Interview with a Librarian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Interview with a Librarian - Essay Example In this paper, we try to identify the various functions and duties of the school library media specialist and make an analysis of the various standards of the duties provided in the manuals and the actual duties performed by specialists. We may gather the various duties of a media specialist in an interview one of the school library media specialists. As a first step, let us identify some of the remarkable trends in the school library media center. Unlike the school libraries of the past which were just places to avail some material and books for the assignments and other activities, the idea has now shifted towards the exciting and more beneficial concept of the school library media center. In this system, the access to information and any useful material is much higher and wide variety of format, both printed and electronic, is available which aid the new generation students in their multi layered assignment purpose and the like. The most remarkable advantage of the modern school library media centers is that they serve the students greatly and play a major role in the development of their various aspects and education. These school library media centers act as powerful agents in the various areas connected with student learning and education such as finding, analyzing, evaluating, interpreting, and communicating information and ideas. "It is where students learn to find, analyze, evaluate, interpret and communicate informat ion and ideas--skills they will need as adults to live and work in an information-based society. In addition to serving as independent learning centers, the programs of many centers are directly integrated into the curriculum" (American Association for School Librarians, 2006). The twenty first century school library media centers have various trends that make the system more effective. Before we go on to the discussion about the major duties of school library media specialists in the interview, let us analyze some of the major trends in the system. One most important among the trends is the flexibility in student spaces which gives the students ample space to work and do group activities. Possessing a teaching lab and large instructional area helps the students in various ways in their activities and works. Thus, the trend of more flexibility in student space is an advantageous development as far as the students are concerned. Another major trend in school library media center is the development in visual literacy which has great importance in the student learning activity. The development of modern technique and the growth in the teaching instruments also have proven to affect the modern student learning. Visual aids in teaching have been more extensively used in the modern times. Thus, the awareness about the LCD projectors and other visual aids is found the remarkable characteristic of the modern school library media center. Extended access to the school library media center can be considered yet another major trend in the area. Thus, the working time of the school library media center has been extended as well as the access of the students to the center widened. The time the students spend in the library and the media center has increased extremely. Therefore the usefulness of the libraries to the students

Cover Letter for a Residency Program in Family Medicine Essay

Cover Letter for a Residency Program in Family Medicine - Essay Example I am confident that my combination of practical work experience and reliable educational background has prepared me for making an immediate impact on large public hospitals. Having worked in leading international hospitals in the health care, I am highly skilled in various clinical procedures and understand the level of professionalism and communication that should be displayed for the long-term success in the medical area. My background and professional approach to treatments made me responsible, punctual and extremely organized. During these years of high competition I developed leadership qualities with skills to motivate employees around me. I have proved my abilities to successfully carry out managerial tasks and actively react to emergency situations. I believe that I can be of significant and valuable contribution to the Canadian Medical facility as a physician. I hope that my professional dedication and hard-working attitude will serve the healthcare need and will provide the community with the respected health support.

M&A in India in Past Few Years Essay Example for Free

MA in India in Past Few Years Essay Abstract The process of mergers and acquisitions has gained substantial importance in todays corporate world. This process is extensively used for restructuring the business organizations. In India, the concept of mergers and acquisitions was initiated by the government bodies. Some well known financial organizations also took the necessary initiatives to restructure the corporate sector of India by adopting the mergers and acquisitions policies. The Indian economic reform since 1991 has opened up a whole lot of challenges both in the domestic and international spheres. The increased competition in the global market has prompted the Indian companies to go for mergers and acquisitions as an important strategic choice. The trends of mergers and acquisitions in India have changed over the years. The immediate effects of the mergers and acquisitions have also been diverse across the various sectors of the Indian economy. Till recent past, the incidence of Indian entrepreneurs acquiring foreign enterprises was not so common. The situation has undergone a sea change in the last couple of years. Acquisition of foreign companies by the Indian businesses has been the latest trend in the Indian corporate sector. The Indian IT and ITES sectors have already proved their potential in the global market. The other Indian sectors are also following the same trend. The increased participation of the Indian companies in the global corporate sector has further facilitated the merger and acquisition activities in India. The various factors that played their parts in facilitating the mergers and acquisitions in India are favorable government policies, buoyancy in economy, additional liquidity in the corporate sector, and dynamic attitudes of the Indian entrepreneurs are the key factors behind the changing trends of mergers and acquisitions in India. Even though mergers and acquisitions (MA) have been an important element of corporate strategy all over the globe for several decades, research on MAs has not been able to provide conclusive evidence on whether they enhance efficiency or destroy wealth. There is thus an ongoing global debate on the effects of MAs on firms. This article seeks to explore the trends and progress in MAs India. Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1618272 MERGER ACQUISITION IN INDIA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY The phrase mergers and acquisitions (abbreviated MA) refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. In business or economics a merger is a combination of two companies into one larger company. Such actions are commonly voluntary and involve stock swap or cash payment to the target. Stock swap is often used as it allows the shareholders of the two companies to share the risk involved in the deal. A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name (often combining the names of the original companies) and in new branding; in some cases, terming the combination a merger rather than an acquisition is done purely for political or marketing reasons. Mergers may be broadly classified in (i) Horizontal mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies manufacture similar product in the same industry. (ii) Vertical mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies work at different stages of manufacture of a same product. (iii) Conglomerate mergers: A situation when two or more merging companies operate in different industries. The word acquisition, also known as a takeover or a buyout, is the buying of one company (the ‘target’) by another. An acquisition may be friendly or hostile. In the former case, the companies cooperate in negotiations; in the latter case, the takeover target is unwilling to be bought or the targets board has no prior knowledge of the offer. Acquisition usually refers to a purchase of a smaller firm by a larger one. Sometimes, however, a smaller firm will acquire management control of a larger or longer established company and keep its name for the combined entity. This is known as a reverse takeover. Another type of acquisition is reverse merger, a deal that enables a private company to get publicly listed in a short time period. A reverse merger occurs when a private company that has strong prospects and is eager to raise financing buys a publicly listed shell company, usually one with no business and limited assets. Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1618272 Reasons for Merger and Acquisition †¢ Operating synergies: The uniting of two firms improve productivity or cut costs so that the unlevered cash flows of the combined firm exceed the combined unlevered cash flows of the individual firm †¢ A vertical merger between a supplier and a customer, eliminates various coordination and bargaining problems †¢ A horizontal merger between competitors, produces a less competitive product market and cost savings from combining RD facilities and sales forces †¢ Financial synergies: Information and incentive problems may cause cashstarved firms to pass up positive NPV projects, but cash-rich firms to overinvest in negative NPV projects †¢ Conglomerates can use internal capital markets to transfer funds from negative NPV projects to positive NPV projects †¢ †¢ Enhance the flexibility of the organization Reduces bankruptcy risk Objectives In this article an attempt has been made (i) To examine the presence of trends and progress of MAs in Indian corporation. (ii) To analyze year-wise and industry-wise variance in number and amount of MA deals. Hypotheses To cover the above objectives following hypotheses have been formulated: 1. There is no significant difference in number and amount of MA deals in between years and between industries. 2. There is no significant difference between MA progress in manufacturing and service sector Industry-wise Trends of MAs The industry-wise trends in number and amount of MA deals between 2000 and 2007 are presented in the Table 1 and Table 2 and the industry-wise trends and progress of MAs have been analysed on this basis Food and Beverages: India is the worlds second largest producer of food next to China, and has the potential of being the biggest with the food and agricultural sector. The Indian food market is estimated at over US$ 182 billion, and accounts for about two thirds of the total Indian retail market. According to industry experts, the market for carbonated drinks in India is worth US$ 1.5 billion while the juice and juice-based drinks market accounts for US$ 0.25 billion. Growing at a rate of 25 per cent, the fruitdrinks category is one of the fastest growing in the beverages market. The Indian food processing industry plays a significant role in diversifaction of agriculture products, generates employment, enhances income of farmers and creates a surplus for export of agro-foods. The important reason of the MA activity initiated in this industry are deregulation, restructuring disinvestment, restructuring by parent companies and presence of foreign players. Textiles Industry: Until the economic liberalization of Indian economy, the India Textile Industry was predominantly unorganized industry. The opening up of Indian economy post 1990s led to a stupendous growth of this industry. India Textile Industry is one of the largest textile industries in the world. Today, Indian economy is largely dependent on textile manufacturing and exports. India earns around 27% of the foreign exchange from exports of textiles. Further, India Textile Industry contributes about 14% of the total industrial production of India. Furthermore, its contribution to the gross domestic product of India is around 3% only. Textile Industry involves around 35 million workers directly and it accounts for 21% of the total employment generated in the economy. However the important reasons for the MAs in these sectors are: growth of power looms and handlooms sector at the cost of mill sector which has ultimately resulted in making them sick and unviable. This has led to an increase in the closure of mills; in addition, continued and persistent use of old plant and machinery has led to low profitability in the mill sector and thereby forcing some of mills