Sales and purchase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sales and purchase - Essay Example The input data that is required are item category, brand, quantity, cost, customer detail (name, address, phone and birthday), mode of payment, mode of sale and special scheme (e.g. discount). Once these data are entered into the system, it undergoes various processes before finally culminating in the delivery of the item. These processes can be broadly classified into six main areas; 2. The system then differentiates the mode of sale and categorising it into direct sale order or internet based order. This gives the management to make appropriate strategies and plans for their existing or emerging market. 3. With category and brand specified, it then checks for the stock status so that in case of any shortfall, alternative brands can be suggested or sold. This information (category and brand) also help to market other products that may add value to the items asked for. 4. The system then checks for any special offer or discount that the item might have at that particular time. This is an important process because the current market scenario has necessitated introduction of special schemes to attract customers in order to main their competitive edge. 'The ultimate schedule (discount) is one which maximises the suppliers' resultant economic gain, but does so at absolutely no added cost to the buyer' (Monahan, 1984). 5. If the mode of payment is other than cash transaction, the system performs credit check for the customer and accordingly, informs and suggests the customer for alternatives for payment schedules. 6. The system then confirms or refuses the sale/ purchase order and sends the same information on the terminal and generates invoice or sale/ purchase receipt. The completion of sales order is but the first of many other requisites of the input information that are essential for the management of the company. The growth and the future prospects of the business depend on the input data as they are able to divulge vital information about the products and the customers. The sale processing data helps the management to disseminate information that can be categorised into the following output formats; 1. The input data helps to generate current inventory status so that the products that need fresh stocks can be ordered much in advance. 2. The data also helps the management to assess the order flow pattern of the products and services so that the management is able to take appropriate steps in meeting the demands of their customer either by increasing the shopping hours or employing more staff to deal with the rush. This helps the management to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction and general efficiency. This applies both to the days of the months and the specific hours of the day, during which there is marked difference in the sales and purchase pattern. 3. The data also help in finding out the popular items which are sold or purchased as well as the brands that are preferred thus helping the firm to introduce items or products that add value to the ones that are already popular. 4. The management can also maintain its client base by making efforts to

1964 Tokyo Olympics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1964 Tokyo Olympics - Essay Example Symbolizing a reacceptance to the global community and the end of a lengthy, depressing period for many Japanese, the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics was a moment to recognize and commemorate the progress and reemergence of Japan. This Japan was new and different from what it used to be in the eyes of the world; it was no longer a wartime foe, but a peaceful country that terrorized no one. In a surprisingly short time, the transition from distraught enemy to rebuilt friend was achieved in less than 2 decades. Japan had previously joined the United Nations and several other international organizations, but nothing matches the vision and splendor of an Olympics. The whole world would be coming to Japan, and those that could not come would be watching live and in color for the first time. It was also the first Olympiad to be hosted in a non-white, non-Western country, a point of pride for both Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Japanese also made a decision to prove the world that they had restructured and were now a peace-loving people. The Olympics, which claim to be apolitical and about individuals coming together in nonviolent competition, were perfect for displaying this new identity based on Japan's constitution that renounced war as a tool of the state and its status as the only country to suffer from an atomic bombing. Certainly, selective amnesia was necessary that either forgot the war or centered on domestic torment during the war rather than the suffering Japanese caused across Asia and the Pacific during the 17 years of war. This was most obviously witnessed at the various art and cultural exhibits that cautiously eliminated all images and arts related to the Empire. As the Japanese government was basically prohibited the use of the military or its traditions, the Olympics were also a harmless way to promote patriotism and nationalism.

