Capacity Planning Model Essay Example for Free

Capacity Planning Model Essay Abstract: Capacity planning decisions affect a signiï ¬ cant portion of future revenue. In equipment intensive industries, these decisions usually need to be made in the presence of both highly volatile demand and long capacity installation lead times. For a multiple product case, we present a continuous-time capacity planning model that addresses problems of realistic size and complexity found in current practice. Each product requires speciï ¬ c operations that can be performed by one or more tool groups. We consider a number of capacity allocation policies. We allow tool retirements in addition to purchases because the stochastic demand forecast for each product can be decreasing. We present a cluster-based heuristic algorithm that can incorporate both variance reduction techniques from the simulation literature and the principles of a generalized maximum ï ¬â€šow algorithm from the network optimization literature.  © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 53: 137–150, 2006 Keywords: capacity planning; stochastic demand; simulation; submodularity; semiconductor industry INTRODUCTION Because highly volatile demands and short product life cycles are commonplace in today’s business environment, capacity investments are important strategic decisions for manufacturers. In the semiconductor industry, where the proï ¬ t margins of products are steadily decreasing, manufacturers may spend up to 3.5 billion dollars for a state-of-the-art plant [3, 23]. The capacity decisions are complicated by volatile demands, rising costs, and evolving technologies, as well as long capacity procurement lead times. In this paper, we study the purchasing and retirement decisions of machines (or interchangeably, â€Å"tools†). The early purchase of tools often results in unnecessary capital spending, whereas tardy purchases lead to lost revenue, especially in the early stages of the product life cycle when proï ¬ t margins are highest. The process of determining the sequence and timing of tool purchases and possibly retirements is referred to as strategic capacity planning. Our strategic capacity planning model allows for multiple products under demand uncertainty. Demand evolves over time and is modeled by a set of scenarios with associated Correspondence to: W.T. Huh ([emailprotected])  © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. probabilities. We allow for the possibility of decreasing demand. Our model of capacity consumption is based on three layers: tools (i.e., machines), operations, and products. Each product requires a ï ¬ xed, product-speciï ¬ c set of operations. Each operation can be performed on any tool. The time required depends on both the operation and the tool. In our model time is a continuous variable, as opposed to the more traditional approach of using discrete time buckets. Our primary decision variables, one for each potential tool purchase or retirement, indicate the timing of the corresponding actions. In contrast, decision variables in typical discrete-time models are either binary or integer and are indexed by both tool groups and time periods. Our objective is to minimize the sum of the lost sales cost and the capital cost, each a function of tool purchase times and retirement times. Our continuous-time model has the advantage of having a smaller number of variables, although it may be difï ¬ cult to ï ¬ nd global optimal solutions for the resulting continuous optimization problem. Many manufacturers, primarily those in high-tech industries, prefer to maintain a negligible amount of ï ¬ nished good inventory because technology products, especially highly proï ¬ table ones, face rapidly declining prices and a high risk of obsolescence. In particular, building up inventories ahead of demand may not be economically sound for applicationspeciï ¬ c integrated circuits. Because high-tech products are in a sense â€Å"perishable,† we assume no ï ¬ nished goods inventory. In addition, we assume that no back-ordering is permitted for the following reasons. First, unsatisï ¬ ed demand frequently results in the loss of sales to a competitor. Second, delayed order fulï ¬ llment often results in either the decrease or the postponement of future demand. The end result approximates a lost sale. We remark that these assumptions of no-ï ¬ nishedgoods and no back-ordering are also applicable to certain service industries and utility industries, in which systems do not have any buffer and require the co-presence of capacity and demand. These assumptions simplify the computation of instantaneous production and lost sales since they depend only on the current demand and capacity at a given moment of time. In the case of multiple products, the aggregate capacity is divided among these products according to a particular policy. This tool-groups-to-products allocation is referred to as tactical production planning. While purchase and retirement decisions are made at the beginning of the planning horizon prior to the realization of stochastic demand, allocation decisions are recourse decisions made after demand uncertainty has been resolved. When demand exceeds supply, there are two plausible allocation policies for assigning the capacity to products: (i) the Lost Sales Cost Minimization policy minimizing instantaneous lost sales cost and (ii) the Uniform Fill-Rate Production policy equalizing the ï ¬ ll-rates of all products. Our model primarily uses the former, but can easily be extended to use the latter. Our model is directly related to two threads of strategic capacity planning models, both of which address problems of realistic size and complexity arising in the semiconductor indu stry. The ï ¬ rst thread is noted for the three-layer tool-operation-product model of capacity that we use, originating from IBM’s discrete-time formulations. Bermon and Hood [6] assume deterministic demand, which is later extended by Barahona et al. [4] to model scenario-based demand uncertainty. Barahona et al. [4] have a large number of indicator variables for discrete expansion decisions, which results in a large mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation. Standard MIP computational methods such as branch-and-bound are used to solve this challenging problem. Our model differs from this work in the following ways: (i) using continuous variables, we use a descent-based heuristic algorithm as an alternative to the standard MIP techniques, (ii) we model tool retirement in addition to acquisition, and (iii) we consider