The Woman in Black Review Essay Example for Free

The Woman in Black Review Essay Upon the arrival in London my anticipation was high. My first impression of the Fortune Theatre was; it was a very old Victorian building, very small and slightly ragged. Upon entering it felt very cramped and made you feel claustrophobic. The atmosphere was eerie due to the old style of the building. This was particularly effective as the play was set in the Victorian period. This made you feel as if you were in the past. Also the narrow staircase and small seating area created effect. Before the play starts there is no background music played to set a scene or image in the audiences mind. The play starts without warning and lights go down and we are straight into the story. The play is set in a theatre and the audience see the actors rehearsing a manuscript to an empty crowd. At first the older actor was reading his story as if he was an appalling actor. This technique used was effective and gave some comic relief at the start of the play. He mumbled his words without emotion which was in total contrast to the younger actor. The younger actor was very articulate and pronounced his words properly, both characters spoke with posh accents. By doing this it lulled the audience in to an almost false sense of security. Fans blew into the theatre to make the ambience cold and chilling. Diagram of the Stage The audience were seated in front of the stage. This was so the whole audience would all see the play in the same way. Also this would ensure the woman in black wouldnt be able to be spotted. The set was open and most things on the stage were shown. There was a clothes rack which was covered, a wicker basket which was closed and some metal buckets. There was a door which was shut but we did not know to where it would lead. However during the play we discovered a whole new dimension to the stage. Behind a gauze there was another part of the stage. If this had been shown some of the creative element would have been lost as we wouldnt be surprised to see it. Also the fact the only time the audience saw the back of the stage was when the actors themselves were present there. This would link the audience to the actor and heighten the personal bond. Spotlights were used a lot in this production. It persuaded the audience to focus on one area of the stage. It also gave a creepy effect, as you could not see the whole of the stage, therefore you would not know what was happening in the black spots. Images were also shone on to a translucent curtain showing at the position of the actors. This included a crucifix. This was effective as it was a very overpowering image, which embraces the audience as it is the first scary moment of the play. The other image was of the house in which the Woman in Black haunts. It gives you a mental representation of what the building would look like. Upon seeing this building, it was obvious a catastrophe was immanent. The lighting also represented where they were. For instance the actors were on a train and the windows of another train passed. This made you jump and started a continuous pattern of many frights to come. Sometimes the lack of lighting built up the atmosphere. At one time the stage was dark until the actor lit a match which illuminated his face. The effect of this was astonishing, such a simple thing as a match built up the scene immediately. The match was very effective because it was less bright than a spotlight and would not show off the surroundings. A torch was also used in the same way as the match but was just as effective as it showed a specific area. After seeing this used I realised how effective low light can be to create suspense and confusion. Sometimes the light came as a relief for the audience. In the first half of the play whenever there was a scary part normal lighting would come in to effect and give the audience relief from the intenseness. This almost gave the audience a false sense of security. The most effective use of the lighting was the way in which the Woman in Blacks face was bright white and prominent. The audience never quite managed to see the full complexion of her face as she was not still for long. However it showed enough to keep the audience intrigued and for them to know it was a ghost. The darkness created a spooky air about a scene but there was music to accompany it. Recorded sound was also used in this play. In the same way as lighting it set the scene and emulated a climax. For instance it was used to create a scene in an office by the ticking of a clock. The main way sound was used was to build up a climax. A recorded sound of a rocking chair would always represent a terrifying image about to appear; the Woman in Black. We would associate sounds to images. It was an almost psychotic repetitive noise, which at first time of hearing may not have been distinguished as anything important. Another petrifying noise was an ear piercing, frightful scream. It sounded like it was made by someone in the utmost agonising pain who had gone insane with rage. It most certainly made the audience jump as it was played very loudly at an unexpected moment. However I considered it to be more than just a short fright. The sound was very disturbing. The way in which it died out gently also made you wonder what the person making it was feeling. It conjured up an image of