American Revolution Essay Example for Free

American Revolution Essay Black American also referred to as African Americans are the US citizens with an African origin. Some of them are descendants of survivors of Africans who were brought to America as slaves to work in sugar plantations. Other black communities in America are as a result of voluntary immigration from the African community. African Americans make the largest minority group in the present United States of America. The African American community has for a long time been neglected and discriminated, they had little or no rights at all, which caused them to form movements to fight and campaign for the recognition of their rights. In the United State, women have been facing harsh treatments from their male counterparts. They have also been denied quite a number of rights. This research is intended to look into the similarities and differences that exist between the progression of the black Americans and American women in the United States. (Felder, 1990) Progression of blacks For many years, blacks Americans in the United States have been the poorest community in the country. They were regarded as slaves and had no rights to own properties and work. As time went by, they were allowed to grow crops and keep livestock. Though they could intermarry with other communities, they were still poor and could not have right over their spouses married from other communities. African Americans were regarded as immigrants to the country and therefore taken inferior to the indigenous communities. After several attempts to fight for their rights, they formed movements to champion for their rights as other communities in the United States. These movements were fighting for equality in different sphere of life including the right to own properties, the right to employment, to vote, and others. The civil rights movement started in early 20th century. These movements were encouraged by the extending role of the government in developing the economy and society. This encouraged the starting of businesses and jobs for blacks, the establishment of judicial law to protect the rights of all Americans rather than protecting businesses and whites only. The former US president, Mr Franklin Roosevelt, who was in power by then, appointed the judges who favored the rights of African Americans. Mr Hugo Black was appointed to head the Supreme Court as the judge. This contributed to blacks accessing schooling like whites without any sort of discrimination as before. The government was clearly supporting the rights of the black community in championing their rights. At the start of the Second World War in Europe, African Americans brought their demand to fair treatment than it was during the First World War. They said through Medias that for them to contribute in the war, African Americans enrolled in the military had to be trained like their white counterparts while other civilians were to work in the same industries the white worked. In 1941, blacks organized a march to Washington lead by Randolph Philip A. to demand the government to have blacks contracted in the defense department as the whites. This encouraged the government to order the creation of equal employment committee to enforce the practice of fair employment. The formation of the committee did not solve the matter but discrimination of the blacks went on. During the war, though the blacks contributed to about less that a quarter of the military personnel, they were trained as pilots in the armed forces without any discrimination. This did not fully solve the matter for there were others who were put in a delicate position without any combat. After the government allowed the equal employment of blacks and whites, many blacks migrated to north for employment in war industries than they had migrated to south during the First World War. This migration was encouraged by an urge to have a much better incomes as others. There was much tension in their new homes in fear of racial oppressions. Those who migrated to the north had to use their economic and political influence in supporting civil right for those who were left in south. (African-American, 2008). The blacks had gained much influence and were widely working against racial discrimination and were even challenging the registrar of voters in southern courthouse and could sue school boards for equality in education provision. The movement was gaining after the blacks were able to fight racism in Europe and in America. The war encouraged more blacks to fight racism in Europe and later extended to Asia. After the war, the blacks had gained momentum which encouraged the president to have uniform civil rights in the country but was rejected by the congress. This movement helped the blacks to have most of the rights that were initially enjoyed by the whites only including right to education, right to vote, and right to participate in politics. Since then, African Americans have greatly enjoyed full rights of citizenship of the United States. As a result of this, blacks are able to strive for higher seats in the government and in other areas. Recently the blacks have progressed to a point of vying the highest seat in the country. Example of this is Illinois senator Mr. Barak Obama. (History made, 2008) After the war, rights movement continued with a success, different forms of discrimination had already been overturned and this time it was on equal education provision and opportunities. After much emphasis on equal education provision that challenged primary and secondary education, the court ruled that segregating racial education was against the constitution. Segregating education faced a major challenge by whites opposing the ruling of the court; this called the whites to have mass resistance in complying with the segregation orders. Firing the black school employees who were on the favor of segregation was another tactic that was used by the whites and creating whites private schools other than boycotting the integrated schools that incorporated both races. During the first years, the schools were