Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma

Overview Total quality management (TQM) and Six Sigma are among the most popular quality management strategies. TQM developed from approaches applied to ensure quality in the early years of 20th century. The approach became well defined in 1950s where Japanese companies applied it to improve quality.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By 1970s, TQM was the popular approach in many organizations in the world. Six Sigma is mostly considered an improvement on TQM. The approach originated from Motorola in early 1980s and has gained popularity with many organizations. Total Quality Management TQM refers to a management approach that aims at offering customers with products that meet or go beyond their quality expectations. The approach is focused on customers and ensures all sectors on an organization are keen on quality. The term ‘t otal’ indicates that all individuals in an organization must be dedicated towards quality. The approach is based on continuous improvement in all sectors of an organization in order to achieve high quality (Daft Marcic, 2008). A number of important principles, with hope that by adhering to the principles an organization can be able to achieve and maintain high quality, drive TQM. An organization that chooses to implement TQM is expected to show commitment to the approach by appropriate initiatives and resource allocation. Top executive management play important to success of TQM and are expected to show leadership towards high quality. The approach emphasizes on use of appropriate methodology and tools to determine nonconformity and use of measurement when making decisions on quality (Daft Marcic, 2008). To achieve quality standards, TQM emphasizes on need for training and ensuring that quality improvement enhances customer satisfaction. Company culture and continuous impro vement are the most important principles of TQM (Daft Marcic, 2008). An organization implementing TQM is expected to develop a culture for high quality and make continuous steps to improve quality continuously.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nissan Motor Company is one of successful companies that implements TQM. The company was in operational and financial crisis when it chose to implement the principles of TQM. TQM principles enabled the company to improve on quality of its products and increase customer satisfaction. Six Sigma Six Sigma is a quality management approach that aims at ensuring that 99.99966 percent of products meet quality specifications. The approach has become very popular with many organizations for setting high expectations on quality. An organization that implements Six Sigma is expected to keep defects below 3.4 defects in a millions manufacture d products (Truscott, 2003). Six Sigma approach seeks to achieve the high quality expectations by identifying and elimination sources of errors. In addition to implementing various quality management methods, Six Sigma leads to quality experts recognized by ‘Green belts’, ‘Black Belts’ and others (Truscott, 2003). The designations indicate an individual’s expertise in implementing Six Sigma principles. Two methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV are associated with Six Sigma. DMAIC is implemented to improve existing processes while DMADV is applied on new products or processes. Motorola, Inc. is the best example of organizations that implement Six Sigma. Motorola has implemented Six Sigma since 1981 as its key quality management strategy. The approach has helped the company to provide high quality products consistently. Although the company lost dominance in mobile phones to Nokia in 1990’s, through high quality the company is regaining market share. S ummary Low quality products and services can be very expensive to an organization. There are several quality management strategies to enhance quality, but Six Sigma and TQM are the most popular. The two approaches have similarity in that they emphasize on companywide culture for quality but Six Sigma set higher standards for quality. Many organizations are abandoning TQM for Six Sigma or integrating the two. Reference List Daft, R. Marcic, D. (2008). Understanding Management. New York: Cengage Learning.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Truscott, W. (2003). Six sigma: continual improvement for business: a practical guide. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. This assessment on Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma was written and submitted by user Krystal Park to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU!

