Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Name: Jasmine Chan Date: 26-7-12 Summer holiday book report |Book Title: |Change of Heart |[pic] | |Author: |Jodi Picoult | | |Publisher: |Atria Books | | Plot summary: June’s daughter, Claire, needed a heart transplant. However, it was Shay, a man on death row for killing the rest of June’s family years ago, who wanted to donate his.After a grim, life-and-death struggle and careful consideration, June accepted Shay’s â€Å"grand† offer grudgingly, so Claire’s life was saved. Commentary: Before reading the book’s brief introduction, the words â€Å"change of heart† gave me the impression that this book is about a person suffering from heart failure and had to get a heart transplant from an unknown donor just like so many others did. After reading the blurb, I discovered that this is not the case. Actually, the plot is very special and the issue is very controversial and worth discussing so I started reading this book.I have to assure everyone that this book is a page-turner that impels readers to read towards the very last page. Would you fulfil your enemy’s dying wish to save the life of somebody you love? In this novel, Jodi Picoult delves into questions of vengeance, mercy, salvation and redemption by exploring the rage of June who already lost a daughter, the bitterness of Shay the criminal on death row and the fate of a critically-ill child to force them to think about a question: â€Å"Can even the most understandable thirst of vengeance be squashed if it means saving someone you love? In my opinion, as there is an old saying : What’s done, is done, I think June should forgive or at least put aside Shay’s wrongdoings and accept his kind offer because this would be an act of forgiving herself and other’s too. Moreover, this would be the only way to save her daughter (There was no one except Shay whose heart was suitable for Claire. ) However, of course, as a reader, we know that June’s family did not die of murder but manslaughter.So, that’s why I actively encourage June to accept Shay’s giving, which came out of love. As a result, my answer to June’s question : â€Å"Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you loved? † is definitely yes. Besides, I truly appreciate Jodi Picoult having the courage to write about these themes, which are novel, controversial and meaningful. Secondly, concerning about the characters, I think Shay was a hero because he was humble and willing to sacrifice himself.For example, when there were miracles –water turned into wine, Calloway’s pet robin was brought back to life and a tiny piece of gum became enough for all to share—happening under his finger in the prison, he did not boast about himself, but instead denied that he was a â€Å"Messiah† and said that he was just an ordinary man who wanted to donates his heart to sa ve a little girl called Claire for redemption.Besides, although nobody knew the truth—it was only because Shay wanted to protect Elizabeth from being sexually-abused by her stepfather, Kurt that he was compelled to shoot Kurt and accidentally shot Elizabeth too. He still insisted to die for Claire because he loved that family and wanted for redemption for his big mistake. Having lost a daughter and two husbands, June’s life was fraught with grief. I can vividly see how that grief shaped her character and informing the choices that she makes.At first, when she had lost her first husband, she was willing to take a second chance and let go of the past and start a new life by remarrying and giving birth to another girl. However, when her first daughter and second husband were â€Å"murdered†, she broke apart. When it came to the decision whether to have a restorative justice meeting with Shay and accepting his heart, June initially refused, which showed that she was no longer that flexible and easy to adapt to changes. Fortunately, in the end, being more rational, June made the correct decision—to take Shay’s heart.I think she made this choice in hopes of a better future, which was also a wise move. Last of all, looking upon the writing strategies, the way Jodi Picoult presents the story generates readers’ interest in finding out what’s going to happen. Each chapter is written from the perspectives of a different character. I get to know all the characters’ inner thoughts: their fear, hope, bitterness and above all, their reflections of what makes sense of them. I felt as if I were one of the characters while reading. I understood their feelings.I explored their complex minds. I walked with them in their life journeys. I felt deeply what they underwent. I could view things from different people’s perspectives. Through this, I could experience the sorrow and difficulties of June and her family. In the e pilogue, it is the first and the last chapter written from Claire’s perspectives, which makes the ending very unique. In conclusion, Change of Heart is a true-to-life story, which I love so much and would strongly recommend to all my fellow schoolmates.

