Capital budgeting decision Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Capital budgeting decision - Coursework Example Michael Evans investing in vineyard Garrison, Noreen, & Brewer, (2014) was a good decision. Growing a vineyard in an opulent estate where land is expensive was an enormous capital outlay. The property is utilized in investing in a less costly business decision of investing in vineyard plantation rather than real estate that is more capital intensive. Michael Evans opened a cooperative society business. He relinquished vineyard-growing business to other investors. Michael Evans made a wise business decision. Selling and lease back where he charged the new investors a one-off fee of $85,000 and an annual maintenance fee of $3,500 to process one bottle of wine Megan, (2014). Through this, he raised initial capital to fund his cooperative business investment. In conclusion, the cash flows of the new business line are guaranteed. The business may use this annual cash flow to invest in other long-term projects. Michael Evans is a realized the importance of the net present value of the assets and utilized opportunity to invest in a new business

Ethical Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Guidelines - Essay Example The American Statistical Association on their part should ensure that everybody using statistical practices is well informed on the Ethical guidelines for statistical practices. The importance of statistical analyses in our current society cannot go unnoticed. Statistical practices are employed in various sectors in the economy such as health sector, education, environment, agriculture, industry and many other sectors. Therefore, an ethical decision-making in statistics practices in inevitable. Before making any statistical decision, proper professionalism must be adhered to. The decision maker has to ensure relevance before making the final statistical decision. For instance, before making any policies that may arise from statistical results, statisticians have to take into consideration the long-term effects that the policy will have on the general public. The ethical guidelines require that the researcher should ensure that adequate statistical and subject-matter expertise in both applied to any planned study. Therefore it is unethical for somebody who is experienced on agriculture to undertaken research on a medical field where he/she has no expertise. In terms of responsibility, the guidelines clearly states that a person should maintain personal responsibility for all the work bearing his/her name. This will ensure that plagiarism is avoided at all cost. The field of statistics is characterized by many stakeholders. This is because many people have personal or public interests in the results of the statistical practices. The most likely stakeholders in statistical studies are funders, clients and employers. Funders are those who sponsor the entire study and are mostly interested on the positive results from the study. They may use the results to make policies that may serve their interest or the general public’s. In most cases NGOs and

The Biggest Challenges Facing Mncs Commerce Essay

The Biggest Challenges Facing Mncs Commerce Essay There are several challenges faced by MNCs while competing in the global dynamic business environment today. One of the biggest challenges today is being global while acting locally by understanding the culture of location in which they operate (Firoz, Maghrabi Kim, 2002). It is vital for firms to understand the local culture to negotiate with local suppliers, government and other stakeholders. Furthermore understanding the moral and ethical values of targeted consumers is also essential so that companies can market the right product to the right market in the right manners. Another challenge for MNCs is economic and political condition of the country in which they operate since political instability may lead to economic instability with changing inflation rates, taxes, regulations, exchange rates etc. Another challenge is integrating marketing strategies according to the cultural values of the region in which the MNC operates so that no blunders might be committed such as the case of Nestle in Africa. Competing with local vendor is also a grave challenge since MNCs need to differentiate their products in quality and price to compete with local competition that have greater knowledge of the country and people. Since MNCs employ people from a diverse cultural background therefore the managers need to create synergy through their workforce. Q2)  Why is it useful to have an 8-step negotiation model? What are the consequences if a step is skipped? Companies need to understand the negotiation model since they have to negotiate with several stakeholders inside and outside the organization such as suppliers, labor unions, government etc. Using the 8-step model can enforce an efficient negotiation process through which companies can avoid turning a conflict into crisis. The 8-step model provides the company with step by step solution to every kind of negotiation the company might have to consider. The characteristics of various steps in this model understand the scenario, listening to all parties, create alternative solutions, offer BATNA, reaching a final agreement, coming to a conclusion and making sure that the decision is implemented   (The Negotiation Experts, 2012). A company must go through each and every step when on a negotiation table for several reasons. First reason is that if companies miss any single step such as offering BATNA incase an agreement is decided upon then a minor conflict may turn into a crisis. Furthe r if organizations miss an important step like looking for alternative solutions then the companies might not know what possible solutions exist which can help the company negotiate with any party while keeping the companys interest intact. As companies follows the steps for negotiation managers can find solutions in an efficient manner. Q3)  Which of the cross-cultural theme do you feel is most vital to the success of an MNC and why? Cross-cultural management is essential for MNCs since multi-national corporations have to deal with people from a diverse cultural background. One cross-cultural theme which companies need to incorporate in their business strategy and with prove vital for the success of the firm is creation of synergy within the workforce. MNCs tend to work across geographical boundaries and employee people from various locations and cultures. All these people are different in demographical characteristics like caste, sex, religion, color and other values. Now as human-resource is the biggest asset of a firm therefore it is essential that the workers work in a harmonious manner. There are several ways of creating synergy such as sharing a common vision and goals aligned with the companys strategic objectives along with creation of trust, compassion and companionship in the company (Kusumowidagdo, 2011). Such methods can help firms to develop a well-integrated corporate culture so that all the departm ents work in unity towards achieving the strategic objectives of an organization. It is vital for an MNC to create such a corporate culture so that corporations can succeed in different countries. It is therefore vital for companies to follow this cross-cultural theme to gain the maximum advantage from a diverse workforce.   