How does Willy Russell us the separation of the twins in Blood Brothers to good dramatic effect? :: essays research papers

Blood Brothers is about two twins separated at birth, into an Upper class family and a lower class family. The Twins eventually find out they are twins when it is too late. Their separation is used to good dramatic effect to keep the audience in suspense for what’s to come. When you are of a lower class you tend to be superstitious. For example, because of the little opportunities and low fortune a person of a lower class has they tend to believe in fate and bad luck. This is a dominant theme which is introduced at the beginning of the play and runs throughout it. Mrs Lyons says to Mrs. Johnson, â€Å"They say that if either twin learns he was one of a pair they shall both die immediately!† She threatens Mrs. Johnson and plays on her superstitious beliefs by making her believe that if Eddie and Mickey or anyone ever found out the truth, the twins shall both die. This creates good dramatic effect because the audience are shocked that their friendship has now changed and frightening for Mrs Johnson. Class difference is displayed very clearly in Blood Brothers, in particular the difference in wealth between the two families. Eddie’s parents ensure that he has a comfortable upbringing and is able to study at university and receive a qualification, resulting in a highly paid job. This is completely dissimilar to Mickey. He comes from a poor family which meant that he was stuck in a dead end job in a factory. â€Å"I bleeding hated it, standing there all day never doing anything apart from putting cardboard boxes together.† This reflects Mickey’s frustration and highlights the lack of opportunities open to him, which adds to the dramatic effect of the play because it prepares us for trouble in the future. A good example of dramatic irony in the play is when Eddie and Mickey decide that as they are such good friends they will become blood brothers. â€Å"Hey, we were born on the same day. That means we can be blood brothers.† The audience knows that they were actually brothers, whereas the children were unaware of their relationship. As the blood brothers go through life Mickey starts to realize that he will never be as good as Eddie or receive the opportunities Eddie is given; this is the message of the play. Our futures are determined by circumstances beyond our control; in Mickey’s case his upbringing and culture determine his lifestyle.

Hamlet Essay

Hamlet represents many things: tragic hero, over-thinking educated man, and poor friend. He is also a revolutionary, a philosopher, and a dreamer, and reconciling these good qualities with the bad proves as maddening for the audience as it does to Hamlet himself. However, what is often lost in the shuffle of Christian theologies in the play is the fact that nihilism as a persistent force, guiding Hamlet’s actions (or inaction, as the case may be) and serving as the catalyst for tragedy. Nihilism serves in the play as a kind of spiritual nether region into which men like Hamlet can find themselves being pulled into. It represents something that, to Hamlet and those like him, comes across as something off a salvation: it represents an opportunity to free one’s self from the need to act, and instead welcomes someone to become completely absorbed in the world of contemplation. This seems ideal for Hamlet the student, but when he is asked to take action by his spectral father, he is torn between his true nature and that which others expect of him. Unable to believe in himself, Hamlet becomes unable to believe in anything at all, which forms the crux of the play’s tragic moral dilemma. Whether Hamlet was intended to be a nihilist or the work nihilistic in nature is a question ripe for debate. According to Donald Wehrs, Placing the threat of nihilism at the heart of tragedy, Shakespeare seems to anticipate, if not inaugurate, Romantic and Modernist vocations for literature—offering literature as the site where significance after the debunking of myth and metaphysics may be reclaimed (68).† According to such a reading, one of the purposes in the narrative of Hamlet is the debunking of mythology. This would reconcile some of the odder features of the play—for instance, the very non-Catholic ghost of King Hamlet (himself seemingly a remnant from the notions of purgatory) juxtaposed with very Catholic concerns of whether Claudius will ascend to heaven or descend to hell based on the exact moment that he is killed: he can’t be killed, according to Hamlet, when he is â€Å"fit and season’d for his passage. However, Wehrs points out that nihilism is the threat, and not the goal: Hamlet’s tale is not nihilistic simply for the sake of riveting storytelling, but because it reveals that when lives unravel (as they do in all tragedies), a belief in nothingness effectively leaves nothing behind; no substance lurking behind the shroud of life. Why, then, the debunking? Why bother lampooning the absurdity of certain metaphysical notions/superstitions while still adhering to the Christian belief structure? The answer is as simple as it is striking: through the story of Hamlet, Shakespeare attempts to create a system of morality that is independent of religion of spiritual affiliation. After all, Hamlet is shown as someone torn between moralities, weighing the social responsibility of honoring his father’s request for revenge with the spiritual responsibility of avoiding