Aristotle Plato Essay

Aristotle was born on 384 BC in Stageira, Chalcidice 34 miles east of modern-day Thessaloniki. His father Nicomachus was the personal physician to King Amyntas of Macedon. Aristotle educated as a member of aristocracy and at the age of eighteen, he went to Athens to do his further studies in Plato’s Academy. He was there at the beginning as a student of Plato, and then became a researcher and finally a teacher. Aristotle married Hermias’s niece Pythias who died ten years later. After her death he married Herpyllis, who came from his birthplace, Stageira. By 335 BC he had returned to Athens, establishing his own school in there known as the Lyceum. This Academy focused more on biology than its predecessor that relied on mathematics. Aristotle not only studied almost every subject possible at the time, but made significant contributions to most of them. In physical science, Aristotle studied anatomy, astronomy, embryology, geography, geology, meteorology, physics and zoology. In philosophy, he wrote on aesthetics, ethics, government, metaphysics, politics, economics, psychology, rhetoric and theology. He also studied education, foreign customs, literature and poetry. His combined works constitute a virtual encyclopedia of Greek knowledge. It has been suggested that Aristotle was probably the last person to know everything there was to be known in his own time. He greatly admired Plato all the way to his death, despite the fact that he later opposed some of his most important points. Aristotle died in 322 BC at the age of sixty-two in Chalkis on the island of Euboea. He also said many sayings regarded to different topics or fields like other Philosophers. Once a person asked that â€Å"what is friend? † Aristotle answered as follows. â€Å"A single soul dwelling in Two Bodies†. Like other Philosophers, Aristotle too talked about friendship and the above quote is such one. When we talk about the friendship, it is a kind of internal bonding among two or more beings. Most of the time, this bonding does not depend on one’s caste, gender, age, occupation, wealth or any other. That is why even very best friend’s needs show a little difference from each other because our bodies are external and physical. The most valuable thing for a human life is the friendship because it is very difficult to live alone. Even the present Psychologists accept that concept. If we go deep into this particular relationship, this can be a good one or a bad one as this depends on their intentions and thoughts. Actually the friendship is a backup for a one’s life, when our self is down with a problem or sadness, our friend is the first person who identifies our situation. He/She may not be able to find a solution for us, but surely he/she will be there to cry with us. That is how best friends act at all. They never let the other down. One’s sadness will be the other’s sadness. That is why Aristotle clearly said that one sole dwelling in two bodies. Friendship will gives the same feeling for all the friends even that is a comedy, tragedy or a joy because friends are one in their souls. Friendship is not only within two persons but within a group of them. Education is the guider to a one’s life. Aristotle said that, â€Å"The roots of the education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet†. Education is received according to a specific order. That is why we can categorize it into primary education, secondary and higher education. Primary education or the very basic education is the important stage for a person because from that only he starts to think logically and effectively. Then only he can have a clear mind about his/her future. If the primary education is not strong, final result will be not a satisfactory one. If the root system is not well developed the tree will not be a good one. But the thing is our basic education is not a sweet one because there are many difficulties and hardships to undergo. Aristotle tried to tell that when we start something we must not judge its conditions from that point, we must think beyond that which means about its future. Because the fruit is our future. Although a tree is fully grown, it never is able to obtain nutrients and water from its top part. From root system only it will get those necessary nutrients. Likewise every new updating knowledge will come through our basic knowledge, if not we won’t be able to understand those. We must remember that there must be difficulties and unpleasant points in our life to make our future a brighter and comfortable one like the great Philosopher, Aristotle.