Q4)  How should an HR department evolve to match a companys expansion overseas? Which leadership roles are most important in this scenario? HR department needs to evolve in accordance with the companys expansion overseas and form strategies which assist in staffing and motivating the organizations human resource. It is important that while staffing HR department take into consideration the importance of aligning people to the corporate values of the organization. The company should make sure that HR department should conduct value-based interviewing techniques so that only those individuals whos attitude match with the values of the organization. HR department should also incorporate talent pools which integrate strategies of selection and succession through a continuous development process. Leadership roles are also important for MNCs since a good leadership in one country might not be considered good in other country as well. Every culture has its own cultural and social standard when leadership is considered. Therefore a leader should have knowledge regarding the beliefs, ethics, customs and beliefs so that they may b e able to successfully lead business in another country. There are several skills which a leader must have and which might make leaders globally successful. These skills include integrity, courage, standards, awareness, business knowledge, commitment and sensitivity towards cultural differences. A leader must be aware of good work ethics, professional and personal integrity and determination to lead. Q5)  Characterize the future of US-based companies desiring to expand overseas within the next 5 years. What political, economic, and technological challenges might those companies face and why? How can they be overcome? US-based firms thinking of expanding globally may have to face several social, political and economic practices in the coming years due to a change in perception of United States in the developing and developed countries. Furthermore exchange rates of developing countries are being unstable across the globe due to a dynamic change in the socio-political and economic factor. The world is going through a global recession and the next 5 years might see a global change towards business practices with a massive shift towards e-business plans. The war against terror has distorted US economy and made it politically unstable with a distorted image in the Muslim world where US products have a great potential target market. However this situation might change in the next 5 years with emerging markets like Brazil, India, Russia, China and Pakistan on the globe. These countries will have a suitable working environment for US-based business with high demand for US-based high quality products as l ocal vendors will not be able to provide such products due to lack of technology and financial resources. US-based organization can utilize this opportunity and gain maximum profit through expanding business in developing countries along with thinking of ways to reduce manufacturing cost. Q6)  Describe the relevant factors when considering localization of HR activities. HR department needs to consider several factors when operating globally so that their activities are developed in accordance with the local cultures. HR department must organize their activities according to the cultural values, habits and requirement of business operations in the country they operate. First factor to be considered is the cultural dimensions of Hofstedes which include factors like masculinity, long-term orientation and individualism are important when considering HR strategies. For example individualism approach should be considered when developing human resource development strategies since employees from American background and Asian culture are different in their approach towards career. Asian employees are more of collectivism nature and tend to prefer working in groups whereas American employees need to be of individualistic nature and prefer working alone or not sharing their success with anyone. Further motivational factors are also different among different c ultures since different cultures have different motivational drives which are to be considered when motivational strategies are developed. Q7)  Discuss the impact and implications of Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions on MNCs today. Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions have a grave impact on strategies of MNCs today since they have to deal with diverse cultures. Whenever a company works outside its local geographical boundary it comes across a different set of cultural values. Hofstede has regarded these cultural values into five cultural dimensions called power distance, individualism, uncertainty, masculinity and long-term orientation. A MNC needs to take all these cultural dimensions into consideration when making strategies to target consumers in different countries. For example when making the organizational hierarchy when establishing a foreign subsidiary the company must acknowledge the power distance cultural values in that country so that the managers can incorporate an organizational culture with accordance to the local values. Further there are certain scenarios in which a firm develops relationship with the suppliers or form a joint-venture agreement in which values like long-term approach and uncertainty m ust be taken into consideration. For example when forming collaboration with a local company the foreign firm must know what cultural norms such as risk taking or long-term approach embodies the local culture. All these dimensions identified by Hofstede also play a major role in the strategies for global branding and advertising strategy so that strategies are developed according to local habits and preferences (Mooij Hofstede, 2010).