bloodshed and murder. He is a man torn apart by his multitude of beliefs, not his lack of beliefs†¦the famous â€Å"to be or not to be† speech represents a descent into nihilism, but it is an abyss that he was driven into by trying to follow the often-arbitrary dictates of what is right and what is wrong. It is no coincidence that the best intentions of Hamlet consign many more souls to death than the deliberate machinations of Claudius. According Tzachi Zamir, some of Shakespeare’s tragic characters (such as Macbeth) are able to resolve nihilistic navel-gazing by virtue of action. Hamlet, on the other hand, is â€Å"more interested in escaping† (537) the physicality of the world: his philosophical nature lends itself more readily to the nihilism that he stumbles into. This is found in the â€Å"to be or not to be† speech, as Hamlet notes â€Å"With this regard their currents turn awry / And lose the name of action. † It is interesting to note that the nihilistic Hamlet causes more death and destruction than other tragic characters who have a spiritual belief structure in place: Claudius, as written above, is a cold-blooded murderer, but also a repentant man who does not let his life be consumed by forces beyond his control. Macbeth readily admits that the violent murder that begins his own tragic downfall will send him to hell, but he cannot help himself. In this spectrum of morality, Shakespeare seems to be implying that good actions can be tainted (following Aristotle’s Poetics, his tragedies almost always feature glorious characters being brought low) and bad actions can be redeemed (the counterpoint of Shakespeare’s tragedies are, of course, the comedies, in which everyone is a case of mistaken identity or two away from true love and happy marriage). Hamlet seems to perceive this on some level: â€Å"â€Å"I must be cruel, only to be kind. † The worst sin, then, becomes inaction: Hamlet’s inaction is a result of his inability to believe in anything, and it seems to clog up the very gears of Hamlet’s world: it is unsurprising, then, that the entirety of that world grinds to a halt from this disruption. Worse still, he tethers the inaction to his ability to reason, when in truth, it is only reasoning that can save one from nihilism. As Grace Matthews points out, â€Å"Hamlet, a religious young man, vacillates between faith and atheism, he becomes vulnerable to the deception that evil offers us†¦ it is only by resisting succumbing to nihilism through thinking that we can protect our spirituality and live meaningfully as a result. † Hamlet’s sin is not thinking; Hamlet’s sin is overthinking. Perhaps the most strident voice in declaring that Hamlet is a nihilist play is that of Harold Bloom. According to him, â€Å"Shakespeare invented what Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky, and others afterwards started to call nihilism. It’s a pure Shakespearean invention. † He links this rather explicitly with the character of Hamlet himself: â€Å"I’m not sure that until you have the representation you call Hamlet, that you have anywhere†¦someone who changes every time he or she speaks, and who does it by this weird thing of overhearing oneself, which I can’t find before Shakespeare.† For Bloom, the notion of Hamlet being nihilistic lies in his personal inability to create an identity for himself: his mind is tugged by reason in one direction, by honor in another direction, and by loyalty in yet another direction. As cliche as it may sound, Hamlet is unable to believe in anything else because he is unable to believe in himself. Aside from the obviously bloody consequences, how does this further the notion that Shakespeare intended this to be a negative thing—a nihilism to be avoided at all costs, instead of an existential safety blanket for individuals to hide themselves in? The answer to this is the fact that Hamlet is portrayed as less than a person throughout the entirety of the play. In point of fact, his spectral father actually displays much more personality and substance than his son does. Hamlet’s identity is in reflection: he can be a jocular young man with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, an educated conspirator with Horatio and an angered son with his mother. Without them, though, Hamlet is unable to be anyone at all. Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a play, and his Hamlet as a character, will remain the center of debate for centuries more to come. However, it is important that the discussions of fate and philosophy—the very kind that Hamlet would have delighted in at Wittenberg—do not overshadow the small things that comprise his tragedy. Shakespeare dangles both Lutheran and Catholic theology in front of both Hamlet and the viewer, but does not advocate one over the other. Rather, both serve as a warning for the only real spiritual evil: the inaction of nihilism. Ironically, it is only through the use of reasoning that one can overcome the temptation of nihilism†¦the temptation of surrendering all responsibility and simply succumbing to the ebb and flow of the tides of the world. However, through Hamlet we see that an overabundance of reasoning can actually cause this effect: if one overlaps spirituality and secular education, then everything is thrown into disarray, and the moral compass is not simply broken†¦one’s entire sense of a true moral north is thrown right out of the window. In its place is a path that can lead only to heartbreak, bloodshed, and chaos.