AND A HAPPY ________TO YOU! As an ex-full-time greeting card writer for the once third largest greeting card company in America Norcross (Hallmark being #1 and American Greeting #2), I thought I’d pass on some info on this market from my years in the â€Å"humor† department. It was fun being paid to sit and fold white paper from 9-5 everyday and come up with clever (and nice) ways to wish people happiness and well-being. Even though Norcross is now defunct, the rules for writing greeting cards haven’t altered much through the years. Yes, more risquà © humor has entered the market, as well as controversial subjects (such as divorce cards) but the basics haven’t changed. The most important basic is to keep it conversational: write as if talking to a friend. Never invert words or force a rhyme. Some companies still buy rhymes, but greeting card verse is NOT poetry since it is always conversational in style. Rhyming can work when it’s used with familiar figures of speech that are popular in everyday language. However, the main ingredient in a card is a wish, a greeting, a compliment or an expression of appreciation. Always keep the message informal. i.e. don’t say: Just like flowers, our friendship blooms†¦ rather say: It means a lot to have you as a friend†¦ The more natural the verse, the more marketable the card, so if you wouldn’t speak it out loud, don’t write it. Keep it sounding genuine. A good idea before attempting greeting cards is to read and study the market (just like in any other market). Once you become familiar with what’s published (without borrowing anything you see), jot down some of today’s popular expressions. You can pick these up from TV, conversations, or hit songs. Then, think about what you would want to say to a friend or loved one on his birthday, anniversary or when they’re ill. The ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes is a successful tactic in writing a greeting card wish. Of course, you’ll find it easier to be funny and nasty than funny and nice! But most companies are looking for a pleasant wish to pass along. In submitting ideas, try to limit the number to no more than 10 at one time. Nowadays, depending on the company, you either submit one idea per page with SASE or type your ideas in the body of an email (no attachments allowed). Set up the card like this popular onc I once wrote for Norcross: The very best thing about the Old Days is†¦Inside: They were the YOUNG Days!Happy Birthday! Or this rhyming verse for â€Å"Our Anniversary†I always knew that we would shareA happiness beyond compareThrough ups and downs, through thick and thinInside: I’m with you Ba Though both these verses have been around awhile, they are still viable for today’s market because the sentiment is sincere and the language colloquial. Also, while greeting cards are sent mostly to celebrate an important sentimental or emotional occasion, don’t get too sappy or you could embarrass the one receiving it. And lastly, do limit the personal pronouns (me, I, we) because their usage could limit sales (of course, that does not include Special Title cards for Wife, Husband, Sister/Brother or Sweetheart). In closing may I say: May your verse be sweet and funny And bring you lots of extra money! Seven Current Greeting Card Markets Avanti Press Blue Mountain Pays well, sometimes asks to test market first Designer Greeting Moonlighting Cards Pays $25. Looking for â€Å"love† cards Oatmeal Studios – Looking for humor CaddylackGraffix– funny and sarcastic cards

A Passage to India Questions for Study and Discussion

A Passage to India Questions for Study and Discussion A Passage to India  (1924) is a highly-acclaimed novel by English author E. M. Forster set in India during the Indian independence movement. The story is based on Forsters personal experiences in India, and tells the story of an Indian man wrongfully accused of assaulting an English woman. A Passage to India depicts the racism and social prejudices that existed in India while it was under British rule. The novels title is taken from the Walt Whitman poem of the same name, which was part of Whitmans 1870 poetry collection Leaves of Grass. Here are a few questions for study and discussion, related to A Passage to India: What is important about the books title? Why is it significant that Forster chose this particular Walt Whitman poem as the novels title?   What are the conflicts in A Passage to India? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) are in this novel? How does E.M. Forster reveal character in A Passage to India? What is the symbolic meaning of the caves where the incident with Adela takes place? How would you describe the central character of Aziz?   What changes does Aziz undergo over the course of the story? Is his evolution believable? What is Fieldings true motivation for helping Aziz? Is he consistent in his actions? How are the female characters in A Passage to India portrayed? Was this depiction of women a conscious choice by Forster?   Does the story end the way you expected? Do you consider it a happy ending?   Compare the society and politics of the India of Forsters time to the India of today. What has changed? What is different? How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? In any other time? This is just one part of our  study  guide  series on A Passage to India. Please see the links below for additional helpful resources. Book Review: A Passage to India ReviewQuotesTerms / Vocabulary

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal Essay

Define and give examples of downwards, upwards and horizontal organizational communication. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different forms of c - Essay Example Downward communication is the most studied form of communication in the business organization. As Downward communication is the most widespread form in organizations as those at the top have the facilities and status for instigating communication. They also have a greater require doing so and are definitely less inhibited about taking such action. at times written messages are issued by top executives to all levels of the organization. though this presents the kind of deformation that takes place when oral messages are sent down the line, employees are conditioned to believe that communications must come through their immediate supervisors. while they don't, employees quickly instigate to lose respect for the supervisors (Jeanette W. Gilsdorf; 1998). If you choose to communicate directly, there is the problem assuring that you do not alienate the layers between yourself and the person you are communicating with. You must also be careful of what you say so as not to countermand or cause confusion from what more immediate supervisors have said (Ferrell, March 10, 1998). Several writers, like Marshall McLuhan in The Medium Is the Massage, have explained how media influence the receiver's perceptions of the message. Douglas Brush asserts, "A ten-minute videotape of a chief executive officer announcing a new corporate policy imparts hundreds of times more information than an audiotape of that same message, which contains hundreds of times more information than a printed text of the message." (Brush, pp. 10-11). Downward communication moves from superior to subordinate, whether from the chairman to all employees of the company or from one superior to one subordinate. It is the main form of communication in corporations. More media carry more messages down the management chart than take them upward or horizontally combined. That is not to say that formal communications in the business organization are typically downward or even vertical. Most are horizontal. However most formal ones are downward, as one writer notes: "It is obvious that the bulk of communication in most organizations is downward--directing, instructing, explaining, and the like. The passing on of orders, policies, and plans is the backbone of managerial communication." (Jose R. Goris, Bobby C. Vaught, John D. Pettit Jr, 2000) Katz and Kahn list five purposes of downward communication: 1. Specific task directive: job instructions. 2. Information designed to produce understanding of the task and its relations to other organizational tasks: job rationale. 3. Information about organizational procedures and