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management

3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. M. 1989, â€Å"L ogistics Information Systems in a Just-In-Time Environment â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 50-67. Bowersox, D. J. 1974, Logistics Management: A Systems Integration of Physical Distribution Management and Materials Management, Macmillan Publishing, New York, NY. Chatfield, A. T. Bjorn-Andersen, N. 1997, â€Å"The impact of IOS-enabled business process change on business outcomes: Transformation of the Value Chain of Japan Airlines†, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-40. Closs, D. J. Kefeng, X. 2000, â€Å"Logistics information technology practice in manufacturing and merchandising firms† An international benchmarking study versus world class logistics firms†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 869-86. 624 Closs, D. J. , Goldsby, T. J. Clinton, S. R. 1997, â€Å"Information technology influences on world class logistics capability†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. Handfield, R. B. 1997, â€Å"Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. Lasserre, P. 1989, â€Å"Information as a Substitute for Inventories â€Å", European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. Mentzer, J. T. 988, â€Å"A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. Morton, M. S. S. 1989, â€Å"A Framework for Management Information Systems†, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, â€Å"Computer Models in Distribution Management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, p p. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. Auker, K. 1973, â€Å"A Survey of Computer Applications and Practices in Transportation and Distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. Cail, R. E. 1988, â€Å"Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy†, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. Talalayevsky, A. 2000, â€Å"Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. Bentz, B. A. 004, â€Å"The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey†, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. Wells, M. V. 1992, â€Å"Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, â€Å"Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. Randall, H. L. 1998, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by European industry†, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, pp. 167-79. Porter, M. E. Millar, V. E. 1985, â€Å"How information gives you competitive advantage†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. Corsi, T. 1999, â€Å"Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Stank, T. P. 1992, â€Å"Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20. Sauvage, T. 2003, â€Å"The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. Weng, Z. K. 2000, â€Å"The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. Langley, J. C. J. 1997, â€Å"A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. Patricia, J. D. 1994, â€Å"JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Rogers, D. S. 1996, â€Å"Logistics support for JIF implementation†, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, â€Å"Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM†, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, â€Å"Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future†, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. Nakamura, N. 2000, â€Å"Reactive logistics in a JIT environment†, Production Planning Control, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, â€Å"Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning†, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, â€Å"A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics†, Communications o f the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. Yasin, M. M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626 A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management 3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. 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The Role of America and the Great War - Essay Example The additional territories would provide the nations with additional raw materials thereby contribute to their wealth. However, the scramble for colonization led to conflicts among the nations as was evident between the Germans and the Britons in East Africa and the French and the Britons in West Africa among others. The growing conflicts enhanced the growing suspicion that the European nations had about each other thereby leading to the war. Militarism was yet another significant factor that led to the outbreak of the war. Militarism referred to the desire for the various European countries to arm themselves with lethal weapons of mass destruction. The European countries led by Germany entered an arms’ race at the beginning of the 20th century. Germany increased its funding for arms, and the country experienced the greatest increase in the soldierly build up. The same was the case in Britain, France and Russia. In both Russia and Germany, the military began to enjoy the great influence of the prevailing public opinion thanks to the rise of authoritarian leaders who were eager for war. With the rapid growth of the military in numerous countries, the countries began agitating for war with the view to testing their military might a feature that led to war since the countries were aggressive and domineered towards each other. The rise of nationalism further enhanced the agitation and aggressive interaction among countries at the beginning of the 20th century thereby contributing to the breakout of the First World War. Nationalism just as the name suggests refers to a political ideology that enhances people to develop a strong attachment to their nations. As the countries militarized and developed their economies, so did patriotism and a sense of belonging developed in citizens of various European countries. The rise of nationalism led to the rise of a number of young people who were willing to join their domestic armies to fight for their countries. The culmination of nationalism that led to the war was the push by the Slavic people living in Herzegovina and Bosnia to quit Austria-Hungary and join Serbia.  Ã‚  