to closedowns. Chemicals, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals: Under this category companies operating in the industrial groups of chemicals, drugs, pharmaceutical, cosmetics petrochemicals and rubbers have been taken into account for analyzing the trend and progress. The drug pharmaceutical industry in India meets around 70% of the countrys demand for bulk drugs, drug intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations, chemicals, tablets, capsules, orals and injectibles. There are about 250 large Pharmaceuticals manufacturers and suppliers and about 8000 Small Scale Pharmaceutical Drug Units which form the core of the pharmaceutical industry in India (including 5 Central Public Sector Units). These bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals manufacturers produce the complete range of pharmaceutical formulations i.e. medicines ready for consumption by patients and about 350 bulk drugs i.e. chemicals having therapeutic value and used for production of pharmaceutical formulations. Owing to a significant increase in Pharmaceuticals exports, Indias USD 3.1 billion pharmaceutical industries are growing at the rate of 14 percent per year. It is one of the largest and most advanced among the developing countries. Even the number of pharmaceuticals exporters, manufacturers and suppliers is increasing tremendously, the factors that contributed to increase in MA activity in these sectors are: Introduction of the process Patent Act in 1970, which required Indian companies to recognize international process patents. This has given an opportunity for the Indian companies to grow. This growth is associated with MAs and the emergence of WTO has brought about fundamental changes in the pharmaceutical industry. Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) of WTO require all Indian companies to comply with international patents. This has mainly happened in the form of MAs. Non–metallic Mineral Products: In this sector, cement and ceramics manufacturers are the primary players. The factors responsible for MAs are: before 1999 cement industry faced many problems like liquidity crisis, inadequate expenditure on infrastructure and costs of inputs. South-east Asian crisis brought narrowed profitability resulting to the bigger players withstanding the pressure of lower profitability and smaller and marginal players closing down or merging with big players and trying to appear favorable for a takeover. National Quadrilateral Road Project and State Government Policies to construct the irrigation projects could be other factors responsible for this boom. Basic Metal, Alloy and Steel: This is one of the oldest and traditional industry sectors in India. Companies operating in metals, alloy, steel and related concerns are grouped under this head. The factors contributing to MAs in this sector are: Slowdown of the economy during the year 1996-97, the capital markets, remaining depressed for the past couple of years, drying up sources of investment funds for industry, small and medium corporate finding it difficult to access institutional funds and export growth subjected to competitive pressure from imports. Information Technology and Telecom: Companies operating in the IT, Software, telecom and convergence sector are clubbed in industry, the central government has formed an independent department of information technology. Since the removal of restrictions on foreign capital investment and industrial de-licensing, India’s Telecom industry has shown large growth The Important factors for increasing MAs in this sector are: Consistent efforts were made by the department of telecom and its constituent organizations for upgrading and expanding the telecom networks and services and the Initiation of internet and web based developments and introduction of cell phone in India;. Automobiles and Automobile Ancillaries: Companies operating in automobile sector, locomotives, transport and spares have been included under this head. The Indian transport industry has been gradually playing a catalytic role for producing a wide variety of vehicles, passenger cars. Important factors responsible for an increase in MAs in this sector are: Globilalization is pushing global auto majors to consolidate, to upgrade technology, enlarge product range, access new markets and to cut costs. Competitive pressure and presence of global players have resulted in a number of MAs in this sector. Energy, Power, Gas and Oil: Companies operating in the field of energy, power, gas and oil are included in this group. Important factors responsible for an increase in MAs in this sector are, low rate of growth in power generation depressed the growth rate of industrial production and has necessitated immediate attention of big companies like Reliance Industries and due to unavailability of power and frequent disruptions have given an impetus to MAs in this sector..

Exploring The Health Benefits Of Tea

Exploring The Health Benefits Of Tea Japan the country with the worlds longest life expectancy. Based on Paul Wiseman, journalist from USA TODAY reported that Japanese live longer life compared to everyone else in the world (par. 1). Frank Jordans, journalist of The Huffington Post also states that Japanese girls that are born in the year 2009 have a high chance of living to the year 2095, some may even stand the chance to explore the wonders of the next century (par. 1). Have you ever question the reason why Japanese carries the title of the worlds longest life expectancy? One of the reason is Japanese consume tea, in large quantity. Many countries across the globe believed in the health benefits of drinking tea peculiarly China, Japan, India and even England. Tea, commonly known as the natures wonder drug should be continuously explored by the general public to increase health awareness (Tea Benefits). The natures wonder drug tea, plays an important role in varies countries around the world which includes the formation of cultural ceremonies, trade routes, formal events, entertainment, and leisure for almost 4000 years. Tea is important not just solely due to the taste but also the health benefits that are tied along this ancient drink. Hence, people should include tea into their daily routine and experience the revitalizing benefits of tea (Walker). Tea has numerous health benefits that could be grouped into 5 different categories: overall health