Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Essay Example

Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Essay Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Instructions This questionnaire is a tool that you can use to collect information about your business that will be useful for tailoring the R/3 System to your business needs. You will need Microsoft Word for Windows to work with this document. Enter your answers in the fields after the questions, using the TAB key to move from field to field. You may save and later change your answers in this questionnaire just as you would with any other Word document. 1 Enterprise Structure 1. 1 SD – Corporate Structure What selling entities (Sales Organizations) are responsible for establishing terms of sale? To what markets (distribution channels) do you sell? (Retail, Wholesale, etc). What product divisions (product lines) do you have? What sales offices do you have? A Sales Office is a physical location responsible for sales within a given geographical location (optional). What sales groups do you have? These are groups of people responsible for processing sales of certain products or services (optional). Do you have more than one sales person responsible per customer? What warehouses, production sites (Plants) do you have? What are the storage locations at each Plant? Within each plant, what are the areas  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 1 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire from which you ship? For example, different loading docks that ship different types of materials or a Federal Express drop-off. (Shipping Point) 2 Master Data 2. 1 Logistics Business Partners What kinds of business partners do you have? Sold-To Ship-To Bill-To Payer Prospective Customers Competitors Sales Partners Forwarding Agent One Time Customers Do customers have multiple ship-to’s and payers? If yes, how do you choose? We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Distribution Questionnaire specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Distribution Questionnaire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Distribution Questionnaire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Do you have vendors that are also customers? Please define the structure of your current customer numbering: Yes Invoice-To partner No Payer partner Yes No 2. 2 SD Business Partners SAP Customer Hierarchies define complex buying structures within a single company and allow different pricing for each hierarchy. Do your customers have multi-level complex buying structures within their own company? Yes No Define the following optional Marketing information that can be attached to your customers. Industry Sectors for Customers? Customer Classifications? Nielson IDs?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Legal Status? Define the following optional Sales information breakdowns that may be used for reporting. Customer Groups: Sales Districts: Define the following optional Delivery information. Delivery priority levels. Also, explain the allocation process: Customer Calendars: Customer Goods Receiving Hours: Define the following information that will pertain to your billing documents. Define your Billing Schedule: Customer Terms of Payment and cash discounts you offer: Customer Incoterms? These are delivery terms you offer your customers (i. e. FOB): Do you record contact-person information for your customers? Do you record sales employee information in your customer table? Do you record customers who are placed on a â€Å"Table of Denial†, thereby denying deliveries to them? Yes No 2. 3 Logistics Material Do you record status information on your material records that would suggest a material should be blocked from sales stages? For example, blocking a sales order because the material is  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 3 Yes No Sales and Distribution Questionnaire discontinued, or blocking a delivery because the material is still in development. If yes, list the various status codes: Define the Length and Format of your material numbering scheme: Define your material groups: This key allows you to group together several materials and services that have the same attributes. This grouping can be used for reporting and pricing. Define the product divisions that allow you to organize your sales structure around groups of similar products or product lines: List your Storage Conditions for Material: List your Temperature Conditions for Material: List your Container Requirements for Material: Do you wish to set up a product hierarchy structure for reporting and pricing? If so, what are the hierarchy levels? Up to 9 levels can be used. Yes No 2. 4 SD Material Today, what information does your material master feed to the sales order process? Do you use Bills of Materials? If yes, do you price at the header or component level? Yes Header No Component  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 4 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire If yes, do you perform transfer of requirements and inventory movements on the header or component level? Do you have Configure-to-Order materials? Do you sell any of your material in batches? Header Component Yes Yes No No 3 Basic Functions 3. 1 Pricing Condition Processing What Master Data combinations do you base your pricing on? Sales Organization / Distribution Channel / Sold-To Party / Material Sales Organization / Distribution Channel / Ship-To Party / Material Sales Organization / Distribution Channel / Material Sales Organization / Distribution Channel / Price List Type / Currency / Material Sales Organization / Distribution Channel / Sold-To Party / Material Group Describe all other combinations: To calculate a price, will R/3 have to read any information stored on an external 3rd party or in-house system? If yes, please describe: What pricing information do you capture for statistical purposes? I. e. , it does not alter the price) For example, material costs, profit margins, or subtotals to print on an invoice. If you process Electronic Data Interchange orders, do you accept the  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 5 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire expected order price per item or the expected order value? If you process Inter-Company orders, d o you charge the inter-company based on a specified amount or on a percentage of the item price? Do you allow manual adjustments to the Gross Price automatically generated by the SAP R/3 system? Do you manually alter prices for an entire sales document at the header level? Do you use â€Å"Interval Graduated Scales† pricing? Example: For the first number of items purchased, the customer is charged a certain price. Additional items above a certain quantity level are sold at a lower price. Do you have multiple prices and discounts for a customer, and require the system to search the combination of all-eligible prices and discounts and give the customer the â€Å"best† or â€Å"lowest† price? Do you require the system to accumulate the amounts for certain conditions (like discounts) and deactivate the discount once a specified maximum value has been reached? Tracking Cumulative values) Do you require the functionality to create user-defined indexes in the pricing tables? This will enable you to search for your prices using companyspecific search criteria such as what operator input what prices on a certain day. Do your prices include Sales Tax? Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 6 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Do you ever base the price of an item on the cost to manufacture or purchase the materials? Do you offer discounts to your customers? If so, what are they based on? Yes No Customer Material Customer / Material Customer Group / Material Customer Group / Material Group Customer / Material Group Ship-to Location Customer Hierarchy Pallets Mixed Pallets Describe all other combinations: Do you offer discounts to your customers that are based on a Sales Promotion? If yes, please describe your Sales Promotion and Sales Deal structure. Are these deals customer-specific or are they related to the product? Are these deals off-invoice or accrued (or a combination of both)? What date is pricing based on? Sales Order date Requested Delivery date How do you calculate and charge Freight? What subtotal information would you like to record on your pricing procedure? Will you need to pass pricing information to the Sales Information  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Valid-From date Depends on the document type Yes No 7 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire System? Will you use the SAP Variant Configuration feature for â€Å"configure to order† materials? Example: When selling an automobile, any options for number of doors, color, engine size, and music package will help determine the price to be charged. Do your customers have large, complex buying structures that you wish to price and discount according to? For example, a large retail company might send out purchase orders from different buying offices, so that you could set up a â€Å"customer-hierarchy† and offer discounts and prices based on the level to which the buying party belongs. Do you calculate your prices by the use of formulas? What is your method of taxation? Yes No Yes No Yes US Non Jurisdiction US Jurisdiction Output Taxes No Canadian Mexico Other 3. 2 Account Assignment How do you determine which General Ledger account should be posted for Revenue? Sales Org, Cust. Grp, Mat. Grp, Acct. Key Sales Org, Customer Group, Account Key Sales Org, Material Group, Account Key Do you also post to Business Areas (product groups) for internal reporting? Yes No Sales Org, Account Key Other  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 8 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire If yes, how? Please list the revenue accounts: What accounts do you use to post sales deductions (discounts)? What account do you use to post freight? What accounts do you use to post tax? What account do you use to post rebates? What accounts do you use to post rebate accruals? Do you require the interface link from SD to COPA? y Plant / Division by Sales Area Yes No 3. 3 Availability Check Do you perform an availability check against on the basis of â€Å"Available to Promise† quantities? If yes, for what types of material? Yes No Do you perform an availability check against on the basis of planned independent quantities? If yes, for what types of material? Yes No Do you normally include replenishment lead time in y our available check? Do you block a sales order if the availability check fails? For your different types of materials, decide what to include in your availability check: Stocks to include: Yes No Yes No safety stock stock in transfer stock in quality inspection blocked stocked  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 9 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire What Inward and Outward Movements should be included? purchase orders purchase requisitions planned orders production orders reservations dependent reservations dependent requirements sales requirements delivery requirements 3. 4 Output What master data fields do you use to determine what output to send? Sales Org / Distribution Channel / Customer Group Sales Org What type of output do you send? Printed Fax Collect print out (samples) of the following documents: Sales order Customer master Material master Picking list EDI Other: Shipping documents Invoice Top 5 sales reports Customer Other: 3. 5 Material Determination Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. If a product is packaged differently for a special event (e. g. , Thanksgiving), do you want the system to automatically substitute the special packaging when the product is ordered? If yes, how does the substitution occur? For example, what master records do you perform the substitution based on? Not Used Yes No Customer Material Customer Material Country Code Another grouping?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 10 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire What are the different reasons you would substitute one product for another or one packaging for another? Do you want the originally ordered product or the substituted product information to be printed on the output? Do you want the product substitution to occur automatically or should Data Entry personnel be offered a selection screen for substitutable products? Do you want Data Entry personnel alerted when a product is automatically substituted? Do you want the substituted product to be listed as a sub-item to the originally ordered product or should the substituted product completely replace the original product? Do you want product substitution to occur when the original ordered product is not available? Original Substituted automatic offered a selection Yes No sub-item replace Yes No 3. 6 Material Listings Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you require that certain products or customers must be pre-specified on a â€Å"Material List† before a customer can place an order for the material. What Master Data fields will make up the key index for the â€Å"Material Listing† table? Not Used Yes No Customer / Material Customer Group / Material Ship To Location / Material Specify Others:  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 11 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire 3. 7 Material Exclusions Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you require that certain products or customers must be pre-specified on a â€Å"Material Exclusion† table to block selling that material to the customer? What Master Data fields will make up the key index for the â€Å"Material Exclusion† table? Not Used Yes No Customer / Material Customer Group / Material Ship To Location / Material Other: 3. 