someone who could not cope with what was happening to them. They let all the rage out in one long blast. It was played a number of times, each very chilling. It did not lose the effect, as it was played unexpectedly each time, thus you heard it in another situation and dimension. The other main recording was of a horse and trap coming slowly to a halt and then crashing. This is played at the end of the play and is a backbone to the plot. It is an equally disturbing noise not one you would chose to listen to regularly. This was also used to show an image you could not see and would put that picture vividly into your mind. After the crash it was followed by a dampened scream (slightly less potent than the previous, but equally as disturbing! ). The lighting and sound contributed immensely to the play. Without the immaculate and synchronized use of sound and lighting the plays ferocity (it has in copious amounts) would be lost, no matter how good the actors were. The attire used by the actors was very Victorian. They wore waistcoats and suits, making themselves look respectable. The older man would change clothes which also changed his character. This technique was effective as there were only two main actors. I saw this skill used in another play Stones in His Pockets which consisted of only two actors. The Woman in Black wore a black cloak with a bonnet to cover a lot of her face and hair. Her long cloak covered her feet most of the time giving the impression that she floated instead of walking. Accompanied by the sound and lighting was the immensely impressive acting. The younger actor gave a solid performance in his role of an actor. However many of his facial expressions were very modern and contemporary, these would not have been used in the Victorian times. Sometimes also his diction sounded very forced in comparison to the older man who had a very calm and constant accent. The older actors accent sounded like it was his own normal voice and was how he spoke. One of the younger actors most elaborate and perfect factors was his frustration when he was playing the older actor when he was young. This made you forget he was acting and made the audience accept as true the fact that he was the older actor when he was young and not actually acting him. Both actors were extremely talented, the older man was flawless. His overall performance as all the characters was outstanding. I enjoyed how he got into his first role when he puts on his glasses. The gradual transition is very effective and amusing. His acting in natural situations was actually completely natural, which made everything believable. One of my favoured characters of his was the driver Ketwick. This was very well done and brought some comic relief to the play. As in many of his characters he used his hands a lot to express himself. A very good example of this was at the end when the younger actor congratulates him on bringing a woman. The older man reacts as if he doesnt know what he is talking about. This was not strained nor was it milked, they spent just enough time to put across to the audience. A subtle sign of his perfection was the whole way through the play he never looks at the Woman in Black making the end believable. However an important role has been missed out. The Woman in Black is easy to forget as an actor and could be overshadowed by the other actors and also you think of her as an actual ghost. Her facial expressions were stern and ferocious. The audience could see the fury in her eyes. She walked concisely and smoothly almost floating. Yet at one point she ran which was petrifying, as you did not know where she was going to end up. Her facial expressions were good, a little more frightening effect could have been gained if her face was more cadaver like. Nevertheless it was clever of the director to not include her in the program and not for her to take a bow. This made you constantly scared of her, as you do not think of her as a real person. After saying how effective sound was in this play I think the lack of it was more effective. The long silences followed by a noise or person would always make you jump. The silences would always build the suspense and get you ready for something bad to happen. After the loud, unexpected sounds there were many long pauses, which added to the sinister atmosphere. In my opinion this was the most effective use of sound. By the end of the play there was still a disturbing ambience as I walked away. I had thoroughly enjoyed the play and was suitably scared. Any more and I may not have been able to sleep. I took away many aspects of acting, which could be useful in the future. The use of silence and torches in the darkness were some of my favourites. The play was enjoyable and funny but also terrorizing. One of the most amusing parts was the dog spider scene. This was hard to act as they were pretending there was a dog but it was done with the utmost ease. It was funny how the older man kicked the dog saying it does what I say. If I was a critic for a magazine my short caption would read; The Woman in Black is a play with a distressing plot, of ghastly ghostly terror. Set in the Victorian times it sends a feeling of emptiness and solitude through you, nevertheless an obvious first choice for taking the young ones to see, to appreciate and learn from the immaculate actors and use of stage crew!