care, mental health, internal organ, fitness appearance, and illness disease. Tea contains chemicals known as polyphenols that provides antioxidant properties of tea. Antioxidant reduces the rate of aging process and improves regeneration of cells (Bell). It is true that coffee also contains antioxidant properties that have similar effect towards our human body, but, coffee contains much more caffeine as compared to tea that contributes towards a negative effect on human. For every ounces of green tea, it contains 3.1mg of caffeine while every ounce of a Starbucks Tall Coffee contains 21.7mg of caffeine (Energy Fiend). In this case, the caffeine level in coffee is 7 times stronger compared to tea. Just like any drugs, caffeine causes a chemical reaction that creates addiction towards the brain that will cause withdrawal symptoms when caffeine is not taken. When temporary stimulation is not given, brain cells will start demand for caffeine for stimulation. Deprivation of caffeine might even result in severe conditions like depression or other mental problem (Jo hnson). In addition, tea helps to keep body hydrated. Most caffeinated drinks actually dehydrate body fluid unless more than five to six cups are consumed at a time but tea has the opposite reaction. Tea is shown to be healthier than water as it keeps body hydrated in the same time providing antioxidants and a moderate amount of caffeine that is suitable for body intake (Walker). Many researches also show that tea provides a positive impact towards the brain and improve mental state of a person. Tea contains amino acid L-theanine that is scientifically proven to improve relaxation and concentration (Walker). I understand that many people like to drink coffee at it provides similar effects, some may even argue that coffee is better than tea as it provide instantaneous and stronger boost towards the brain as it contains a much higher level of caffeine. However, when high dosage of caffeine is consumed to provide the mental stimulant, it will lead to depression, mood swing and nervousness in the long run (Rodolfo). Tea also decreases the probability of having cognitive impairment, which affects the ability to think, reason, formulate ideas, and remember. Research shows that Japanese adults who drink at least 2 cups of green tea daily decrease the risk of cognitive impairment by 50%. Stress is unavoidable across age, gender, nationality and culture. Cortisol, a s tress hormone shows a 20% drop as a result of drinking 4 cups of tea daily for one month. This evidently proves that tea have the effect of reduce stress hormone level (Walker). Long term consumption of coffee in a daily basis will also disturb a persons sleeping pattern. Coffee, a beverage with high level of caffeine is a chemical stimulant that will stimulate our brain to be awake for a longer time period than normal people. This also means that people that consume coffee actually have a shorter sleeping period, and the quality sleep is highly affected. As caffeine is an addictive chemical, it will affect sleeping pattern of a person, and possibly causes insomnia or other sleeping problems, creating feeling of restlessness, tremors, and etc. The level of negative effects varies accordingly based on the consumption period, and consumption quantity (Johnson). Japan to be title the worlds longest life expectancy is mainly due to the fact that tea has many beneficial effects related to our internal organ, mainly our heart. Firstly, tea reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke as it prevents dangerous blood clots which is the main cause of heart attack and stroke. The Boston Area Health Study recorded a 44% lower risk when a person consume at least one cup of tea daily compared to a person that doesnt drink tea (McKay, and Blumberg 3). Not just in Boston, In a long-term study of a Dutch cohort, the highest tertile of tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease and lower incidence of stroke (Yang, and Landau 2410). A reader might ask, is coffee good for our heart as well? Joseph A. Vita from Evans Department of Medicine and Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine states that There was no significant relationship between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease ( 3293S). Hence, this proves that there is no significant positive correlation between coffees as compared with the natures wonder drug tea. On the other hand, tea helps lessen blood pressure level in the body and decrease risk of hypertension. Drinking half a cup of green tea daily could reduce blood pressure risk by up to half and it has a directly proportional relationship between tea consumption and reduction of blood pressure risk. The more tea is consumed daily, the further reduction of blood pressure risk. A research was held in Taiwan with 1507 subjects to test the long term effect of tea upon hypertension and it was concluded that consumption of more than 120ml or more per day for one year significantly decrease the risk of hypertension in the Chinese population (Yi-Ching Yang et al. 1534). Using this research as the fundamental base of argument, consumption of tea in a large quantity will further provide benefits towards our heart, hence, tea should be included into our daily routine. Teas benefits are not just limited to our heart and blood pressure, it also proven to improve our digestive system. For the past 5000 years, tea has been widely used in China as an after-meal drink to aid digestion as it contains high level of tannins. Other than that, polyphenols in green tea presented an effect that helps intestinal inflammation while antispasmodic agent available in the properties of red tea helps to relief stomach cramp (Walker). On the other hand, using coffee as a comparison, drinking coffee with an empty stomach will harm our internal body which will leads to ulcer growth in the long run (Rodolfo). As a people slowly include tea into their daily routine, they will discover tea can not only improve mentally brain, physically internal organs but also providing effects on a persons fitness and appearance as well. Most people does not know that tea contains tannins and fluoride, substance that is contain in regular toothpaste, in which both reduce oral tooth decay and plaque. University of Chicago proposed polyphenols that is contain in tea aids bad breath. Hence, tea provides a platform for oral care