The products created by sony vaio - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4277 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Sony VAIO Sony computer products, a sub-brand.  Its name is an acronym for Video Audio Integrated Operation, but since 2008 it has been revised to view Audio Intelligence Organiser brand to celebrate its 10th year anniversary.  Idea was developed by Timothy Hanley items that use audio and video to PCs as well as functional as a way of distinction. Computer market, Sonys re-entry VAIO PCV desktop under the brand with the launch of the new line was in 1996.  Now you notebook, laptop, desktop, media center and notebooks VAIO logo adorning the famous can. The Sony VAIO series are built for entertainment whether listening to music on technology Dolby Sound Room or watching Blue- ray Disc on screen. Environmentally friendly and often with great innovations like solid state drives VAIO is the best PC for people who wish to get their own personal entertainment system out of their laptop or desktop. If you are thinking of switching home  b roadband  supplier, one company stands out by far: O2. According to the biggest independent survey of suppliers the 2010 Broadband Customer Satisfaction Report fromuSwitch.com   it takes the top spot for the second year running, winning 10 out of 11 categories. Its part of the Spanish telecommunication giant Telefà ³nica, O2 offers fast home broadband to customers throughout the UK. O2  is part of the Telefà ³nica Europe group. It was formed in 2001 following the demerger of  BT  from its former mobile phone business, BT Wireless. After five years as an independent company, it was bought by the Spanish giant Telefà ³nica for  £17.7 billion in the biggest all-cash takeover in the history of the telecommunications industry. O2 currently has over 43 million customers in Europe, including 18.4 million in the UK. In 2007, O2 entered the home broadband market with the purchase of Be Unlimited, a small DSL start up company. It now offers three home broadband packages and a range of business services. In this fast moving world, laptops and internet are one major source of information. Using laptops we can actually kill fewer trees helping to reduce environmental damage. Laptops can be extended if incorporate it with internet as they can reach the other side of the world with no time. With the economy the way it is. Computerised learning is the most efficient most organised and fastest way of learning possible. With technology becoming cheaper and cheaper, there is no excuse for taking advantage of the tools that it provides. In todays intensively competitive, dynamic and highly complex business environment featured by reduced customer loyalty the need to be focused and customer oriented market is more critical than any other time in the past. It is very vital for any organisation to maintain and use valuable information about their customers to enhance their business strategies and product and service givings. In this rep ort below our discussion is about the reach of Laptops and internet in this rapidly changing world. Operations Management is a transforming process turning resources (inputs) into goods and services (output). The key is efficient management. Operations Management Goods Services Customer/Employee Satisfaction Information Finance People Materials Machinery OUTPUT PROCESS INPUT Types of operations SONY CORPORATION At Sony operations processes used are Job Method, Batch Method and Flow Methods which are described below Job method The complete task in handled by a group of workers. Job involved is of low technology as well as complex in nature. The definitions of objectives are clear and simple like how should the job progress, its stages, decision making process. Batch Method As the production volume increases Batch Method is very useful in order to organise the production facility. It helps the process more focused on s kills and achieve high equipment utilisation. By using this method the organisation actually specialises in labour. The capital expenditure is kept low with a careful planning in order to keep the production equipment active. O2 BROADBAND SERVICES Flow methods are used in order to provide services at O2. These are similar to batch method only the batch queuing, idle production is eliminated. It is actually a method of production organisation where the task is worked on continuously or where the processing of material is continuous and progressive. Because of flow methods the work and service flow is improved, the need for skilled labour is reduced moreover there is an added value to the services and the work is completed faster. COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES In 1984 Hayes and Wheelwright suggested that companies compete in the marketplace by good quality of one or more of the following competitive priorities Quality Lead time Cost Flexibility Quality Importanc e VAIO Manufacturing functions have often been depicted as possessing different definitions of quality. Such views are clarified at VAIO by an eight dimensional framework such as Performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. At Sony Manufacturings traditional observance of quality control reflects a focus on the conformance dimension of quality. Each of the other dimensions also represents possible bases of competition, but these other dimensions require extra interfunctional coordination among manufacturing, marketing, research and development than does achieving conformance quality. The importance to respond on the first six quality dimension can be