Casque d'Or (Golden Marie) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Casque d'Or (Golden Marie) - Movie Review Example The document below reviews the film. Marie is depicted in the film as a woman of significant beauty. She is, however, distressed by the way Roland is treating her. Roland is a criminal and also among the local syndicate. After Marie was introduced to Georges, who was a humble carpenter, she instantly fell in love with him although he was a stranger to her. Roland became jealous after meeting Marie and Georges for several times. He decided to confront Georges. He did it behind a club where his syndicate members were watching. Georges, however, gained control of a knife and killed Roland. Everybody fled after police arrived including Marie, who sought refuge from syndicate at the nearby village (Leahy 7). Georges also decided to flee out of that town. He was, however, enticed to an engagement with Marie by a note that was sent by her. The two started living a peaceful life in a neighboring village. This continued until Georges was informed that Raymond had been arrested for Roland’s murder. This was Felix’s plan, who was the syndicate’s leader. He placed blame on Raymond so as to bring Georges out of a hiding place and win Marie’s control. Without realizing the plan, Georges confessed to the police that he was the real killer. When Raymond was being transported between jails, he broke free after being helped by a diversion by Marie (Deluermoz et al. 34). Georges seeks Felix, immediately to seek revenge. He found him in police presence and killed him. Georges was sentenced to die by guillotine because of the two murders. Marie is revealed very broken and in horror as she watched Georges being executed. The world of petty prostitutes and criminals in Paris is presented directly and simply. The Paris community is revealed as neither rendered gratuitously squalid nor romanticized. Paris  is, however, complex in its right. Although the film’s plot recounts a tragic series of murder, treachery, and death by

The Modernist Theater’s Departure from the Romantic Theater Essay Example for Free

The Modernist Theater’s Departure from the Romantic Theater Essay From the early theater of the Greeks to Broadway, theater had definitely evolved to one of the most accepted and highly communicated form of art. After all, everything is subject to change, the world of theater is no exception. The theater that we know today had undergone heavy changes. In those stages of changes, it had seemed that just after a type of theater has been accepted by the public, another type of theater will arise. It also seems that the following type of theater intentionally digresses from its predecessor just like in the case of the shift from theater of the Romantic period to the Modernist Theater. Much of the theater that our generation experiences (this type of theater can be categorized as post-modern) owes much from Modernist Theater. With that taken into account, Modern theater also owes much from its forerunner Romantic Theater even though Modern Theater intentionally defies the convention set by the theater of the Romantic period. To start off, we will have a brief background of the kind of theater in the Romantic period. The Romantic period followed after period Neoclassical had receded. Perhaps the best and concise way of theater of the Romantic period could be described is with the name of probably one greatest playwright that had ever written, William Shakespeare. He is considered as an immortal in the world of literature simply because his works are still the most popular of plays even if it has been generations since he had wrought it. Other famous playwrights during this time are Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, and Victor Hugo among many others. They plays of William Shakespeare and his fellow playwrights during the Romantic period are usually written in poetic language. This poetic language could also be called as â€Å"elevated language† that is seemingly too complicated to be used in conversations of our generation. The plays during this time were mostly plot driven. The theater of the Romantic period is often criticized as appealing more to the emotion and not to the intellect. It is also a convention that the characters of the plays were of noble status in the society. The plays were designed to be long that they could run for several long acts. Moreover, one their theater many practices is having the audiences distributed within the theater according to the amount that they had paid. (Kermode 2005) All of those conventions and practices were intentionally defied by the Modernist Theater. The language that they used is prosaic, imitating the way people normally speak in casual conversations. The plays are also centering on the characters themselves rather than the plot. Modernist Theater also gave way to the rise of one-act plays that would run for just minutes as opposed to hours in Romantic plays. The plays of Modernist Theater is appealing more to the intellect rather than the emotion, thus they can be called intelligent plays. The seats for the audience are fashioned in such way that there will be no marginalization of the poor and the rich. That is because Modernists wanted to have what they call a â€Å"classless† theater. Aside from the direct deviations from the Romantic Theater, Modernists also gave way for revolutions in the theater world. They had formulated plots that can be considered contemporary so the audience could relate more to the play. Modernists Theater also gave way to a new kind of conflict for plays that they call as â€Å"inner conflict. † (Wainscott 1997) All in all, the Modernist Theater had surfaced because (just like how the Romantic period had replaced the Neoclassical period) the context of theater in general is changed through time. The times are changing and so are the demands of the new audience. Modernist Theater had defied the theater of the Romantic period not because the former has no respect to the latter. It just because some things are not fitting anymore, and the new generations requires changes. Reference Kermode, F. 2005. The Age of Shakespeare. Random House Publishing Group: Ontario Wainscott, R. H. 1997. The Emergence of the Modern American Theater, 1914-1929. Yale University Press