Comparing Ulysses by Lord Tennyson and My Last Duchess by Robert Essay

Comparing Ulysses by Lord Tennyson and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. â€Å"Ulysses† was written by Lord Tennyson and is a poem about a mythical Greek character and is a dramatic monologue. Another poem that is a dramatic monologue is â€Å"My Last Duchess†, by Robert Browning. Both poems are similar, for example they are both structured similarly, and are both different, one difference being their subject. In this essay I will compare the two poems, focusing on form, and how language helps to build up subject matter. Ulysses is a Greek mythical character, and was famous for being a pirate, ransacking villages and being a warrior. In Greek literature, Ulysses just seemed to disappear after he got home, and Tennyson decided to write about Ulysses and his thoughts after ‘retiring’ from fighting. The poem is written in verse, and seems to be either a dramatic monologue or monologue interior. It is hard to know which one, as a dramatic monologue must have a listener (other than the audience. Ulysses is talking to someone, his dead soldiers, but as they are deceased it is difficult to decide if they count as a listener to the poem. â€Å"My Last Duchess† by Robert Browning was written in the same era as â€Å"Ulysses† and is written in Verse. This poem is different to â€Å"Ulysses† as this poem is about a fictional character which is created by Browning. This is a Dramatic Monologue, as the duke (the character created by Browning) is talking to the servant of the father of a possible bride. To create the effect of speech, Browning uses Iambic Pentameter, which helps to imitate the rhythm of conversational speech, and enjambment frequently. The use of language to present the subject matter is important for both poets. I... ...is displeasure from his wife and why, almost acting as a warning to his next wife. So a poem about the â€Å"Last Duchess† is actually a poem about the Duke’s likes and dislikes, which again helps to subtly build up the self centred nature of the character without revealing too much and loosing the readers’ interest. Both poems are similar and different in many different ways. The most obvious similarity to both poems is their form, but if we look deeper into the poem we see that their content and their characters are very similar. However, some differences still remain in the poem. The main subject matter for both poems is death, but the two poems have different feelings towards death. For the Duke, it is something ordered and controlled by him, but for Ulysses, even though he has encountered death within his life so much he cannot accept that he will die.