Summarizing and Presenting Essay Example for Free

Summarizing and Presenting Essay The Ballard Integrated Managed Services (BIMS) their main office is in New York City that provides housekeeping and food service to different corporations and institutions throughout the country. BIMS main focus is their core competencies with contracts along with large organizations. They also provide lease support to outside vendors. BIMS clientele consist of 22 fortune 100 companies, 100 average firms, 16 high ranking universities, 14 medical centers, and three large airports. With a large company such as BIMS handling large contracts they have found some major issues with a high turnover rates and employee moral with one of their companies. As, the leading manager Barbara Tuckers is in charge of three divisions at this site. She was concerned about the companies major issues that seem to be declining in the past several months. She wanted to find out why staff moral was low and why the company turnover rate was higher than usual. The information received from exit interviews did not show any information of what was causing the problem. So together with her department heads and supervisors they decided the problem was employee morale, but they were still undecided on why this was happening. She noticed that BIMS has a high turnover rate of 55% to 60% with this company. However, within the past four month the rate is continuously climbing and has reached 64%. This has created an increase in cost to replace workers and it shows that they are also leaving without giving a reason why. Barbara Tucker has also noticed an increase in employee’s using sick time and an increase in workers wasting time during work hours. BIMS are getting an increase in complaints from hospital administration because of poor work performance from employee’s. Barbara Tucker decided ti discuss the issues with the three division managers and the HRM departments. The conclusion was a suggestion of surveying all the employee’s to find the main cause of the decrease in their morale. She asked Debbie Horner the HR manager to lead this project at the site and to apply some research ideas that she learned while completing her MBA. Debbie Horner used what she learned from school to create an employee  survey instrument (e=Exhibit A). Using the scale provided, record your answer by circling the number that is closest to your view where 5 is a very positive response and 1 is a very negative choice. Very Negative Very Positive 1.How well do you enjoy working for BIMS? 2.You enjoy your assigned shift. 3.Your request for your desired shift was fulfilled. 4.How many times have you called in sick in the last month? 5.You are well trained for your work. 6.You are paid fairly for the work you do. 7.Your supervisor treats you fairly. 8.Your supervisor’s boss treats your division fairly. 9.The company is good at communicating. 10.You do not fear that you will lose your job. 1.In which division do you work? 2.How long have you worked for BIMS? 3.What is your gender? 4.Are you a manager or supervisor? Food: _ Housekeeping: _ Maintenance: _ Years: _____ Months: _____ Female: _____ Male: _____ Yes: _____ No: _____ The survey is not a requirement only voluntary and anonymous. All 449 employees except top management will receive this survey within their biweekly payroll checks guaranteeing each employee has received one. The Data the was entered is shown below in a table form from the responses and received by employee’s in (Exhibit B). Exhibit B Types of Data Debbie Horner decided to use quantitative and qualitative to collect data. Quantitative variable has two kinds of variables, and they usually are reported numerically. Discrete is one of the variable, which can only assume  certain values, and they have gapes between the values. A continuous variable can assume any value within a specified range. A qualitative variable is categorical or non-numeric. Usually people are interested in the number of percent of the observations in each category. Qualitative data is usually summarized in graphs and bar charts (Lind, Marchal, Wathen, 2011). A questionnaire was placed in the payroll checks for two pay periods, and the employees were asked to return them to her. There are two types of primary research: quantitative data collection and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data collected is based on numbers. For example collecting data related to peoples age or income. The information collected can be analyzed after the collection using various statistical techniques. This analysis helps the researcher create meaningful patterns and take a deeper dive into the data. The most important use of quantitative data is in hypothesis testing and can help researchers in reaching conclusions. The main methods used to collect quantitative information are using questionnaires that require input of the user’s response. The survey can be distributed using different means, such as mail, phone, website, etc. Qualitative data can be collected using personal interviews, focus groups, and observations carried out for the purpose of research. Although personal interviews can help researchers dig into greater