not desegregated, but this gradually proceeded as the schools as the segregation had already taken part in the neighborhood. In overcoming this some schools sent their students in different neighborhoods. After much struggle by the whites to fight segregation, they formed a group called Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The group used all form of violence and threats against anybody who was supporting the desegregation or the rights of the blacks. With support from the media they performed all forms of terrorism especially in the southern states in the early second quarter of the 20th century. Though there were still threats and violence, this did not end the struggle for the rights of the blacks, it had to move beyond the education provision to challenge other affected areas like in public transport and other public service provisions. The black community was annoyed by the whites for being rude and abusive. A bus boycott was organized in Alabama after a white passenger expected a black passenger to excuse him from the bus seat, this kind of harassment contributed to organizing for a boycott within a night which was a success, this called in court attention and the segregation in busses were to start immediately factors that helped in ending the continuous harassment of the blacks by the whites in the city. Martin Luther King who chaired the Montgomery Improvement Association, organized a boycott through his organization, King’s plea to Christians was to create a non discriminatory impression of people in the whole country. King wanted the violent and harsh ways to a non violent way of encouraging segregation. In the University of North Carolina, four black students started yet another protest against the whites’ only counters, though it was not a new for of protest, it had spread through out Carolina within days, this lead to desegregation of restaurants across the southern states. This movement showed clearly that whites and blacks are alike and they could show they were against segregation openly. The students found a nonviolent committee in 1960, the formation of the committee was to help the students organize sit-ins movements. It was encouraged that civil rights movements should only be based on individual communities of the blacks. This was to enforce change to the local communities rather than the national change. The voters’ registration campaign started in 1964, though the community level activism had started in 1961, there was a heavy commitment in heavily concentrated black territories mostly in rural areas of southern states. The blacks believed that voting was the only way to empower them and had to ensure that they participated in changing of the racism policies in the south. The activist Robert Moses through Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) worked hard in registering blacks and teaching them the importance of voting, skills the required and the necessary responses applying for voter registration. The exercise faced a great opposition from the whites they went a head in threatening Robert and even beating and sending him to jail. The efforts of Mississippi to recruit both whites and blacks in colleges and other professions were thought to attract attention from the whole nation. This lead in having more active politician who later formed Mississippi freedom democratic party (MFDP) after they were rejected by the white democrats as members in their delegation. The actions of the whites were challenged when the blacks participated in the media interviews to represent Mississippi. The voting right was initiated by the blacks and began protesting in court houses in Selma, when they were unsuccessful, they proceeded to Montgomery where they faced police beating and were tear-gassed, the scene was televised and shocked many, this encouraged King to lead hundreds of people to a 50 mile march to Montgomery . The Selma march got great supports which in turn lead to enactment of the law which protected southern states blacks to vote. The president Johnson proposed the passage of rigors act by the congress in the 1965. After the amendment of the act, most of the requirements that restricted the blacks from voting were suspended. After this, the blacks were able to vie for major offices seats and were able to win in all districts. (Martin Luther King, Jr. 1958 ,46 ) Progression of women in the US Though the republic of America was founded on ideas of equality, liberty and freedom, it proved to be difficult to achieve in practice. Women in the United States were not regarded as equal to men despite of their important roles they played in forming and shaping the US. Their lives were confined in the domestic world and were not given enough chances to spearhead their causes in the education, social and in political arena This led to the rise of women activism in politics. They started realizing the power of politics in constructing women identity in the society. They realized that they could also play an important role of Republic motherhood by instilling republican and freedom values to their children. There were few women like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and others who become prominent public figure in the political arena. They championed for the rights of women. (History of women, 2008) During the American war with the British, women played great roles like boycotting of British goods and contributing to the economy of the country. They held several demonstrations that opened their eyes to some issues rather than being at home with their children. Some women participated in political activism that progressed women to another level. Some women participated in the in the progression of women by serving in the army. Although it was considered abnormal for women to enter in the war, most of them broke these rules and directly participated in the war. Other women like Deborah Sampson played the role of men in order to be allowed to enter into the war and fight in the front line alongside men. (Morton, 1980) She presented herself as a volunteer using male names to be recruited in