Optical Computing Essay Example for Free

Optical Computing Essay Jainam Shah Kalol Institute Of Technology, Kalol, Gujarat, India. [emailprotected] Abstract—Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition, etc). Optical digital computers are still some years away, however a number of devices that can ultimately lead to real optical computers have already been manufactured, including optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections, and optical memory. The most likely near-term optical computer will really be a hybrid composed of traditional architectural design along with some portions that can perform some functional operations in optical mode. Computing applications as a consequence of faster processing speed, as well as better connectivity and higher bandwidth. II. NEED FOR OPTICAL COMPUTING The pressing need for optical technology stems from the fact that today’s computers are limited by the time response of electronic circuits. A solid transmission medium limits both the speed and volume of signals, as well as building up heat that damages components. One of the theoretical limits on how fast a computer can function is given by Einstein’s principle that signal cannot propagate faster than speed of light. So to make computers faster, their components must be smaller and there by decrease the distance between them. This has resulted in the development of very large scale integration (VLSI) technology, with smaller device dimensions and greater complexity. The smallest dimensions of VLSI nowadays are about 0.08mm. Despite the incredible progress in the development and refinement of the basic technologies over the past decade, there is growing concern that these technologies may not be capable of solving the computing problems of even the current millennium. The speed of computers was achieved by miniaturizing electronic components to a very small micron-size scale, but they are limited not only by the speed of electrons in matter but also by the increasing density of interconnections necessary to link the electronic gates on microchips. The optical computer comes as a solution of miniaturization problem. Optical data processing can perform several operations in parallel much faster and easier than electrons. This parallelism helps in staggering computational power. For example a calculation that takes a conventional electronic computer more than 11 years to complete could be performed by an optical computer in a single hour. Any way we can realize that in an optical computer, electrons are rep laced by photons, the subatomic bits of electromagnetic radiation that make up light. I. INTRODUCTION With the growth of computing technology the need of high performance computers (HPC) has significantly increased. Optics has been used in computing for a number of years but the main emphasis has been and continues to be to link portions of computers, for communications, or more intrinsically in devices that have some optical application or component (optical pattern recognition etc.) Optical computing was a hot research area in 1980’s.But the work tapered off due to materials limitations that prevented opt chips from getting small enough and cheap enough beyond laboratory curiosities. Now, optical computers are back with advances in self-assembled conducting organic polymers that promise super-tiny of all optical chips. Optical computing technology is, in general, developing in two directions. One approach is to build computers that have the same architecture as present day computers but using optics that is Electro optical hybrids. Another approach is to generate a completely new kind of computer, which can perform all functional operations in optical mode. In recent years, a number of devices that can ultimately lead us to real optical computers have already been manufactured. These include optical logic gates, optical switches, optical interconnections and optical memory. Current trends in optical computing emphasize communications, for example the use of free space optical interconnects as a potential solution to remove ‘Bottlenecks’ experienced in electronic architectures. Optical technology is one of the most promising, and may eventually lead to new III. SOME KEY OPTICAL COMPONENTS FOR COMPUTING The major breakthroughs on optical computing have been centered on the development of micro-optic devices for data input. A. VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) VCSEL (pronounced ‘vixel’) is a semiconductor vertical cavity surface emitting laser diode that emits light in a cylindrical beam vertically from the surface of a fabricated wafer, and offers significant advantages when compared to the edge-emitting lasers currently used in the majority of fiber optic communications devices. The principle involved in the operation of a VCSEL is very similar to those of regular lasers. Fig. 2. Optical Interconnection Of Circuit Boards Using Vcsel And Photodiode VCSEL convert the electrical signal to optical signal when the light beams are passed through a pair of lenses and micromirrors. Micromirrors are used to direct the light beams and this light rays is passed through a polymer waveguide which serves as the path for transmitting data instead of copper wires in electronic computers. Then these optical beams are again passed through a pair of lenses and sent to a photodiode. This photodiode convert the optical signal back to the electrical signal. B. SLM (Spatial Light Modulators) SLM play an important role in several technical areas where the control of light on a pixel-by-pixel basis is a key element, such as optical processing and displays. 1) SLM For Display Purposes Fig. 1. Two semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer There are two special semiconductor materials sandwiching an active layer where all the action takes place. But rather than reflective ends, in a VCSEL there are several layers of partially reflective mirrors above and below the active layer. Layers of semiconductors with differing compositions create these mirrors, and each mirror reflects a narrow range of wavelengths back in to the cavity in order to cause light emission at just one wavelength. For display purposes the desire is to have as many pixels as possible in as small and cheap a device as possible. For such purposes designing silicon chips for use as spatial light modulators has been effective. The basic idea is to have a set of memory cells laid out on a regular grid. These cells are electrically connected to metal mirrors, such that the voltage on the mirror depends on the value stored in the memory cell. A layer of optically active liquid crystal is sandwiched between this array of mirrors and a piece of glass with a conductive coating. The voltage between individual mirrors and the front electrode affects the optical activity of liquid crystal in that neighborhood. Hence by being able to individually program the memory locations one can set up a pattern of optical activity in the liquid crystal layer. C. Smart Pixel Technology Smart pixel technology is a relatively new approach to integrating electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices in a common framework. The purpose is to leverage the advantages of each individual technology