details, they are time consuming and expensive. The best way to find the cause of the problem is to do a survey and calculate the response so the company can fix the current or ongoing problems. The measures of the central tendency is shown in (Exhibit C) as the mean after calculating the data. It can show the main location of the middle or center of a data set. The measures can be the mean, mode, and median. The mean is used the most and it can be calculated by adding all of the numbers and then divide the numbers of numbers to get the sum, which will be the mean. The mode is only the value that occurs frequently within the set of data such as, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 7 the mode would be 7, 7 and 3, 3 in a data set. The median is a number presented in the middle when there are numbers in a set of data that are in ascending or descending order. Exhibit C Employee’s were asked how well do they enjoy working for BIMS and the rating was lower than expected only 27.3% liked working with the company. My  recommendation for the company would be to implement incentives for employee’s. According to Frenz (1999-2013), â€Å"Companies can use incentives to focus the employees on specific areas, targeting important motivational points† (2). The company can also provide a bonus for completing and performance in the employee’s work. This will stop some of the complaints of poor performance in the employee’s work habits. Another suggestion is the company can also implement a complaint and idea box for employee’s to input his or her ideas or problems with the company or management. References Gallup. (2008). Turning Around Employee Turnover. Retrieved from http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/106912/turning-around-your-turnover-problem.aspx University of Phoenix Material:University of Phoenix Material: Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc., Part 1 Statistical Techniques in Business and Economics, Thirteenth Edition, Lind, Marchal and Wathen, McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN 978-0-07-303022-7

Food Irradiation Essay Example for Free

Food Irradiation Essay Food irradiation has the longest history, more than 40 years, of scientific research and testing of any food technology before approval. Research has been comprehensive, and has included wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation. Worldwide, 38 countries permit irradiation of food, and more than 28 billion lb of food is irradiated annually in Europe. It is important to note that food irradiation has a pretty remarkable list of national and international endorsements: ADA, American Council on Science and Health, American Medical Association, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Food Technologists, Scientific Committee of the European Union, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the US food supply has achieved a high level of safety, microbiological hazards exist. Because foods may contain pathogens, mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in food-born illness. Irradiation has been identified as one solution that enhances food safety through the reduction of potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive program to enhance food safety. However, food irradiation does not replace proper food handling. So the handling of foods processed by irradiation should be governed by the same food safety precautions as all other foods. Food irradiation cannot enhance the quality of a food that is not fresh, or prevent contamination that occurs after irradiation during storage or preparation. But, treating foods with the irradiation of gamma rays offers benefits to consumers, retailers, and food manufacturers such as improved microbiological quality, replacement of chemical treatments, and extended shelf life. The spices and fumigant sprays used on fruits can be limited and eliminated through the use of irradiation. This improves the quality of the fruit. Pathogens in raw poultry or meat can be reduced by a dose of radiation. Also, smaller doses can disinfest grain and produce and can slow down the natural aging of fruit and vegetables. This all results in the reduced use or elimination of chemical treatments and proves that irradiated foods closely resemble foods in their fresh state. Irradiation has been compared with pasteurization because it destroys pathogenic bacteria. Because irradiation does not greatly raise the temperature of the food being processed, nutrient losses are small and are often much less than nutrient losses associated with other methods of preservation, such as canning, drying, and heat pasteurization and sterilization. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are not notably affected by irradiation. But certain vitamins are sensitive to food irradiation. Yet, nutrient losses can be minimized by irradiating food in an oxygen-free environment or in a frozen state. According to the Ames, Iowa Council for Agriculture Science and Technology Task Force Report No. 115, consumers consistently rate irradiated fruit as equal or better than non-irradiated fruits in appearance, freshness, and taste. With all of the facts listed above, it is obvious that irradiated foods are the best option instead of harmful chemical products. These chemicals usage and harm are a result of not using food irradiation to benefit consumers. And in an era of increasing concern about food safety, consumers must understand that irradiation is one method of enhancing an already safe food supply.

Binary Input Output System