Free Will and Conclusion

In the shooting case of Trayvor Martin, George Zimmerman should not go to prison. A significant amount of speculation exists around the shootings circumstances. There lacks an indisputable, completely factual account of the shooting and its preceding events. Without the support of concrete evidence murder can not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. I intend to show the conclusion, that George Zimmerman should not go to jail, is true because the argument is sound. I think my argument is valid because of the premises that support it.The first premise being that the Stand Your Ground Law in Florida permits the use of a fire arm in self defense. There is no definite proof that George Zimmerman killed for any reason other then his personal protection. He therefore did not break the law. The second premise shows that during the altercation between Trayvor Martin and George Zimmerman, Zimmerman sustained injuries to the back of the head and nose. There severity could not be accounted for b ut their presence is undeniable insinuating the shooting was in fact an act of self defense. The third premise is based on the phone call to the police station moments before the murder.A struggle can be heard along with a voice screaming for help. The voice can not be identified without uncertainty to be that of Martin or Zimmerman. Zimmerman's defense can argue is was him calling for help and there is no way to prove or disprove that claim. The last premise illustrates that it is still unknown if Martin aggressively approached Zimmerman from behind while he was retreating to his S. U. V.. Zimmerman admitted to initially following Martin suspecting he was a hoodlum up to no good, but claims to have given up after losing track of the teenager.According to Zimmerman their next encounter consisted of Martin approaching him from behind and asking him his what his problem, Zimmerman denied having a problem, and claims Martin then reacted by punching him in the nose. Witnesses reported s eeing the two fighting in the distance, while others recount hearing whining followed by a gun shot. Consequently since no spectator observed the incident up close or in entirety, Zimmerman's version which states Martin approached and attacked him can not be disproven with total certainty.These premises support that my argument is sound and help prove my conclusion is true. George Zimmerman should not go to prison for the shooting of Trayvor Martin because of the problems of free will. The problems of free will has two premises that lead to the conclusion that no action is free. The first premise states that if an action must occur it is not free. The second premise is based on determinism and the idea that every event occurs because of antecedent events, dating back to before birth even, ensured the occurrence. Hard determinism believes both of these premises and therefore accepts the conclusion.They do not feel we are responsible for our actions because they are not free. Soft det erminism believes only the second premise, that a there is a past chain of events effecting present actions however they think our own free will is included in the chain. Therefore soft determinism do not accept the conclusion and in assuming we have some free will declare we can be held responsible for our free actions. Libertarianism supports the first premise saying that if an action must occur it is not free but denies the second premise concerning the idea of determinism. They reject the conclusion.They feel you have chance to change a decision in the early stages of deliberation, that being the case they feel we can be held responsible for our actions only when we had the opportunity to do otherwise. The position holding the most merit is soft determinism. It can be used to view the Zimmerman case. George Zimmerman could not control the events leading up to final fatal action. We have no proof denying that Martin aggressively approached him from behind and initiated the violen ce. Based on the only known information we have Zimmerman had no control over this prior event.His next action was in self defense something he could not control therefore can not be held responsible for. If he had shot Martin before the physical clash occurred he would have demonstrated using free will. Since he could not control the fights progression he is not accountable for his actions. This further proves he should not go to jail for the shooting. Morally killing in self defense is a justified action. We previously conveyed the lack of concrete evidence refuting Zimmerman's recollection of the shooting as an act of self defense.Based on this we can determine Zimmerman's killing is morally justified because as far as we know it was an act of self defense. If he had shot Martin before being physically attacked his actions would not be justified and in turn considered immoral. Morally his actions were justified as far as we can prove, adding to the reasons why he should not go to jail. In the shooting case of Trayvor Martin, George Zimmerman should not go to jail. It can not be proven without reasonable doubt that he was not acting in self defense. Disputes over the shootings circumstances provide uncertainty in the case.The arguments presented are sound and prove the conclusion, that George Zimmerman should not go to prison, is true. Bibliography http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/trayvon_martin/index. html http://www. nytimes. com/interactive/2012/04/02/us/the-events-leading-to-the-shooting-of-trayvon-martin. html http://www. nytimes. com/2012/04/12/us/zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-martin-shooting. html? pagewanted=all http://www. nytimes. com/2012/04/24/us/george-zimmerman-released-after-posting-bail-in-trayvon-martin-case. html? gwh=7C04C601D11A47D31E9BF5FF98E24EF4

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay - 2083 Words