Theory of Sign Essay -- Communication, Signs

To understand how sign functions, semiosis, Morris proposes four elements: Sign vehicle (S), Designatum (D), and Interpretant and interpreter (I). "The mediators are sign vehicles; the taking-account-of are interpretants; the agents of the process are interpreters; what is taken account of are designata" (Morris, 19). Those elements of semiosis become the foundation of branches of linguistics and basic elements of language. The branches of linguistics are semantics is the study of sign in its relation to designatum, pragmatics the study of sign in relation to interpreter, and syntactics the study of sign in relation to other signs. Since language, according to Morris, is â€Å"a system of interconnected signs,† a language must consist of the four elements as he implies in his formula: L= Lsyn + Lsem + Lp (see Morris, 25). However, we might observe that Morris’s definition of language apparently falls into the category of syntactical element. Another objection might be is that by extending the four semiosis elements into linguistics and language, Morris’s definition of sign will be problematic since all objects that are symbolically and linguistically associated with other objects are defined as signs. Therefore one might observe the discrepancy of his definition of sign with examples that he proposes as Lesse demonstrates (see article). Since this paper is aimed at demonstrating my understanding on Morris’ theory of sign, I will describe the problematic aspects of Morris’s arguments if they becomes obstacles for me understand his theory. Morris argues that the object of semiotic does not deal with particular object, but association of four of them, therefore sign is characterized as: â€Å"S is a sign of D for I to the degree that I take... ...tures of particular objects that universal signs refer to -- as a formalist-behaviorist, Morris is unconcerned with mental images since they do not emerge in the relational properties of sign. Describing signs functions in semantic context and universal sign in syntactical context. In contrast, indexical signs are located in syntax; unless we understand that to be meaningful the act of directionality must contain an object, then they are in the realm of semantics. All syntactical relations of signs are subjected to rules. Morris proposes two rules: formation and transformation. Formation rules govern formation of kernel sentences, and transformation rules derivative sentences (Morris, 29). Based on the syntactical rules, Morris suggests the object of syntax is syntactical relations between signs: â€Å"[the relations] determined by syntactical rules† (Morris, 29).