8 Credit Processing Describe how your credit will be monitored: One department (Credit Control Area) will monitor the credit for all Company Codes. Each Company Code will be monitored by its own department. (Credit Control Area) Other: What categories of risk will you monitor against your customer? Check all that apply. During which stages of the sales cycle will you perform a credit check? In the case of new customers, will orders be accepted if the credit data has not yet been maintained? Do you want the credit check performed during entrance of each line item or only when the document is saved? Is there a maximum value per Credit Control Area that a sales document cannot exceed? Low Risk Medium Risk High Risk List any others: Sales Order Delivery Creation Yes Post Goods Issue (shipment) No Each Line Item Saving of Document only Yes No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 12 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Should a credit check be performed when one of the following critical fields are changed on a Sales Document (Payment Terms, Additional Value Days, Fixed Value Date)? What is your policy when a customer fails credit? Do you block the order? Delivery? Yes No Cannot save Sales Order Save Sales Order but block Delivery document creation Save Sales Order, but block Shipment (Post Goods Issue) Describe others: 3. 9 Serial Numbers Do you have serial numbers for your materials (e. g. , model number)? When do you want the system to assign serial numbers? Do you want the system to assign serial numbers automatically or manually? Sales Order Delivery Creation automatically manually Post Goods Issue 4 Sales 4. 1 Inquiry/Quotation Processes Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. What kind of information is collected for Inquiries? Not Used existing products potential new products qty pricing validity dates delivery schedules Do you currently support quotation processing? What kind of information is collected for quotes: Yes No existing products potential new products qty pricing validity dates delivery schedules Does a quotation apply to one or many one many  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 13 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire customers? Other additional information on Quotation processing: 4. Sales Order Processing How do you receive orders? EDI FAX Phone Do you presently separate your standard orders by any variables (e. g. , document type, sales organization, sales representative)? Do you convert sales orders from inquiries or quotations? What information do you capture on a sales order? How do you determine/select a customer at sales order entry? List the reasons for a Sales order to take place : What reasons would an order or line item be rejected? Does the line item detail of an order vary from line to line? For example, does one line have a different ship-to than the next? Do you send letters of order confirmation? If so, what forms of media do you use? For sales documents, what information do you consider required and would like to appear on an in-completion log if missing? Document Date Purchase Order Number Document Currency Incoterms Material Order Quantity Net Price Plant Shipping Point PO# Sales region manually by number person taking order Additional information: by name  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 14 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Pricing Date Payment Terms Sold-To Party List all others: Would it be valid to â€Å"save† the document if this information is missing? Product Proposals: If a customer routinely orders the same product or group of products, do you have a process that helps you simplify your order entry? If so, how does that process work? For example, do you record the product proposals by Customer, Customer group, or another grouping? Do you have company-defined status codes that are tracked on a sales document? If, so what do these status codes represent? Do you record â€Å"Minimum Delivery Quantity† on your materials? If so, what happens during a sales order if a violation occurs? Do you process backorders? What types of text do you require on your sales documents? Are they required on output? What information fields do you require on your sales order lists? Commitments and checks at order entry: Do you use replenishment lead times to determine availability date at order time?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Nothing Warning Error Yes No Yes No Depends on the Material 15 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Do you include transit time to calculate the delivery date? When you schedule a delivery, how is it specified (Day, Week, Month, Posting Period)? List your sales order types: 4. 3 Scheduling Agreements Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you need to schedule requested deliveries per line item out into the future? Are all customers and sales areas eligible for scheduling agreements? For Scheduling Agreements, is the delivery schedule for serial parts or replacement parts? Do you schedule the requested deliveries by day, week, period, or month? Should an availability check take place for Scheduling Agreements? How often do you receive changes to your delivery schedules? (hourly, daily, weekly) How do you receive the changes (EDI, telephone)? Do you receive Schedule Agreements from External Service Agents or directly from the customer (or both)? Not Used 4. 4 Contracts Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Not Used  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 16 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Do you negotiate contracts to use as a basis for sales orders? Do these contracts contain dates and quantities that must be adhered to? Is a distinct order type needed to indicate that the sales order references a contract? Is an availability check needed? If a contract already exists for a customer, do you want data entry personnel to be notified when a sales document is entered for this customer? Do you offer special prices or discounts for contracts? When a contract is created, do you want to have a follow-up activity automatically created? If so, which type of activity (Sales Call, Telephone Call, Sales Letter)? Are contracts for a set time period or do you offer renewals? Do you offer rental contracts? Do you utilize resource-related billing for contracts? (Periodic or Milestone) invoices are sent periodically payment is expected when major milestones are reached 4. 5 Third Party Orders Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you sell goods that you purchase from a vendor? Are these materials always purchased or just on certain orders? Do competing vendors make competitive bids on purchased products? Do you compare bids by  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 17 Not Used Sales and Distribution Questionnaire price, quantity, quality, or what other criterion? Do you send rejection letters to vendors losing bids? Are quotes selected for purchase order creation? Will shipping notification create expediting documents? Are dunning reminders sent? How long is the wait period? Do goods receipts have storage location determination? Is there blocked stock quality inspection, or other types of received stock? Do you charge third-party accounts right away or make separate postings? Is a 3-way match required to post the invoice? Do you bill the customer for the amount shipped from the vendor? Do you bill the customer after your invoice is received from the vendor? Yes No Yes No 4. 