $121,770 in 1998 to $181,170 by 2000. Revenues will see strong growth of 22% annually as the business grows and expands. The Cost of Sales are 55% including total wages (including subcontractors) at 45% and goods and materials at 10%. The Net Income is projected to increase from $12,330 in 1998 to $17,279 in 2000. Corporate profits will be taxed at the corporate rate of 22.8% while Mark B. Assets wages of $40,000 per year will be taxed at prevailing personal tax rates. Confidentiality and Recognition of Risks Confidentiality Clause The information included in this business plan is strictly confidential and is supplied on the understanding that it will not be disclosed to third parties without the written consent of Mark B. Assets. Recognition of Risk The business plan represents our best estimate of the future of Business Success Consulting. It should be recognized that not all of major risks can be predicted or avoided and few business plans are free of errors of omission or commission. Therefore, investors should be aware that this business has inherent risks that should be evaluated prior to any investment. Business Overview Business History Business Success is a management consulting business that is scheduled to begin operations on March 1, 1997. Business Success will be a sole proprietorship, owned by Mark B. Assets. Mark B. Assets left the large consulting firm of Smith and Smith to specialize in consulting to small and medium sized businesses. Large consulting firms such as Smith and Smith typically target larger businesses and government contracts creating an opportunity for Business Success to provide small and medium sized businesses with affordable consulting services. Vision and Mission Statement Our mission is to become a leader in small business consulting by providing our clients with business services that help them become more successful. Objectives Our primary objectives over the next year are to: 1. Obtain a bank loan of $30,000 to cover the start up costs and initial operating costs for Business Success Consulting. 2. Generate one new client contract a month by networking with key industry leaders and local lending institutions, conducting seminars and workshops for small and medium sized businesses, and joining key business and industry associations. 3. Generate a net profit of $12,000 in the first year by developing a strong client base and keeping overhead costs to a minimum. 4. Develop and conduct eight business seminars  and four business workshops that meet the needs of the local business community. Ownership Business Success is a sole proprietorship, owned by Mark B. Assets. As the business expands, strategic alliances may be formed with other companies. Location and Facilities To keep our overhead costs low, Business Success Consulting will be located in the home of Mark B. Assets. The home, located at 1875 Wilson Street in North Creek, is equipped with a computer, fax machine and photocopier. Secretarial service will be contracted out as required to TempServ company in North Creek. Where possible, all meetings and presentations will be held at the clients location. If this is not feasible, the company has arranged to rent the boardroom of a local law firm as required. Presentation equipment such as overhead projectors and liquid crystal display (LCD) units will be rented from North Creek Community College. Any sub-contractors hired for specific projects will not work in our office but will work from their own offices. This will greatly reduce our overhead costs allowing us to price our services competitively. As Business Success Consulting grows, consideration will be given to acquiring office space. Products and Services Description of Products and Services The primary types of services we will provide include market feasibility studies, business plans, reengineering strategies, organizational reviews, strategic planning, seminars and workshops. Our services include the development of: 1. Market Feasibility Studies We develop market feasibility studies for businesses that want to market new products or technologies. Some of these companies are looking for government funding to commercialize the technology or product. Our market feasibility studies include a full assessment of potential markets, competitive analysis, and the financial viability of commercializing the product. 2. Business Plans We will develop full business plans for start up and existing businesses requiring financing, introducing new products, entering new markets, and  restructuring. 3. Other Services Our other services will include operational revviews, strategic planning, and development of corporate re- engineering strategies. 4. Seminars and Workshops We will offer seminars to small and medium sized businesses. The seminars will focus on key management issues for small and medium sized operators such as market analysis, product commercialization, how to write a business plan, marketing strategies, customer service etc. Attendance will vary but should average 20 to 30 people each. The workshops will be developed to help small and medium sized businesses write business plans. This service is currently unavailable in the area. Workshops will be held in the evenings and on weekends making it easier for busy operators to attend. Key Features of the Products and Services Business Success Consulting will specialize in small and medium sized firms. While other consulting firms in the region offer small and medium sized businesses consulting services, none specialize in this area. With todays unpredictable political and economic