Crash Human Nature Essay

Human nature is The general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioural traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans. * Crash directed by Paul Haggis presents to us an intertwining story set within the streets of LA, confirming and challenging racial stereotypes and at the same time reflecting the ever existing good and dark side of human nature. Human nature drives us all to view â€Å"the other† as bad, evil and untrustworthy, it is complex and every man, despite differences holds the underlying values buried deep into our subconsciousness * In the film crash, Haggis has successfully portrayed the truth about human nature through the conventions of dialogue, camera shot and symbolism, confusing us as viewers, but also giving us an intruging insight into the reality of each and every one of us despite differences in race and background. * Haggis has successfully evoked feelings of uneasiness, confusion, anger and empathy at through the making of the film crash Human nature drives us to fear the unknown, the â€Å"other† in our eyes is seen as evil and that we should steer away from any communication. It may be in relation to race, ethnicity, age, gender or beliefs but in reality each one of us does not have the ability to fight this automatic discrimination against those who are different. * Haggis has successfully reflected this dark aspect of human nature through the convention of dialogue. * In one scene a Persian man is attempting to purchase a gun from a white American. The salesman calls the man â€Å"osama† and then continues to talk about 9/11, he then is aggressively told to leave the shop. * The white American man displays his fear of â€Å"the other† by racially discriminating him through his dialogue, he has his own racist, stereotypical image of this man in his mind automatically relating him to 9/11 and due to his human nature sees him as â€Å"the other† and as untrustworthy to be in his shop telling him he â€Å"has no right to buy a gun here† * In another scene a Hispanic locksmith is changing a white American couples locks on their door after their car had been hijacked. The American woman makes assumptions that this locksmith is going to sell their key to his â€Å"homies† purely because of the way he looks and his race and demands to get her locks changed again in the morning. * The American woman views the locksmith as â€Å"the other† and due to her human nature she fears him, and does not trust him to be in her house. Her judgement is not on personality or individual traits it is based upon the automatic assumptions she makes about him due to his tattoos, dress sense and skin colour. Little does she know that the Hispanic locksmith was in many eyes the only character in crash seen as completely innocent, but due to her ignorance she believed the opposite. * Through dialogue Haggis has successfully positioned the viewer to feel anger at both of these scenarios and causes us to question our own human nature and our own classification of â€Å"the other†. We are positioned to feel guilt as we feel partly responsible for these racial stereotypes as we too, through our human nature, instinctively stick to our own. Human nature is complex, values at polar opposites could exsist in the same man, particular beliefs could be compromised and in reality no one can ever truly understand the extent of complexities embedded within each person. * Racsim and nobility can exsist in the same man. Haggis has successfully portrayed this idea of human nature through the narrative conventions of camera shot and dialogue. * In one scene a cop pulls over a black couple, he abuses his power and shows extreme racism seen through the convention of low camera angle while he molests her. In another scene the same cop shows nobility while is seen rescuing the same black woman he molested, he ironically says things to her such as â€Å"im not going to hurt you† * The camera angle in the first scene is a panning low angle displaying the police officers hand stroking up the womans leg, emphasizing his sickening racist actions. In the second scene the camera angle is a close camera angle focusing on his remorseful worrying facial expression. The shot of the hand in the first scene could represent â€Å"a mans hand† where the shot of his face in the second scene presents him, and therefore suggests that although his racism and dark side of his human nature exsists the good side of his human nature is a representation of his true identity and we begin to question the reasons behind his actions. * These two scenes In the movie crash display to us that humans are extremely complex. A man can live a life full of sin but then commit a noble act just as a man can be a criminal but then save a life. * The concept of human complexities is hard to grasp, an individuals identity can determine why they act a certain way or do certain things. The cop in the film displayed racism due to the fact that a black woman would not help his sick father, but does this excuse particular values and behaviours? * Through the convention of camera angle Haggis has effectively positioned the viewer to feel both disgust and awe at the same man. We begin to question what drives humans to be so complex and we wonder whether it is ever possible for a man to be seen as completely innocent. * Instinctively human natures drives us to protect and stick to our own, just as we repel those who are seen as different. * This universal value embedded inside each and every human is represented by Paul Haggis in the film crash through utlising the narrative convention of symbolism. * Crash follows the story of a Hispanic locksmith and unconditional love of his

Can Technology Make Us More Human? Essay

INTRODUCTION Humanity is the human race, which includes everyone on Earth. It’s also a word for the qualities that make us human, such as the ability to love and have compassion, be creative, and not be a robot or alien. While in the other hand, technology is a word with Greek origins defined as the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area. Besides, technology is a word used to collectively describe or portray the advancements, abilities, creations undertakings, views, and knowledge of a singular group of persons which is us, the humankind. When we speak about relationships between technology and humanity, it is evident that we have to deal with the interrelations between some very complex phenomena of technology, science society or systems of society and systems of rights of a universal nature. The discovery and development of a large number of powerful energy source-coal, petroleum and electricity have enabled humanity to conquer the barriers of nature. All of t his has facilities growth of fast modes of transport, which in turn has transformed the world into a global village. It has shaped our civilization from scrap. Every invention escalated human hunger to know more. Every time it has pushed human potential to a new level. Back in The Stone Age, when humans were still in a jungle, an invention like sharp stone helped them to hunt better and fire helped them to taste food better. Wheels helped them to explore new boundaries, and domestication of animals made life more secure. An invention of currency eased the transaction and barter system was let go. The colonial era began as the invention of advanced weaponry and transportation such as ships which changed the phase of history. More advanced inventions came like the birth of steam engines, the invention of corporations, and mass transportation gained momentum. Then, along came diesel engines, which personalized machine transportation even more. And the Wright brothers forever changed the way of travel by air transportation, like inventing aircraft. As for communication, transistors was the well-known invention, which changed the way we compute, including land phones which also a big part of the communication changes. Personal computers and workstations which reduced paper consumption in offices and mobile phones which permanently changed the world of communication. Then, the best invention of all is the Internet. It localized the whole world as it changed the way we look at the world. And created tons of entrepreneurs and innovators some of the best creation such as e-commerce, which changed the way we access our daily needs, social media which changed the way we communicate with other people, e-banking, which you don’t have to travel all the way, and stand in line just to transfer any amount you want. The e-wallets, which we do not have to stand in line to pay our electricity bills and phone bills. You also have the access to quality education from across the globe. While walking this path we have screwed up the following such as overpopulating the earth. The invention of medicine eradicated the deadly diseases thus reducing death rates. Within a century, we have increased 5 fold of population. We messed up the natural resources and permanently killing almost 30% of species of the Earth and 20% more are critically endangered species which may soon get extinct. Though we take a lot of pride in our invention and development, what we forgot is we share this planet with other species and if we don’t realize it soon, well the planet itself has its own way of controlling things.