6 Consignment Orders Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you allow customers to keep your material in stock while you retain ownership? Does the customer place the orders for material or do you ship on a regular basis? What method will be used to determine when to bill the customer for consumed material? Not Used  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 18 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire How will you be notified when your customer has sold the product? Are unused or unwanted materials returned to your location from a consignment location? Are customers allowed to place material back into consignment stock after it has been issued? (Consignment Return Delivery Processing) For Consignment orders, is freight charged to the customer or is it a cost that is absorbed by your company? How and at what point in time do you reduce inventory when a customer delivery has been made? 4. 7 Free of Charge Orders On certain types of orders, do you not charge for material? Do these orders require separate order types (for example, samples and donations)? Do they require different account postings? 4. 8 Rush Orders Are there occasions when the delivery should be created as the order is created? Should an availability check take place? Will you price differently for rush orders? 4. 9 Cash Orders Do customers place and pick up orders  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 19 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire at your location and require immediate receipt of a printed invoice? Will you price differently for cash orders? . 10 Credit Card Orders Do you accept credit cards as payment verification when a customer places an order or receives a delivery? 4. 11 Subsequent Free-of-Charge Do you send replacement or add-on materials free-of-charge? Must they reference an existing order? 4. 12 Returnable Packaging Returns Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you give credit if the goods have not been physically returned? Do you accept returns without return goods authorization? What return documents are provided to customers? Do you track packing material at the customer location? (e. g. Skids, containers, etc. ) Do customers notify you when they intend to return the packing material? Do you require an authorization number to accept returned goods at the warehouse? Is a confirmation of receipt required by the customer? Yes No Not Used Yes No Yes No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 20 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire When goods are received, do they require inspection? Yes No 4. 13 Warranties Is warranty tracking a requirement? What materials provide warranty agreements? How is it done today? Automatic or manual? Yes No 4. 14 Royalties or License Fees? Do you use royalties or license fees? How do you track them? How do you pay them (credit note, check. )? 4. 15 Stock Transfer Processing Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. What locations store materials for transfer? Are these multiple stock locations? What type of stock is inventoried? Are you using SAP R/3 Warehouse Management? Do you have special storage conditions for materials? Do you have contracts or open purchase order arrangements for stock transfers? Is stock reserved prior to movement? How can you break the reservation? Do you forecast the expected transfer?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Yes Yes Yes No No No Not Used 21 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Should stock transfers be generated automatically? Is planning done for all materials? Is planning done for an individual material? (MRP Individual MM) Are multiple transfer order types used? What type of transfer is taking place? Will shipping notification create expediting documents? Are dunning reminders sent? If yes, how long is the wait period? Is this a transfer from one storage location to another or from plant to plant? Are shipping papers required? Who will process the delivery due list? How will picking and goods issue be posted? What movement type should be used? How will the transfer appear in the stock balance? Yes No Yes Yes No No 4. 16 Make to Order Production Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. In the production planning process, what is the strategy for consuming inventory? Are the bills of material simple in structure (having one level) or are they complex (having multiple levels)? Do you plan at the top level or at the lower levels? (Processing of Rough-cut  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 22 Not Used Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Planning Profile) What are the assembly steps taken in manufacturing? Routing Processing) Do you have sub-levels in your routings? (Reference Operation Set Processing) With your routings, do you note what may be needed in the assembly process? (Production Resource) Within your routings, are there trigger points within one routing that may setoff other operations? (Standard Trigger Point Processing) How does the product look and act in the sales order process? Do you state how components can be used within the configuration of a product? (Maintenance of Object Dependencies) Does an engineering change affect the configured production that has been ordered but not yet delivered? If so, is this a manual process or automatic and how does that process work? What are the options and features that your products have? (Characteristic Processing) For the features and options of your products, do you group them in any manner? (Class Processing) Do you pass your sales plan to demand management? Do you forecast? For example, history, forecast or formula? (Sales and  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 23 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Operations Planning). Where does the sales forecast come from? 5 Delivery Processing If you have multiple plants, how do you Customer determine what plant a product is Location delivered from? Product Location Do your customers accept partial deliveries? Do your customers allow the combination of multiple orders into single deliveries? Do you check the availability of product during delivery time? Are deliveries created individually or collective? What documents do you use to complete the delivery process, e. g. , picking list, packing list or bill of lading? Do you track Over Delivery or Under Delivery tolerance percentages for your customers? What picking process activities do you