Child abuse is the â€Å"saddest and most tragic problem† in the United States today (Child Abuse). Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children. Victims range from ages of a few weeks to late teenage years. While most child abuse cases are not fatal, some do end in death. Some researchers have even labeled child abuse an â€Å"epidemic.† Because more than fifty percent of child abuse cases are not reported, the exact numbers will never be known. In the 1970s the United States government issued a survey about the number of child abuse cases. The survey showed that there are more than 60,000 cases of child abuse in some form each year. Another survey, in 1976†¦show more content†¦Sexual child abuse has no real definition. It can be characterized as â€Å"any adult that allows themselves to force or coerce a child into a sexual activity† (Understanding . . . 1). This may include fondling a child’s genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal or anal intercourse. Effects of sexual child abuse on the victim may include anxiety, guilt, fear, sexual dysfunction, withdrawal, and acting out. More long term effects may include anxiety went associating with the opposite sex or inappropriate sexual knowledge, sexual interest, or sexual acting out by the young victim. Research has led researchers to believe that child sexual abuse victims are more likely to be victims of rape or physically abusive relationships as adults. Studies also show that the majority of perpetrators are family members or are known by the child. Although it is thought that homosexual men are more commonly the perpetrators, heterosexual men are actually more likely to be the perpetrator (Understanding . . . 4). Emotional abuse is classified as â€Å"anything that is said or done to hurt a child’s feelings or self-esteem†(Havelin 7). Words ar e not the only type of emotional abuse. Locking a child in a closet is also emotional abuse because it causes the child to feel negatively about themselves. Neglect is when a parent or guardian ignores or chooses not to take care of a child’s physical needs. Under law, parents mustShow MoreRelatedChild Abuse and Neglect1653 Words   |  7 Pages Child Abuse and Neglect Child abuse, or child maltreatment, is an act by a parent or caretaker that results in or allows the child to be subjected to death, physical injury, sexual assault, or emotional harm. Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse are all different forms of child abuse. Child abuse is more than bruises and broken bones. While physical abuse might be the most visible, other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse and neglect, also leave deep, lastingRead MoreChild Abuse And Neglect704 Words   |  3 Pagesexperience this feeling, not just for a second, but throughout their childhood. Neglect is child abuse, as well as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. Child abuse is awful because it causes the child to feel worthless, to lose trust, and to have serious psychological problems early on in life. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse. The parent or caregiver fails to provide basic needs for the child. Neglected children are constantly being told that they are worthless orRead MoreChild Neglect : Neglect As A Form Of Child Abuse2216 Words   |  9 PagesChild Abuse: Neglect Has The Community Done Enough To Reduce Cases Of Neglect As A Form Of Child Abuse? Thesis statement: most scholars and practitioners have elaborated adverse impacts of child abuse, especially child neglect, but the research focuses on the positive side of the discourse; it concentrates on the community contribution and the steps that have helped to reduce and stop the act in many nations. The term child abuse got used in a very broad array of situation that it has become hardRead MoreChild Abuse and Neglect2475 Words   |  10 Pages This paper will discuss child abuse and neglect and the lasting effects left on a child. The main types of abuse and neglect explained are emotional abuse, psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, medical neglect, educational neglect, emotional neglect, and physical neglect. Included are some warning signs of these different types of abuse and neglect and the legal definitions of each. It is important to understand that all of these forms of abuse and neglect are different and containRead MoreChild Abuse And Neglect1612 Words   |  7 PagesAbuse occurs when one person mistreats or misuses other people, showing no care for their health or acknowledging them as a human being. People who abuse others manage to manipulate their victims into submission or make them comply at their will. Children who are abused are more likely to h ave mental health problems than children who are abused. More than likely, the children who are abused tend to struggle academically, but does abuse really hinder a child’s academic career? And if so, what kindRead MoreChild Abuse and Neglect922 Words   |  4 PagesASSIGNMENT 1: SOCIAL ISSUE- CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT KIM CARTER SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR PATRICIA HENNINGTON JANRUARY 29, 2012 Child abuse and neglect The issue of child abuse and neglect is serious, controversial, and is escalating in today’s society. Many people are not aware, but child abuse is rampant in our society. Many child abuse and neglect cases go unreported because a person may not know the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect or perhaps the person or person may feel that thisRead MoreChild Abuse and Neglect1678 Words   |  7 Pagestopic of child abuse is one of the hardest topics to write about. It is imperative to have a profound understanding of this topic and its consequences specially when working in the field of human services. Professionally and personally, I have encountered situations where child abuse is present. This reality has touched my life in many ways and these experiences continue shaping me as a human being and as social service provider. I will try to cover in this paper the subject of child abuse, its definitionsRead MoreChild Abuse And Neglect Of A Child817 Words   |  4 PagesC hild Abuse and