The History and Geography of Iceland

The History and Geography of Iceland Population: 306,694 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: ReykjavikArea: 39,768 square miles (103,000 sq km)Coastline: 3,088 miles (4,970 km)Highest Point: Hvannadalshnukur at 6,922 feet (2,110 m)Iceland officially called the Republic of Iceland, is an island nation located in the North Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Arctic Circle. A large part of Iceland is covered with glaciers and snowfields and most of the countrys inhabitants live in the coastal areas because they are the most fertile regions on the island. They also have a milder climate than other areas. Iceland is highly active volcanically and has recently been in the news due to a volcanic eruption under a glacier in April 2010. The ash from the eruption caused disruptions all over the world. History of Iceland Iceland was first inhabited in the late 9th and 10th centuries. The main peoples to move to the island were the Norse and in 930 C.E., the governing body on Iceland created a constitution and an assembly. The assembly was called the Althingi.Following the creation of its constitution, Iceland was independent until 1262. In that year it signed a treaty which created a union between it and Norway. When Norway and Denmark created a union in the 14th century, Iceland became a part of Denmark.In 1874, Denmark gave Iceland some limited independent ruling powers, and in 1904 after a constitutional revision in 1903, this independence was expanded. In 1918, the Act of Union was signed with Denmark which officially made Iceland an autonomous nation that was united with Denmark under the same king.Germany then occupied Denmark during World War II and in 1940, communications between Iceland and Denmark ended and Iceland attempted to independently control all of its land. In May of 1940 though, B ritish forces entered Iceland and in 1941, the United States entered the island and took over defensive powers. Shortly thereafter a vote took place and Iceland became an independent republic on June 17, 1944.In 1946, Iceland and the U.S. decided to end U.S. responsibility for maintaining Icelands defense but the U.S. kept some military bases on the island. In 1949, Iceland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and with the start of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. again became responsible for defending Iceland militarily. Today, the U.S. is still Icelands main defensive partner but there are no military personnel stationed on the island and according to the U.S. Department of State, Iceland is the only member of NATO with no standing military. Government of Iceland Today Iceland is a constitutional republic with a unicameral parliament called the Althingi. Iceland also has an executive branch with a chief of state and head of government. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court called Haestirettur, which has justices who are appointed for life, and eight district courts for each of the countrys eight administrative divisions. Economics and Land Use in Iceland Iceland features a strong social-market economy typical of Scandinavian countries. This means its economy is both capitalistic with free-market principles but it also has a large welfare system for its citizens. Icelands main industries are fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power, and hydropower. Tourism is also a growing industry in the country and the associated service-sector jobs are growing. In addition, despite its high latitude, Iceland has a relatively mild climate due to the Gulf Stream which allows its people to practice agriculture in the fertile coastal regions. The largest agricultural industries in Iceland are potatoes and green vegetables. Mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products, and fishing also contribute considerably to the economy.   Geography and Climate of Iceland Iceland has a varied topography but it is one of the most volcanic regions in the world. Because of this, Iceland has a rugged landscape dotted with hot springs, sulfur beds, geysers, lava fields, canyons, and waterfalls. There are approximately 200 volcanoes in Iceland and most of them are active. Iceland is a volcanic island primarily because of its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which separates the North American and Eurasian Earth plates. This causes the island to be active geologically as the plates are constantly moving away from each other. In addition, Iceland lies on a hotspot (like Hawaii) called the Iceland Plume which formed the island millions of years ago. As a result in addition to earthquakes, Iceland is prone to volcanic eruptions and features the aforementioned geologic features such as hot springs and geysers. The interior portion of Iceland is mostly an elevated plateau with small areas of forest but little land suitable for agriculture. In the north, however, there are extensive grasslands which are used by grazing animals such as sheep and cattle. Most of Icelands agriculture is practiced along the coast.Icelands climate is temperate because of the Gulf Stream. Winters are usually mild and windy and summers are wet and cool. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 1). CIA - The World Factbook - Iceland. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.htmlHelgason, Gudjonand Jill Lawless. (2010, April 14). Iceland Evacuates Hundreds as Volcano Erupts Again. Associated Press. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20100609120832/infoplease.com/ipa/A0107624.html?Infoplease. (n.d.). Iceland: History, Geography Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107624.htmlUnited States Department of State. (2009, November). Iceland (11/09). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3396.htm Wikipedia. (2010, April 15). Geology of Iceland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Iceland