perform? How is packing done? Are you currently using any 3rd party software for packing? Do you have material that: Must be Picked Can Be Picked Cannot be Picked Depends on the Material Type Print pick list Picking confirmation Bar code labels requirements Yes Combination Other: No Yes No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 24 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Do you confirm your picking process? Do you have material that: Yes No Must be Packed Can Be Packed Depends on the Material Type Cannot be Packed Depends on the Material Type Are you using bar code labeling? How? Do you have routing (truck stops)? How are freight charges handled? What shipping documents are generated? Is backorder processing supported? How? Do you assign priorities to back orders or is it first-come-first-serve based allotments? Do you have a standard lead time in days for the customers requested delivery date? When you schedule a delivery, is it specified per: Do you allow items to be added to a delivery without inclusion on the Sales Order? If so, what kinds of items? What are the reasons you would ever block a sales document from delivery? For the delivery document, what information do you consider required and would like to appear on an incompletion log if missing? Document Date Purchase Order Number Document Currency Incoterms Pricing Date Payment Terms Sold-To Party Material Order Quantity Net Price Plant Shipping Point List others: Day Week Yes Month Posting Period No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 25 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire What should happen when the Delivery Quantity exceeds the Order Quantity? Nothing Warning Error Depends on the Material Ship Point, Weight Other How do you determine your Pick/Pack time? Not Determined Ship Point, Route, Weight Not Determined Ship Point, Route, Loading Group Not Determined Route Not Determined Route How do you determine your Loading time? Ship Point Other: How do you determine your Transit time? How do you determine your Transportation Lead time? What types of text do you require on your Delivery Documents? Are they required on output? What informational fields do you require on your Delivery Lists? What informational fields do you require on your lists of orders ready for delivery (Delivery Due List)? How and at what point in time do you reduce inventory when a customer delivery has been made? What are your methods for tracking the cost of these materials? Do you ever group deliveries together? Do you require to print Freight Lists by combining deliveries that meet defined criteria? Other: Other: Yes Yes No No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 26 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire 6 Transportation Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you interface to any third party transportation systems? If so, which ones? What carriers do you use for the transportation of goods? Is freight charged to the customers or is it a cost that is absorbed by the company? How do you determine the itinerary for your shipments? Do you have Individual and/or Collective Shipments? Do they use one mode of transport or multiple? What are your methods of shipping? (i. e. Truck, Mail, Train, Sea, etc. ) How are your transportation legs determined? No legs are determined According to departure point and itinerary Prelim. legs according to loading point, final legs according to Shipto point Determine preliminary and final stages by delivery Not Used Yes No Do you use Freight Forwarding Agents? 7 Foreign Trade 7. 1 License Skip this section if you do not utilize  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Not Used 27 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire this functionality. Define your legal regulations for each applicable country? For each legal regulation, define the applicable license types? Is the Export License specific to a certain customer? Is the Export License specific to a certain sales transaction type? Is the Export License specific to a certain type of products? Is the Export License specific to a certain destination country? Is the Export License limited by a dollar amount? Is the Export License limited by a quantity amount? When do you wish to check for the export license? Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Delivery Sales Order Delivery 7. 2 Foreign Trade Reporting What declarations to the authorities must you make? EU: NAFTA: Japan: Switzerlan d: Intrastat AERP Export Yes Extrastat HMF Import Kobra 8 Billing/Invoicing Do you centralize or decentralize invoice processing? Please explain: Frequency of invoice creation:  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. per shipment weekly 28 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire daily monthly Do customers have a predefined time when they receive invoices, billing schedule? Do you consolidate invoices: by order by date by customer ship to Other: Do you split invoices? For example, if a single invoice is for multiple product divisions, will multiple invoices be generated by separating on the divisions? How are the billing documents generated, by delivery document, soldto, or some other variable? What invoice documents are created? Are pro forma invoices required? Printed EDI Other: EDI Fax Do you utilize periodic billing by for rental contract type documents? Periodic allows a specified amount to be billed over a certain time period. Do you utilize milestone billing for make to order type documents? Milestone billing allows you to bill once a certain work level has been reached. 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 29 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire How do you recognize price changes that occur between the Sales Order and Billing time frame? Copy manual changes, re-determine other Copy prices unchanged, redetermine freight charges Re-determine taxes only Re-calculate all prices including tax and freight Other: What are the reasons you would ever block a delivery from creating an invoice? For the billing document, what information do you consider required and would like to appear on an incompletion log if missing? What types of text are required on your billing documents? Are they required on output? What informational fields are required on your billing document lists? What information fields are required on your lists of deliveries due for billing (Billing Due List)? 8. 1 Rebates Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. What % of customers are given rebates? How are rebates calculated? by Material Customer Customer/Material product group O ther: Not Used Is there a time commitment or not? Do you accrue the payment liability? How is payment done? via credit/debit check cut via AP  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 30 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire Do you allow partial settlements on the rebates? If so, how often do you reimburse the customer (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly)? Do you offer Lump Sum rebates (not dependent on sales volume)? 