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance

Study of Nikon Corporation

Study of Nikon Corporation The Nikon has gone global and divides the globe to six regions of its operation which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa. The products have also been grouped in to imaging products (Digital/film cameras, lenses and accessories), precision equipment (IC/LCD steppers and scanners), sport optics (Binoculars, telescopes and laser rangefinders), instrument products (Microscopes and measuring instruments), and ophthalmic lenses (Single vision and progressive addition lenses) (Nikon, 2010). It has a capital of  ¥ 65,475 million as of March 31 2010, where the consolidated net sales were  ¥ 785,498 million as of March 31 2010 while unconsolidated net sales as of March 31 2010 were  ¥ 572,972 million (Nikon, 2010). The numbers of employees in the corporation are approximately 26,125 as of March 31 2010 where the number is not inclusive of employees in subsidiary and associated companies. The company also has five main plants that include the Ohi plant, Yokohama Plant, Sagamihara Plant, Kumagaya Plant, and Mito Plant (Reynolds, p.23). The company has developed products of quality throughout the years where the core technology center, the research and development center and the production technology center are responsible for quality and innovation. Its imaging products (72.5%) contribute to a huge proportion of the sales followed by precision equipment (19.1%), instruments (5.7%) and others (2.7%) respectively (Nikon, 2010). The Nikon philosophy is Trustworthiness and Creativity that presents the unchanging principles that the company are dedicated to. The aspirations include Meeting needs and exceeding expectations where the company does not just stop at meeting the customer needs but also providing the customer with new products of value that exceed expectations; aiming at sustained growth through continuous development of all products; maximizing on the understanding and knowledge on light to produce products that transform and lead the markets currently and in future; and maintaining high integrity so as to contribute to the prosperity of the society (Nikon, 2010). The commitments of Nikon are being firstly being pro active i.e. Be broad-minded and well-informed in order to act quickly and resolutely Second seeking new knowledge i.e. Pioneer new potential through self-study and insatiable curiosity thirdly is effective communication i.e. Harmonize diverse skills by thinking out of the box and communicating effectively with others and last but not least displaying integrity i.e. Work with diligence and sincerity as a responsible individual (Nikon, 2010). The goal is Transforming imagination into creativity (Nikon, 2010). This paper critically examines the Nikon Corporation its history products, markets, goals and philosophy. It continues to scrutinize the company by performing a Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Analysis which is crucial in matching the companys resources and capacity to the competition it faces in its operating environment; and a 4 P Product Services Pricing Promotion and Placement Mix analysis. It elaborates the position the corporation stands in the market and current and future opportunities that the company has in terms of growth and sustainability. Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Analysis Nikon has been well placed in the markets in the markets and this gives the company a competitive advantage (Armstrong, p.34). This involves an environmental scan where the internal and external analysis is carried out. The Strengths The patent rights of the brand are high Nikon boasts of a global established brand that sells globally and is demanded by so many customers. The Nikon products are renowned throughout the world and thus give the company a strong basis to establish itself over it competitors and any new entrant in to the markets (Tarcy Et al p.47). This is seen as strength in that the brands are preferred by customers thus more sales are made and hence more revenues to the company. When the patent right is high the company has a lot of goodwill with the company and thus becomes the favorite and hence controls a larger share in the market. High technology in the production of products; Nikon has a reliable brand that is based on high level technological supremacy and resource and development. This has been established by the company since its inception where the products developed suit the market and become leaders in the market because of their level of technology (Nikon, 2010). The company has continued to phase out the products that are out of technology and introduced competitive products in the market that make life convenient and more comfortable. The company has invested a lot in resource and development and alliance, and industrial knowledge so as to keep on producing basic technological products that control the market. The Nikons starring technology is developed in the optics, image processing, materials, precision measurement and manufacturing, software and system technologies. The technology has continued to be unique and superior which offers better performance and functionality. Such technology include Super-Resolution in Non-Linear Optical Lithography, High-Precision Thin films, Ultra-Precision Molds, Image Processing Algorithms, Lead-Free Electronics Technology, Nano Particle Coating, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), Vibration-Reduction (VR) and Predictive Focus Tracking System (Nikon, 2010). Quality has also been a strong point for Nikon in that the products produced have always been regarded for their high quality in the market. This makes Nikon products have a competitive advantage over its competitors. The