and provide improved performance for specific applications. Here, the electronic circuitry provides complex functionality and programmability while the optoelectronic devices provide high-speed switching and compatibility with existing optical media. Arrays of these smart pixels leverage the parallelism of optics for interconnections as well as computation. A smart pixel device, a light emitting diode under the control of a field effect transistor can now be made entirely out of organic materials on the same substrate for the first time. In general, the benefit of organic over conventional semiconductor electronics is that they should lead to cheaper, lighter, circuitry that can be printed rather than etched. D. WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) Wavelength division multipl exing is a method of sending many different wavelengths down the same optical fiber. Using this technology, modern networks in which individual lasers can transmit at 10 gigabits per second through the same fiber at the same time. which interact with light and modulate its properties. Several of the optical components require efficient-nonlinear materials for their operations. What in fact restrains the widespread use of all optical devices is the in efficiency of currently available nonlinear materials, which require large amount of energy for responding or switching. Organic materials have many features that make them desirable for use in optical devices such as 1) High nonlinearities 2) Flexibility of molecular design 3) Damage resistance to optical radiations Some organic materials belonging to the classes of phthalocyanines and polydiacetylenes are promising for optical thin films and wave guides. These compounds exhibit strong electronic transitions in the visible region and have high chemical and thermal stability up to 400 degree Celsius. Polydiacetylenes are among the most widely investigated class of polymers for nonlinear optical applications. Their subpicosecond time response to laser signals makes them candidates for high-speed optoelectronics and information processing. To make thin polymer film for electro-optic applications, NASA scientists dissolve a monomer (the building block of a polymer) in an organic solvent. This solution is then put into a growth cell with a quartz window, shining a laser through the quartz can cause the polymer to deposit in specific pattern. V. ADVANCES IN PHOTONIC SWITCHES Logic gates are the building blocks of any digital system. An optical logic gate is a switch that controls one light beam by another; it is ON when the device transmits light and it is OFF when it blocks the light. Fig. 3. a. Wave length division multiplexing b. A WDM System WDM can transmit up to 32 wavelengths through a single fiber, but cannot meet the bandwidth requirements of the present day communication systems. So nowadays DWDM (Dense wavelength division multiplexing) is used. This can transmit up to 1000 wavelengths through a single fiber. That is by using this we can improve the bandwidth efficiency. IV. ROLE OF NLO IN OPTICAL COMPUTING The role of nonlinear materials in optical computing has become extremely significant. Non-linear materials are those, Fig. 4. Optical AND-logic gate To demonstrate the AND gate in the phthalocyanine film, two focused collinear laser beams are wave guided through a thin film of phthalocyanine. Nanosecond green pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used together with a red continuous wave (cw) He-Ne beam. At the output a narrow band filter was set to block the green beam and allow only the He-Ne beam. Then the transmitted beam was detected on an oscilloscope. It was found that the transmitted He-Ne cw beam was pulsating with a nanosecond duration and in synchronous with the input Nd:YAG nanosecond pulse. This demonstrated the characteristic table of an AND logic gate. A. Optical and Gate In an optical NAND gate the phthalocyanine film is replaced by a hollow fiber filled with polydiacetylene. Nd:YAG green picoseconds laser pulse was sent collinearly with red cw He-Ne laser onto one end of the fiber. At the other end of the fiber a lens was focusing the output on to the narrow slit of a monochromatic with its grating set for the red He-Ne laser. When both He-Ne laser and Nd:YAG laser are present there will be no output at the oscilloscope. If either one or none of the laser beams are present we get the output at the oscilloscope showing NAND function. faster read-out rates. This research is expected to lead to compact, high capacity, rapid-and random-access, and low power and low cost data storage devices necessary for future intelligent spacecraft. The SLMs are used in optical data storage applications. These devices are used to write data into the optical storage medium at high speed. Fig. 6. Optical Disk More conventional approaches to holographic storage use ion doped lithium niobate crystals to store pages of data. For audio recordings ,a 150MBminidisk with a 2.5- in diameter has been developed that uses special compression to shrink a standard CD’s640-MB storage capacity onto the smaller polymer substrate. It is rewritable and uses magnetic field modulation on optical material. The mini disc uses one of the two methods to write information on to an optical disk. With the mini disk a magnetic field placed behind the optical disk is modulated while the intensity of the writing laser is held constant. By switching the polarity of the magnetic field while the laser creates a state of flux in the optical material digital data can be recorded on a single layer. As with all optical storage media a read laser retrieves the data. A. Working The 780nm light emitted from AlGaAs/GaAs laser diodes is collimated by a lens and focused to a diameter of about 1micrometer on the disk. If the re is no pit where the light is incident, it is reflected at the Al mirror of the disk and returns to the lens, the depth of the pit is set at a value such that the difference between the path of the light reflected at a pit and the Fig. 5. Optical NAND-logic gate VI. OPTICAL MEMORY In optical computing two types of memory are discussed. One consists of arrays of one-bit-store elements and other is mass storage, which is implemented by optical disks or by holographic storage systems. This type of memory promises very high capacity and storage density. The primary benefits offered by holographic optical data storage over current storage technologies include significantly higher storage capacities and path of light reflected at a mirror is an integral multiple of halfwavelength consequently, if there is a pit where light is incident, the amount of reflected light decreases tremendously because the reflected lights are almost cancelled by interference. The incident and reflected beams pass through the quarter wave plate and all reflected light is introduced to the photodiode by the beam splitter because of the polarization rotation due to the quarter wave plate. By the photodiode the reflected light, which as a signal whether, a pit is on the disk or not is changed into an electrical signal. VII. APPLICATIONS 1) High speed communications: The rapid growth of internet, expanding at almost 15% per month, demands faster speeds and larger bandwidth than electronic circuits can provide. Terabits speeds are needed to accommodate the growth rate of internet since in optical computers data is transmitted at the speed of light which is of the order of 3.10*8 m/sec hence terabit speeds are attainable. 