environments, it is increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs to successfully start new businesses and for existing small and medium sized businesses to remain profitable. Our services will differ from our competitors in that Business Success Consulting will offer creative, innovative, and effective solutions to business problems. Too many consulting firms try to develop standard models to solve key business problems. Business Success realizes that business problems have a variety of solutions; what may be right for one business would not necessarily meet the needs of another business. Production of Products and Services Initially subcontractors will be hired as needed to work on specific projects. Subcontractors will be hired based on their area of expertise and experience. Due to office space limitations, sub contractors will work out of their own offices and will be linked directly to our office via e-mail and the Internet. Within the next three years, full time consulting and administrative staff will be hired. While all reports will be produced and  edited by Mark B. Assets, the physical reports will be formatted, printed and bound by TempServ, a local secretarial agency in North Creek. Should the company take on any other full time employees, consideration will be given to leasing office space in the North Creek area. Future Products and Services We will continually expand our services based on industry trends and changing client needs. We will also get feedback from clients and seminar attendees on what is needed for future seminars and workshops. Comparative Advantages in Production Our comparative advantages in production are our low overhead and labour costs. Business Success does not have to pay for under utilized staff or facilities. We also have an advantage in that we can pick the most qualified sub- contractors for each project. The sub-contractors will be picked based on their expertise. This allows us to draw from a larger labour pool and skill set. Subcontractors will be hired as needed which means that during down times our firm is not over staffed. Industry Overview Market Research To fully understand the market we are targeting we talked to local business leaders, the Small Business Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the local economic development office, and all small business lending departments at the local banks. In addition, we read local newspaper and journal articles, and collected industry statistics from Statistics Canada. Size of the Industry There are 500 consulting businesses in British Columbia; there are 34 consulting firms in the North Creek area alone. While there is some overlap in the types of services provided, most firms have developed their own market niches. Firms tend to become well known and recognized for their skills in a specific area such as organizational re-engineering, marketing, training, employee benefits, government program evaluation, or in a specific industry such as forestry, hospitality, health care, information technology,  or communications. Key Product Segments Consulting is a very diverse industry. There are hundreds of different services that consultants provide to all industries and industry sectors. Key Market Segments Key market segments vary by consulting specialty. The key markets for consulting services are corporations, municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments, crown corporations, and institutions such as hospitals and educational facilities. The total size of these markets is unknown because they are continually changing and there are no provincial or federal tracking mechanisms in place to accurately determine how much these market segments spend on consulting services annually. Purchase Process and Buying Criteria The buying process for consulting services varies by type of client and by type of service. Businesses find and chose consulting firms using several methods. 1. Referral Businesses find consultants through their lending institutions, business or industry associations, friends or colleagues, and the yellow pages. Businesses contact these consulting firms to obtain proposals and price quotes for the required services. A consulting firm is chosen based on the needs of the client such as price, quality of proposal, as well as the reputation, past experience and level of expertise of the consulting firm. 2. Request for Proposal Government and other businesses requiring consulting services sometimes distribute a Request for Proposals to a number of consulting firms that they would like to bid on a specific project. These consulting firms submit proposals for the projects they wish to bid on outlining the sccope of the work, the methodology, a work plan and price quote. These proposals are evaluated based on a predetermined set of criteria developed by the client. The proposal evaluation criteria varies by project and client but usually includes price, quality of proposal, and the reputation, past experience and level of expertise of the consulting firm. 3. Open Bidding System (OBS) The OBS is an opening bidding system for government contracts. Anyone can access this service and submit a proposal  for any contract they feel qualified to bid on. Business plan services are usually purchased by start up businesses or by small and medium sized businesses requiring financing, commercializing a new product, or entering new markets. These businesses seek business planning assistance from their lending institutions, industry and business associations, or directly from consulting firms. Description of Industry