How to Determine Which Marketing Tools Are Best For Your Team

How to Determine Which Marketing Tools Are Best For Your Team Picture this. Youre at your desk. Suddenly you realize theres got to be a better, faster way to accomplish your marketing goals, whether that be with a keyword, social media scheduling, project management, or email marketing tool. So you turn to the almighty Google And youre flooded by thousands of options, you cant seem to make sense of where to start. There are offers for trials everywhere, coupled with insane amounts of advice and you havent even figured out exactly what your team needs let alone looking at how much this tool is vs another *Insert panic screaming here* Breathe, you got this. And if you dont, well, this blog post will help get you through. Youll learn how to: Prioritize your teams needs. Learn the criteria you need to make the best decision when it comes to finding a marketing tool for your team. Learn how to pitch your winning tool to your boss. Learn how to pitch your winning tool to your team. Before You Start Your Research Dont just start Googling. Trust me. Diving right into the research phase of your marketing tool selection process can quickly become overwhelming. Just look at the first page of results when you type marketing tool into Google. Dont even get me started on the ads that will surface on your Google searches as well. Youve got advice coming at you left and right, and while that is great, it doesnt necessarily give you the jumping off point you need to start making decisions about a potential tool. There is a way to fix this. Before you start your research, sit down and prioritize what your team needs in order to be successful. Before you start researching marketing tools, sit down prioritize what your team needs to beIts really that simple. By knowing what your team needs to fix a broken process, or automate it so it goes faster, youre able to walk into your search knowing what youre looking for. So how do you create that list? Open a document or download Marketing Tool template. Once you've downloaded the template, click the second tab at the bottom: Here's what you'll see next: Begin to write down and prioritize what you think your team would need to be successful. And now you're staring at a blinking cursor wondering what to write. Here are some prompts that may help you begin your list: What does your team need to accomplish in order to be successful? What does your team want to accomplish that they think will make them successful? What's currently broken in your marketing process that you think a tool could help fix? What does your current process look like? What does your dream marketing process look like? How would you like to see your process flow in a new tool? Where are your team members divided into silos? What does this tool need to accomplish to break down those silos? From the answers you write down, you can identify what qualities you are looking for in a marketing tool. List Your Top 10 Must-Have Criteria These are features that absolutely must be a part of the tool that you select. They are you non-negotiables. Your top ten list could include things like. Drag and drop calendar features Social analytics tool Task lists Being able to assign tasks to team members Team reports Email integrations Project management features like being able to group by content type Being able to add in all of your social channels Landing page integrations WordPress or other blogging software integrations Automated task reminders Comment section on projects Being able to group multiple pieces of content under one campaign Minimum or maximum number of users Price per user/social channel I could keep going with this list but I don't want to bore you. Your list may look a bit different from the one above and that's okay. Every marketing team is different, which means the end goals you have may be different then the end goals the team at has. Now you have your must have criteria. You can start searching NOW right? Not quite. Sorry, I promise, we're almost there. List Your Top Ten "Would Be Nice To Have" Criteria Why? Because you're going to be researching a lot of tools. Those nice-to-haves could be the determining factor between one tool and another. Your initial list could look something like this. Automated optimum posting times Due dates that move automatically when you move a project Completion bar that shows the progress on a project Internal comment or chat system within the app Mobile app for on the go editing Approval process that let's a manager know if content has been reviewed or not Pre-made printable progress reports Social Media competitor analysis Google Analytics, bit.ly and other integrations The ability to separate different clients or projects by calendar Again, your specific list will depend on what type of tool you're looking for. Recommended Reading: How to Be More Successful With the Right Content Marketing Tools Start Your Initial Research Phase Yes, we finally got to the research phase. But I'm not unleashing you on to Google just yet. There's a good reason I promise. How you research is just as important as what you research. How you research your marketing tools is just as important as what you research them for.Pick One Researcher From Your Marketing Team Having only one researcher pays off for a number of different reasons: We have innate nature to compete with one another.  If you have 10 people researching 10 different tools, you suddenly have ten people championing their favorite tool. Not only is that a lot of noise, you have each person competing to say that they were the ones that picked the new marketing tool. You only need one expert.  The person that is conducting your research knows exactly what your team needs. They in essence, become an expert in all things marketing tools, making it easier to make an informed decision. You don't want to waste the team's already limited time.  You know you're team is busy. Taking away an hour of 10 people's time on your team is 10 hours that could have been spent elsewhere. Taking away even 3 hours of one person's time is a much more manageable task.Your team is already loaded to the max. Don't stress them out more then necessary. Research Your Top Ten Tools Okay, open up your browser. You can finally start searching for your marketing tool. You're going to have a lot of options and that's ok. That's why we made your checklist. As you go through the endless pages of tools, document them in your top ten in your spreadsheet that you downloaded earlier. Get that done? Ok, let's keep going. Add up the totals in your spreadsheet and narrow them down to your top three. Look for tools that: Meet your must-have criteria Meet your budget Meet most if not all of your must have's Why three you ask? Understand the Psychology of Three First, Second, and Third. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yours, mine and ours. Lots of things come in threes. Why? Because repeating a message three times helps stop the internal noise and distractions going on around you. Having three similar tools that meet your expectations will help solidify, in your mind, what tool you need. Choosing new marketing tools? Here's why you should narrow your choices down to three:Make Your Final Decision So you've narrowed in down to your top three tools. Check your point system again. Did one edge out over the others? If so, there is your winner. That was easy, wasn't it? Recommended Reading: How to Influence Marketing Change Management [Backed By Science] How To Pitch Your Favorite Tool You did all that work and you finally have the results of all your labor. This is the tool  that you believe will revolutionize the way your marketing team works. Now you just have to convince your boss to believe that too. What if I told you I outlined your entire presentation for you? You can download the whole thing right now. However, if you want to take the time to build your own presentation here's some things that you're going to want to cover. What To Cover In Your Presentation For Your Boss Depending on what your boss wants to see in your presentation, your list may vary. However, if it was me, this is what I would cover. What brought on the need for the tool? What did I hope the team would gain by investing in a tool? What qualifications would I be measuring this tool against? How many tools did I initially research? What did I narrow my decision down to? What qualities put this tool over the top? Price point Is there a demo or trail period that we could do to see if the tool works? You convinced your boss. They gave you the green light to move forward. Now the task lies on you convincing your team that they need this tool.