2) Optical crossbar interconnects are used in asynchronous transfer modes and Shared memory multiprocessor systems. 3) Process satellite data. VIII. MERITS 1) Optical computing is at least 1000 to 100000 times faster than today’s silicon machines. 2) Optical storage will provide an extremely optimized way to store data, with space requirements far lesser than today’s silicon chips. 3) Super fast searches through databases. 4) No short circuits, light beam can cross each other without interfering with each other’s data 5) Light beams can travel in parallel and no limit to number of packets that can travel in the photonic circuits. 6) Optical computer removes the bottleneck in the present day Communication system IX. DRAWBACKS 1) Today’s materials require much high power to work in consumer products, coming up with the right materials may take five years or more. 2) Optical computing using a coherent source is simple to compute and understand, but it has many drawbacks like any imperfections or dust on the optical components will create unwanted interference pattern due to scattering effects. Incoherent processing on the other hand cannot store phase information. X. SOME CURRENT RESEARCH High performance computing has gained momentum in recent years, with efforts to optimize all the resources of electronic computing and researcher brain power in order to increase computing throughput. Optical computing is a topic of current support in many places, with private companies as well as governments in several countries encouraging such research work. A group of researchers from the University of Southern California, jointly with a team from the University of California, los angles, have developed an organic polymer with a switching frequency of 60 GHz. This is three times faster than the current industry standard, lithium niobate crystal based device. Another group at brown university and the IBM, Alma den research center has used ultrafast laser pulses to build ultra fast data storage devices. This group was able to achieve ultra fast switching down to 100 picoseconds. In Japan , NEC has developed a method for interconnecting circuit boards optically using VCSEL arrays .Another researchers at NTT have designed an optical backplane with free-space optical interconnects using tunable beam deflectors and mirrors. The project achieved 1000 interconnections per printed circuit board; with a throughput ranging from 1 to 10 Tb/s. XI. FUTURE TRENDS The Ministry of Information Technology has initiated a photonic development program. Under this program some funded projects are continuing in fiber optic high-speed network systems. Research is going on for developing Fig.7. Use of optical devices in future New laser diodes, photo detectors, and nonlinear material studies for faster switches. Research efforts on an particle thin film or layer studies for display devices are also in progress. At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, efforts are in progress to generate a white light source from a diode case based fiber amplifier system in order to provide WDM communication channels. XII. CONCLUSION Research in optical computing has opened up new possibilities in several fields related to high performance computing, high-speed communications. To design algorithms that execute applications faster, the specific properties of optics must be considered, such as their ability to exploit massive parallelism, and global interconnections. As optoelectronic and smart pixel devices mature, software development will have a major impact in the future and the ground rules for the computing may have to be rewritten. XIII. REFERENCES [1] [2] See for example: Chemical and Engineering ews, Photonic Crystals. Assembled on Chip, 79(47), 31 (2001). P. Boffi, D. Piccinin, M.C. Ubaldi, (Eds.), Infrared Holography for Optical Communications— echniques,MaterialsandDevices,SpringerTopics in Applied Physics: Vol 86, July 2002. Alain Goulet, Makoto Naruse, and Masatoshi Ishikawa, Simple integration technique to realize parallel optical interconnects: implementation of a pluggable two-dimensional optical data link, Applied Optics 41, 5538 (2002) Tushar Mahapatra, Sanjay Mishra, Oracle Parallel Processing, OReilly Associates, Inc., Sebastopol, California, USA, 2000. S. J. van Enk, J. McKeever, H. J. Kimble, and J. Ye, Cooling of a single atom in an optical trap inside a resonator, Phys. Rev. A 64, 013407 (2001). A. Dodabalapur, Z. Bao, A. Makhija, J. G. Laquindanum, V. R. Raju, Y. Feng, H. E. Katz, and J. Rogers, Organic smart pixels, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 142 (1998). Henning Sirringhaus, Nir Tessler, and Richard H. Fr iend, Integrated Optoelectronic Devices Based on Conjugated Polymers, Science 280, 1741 (1988).

LVMH_Career Development through International Mobility

LVMH_Career Development through International Mobility IntroductionTask 1 Work Force Planning Workforce planning is a process designed to anticipate and integrate the human resources response to an organizations strategic plan. [Strategic Workforce Planning PDF]. The plan is projected to help in staffing in terms of short as well as long term. Through Workforce Planning organisations gain insight into what people the organisation will need, and what people will be available to meet those needs. In creating this understanding of the gaps between an organizations demand and the available workforce supply, organizations will be able to create and target programmes, approaches and develop strategies to close the gaps. The plan should: †¢ Depend on the staffing and the competencies predicted for the future. †¢ Asses the present work force †¢ Identify gaps which exist between the present workforce and the future requirements †¢ Develop strategies to acquire the workforce needed in the future †¢ Evaluate from time to time the effectiveness of the plan. Work Force Planning in LVMH In a global organization like LVMH, work force planning faces a lot of constraints. The plan has to take into consideration the growing number of 71000 staff who are spread across 2000 of the companies stores. Displaying an organic growth of 7% per annum it is essential that LVMH has the right and sufficient talent to compensate its future requirements. Another constraint would be the facts that the plan should incorporate fifty different autonomously run companies which are constantly growing alongside the addition of newer companies. The main aim here would be to develop the workforce in line with the business strategy. The plan should be constantly evolving taking into account the various changes affecting the organization. From the outset LVMH was an international business and had drawbacks in its work force plan which is evident from the fact that the human resource department lacked international experience and many managers were not fluent in English. The skills required were not predicted well enough to ensure the competency levels of the employees was in co-ordination with the organizations