that includes healthier teeth and breath issues that is suffered by people. Antioxidant in green tea also take place in acne problems, it was shown to be functioning the same as 4% benzoyl peroxide which is mainly used in acne treatment, bleaching teeth and hair and improving flour (Walker). Hence, why not get acne-free skin from natural antioxidant by drinking tea? A cup of tea with its full aroma has no calories unless sweeteners, sugar or milk is added. This beverage is one of the healthiest low calorie drinks that provide the morning boost without worrying of gaining weight (Walker). It is true that coffee itself is also calorie free, but, most coffee drinkers have the habit of adding sugar, creamer, sweeter or milk into their coffee compared to tea drinkers, using the research held in Taiwan, out of 1507 subjects, only 4.8% have the habit of adding milk into their beverage tea (Yi-Ching Yang et al. 1537). It was also found out by the department of chemical biology of the State University of New Jersey that feeding oolong tea to diet-induced obese mice for 10 weeks prevented obesity and fatty liver (Yang, and Landau 2411). In addition, consumption of coffee (caffeine) in large quantity at once will also disrupt sugar level in blood that could affect fat burning to change into storing fat which will cause it weight gain and other negative ef fects towards out body (Wash). Since tea has so many benefits towards our health in regards of mentally nor physically, does tea have any positive implication towards illness and disease as well? The answer is YES. Tea contributes towards strengthening of our body immune defenses system. A study was held among tea drinkers and coffee drinkers to compare immune activity within the body and it was found that immunity activity was up to five times higher in tea drinkers. Hence, practice the habit of drinking tea especially when there are people around you not feeling too well as it could help to prevent germs or virus entering your body. As tea increase our immunity system, tea also aids fighting flu as participants who gargle black tea extract solution twice a day was found to be more immune to flu virus (Walker). Instead of taking flu shots, why not just try the magical effect of tea? Besides, tea contains alkylamine antigens, which is an organic compound similar function as some bacteria and tumor cells to boost immunity. Evidence shown that tea even has effect on serious infections like sepsis, a severe bacterial infection in body tissue or blood stream. Likewise, tea also has effect in preventing food poisoning. Bacteria which lead to food poisoning are killed and toxins effects are minimize through a substance known as catechin, a bitter ingredient in green tea. With the combination of catechin and polysaccharides, it was also found to have an effect on lowering blood sugar, which will also, leads to diabetes prevention in the long run (Walker). It is true that coffee prevents type 2 diabetes, it is a beverage that naturally contains sugar that are sugar friendly to our blood, if no additional substance (sugar, creamer, syrup, and etc.) are added, it is no doubt coffee is beneficial for controlling sugar level when consumed in small quantity. Based on the World Health Organization statistics, cancer the leading cause of death with 13% worldwide, accounted for 7.9 million people in 2007. The bad news is that deaths caused by cancer are projected with an uphill slope of up to 12 million deaths in 2030. The good news is, about 30% of the death caused by cancer can be prevented (Cancer). Tea, offers a gateway toward the prevention of cancer. Many experiments and research are held to question the relationship between tea and prevention of cancer development. Studies held in Asia among 8552 Japanese adults for nine years, all subjects consume at least 10 cups of green daily are found to be having the effect of delaying cancer onset. The protective effect differs according with gender females by 8.7 years while male by three years when compared to subjects consume less than 3 cups a day. On the contrary, the delay effect of cancer was found to be less significant in Europe populations who generally consume black tea. Therefore it is important to understand the effects of different tea on our body as well as the effect of tea also differ on type of cancer (McKay, and Blumberg 6). For instance, no relation was found between tea and breast cancer in recent studies in United States, Netherlands and Italy. Conversely, 472 Japanese patient with stage I and II breast cancer recorded an inverse relationship between green tea consumption period and recurrence rate after seven years. Green tea contains substances that able modifies sex hormones that have major relationship with the risk of breast cancer reoccurrence (McKay, and Blumberg 6). Another study that was held in Iowa in regards of postmenopausal woman, it was shown that there are lower risk for urinary tract cancer and digestive tract cancer when black tea is consumed (Yang, Landau 2411). Besides that, in Netherlands, 120852 people were observed to have a weak, inverse association with consumption of black tea and stomach cancer. However, in Poland, a significant result of stomach cancer reduction is found in woman who drank tea daily. Although the effect does not occur to men, it is important to take note th at growth of stomach cancer cells are inhibited through theaflavins, a substance contain in black tea (McKay, and Blumberg 6). The most important point is to acknowledge the different tea has its own unique chemical substances and effects towards human body in the same time understanding that there is no one tea fit all concept. The effects of tea vary accordingly and it is high affected by lifestyle, eating habit, geographical, population and climate of an individual. A careful in dept study should be held in each nation to understand the chemical properties of tea in associate with lifestyle from that area itself to obtain its greatest potential benefits. In the nut shell, tea has a vast variety of benefits which includes taking care of our overall health care and mental health, protecting our internal organs, in the same time provides a better fitness and appearance. It also provides preventive measures for illness and disease. Hence, the next time anyone asks the question, Hello, would you like coffee or tea? Please reply, I would like TEA.