addressed however the last two dimensions are inherently difficult to measure and are more removed from the knowledge base of responding manufacturing executives. O2 O2s network covers 80% of the UK with a top speed of up to 3.6Mb. however, a number of facto rs can affect this speed. There are a number of factors that can influence the quality of the network connection, and therefore the speed. The closer to a mobile phone mast the better the connection is likely to be. Also the more people online at the same time there will be more congestion there will be on the network which will slow down. Dimensions of quality: Performance primary operating features Features optional extras Reliability Likelihood of breakdown Conformance Conformance to specialisation Technical durability length of time before the product or service becomes obsolete Serviceability ease of service Aesthetics look, smell, feel, taste Perceived quality reputation Value for money Delivery time importance On time delivery is the ability to deliver on time contracts.  This is a business unit may not have at least the high cost or product quality.  But will compete on the basis of delivering reliable products on th e date the contract even if the contract is far in the future.  Some confidence to deliver customer is not enough;  Speed ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹of delivery is also a necessity to win orders.  Key informant survey items that measure respondents in each location, these categories of delivery time. VAIO The delivery usally takes two or three weeks to reach to the customers place. Laptops are configured in japan and shipped from china. Dimensions of time: Manufacturing Lead time Due date performance Rate of product introduction Delivery lead time Frequency of delivery Cost importance Although all manufacturers are concerned to some degree with cost, most do not compete solely or even primarily on this basis. Manufacturing cost-related categories include (direct) production costs, productivity, capacity utilization, and inventory reduction. Individual survey items measure the importa nce that respondents place on each of these cost categories. VAIO At sony, new innovation are regular in order to reduce the cost such as labour cost, environmental cost, financial cost.etc. finally Sony is still in a critical condition where they need to be extra caution about all the potential crisis that the organisation may face in the future. O2 They aims to deliver high quality, reliable products, memorable services and more over value for money. The value and price are high among the consumers when they choose a internet service provider. Increasingly todays consumer is also willing to switch service provider because of cost. O2 has already began several new priced based loyalty schemes to help reduce the mix including O2 treaTs in UK. Dimensions of Price and Cost: Manufacturing cost Value added Selling price Running cost cost of keeping the product running Service cost cost of servicing the product Profit Flexibility importance Fle xibility is essential. In a conceptual study the dimensions of flexibility is been developed. Individual research sites to measure the importance of the dimensions of the flexibility i.e. product mix, volume, turnover and change. O2 At O2 they respond quickly to the needs of business. It is driven by consumers insight. They know the true value of their customers and focus on providing them with services. During the period of global economic crisis their customers needed flexibility with the contract and controlling such cost was a paramount. But in month of march they responded with three flexible options to manage their customers requirements in line with the changing fortunes of your business. VAIO Sony has always had the capability to be flexible in order to meets the needs of their customers. recently to help with the VAT increases Sony came out with VAT refund scheme further it also maintained the same VAT rate for its customers in the beginning of the new year. Dimensions of flexibility: Material quality ability to cope with incoming materials of varying quality Output quality ability to satisfy demand for products of varying quality New product ability to cope with the introduction of new products Modification ability to modify existing products Deliverability ability to change delivery schedules Volume ability to accept varying demand volumes Product mix ability to cope with changes in the product mix Resource mix ability to cope with changes in the resource mix MARKET STRATEGY The marketing concept of building an organisation around the profitable satisfaction of customer needs has helped firms to achieve success in high growth, moderately competitive markets. However, to be successful in markets in which economic growth has levelled and in which there exist many competitors who follow the marketing concept a well developed marketing strategy is required. Such a strategy considers a portfolio of p roducts and takes into account the anticipated moves of competitors in the market. Diversification Diversification is a form of corporate strategy for a company. It seeks to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. Diversification can occur either at the business unit level or at the corporate level. At the business unit level, it is most likely to expand into a new segment of an industry that the business is already in. at the corporate level it is generally very interesting entering a promising business outside of the scope of the existing business unit. Diversification is part of the four main growth strategies defined