8. 2 Credit/Debit Memo What types of adjustments are made: unit price quantity freight charge adjustment list other reasons for adjustment What adjustment methods are used? Are you able to trace it currently? How are output documents generated? Do your debit and credit memos need to go through an approval process? free standing tied to order/invoice printed faxed 9 Reporting Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. What are the critical reports generated in each of the following areas: Sales order processing: Pricing: Shipping: Billing: What on-line (screen) reports are used for daily work (daily reporting)? What general statistical reports are being used by managers and executives?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 31 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire How often do you update your data for statistical reporting? Do you plan to utilize the Executive Information System? 10 Sales Information System Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Not Used Please mark the Standard Information Structures you will use: Customer (S001) (Sold-To, Sales Org. , Dist. Channel, Division , Material) Sales Office (S002) (Sales Org. , Group, Office, District, Dist. Channel, Division) Sales Organization (S003) (Sales Org. , Dist. Channel, Division, Sales District, Material) Material (S004) (Material, Sales Org. , Dist. Channel) Shipping Point (S005) (Ship Pt. , Route, Fwd. Agent, Dest. Country) Sales Employee (S006) (Employee, Sales Org. , Dist. Channel, Division, Sold-To, Material) Variant Configuration (S128) (Class Type, Material, Int. Characteristic, Characteristic Value, Sales Org. , Dist. Channel, Division, Sold-To, Plant) Will you need to create your own UserDefined Information Structures? If so, what fields will be used as the index key? For your information structures, what time frame should the data be accumulated? For reporting purposes, do you need to combine SAP data with information from a legacy or 3rd party software package? Daily Weekly Monthly Period  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 32 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire What exceptional conditions do you have that you would like to receive warning about (Early Warning System)? Should these exceptional conditions be reported on a periodic basis or run on demand? Should these exceptional conditions be printed out or mailed to an employee’s in-box? Do you need to generate a Sales Plan (Budget)? On what organizational levels do you budget? On what sales figures do you budget (example: quantity, dollar volume, returns)? Do you need to transfer your Sales Plan to Demand Management? Would you like to aggregate statistical information on any sub-totals from your pricing procedure? If you have created any custom business partners, do you need to aggregate statistical information on the new partners? Do you need to perform statistical analysis on Inquiries or Quotes? Do you wish to track service level statistics by comparing requested delivery date with the actual delivery date? Do you need to combine information from multiple applications (i. e. , SD and MM) on a single report?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 33 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire 11 Sales Support System Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you record information on competitors or competitor products? Do you track information on prospective customers? Do you perform the following for a sales promotion? Direct Mailing Address List Other: Not Used Do you perform the following sales activities? Sales Call Telephone Call Sales Letter Other: 12 Sales Commissions If you are calculating sales person commissions, how will you calculate them? How are commissions determined in your company? Is a customer assigned to a specific sales commission object (representative, district, etc), or are commissions determined at an order level? Not Using Sales Information System Rebate Partial Settlement functionality Other: Customer specific Customer / Material specific Order specific Other: 3 Electronic Data Interchange Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. What 3rd party translator do you plan to Not Used  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 34 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire use? Which data format will you use? ANSI EDIFACT What inbound messages would you like to use? Request for quote Purchase Order Purchase order change request What output messages would you like to use? Quote P urchase Order acknowledgment PO change acknowledgment ODETTE VDA Planning schedule w/ release capability Shipping Schedule (call-off) Dispatch Advice Delivery note Invoice 4 Data Transfer Do you require to transfer your open orders from your legacy system? Identify the file structure of open orders on your legacy system. Do you require transfer of your current prices from your legacy system? Identify the file structure of prices on your legacy system. Yes No Yes No 15 Service Management Skip this section if you do not utilize this functionality. Do you serialize products that need to be tracked after the delivery? Do you plan to record individual data for each piece of equipment (for these serialized products)?  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. Not Used 35 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire For example, tracking maintenance and service activities and scheduling maintenance visits. Do you schedule the installation and dismantling of equipment at a customer site? Do you need to track any permits related to the service of the product? Will you use external or internal numbering for serial numbers? At what point do you want to assign serial numbers (e. g. , picking time)? Do you need to track any special tools, such as calibration equipment, and plan for their use? Do you grant a warranty for certain products? Do you check the warranty to see what services the customer is entitled to? Do you place serialized products on a service contract? Is there periodic billing associated with these contracts? Are there follow-up activities that need to be done on a service contract? Do you have standard task lists (steps that need to be performed) when a product is serviced? Do you need to track the reason for service calls in both code and text format? Do you need to track the resources used to service a product? (Resources Yes No  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 36 Sales and Distribution Questionnaire include labor and material. ) Do you need to perform planning for these services? Do you need to settle the cost of a service order to a work center, general ledger account or other cost object such as a service contract? Do you need to bill the customer for the resources used during service of the product? Should this invoice consider warranties? Are there contractual price agreements? 16 Recap Identity any major areas of your business which have not been addressed in this questionnaire.  © 1997 SAP Technology, Inc. 37