needs at that point of time. The group is headquartered in France but has to be multicultural due to the scale of its international operations. Subsequently an effective work force plan enabled LVMH to identify the competency levels it needed from its employees in line with its business strategy. This lead LVMH to develop global managers with international expertise through International Mobility. Looking towards the future, the importance of work force planning at LVMH can be related to the following global trends: †¢ Change in market trends †¢ Scarcity of skilled workforce in certain countries †¢ Changes in legislations which may collide across operating countries †¢ Older population †¢ Changes in the retirement age of the younger generation of employees †¢ Advancement in technology to change the HR function An effective work force plan which takes into consideration the growth and the staffing constraints in the operating as well as prospective business zones would equip LVMH to maximize its growth opportunities. Task 2 Recruitment Recruitment refers to the process of attracting competent prospective employees for vacancies at an organization or firm. Recruitment may be done internally or externally. External recruitment is the process of attracting employees from outside the organization whereas internal recruitment is where internal labor is used for filling vacancies. The rapid globalization of the markets combined with a constant shortage of skilled staff and advances in technology have resulted in large scale changes to recruitment practices throughout the world. A survey spanning more than 2000 companies conducted by Intelligence Group in association with StepStone, revealed that 42% prefer to recruit internationally for their operations. International Recruitment from the Perspective of LVMH There are many advantages associated with LVMH recruiting internationally to cater to its workforce needs, some of which have been outlined below: †¢ Moving from Ethnocentric to Geocentric 50% of the Senior Executives and 40% of the managerial staff are French even though they only account for 37% of the employees in LVMH. These figures portray an ethnocentric orientation of the firm. An ethnocentric orientation in a global organization can lead to a lack of understanding of the host countries differences that may require a different approach to marketing and management. Here a common belief is that the head quarters way of managing is better or more preferred than any other way of managing practiced outside. As a global organization aiming to grow internationally an ideal approach would be a geocentric orientation as cited by Levitt(1983). This would be achievable by recruiting talent internationally which would gradually reduce the ethnocentric influence and develop a pool of global managers needed by LVMH. †¢ Reduced Influence of Labor Market Conditions in Specific Countries LVMH would have a larger people base to recruit from and it will not be limited by work force scarcity in any particular country. The influence of changes in any particular countries labor market conditions would be reduced. †¢ Larger Talent Pool Recruiting employees from the countries where LVMH has presence would add to the talent pool within the organization. These new recruits would have local knowledge of the culture and fashion trends in the country of their origin. At the international level they would bring into the organization a fresh set of skills which may benefit LVMH. For example: A designer recruited in India may create an ethnic accessory which can be marketed and sold not only in the country of origin but may have a huge potential internationally. †¢ Cost Saving Recruiting internationally would reduce the need for expatriation to fill a vacancy. This would naturally lead to saving the expenditure involved. It would also reduce the work load on the International transfer team. The internationally recruited employees could be taken through intensive training to understand the expectations from management. †¢ Less Dependence on Expatriates Many expatriates are unwilling to take on certain international assignments due to various reasons. Recruiting internationally would therefore reduce dependence on Expatriates. †¢ Government Legislation LVMH operates through more than 50 stores which are spread worldwide. Recent trends have shown that governments require companies who conduct business in their country to develop the talent of the local workforce so that they hold key management positions over a period of time. Certain countries also have legislations which require a certain percentage of the staff to be locally recruited. Task 3 International Mobility International Mobility has grown with the increase in globalization of companies and the opportunities of operating in markets across the world. This expansion in business created a need for leaders and employees with global expertise to manage operations across national borders. Human resource departments are facing a growing demand on their resources in order to manage the mobility of this new type of work force. LVMH has the advantage of developing this form of work force early and now it can reap the benefits of the pool of Global Managers. Benefits of International Mobility LVMH stands to gain from the following benefits of International Mobility: †¢ Availability of skilled labor Changes in technology have created a shift in the labor market. There is a noticeable shift towards the demand for skilled labor. Shortage of labor caused in certain countries due to this demand can be counteracted with the help of mobility. †¢ Distribution of knowledge In this age, technology progresses at a very rapid pace. In the face of eminent competition it is important for LVMH to be technologically ahead and implement development in a very short span of time. International mobility of competent work force would enable the rapid distribution of knowledge within the organization. †¢ Global Competence Since the expatriates in LVMH are travelling extensively and engaged in international assignments they develop a knowledge base and skill sets. They may include an understanding of different countries market trends, culture differences, local languages, management of multi cultural teams. More globalized managers would lead to a globalized top management who will guide its international operations. This global competence of the workforce gives LVMH an advantage over its competitors. †¢ Adaptability Recent trends show that products need to be constantly evolving and be customer specific. Mobility develops an adaptive and flexible culture in LVMH and thus it can benefit by keeping in pace with the customer requirements.

Kellogg company is a strong market leader