the capital cost in the objective function instead of using the budget constraint. Other notable examples of scenario-based models with binary decisions variables include Escudero et al. [15], Chen, Li, and Tirupati [11], Swaminathan [27], and Ahmed and Sahinidis [1]; however, they do not model the operations layer explicitly. The second thread of the relevant literature features continuous-time models. Çakanyildirim and Roundy [8] and Çakanyildirim, Roundy, and Wood [9] both study capacity planning for several tool groups for the stochastic demand of a single product. The former establishes the optimality of a bottleneck policy where tools from the bottleneck tool group are installed during expansions and retired during contractions in the reverse order. The latter uses this policy to jointly optimize tool expansions along with nested ï ¬â€šoor and space expansions. Huh and Roundu [18] extend these ideas to a multi-product case under the Uniform Fill-Rate Production policy and identify a set of sufï ¬ cient conditions for the capacity planning problem to be reduced to a nonlinear convex minimization program. This paper extends their model by introducing the layer of operations, the Lost Sales Cost Minimization allocation policy and tool retirement. This results in the non-convexity of the resulting formulation. Thus, our model marries the continuous-time paradigm with the complexity of real-world capacity planning. We list a selection of recent papers on capacity planning. Davis et al. [12] and Anderson [2] take an optimal control theory approach, where the control decisions are expansion rate and workforce capacity, respectively. Ryan [24] incorporates autocorrelated product demands with drift into capacity expansion. Ryan [25] minimizes capacity expansion costs using option pricing formulas to estimate shortages. Also, Birge [7] uses option theory to study capacity shortages and risk. An extensive survey of capacity planning models is found in the article by Van Mieghem [28]. Our computational results suggest that the descent algorithm, with a proper initialization method, delivers good solutions and reasonable computation times. Furthermore, preliminary computational results indicate that capacity plans are not very sensitive to the choice of allocation policy, and both policies perform comparably. With the Uniform FillRate Production policy, an instantaneous revenue calculation that is used repeatedly by the subroutines of the heuristic algorithm can be formulated as a generalized maximum ï ¬â€šow problem; the solution of this problem can be obtained by a combinatorial polynomial-time approximation scheme that results in a potentially dramatic increase in the speed of our algorithm. We assume that the stochastic demand is given as a ï ¬ nite set of scenarios. This demand model is consistent with current practice in the semiconductor industry. We also explore, in Section 5, the possibility that demand is instead given as a continuous distribution, e.g., the Semiconductor Demand Forecast Accuracy Model [10]. Borrowing results from the literature on Monte Carlo approximations of stochastic programs, we point out the existence of an inherent bias in the optimal cost of the approximation when the scenario sample size is small. We also describe applicable variance reduction techniques when samples are drawn on an ad hoc basis. This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 lays out our strategic capacity formulation under two capacity allocation policies. Section 3 describes our heuristic algorithm, and its computational results are reported in Section 4. Section 5 presents how our software can be efï ¬ ciently used when the demand is a set of continuous distributions that evolve over time. We brieï ¬â€šy conclude with Section 6. 2. 2.1. MODEL Formulation Ds,p (t) Instantaneous demand of product p in scenario s at time t. Ï€s Probability of scenario s. We eliminate subscripts to construct vectors or matrices by listing the argument with different products p, operations w, and/or tool indices m. For example, B := (bw,p ) is the production-to-operation matrix and H := (hm,w ) is the machine-hours-per-operation matrix. Note that we concatenate only p, w, or m indices. Thus, Ds (t) = (Ds,p (t)) for demand in scenario s, and c(t) = (cp (t)) for per-unit lost sales cost vectors at time t. We assume the continuity of cp P R and Ds,p and the continuous differentiability of Pm and Pm . Primary Variables Ï„m,n The time of the nth tool purchase within group m. ÃŽ ³m,n The time of the nth tool retirement within group m. Auxiliary Variables Xs,w,m (t) Number of products that pass through operation w on tool group m in scenario s at time t. Capacity of tool group m at time t. Unmet demand of product p in scenario s at time t. Satisï ¬ ed demand of product p in scenario s at time t. Thus, V s,t (t) = Ds,p (t) − Vs,p (t). Let the continuous variable t represent a time between 0 and T , the end of the planning horizon. We use p, w, and m to index product families in P, operations in W, and tool groups in M, respectively. All tools in a tool group are identical; this is how tool groups are actually deï ¬ ned. We denote by M(w) the set of tools that can perform operation w and by W (m) the set of operations that tool group m can perform. DurP R ing the planning horizon, we purchase Nm (retire Nm ) tools 1 belonging to tool group m. Purchases or retirements of tools P R in a tool group are indexed by n, 1 ≠¤ n ≠¤ Nm , or 1 ≠¤ n ≠¤ Nm . Random demand for product p is given by Dp (t) = Ds,p (t), where s indexes a ï ¬ nite number of scenarios S. Our formulation uses input data and variables presented below. We reserve the usage of the word time for the calendar time t, as opposed to the processing duration of operations or productive tool capacities available. To avoid confusion, we refer to the duration of operations or tool capacities available at a given moment of time using the phrase machine-hours. Input Data bw,p Number of operations of type w required to produce a unit of product p (typically integer, but fractional values are allowed). Amount of machine-hours required by a tool in group m to perform operation w. Total capacity (productive machine-hours per month) of tool group m at the beginning of the time horizon. Capacity of each tool in group m (productive machine-hours per month). Purchase price of a tool in group m at time t (a function of the continuous scalar t). Sale price for retiring a tool in group m at time t. May be positive or negative. Per-unit lost sales cost for product p at time t.

