Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Comparison of William Faulkners A Rose for Emily and...

The two short stories â€Å" A Rose for Emily† and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† are two very similar but at the same time very different. The main characters Emily Grierson, from William Faulkners A Rose for Emily, and the narrator, from Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wall-Paper, are both in the same boat that many women were placed in the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s. Both of these two stories were written in a generation that women were looked downed upon and made to feel less important than males. I feel these two stores are similar in terms of where women stood in society at that time and how society affected emotional downfalls in both of these main characters. These women are both the protagonists of each of those two stories who both go from being extremely depressed and lonely to absolutely insane. However, these stories are written in totally different point of views which creates two totally different outlooks. â€Å"A rose for Emily à ¢â‚¬Å"is written in third person while â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† is written in first person. Also, the characters are different in terms of that they have two completely different personalities. The two authors ideas in both of these stories focus on how women are looked down upon in different situations and generations in society at that time of history. The â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† is written in first person, which kind of gives it a personal dairy feel into the characters mindset that is suffering from post-partum depression but the mainShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner and The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman2621 Words   |  11 Pages In the short stories â€Å"A Rose for Emily† written by William Faulkner and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†Ã¢â‚¬  written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the protagonists experience mental illness, loneliness, feelings of being in control of their lives, and feelings of being insan e. Both main characters struggle against male domination and control. The two stories take place in the late 1800’s - early 1900’s, a time where men’s place in society was superior to that of women. Each story was written from a differentRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper, And William Faulkner s A Rose For Emily1340 Words   |  6 Pagesdisplay this internal struggle women goes through are Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† and William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† The two protagonist from these short stories, the unnamed narrator and Emily, display symptoms of â€Å"hysteria† because they experience conflicts between their individual desires and social influences that either repress their feelings or displace their feelings. The unnamed narrator in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† symbolizes the majority of women by showing whatRead MoreA Rose For Emily By William Faulkner And The Yellowpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1945 Words   |  8 Pagesexample in literature that displays this type of structure of society where women can become victims of patriarchal conditions takes place in the short stories â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner and â€Å"The Yellowpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Both women, the main character Emily Grierson from Faulkner’s story and the narrator from Gilman’s story, though they have different circumstances, are similar in a unique way as they are both held back by the male figures in their households within the patriarchal

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart - 1719 Words

Things fall apart is a classic novel written around the turn of the century, the novel focuses on the protagonist who we can also call a hero, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected leader within the Igbo tribe of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. Strong individual with a passionate belief in all the values and traditions of his people. Chinua Achebe presents Okonkwo as a particular kind of tragic protagonist, a great man who carries the fate of his people. Okonkwo is a man who is inflexible and driven by his Abiding faith to uphold his cultural way of life; yet, he experiences a life of great tragedy. Okonkwo’s life in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart appears tragic according to Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. Okonkwo is a warrior, a wrestler, and a man with personal wealth. Okonkwo has three wives and ban full of yams, so he was able to provide food for his family members. Despite the amount of success and power Okonkwo embodies, he is bound to face tr agedy through fear of weakness, the loss of his beloved Ikemefuna, and his decision to commit suicide. Okonkwo’s fear of weakness is greatly influenced by his father Unoka. Unoka is a lazy man who did not portray the â€Å"manly† figure in which other father embodies. Unoka did not attain any title, nor did he own a yam barn like other men. Unoka is described as â€Å"a failure, he was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat. People laughed at him because he was a loafer, and never paid back. But Unoka wasShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1033 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Chinua Achebe is a famous Nigerian novelist in worldwide. Things fall apart is Chinua Achebe’s first novel published in 1958, the year after Ghana became the first African nation to gain independence. And this novel is one of the first African novels to gain worldwide recognition. (Phil Mongredien, 2010) This novel presents people a story of an African Igbo tribal hero, Okonkwo, from his growth to death. The fate of Okonkwo also indicates the fate of Africa caused by the colonizationRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart883 Words   |  4 Pagesdehumanize the native population and convince themselves that they are helping. Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart attempts to correct these misguided views of African societies by portraying a more complex culture that values peace, and the art of conversation. Achebe also tries to portray the idea that not all European people they come in contact with are aggressive, and misconstrued in their view of the African societ ies. Achebe tries to show us the value of his society through repeated views into conversationsRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1410 Words   |  6 PagesTeddy Manfre Ms. Blass ENG 209-001 April 24, 2017 Things Fall Apart In 1958, Chinua Achebe a famous Nigerian author publishes one of his most famous novels Things Fall Apart. The novel takes place in a Nigerian village called Umuofia. During the time that this novel is published Nigeria is being criticized by the Europeans for being uncivilized. In response, Achebe uses his brilliance in this novel to express the valued history of his people to his audience. His focus in the novel is on the pre-colonizedRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1015 Words   |  5 PagesIn his novel Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe utilizes his distinctive writing style in order to accurately capture the culture and customs of the Igbo people despite writing his story in a foreign language. Five aspects of Achebe’s style that make his writing unique is the straightforward diction present in dialogue, the inclusion of native parables convey Igbo life authentically, the inclusion of native Igbo words and phrases, detailed descriptions of nature and the usage of figurative languageRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1702 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Things Fall Apart Biographical information about the author: Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. He had an early career as a radio host, and later became the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria. After moving to America, he became an English professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Achebe has won numerous awards for his poetry and fiction, including the Man Booker prize and Commonwealth Poetry Price. He currently teaches at Bard College. Author: Chinua AchebeRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesCulture is an Important Element of Society Chinua Achebe is the author of when Things Fall Apart while Joseph Conrad authored Heart of Darkness. Conrad and Achebe set their individual titles in Africa; Achebe is an African writer whereas Conrad is Polish-British. The authors draw strength from their backgrounds to validity the authenticity of their fictional novels. Conrad writes from his experiences in the British and French navies while Achebe uses his African heritage. The theme of culture isRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1248 Words   |  5 PagesChris Lowndes Ms. Cook A.P.L.C. 21 October 2015 We Are Family: Hardships in One s Family in Things Fall Apart Specific attributes correlate with each other to help create or not create the ideal strong family. However, through those attributes arise conflicts and major disputes. This issue of trying to achieve and create a strong family is of immense importance in one’s life, especially in Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, a milestone in African literature. For instance, the father leaves his legacyRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagescertain degree of the priest class, libation, holidays, creation stories, divine systems of punishments and rewards. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a story of tragic fall of a protagonist and the Igbo culture. Achebe demonstrates different examples and situations of where an African culture, in the instances of tribal religions, did certain things because of their tradition is and the way they developed into. African cultures pondered life mysteries and articulated theirRead Mo reChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1314 Words   |  6 PagesChinua Achebe masterpiece â€Å"Things Fall Apart† (1959) is the classic story of Okonkwo, a young man who strives to be revered by his village and family but because of his own internal character flaws meets his own demise. In the Igbo culture, family traditions are an important narrative throughout the novel. Okonkwo, the protagonist character of this story, begins with many attributes of what would be concluded as a hero with his cultural society. He is hard working, a material provider, feared andRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1388 Words   |  6 Pageswrite in the English language? Chinua Achebe, the author of the great African novel,  ¨Things Fall Apart ¨ argues that Joseph Conrad s book  ¨Heart Of Darkness ¨ was a false depiction of Africa and the writing was too racist and made the white race seem superior to the native Africans. The novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is about the Ibo people and how they have to face the threat of colonization and the white people’s religion which is Christianity. When Achebe portrayed the missionaries and