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay Information is a vital to running a business today, hence the needs to control and utilise information has been developed rapidly in order to gain a competitive advantage. Information system is a useful general term which used to describe about the way of organisation manage their information successfully. Today is twenty first century and computers and computer-based system are very essential to run and setup the organisation. A comprehensive and integrated information system provides a space to consolidating fragmented pieces or sub systems, improving country decision-making capabilities, implementing evidence-based decision making and providing easy access to reliable and valid data and subsequently to good quality information for better decision-making. Caterpillar is one of the worlds foremost manufacturers of earthmoving machinery and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and electrical power generation systems. Caterpillar has declared that the Caterpillar Inc. Company was officially established in 1925.Since it was founded in 1925, Caterpillar has a proud history in product development, technological innovations and globalizations with presence around the world in Europe, South-North America, Russia, China, Japan, and Africa, the company provides products and services in a multinational market, Caterpillar employs about 200.00 people around the world between dealers, employees, and suppliers. In 2006, Caterpillar reported Sales and Revenues of $ 41.517 billion and profit of $ 3.537 billion, up 28 percent compared with the previous year. (General Motors Annual Report 2005) Introduction: To ensure the success, organization always depended on information system. For their continued survival all the medium to large organizations depend on their information technology. All kind of business like small to co-operation enterprise everyone use their own information system. In daily Telegraph they published a recent article; IT supplement advises that many large organizations could not survive longer than 24 hours without IT support! Day by day, year by year organizations have changed their information systems from dealing purely with data processing to strategic and decision support. Without the valid information is impossible to find success in the short, medium and long term plan. At present situation it is also recognized that in an organization information is very common required at all levels and that information can have find from many source. To gaining competitive advantage the valid information is very Importance to needs to be stressed. INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CATERPILLAR: The different kind of Information System depends on different needs of the company. Today the market offers a range of software; accounting programs, management programs. The company depending on its budget have to identify the most effective system which will bring about more benefits. Despite using the information systems in each level, an alternative system called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) may be used to replace all the other systems mentioned above for each level within the organization. The information systems mentioned before address different functional areas usually in fragmented and incoherent fashion. The systems are created to meet the particular needs of the organization. On the other hand, the ERP system leads to more effective sharing of information and eventually to the production of more precise forecasts and plans. It is a package of programs that allow the company to integrate and share information by linking the subsidiaries, suppliers, employees, sales analysis, human resources, inventories, and financial issues simultaneously with managers and customers. It is an all-in-one package. The adoption of a single system has advantages such as dealing with only one software vendor, reduced maintenance and other repair costs, comparability between systems within the organization; and a more unifying strategy for the organization. However, it may be an expensive system to purchase and operate; and may lack flexibility to adapt to changing business need. ERP has been an effective system to adopt and Caterpillar will definitely gain competitive advantage over its rivals. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION: These systems are focused on determining what information must be provided in order to achieve the objectives of the business strategy. Caterpillar being the worlds leading producer of earth moving equipment, industrial gas turbine engines and a global leader supplier of diesel engines, selling over 300 products with a service life of fifty or more years to support distributors in over 120 countries, needs to plan and establish accurate designs of Information system for each level within the organization. These systems will help the organization to make reliable decisions within each level of the organization as mentioned below. a) STRATEGIC LEVEL The strategic level is the top most level in an organization and through the use of Executive Support System (ESS) which is the highest level of information systems used within the senior management, it establishes medium to long term strategies which assist in strategic decision making. Caterpillars strategic decisions will have a major impact on the organization and will be based on future assumptions rather than the current. It is analysed from external sources (market surveys, trade publications, demographic studies, government reports and commissioned research from specialist suppliers). The information will tend to be highly uncertain and more of a general nature or summary. The organization needs to make decisions which will help them gain a competitive edge within the market by maximising its share, attaining huge profits, develop quality and right products, control the costs and provision of satisfaction for customers. Information Requirements at this level would therefore include: Profit forecasts Patterns of expenditure Sales analyses Demographic Survey Development of market forces General economy Information Technology: The organization needs to understand and forecast customer demands so as to keep up with the future trends. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a system which provides information about customers such as categories of customers and predicts their behaviours. This system would update Caterpillar to be able to fulfil customers demands (by innovating new products) and prevent wastage of customers to competitors. b) TACTICAL LEVEL This is associated with the middle management and involves medium term decisions. The information required will normally be in aggregate form and it is subject to less uncertainty compare to information required in the strategic level. Within this level, the organization can use two types of systems; Decision Support System (DSS) and Management Information System (MIS). MIS facilitates routine summarizing and reporting while DSS allows ad hoc queries and analytical reporting. Caterpillar will have to effectively manage and control its finances (prepare budgets), labour, inventories, machinery and other resources. Information Requirements at this level would be: Variance Reports Sales analysis Cash flow forecasts Personnel Records Management Reports Information Technology: The organization needs to maintain good relationships with its suppliers since they provide the necessary inputs and components for its production. One way of doing so is by creating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) which establishes an electronic connection between the business and its suppliers and automatically sends messaged to the supplier when orders are to be made. c) KNOWLEDGE LEVEL This level is often present in some organizations and helps to keep up to date with the technology and makes use of the Knowledge Work Systems (KWS). For Caterpillar, this level would help to create designs and graphics of its machinery and other forms of design specification. Information Requirements: Design Specifications Drafts Previous or existing models Information Technology: Through the use of expensive Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Manufacturing equipment, Caterpillar has a chance to produce differentiated products which would act as a barrier to entry for other firms and to gain competitive advantage over other firms within the industry. d) OPERATIONAL LEVEL This level is concerned with the decisions made in the normal day to day operations within a business. Decisions in this area are designed to ensure the effective and efficient use of existing resources to realise budget objectives. This level makes use of the Transaction Processing System (TPS) which includes systems such as payroll, order tracking, machine control and employee records. Information Requirements: Personnel information Inventory and production levels Pricing decisions Credit control over customers Cash controls and other forms of accounting Cloud computing: Cloud computing is a term that normally using for anything that involves delivering hosted through the internet. Generally these services are divided in to three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-service (laas) Platform-as-a-service (paas) and Software-as-a-Service (saas).The name of cloud computing is stirred from the cloud symbol that usually symbolized the internet in flowchart and diagram. In the simplest, cocktail-hour terms, cloud computing is managed, shared applications, development platforms or computing infrastructure accessible via a network such as the internet. Above the clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing By Kevin T McDonalds. Cloud computing technology boasts all the benefits of multitenant, including built-in security, reliability, upgradeability and ease of use. Normally cloud computing platforms are growing in popularity, its exceptional advantages does a cloud computing architecture offer to companies in todays economic climate. Suitability of cloud computing: Proven Web-services integration: Cloud computing technology is most easier and quicker to compare with other enterprise applications by their unique nature. Such as McDonalds company using their web site logo I am loving it this is proven that all over the world for McDonalds recognition. World-class service delivery: Cloud computing infrastructures offer much greater scalability, complete disaster recovery and impressive uptime numbers. McDonalds offer their same service to the customer all over the world and they maintain their service in the same label. No hardware or software to install: The main beauty of cloud computing technology is its simplicity. This doesnt require any software to install and it requires significantly fewer capital to get up and running. Faster and lower risk development: No more waiting moths or years and spending millions of dollars before anyone gets to log into new solution. Cloud computing technology applications are live in a matter of weeks or months, even with extensive customization or combination. Support for deep customizations: Several IT professionals mistakenly think that cloud computing is difficult to customize as a result it is not a good choice for complex enterprises. This infrastructure not only allows deep customization and application configuration, it preserves all those customization even during upgrades. This is also ideal for application development tosiness support organizations evolving needs. Empowered business users: cloud computing technology allow on the fly, point and click customization and report generation for business users, so IT doesnt spend half its time making minor changes and running reports. Automatic upgrades that dont impact IT resources: These infrastructures put an end to a huge IT dilemma; if we upgrade to the latest and greatest version of the application, well be forced to spend time and resources to rebuild our customizations and combinations. Cloud computing doesnt force to decide between upgrading and preserving all hard work. Because all the customization and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade. Conclusion: According to research literature and Caterpillar information system it is evident that well establish system running by the company. From particular store to head office and also around the world the whole company running by one network. Every store is monitored by head office and how they operate business operation, tracking stock, ordering system, distribution channel, internal communication going through one IT network. Caterpillar has very strong relationship with cloud computing technology that gives great security and data storage facilities without investing additional amounts. Around the world data transfer and hassle free communication with secure system made Caterpillar in driving position in construction and mining equipment industry. Quality development strongly controlled and improved through latest technology and that made customer satisfaction and also keep customer loyal for future business. References: Above the Clouds: Managing Rusisk in the World of Cloud Computing  By Kevin T. McDonald