Reading Log for The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter Literature Reading Logs Essays

Reading Log for The Scarlet Letter 1. Chapter one thoroughly describes the Jailhouse and the surrounding landscape. Tells of the huge wooden edifices whose threshold is timbered and iron barred. Gives the description of the peoples clothing who were congregating outside of the prison. It also describes the necessity of a new colony first building a prison and graveyard. In the last paragraph it tells of a rose bush outside of the oaken doors. The author describes the awkwardness of having such a beautiful plant surrounded by weeds and shrubs. 2. (Page 50) The rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it, --or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Anne Hutchinson, --we shall not take upon us to determine. I believe these lines are important because they illustrate some of the mythology of the times in which this book was set. The author also goes on to describe how this rose bush could symbolize two different things depending on the readers perspective; A tale of morals blossoming; or a tale of human frailty and sorrow. 3. I think chapter one should have been more obvious to the setting and time frame in which the story takes place. By text one assumes it is set in a new colony in early American history, however it should give a precise time in my opinion. Hawthorne does an excellent job of helping the reader visualize the story and is able to present a question of opinion in the first chapter, which shows great writing skills. 4. The first chapter reminds me of Where The Red Fern Grows. The rose bush that is mentioned briefly has much to do with the story even though there is little reference to it. In WTRFG the fern is actually not so much part of the story as an idea represented through a physical inanimate object, as I believe the rose bush to be. Later in the novel Pearl says she came from the rose bush by the prison door, that shows her beauty and resilience as a comparison to an object unable to show emotion. 25, 2001 Chapter 2 Pages 51 to 61 1. This chapter gives a little more setting of the town describing the short journey from the jail to the scaffold and town center.

Preschool Literacy Essay

2 This paper is going to outline the myriad of benefits that high-quality preschool literacy programs will afford families, communities, school districts and the world. Today, numerous researchers are delving into HOW to establish an effective and successful pre-school program. In this paper, I hope to answer several questions: ? What is pre-school literacy? ? What benefits do participants in a preschool program receive? ? HOW do we go about establishing a high-quality pre-school literacy program? I am rather passionate about this area. Being a speech pathologist, literacy skills and communication skills are so interwoven it is difficult to separate them. I have to say that while going to school many years ago, we didn’t learn that much about literacy as it related to speech and language development. It is only recently that researchers and educators have identified the importance of how both developmental areas are linked. I feel that establishing successful and highly effective programs that incorporate family and child directed activities are crucial to the success of our young students. That being said, let’s explore pre-school literacy. What is preschool literacy? Most people hear the word ‘literacy’ and equate that with ‘reading’. This would be an adult analogy. For very young children, we don’t, nor should we, expect them to read! Early literacy skills refer to many different things, none of which is sitting down with Mom at the age of two and reading aloud for her. At the youngest ages, early literacy skills refer to children’s exposure and experience with books. The following list is derived from Schickendanz (1999) and Early Literacy (www. zerotothree. com) . It states that early literacy behaviors include: ? Book handling behaviors – handling and manipulating the book ? Looking and Recognizing- how are they paying attention to the book, pictures, words; demonstrating recognition of pictures, etc. ? Picture and Story Comprehension – Imitation of actions noted in a story, talking about a story ? Story-Reading Behaviors – verbal interactions with the books, imitating a pointing a finger at words and/or pictures. ‘Establishing strong early literacy behaviors is essential to literacy development and should be the focus of early language and literacy programs’ (Early Literacy, 2003) It is suggested that these skills develop naturally and unfold as a result of social interactions with parents and caregivers, rather than direct instruction. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Ideally, it is everyday interactions with infants and toddlers that include talking and book reading that help establish the crucial beginning stages of literacy development. I recently heard on a radio program (can’t cite it) that children between the ages of 0-3 years should hear approximately 30,000 words a day to build an effective vocabulary! Amazing. Todd Risley, co-author of Meaningful differences in the 3 everyday Experiences of young American children (Mangione, 2005), states that isn’t an intentional teaching of these behaviors but rather embedded in the social interactions. He believes, as do I, that oral language skills appear to be the basis of phonological processing skills, which is a strong indicator for reading readiness in kindergarten. As children move into the preschool realm, (typically described as ages 3 through 5), prereading skills are developing along a continuum, rather than as a set of discrete and separate skills. In the article Critical Issue: Addressing the literacy Needs of Emergent and Early Readers (www. ncrel. org), the authors made a very interesting point I’d like to share with you. They discussed the various stages of literacy development that are not relevant to this article, however, an important transition occurs when a child’s â€Å"‘reading’ of a story changes from sounding like oral language to sounding like written language. This demonstrates a change in ideas from thinking of reading as spoken words to understanding that reading is recreated from written text that has special wordings† (McGee & Richgels, 1996;Sulzby, 1991). It is the beginning of the child’s print recognition. With respect to specific pre-school literacy behaviors that we should see addressed in a high-quality preschool program, the most important would be: ? Oral Language- engaging in rich conversational exchange with students, developing oral vocabulary, reading aloud daily, having children develop their own stories by looking at pictures (Tomie DiPola books are excellent for this) ? General Knowledge – what prior knowledge are the student’s coming into school with that they share, encouraging questions and new experiences with in the classroom, ? Print Awareness- being exposed to various written materials, some repetition of early literacy behaviors, point/drag techniques while reading ? Alphabet knowledge – the ABC song, recognizing sounds that letters make, letter recognition. ? Phonological awareness- Increased awareness of the sounds of the letters and how to play with them through rhyme, segmenting, blending, ? Pre-writing skills – later stages of development and exposure to writing mediums (pen, pencil, crayon, markers, paint), using journals with self-made pictures, word walls. (Roskos, K; Christie, J, Richgels, D, www. naeyc. org) How do participants in high-quality preschool programs benefit? I think I could go on for days about the benefits of an excellent preschool experience. For the sake of brevity, I won’t! Numerous studies have been conducted to determine whether preschool programs are beneficial and cost effective. The majority of studies suggest the answer to that is an overwhelming YES. 4 The Chicago Child Parent Center (CPC), the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program and the Abecedarian Project are all examples of highly qualified preschool programs. The CPC is recognized by the US Department of Education as an exemplary early childhood program. A comparison of the benefits of these programs was conducted, yielding what I thought were incredible results. These programs have been in effect since the 1960’s, servicing low-income areas in Chicago and Michigan (Lee, J, www.ccsso. org). In a speech given by Dr. W. Steven Barnett of the National Institute for Early Intervention Research in 2006, three separate studies compared the results of participants enrolled in the above-mentioned preschool programs against a control group that wasn’t enrolled in any preschool program. Their longitudinal studies revealed amazing results, which are credited to the attending of the preschool programs. According to them, participants in the program (as compared with non-participants): ? Were less likely to be enrolled in special education ? Had a higher rate of high school completion ? Demonstrated higher test scores ? Were less likely to repeat a grade ? Had increased earning after completing high school ? Engaged in less criminal activities ? Had a lower incidence of smoking, pregnancy and abortion. These benefits did not stop at the poverty line. They also demonstrated that middle class children benefited from the experience as well. He discussed the well-known fact that disadvantaged children benefit more when they are in class with children from different socio-economic backgrounds. An analysis I found very interesting was that ‘For every dollar invested into the preschool programs described in this paper $7 is saved in public expenditures’ (Lee. www. ccsso. org). WOW, think what that could mean to a superintendent’s budget! When trying to determine whether a preschool program could benefit those in the middle class, the US Dept. of Education, NCES, (1997) article entitled Dropout rates in the United States:1995 determined that middle class children have fairly high rates of the problems that preschool reduces for low-income children. While benefits decrease gradually with an income increase, the overall benefits are greater when ALL children are exposed to PreK. In an evaluation of 5 state prek programs conducted by Barnett,W. S, Lamy, C. and Jung, K. (2005), results revealed that in all programs, whether universal or targeted, students demonstrated gains in language, literacy and math. While all students (various SES backgrounds) gained, the low-income students gained more. Soooooo†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 How do we go about establishing high-quality preschool literacy programs? In an ideal world with unlimited funding, it wouldn’t be too difficult. However, we don’t live in an ideal world and much needed financing is often diverted to other important (or not so important! ) causes. Really, what is more important than education? One resolution could be to emulate the success demonstrated by the Chicago and Michigan programs spoken about earlier in this paper. In