Kellogg company is a strong market leader Kellogg Company is a strong market leader in the production of cereal and convenience foods. With 2009 reported earnings of $1.3 billion. The company maintains a leading position in the production of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and veggie foods. The Companys brands include Kelloggs, Keebler, Pop tarts, Eggo,Cheez-it,Nutri-Grain,Rice Krispies,BearNaked,Morningstar Farms,Famous Amos,Special K,All-Brain,Frosted Mini-Wheats,Club and kasha. Kellogg products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. Its global headquarters are in Battle Creek,Michigan,USA. Kellogg trades under the ticker symbol NYSE.K This marketing plan is aimed at extending Special K product line, one of the many Kellogg Company brands. Special K Brand under Kelloggs parent company cereal has recorded huge amount of sales since lunch, hence the extension, to maintain the product at a Growth cycle. The Analysis of this report was presented in a SOSTAC framework developed by PR Smith, which detailed why, how, when and where, the product line was to be extended with the view to expand market share and compete favorably in the UK convenience food industry. 2.0 Situational Analysis: Market Summary The value of the UK cereals market is around  £1.1 billion per year. Kellogg has a 42% market share of the value of the UKs breakfast cereal market. Reported earnings for full year 2009 were $1.2 billion, or $3.16 per diluted share, an increase of 6 percent from full-year 2008 of $1.1 billion. The company has developed a range of products for the segments within this market, targeted at all age groups over three years old. As a market leader, it maintains a distinct premium position within the market. This means that it has confidence of its consumers and a large market share. Special K, under the shape management market segment, was introduced in UK, October 1999, it is marketed primarily as a diet aid that can be eaten to help one lose weight and stay fit. It frequently has give-away offers for various health and fitness products and contains dieting information on the back of the box. In the UK, Special K currently comes in ten varieties: Special K Special K Red Berries Special K Purple Berries Special K Peaches Apricots Special K Bliss Creamy Berry Crunch Special K Bliss Strawberry Chocolate Special K Oats Honey Special K Yoghurt Special K Sustain Special K Medley Special K has been a successful Product brand of Kellogg. Applying the product life cycle, it is possible visualize the different stages of the Special K brand. The product life cycle demonstrates the change of product sales over time. Customer Analysis: Special K cereal and bars is for everyone and is being consumed by customers aged 3 and above. The increasing varied customers demands lead to the successful line extensions of the brand. Further to this, are the need for shape management products and the need for these products to address the weight and healthy living issue in UK. Being that Kelloggs company enjoys brand loyalty and economics of scale, Special K No Added Sugar will be added to buying options of existing brand and prospective customers, as a healthy product positioned to satisfy this Shape Managementemerging market segment. It is strategically targeted at the weight conscious consumers. This includes the Obese, overweight, diabetic, athletes and generally for everyone as an aid to keep fit. Competitor Analysis: Kelloggs is the market leader and enjoys a strong position. However, Special K has as its major competitors-ALpen, a product brand of Weetamix Company and Weight Watchers, on the shape management and healthy living cereal and bars market. Applying the porters five forces model, it is possible to analyze Special Ks competitive position EXISTING RIVALRY: Alpen No Added Sugar cereal a product of Weetamix Company Weight Waters no sugar cereal Nestle Whole grain-low fat General Mills Green Giant-no added sugar. New product development Marketing prowess THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: All existing cereal manufacturers or companies Start up costs Cost advantages Access to distribution channels THREAT OF SUBSTITUES: Low switching costs Available substitutes Product differentiation Industry profits SUPPLIERS: Supplier monopoly High switching costs Unique product Importance of supplier to buyer Forward integration threat CUSTOMERS: Price sensitivity Advanced knowledge and independence of choice Drives demand Own profit potential Associated savings Backward integration threat Marketing Environment: Applying a PESTLE analysis, main points are the socio-cultural, environmental and technological factors. Socio-Cultural Factors: Consumer Orientation/perception: There exists the perception that cereal products and meals are for kids and younger children. This perception has been historically erupted by a social culture that associates babies with cereals. Life Style: The rushed and busy lifestyle of consumers in the Uk, would impact on the consumption of Special K no added sugar cereal. People, especially the students and working class, hardly eat at home, but settle for On-the-go junks foods, coffee and fatty drinks. Shifts to behavior Population demographics Environmental Factors: The need for Environmentally Sustainable business processes from start to finish, which to some extent has cost implication to organizations Green Issues. Technological Environmental Factors: Emergence of new communication channels to reach customers Improved production processes Automation Internal Market Environment Audit: STRENTHS Strong brand/Awareness Market Leader Economics of scale Brand presence and acceptability Premium product Capital Customer loyalty Derived learning curve effect -competitive advantage Product differentiation Quality processes and procedures WEAKNESS Sales driven by promo and pricing OPPORTUNITY Emergent shape management product customer needs. Special K brand, achieved awareness as an advantage Opportunity to re-enforce the growth life cycle of the Special K brand New customers/markets THREATS Competitors Price war with competitors New innovative products 3.0 Objectives: SMART Simple Extending and expanding of Kellogg Special K product line, with the introduction of Special K No Added Sugar Cereal in UK. Measurable To increase market share by 10%, compete favorably in the fast moving cereal and convenient food industry, and ultimately add value to customers and stakeholders. Currently the demand for no sugar added products are on the increase and competition have already launched into this concept. To lunch Special K into the UK market, which is currently Europes largest Kellogg consuming country. Achievable- (Mission) To Lunch Special K No added Sugar cereal in July 2010, in a projected one year period. Realistic The Extending of the Special K line is a realizable goal, owing to the fact that the Product Brand has been very successful since introduction and following the up surge trendy consumption of healthy low calorie, low fat and No sugar food items. This extension is also an innovative plan, in line with Kelloggs corporate company vision and mission of sustainable growth. Targeted Customers: Consumers aged 5 and above. These include individuals-families, Students, Professionals. Especially, dieticians, diabetic, Obese, athletes and young mothers. The Special K No Added Sugar line is a response to emerging customer demand. 