Monday, December 9, 2019

Restaurant Business of McDonalds and Social Media †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Restaurant Business of McDonalds and Social Mediaa. Answer: Brief overview The Restaurant business mostly gives sustenance and drinks to consumption within the restaurant building. Clients customers and are served while seated and payment is done after enjoying their meals. In Australia, changing social patterns have driven solid income growth for the Restaurants business in the course of recent years. Busier ways of life and reducing leisure time have progressively driven shoppers result in taking their meals in restaurants. Restaurants have enabled customers to consolidate leisure and dining and abstain from food preparation which takes time. These patterns are relied upon to drive the industry income conjecture to develop by three percent. The industry has the following threats and opportunities: customer interest for fine-dining encounters and quality food has progressed industry's income. Besides, consumer continuous search for stylish settings is relied upon to drive industry income. However, changing customer conduct has driven numerous administrator s to rebuild their restaurant (Ibisworld.com.au. 2017, p. 100). McDonalds is a fast food chain restaurant that entered the Australian market in 1971 and manages very nearly eight hundred diversified restaurants around the nation. Its value chain assessment demonstrates that the organization has developed critical foundation conditions which empowers it in obliging the necessities and prerequisites of its clients in Australia in a positive manner. The positioning of McDonald demonstrates that it occupies the biggest share of the overall industry in the business and the development potential has additionally been higher. McDonalds is leading in the business while KFC comes in second and Hungry Jacks is positioned among different rivals in the business. Concerning the center competency of brand notoriety as controlled by McDonald, it is prescribed that the organization should additionally endeavor to improve its notoriety. This can be accomplished by centering towards social media marketing. Most recently, it partnered with Snap chat to attract the millennial population. Including social media in itsmarketing mix can enable the multinational to attract potential consumers and employees hitting the online marketing jackpot (Mcdonalds.com.au. 2017, p. 89). Social media presence Sentiment Analysis is the way toward deciding whether a review is certain, negative or impartial (Tuten and Solomon, 2014, p. 20). A typical utilization case for this innovation is to find how individuals are fulfilled by food in a specific restaurant. Say one needs to know whether individuals on Twitter surmise that McDonald's nourishment in a specific area in Australia is great or awful. Twitter assessment examination will answer this inquiry. One can even realize why individuals think the nourishment is great or terrible, by separating the correct words that demonstrate why individuals did or didn't care for the food. This is the sort of knowledge one expects to discover through market surveying. McDonald conducts a consistent assumption examination particularly negative McDonald's audits. Contributors are provided surveys separated from low-evaluated McDonald's from arbitrary metro zones and asked to arrange for what valid reason the areas got low audits. Alternatives given are m oderate and inconsiderate service, bad food, issues with ordering, dirty location, bad neighborhood, cost and missing items (CrowdFlower, 2015, p. 66). Additionally, McDonald provides contact information for all its food outlets in Australia. Accessing this information require easy access to internet and their website to reach the company. Once calls are made to the nearest outlet, customer service assistance are ready to take request and for inquiries. Alternatively, McDonalds holds twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for regular company posts. This allows the company to maintain regular contact with its customers and conduct an opinion review (Erdo?mu?, and Cicek, 2012). Besides, alerts on what their employees post are maintained to safeguard the companys reputation. More often than not, McDonalds provides regular feedback to clients who access them through Facebook and twitter. It employs staff who monitors these reviews and gives appropriate feedback (Levco, 2013, p. 50). Whats more, McDonald has an average response time of approximately once in every ten seconds. Besides, based on the traffic, some of the responses are conducted o n real time (Sherwood, 2016, p. 45). Competitive analysis In Australia, McDonalds has two major rivals, Kentucky Food Chain and Hungry Jacks. After conducting a SWOT analysis of the three competitors, some aspects were identified that gave each organization a competitive advantage over the other. For McDonalds, the following strengths were identified. McDonald is a global brand that is dominant in Australia. It has diversified this brand in many countries gaining a geographic presence. Compared to its rivals, McDonalds is leading in the number of outlets in Australia. Besides, the corporation has strong supply chain abilities and conducts