Rockland County, some school disctricts already offer a district-based preschool program. This year, all districts were alloted slots to participate in a Universal PreK initiative. However, while that is an excellent start to establishing a much needed entity, a lot of work still exists. During my research gathering I read many, many articles that discussed the family-centered literacy approach. Such as at the CPC, involving the parents and providing them with strategies and useful techniques to help their children empowers them and makes them feel useful and successful. Without parental involvement at the preschool level, literacy development suffers. Since the institution of NCLB, many school disstricts are seeking wasys to provide needed support to their students without it becoming a ‘special ed’ component or target program. Instituting a universal prek program benefits all. Looking at the various achievement gaps that Dr. Barnett identified in his paper, while there is significantly more of an achievement gap at the lower SES levels, there are still marked gaps in the middle class level, thus further justifying why ALL students would benefit from the experience. In an effort to establish successful high-quality preschool programs in Texas, the retired CEO of Texas Instruments was aware of the huge impact the Perry Preschool Program had on its communities and he was eager to replicate that success in Texas. Therefore, after establishing a successful pilot program, the participants wanted to be able to spread the success throughout the state and a handbook â€Å"Improving Early Literacy of Preschool Children’ was developed for prekindergarten educators. The authors and editors really were able to target what a high-quality program looks like with suggestions on how to implement them into your existing programs. The following steps are indicated to improve a preschool program: ? Set goals ? Create an improvement plan ? Build a classroom library ? Train the teachers and encourage collaboration? Keep rack of student’s progress ? Inform and involve parents 6 ? Communicate with elementary schools the children will attend ? Measure and document results (Dougherty, 1999) All of these steps are so important to developing a program that is successful. It is hard to determine whether one step is more important than another. Personally, I really feel that if the teachers and the teaching assistants and/or aides are given the proper training, every interaction with a child will take on new meaning. The Margaret Cone Head Start Center in Southeast Dallas has serviced predominantly low-income populations. As part of their language enrichment program (LEAP), each teacher attends six weeks of instruction at the nearby university as well as several workshops a year. Because of these teacher trainings, Cone Center children have produced improved scores on a variety of tests targeting vocabulary, language skills and social skills. I believe that involving the parents as much as possible and having them in the classroom for a half-day a week or twice a month lets them see what is happening and provides modeling they can use at home. Obstacles that I can identify at this point to establishing high-quality preschool programs that ALL children can attend include: ? FUNDING ? Private preschool programs vs. school district based programs ? Consistent participation on the part of the parents ? Difficulty providing quality training programs for the teachers and teaching assistants/aides due to lack of funding, time, resources While I feel there are many excellent examples of qualified and successful preschool programs in Rockland County, we do not meet the needs of all the children of the preschool age. As CPSE chair, I am able to provide special education needs to many children that require it. However, there is great variability between the programs that we recommend students attend. Consistent high-quality preschool programs would be beneficial to ALL students involved, not just the special needs children. In conclusion, it is a well-documented fact that preschool literacy education benefits all children involved. The need lies in our ability to establish high-caliber programs that are consistent, with staff that is well trained and caring. I think if we can distribute the information about the long-term effects researched and prove to the masses (school boards! ) that the bottom line would be cost savings to the community, we might see some change. I look forward to that day! References 1. Schweinhart, L. J. Lasting Benefits of Preschool Programs ERIC Digest. ericdigests. org. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www. ericdigests. org/1994/lasting. htm 2. Dougherty, C. , et al. Improving Early Literacy of Preschool Children – a Handbook for Prekindergarten Educators. Texas Instruments, 1999. 3. Lee, J. The Benefits of Preschool for High School and Beyond. Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www. ccsso. org 4. Roskos, K. A. , Christie, J. F. & Richgels, D. J. The Essentials of Early Literacy Instruction. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from www. naeyc. org/resources/journal 5. Mangione, P. L. (2005). Creating Language and Literacy Experiences for Infants and Toddlers. PITC Graduate Conference. Berkeley, CA. 6. Johnson, D. & Sulzby, E. Critical Issue: Addressing the Literacy Needs of Emergent and Early Readers. North Central Regional Educational Library. Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http://www. ncrel. org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li100. htm 7. Barnett, W. (2006, Jan. 10). Research on the Benefits of Preschool Education: Securing High Returns from Preschool for All Children. New York, NY. 8. Brain Wonders. Early Literacy (2003). Zero To Three. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from www. zerotothree. org/BrainWonders