the army. The last time she participated in the war, she was recognized as Robert Shertliffe. She served under the command of Captain Nathan for three years performing various duties until she was injured and could no longer continue fighting. She was later relieved of her duties and rewarded for the role she played in the army as a revolutionary warrior. Women played great roles in shaping the future of the counterparts. With the laid foundation by former women, modern women are able to compete with their male counterparts for the big positions in the job market, politics and in education achievements (Ellet, 1969). Hilary Clinton is a good example of a woman who has fought against the odds and was competing for the highest seat in the country. Another example is John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin who would be the vise president if McCain wins; another woman who has fought to the higher seat is the American secretary of states Condoleezza Rice. (Mark, 2008) Similarities of blacks and women in America There are several similarities between the blacks and women in the United States. At first, they were regarded as people who were not much important to the society and their work was to serve the white man. They had to proof their capability in order to be regarded as important figure in the community. With formation and participation in movements and demonstrations, they found objections and were termed as illegally demonstrating and were facing brutal beatings and other sort of punishments. Blacks’ participation in the movements and protesting the rule of whites brought about a great change that its impact is felt in the modern America. Blacks have equal rights as whites in the country and the can access anything as their fellow whites are accessing. Were it not for the activists who volunteered and fought against the poor treatment of women by men, women could still be â€Å"stay at home mom† as they used to be. Blacks and women have climbed the ladder to the righted world and they have the right to do whatever a man can do (Wikipedia, 2008). In the current America, being a woman or black has no restriction in exercising ones right. None has more rights than the other and are all protected buy human rights which has not specified the race, religion or gender, provided its human being. The voting right was initiated by the blacks and began protesting in court houses in Selma, when they were unsuccessful, they proceeded to Montgomery where they faced police beating and were tear-gassed. The scene was televised and it shocked many people, which encouraged King to lead hundreds of people to a 50 mile march to Montgomery. The Selma march got great supports which in turn lead to enactment of law which protected southern states blacks to vote. The president Johnson proposed the passage of rigors act by the congress in the 1965. After the amendment of the act, most of the requirements that restricted the blacks from voting were suspended. After this the blacks were able to vie for major offices seats and were able to win in all districts. As each has gained the right to vote is a very important role in the welfare of the country, with all participating, democracy is exercised and only with majority supporters gains the access to any political seat. Conclusion The movement of civil rights in the United States has gone through major challenges before achieving a tremendous success. The total commitment of the activists was of benefit to the whole nation’s blacks and women. The recognition of capability of blacks and women has brought equality and has contributed to the growth of the economy. The movement also helped the blacks to access education like any other American without discrimination and also led to segregation of schools and other public services. The enactment of voting rights gave the blacks and women an opportunity to exercise politics like their white counterparts which in turn brought a better service provision to all citizens. Participation of blacks and women in national welfare activities like in war led to victory of the nation. Reference: African-American, 2008, retrieved from www. en. wikipedia. org/wiki/African_American on 3rd 10/2008 Ellet, E. 1969, The women of the American Revolution, New York; Haskell Felder, J. 1990, Black Origins and Lady Liberty, Daily Challenge. July 16, History made, 2008, Obama becomes first nominee of major party, retrieved from www. elections. foxnews. com/2008/08/27/history-made-obama-becomes-1st-black-nominee-of-major-party History of women, 2008, retrieved from www. en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_women_in_the_United_States on 3rd 10/08 Mark E, 2008, career progression of minority and women, retrieved from /www. defenselink. mil/prhome/careerprog. html, on 3rd 10/08 Martin Luther King, Jr. 1958, Stride Toward Freedom New York: Harper Row Morton, M. 1980, The Liberty Daughters: the Revolutionary Experience of American women 1750-1800. Boston: Little brown Retrieved from www. African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_ (1955-1968). htm on 3rd10/08 Wikipedia, 2008, African-American civil rights movement (1955-1968)

Examining What Is A Serial Killer Criminology Essay