large-scale operations. On the other hand, KFC though it has a global presence, it has managed to localize its activities offering large product portfolios and long product life (Amor, 2013, p. 78). Hungry Jacks has an Australian image unlike the others. It also has better measurability of its products and owns distinctive brands such as the Whopper. Together, these rivals have common strengths such as glo bal presence, though in different levels, offer good fast foods and have locations. McDonalds precedes its competitors has it has vast capita resources and a dominant universal presence. Consequently, these companies have weakness. McDonalds has had fluctuating revenues over the years and is accused of having a changeless menu. Besides, most of the foods offered are unhealthy. KFC has a slow growth rate, poor focus on research and development as well as providing unhealthy foods. It is also expensive compared to its competitors. Alternatively, Hungry Jack has the inability to beat competition such as McDonalds and KFC thus have a smaller market share. The three rivals have similar threats that prevail in the industry. Consumer preferences are changing as they demand quality food. Besides, low prices advertised by restaurants may affect their revenues. Increasing competition is a significant threat for Hungry Jacks in comparison to the other two. Nonetheless, the industry has some opportunities for growth. The dominance of social media allows these companies to turn to providing online orders. They could also gather information through social media sites and develop new products (Amor, 2013, p. 2). Opportunities for developing business alliances could solve issues such as KFC slow growth rate and boost Hungry Jacks to beat competition. McDonalds could use this alliances to stabilize it revenues. It is important to note that prices offer McDonalds a competitive advantage over KFC but elements such as brand dominance and services do not. Compared to Hungry Jacks its vast resources, and brand dominance puts ahead. Goals Since McDonald is a global organization, social media may have little effect on its brand building. Its social media presence has allowed the organization to create awareness throughout the world and more so in Australia. However it may achieve various objectives through social media. First, it may increase customer satisfaction through sentiment analysis. It could identify the negative reviews and generate new ways of satisfying its clientele (Erdo?mu?, and Cicek, 2012, p. 8). Besides, McDonalds may generate a leading crisis management reputation through social media. Through social media, it could reach a significant population to offer solutions on rising issues. Incorporating social media marketing and public address would also enhance its revenues and attain service optimization. Strategies To achieve these goals, McDonald has to develop some social media strategies. First, the company has to categorize social media platforms based on where to reach its target audience. For instance, Instagram and Snap chat can reach the millennial generation while twitter reaches consumers from all cohorts. Secondly, knowing how social media operates, McDonald should create content on these platforms that not only promotes the company but also builds trust with the consumers by providing information that clients can learn from (Safko, 2010, p. 12). Thirdly, contribution. The only to remain relevant on social media is through contribution on various issues both in the industry and the society as a whole (Zarrella, 2009, p 102). This strategy ensures that McDonalds is a respected member on social media. Next, and most importantly, collaboration. Recently, McDonalds partnered with Snap Chat a strategy that sought to attract the young generation. Collaboration develops business relationshi ps and creates a lasting reputation (Levco, 2013, p. 42). Lastly, McDonalds has to poll these social media platforms to gather information on what the community requires. This way the corporation can conduct a market research and develop products that best meet the demands of its consumers. Besides, it can get insights on issues it can solve in the society through corporate social responsibility (Safko, 2010, p. 9). Target market McDonalds market segmentation, positioning and targeting is one of the basic elements of its advertising system. Segmentation includes isolating populace into bunches as per certain attributes such as behavior, demography and geography, while targeting on suggests picking particular groups recognized because of segmentation to offer products (What makes McDonald's. 2017, p. 110). Market positioning alludes to the determination of the marketing blend the most appropriate for the objective client section. McDonald's uses versatile kind of product positioning and in like manner, the organization periodically re-positioned its products and services as per changes in the market segment (Dudovskiy, 2016, p. 66). It targets people from all age groups irrespective of gender and offers products based on the income status and the society preferences. It also focuses on the behavior of consumers such as potential fast food eater and those who consider time and cost benefits. Social media platforms The internet allows the existence and usage of various social media platforms. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snap Chat are some of the platforms that McDonalds could use in social media marketing. This platforms have two common aspect. First, they are accessed by a significant population on a daily basis and secondly, they provide instant feedback (Safko, 2010, p. 99). In Ranking, Twitter is the first platform that McDonalds should utilize. It is accessed by all people irrespective of the age thus providing a wide range of target audience for the company (Mangold, and Faulds, 2009). Besides, the rate at which feedback is generated on twitter surpasses other platforms. Secondly, Instagram provides for visual advertisement of images. Unlike other platforms, Instagram focusses of sharing images rather that communication and is frequently visited. It also targets the millennial generation (De Vries, Gensler, and Leeflang, 2012, p. 6). Facebook, like twitter reaches many people and pro vides wide range of information. Lastly, Snap Chat can reach potential consumers from the young generation (Tuten, and Solomon, 2014, p. 77). Implementation To utilize these platforms to its advantage, McDonalds needs to provide regular content of each of these sites. This will generate information and feedback on various aspects of its organization. Besides, it should communicate and provide information via these platforms to build trust with its consumers and reduce brand switching. The key to maintaining social media presence is generating information via tweets and comments on social media, a tactic that McDonalds should utilize. Besides, using Google alerts ensures that it gets relevant information on a timely basis (Mangold, and Faulds, 2009, p. 10). Monitoring A variety of social media monitoring tools can be used to monitor these platforms. Business toolkits such as SAS program sought information for business motives (Laine, and Frhwirth, 2010, p. 45). Besides, Amplifies analytics is a monitoring instruments that concentrate on product audits and information promotions. Additionally, visualization software gives organization commercial intelligence to enable target marketing. These are tools that McDonalds should use to monitor social media. Socia l Media Monitoring Tools Additionally, the strategies for social media should be monitored. First, tracking of these plans is necessary. It ensures that implementation and desired results are achieved. Secondly, the relevance of these results should be measured using various social media metrics and monitoring tools. Thirdly, the strategies should be evaluates by using experts in social media to ensure that the strategies are appropriate in generation of information and meeting the set goals (Ittner, and Larcker, 2007, p. 4). Bibliography Amor, A., 2013. McDonalds Competitive Strategy. CrowdFlower. 2015. McDonald's review sentiment | CrowdFlower. [online] Available at: https://www.crowdflower.com/data/mcdonalds-review-sentiment/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. CrowdFlower. (2015).McDonald's review sentiment | CrowdFlower. [online] Available at: https://www.crowdflower.com/data/mcdonalds-review-sentiment [Accessed 20 Sep. 2017]. De Vries, L., Gensler, S. and Leeflang, P.S., 2012. Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of interactive marketing, 26(2), pp.83-91. Dudovskiy, J. 2016. McDonalds Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning - Research Methodology. [online] Research Methodology. Available at: https://research-methodology.net/mcdonalds-segmentation-targeting-and-positioning/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Erdo?mu?, ?.E. and Cicek, M., 2012. The impact of social media marketing on brand loyalty. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, pp.1353-1360. Ibisworld.com.au. 2017. Restaurants in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld. [online] Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/market-research-reports/accommodation-food-services/restaurants.html [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Ittner, C.D. and Larcker, D.F., 2007. Quality strategy, strategic control systems, and organizational performance. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 22(3-4), pp.293- 314. Laine, M.O. and Frhwirth, C., 2010. Monitoring social media: tools, characteristics and implications. Software Business, pp.193-198. Levco, J. 2013. Social media helps McDonalds change public perception. [online] Ragan.com. Available at: https://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/Social_media_helps_McDonalds_change_public_percept_46721.aspx [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Mangold, W.G. and Faulds, D.J., 2009. Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business horizons, 52(4), pp.357-365. Mcdonalds.com.au. 2017. McDonald's Australia. [online] Available at: https://mcdonalds.com.au/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Safko, L. 2010. The social media bible: tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. John Wiley Sons Sherwood, I. 2016. McDonald's, DDB reveal plan for total, real-time response to customers. [online] Campaignlive.com. Available at: https://www.campaignlive.com/article/mcdonalds-ddb-reveal-plan-total-real-time-response-customers/1410158 [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R., 2014. Social media marketing. Sage. What makes McDonald's. 2017. Who is your target market / audience? [online] Available at: https://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/running-the-business/business-strategy/who-is-your-target-market-audience.html [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Zarrella, D., 2009. The social media marketing book. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.".