Reliability in Manufacturing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reliability in Manufacturing - Research Paper Example Problems experienced in hardware that results to alterations in the data path or storage content issues to problems or disruptions in the way the software works. Nonetheless, software does not wear out, crack, deform or age. Additionally, software does not have colour, shape, and it is intangible and invisible. Notably, a significant quality characteristic of a computer system is the extent to which it can be relied upon to carry out its envisioned role. The prediction, evaluation and the enhancement of this characteristic have been a worry to users and designers of computers. Software is fundamentally a tool for converting a distinct set of outputs. Once the software functions correctly, it does not imply that that software will always run correctly. In the past, there has been numerous tragedies and turmoil caused by software. Notably, software can make resolutions but they can be sometimes unreliable, just as human beings. For example, the British destroyer Sheffield was destroyed because the radar recognized an incoming missile as "friendly." The defense system mistakenly made a decision that caused much damage and harm. Additionally, the defense system was modified to the extent that it can detect and mistakenly identify the rising moon as a missile. Software also has minimal imperceptible errors that can result to a tragedy. For example, in February 1991, a chopping error during the Gulf War that missed 0.000000095 second in accuracy in every 10th second made the patriot missile unsuccessful in intercepting a speeding missile that killed 28 people. However, fixing the glitches in the software does not make the software dependable. Quite the reverse, novel problems may emerge. For example, in 1991, the local Californian telephone systems stopped after altering three lines of code in a signaling program. On the other hand, it is notable to acknowledge that perfectly running software may break if the environment is altered. It is