Participants Consulting firms are divided into large firms with more than 100 employees, medium sized firms with 20 to 100 employees and small firms with less than 20 employees. The majority (66%) of consultants in Canada are employed at large firms, 6% and medium sized firms and 28% at small firms according to a recent Industry Canada report. The large consulting firms are usually U.S. based firms and include Andersen Consulting, Coopers Lybrand, Deloitte Touche, Ernst Young, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse. Small firms typically have less than 10 employees. Key Industry Trends The consulting industry is growing for two key reasons. One is that demand for consulting services is increasing as companies downsize and contract out work that was historically done in-house. Corporate downsizing has also resulted in many managers being laid off. It is difficult for many of these people to find similar employment and as a result, many of these managers start their own businesses. Approximately 10% become consultants, many providing consulting services to the firms they just left. Those who start other types of businesses may require specialized consulting services to improve their chances of success. Therefore corporate downsizing has resulted in an increase both in the supply of, and demand for, consulting services. The number of business starts in North Creek has risen 10% annually over the last several years. Approximately 100 new businesses with be started in the area in 1997. This trend is projected to continue for at least another 5 years. Industry Outlook With the continued economic and political uncertainty in this province, the demand for consulting services will grow as many companies are reluctant to hire additional employees. More and more work will be contracted out to outside consultants as companies maintain tight control over labour costs. This trend is also true in the government sector which is under increasing pressure to reduce costs by reducing their employment levels. While the number of business starts has increased so have the number of bankruptcies. Approximately seven out of 10 new businesses will fail within the first two years of operation, primarily due to poor management. Some people who start new businesses lack basic business skills. The demand for small business training and assistance will grow as these entrepreneurs seek the assistance they require in order to reduce their risk of business failure. Marketing Strategy Target Markets Our target markets will be small and medium sized new and existing businesses in the surrounding region. We will also submit proposals in response to any Request for Proposals we receive as well as for any relevant provincial and federal government contracts. Description of Key Competitors There are a total of 34 consulting firms in North Creek, British Columbia. Only 14 of these consulting firms offer services similar to Business Success Consulting. The other 20 consulting firms in the region specialize in other areas of consulting such as employee benefits, training, marketing, information technology, health care or forestry. There are four large consulting firms (more than 30 employees) that offer consulting services to small and medium sized businesses. However, these large firms cannot cost effectively service this market due to high overhead and labour costs. Small and medium sized businesses usually cannot afford the high hourly fees charged by these firms. Business from this target market does not represent a significant portion of the revenues generated by these four large firms which all specialize in other areas of consulting. There are 10 smaller consulting firms (less than five employees) that offer consultiing services similar to Business Success Consulting. However, none of these firms  specializes in consulting to small and medium sized businesses. All 10 firms offer a wide range of consulting services. The majority (70%) of these firms are operated by people who have been laid off from large firms and who have limited consulting experience and qualifications. Analysis of Competitive Position Business Success Consulting will be the only consulting firm in the region specializing in providing consulting services to small and medium sized businesses. Business Success Consulting has a competitive advantage in this area due to the excellent consulting experience of Mark B. Assets. Mr. Assets is a Certified Management Consultant with 15 years consulting experience, including 10 years focussing on small business consulting. However, as a new business, it may take time to establish a strong client base and develop a reputation as a small business specialist. Mr. Assets already has an excellent reputation in this area and Smith and Smith, his former employer, will redirect any of this type of business to Mr. Assets new firm. Pricing Strategy Business Success Consulting services will be priced competitively with other small consulting firms. Typically the fees charged by small firms are much lower than those charged by the large firms due to lower overhead costs. Our fees will be based on several factors including the time and resources needed to complete a project, overhead costs, and the fees charged by other competitive consulting firms. Our hourly rates average $90.00 per hour compared to $180.00 per hour for the large consulting firms. Our hourly fees will remain the same for all projects. However, total project costs will vary depending on the time needed to complete the project as well as the direct expenses incurred as part of the project.