by the Product/Market Ansoff Matrix: Market Penetration Diversification Market Strategy Market development Product development Diversification strategy stands apart from the rest of the three strategies. The first three strategies are performed with same technical, financial and merchan dising resources used for original product line. On the other hand diversification generally requires a company to acquire skills, new techniques and new services. The strategies of diversification can include internal development of product or markets acquisition of firm, collaboration with a company, licensing of new technologies. There are three types of diversification strategy such as Concentric diversification a technological similarity between industries, affirm is able to leverage its technical knowhow to gain some advantage, Horizontal diversification here the company adds a new product or service that are often technologically or commercially unrelated to current products but they may appeal to the current customers, Lateral diversification company here markets a new product or service with no technological or commercial similarity with current products but it may appeal to new group of customers. VAIO In the past five years it has diversified into entertainment, software and a host of related and converging fields. The diversification has been successful because Sony has identified all of its new projects with its brand name and reputation for quality: Its core competency in electronics has been at the heart of its successful diversification. Sony Corporation (SNE) and the family of companies associated with its diverse interests are a trans-national electronics and media mega-corporation. O2 O2 came up with its Connect with your people anytime, anywhere. Inspiration can strile anytime anywhere. Whether its for comparing digital cameras or to find a nearby restaurant . consumers increasingly browse and search internet from their phones. With O2 mobile ads one can reach to the fast growing audience and engage customers to buy when they are open Market Penetration Market penetration is a name for a growth strategy where the business concentrates on selling existing products into existing markets. The main objectives at such st rategy are To maintain or accelerate the market share of current products. It is achieved by combination of competitive pricing strategy, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resources dedicated to personal selling. To secure dominance of growth markets. To restructure a mature market by driving out competitors. It requires a much more aggressive campaign supported by a pricing strategy. Increase the usage by existing customers by introducing loyalty cards This theory is much about business as normal. The business concentrates on the markets which are known very well. It is likely to have good information on competitors and on the needs of the customer. Market development In this strategy a business sells its existing products into new markets. Possible approach to this strategy includes New geographical markets like exporting the product to a new country, new packaging, new distribution channels, in order to attract customers different pricing polic ies should be implemented or create new market segments. Product development Its a growth strategy where a business concentrates on introducing new products into existing markets. Such strategy requires development of new competencies and requires the business to develop changed products in order to appeal to the existing markets. THEORITICAL PRINCIPLES Capacity Planning Capacity planning is the process of determining the production capacity needed by an organisation in order to meet changing demands for its products. The target of capacity planning is to minimise the discrepancy. Demand for an organisations capacity changes based on changes in production output such as increasing or decreasing the production quantity of a product. Better utilisation of existing capacity can be accomplished through improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Capacity can be increased through introducing new techniques, equipments and materials etc, Broad classes of capacity pla nning are Lead strategy, Lag strategy and Match strategy. Capacity planning is a long term decision that establishes a firms overall level of resources. Excess capacity can drain companys resources and prevent investments into more profitable ventures. Capacity Planning Techniques There are four procedures for capacity planning: capacity using overall factors, capacity bills, resource profiles and capacity requirements planning. The first three are rough cut approaches involving analysis to identify potential bottlenecks that can be used with or without manufacturing resource planning (MRP) systems. CRP is used in conjunction with MRP systems. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT Inventory management or inventory control is a way to balance inventory needs and requirements with the need to reduce the costs resulting from obtaining and holding inventory. Inventory is a quantity or store of goods that is held for some purpose or use (the term may also be used as a verb, meaning to take inventory or to count all goods held in inventory). In order for a retailer to stay in business, it must have the products that the customer wants on hand when the customer wants them. If not, the retailer will have to back-order the product. If the customer can get the good from some other source, he or she may choose to do so rather than electing to allow the original retailer to meet demand later (through back-order). Hence, in many instances, if a good is not in inventory, a sale is lost forever. Lead time is the time that elapses between the placing of an order (either a purchase order or a production order issued to the shop or the factory floor) and actually receiving the goods ordered. A just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing firm, such as Boeing can maintain extremely low levels of inventory. Boeing takes delivery on as many as 18 times per day. However, steel mills may have a lead time of up to three months. That means that a firm that uses steel produced at the mill must pla ce orders at least three months in advance of their need. In order to keep their operations running in the meantime, on-hand inventory of three months steel requirements would be necessary. Controlling Inventory Firms that carry hundreds or even thousands of different part numbers can be faced with the impossible task of monitoring the inventory levels of each part number. In order to facilitate this, many firms use an ABC approach. ABC analysis is based on Pareto Analysis, also known as the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 comes from Paretos finding that 20 percent of the populace possessed 80 percent of the wealth. From an inventory perspective it can restated thusly: approximately 20 percent of all inventory items represent 80 percent of inventory costs. Therefore, a firm can control 80 percent of its inventory costs by monitoring and controlling 20 percent of its inventory. But, it has to be the correct 20 percent. Fixed order Quantity Model EOQ is an example of the fixed-order -quantity model since the same quantity is ordered every time an order is placed. A firm might also use a fixed-order quantity when it is captive to packaging situations. If you were to walk into an office supply store and ask to buy 22 paper clips, chances are you would walk out with 100 paper clips. You were captive to the packaging requirements of paper clips, i.e., they come 100 to a box and you cannot purchase a partial box. It works the same way for other purchasing situations. A supplier may package their goods in certain quantities so that their customers must buy that quantity or a multiple of that quantity. SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN Successful supply chain design is about deploying assets in ways that enhance profitability and shareholder value. You need to consider market and sourcing strategies that will generate the best financial performance. You must identify the optimal number of plants, warehouses and distribution centres to maximize long-term profit. It is impo rtant to understand exactly how and where to deploy assets for optimal operational and financial performance. Personnel involved in supply chain design require a tool that considers business objectives, resource constraints and subsequent financial impacts in order to define an optimal supplier-to-customer supply chain structure one that cuts costs and increases profitability. PERFORMANCE MEASURES Performance measurement is a fundamental building block of TQM and a total quality organisation. Historically, organisations have always measured performance in some way through the  ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ nancial performance, be this success by pro ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ t or failure through liquidation. In the cycle of never-ending improvement, performance measurement plays an important role in: Identifying and tracking progress against organisational goals Identifying opportunities for improvement Comparing performance against both internal and external standards Reviewing the p erformance of an organisation is also an important step when formulating the direction of the strategic activities. It is important to know where the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation lie, and as part of the Plan -Do Check Act cycle, measurement plays a key role in quality and productivity improvement activities. The main reasons it is needed are: To ensure customer requirements have been met To be able to set sensible objectives and comply with them To provide standards for establishing comparisons To provide visibility and a scoreboard for people to monitor their own performance level To highlight quality problems and determine areas for priority attention To provide feedback for driving the improvement effort A simple performance measurement framework A good performance measurement framework will focus on the customer and measure the right things. Performance measures must be: Meaningful, unambiguous and widely understood Owned and manag ed by the teams within the organisation Based on a high level of data integrity Such that data collection is embedded within the normal procedures Able to drive improvement Linked to critical goals and key drivers of the organisation There are four key steps in a performance measurement framework the strategic objectives of the organisation are converted into desired standards of performance, metrics are developed to compare the desired performance with the actual achieved standards, gaps are identi ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ed, and improvement actions initiated. These steps are continuously implemented and reviewed: Initiate Improvement Understand Performance Establish Metrics Establish Key Goals Initially, focus on a few key goals that are critical to the success of the organisation or business and ensure they are SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach that seeks to improve quality and performance which