Neglect The meaning of child abuse is the mistreatment of a child in the form of injury, sexual abuse, neglect or exploitation. The signs of possible child abuse include, but are not limited to sudden behavior change, untreated medical issues, difficulties in school, lack of adult attention, the child makes excuses to stay away from home. Parents can also show signs such as showing little interest in the child, blaming the child for the child’s problems. The parent could ask theRead More Child Abuse and Neglect814 Words   |  4 Pages Child Abuse Child abuse and neglect is frightfully high. As a country this is unacceptable. We need to come up with better ways to fight this â€Å"disease† before we destroy our children, our future. An estimated 903,000 children across the country were victims of abuse or neglect in 2001, according to national data released by the Department of Health and Human Services. The statistics indicate that about 12.4 out of every 1,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect, a rate comparable to the previousRead More Child Abuse and Neglect1102 Words   |  5 Pageswhat effects abuse can have on a child? The effects abuse can have on a child is very serious. Children can obtain serious problems from child abuse. They can develop social problems, depression, and anxiety. There are four types of abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Physical abuse can injure a child severely. Domestic Violence is a worldwide problem and affects the health and well-being of those open to it. Children that are exposed to physical abuse are at risk

Essay on “Logistics management systems”

Essay on â€Å"Logistics management systems† In the contemporary business environment, management logistics has become very much machine based. This can be attributed to the introduction of computers in business where these machines come with programs which ease office keeping and management. Some of the ICT programs developed deal with warehouse management, supply management, cash book management and records management (spe.org/spe-site/spe/spe/jpt/2009/04/12Management.pdf). In logistics management, the main task is to control the supply of products to the final consumer. The business unit acts at the source while the consumer acts as the destination of the products. Supply chain management (logistics management) helps keep in track all activities that occur to the products from time of dispatch to time of consumption. The number of times that the products change hands is also accounted for in the logistics management and plays a very vital role in the whole process (spe.org/spe-site/spe/spe/jpt/2009/04/12Management.pdf). This ICT system is mainly in a class of information systems known as management information systems. These systems help organize run and effectively carry out managerial functions with minimal human effort. These systems heavily depend on the people, technology used and type of information handled (Russo, 2007). Looking back at the history of information systems and its influence on business, as business transactions became difficult to keep a close eye on, there cropped a need to develop a computer program that would effectively handle the bulk of information in the business entity and uphold data integrity. The main categories of information systems used in the world are decision making and management support systems (Russo, 2007). Logistics management is in the category of marketing information systems where the software is used to help ease marketing transactions. This software helps keep in track on all marketing channels and transactions. It helps organize all supply chain chains and organize supply to ensure effective forward and reverse flow of products (Robert, 2005). Narrowing down to the specific field of logistics management, the main tasks are to plan, implement and control the forward and reverse flow of products in the supply channel. It also covers the storage and disposal of products that prove to be substandard. For a better understanding of this management system, let us look into the functions themselves (Robert, 2005). From the basic architecture of the information systems, the system must interact with people. To ensure the system does this effectively, it has an interactive interface which enables the system to acquire data and then give an output (feedback or information). The output of the system depends on the second part of the information system. This part deals with processing the input according to a set of rules. This is the technology section of the system thus the output depends on the technology. Briefly looking at the technology itself, this part deals with a bit of programming. The programs developed depend on the intended task of the information system. With this task in mind, the programmer breaks down the whole process into smaller sub processes which can be developed independently. These sub processes lead to development of subprograms called either a procedure or function. The difference between a procedure and a function is only on the output part. Procedures mostl y give a non-numerical output thus can be said to have a void output while a function must return an output. In information systems, procedures are used to call function (activate functions). The functions are the actual parts of the supply chain management that helps make decision on the best output depending on the input and the conditions attached to the transaction. The functions mostly make use of iteration thus mostly employ the use of case statements. These statements help reduce repetitive use of ‘if’ and ‘while’ statements. The graphical user interface is developed to enable the management to interact with the program much simply and also to make the system much friendly compared to letting a person who does not understand programming to meet a large code which does not make any sense to the user (Robert, 2005). One of the main functions of logistics management is planning. This occurs according to the conditions attached to a specific scenario. For