A Reflection Upon My Writing Essay -- Reflection Essay

â€Å"As a student, I write for multiple purposes. Purpose is the key for how my thoughts are dictated on this blank white sheet.† After writing this in my in-class journal discussing my transition from five-paragraph writing to actual formation of thoughts without a specific format, I realized that this process was a larger undertaking than I originally thought. Through endless amounts of essay writing the personal academic improvements that have taken place this quarter are indescribable in comparison to any other academic feat made in my brief but fulfilling college career. As a writer, I realized coming into college that my writing was not necessarily bad by any means, but instead extremely uninteresting. After leaving the public secondary education system, I though that I had a strong foundation in writing, which I did, but it did not hit me until my first week of my writing class that I was a â€Å"formulaic† writer. I would follow the typical five paragraph essay format that I had been given since eighth grade and wring it out until it was dry. After getting every last drop of the benefits of a typical five paragraph essay, I panicked after stepping into college and thought that my writing process would only have to change by suspending my thoughts over time and sentences, allowing single thoughts to melt onto the page line after line. For some reason, I thought that I could distract my professors from my weakness, but this ploy eventually ruined me, and if anything, this suspension of my thought did nothing but accentuate my faults. As a serious academic, admitting defeat was hard, but I needed to bite the bullet and ask for assistance. After coming into my writing class and attending my first peer editing workshop, I felt li... ... about a reflection of a moment of our lives? The redundant nature of the writing began to get to me. You would think that the same prompt of â€Å"reflection† would make me care less about the assignments, but instead I would worry more about keeping my writing fresh and exciting. If anything, I felt like my writing was part of the film Inception. Instead of a dream, within a dream, within a dream, I had an essay, about an essay, within an essay. Through the duration of this writing course and the work put in academically, I feel the growth illuminating the keystrokes as I type this essay. I feel as though I am able to tackle more complex prompts and allow myself to stay much more open minded through the academic writing process. As I learn more styles of writing and continue to gain experience as an author and an academic, the process will only be that much easier.

John Steinbeck: Experiencing the Dust Bowl Essay -- essays research pa

The 1930’s were a decade of great change politically, economically, and socially. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wore raw the nerves of the people, and our true strength was shown. From it arose John Steinbeck, a storyteller of the Okies and their hardships. His books, especially The Grapes of Wrath, are reflections of what really went on in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck did not write about what he had previously read, he instead wrote what he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. â€Å"His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against â€Å"agitators† of any kind.† (Lisca 14) John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was derived from his personal experiences and his journeys with the migrant workers. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in the town of Salinas, California. Salinas was an agricultural trading center with ties to the farms and ranches in the area. Steinbeck’s father, John Steinbeck Sr., was in the flour-milling business and through it supported his family of three daughters and one son. Steinbeck was a good student and a great writer even at an early age; he wrote stories for his high school paper. (Lisca 1-4) The experiences that were most influential to Steinbeck were not at school, but instead came from his home and the countryside. He read his mother’s books, which included the titles of Crime and Punishment, Paradise Lost and The Return of the Native. Another major influence was the countryside of California that surrounded him all his childhood. He went with Good 2 his family to his mother’s family ranch, where Steinbeck was surrounded by nature, and these kinds of trips led him to write such books as â€Å"East of Eden† and â€Å"The Red Pony†. (Lisca 3-5) Later in life, Steinbeck wrote a book called â€Å"In Dubious Battle†, which made him known as sympathetic to the labor conditions in California. Because of this, Steinbeck accepted assignments to write articles about the migrants working in California. Steinbeck had been aware of the labor problems in his state of California, but for these articles he wanted to experience it firsthand. For inspiration for his articles, and also what would turn out to be the inspiration for â€Å"Grapes of Wrath†, he visited t... ...out I’ve tried to make the reader participate in the actuality, what he takes from it will be scaled entirely on his own depth or hollowness. There are five layers in this book, a reader will find as many as he can and he won’t find more than he has in himself. (DeMott xiii).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was not observing these people’s plight, but was instead living and feeling it. Steinbeck could have only been considered an observer in that he did not have to experience it. Throughout his experiences living and working with the migrants he not only became interested or aware of the cause, but he became attached to the cause and it became a part of him. Good 5 Works Cited DeMott, Robert. Introduction. The Grapes of Wrath. By John Steinbeck. New York: Penguin Books, 1939. Lisca, Peter. John Steinbeck: Nature and Myth. New York: Thomas Y. Cromwell Company, 1978. Steinbeck, Elaine, and Robert Wallsten. Steinbeck: A Life in Letters. New York; Penguin Books, 1989 Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. 20th century ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1939. Steinbeck, John. Working Days: The Journals of Grapes of Wrath. Ed. Robert DeMott. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.