diversification of the products that the company has is also a very strong strategy to remain in business (Tarcy Et al. p.52). This is the case because the company does not rely on a single product to get its revenues thus diversify the risks in the markets. The company has diversified to produce products like microscopes, measurement instruments, binoculars, cameras, and steppers that it has continued to dominate the market and contribute to the companys revenue. Nikon continues to boast of a very wide distribution network. The global dominance in the five regions which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa gives it a competitive advantage over those with ineffective distribution mechanisms (Nikon, 2010). Even in each region there is specialty in the products that are more preferred by the customers hence more sales. There is also presence of subsidiaries and affiliate companies that make the products available to the customers easily and in time. The effective distribution network enables the company to study the dynamics of the market in time and respond quickly before the markets are dominated by other competitors. The global presence is strength due to balancing of the currencies where the company can absorb shock from depreciation of currencies in areas that they are operating in (Tarcy Et al. p.71). The global presence can also be important in that when products are not moving in one region they can be transferred to other regions that require the products and thus promote business. Nikon has global and regional presence that enables the company to study the dynamics of each region and apply the best strategy. It is also possible to shift the products to other markets when they are bought at a slower rate in other regions thus save on production. Nikon has also invested a huge amount of finances in its business; the capital of  ¥ 65,475 million invested by the company is a way to lock out investors that cannot raise such an amount hence helps it in dominating the markets. The Nikon D1H camera is known for its solid build where the handling and the ergonomics is very efficient with a strong and fast autofocus. It is also weatherproof and is very fast since it as the 5 fps. It also produces large images that are approximately 40 jpeg fine (Nikon, 2010). Weakness Nikon has a poor marketing strategy where promotion of products has been low and the products have not been known to many consumers. The marketing systems have been reluctant and not aggressive enough to make the products known in all regions. The production of the Nikon scan scanner software that was faulty was a major weakness to detest its products in the market. The Nikon Scan has remained redundant in the number of images it determines in that it only determines 99 images and stops working (Nikon, 2010). For images above 100 the scanner must be restarted to continue its function. This is a very crucial part in that the customer can judge the products quality through one product and lead to rejection of the rest. The scanner software did not also have proper calibration procedures even after the purchase of an IT-8 Target. The Nikon NiMh camera batteries are not user friendly also they are heavy and big while they are sold expensively at shops (Nikon, 2010). They are also bad since they need recharge or be replaced once the camera is put in use for a shorter time than other cameras. There is a global phobia where people detest products from Japan and China and see then as counterfeits or of low quality. Products from these countries may have low sales due to such phenomenon and the company must be able to fight this negative attitude of the products it produces. Opportunities The digital world has numerous chances that have not been exploited the customers are yet to be fulfilled (Bà ¶hm, p.23). Customers still yearn for better digital products as they are produced. Any company that deals in technology has opportunities to control the market share through unique products or products that are user friendly and technologically advanced. In cameras manufacturing better products gives the company a chance to remain competitive. In view of the fact that Nikon has invested heavily in resource and development then it stands a chance to better opportunities. Trade is being liberalized in many regions and thus there are possibilities of governments loosening regulations of operations. This will be instrumental in allowing further development of the company to such countries where it is not yet penetrated (Ferrell, Hartline, p.35). Nikon has the capability to expand its production processes to other countries where there is distribution is done from exports. This will be easier and cheaper to reduce costs of production since the products are will be produced locally hence extra costs are eliminated (Bà ¶hm, p.48). Nikon may prefer mergers with companies like Sony so as to be much effective and build an empire that will control a large market share. a vertical merger will be more effective where the companies do not loose their identity but merge as a necessity to better their business objectives. Threats Nikon faces stiff competition from other globally renowned companies such as Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Canon, Kodak, Casio, and Pentax that all deal with the similar products. Such companies pose a threat of controlling the market share that Nikon holds. There is also the threat that the customers may shift their taste and prefer other companys products due to better marketing techniques applied by the other companies. New regulations may appear in different regions that may affect the companys operations in view of the fact that they may be unfavorable or strict. These regulations may include trade regulations that may be a barrier to efficient trade. In the Middle East peace has not been brokered by the warring parties and this political stand off will be a threat to business in the region. 