Conflict between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Essay

â€Å"Choose a play in which there is a conflict between key characters. Explain how the conflict arises and, by referring to appropriate techniques, go on to say how the conflict adds tension to the play, and whether is it resolved.† William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy ‘Macbeth,’ charts the rise and fall of the titular character and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is one of the kings most trusted thanes, a â€Å"worthy cousin,† but he betrays that trust and murders the king after being manipulated into agreeing to commit the crime by his ambitious wife. This conflict drives a wedge between the characters and creates tension at a number of points in the play. Eventually all of their treachery is discovered, and Macbeth and his wife both face terrible consequences for their earlier actions. The conflict first arises between the key characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, when Macbeth arrives home from battle. After the battle Macbeth came across the â€Å"weird sisters,† who hailed him as â€Å"king hereafter†. His ambition is immediately made known to the audience in his soliloquy where he admits his â€Å"black and deep desires†, although he reasons with himself and comes to the conclusion that: â€Å"If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir.† However, Macbeth’s â€Å"dearest partner of greatness† is extremely ambitious and is already set on murdering the king so that herself and her husband can claim the crown and is angry when she discovers that he has had a change of heart. Lady Macbeth soon overcomes this, as she is as cunning as she is ambitious, manipulating her husband by questioning his manhood and calling him a â€Å"coward.† After the murder, Macbeth instantly regrets it and further conflict is created between the characters as Lady Macbeth has to interfere and plants the bloody daggers on the drugged guards, as her husband is too shaken to do it. Macbeth rambles that he has â€Å"murdered sleep†. She scolds him for being so weak, telling him, â€Å"My hands are of your colour but I would shame to wear a heart so white,† and that â€Å"a little water† will clear them of the deed. The two characters will experience a role reversal later on in the play. Although they have achieved their goal, Macbeth is still unhappy as he views himself as having a â€Å"fruitless crown†, as he and his wife have no heir. There is also tension created between Macbeth and Banquo, as Macbeth fears Banquo suspects him of the murder, as well as the witches prophecy that Banquo â€Å"shalt get kings†, which is heavy on Macbeth’s mind. To solve his problem, Macbeth hires assassins to murder his friends, as tells the assassins that Banquo’s young, innocent son should also â€Å"embrace the fate of that dark hour†. Macbeth does not consort with his wife about their murder, which is on of the early signs that their relationship is beginning to deteriorate due to the tension caused by the original murder. There is tension in the famous ‘Banquet Scene’, which is a turning point for Macbeth and the point in the play where he fully commits to evil. Macbeth’s psychotic break during which he see’s Banquo’s â€Å"bloodied† ghost causes tension as it is viewed by his royal lords and kinsmen and gives them reason to believe there is something amiss. Lady Macbeth tried to pull her husband together, asking him â€Å"Are you a man?†, again trying to manipulate him by challenging his manhood. Although this worked before, it doesn’t now. This could be due to the murder of the king changing Macbeth as a man, but murder is not new to Macbeth so it is much more likely that the conflict earlier on in the play has caused a loss of respect and closeness between himself and his wife. As the play goes on, Macbeth and his wife grow further apart. Macbeth becomes the one â€Å"full of direst cruelty,† who seems ruthless and remorseless and Lady Macbeth is the one who cannot have a peaceful sleep. This role reversal is a common theme in many of Shakespeare’s dramas. Tension is created as while Lady Macbeth is asleep, she imagines blood on her hands, saying â€Å"Out damned spot†, and reveals her and Macbeth’s guilt to her hand maiden and the doctor. Lady Macbeth eventually commits suicide, so the conflict is unresolved. Upon hearing the nears Macbeth simply says, â€Å"She should have died hereafter.† It is not long until he also dies, which is a direct result of the original murder of the king. In conclusion, the conflict first arises between the key characters, Macbeth  and Lady Macbeth, when they decide to murder the king but then Macbeth has a change of heart and has to be bullied into it by his wife. Further tension is created between the key characters after the murder due to guilt and the psychological consequences take a toll on Macbeth, as well as his wife, in different ways. Macbeth and his wife experience a role reversal and grow further apart until eventually Lady Macbeth commits suicide, unable to deal with her guilt and Macbeth dies soon after in an equally gruesome manner. The conflict is not resolved as there is no reconciliation between the key characters.