Binary Input Output System Task 1 Motherboard Name: Abit IS7-E Intel 865PE 800MHz FSB The biggest and most important circuit board of a computer system. The many components on a motherboard, they are CPU(socket),memory slots, HDD controllers and other socket and slots. Binary input Output System(BIOS),memory, mass storage interfaces, parallel and serial ports, controllers and expansion slots. It handles all memory, system resources and the processor. Power supply Name:600Watt power supply Provided through a power supply unit(PSU) to the computer. It perform (AC) current (110 or 220 V) to direct current(DC) 5V,12V,3.3V. Continuous 5power input is required for the proper Functioning of the system which can be provided through a direct power supply. Surge suppressors, power conditioners and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) are commonly used for regulating the power input to the computer. Two type of power supply ATX power supply (24pin power supply) CPU Name: Intel P4 2.4GHz 512K HT 800MHz FSB Manages the processing and logical operations of a computer system. The two main components of a process or are the Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU) and the Control Unit(CU).The ALU handles asthmatic and logical operation. The CUCU decodes and executes the memory instructions, processor is also commonly know as microprocessor or Central Processing Unit(CPU). Memory modules Name:DDR2 SDRAM (1GB) Storage space in the computer where digital data is stored. The main physical memory is called Random Access Memory(RAM) which allows data to read and written into it. Speed 800MHz, Pin 240. Storage devices Name: 3.5† Hard disk Drive (ATA) Maxtor 120GB 7200RPM ATA Main Storage devices is hardware device and Store information are permanently store information on a PC. Haft Disk controller pin40 Hard Drive Controllers device Circuitry that is responsible for the managing transmission of data from the computer to the hard drive and vice-versa. Display Devices Name:21† LCD Monitor Machine, which displays the data and information being entered, retrieved and the results of the processed data from the system. Some commonly used display devices are monitor, liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel and touch screen. Adapter Cards Name: Hercules ATI Randeon9800XT 256MB Circuit in a computer system, which support a particular device. Video adapters are used to support graphics monitor. Network adaptors allow a computer to communicate with another computer. Also called expansion board, add-ons, add- ins or cards. Ports Names- RJ-4s LAN Purpose-To connect the system board and to be used input devices Characteristics-PS 2 -USB -Wireless Task-1(ii) Serial Serial ports are usually called communication port comport etc. Generally one computer can accept up to 4 serial ports (com1, com2, com3 and com4). Parallel Parallel ports must be used eight lines of wire and they can transfer the data as by the rate of eight bits in one time. So, they are only used one data line and their transference rate are five or ten times faster Fire wire The fire wire is the fire wire connector and plug most commonly used with PCs. Task-1(iii) CMOS(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) CMOS are used very less amount of power and does not generate a high amount of heat also, as it uses both the negative and positive polarity. This features makes it usable in computer system. Basic Input Output System Pre-integrated software which determines the actions of a computer which it can perform without accessing the disk. Present in the ROM chip and contains code for various functions and devices. Post Error Code 1 short beep Normal POST system is ok 2 short beeps POST Error error code shown on screen No beep Power supply or system board problem Continuous beep Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem Repeating short beeps Power supply or system board problem 1 long, 1 short beep System board problem 1 long, 2 short beeps Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA) 1 long, 3 short beeps Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) 3 long beeps 3270 keyboard card The errors found in BIOS that occur during the post time can be distinguished into two. (i) Non-fatal error Normally, error message can be shown on Monitor Screen such as error which can do boot set up continuously on the compute is graded as non-fatal error. (ii) Fatal error The error which cannot continue boot setup and entirely stops and make a series of beep-code sound. Depending on the BIOS, these short beep – code help the operator distinguish the fault affecting on which part of the machine. Task 2 Task-2(i) The most popular type of motherboards is AT-style motherboard and ATX-style motherboard. Advanced Technology (AT) :The older form factor standard derived from PC-XT and PC-AT specifications. Advanced Technology Extended (ATX): A newer form factor standard that has been introduced to overcome problems found in the AT-style designs. The main components of a motherboard are the CU and its chipset, the system clock, the ROM , BIOS, the RAM, the system bus with expansion slots, jumpers and DIP, power supply connections and communication ports like the serial, parallel, USB and infrared ports. Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus. This Architecture was originally used in the IBM PC/XT and PC/AT. It is a very old technology used for connecting peripheral device. Task 2 (ii) Advanced BIOS Features This category displays the amount of memory detected by the BIOS. The value of the base (or conventional)memory is typically 640K or more memory installed on the main board. The value of the extended memory is the amount of memory located above 1MB in the main board. Fig.1 Standard CMOS Features The Standard CMOS setup screens from various BIOS manufactures all provide the same basic information .They can be used to set the system clock/calendar, establish disk-drive parameters and video display type, and specify which types of errors will halt the system during the POST. Fig. 2 Task- 2 (iii) a Print technologies Impact technologies( Dot-matrix printer) Non- Impact technologies(ink-jet, Laser printer) Ink-jet printer An inkjet printer is a non-impact printer that uses droplets of ink to create image on the paper. Inkjet printer is popular for home user due to its ability to print color. It is cheaper than laser printer but expensive to maintain. Inkjet’s cartridges need to replace frequently and special coated paper is required for high quality photo out. Task-2(iii)b Common Printer Problems When a printer has been out of paper, or had a paper jam, or some other condition that keeps it from giving output for several minutes, the lpq command ceases to indicate the particular condition, and simply shows it as stalled(n sec), with n>>1000. So if you see this message, you need to go to the printer itself and find out what is wrong. On the other hand, when a condition has been corrected, the lpq command may continue to report the condition for about a minute more; so a warning like No paper tray when the paper has just been reloaded can usually be ignored. You can likewise ignore the warning No daemon present when a job has just been submitted after the queue was empty. Task3 Network cable A Network is a collection of computers linked to one another allowing information and resources to be shared between them. A network is setup by connecting the various computers through the cables, connectors and connectivity devices such as hubs or switches along with which necessary protocols for enable communication between them are implemented. Any computer can access a network directly by using a network adapter expansion card also known as Network Interface card(NIC) and a network cable. Types of cable are Coaxial cable: Contains a central wire which is insulated and on top of which there is a braided wire. Coaxial cables can carry more data and are less prone to interference. Plenum cable: Has an outer shield made of Teflon which is a fire repellant and which does not produce poisonous fumes when burnt. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)cable: Two cables and switched wires so that the noises of the two separate wire that are cover in a shield of foil, so that data transmission is safer. Connectors : Some Commonly connectors in a network Are: BNC, RJ-45,AUI, ST/SC and IDC/UDC. (ii) Five different technologies are 1. ASDL 2. Wi Max 3. IP Star 4. PSIN (dial up) 5. ISDN (digital) 1.ADSL Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) works by splitting the phone line into two frequency ranges. The frequencies below 4KHz are reserved for voice, and the range above that is used for data. This makes it possible to use the line for phone calls and data network access at the same time. This type of DSL is called asymmetric because more bandwidth is reserved for receiving data than for sending data. Asymmetric variations include ADSL standards facilitates interoperability between all standard forms of ADSL. Strengths The internet connection can remain open while the phone line is used for voice calls.DSL service employs phone wires between the home and the telephone switching center. Weakness ADSL works by splitting the phone line into two frequency ranges. The frequencies below 4 V Hz are reserved for voice, and the range above that is used for data.DSL service is not available in all locations. 2. Wi Max Wi Fi is used by wireless LANs. Strength : Mobile PC might be connected to printers, scanners or voice over IP headset. Laptop user would wirelessly connect to a digital project. Weakness: To extend broadband wireless connectivity to new locations and over longer distances. 3. IP Star Strength: can access from everywhere. Low Noise Block (LNB) removes the noise and convert into digital signal. Weakness: Weak signal is limited power available in orbit satellites tend to broadcast on very lower power. Extremely high cost between$100 to$ 600 million to build . 4. PSIN (dial up) As the distance between terminals increases ,it soon becomes impractical to use dedicated cabling to carry data .Fortunately ,a very extensive communications network is already in existence :the public telephone network. Strengths The world’s largest communications network is the public telephone system. When computers use this network to communicate with each other it is referred to as dial-up networking (DUP). Weakness Must wait for certain time to convert digital to analog and transmit ion is not binary but analog, so signal may weakness at certain point need exchange to pump up. 5. ISDN (digital Line) ISDN service offers high-speed access to the ,public telephone system. ISDN service requires digital modems. Strengths The fastest, most expensive ISDN service is broadband ISDN. This level of service provides extremely high transfer rates (up to 622Mbps) over coaxial or fiber-optic cabling. Weakness Two wire system is expended in four wire system thought a network terminator. Task-3(3) 5 Networking capabilities of Windows XP -Wireless Firewall -Offline Offer Remote Assistance Remote Desktop Task 4 Task 4(i) 10 Windows XP system files HAL.DLL: Hardware abstraction layer (HAL) driver that holds information specific to the CPU that the OS is running on. SMSS.EXE: A file that contains information to carry out pre -start functions such as running in boot time version of CHKDSK called AUTOCHTC. SMSS.EXE: A file that contains information to carry out pre -start functions such as running in boot time version of CHKDSK called AUTOCHTC. BOOT.INI: A text file that contains the boot loader