DEFINITION of Foreign Exchange Market Essays - Free Essays

DEFINITION of 'Foreign Exchange Market' Essays - Free Essays DEFINITION of 'Foreign Exchange Market' DEFINITION of 'Foreign Exchange Market' The market in which participants are able to buy, sell, exchange and speculate on currencies. Foreign exchange markets are made up of banks, commercial companies, central banks, investment management firms, hedge funds, and retail forex brokers and investors. The forex market is considered to be the largest financial market in the world. The foreign exchange market assists international trade and investments by enabling currency conversion. For example, it permits a business in the United States to import goods from the European Union member states, especially Eurozone members, and pay Euros, even though its income is in United States dollars. It also supports direct speculation and evaluation relative to the value of currencies, and the carry trade, speculation based on the interest rate differential between two currencies.[3] In a typical foreign exchange transaction, a party purchases some quantity of one currency by paying for some quantity of another currency. The modern foreign exchange market began forming during the 1970s after three decades of government restrictions on foreign exchange transactions (the Bretton Woods system of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the world's major industrial states after World War II), when countries gradually switched to floating exchange rates from the previous exchange rate regime, which remained fixed as per the Bretton Woods system. The foreign exchange market is unique because of the following characteristics: its huge trading volume representing the largest asset class in the world leading to high liquidity; its geographical dispersion; its continuous operation: 24 hours a day except weekends, i.e., trading from 22:00 GMT on Sunday (Sydney) until 22:00 GMT Friday (New York); the variety of factors that affect exchange rates; the low margins of relative profit compared with other markets of fixed income; and the use of leverage to enhance profit and loss margins and with respect to account size.Advantages The forex market is extremely liquid, hence its rapidly growing popularity. Currencies may be converted when bought or sold without causing too much movement in the price and keeping losses to a minimum. As there is no central bank, trading can take place anywhere in the world and operates on a 24-hour basis apart from weekends. An investor needs only small amounts of capital compared with other investments. Forex trading is outstanding in this regard. It is an unregulated market, meaning that there is no trade commission overseeing transactions and there are no restrictions on trade. In common with futures, forex is traded using a good faith deposit rather than a loan. The interest rate spread is an attractive advantage. Back to top Disadvantages The major risk is that one counterparty fails to deliver the currency involved in a very large transaction. In theory at least, such a failure could bring ruin to the forex market as a whole. Investors need a lot of capital to make good profits because the profit margins on small-scale trades are very low.Functions of the Foreign Exchange Market: The foreign exchange market performs the following important functions: (i) to effect transfer of purchasing power between countries- transfer function; (ii) to provide credit for foreign trade - credit function; and (iii) to furnish facilities for hedging foreign exchange risks - hedging function.Like any other market, foreign exchange market is a system, not a place. The transactions in this market are not confined to only one or few foreign currencies. In fact, there are a large number of foreign currencies which are traded, converted and exchanged in the foreign exchange market. Functions of Foreign Exchange Market: Foreign exchange market performs the following three functions: 1. Transfer Function: It transfers purchasing power between the countries involved in the transaction. This function is performed through credit instruments like bills of foreign exchange, bank drafts and telephonic transfers. 2. Credit Function: It provides credit for foreign trade. Bills of exchange, with maturity period of three months, are generally used for international payments. Credit is required for this period in order to enable the importer to take possession of goods, sell them and obtain money to pay off the bill. 3. Hedging Function: When exporters and importers enter into an agreement to sell and buy goods on some future date at the current prices and exchange rate, it is called hedging. The purpose of hedging is to avoid losses that might be caused due to exchange

The Physical Therapist and the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Physical Therapist and the Law - Essay Example [internet]). As a matter of fact, it is good for injury prevention in youth sports. (Hareyan, Armen. Injury Prevention. Physical Therapists Offer Tips For Injury Prevention April 10, 2007. EmaxHealth. [internet] Accessed February 11, 2010. Available at: ). In the State of Florida, the practice is covered by Chapter 486 of the Florida Statutes (2009) under Title XXXII of the law. (CHAPTER 486. PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE. Title XXXII For one to be qualified as a licensed massage therapist, there are certain requirements to comply with. As basic requisites, the applicant must be at least eighteen years of age and must be of good moral character. For her or his professional qualifications or credentials, the applicant must meet any one of the three given circumstances which are (a) the applicant is a graduate from a physical therapy school duly accredited under the tutelage of the Commission of Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation or the United States Department of Education upon her or his graduation, and has passed to the satisfaction of the Board of Physical Therapy Practice the American Registry Examination before 1971 or a national examination approved by the said Board of Physical Therapy Practice, or (b) the applicant has obtained a diploma from a physical therapy program in a foreign country or has educational qualifications equivalent to what is mandated of physical therapists in the United States d uly acknowledged by the proper agency accredited by the Board of Physical Therapy Practice, (Section 486.031 Physical therapist; licensing requirements. Ibid) or (c) the Board of Physical Therapy Practice has caused the issuance of a license to the applicant through the Department of Health without having taken any examination when she or he (the applicant) presents proof to the satisfaction of the Board of Physical Therapy Practice that she or he has passed the American Registry Examination before 1971 or an examination in physical therapy before a similar legally authorized examining board of another state, the District of Columbia, a territory or a foreign country where the standards for licensing physical therapy professionals are considered by the Board of Physical Therapy Practice as of the same level or category as those in Florida. (Section 486.081 Physical therapist; issuance of license without examination to person passing examination of another authorized examining board; fee. Ibid). In this third criterion, the professional may design or denominate herself or himself as a physical therapist or a physiotherapist or a P.T. She or he shall also pay to the Department of Health the appropriate fee not exceeding one hundred seventy five dollars as determined by the Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Physical therapy practice and police power Physical therapy being a career or a calling in Florida as in all other states,