4P strategy The Product Services, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement (Distribution) analysis of Nikon Corporation will be effective in establishing the companys position in the market and the opportunities that may be available for sustainable growth (Ferrell, Hartline, p.39). This gives a customer oriented approach that ensures that the business ventures into the market in a way that it will meet all the customers demands and expectations. The 4P marketing strategy is also known as the SIVA strategy which is translated as the Solution (product), Information (Promotion), Value (Price), and Access (Place) (Ferrell, Hartline, p.39). Product Nikon deals with a range of products that are aimed at maximizing customer satisfaction. The products include imaging products such as the Digital/film cameras, lenses and accessories; precision equipment such as IC/LCD steppers and scanners; sport optics such as the Binoculars, telescopes and laser rangefinders; instrument products such as the Microscopes and measuring instruments; and ophthalmic lenses such as the Single vision and progressive addition lenses. The imaging products are specifically the digital SLR Cameras, Digital compact cameras, speed-lights, software, film scanners, film SLR cameras, and Nikkor lenses. The microscopes include the biological, digital, industrial, stereoscopic and multi-purpose zoom. The precision equipment includes the IC stepper and scanner and the LCD stepper and scanners in different series (Nikon, 2010). The packaging is attractive with different colors and the Nikon brand name on them with each product packed with a user manual so as to enable the user steps of operation. The packaging is also ensured to shock proof to protect the products from any falling or mishandling. A return form is also placed in the packaging that bears the name and address of the company. The company logo is also encrypted in all products. It bears the words handle with care that cautions any person handling them that they are delicate and prone to damage. The customers are also assured of a warranty for every product they buy that is from authorized distributors. Pricing Each product has a specific price and the prices vary in every region and according to the specifications. The price for Digital SLR Cameras is $7,999.95; NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4 is $469.95, AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III is $499.95; AF DC-NIKKOR 105mm f/2D is $1,199.95, and COOLPIX S640 is $219.95 (Nikon, 2010). The LS-9000 Nikon scanner is sold at $2799.99; while SB-400 Speed-light unit is sold at $149.99; SB-600 Speed-light unit is sold at $249.99; and SB-900 Speed-light unit is sold at $349.99 (Nikon, 2010). Compared to the competitors prices Nikons prices are averagely similar in the markets thus leaving the customer to choose the best product that suits them. Promotion This includes the Advertising, Professional Selling, Sales Promotion, and Publicity of the products by the company (Ferrell, Hartline, p.57). Nikon Corporation in June 2003 dissolved the Nikon sales promotion Co. ltd in view of the fact that it was not affecting its mandates to the corporation. Its mandate was shifted to Nikon Corporation business units that would effectively carryout the marketing and advertising. Nikon has also implemented the CSR strategy that includes several promotional strategies which include the education and awareness, surveying and monitoring, preventions of violations, and a consultative reporting system. The education strategy seeks to educate the employees in the corporation to create a favorable workplace environment through this promotion strategy the employees are able to promote the company to the public. The company also conducts awareness surveys that help gauge the products place in the market this helps promotion in laying the right procedure to advertise the products that have low sales. Nikon also promotes the products through print and advertising. It also holds photo exhibitions like the Photokina that helps in showcasing all the recent products by the company. Photo shootouts are also organized where customers are able to try out the new products and know their operations, availability and prices. Billboards are also used to advertise the products so as to reach the customer more efficiently. Taxi branding where taxis are branded with the company logo and products to promote the products is done globally. Nikon has also been involved in supporting sports such as formula one and advertised during the events (Nikon, 2010). Placement (distribution) Nikon is present globally with all its products being traded world over. The market has been segmented into regions that enable ease of distribution of the products to the customers. There are six regions which are the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa (Nikon, 2010). In each region there are authorized distributors of the products where they are then further sub-divided into sub divisions that help penetrate the market effective and reach the customers in time. Conclusion The general life cycle of the products from Nikon starts from the receiving of raw materials, then to the material, component and product manufacture, then to transport, where it is then used by the customer after which it is then recycled or disposed. Nikon has developed a competitive advantage over other companies and has definitely benefited from the effective marketing strategy it has. Work Cited: Armstrong, Michael. Management Processes and Functions, London: CIPD, 1996 Bà ¶hm, Anja. The SWOT Analysis. Boston: GRIN Verlag, 2009 Tarcy, Brian,. Bradford, Robert and Duncan, Peter. Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide For Busy People Who Want Results Fast!. New York: Chandler House Press, 2000 Ferrell, Olive C. Hartline, Michael D. Marketing Strategy. Ed.4, New York: Cengage Learning, 2008 Nikon. Nikon Corp, 2010. http://www.nikon.com/ November 27, 2010 Nikon. Product Assessment, Nikon Corp, 2010. http://www.nikon.com/ November 27, 2010 Reynolds, Clyde. Nikon F Book. New York: Focal Press, 1977