will meet or exceed customer expectations. This can be achieved by integrating all quality-related functions and processes throughout the company. TQM looks at the overall quality measures used by a company including managing quality design and development, quality control and maintenance, quality improvement, and quality assurance. TQM takes into account all quality measures taken at all levels and involving all company employees. TQM can be defined as the management of initiatives and procedures that are aimed at achieving the delivery of quality products and services. A number of key principles can be identified in defining TQM, including: Executive Management Top management should act as the main driver for TQM and create an environment that ensures its success. Training Employees should receive regular training on the methods and concepts of quality. Customer Focus Improvements in quality should improve customer sat isfaction. Decision Making Quality decisions should be made based on measurements. Methodology and Tools Use of appropriate methodology and tools ensures that non-conformances are identified, measured and responded to consistently. Continuous Improvement Companies should continuously work towards improving manufacturing and quality procedures. Company Culture The culture of the company should aim at developing employees ability to work together to improve quality. Employee Involvement Employees should be encouraged to be pro-active in identifying and addressing quality related problems. Impact of conceptual frameworks on Competitiveness Key Issues of the above conceptual mix affecting Competitiveness are Client capability Policies or targets set within departments without taking sufficient account of implement ability or marketplace considerations. Poor communications with suppliers and insufficient engagement with them about departments future intentions Insufficient encouragement of RD and innovation. An uncoordinated approach to government demands on the marketplace. Insufficient attention to the development of an effective supply market. High dependency on key suppliers in the IT sector. Innovation It confirms that TQM considered as a set of practices has a positive impact on the organisations innovativeness. It discovers that not all TQM practices enhance organisation innovativeness. Only leadership and people management, process and strategic management, and open organization showed a positive impact on the firms innovation performance.   TQM has contributed in clarifying the disputed relationship between Management practices and the firms innovativeness, and shows empirical evidence in the organisation to confirm that the TQM practice set deployed has a positive impact on its innovation performance. Sustainability Sustainability is a rising priority for companies as investors, custo mers, government bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), management, employees and other stakeholders all try to understand the social and environmental implications of the companys financial and operational decisions. For the 2011 New Year, many individuals and organizations have resolved to become more green right?  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Well, one of the more interesting uses of Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) and Business Intelligence (BI) technologies seen recently is in the support of sustainability reporting and management.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Also known as the triple bottom line, sustainability reporting is the reporting of environmental, social and economic metrics to key stakeholders; including customers, partners, employees, community members and investors.  Whatever approach you decide to take, organizations can derive strategic advantage by embracing sustainability as part of the business and disclosing the details of their sustainability efforts to exter nal stakeholders. The benefits include cost savings by limiting waste and consumption of natural resources,  enhanced brand value and reputation with customers and partners, better risk management, the ability to attract capital from green investors, and the opportunity to attract better staff by offering a great place to work. Conclusion A business exists because there is a product or service demanded by customers in the market place. Operations Management is concerned with managing all decisions that needs correction of that product. So in Operation management we ask questions like what is the type of process we have to use. how good is that process to deliver the product or service?. How much service we can provide to the customers? And finally how should the operations compete in order to supply the product or service and business strategy of the firm. There is a significant difference in the approach of topic between the expertise and professional? If you look e xactly at the CEO and top management of the organisation what executive and top management see is a need to appreciate that the firm needs to see is the value and relevance of the operation functions within the business. Most executive understands why the business exists how to compete but they do not have a sharp understanding what exactly the operation management does, what it contributes to help in succeeding with competing in the marketplace. So one of the key distinguishes between executive and professionals are that we have a convinced executive as to the value of having a proper operations management. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The products created by sony vaio" essay for you Create order