menu that is displayed on the startup screen. BOOT SECT.DOS: Responsible for loading the operating system other than the default operating Ntoskrnl.exe: Executive and kernel, executive and kernel with support for Physical Address. Ntkrnlpa.exe: Extension (PAE), which allows addressing of more than 4 gigabytes(GB) of physical memory. User32.dll: Core Win32 subsystem DLLs. Test -4 (ii) ( Fig. 1 ) Microsoft Management Console Some of the windows 2000/XP management consoles are not loaded when the operating system is installed. However, they are available for installation from the Windows2000/XP CDs. These consoles are referred to as snap-ins. In addition to using the Control Panel, you can access all the installed MMCs by typing selecting Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, or by tying MMC in the Start, Run dialog box. The MMC is a flexible tool that enables you to add snap-in tools(utilities) to create custom management consoles that can be saved and used at any time .Extended discussions of these tools are presented throughout the remainder of the text as they apply to managing and troubleshooting the operating system. ( Fig. 2 ) Event Viewer System events include items such as successful and failed Windows computer startups ,as well as successful loading of device drivers. Likewise, application events include information about how the system’s applications are performing. Not all Windows applications generate events that the Event Viewer will log. Security events are produced by user actions such as logons and logoffs, file and folder accesses, and creation of new Active Directory accounts. Task Manager To start Task Manager, take any of the following actions: Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, and then click Task Manager. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar, and then click Task Manager. Task-4(iii) Interactively install a Plug and Play device You can use this procedure to install a device that is not currently plugged into the computer, and for which a device driver is not currently staged in the driver store. If a device driver is staged in the driver store, then it is installed with no interaction required by the user, and the Found New Hardware dialog box does not appear. To install a Plug and Play device interactively when you plug it in Plug the new device into the computer. In the Found New Hardware dialog box, select one of the following: Locate and install driver software. Selecting this option begins the installation process. For more information, see Additional considerations in this topic. Ask me again later. The device is not installed and no configuration change is made to your computer. If the device is still plugged in the next time you log on to the computer, then this dialog box appears again. Dont show this message again for this device. Selecting this option configures the Plug and Play service to not install the driver for this device, and does not make the device functional. To complete the installation of the device driver, you must detach the device and reattach it. Task 5 BIOS is a collection of programmes written in low-level language (mostly assembly language) and it has to carry out the functions necessary for computing the boot during the period between point of the computer power to the starting point of the operation system. There are many thousands of individual error messages; some are more common than others because there are only a few different BIOS companies that are used by the majority of PCs out there today. However, since the exact wording of an error message can be changed by the manufacturer of each system or motherboard, there are a lot of variations. The common problem of error codes and message from the boot sequence are CMOS battery failed CMOS checksum error – Default lobed . Task-5(ii) The following utilities will help you troubleshoot the most common causes of system problem 1. Microsoft Management Console 2. Disk Defragmenter 3. Control Panel 1. Microsoft Management Console Microsoft Management Console (MMC) hosts administrative tools that you can use to administer networks, computers, services, and other system components. For help with specific tasks. For general background information. For information about accessibility features. For problem-solving instructions. 2. Disk Defragmenter Disk Defragmenter is a system utility for analyzing local volumes and locating and consolidating fragmented files and folders. You can also defragment disks from a command line using the defrag command. Before defragmenting files or folders. For tips about using Disk Defragmenter. For help with specific tasks. For general background information. For problem-solving instructions. 3.Control Panel The Windows XP Control Panel, also offers some additional features and functionality not in previous Windows 9x and NT/2000 versions. In Windows XP, the Control Panel options is included directly on the Start menu instead of a submenu. Under the native Windows XP version of the Control Panel, the applets are organized into nine related categories. The view that display the Control Panel items is referred into as the Category view. Reference Web Reference www.pchell.com http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1634/ddkx48pb02yf2.jpg www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000980.htm www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/wireless-broadband-how-to-improve-the-signal-strength-in-your-home-589595.html Book Reference (1)Fundamentals of Hardware and Operating Systems(Operating System Technologies) (2)Fundamentals of Hardware and Operating Systems(Hardware Service Technician) (3)Tease’s Practical Guide for Computer Hardware Peripherals