Arbitration Case: Discharge Of Peter Seichek :: essays research papers

Arbitration Case: Discharge of Peter Seichek Closing Statement Mr. Arbitrator, the termination of the employment of Mr. Seichek, by the Wheelwright Corporation, was for his "sleeping on the job". Lets examine this stated reason - in the light of the evidence provided by witness testimony and contained within Mr. Seichek's personnel record. 1) Mr. Holloday testified that he and Mr. White, the third shift supervisor, observed Mr. Seichek, wearing his welding hood, sitting or leaning against the ladder, "apparently" asleep. Further, Mr. Holloday stated that he called to Mr. Seichek six or seven times to get his attention. Mr. Seichek was then directed to accompany Mr. Holloday and Mr. White to the office. In the office, Mr. Holloday told Mr. Seichek that he had been caught sleeping before, and that his absenteeism was excessive, and therefore was being suspended. Mr. Arbitrator, they found Mr. Seichek at his work station, wearing his protective clothing, waiting for a co-worker to return with needed parts, in order to continue the job. With the welding hood on, they could not positively determine that he was asleep, and six or seven calls to get his attention in the noisy, factory atmosphere is not extreme. In reference to having been caught sleeping before, Mr. Holloday, testified that on August 16,1982, that he found Mr. Seichek asleep in the reception area and on August 17, he was found asleep on a tool box near the time clock. In both instances, Mr. Holloday awakened him, directed him to clock in and return to work. Mr. Seichek complied with this direction. Mr. Holloday went on to state that these instances annoyed him, but since Mr. Seichek was on break and not "on the clock", that he (Holloday) should not and did not issue a formal, verbal warning or make any notation concerning these incidents in Mr. Seichek's record. 2) Mr. Lewis, the third shift steward, gave testimony that it has been a common practice for employees to sleep during their break periods and to occasionally doze on the job. This corresponds with Mr. Holloday's testimony concerning his decision not to issue a formal verbal warning to Mr. Seichek after he (Holloday) found him asleep during break. Of further note, Mr. Lewis stated that heard Mr. Holloday use an ethnic slur when referring to Mr. Seichek sleeping on the job. This raises a question as to the objectivity of Mr. Holloday with regard to his supervision of Mr. Seichek. On the morning of December 3, 1982, Mr. Holloday notified Ms. Delores Lopez, the Personnel Assistant, that he had suspended Mr. Seichek pending possible discharge because he had found him sleeping on the job.

Essays --

Holiday Hazards: Overcrowded Warehouses Stuffed With Presents! In 2012, Amazon was selling 306 items every SECOND during the holiday rush. As more and more people shop the Internet for the next best deal, remember the method behind the madness. All these goods come from warehouses. It can be tempting to crowd out the aisles in the warehouse to up the sales ability and logistics of your company. Think Twice – OSHA doesn’t care about soaring sales, safety is especially significant during this busy time of year. Safety issues can arise at any time, but since Americans spend the most money around the holidays, conducting self-inspections and keeping notes on what went well and what went wrong can give insight for improved logistics and safety in the New Year. However you organize, a clear plan should be in place for optimal functionality with minimal interruption for the product to get from storage to the loading dock – and safely. Here are a few items to consider this season: †¢ Keep Forklift Traffic and Pedestrian Traffic Separate. Have clearly marked paths for pedestrians...

The Allure of Drugs

The allure of drugs is one that many people cannot resist. We all know someone who has been affected by drug addiction. It may be a teenager at school who is using marijuana for the first time or a friend you know who has become addicted to meth. Whatever the circumstance, there are many things you can do to help someone sober up from drug addiction. Teens are under a lot of pressure to try drugs whether it comes from their curiosity their friends and peers or television and movies. They are also generally easy to obtain in schools and areas around schools.This makes the barrier to entry for these drugs very small for many teenagers. Teenagers often do not fully think through their decisions and the consequences. There are 8 common reasons why teenagers use drugs. The first one is their surroundings. The people they hang out with. They want to seem cool with their peers. Some do it because they see how their family uses it for fun. So they think there is nothing wrong with it. Some t eenagers see drugs and alcohol in TV. They see how the people they want to be use it all the time.There is a show called â€Å"True Life: I am an addict† In this episode they show different people and their drug addictions. Many of these people say they tried drugs at a very young age and that their reason was because of their peers. A young girl at the age of 18 says she uses alcohol to feel pretty, to get attention from other people, and because she enjoys the feeling. Teenagers are very emotional. They