3.1 Vision and mission Kellogg Companys Vision and Mission statements define their focus upon sustainable growth, our broadened definition of social responsibility and the true strength of our company our people and our brands. Vision_Mission_Full 4.0 Strategy: The first strategy in line with the product extension is to create customer awareness to this product offer and then develop more customer base. Market Penetration strategy: To penetrate the existing market and gain greater market share, increased brand awareness and boost the Special K product life cycle. Market Development Strategy: To develop the shape management market segment, using the product extension to attract new customer base. E.g customers who do not, consume sugar. Product Development strategy: By the improved recipe,flavor,taste. (No sugar flavor or taste) STP: Segmentation: shape management segments Consumers who want healthy, low fat, sugar free cereals. The value proposition here is the healthy meal offer. Targeting: we are targeting all healthy meal seeking consumers, but with special focus to shape management segments. Positioning: Healthy and Good Healthy and tasty 5.0. TACTICS: The marketing mix exists as a set of controllable tactical tools used to implement the strategy. The 7 Ps marketing mix catalyses the implementation of our strategy. Product: Our extension of Special K range and the addition of the No Sugar flavor is a tactical strategy in line with our mission to capture more markets segments and consolidate our consumer networks. New package will be introduced. Place: We will continue with existing value supply and distribution networks to make this product available to our cherished customers. Special offers will be given the stores that record large distribution. This will further motivate our value channels to get Special k no added Sugar at the market place. Supermarkets, retail stores, convenience stores and Online. Price: Market penetration pricing will be deployed to gain rapid market share, this is because there exists an extensive competition in the market. And the cereal market place is a sensitive one. Promotion: These promotional methods will be adopted to communicate effectively to the consumers- Advertising,sales promotions,direct marketing,ditital marketing and personal selling People: The knowledge marketing team, the IT and Software team, RD team are all involved in co-creating this product. Every member of the organization is a part of this mission in different perspective. They have been updated with product knowledge to impact the customers. ACTIONS PLAN: TASKS Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY STEP 1: PRE LAUNCH  £22,000 Research  £40,000 Research Team Select Advert Agency  £30,000 Marketing Dept Brief Web Designer  £30,000 IT Dept Set Up Database  £50,000 Software Dev. STEP 2: LAUNCH TV Advertising  £300,000 Marketing Dept Billboards  £100,000 Marketing Dept Magazine Inserts  £50,000 Marketing Dept PR/Sales Promotion  £200,000 Marketing Dept Digital Marketing  £250,000 Marketing Dept Step 2 Control: Balance Score Card. The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management system, used to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications and monitor organizational performance against strategic goals. 7.1 KPIs-Key Performance Indicators: Quality control Financial results Marker research Managing information system Sales analysis Service levels Market share analysis Financial results CRM-New customers acquired, retained Product awareness Competitor performance Benchmarking Profitability ROI Performance appraisal of employees Financial Analysis: Contingency Planning:  £50,000 set aside as financial reserve. Productive capacity reserve Safety measures in place should there be any disaster at promotion sites Etc Critical Reflective Writing: Learning Outcome: The truth is, I never had an idea of the enormous tasks or amount of work involved in marketing planning, from start to finish. Haven worked in banking operations for 4 years; I never saw marketing departmental roles as a challenging one. I will usually think they pretend to be busy when they are actually not, while the operations staffs are the only value adding workforce. The module marketing planning and its matrix, of which I am excited to be able to produce a marketing plan, have not only opened my eyes and mind to wider conceptual, theoretical and practical aspects of marketing. I now appreciate the essence of the existence of different roles and departments in an organization, marketing planning and why it is essential in business-to effectively identify customer needs, create products/market offerings accordingly, in order to maximize revenue, profit, ROI and minimize costs. Marketing planning I now understand, is a multi faceted, cross-functional activity that touches every aspect of the organizational life. I have gained an understanding of how the marketing- mix interact, to facilitate a rational business decision and reduce the complexity of business operations which ultimately adds a dimension of realism to a companys hopes for the future. I will go back into work, with an understanding of the real significance of a strategic planning. I will evidence learning, and make valued revolutionary impacts as a manager and maybe A marketing Manager It will never be business as usual.

Whose Fault Is It? :: Dialogue Conversation Essays

Whose Fault Is It? Whitney: Hey, Jessica, have a seat. You always seem to be looking for a place to hide. It must be tough with your dad on the television almost every night now. Cafeterias sure aren't private, and you do have to eat! Jessica: What a pain hiding from people sometimes! Still, dad's been in politics for awhile now, so I'm getting used to it. Brett! Lorrin! I'm over here. Brett: Hi, guys. Jessica, that was a good report you gave today in Environmental Studies, even though I think you're wrong, of course! Lorrin: You two never agree on anything! Jessica: Well, I have the facts to prove my point. Dad showed me some of his research. Industries and factories are directly at fault for pollution. It is a simple as that. Lorrin: Now, you two will drag me into this. I don't like it the way politicians push the blame off on those without the money or power to do anything about the destruction. We elect government representatives to fight for our rights and well being. Brett: Well, I simply don't see it that simply. We are all responsible for our environmental destruction. Whitney: Now that is simple. It seems to me that much of this environmental destruction issue is in our heads. Things seem fine to me. I don't see dead fish, breathe black air, or contract unexplainable illnesses, and neither do any of you that I know. Jessica: I think you would feel differently if you saw EPA test results on the air you do breathe. The EPA sets limits on the amount of toxins that various industries, cars, and other polluters are permitted to release into the air. Lorrin: Yes, but the EPA as a governmental agency only performs those texts once a year. Brett: The EPA is underfunded and understaffed. Not only that, but when it does shut down factories, in many cases, the people who become unemployed complain about the lack of work and the factory is usually reopened. Similarly, when factories are to be inspected, they are usually informed weeks before the inspections occur, allowing time for temporary arrangements to clean up their toxic emissions and making the tests invalid. Jessica: The EPA must give a company at least one day notice before an inspection.