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Vendor

Introduction and History Supplies to firms contribute to high costs, which eventually affect the competitive position of the firm. Firms have, in turn, adopted supply chain management practices to enhance the efficiency of their supplies-related costs and thus improve their positions competitively. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs are one of the tools that firms use to achieve synchronisation of their supply chain.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Vendor-Managed Inventory: UAE vs. International Contexts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vendor Management Inventory is defined as a distinctive storing that mainly focuses on the customer, and which uses Server Valuestreamguru. It varies from the other supplies management systems in the sense that ownership is maintained to a point where the item is not entirely finished or consumed (Dejnega 63). The VMI approach was first introduced in 1985 by leading US retai ler chain WalMart and manufacturer Procter and Gamble. This system did not only help the firms improve their supply chain, but it also enabled them to fix their positions as market leaders. The system particularly helped WalMart to track supplies to its stores as an alternative to the replenishment process that was previously adopted by the firm. The initial system was time wasting and failed to effectively cater for the requirements of customers all at once (Dejnega 62). Advantages of the VMI Approach The VMI approach helps firms to reduce the amount of inventories that they hold at any one given time, while also improving on their service delivery. The approach aids this in numerous ways, both when the vendor is expected to replenish several customers existing in close proximity and when a single customer expects to be served with several products. The vendor may consolidate the numerous product orders such that only a single shipment is needed. Orders may also be consolidated eas ily as a result of using the VMI system of supplies (Salzarulo 2). This can be achieved when the supplier times the dates when inbound shipments will be received and coincides them with the outbound shipments schedules. This would eventually enable the supplier to cut down on the actual inventory that is held on the site.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Vendors are able to achieve on-hand inventory allocation amongst the customers by virtue of using the VMI approach. This particularly becomes applicable at the time when the supplier replenishes several customers. Instead of sending fixed quantities to the customers at every shipment, the supplier may opt to vary the supply size during each shipment. The bullwhip effect is significantly reduced by adopting the VMI in supplies. This often occurs when order fluctuations are increased to the higher supply chain echelons. The bu llwhip effect results in an inefficient use of the inventory as well as the manufacturing capacity. This is because increased order variability results in two scenarios, which include additional manufacturing capacity in order to provide sensible response times or added inventory to cushion against the biggest orders. As Salzarulo (3) points out, there is sharing of information within a supply chain that is coordinated and some bullwhip effect causes are eradicated, thus resulting in lowering the supply chain’s uncertainty. It also leads to increased efficient resource utilization. Disadvantages of VMI Firms find it a challenge to implement VMI to its utmost potential. This often results from the fact that manufacturing planning systems fail to utilize consumer demand information. Additionally, supply chains do not have a standardised product identification, which prevents the VMI from operating successfully. There is a variation between reality and assumption, which ends up affecting VMI’s performance and effectiveness. One such factor is the specific environment within which VMI is implemented. For instance, vendors may be required to customize their supplies such that they may accurately fit into the demands of the customers. This, in turn, eliminates one of VMI’s prime benefits, which involves the allocation of items amongst the customers (Salzarulo 4). The consolidation of shipment in VMI may also be realistic in actual sense.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Vendor-Managed Inventory: UAE vs. International Contexts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The intended success in implementing the VMI is dependent on the prevailing bonds established among vendors and retailers. Where such relationship is strained, there will be little chances of the resultant VMI being successful in terms of reducing costs and increasing efficiency. For VMI to be greatly successful there is need for the parties to exchange data, some of which may be considered too sensitive. This will occasionally see firms lacking trust with their partners refusing to give out details concerning their operations. VMI Strengths At the supply chain level, VMI has the ability to reduce the amounts of inventory that are held by the firm. It also results in less overhead costs, limited errors associated with human data entry, and increased sales levels overly. To the vendors, it provides them with the capability to enjoy better insight in as far as customer demands are concerned and improves direct communication with the customers. The market analysis by vendors is also improved as a result of VMI, while increasing their ability to offer category management, as well as other value-added services. Some of the advantages that come with VMI include reduced replenishment durations for suppliers. Inventory costs that are associated with supply are also reduced considerably. The suppliers enjoy less redundancy and increase sales owing to reduced stock outs. The end-users, on the other hand, enjoy increased service levels and minimised instances of stock outs. VMI Weaknesses The main weakness for this approach is the fact that it has an insufficient visibility concerning the entire network of supply in some instances. While VMI’s performance will be excellent in an instance where large quantities of products that are frequently replenished are supplied, its performance in case of high level demand volatility leads to excessive inventories. Equally, VMI’s performance is only better where the effort of the manufacturer plays a critical role in influencing consumer demand, as well as during instances where consumers are least expected to go for substitute products during stock-outs. However, in such cases where substitution is found to be attractive, dependence on VMI could result into poorer performance (Olson and Deshrng 54).