use drugs to escape from any pain they are feeling. They drink or do drugs to not feel any pain at all. Some teenagers consume such things to escape the real world. Some teenagers consume because they are bored.Being bored is something every teenager feels everyone in a while. They don’t know what to do so they get anxious and curious to try new things. So they try to have fun by trying and experimenting new things. Some teenagers don’t get much attention at ho me. They want to rebel and make their parents pay attention to what they are doing. They feel like the more they rebel the more they get to feel that their parents are going to be there showing they care. Unfortunately smoking and drinking are widely promoted as habits enjoyed by sophisticated, fun-loving, attractive and sexy people.What most teens want to become. If drug use wasn’t pleasurable, it would be relatively easy to keep kids and harmful substances separated. But the reality is that many teens enjoy the way they feel on drugs, at least for a while. Wayward children may engage in smoking, alcohol and drug use as a show of independence from family norms and valves. For many people life is just plain tough and normal waking can brings a constant stream of unpleasant sights, smells, sounds and sensations. The prospect of a chemical â€Å"timeout† may look very attractive.Even when a person has plenty of creature comforts, the prevailing emotional whether can stil l be turbulent: Kids and teens often feel anxious, angry, depressed oppressed, stressed, bored or unfulfilled. Many teenagers and young adults are prone to aware their own invulnerability or immortality make shortsighted decisions, or shrug off the most fervent warnings about life’s pitfalls and perish with a smirk or the defiant pronouncements â€Å"I don’t care† shedding this perspective, learning to weight consequences and adopting a long range view of life are normal parts of maturing into adulthood.Unfortunately some who become deeply involved in drug use remain stuck in an immature, self-destructive mind set. Teen’s drug abuse can have a number of negative consequences, including. Driving under the influence including Driving under the influence of any drug can impair driver’s motor skills, reaction time and judgment putting the driver, his or her passengers and others on the road at risk. Teens who abuse drugs are more likely to have poor ju dgment, which can result in unplanned and unsafe sex. Teens who abuse drugs are at risk of serious drug us later in life.Drug use may lead to love interests in or become indifferent about what happens at school or in other areas of his or her life. Use of drugs, such as marijuana, may affect the parts of the brain that control memory, motivation attention and learning, making it more difficult to learn and perform complex tasks. It can be difficult to talk to teens about drug abuse. Start by choosing a comfortable time and setting. Share feelings with the teen. When discussing teen drug abuse. Listen to your teens opinions which may differ from your own. Ask questions about drug use.Encourage them to talk by asking open ended questions. Avoid scare tactics. Emphasize how drug use can affect things important to your teens such as sports, driving, health and appearance. Explain that even a teen can develop a drug problem. Talk about what your teen has seen or heard. Don’t be af raid that talking about teen drug abuse will plant ideas in any teens head. Conversations about drugs won’t tempt them to try drugs. Instead talking about drug abuse lets teens know your views and understand what you expect of him or her. American Academy of child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), March 2011. Web.

Russia Georgia Conflict

During the week prior to the South Ossetia attack, Russian troops conducted a military exercise with one strategy being a hypothetical attack made by unnamed forces on Georgia’s province of South Ossetia. The attack involved more than 8,000 troops and the aim was to protect â€Å"Russian citizens† and offer humanitarian aid. The scenario was considered as a threat of invasion by the Georgian Foreign Ministry. In result Georgia conducted its own military exercise consisting of about 1,000 US troops, 600 Georgian troops, and token forces from Ukraine, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.It was in South Ossetia that tensions escalated, when an Ossetian village police chief was killed by a bomb and the head of the pro – Georgian government escaped injury from a road side mine. That night both the South Ossetians and the Georgians launched artillery attacks on each other’s villages and check points resulting in about a dozen killed or wounded. Calls for both sides to show restraint and resume peace talks were issued by the European Union, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.Georgia’s explanation of the attack was that â€Å"they were left with no other options after an increasing number of attacks from separalist in South Ossetia. † In response Russian President Medvedev declared a state of war upon Georgia, claiming that ‘women, children and the elderly are now dying in South Ossetia† and that â€Å"most of them are citizens of the Russian Federation. † He also stated â€Å"those who are responsible will be duly punished. Through mediation by the French presidency of the European Union, the parties reached a preliminary ceasefire agreement on 12 August, signed by Georgia on 15 August in Tbilisi and by Russia on 16 August in Moscow. Several weeks after signing the ceasefire agreement, Russia began pulling most of its troops out of uncontested Georgia. Russia established buffer zones around South Ossetia and created c heckpoints in Georgia's interior. These forces were eventually withdrawn from uncontested Georgia.