Examining What Is A Serial Killer Criminology Essay What is a serial killer? Many have their own ideas as to what a serial killer is, what they look like, and what kind of job they have or how they were raised or even where they live. In order for the reader to really understand the definition of a serial killer the research must pinpoint what makes a serial. Statistical data as well as demographic data will also be discussed so that it can show accuracy between profiles and stereotypes. Past studies and the articles under consideration mostly point out two major factors that result into causing the homicidal behavior. These factors are psychological aspects and disturbed family background. The studies that we are going to review have analyzed the serial killing attitudes using different approaches. Geographical Profiling, Decision Support System, Motives, Comparison of single and serial killers, Distinction between antisocial personality disorder and psychopaths, Demographics of victims, the White trash phenomenon and a criticism ove r generalities profiling are our studied approaches and findings. The psychological aspects include abnormal kinds of satisfaction that a homicide derives from abusive attitude. This satisfaction may be either of sexual nature or revenge or both. Other abusive activities such as indulging into drugs, alcoholism and minor crimes are also considered in the psychological aspects. A disturbed background at home includes split family, abusive parent or guardian, the circumstances that lead to staying at care. A child when goes through disturbed phases within family it is a big stimulus for that child to turn into a homicide. The children who live in foster care have a potency to engage into abusive activities in future when they leave care. The reviewed studies follow logarithmic and quadratic distribution, normalization parameter, literature review, integration approach, comparative approach, cinematic approach and profiling approach. Truth behind Serial Murder Serial homicide, in its youngest form was known by the FBI as a lust murder (Egger, 1998). Still the question arises as to what is the actual definition of a serial killer. Another describes a serial killer as one that explodes in homicidal rampage (Egger, 1998). Then you look at law enforcement and what they say is serial murder is sexual attacks, the death of men, women and children committed by a male killer (Egger, 1998). Though there are many definitions to what a serial killer may be, one may have to look further in depth to really understand what the definition is. Here are some ideas to think about when defining this aspect. First, serial murder occurs when one or more individuals commit murder of three or more people over a period of time. Second, there is a cooling off period between each murder. This could be weeks, months or even years before they go after another victim. Third, there is usually no connection between the victim and assailant. Forth, Serial killings are us ually different in geographic area and can move from one location to another. Last, but not least motives are not for material reasons, but for power and control (Holmes, 1998). As one may notice researchers have been studying and trying to create an iron clad definition to go by when establishing what a serial killer is. Although as difficult as one may think this is, the above mentioned characteristics of a serial killer help Law enforcement further in their serial killer cases. In another attempt at defining a serial killer it was stated as any offenders, male or female, who kill over time with a minimum of three to four victims who have a pattern with their killing that can be associated with the types of victims selected or the method or motives (Hickey, 2002). Ideologies of Serial murder There have been numerous researches done in order to create many categories, types, and labels of murders. Some of these categories include biological, psychological, and sociological traits (Siegel, 1998). Other researchers have gone further in categorizing murders as brain disorders, passive aggressive, alcoholics, mentally retarded, and hysterical (Hickey, 2002). Other researchers in yet more categories such as the visionary type who hears voices, which tell them to act in horrible acts. Then there is the mission type who believes it is their duty to get rid of evil people in the world and example of this is Hitler. Some examples of what may be considered as evil are certain religions, ethnic groups and homosexuals. Next, is the hedonistic type which commits violent acts for fun. They kill for only the pleasure of it, there is no personal gain with this type. Last, but not least there is the power type who desires to be in control (hickey, 1997). An example of this is actually a m ovie called Saw where they get pure pleasure by setting someone up in a contraption that will kill them if they do not do something for the killer. The victim does what is expected, but in most cases they still die thinking that they were going to live. This is also where the background of bedwetting and animal cruelty begins (Douglas, 1999). Males Serial Killers The earliest documentation after the 1800s of an adult male serial killer was Edward Rulloff, also known as the educated murderer, in 1846. It wasnt until the 1900s that we saw a dramatic increase (Hickey, 2002). A study done by D.K Rossmo in 1995 stated that males were involved in over 90% of serial murders. He found that the average age for a serial killer was around the mid-20. In his study he went on to show that 73% were white males, 22% were African American, 3% were Hispanic, and 1 % Asian (Hickey, 2002). The mobility classifying gets a little difficult for it differs for each serial killer. About one-third of male killers have killed people in multiple states. Over 50% of male serial killers stayed locally when committing their murders. Over 10% of serial killers use their own home (Hickey, 2002). Most victims however, are killed by a local serial killer. The victims of these serial killers can be categorized into three different targets. First, is the stranger. Next, which i s the most targeted is the acquaintances, and last but not least is the family members. The occupation of a male serial killer is very diverse. Jobs such as a plumber to a physician are common. Many known serial killers were in jobs you would never think of them being in given their nasty habits. A good example of this is Ted Bundy who was thought to have been a law student. Another was Bianchi who was a security officer and an ambulance driver as well. He over a seven year period held over 10 jobs (Egger, 1998). It is examples like these that show the assortment of backgrounds that these men share. It does not seem to be a factor as far as education goes. Some of these men never made it through high school whereas some did, yet they did not further their education past high school and a few did. In addition to this many also had a prior criminal history. Results were astonishing as the combination of offenses such as prison, mental hospital, property offenses, sex crimes, crimes on children, drugs, fire starting, homicide, and assault was 68% (Hickey, 2002). Next, what we will talk about is the importance of the motives and methods of a serial killer, which a lot of researches see as the most important. Eric Hickeys study illustrated that 41% of serial killers uses some fire arms. 42% of serial killers in his study used a combination of methods. Such methods that were used include 37% strangulation and 34 % stabbing. 