example, consider the sale of a vehicle. From the word go, all the costs must be considered before setting the selling price of the product. The conditions to consider may include buying price, shipping costs, profit margin and insurance. For the best selling price and discounts on these products, these conditions must be attached to the product. When feeding data to the logistics system, all these conditions must be fed. The system then come up with a plan of marketing the product at the minimum cost, the anticipated profit, the depreciation rates and even the shelf life of the product. The system also gives a set of rules under which the products may be returned to the source, ways of dealing with the returned goods and how to dispose the already useless products to the dealer (Rangel, 2002). In this component of the logistics system, the main ICT components are a case based program which accepts the set of conditions and then makes the best decision. This program must have an input and output window which helps in accepting the input and displaying the output. The program has also to incorporate mathematical expressions which help n computations of profit margins, discount rates and the anticipated profit (Rangel, 2002). Moving on to the next function of the system, analysis is vital. This process is the most crucial thus requires a careful planning. This component must have the ability to accept data and then process the whole bulk of data according to a set of rules making it possible for the transaction to occur. The analysis component is closely related to the planning since it receives data from the planning component for further processing. This component of the system does not interact with human beings thus is entirely dependent on the technology part of the information system (Rangel, 2002). Back to our illustration, the data about the car is fed to the system from the input window. For the planning to occur, the received data in the system is analyzed according to the set conditions and the best suited option in the case statements provoked. The data is then processed according to the rules and the output is done. However, this is also done for other alternative case statements in the whole program after the case analysis, the outcomes are displayed and the management chooses the best option. This option is then used to analyze the rest of the data pertaining to the product. (tefen.com/uploads/media/Case_Study.pdf). Lastly, let us move to control component of the system. This component is very important since it is the one that allows only valid information to be entered to the machine. Any data outside the accepted bracket of data is rejected and a message is displayed simultaneously. This part of the system is usually incorporated in programs as exceptional handling strings which help keep the system robust and free from any crashing. Deeper in the control aspect, the system ensures that the stock moves as anticipated. If excess stock flows out, it prompts the people using it input more stock. By this, it controls the movement of stock and produces a report to that effect. This part of the system is the only component in the whole system that prints a report to a peripheral device like a printer. The control aspect deals with the input and output, compares them and uses a part of the master program in the analysis component to come up with a report (Hawks, 2006). From the actual operation of the logistics management, there exist two logistic management subsystems. These subsystems can be attributed to the fact that supply chain can have products moving in either of the directions. In the forward movement of products, forward logistics management system is evoked. This subsystem helps in computation of the required discounts, anticipated profits and the other facts like shelf life of the products. When a product has been returned to the business unit due to some defects, it has to be considered by the system for the best record updating. This calls for reverse logistics management subsystem which is part of the main logistics system. This subsystem helps keep record of the defective products as well as help in making decision s regarding the best way to repair or deal with the returned products. These two subsystems work in opposition to each other and they are stored on the same main system. They are evoked as one of the very i nitial steps thus they use almost the same subprograms but call the functions differently or in different orders (Hawks, 2006). With this technology, management is becoming easier with time and record keeping is becoming much easier than in the past. Many advantages in this sector can be associated with technology use I supply management. Some of the advantages are: Fast data manipulation. The main cause of use of technology in business can be said to be speed. The rate at which a compute manipulates data is very fast compared to human manipulation. As business firms became larger, the amount of data that required to be handled increased almost exponentially. Considering sales department under which supply falls, the growth was almost exponential thus a new mechanism had to be developed so as to keep in pace with the increasing business transaction. This is what led to development of logistics management systems which help in all matters pertaining to sales. The number f records that require to be reviewed and data extracted from even in a small firm may take a lot of time to peruse and get the required data. A computer system may only require a single click or a few clicks to help retrieve the same amount of data. In report preparation, it is very easy to use data contained in a system to prepare a report compared to data which has to be extrac ted from paper records. Thus, the system also helps reduce the time required to prepare and print a report (Baron, 1996). Reduced manpower. Looking at the actual function of the logistics system, many people may be required to carry out the required planning, implementation and control of sales. These