Alan Bennetts Talking Heads inspired my initial idea. :: Drama

Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads' inspired my initial idea. DRAMA PRACTICAL =============== Our group comprised of Jennifer Harney, Jamie Hollaway, Antonia Forsyth, Nick Hudson and myself. Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads' inspired my initial idea. I had imagined two seats on stage with two people portraying an unusual event. The other actors would then act out the narrated story. However this was not met with great enthusiasm and so was immediately dismissed. Our second idea was more stimulating. We came up with the idea of a failing band who were looking for new talent a la 'The commitment', and were holding auditions. Jenny was immediately taken with the idea and imagined herself portraying the role of director. We soon had discussed this idea to death and were no longer inspired by it but dreaded the thought of how we would bring it to the stage.. The end of the lesson arrived and we realised we had done nothing but talk and had rubbished all the ideas we had come up with. We repeated the second lesson in the same way, however it was a little more productive. We moved from the idea of a failing band to an actress who was finding it tough being at the top. However two problems soon emerged. The first was that we were coming up with fantastic ideas that would obviously only work on film, and not on the stage. The second was the lack of insight and excitement for all the characters, other than the star herself, leaving everyone else feeling worthless and unimportant; the group was starting to split- this was turning into a disaster. We were able to salvage this by the lifeline provided by Nick. Although his idea also contained many problems that needed to be discussed, we were able to recover the fading spirit of the group. During the third lesson we became worried that we not getting anywhere fast, so we decided to change our approach. We remembered that in earlier workshops, when we had been stuck for inspiration, we wrote down random words and then just improvised based around the chosen word. The first to be used was squash, after the second attempt I was reminded of the metaphor 'When life gives you lemons make lemonade'. Although this was a slight deviation from 'squash, nevertheless the group was inspired ands so we spent twenty minutes discussing the idea. We then realised our idea had, once again, dragged us back into the fatal area of discussion, which we were trying to avoid! The fourth lesson we returned we asked for the help of our teacher (Mrs. Curtis)- we were aware of the other group's developments, and

Toyota Motoring Manufacturing

1) How does the andon procedure work and what are its fundamental aspects? How much does it cost to stop the line? What are the benefits of stopping the line? The andon procedure is adopted by Toyota Motor Manufacturing to ensure quality of their products. It involves the pulling of the andon cord whenever production at a work station is unable to be completed within the cycle time, or whenever any problem is faced. Pulling the andon cord will alert the team leader to the station. If the problem can be corrected immediately, assembly is resumed by pulling the andon cord again. However, if the team leader is unable to solve the problem, the line is stopped. With this process, Toyota is able to manufacture quality products and prevent defective products from being transferred on to the next station. This is in line with Toyota’s principle of jidoka where problems are instantly detected and production is stopped whenever a problem is detected. However, stopping the line will reduce the flow time of the car assembly and flow rate of the production. As more time is required to produce the cars, worker overtime costs will be incurred. According to the case, line stoppages caused a shortfall of 45 cars per shift. These cars could have been sold in the market instead. Thus, line stoppages caused lost revenue (opportunity cost) for these 45 cars. In analyzing the costs for stopping the line, we assume that hourly wage per team leader is set at a 6. 5% premium. We assume 769 team members are spread equally between the two shifts. We assume that each worker causes an average of 1 line stop per shift. The number of shortfalls in a shift is based on that in April 1992 i. e. 45 cars. The breakdown of costs incurred to stop the line is as follows: Hourly Wage per Team MemberHourly Wage per Team Leader (6. 5% premium)Overwage rate per Team MemberOvertime Wage Rate per Team Leader 1718. 10525. 527. 1575 Number of Shortfalls per Shift45 Number of Shifts2 Total Team Members769 No. of Team Members per Shift (769/2)384 Number of Team Leaders per Shift102 Number of Stops per Worker per Shift1 Number of Stops per Shift384 Overtime per Car (57s/3600)hrs0. 0158333 Total Overtime Cost per Shift ($)8950. 4713 Overtime Cost per Stop ($)23. 308519 Lost Revenue per Stop (0. 17 x 18,500 x 45)/384368. 5469 Tota Cost Incurred per Stop ($)391. 86 Benefits of stopping the line is to reduce wastage as defects are detected early and problems can be solved earlier before the defect is passed on to the next station. 2) What are the underlying causes of the problems facing Doug Friesen? The main problem faced is a decrease in run ratio, which measured the numbers of cars actually assemble d in proportion to the number of cars that could have been assembled with no line stoppages, from 95% to 85%. This drop also led to a shortfall of 45 cars per shift, which had to be made up with overtime. The underlying causes are as follow: †¢The combination of seats, which resulted from by the variety of Toyota Camry, has increased the probability of defects or human error. †¢Problems are not solved at the point where the defect is detected and the defective cars remained in the assembly line until they are moved to the Code 1 clinic area for further inspection and quality control. Solving problems at the end of the assembly line could be more difficult or require more time than at the spot where the problem was first detected. This is because the car at the end of the assembly line has already been completely assembled thus, making amendments to specific components could be more challenging. †¢There is a long waiting time for the delivery of replacement seats from KFS to TMM. This led to an increase in inventory in the overflow parking area where the cars waited for KFS’ special delivery. 3) How, if at all, does the current routine for handling defective seats deviate from the principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS)? The current routine deviates from the TPS principles of Jidoka and Just-in-Time (JIT) production. JIT Principle TPSCurrent Routine (deviation) Produces only what was needed, how much was needed, and only when it was needed. Any deviation from true production needs was condemned as waste. Defective cars remain in inventory and some have to wait for replacement seats to be delivered. Cars are not produced at maximum capacity. Thus, consumer demand is not met on time. Jidoka Principle TPSCurrent Routine (deviation) Make any production problems instantly self-evident and stop producing whenever the problem was detected. Insisted on building in quality in the production process and condemned any deviation from value-addition as waste. Does not follow the jidoka principle – instead of stopping production and waiting for the new seat to arrive then fixing the seat before production restarts, Toyota continues with production and only fixes the seats after production ends 4) As Doug Friesen, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts? What options exist? What would you recommend? Why? There are several solutions to address the seat problem in the manufacturing process. These solutions are non-exclusive and could be implemented together. Solution 1: Decrease the error caused by variability in car seat styles. This can be done by investing in training staff so that they will be proficient in handling the variety of seat styles for respective cars and reduce the defect rate caused by human error. Another way is to assemble the cars in batches based on its respective seat styles as this method of production decreases the chance of human error as well since production will be more uniform. However, batching violates Toyota’s ‘Heijunka’ principle. Solution 2: Toyota could also consider the option of repairing the damaged seat immediately rather than allowing it to through the entire process first and congregating at the end of the line; in other words, to put the practice of jidoka into play. All staff involved in the production line will then have to be more critical in ensuring the best quality of the seats, and stop the production line once a defect is realized. However, repair staff would need to be well equipped to handle the situation. Furthermore, this solution requires the production line to stop, thus incurring costs. Solution 3: Switch to another seat supplier or source for additional suppliers to ease the current load on KFS since the current supplier delivers poor quality of seats which causes the problem in the manufacturing process. However, having more than 1 supplier may result in differences across the finished goods as it is difficult for two suppliers to provide identical seats. Solution 4: Stock safety inventory to use it as a buffer for the defective seats so as to decrease the wait time required to deliver replacement seats. However, having excess seat inventory will incur inventory cost. It is also against the JIT principal which hallmarks Toyota. Solution 5: Seats can be redesign such as changing plastic hooks back to metal to reduce the probability of one of the problems for defective seats, which is a broken hook. The focus of the solution should be aimed at improving the internal process problem which is decreasing the human error caused by variability of car seat style and also improving external process problem which is the quality of the car seats supplier. As show in Exhibit 8, the main cause of defective seats comes from the poor quality of seats delivered by the supplier. Therefore it is vital that we would firstly have to improve the delivered seats and Toyota can do so by bringing up this issue to the management at KFS. Toyota must demand for better quality products and if the problem continues due to poor quality of seats, Toyota should then source for additional suppliers to cover up for the lack of quality sets supplied by KFS. Once the external problem has been handled, Toyota must look at ways to improve the capabilities of its production line staff. By training them to handle the various seat styles for respective cars, it increases the skill level of the workers and hence decreases the probability of making an error. However, Toyota will incur training cost but these costs will reflect savings in the long run if its staff would make less errors hence improving the run ratio of the production line.