26% used some bludgeoning, and 19% used firearms only. It went on to say that 13 % stabbed only. The last 2% used other means as their way of killing (Hickey, 2002). Serial Killer Most Frequent Method à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾ Albert DeSalvo Strangulation à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾ Ed Kemper Shooting à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾ Carlton Gary Strangulation à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾ Robert Long Combination à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¾ Kenneth Bianchi Strangulation (Hickey, 2002; Egger, 1998). Female Serial Killers Many do not think of a female as being a serial killer, but contrary to that belief they do exist. Females are more often than not dismissed as being serial killers, because of the stereotype under which they fall. Researchers provide evidence to prove that they indeed are capable of committing serial murder. When fitting women to this profile it is hard because you think of your mom who is loving and nurturing. The last think anyone wants is to think that their mother could be such a thing as a serial killer. The public just doesnt think of their mothers and sisters as having the capability of murder (Holmes, 1998). Unfortunately statistics show that 10 to 15 percent of American serial killers have been women (Jenkins, 1994). The FBI called Aileen Wuornos the first female serial killer after killing seven men by shooting them in the torso in 1989 (Egger, 1998). Females can be as cruel and uncompassionate as male serial killers (Abbot et al. 2001). Like the male serial killer there i s documentation of female serial killers going as far back as the 1800s. From 1826 to 1995 there have been a total of 59 cases of female serial killings. The number of victims killed within this time frame is over 834 (Hickey, 2002). Most of female serial killers seem to lead a normal average life. According to a study by Hickey, 32% of female serial killers have been homemakers, 18% were nurse or had been a nurse, and 15 % had a prior criminal record. Also like men the average were whit and around there early 30s. As far as female serial Killers victims it seems that according to research they fall into the same three categories as men. In most of the other aspects women are pretty close to the same in their serial killings. However motives seem to be somewhat different of that of male serial killers. These are usually based on emotions, such as being physically abused, sexually abused. The many aspect of a serial killer that were discussed in this paper show both the sides of a male and a female serial killer and the many profiling behaviors of each. Our reviewed studies have analyzed the relationship of all these factors using various techniques. It is possible that many serial murderers are apprehended before they kill three or more victims required to qualify as such. Similarly, there are some who are detained for mental institutions and not directly answer for their crimes. Others continue to kill many more people to over the years without being arrested.

Peer Pressure Speech -- Peer Pressure Speech

The first point I want to make in this speech is that peer pressure is NOT a bad thing. We all are influenced by our peers, both negatively and positively. It helps define who we are and how we feel about subjects in our lives. It is how we chose to react to peer pressure that defines who we are as an individual. Are we a leader or a follower? Both types of people are needed to make the world go round. Basically, the difference between negative and positive peer pressure is the outcome. The reverse of the situation above is negative peer pressure. The situation itself is positive peer pressure. Or is it? What if a teen really doesn't like sports, but pushes himself to do it to please his friends or to be accepted? Therefore, he probably doesn't do to well at it, and gets only jabs at hi...

Business Intelligence Software Essay -- Business Software Essays

Business Intelligence Software As we discuss the possibility of emerging into business intelligence software we must keep in mind the overall purpose of using any type of software is to reach strategic goals in order to increase market shares. I will discuss how business intelligence software will allow us to meet those strategic goals. We will establish what type of information and analysis capabilities will be available once this business intelligence software is implemented. We will discuss hardware and system software that will be required to run specific business intelligence software. Lastly, I will give a brief synopsis on three vendors (IBM, Microsoft Microsoft and Oracle) that are dominating the business information software industry today. The goal to any company succeeding in today?s fast paced high tech world is to establish aggressive strategic goals and a means to meet those goals. The end state of strategic goals is the capturing of your industry market share. Business intelligence software is a means or method to meet the goals. Business Intelligence Software brings together established software into a single working suite that will allow personnel from across the corporation to observe the same information in real time on a day-to-day basis. By implementing business intelligence software into our company, it will allow for a consolidated data collection point. This software will also allow us to tap into this consolidated data using multiple methods and display it in various forms or in real time using different web applications. The information that can be extracted from the business information software is endless. In the article written by Alison Dragoon, Business Intelligence Get Smart(er), she states the following about data usage; ? ?