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More VMI Overview VMI seeks to manage as well as control the third party firms that deal with a company by way of supplying goods or the services required. VMI has set out goals, which an organization has to ensure that as it searches for third party business partners, these set out goals are observed. The main objectives of VMI include achieving high quality service, reduction in costs, and the satisfaction of goals as intended. VMI Goals Establishing goals The operations of the firm must be desired to attain a certain goal, which will be beneficial to the firm. Thus, these goals must be set out such that they will form the determining factor in the decision-making process of the firm, including during the process of selecting and managing vendors. Managing vendors There are a number of control mechanisms that a firm is expected to closely monitor in order to ensure success. These include monitoring the performance, initiating new projects, offering feedback information, and manage the control processes. Additionally, firms are expected to develop their vendors in various ways. The VMI determines all these aspects, and acts as a plan for the managers. Vendor selection Firms require dealing with vendors who match its own capacity of requirements. Thus, VMI establishes some of the strengths that the firm needs to observe while selecting the choice of vendor firm. These leads have been matched with the firm’s own internal requirements and capacity and thus managers are expected to observe them fully to avoid limitations in performance. Consistency in meeting goals VMI establishes statistically acceptable limits, both the upper and lower thresholds, which will enable the firm to achieve its target. The vendor manager has been provided with accurate measures and actions, including making sure that their selected vendor employ an adequate number of staff. These guidelines have to be followed to the latter to avoid a scenario where the firm will find itself missin g its targeted objectives. Market Analysis Systems used by main suppliers One-supplier one customer Often, a VMI system depicts a one-supplier one-customer relationship. However, in real life situation, there are models that exist that comprise of numerous suppliers, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers. In a one-supplier one-customer kind of a model, the minimum and maximum inventory amount is established by the customer. A penalty is paid to the customer for every supply unit that is made by the supplier, which falls outside the established limits. Both the customer and the supplier are aware of the demand distribution that the retailer requires. The supplier produces the customer’s demands without the capacity limit. In order to ensure that the demands of the customer remain consistent with the available inventory levels, the supplier is allowed to outsource. The penalty by supplier, however, is not incurred in an immediate situation, such as being incurred every d ay. Instead, they are determined over a long-term period, like after one year. This is done as part of the balanced score card assessment. One-supplier multiple consumers In this system type, both parties comprising of the supplier and the customers incur costs accruing from inventory and backorder. VMI does not offer any guarantees to synchronize the partners, not unless they agree to or recompense fixed transfer payments. According to related studies by Cachon (658), VMI under this particular system fails to offer any improvements in as far as the supply chain costs are concerned in forbidden fixed transfer payments. VMI Comparison and Evaluation: UAE vs. International level TVH Local application of VMI for TVH in the UAE mainly involves the firm utilising its supply chain for the numerous department stores that are located within the country. The department stores each have their own separate inventory policies. The lead-time for production of a single item takes five days. On th e other hand, the finished goods inventory on average take 8 week, with about two weeks involving safety stock. Order management TVH mainly rely on e-commerce in managing its supply chain. The firm has set up a dedicated order capturing screen that provides an opportunity for the call centre representative to make full reviews of the customer’s position. TVH representatives are in a position to check the business relationships as well as contacts based on varying criteria, including suspect, prospect, contact name zip code, city, and phone, among other details. The website is capable of integrating the website for such details as the product catalogs, sales orders, price lists, and the customer’s addresses and contacts. TVH also uses several POS systems for conducting customer returns, sales orders invoices, sales orders payments, customer’s contacts, and transfer order receipts. The POS system also integrates for transfer order receipts, inventory updates, and transfer order shipments, among many other services. Supply chain management The e-commerce system enables TVH to manage varying vendor contracts and a host of other vendor-related information, including bonus and rebates, management of the vendor calendar, vendor backorders management, as well as automated cross-docking and drop shipping notices. TVH’s VMI integration allows the firm to consign inventory to customers through use of invoicing and periodic consumption. The firm defines a warehouse for every customer site and the minimum stock levels forecasts are used to establish the needs from the main warehouse. The transfer orders used for issuing supplies to the VMI warehouses automatically get created, while the automatic stock availability control is undertaken by the main warehouse. The stock needed by a customer creates the necessary sales orders automatically, deriving the details from the