Personal Discovery Essay Overview Essay

This essay is intended to guide the student from identifying a problem or situation, taking some action in regard to the situation, and writing about the experience while supporting/developing their evaluation/analysis with two primary sources. A General Overview: First, you will be given a professionally-generated article that addresses a particular topic. This semester, the topic will involve health risks. Second, you must decide upon an activity after reading the article. For instance, since the article you will be given is on health risks, you will will need to identify two activities you can perform that will effect the consequences of your chosen health risk. Third, you will write a first draft of an essay of about 750 words (three pages) in which you discuss the activities and what motivated you to choose those activities, followed by your reactions and responses (such as â€Å"What did I learn?† And â€Å"Why could it be valuable to me?†) Fourth, find an article in the Three Rivers’ Rutland Library data base which provides additional information or that either refutes or corroborates what your rough draft says. Ideally, this one will help you determine the best practices for avoiding or managing the health risks. Incorporate information in the form of direct quotation and paraphrasing according to MLA style into the final draft. Finally, prepare a final draft of the paper in which you analyze the experience and the article, then synthesize all of the information into a cohesive essay. This essay will be the final assignment of the semester, so it is important to do your very best work. The final essay shuold be of 750 – 1,000 words, not including the correct MLA-style Works Cited page. Short Writing Assignment #7 Instructions: Read and study the information from the following web page: http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/839-top-10-leading-causes-of-death.html Download the Article Close Reading template (located in the â€Å"Assignments: Unit 5† folder) Complete the template through a close reading of the article. Minimum Requirements: Completed Article Close Reading document for â€Å"Top 10 Leading Causes of Death† by Rachael Rettner. Since you have used this template before, take into account any suggestions or comments I provided you with to make sure you make the fullest use of the template possible. DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE Attached Files: Article Close Reading Document.docx (15.785 KB) Short Writing Assignment #8 Instructions: Choose two activities which you can do over a period of a few consecutive days which may prevent your death or the health-related consequences for you from the chosen malady. Make sure you think about the activities you choose to give before you decide. They should be planned, not spontaneous events. Once you perform your activities, notice the immediate effects and think about their long-term value. How did you feel when performing your activities? Were your activities difficult? How did you feel after the experience? Sit down and write about the experience while it is still fresh in your mind. Minimum Requirements: Compose a 200 – 300 word reflection on your activities. Make sure you clearly identify your chosen health malady and the activities you performed in the context of your reflection. Personal Discovery Essay First Draft Instructions: Using the following outline, compose a rough draft of your Personal Discover Essay. . INTRODUCTION:Mention the article and author. Give the briefest summary of the main points that relate to your paper. As you agree or disagree with the ideas, a thesis should develop. PERSONAL:Why did you choose to do these particular malady and activities? Were they the most convenient, the most inconvenient, or did they involve activities that had been on your mind, for example? How did you feel when you anticipated the activities, before you actually performed them? ENVIRONMENT:Identify your activities. What exactly did you have to do? Give some detail about this so the reader can imagine how much (or how little) was done. REACTION:What was your  reaction? How did you feel, both physically and mentally, after performing your activity? Did this surprise you? Have you had other experiences where you’ve changed your actions, or added activities, based on your health decisions? If so, how did this reaction compare to that experience? INTERPRETATION:Consider this experience in light of Rettner’s article. How do you think her numbers would change if everyone took these activities seriously? Do you think there is a significant chance others will follow your lead? Will you continue to perform these activities in the future? Do you think others are likely to do so? Why or why not? CONCLUSION:Tie the essay together, reiterating your thesis, perhaps mentioning Rettner’s article one more time. Make a statement about health activities, predict what would happen if more of us were required to try to improve our health, or discuss how we would be affected if we expected more healthy living activities of ourselves. Try for a fresh and original ending to this essay. Minimum Requirements: Write the first draft of an essay of about 750 words in which you discuss what you did and what motivated you. Part of the essay should discuss the article and your feelings about it, while it should also include your reactions and responses Personal Discover Essay Instructions: Find an article in Three Rivers’ Rutland Library database that provides additional information or that either refutes or corroborates what you said in your first draft. The article may discuss public service, student character, or any other aspect of your essay. Incorporate the information from your new article into the final draft of the Personal Discovery Essay. The final draft should demonstrate your ability to analyze the experience and what was read and then synthesize the information into a cohesive essay. Minimum Requirements: A final draft of the Personal Discovery Essay which syntheses of the genesis article, first hand information gathered in real time, and a supporting document located in the database into a single essay of 750-1000 words. In addition the the essay, you should include a correct MLA-style Works Cited  page containing citations for the Rettner article, as well as the database article. Apply the scientific and healthcare professionals’ advice and expertise to craft an essay of Personal Discovery which uses both your day-to-day altered habits and the science that backs them up in an essay which incorporates the best practices of our three major essays this semester