[Unused data] is still a great source of untapped productivity and competitive advantage for most companies," he says. Just how much data is going unused? Downes guesses companies are extracting value from only about 20 percent of their data.? With this stated by placing all pertinent information into one database allows personnel throughout the company to pull data that will assist in their daily duties. This data can be arranged to track the life cycle of any product from birth to grave. By tracking an item in this fashion allows us to alleviate faulty products in this process or to allevia... ... analysis with Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL), online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining capabilities built into the data server. Additionally, we can add Oracles E-Business Suite Corporate Performance Management system that includes pre-packaged applications for measuring and monitoring business performance. Oracle brings to the table exactly what we are looking for, a proven business information tool that is capable of delivering the information that is required to give us time and accurate information. Bibliography Cindi Howson, The Best BI Tool [WWW document] URL http://www.intelligententerprise.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=21400422 Alice Dragoon, Business Intelligence Gets Smart(er) [WWW document] URL http://www.cio.com/archive/091503/smart.html Unknown, Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing in SQL Server 2005 [WWW document] URL http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/evaluate/dwsqlsy.mspx Unknown, Introducing SQL Server 2005 [WWW document] URL http://www.microsoft.com/sql/2005/default.asp Unknown, IBM, [WWW document] URL http://www.ibm.com/us/ Unknown, Oracle, [WWW document] URL http://www.oracle.com/index.html

The Proverbs of Administration Herbert Simon Summary

Bekki Drewlo Simon, Herbert A. (1946). The Proverbs of Administration. In J. M. Shafrits & A. C. Hyde (Eds. ), Classics of public administration (6th ed. ) (pp. 124-137). Boston, MA: Thompson Wadsworth.ARTICLE SUMMARY:In Herbert Simon’s â€Å"The Proverbs of Administration† he begins outlining what he describes as the â€Å"accepted administrative principles† (p. 124). These principles state that administrative efficiency is increased by specialization of tasks among members of a group, unity of command, limiting the span of control at any one point in the hierarchy and by grouping the workers according to purpose, process, clientele and place.He then goes on to detail specific examples of how each principle could be tested in real world administrative situations for validity. Simon subjects each principle in turn to a very critical analysis beginning with specialization. He describes specialization as a â€Å"deceptive simplicity† and conveys that the fun damental problem with specialization is that it is ambiguous and he leads the reader to determine that the principle of specialization is â€Å"of not help at all† in deciding how to specialize to improve efficiency (p. 25) Turning to unity of command, Simon points out that this principle is simply â€Å"incompatible with the principle of specialization† (p. 125). If using the specialization principal, then the specialist would be looked upon for the decisions, not the person in command as the unity of command principal would require. Span of control contradictions are highlighted by Simon by describing how both an increase and a decrease in the span of control could increase or decrease efficiency in an organization. Lastly, Simon evaluates organization by purpose, process, clientele and place.In this principle, organization based on one aspect would be to the detriment of the remaining three. In each evaluation Simon provides either contradictory solutions that meet the requirement of the proverb in question or describes situations where adherence to the proverb could be inefficient if not irresponsible. Simon suggests rather that the â€Å"principles of administration† are merely â€Å"criteria for describing and diagnosing administrative situations†(p. 131). Finally, Simon relates that the proverbs of administration are in desperate need of empirical research and ultimately revision.He states that efficiency should be a definition of what is â€Å"good† or â€Å"correct† administrative behavior rather than a principle of administration (p. 133). He goes on to describe an approach for a more scientific analysis of administrative principles that would allow one to easily choose between equally viable yet opposing solutions to a single administrative problem. He provides the road map by which he believes this could be accomplished, yet admits that it may even be a â€Å"quixotic† undertaking (p. 136).The irony of this final contradiction is not lost on this reader.KEY POINTS:The accepted administrative principles or proverbs are inherently flawed.These principles are still of value by using them as â€Å"criteria for describing and diagnosing administrative situations†(pg 131).SpecializationUnity of CommandSpan of ControlOrganization by purpose, Process, Clientele, PlaceThe accepted administrative principles or proverbs are in desperate need of empirical research and ultimately revision.RELEVENCE:This article is relevant to students and practitioners of administration because it highlights the ongoing struggle with administrative theory. Simons highlights the contradictions inherent with the â€Å"accepted administrative principles† but leads the reader to understand that these principles are useful as tools in the practice of administration (p. 124). After evaluation of specialization, unity of command, span of control and organization by purpose, process, clientele and pla ce, administrators can rely on experience to determine the appropriate behavior.