people would have a lot of work load on their shoulders thus the required manpower may be too much for the business unit to hire. By using this system, only a few employees may be required since most of the sales decisions are made by the system. With this reduced manpower required, the business unit has the ability to hire highly qualified personnel and increase the profit margin since the expenses are reduced (Baron, 1996). Better decision making process. A computer system always gives a number of options as output. The management then has a starting pointing their discussion thus the decisions they make are much more precise. The alternatives are listed from the most appropriate to the least appropriate thus the management can easily make the best choice. If the choice is incompatible with the system, then the system gives a number of suggestions thus in the very end, the best decision is arrived. Time saving. In any business department, a lot of time is wasted holding meetings which at time do not produce the best results. Instead of holding meetings without any clue of the matter at hand, the logistics department may serve a purpose of giving some information about the point of discussion in the meeting saving time to find preliminary information on the subject of discussion. The decision support ability also enables the system to save time when making sales decisions and profit margins or discount computation. Ease of expansion. Critically analyzing any decision making system it can be easily expanded to cover any number of related chores. For example, if the company may have to make a decision on supply of the raw materials, the same logistics system may be used instead of relying on physical manpower or buying a new system (Baron, 1996). Any technological advancement comes at some expense. These expenses may appear to the people as disadvantages thus many people may remain opposed to the adoption of the new technology. Some of these disadvantages include: Capital intensive business unit. In many parts of the world, business units are started with an aim of creating employment. In the process of adopting new technology, the labor intensive structure that the business proprietors had in mind is washed away making the whole investment to be capital intensive. This may result in death of the original dream that the proprietor had. Also, running a capital intensive business unit may be quite more expensive than labor intensive businesses. Specialized skills. All these technological advancements require period update of the user skills. Most of the system users might find this quite tasking thus may remain reluctant to adopting the new technology in business. The technology might also require special handling equipment which may be expensive to use and maintain. Lack of personal touch in the business. Many of the people who oppose use of technology in business do it mostly due to loss of personal touch in the sales department. This may result in many customers losing trust in the business unit thus the actual says may decline. (Baron, 1996). These systems can be divided into three categories where each deals with a specific part in the supply chain. These categories are briefly discussed below. Conventional department management system. This system deals with the actual office work and mainly deals with records. This system is the one responsible for all record transactions ranging from updating, querying of data to report compilation and printing. It can be claimed as the main system on which the other entire logistics systems crop. This system extends to control activities where it monitors the forward logistics and reverse logistics. It serves as the main sales decision support mechanism thus acts as the control of sales department (Hugh, 2002). Warehousing management system. This system deals with monitoring the rates at which the products are fed into and fetched from the warehouse. It is part of the conventional department system which precisely deals with warehouse activities and then gives a feedback to the main system for report compilation. However, this system still has capability of report compilation (Hugh, 2002). Transport management system. This system may appear as only tracking system that is not part of the sales department but due to the transport of sales, it is part of the department. This system uses GPRS tracking systems which help locate the products on transit and help keep them secure. If the products are tampered with while on transit, the sales department can easily use this system to know how to sabotage took place (Hugh, 2002). Critically analyzing the use of technology in business sales department, there has been a reported success in the field. In fact more than 75% of business units that use logistics management systems have reported to be happy with the systems since once the required skills are acquired; the rest of the work is very simple. From a personal perspective, use of logistics systems is very important to a business unit. The function of monitoring can be very complicated and tasking but with the systems control component, the work is very simple. This section may require very many people but with the technology in place, a single person may carry out many tasks per unit time (Keller, 2006). The use also suffers some drawbacks which can be said to be rooted in the technological constraints. Many of the people using computers may know very little about them thus using a system to keep their business alive and give them a competitive advantage may be a dream almost out of hand. On personal opinion, this constraint makes people feel alienated thus makes people detached (Keller, 2006). A personal statement on this issue would be to support the use of technology in business enterprises. As much as businesses should avoid being capital intensive, people must also change with the change or if they remain reluctant, the change will change them. In conclusion, technology use in business has been on the rise in the recent with the rapid widespread use†¦