Service Delivery System Essay Example

Service Delivery System Essay Example Service Delivery System Paper Service Delivery System Paper The Lewis Partnership is in my opinion a very well organised company. Through their description in the first edition of their Occasions Magazine the reader gets in a world of dreams hopping to be there and to have the possibility to see it with the own eyes. The description is fantastic and you become the wish to be there and to know personally such a loving place. The employees describe the organisation as excellence as a culture, a work ethic and a way of life and a unique and very special place. The two most important managers Chris Lewis and Mark Lewis illustrate their both hotels as the first choice for all occasions. They want the costumer to be the King and they want to spoil the clients so that they spend an unforgettable time in the hotel. By offering luxury and elegance, by giving only the best service and by realizing the wishes of the costumers they show that they have a very well designed Customer Benefit Package. The clients appreciate very much the services offered by the hotels. This is shown with the example of the couple who chose the Moat House Hotel to celebrate their wedding. The couple was very pleased by the flexibility of the hotel manager. They were even allowed to change pictures and to put some own ones to adorn the rooms. The fact that this couple chose this hotel again for their first anniversary and for the naming ceremony of their first child shows that they were very satisfied with the service offered by the hotel. In the magazine they also express the careful choose of their providers of foods, flowers and coffee. The Lewis Partnership remarks also the high quality of their restaurants and point out the 2 AA Rosette standards. The winning of some awards is also a sign for the good quality delivered in the hotels. (Occasions Magazine / First Edition) 2. What is a Service Concept and why is it important to such a company?  The service concept of a company is the sum of the facilities and the deals that a company offers to their costumers. These depend on the point of view of the company by which the organisation wants the costumers, their employees and the stakeholders to perceive it. The point of view of the company depends on the initial vision that the creator of the company had when he or she started with the business. In the case of the Lewis Partnership they started with the idea of transforming the manor house into a pub and a small restaurant. After the vision they created the mission, a very difficult task because it is not easy to design and to change the mission once it is created. Later on when they took over the Swan Hotel they applied the same mission to this second business changing only some specific hotel own details. The mission is the way of doing things and the way that they wanted to be perceived by their environment. They decided to develop a place where people can enjoy holidays, a business travel or a simple dinner. They worked hardly over years and this way they build up on this idea. Step by step they expanded. They transformed the pub into a small restaurant. They worked very hard and they had big difficulties due to the lack of experience. But the business worked always better and later on due to the increasing demand of the costumers they decided to transform the restaurant into a hotel. After an extensive research they started the project. Due to the importance of having qualified personnel they employed an experienced team of professionals. The costumers were so satisfied with the service that the Manor house has been repeatedly named the most popular civil wedding venue. The well going Moat House Hotel and the opening of the Swan Hotel were the result of taking exceptional care of the costumers; they adapted the needs of the costumers and innovated their business on an ongoing basis. Another very important task is to be a good leader. The bottom line for all leadership efforts is customer satisfaction. Continued patronage ensures companys success. The supervisors have some contact with customers because they are working leaders, but there are the employees of the service team who handle the bulk of the customer contacts. That is why the importance of satisfied employees is so important to provide good service to the costumers. Desired behaviours only will take place when each leader and their respective managers and supervisors start modelling these behaviours to those they manage. When employees see their leaders actually leading by example, they feel good about their work and are more motivated to satisfy their guests. Guests and customers in general feel good when they deal with companies who seem to treat their people well. (www.hotelexecutive.com). In the case of the Lewis Partnership managers and the rest of the staff have a very good relationship. The employees have the possibility to be rewarded by themselves with the AboveBeyond awards. Management and rest of employees work together they built a strong team and the work atmosphere is very good. It is also important to point out that the services sector has grown steadily in the last 20 years. People not only want to be in a nice hotel and to pass there some days for holidays or business. They want to get more for their money. The competence is always harder and only satisfied clients choose the same hotel twice. The surroundings and the installations of a hotel are very important but you will not reach a second visit of a client if you do not offer a very good service. The Swan Hotel has a three stars category and the Moat House a four Starts category and this is also an important reason to deliver a good service to customers. Of course hotels with fewer stars should also give a good service but when a person books a table or a room in a four stars hotel he has a higher service expectation. (www.moathouse.co.uk) (www.theswanstafford.co.uk)  3. What features of a service delivery system appear to make this company successful in delivering quality service to their customers? A service delivery system is a mix of capabilities provided through resources. A good service delivery system depends on the coordination and effectiveness of all the characteristics around the service provided. In the case of a hotel the management has to answer many key questions and take many decisions to create a Costumer benefit package. They have to answer questions like: what wants the costumer, what are his needs, which are his preferences. The management needs to design procedures and to teach the staff on them to reach a high satisfaction by the costumers. A very helpful way for employees to follow the procedures is creating standard operating procedures, where each procedure is fixed step by step. It is also very important to measure the results to evaluate their effectiveness and to make improvements with the feedback of the environment. What is a Costumer benefit package? It is a combination of tangibles and intangibles that comprise a service. (Class Notes March 2004) For example: Why is a Costumer Benefit Package so important? Because of the upward trend in the business service sector over the past 20 years and also because competitive edge starts with a solid Costumer Benefit Package. It is vital to develop the CBP because it is a very useful tool for service providers to clarify what they do and do not offer through their services also because it helps to define service providers responsibilities to customers. In todays service oriented economy, it is important that companies develop a strong CBP to stay competitive. The management should keep in mind that there are many factors to take into consideration while designing an appropriate CBP for their company. (www.freequality.org) According to the GAP model, the personal needs of the costumer are the most important for the hotels. Especially GAP 5, which is; expected service contra perceived service is a force for the Lewis hotels. This is where they have the chance to impress the customers, and according to themselves, they certainly do. From the first step they take into one of the two hotels, they are meet by a staff member and taken care of. The whole stay is also carefully planed where the customer gets the opportunity to choose exactly what he or she wants in his or her room. You can say that the service and quality is reliable (The Lewis Partnership Magazine).