VMI warehouses’ consumption. V-Line Europe At the international level, the practice comprises of determining plant demand. This is done by evaluating the combination of MRO needs, which keep changing on a regular basis. The MRO needs reflect on â€Å"the stock room reorder, the high-use wear parts, the emergency parts, as well as spot buys of items that are rarely used†. It also involves the scheduled maintenance projects. From the time when the order is placed until when the delivery is done, V-Line service is directly involved, and it takes title to the related MRO flow. Different goods are acquired from the numerous suppliers and put at the firm’s consolidation warehouse. Preparations are thereafter done concerning export, overseas transportation, as well as import country handling. In order to effectively manage how the goods flow and how transactions are done, V-Line uses modern information technology and communications links. Its computer systems have been linked together with those of the supplier firms through server systems on bo th ends. Communication is also established with the logistic vendors and the receiving customer plant through the use of computers and servers. V-Line boosts its VMI capability by making sure that the firm stays ahead in terms of offering quality services at an affordable fee. Moreover, the firm goes to the length of meeting the needs of the subject plants. This is a critical factor for the firm as it has enabled the optimization of cost and also enhanced the performance benefits. V-Line Import Logistics V-Line tracks the arrival dates at the country of destination and clears customs, import, together with transportation to the central point or the final receiving point. Where deliveries are to be made at a central location, the firm determines a warehouse location where deliveries will be made either on an express basis or through Just in Time (JIT) delivery. Documentation is done to reflect on the inventory level as well as to indicate the transfer ownership. The transfer of curre ncies is then undertaken, supported by all the necessary legal requirements. V-Line Services accepts payments that are done using the local currency and at the local address. V-Line Export Logistics The export logistics carried out by the firm begin with the acknowledgement of the vendor order before follow-ups are done. This helps in expediting transportation of materials to the V-Line warehouse. At the warehouse, receipt control is done together with undertaking item labelling and item inspection. The firm’s representative in charge signs a notice of inspection once the confirmations are done. The next process involves item consolidation scheduling, particularly for the consolidated orders shipments that appear within fixed intervals. The materials destined for export are packed in readiness for either container transport or airfreight. The documentations are done for purposes of meeting the customs requirement and the destination-country requirements. The materials are the reafter loaded onto the carrier pickup and V-Line Services indicates its partners both for insurance and financial needs. A consolidated invoicing is done as proof of payments made by the client for the delivery of goods. The last stage in the export process involves the firm making the payments to the material vendors. Transportation takes two days between the firm and the department stores, while the stores take another day for receiving the goods. Trends, Perspectives, and Recommendations Firms are generally shifting the responsibility of managing their inventories to the suppliers. There is growing need for firms to enhance their competitive position by limiting their operation costs as much as possible. As such, the adoption of lean supply chain systems, such as VMI, is taking preference. Although the adoption of highly efficient supply chain system is growing in demand, there are also emerging challenges in the area. VMI, for instance, is highly integrated with information tec hnology. With the continuous advancement of IT, there is growing need for firms to employ skilled personnel who will have the ability of advising the management appropriately in the area of supply chain systems. This will help to reduce expenditure as well as improve efficiency to a greater extent. Conclusion Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is a system of managing inventory in a firm such that the costs involved can be maintained at low levels. The ability of a firm to maintain limited inventory costs enables the firm to achieve greater competitive position, which is critical for the growth and advancement of a firm. VMI mainly seeks to achieve strategic partnership and relationship between the firm and its third party business partners. The benefits of VMI for include enhanced efficiency, low inventory levels, and highly efficient supply chain. VMI system can either be such that a single supplier deals with numerous companies, or a single supplier dealing with a single customer. In both models, the partners into an agreement such that the supplier is strictly expected to determine the demand levels of a customer and offer to fulfil it without any fail. TVH mainly relies on e-commerce for managing both its supplier networks and order placements. Through internet connectivity, the firm tracks order placements from its customers and scrutinises all the details through the click of a button, before servicing. On the other hand, V-Line Service relies on an elaborate export and import logistic to undertake its international business. Works Cited Cachon, Gerald P. â€Å"Stock Wars: Inventory Competition in a Two Echelon Supply Chain.† Operations Research 49 (2001): 658-674. Print. Dejnega, Oleg. â€Å"Vendor Managed Inventory and Relish of Both Partners.† Annals of the University of Petrosani Economics 11.4 (2011): 61-72. Print. Olson, Davis and Deshrng Wu. Enterprise Risk Management. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2008. Print. Salzarulo, P eter A. Vendor-Managed Inventory Programs and their Effect on Supply Chain Performance. Ann Abor, MI: ProQuest Information and Learning Company, 2006. Print. This report on Vendor-Managed Inventory: UAE vs. International Contexts was written and submitted by user Giselle Daniels to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.