The Pros and Cons of Majoring in Journalism

The Pros and Cons of Majoring in Journalism So youre starting college (or going back after working awhile) and want to pursue a journalism career. Should you major in journalism? Take a few journalism courses and get a degree in something else? Or steer clear of j-school altogether? The Pros of Getting a Journalism Degree By majoring in journalism you get a solid foundation in the fundamental skills of the trade. You also get access to specialized, upper-level journalism courses. Want to be a sportswriter? A film critic? Many j-schools offer specialized classes in these areas. Most also offer training in the kind of multimedia skills that are increasingly in demand. Many also have internship programs for their students. Majoring in journalism also gives you access to mentors, namely the j-school faculty, who have worked in the profession and can offer valuable advice. And since many schools include faculty who are working journalists, youll have the chance to network with professionals in the field. The Cons of Getting a Journalism Degree Many in the news business will tell you that the basic skills of reporting, writing and interviewing are best learned not in a classroom, but by covering real stories for the college newspaper. Thats how many journalists learned their craft, and in fact, some of the biggest stars in the business never took a journalism course in their life. Also, journalists are increasingly being asked not just to be good reporters and writers, but to also have specialized knowledge in a particular field. So by getting a journalism degree, you may be  limiting your opportunity to do that, unless you plan on going to grad school. Lets say your dream is to become a foreign correspondent in France. Many would argue that youd be better served by studying French language and culture  while picking up the necessary journalism skills along the way. In fact, Tom, a friend of mine who became a Moscow correspondent for The Associated Press did just that: He majored in Russian studies in college, but put in plenty of time at the student paper, building up his skills and his clip portfolio. Other Options Of course, it doesnt have to be an all-or-nothing scenario. You could get a double major in journalism and something else. You could take just a few journalism courses. And theres always grad school. In the end, you should find a plan that works for you. If you want access to everything that a journalism school has to offer (mentors, internships, etc.) and want to take plenty of time to hone your journalism skills, then j-school is for you. But if you think you can learn how to report and write by jumping in headfirst, either by freelancing or working at the student paper, then you may be better served by learning your journalism skills on-the-job  and majoring in something else entirely. Whos More Employable? It all comes down to this: Whos more likely to get a journalism job after graduation, a journalism major or someone with a degree in another area? Generally, j-school grads may find it easier to land that first news job right out of college. Thats because the journalism degree gives employers a sense that the graduate has learned the fundamental skills of the profession. On the other hand, as journalists move forward in their careers and start to seek out more specialized and prestigious jobs, many find that a degree in an area outside of journalism gives them a leg up on the competition (like my friend Tom, who majored in Russian). Put another way, the longer youve been working in the news business, the less your college degree matters. What counts most at that point is your knowledge and job experience.

Hops and fears Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hops and fears - Essay Example The university life is not very smooth especially to the new learners if someone has never familiarized to such an environment. Every student hopes that a course he or she has chosen is the best that any person will ever dream of and the course will lead him or her to success. When joining the Indiana state university everyone believes that, he or she has chosen the best course that could earn him or her good reputation and fame as a role model in the society. Additionally, most students have faith that, when they finish to study their respective courses, they will a get very good jobs related to their area of study. Saris (49) states that, when choosing their courses, most students focus on the prevailing job market conditions about their respective courses in order to achieve their dreams. No one would choose something that would be a stress to him or her therefore, students hope that their areas of specialization is the least stressing and it will create a room for the student to carry out other activities at ease. Therefore, when creating a transition to the university life, most students have much hopes that will assist them achieve their goals in life. However, it is normal for all human beings to feel uncomfortable when they are trying to coupe up with a new environment for instance, when one first joins the campus. Cox (68) states that, on the first few days in the campus, one wonders if he or she will maintain the same excellent performance he or she had back in high school. Since the education in universities is tougher than in high school and someone is among the top performers from various high schools, the person has the reason to fear the competition. Moreover, the universities assign students to their roommates randomly and this is very worrying since no one knows about the character of his or her fellow roommate. Many questions run in some ones head wondering how he or she will adapt to live with a total stranger and tolerate the strangerâ€℠¢s character. Additionally, when someone arrives in the campus amid other students he or she is equally frightened how he or she will make new friends with people he or she has never met before. The new students have a hard time in identifying their ne w best friends who they can cope up with and share similar ideas. Seemingly, a very new university despite its good reputation in the society can stress new students who are adapting to the environment. After around a period of eight weeks most students have adapted to the new environment, some change their hopes and fears depending on the peer influence. Depending on the environment, students start changing he or her courses and choosing others after realizing that the course of his or her choice does not offer what he or she expected in life compared to other courses. A student may also change his or her course when he or she finds out that the course is hard to understand and chooses course that was not part of his or her dreams. S ince by this time the student has identified some of his or her trusted friends, the fears in the campus start subsiding because he or she knows that he or she has somewhere to run into when a problem arises. Most students after adapting to the university environment withdraw their fears and they end up shifting their hopes largely because of peer pressure (Saris 50). By the end of first semester in