Theme Essay on Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets

Theme on Piri Thomas, Down These Mean Streets - Essay Example hich the readers experience how they lead the author to a dark destiny and they also just become able to peek in the narrator’s psyche that constantly pulls him towards the darkness. In one sense, the streets in the novel are the abstraction of the narrator’s dark path of life, as in the article â€Å"The Use of Sidewalks: Safety† Jacobs comments on how street can be the abstraction: â€Å"A city sidewalk by itself is nothing. It is an abstraction†¦.the same might be said off streets...† ( Jacobs 30). But the way how Jacobs deals with the idea of street is different from Piri’s approach to it in the sense that whereas Jacobs views ‘street’ from an optimistic and positive vantage point, the streets in Piri’s novel are the path of destructions. In the novel, Piri notes that â€Å"A twelve-year-old kid walking the streets at 3 a.m. was a nothing sight in Harlem† (6). For Piri, a â€Å"twelve-year-old† kid means th e kid’s lost track. In contrast, a kid on a city sidewalk –that is under proper safety measures- conveys a sort security release. Coming out of Jacobs’s concept of a street, Piri uses it as an abstraction of various culture related oppression, suppression, and discrimination of the early 20th century of American society. In this sense it can be said that if any of the views is taken apart from the other, the socio-cultural notion of a street will remain incomplete; both Jacobs’s and Piri’s views are complementary to each other. In the novel, Piri’s general tendency is to look into the society, first, to find out its anomalies and discrepancies, and then he moves on to reflect them in the portrayal of the city streets. But in an opposite manner, Jacobs, in the first place, focuses the city streets in order depicts the society. To a great extent, Jacobs approach is analogous to a white approach toward the black. It deliberately leaves a scope for an observer to overlook the societal variables that are primarily responsible for the city

Issues in global economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Issues in global economy - Essay Example In turn, more economic growth was observed and many new jobs were created. In other words, new companies, business organisations and enterprises joined the arena that not only resulted in healthy economic growth but also in stiff competition among existing entities. Businesses, therefore, started making innovations and developments in their production process and finished products so that they could differentiate their produce from the rivals in the same industry. Nevertheless, this competition benefited people in a way that they now had more variety of products at their disposal. The emergence of media, especially after popularity of ‘Penny Press’ was another reason that enhanced the knowledge of people about their surroundings while it also enhanced the flow of information. Businesses started understanding the importance of advertising, branding, research and marketing intelligence in order to ensure their survival, growth and sustainability. Also, they started producing highly sophisticated and modern machinery to speed up their operation and improve productivity. The media, especially newspapers, has also become popular by the end of 19th century. Finally, important inventions such as advent of Television and Internet in the 290th century helped introducing the world with an entirely new concept of globalisation that talks about international markets, international institutions (banks, universities, research centres and others etc.), global politics, justice, global culture etc. In short, people are closely knitted after recent advancements i n internet and communication media and the subsequent improvements in circulation and sharing of information among people from different communities and geographic regions. The relationships among people and their frequent communication have also created enormous business opportunities after emergence of global markets that in turn have increased global trade (through imports and exports).

The samoa-tonga tsunami

The samoa-tonga tsunami Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the 29th September 2009 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurring on the outer rise of the Tonga Trench generated a large tsunami. The tsunami struck Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga with devastating consequences. Waves which reached up to 7.4m struck the coastlines of the islands just one minute after the initial underestimated tsunami alert. The tsunami killed at least 182 people. It had a large impact on the populations of all the islands and also had a sizeable impact upon the environment especially coral reefs. Cases of dengue fever and leptospirosis disease have increased and there is expected to be a long term impact upon the regions economy. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the 29th of September 2009 a large earthquake of magnitude 8.0 occurred in the vicinity of the northern end of the Tonga Trench. This earthquake triggered a tsunami which had a large scale impact on the islands of Samoa, American Samoa and also in Tonga. It caused many fatalities and devastated many areas. The natural disaster although only directly affecting a small region does have a global significance. How the possibility of such a hazard was treated beforehand and how people responded during and after it occurred can be used as a model to show the impacts of future similar hazards not only in this region, but in others across the earth. This report examines the cause, consequences and impact of the earthquake generated tsunami. It also assesses the human response and whether the scale of the tsunami impact could have been less. Cause of the Tsunami   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tsunami was generated by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck at 17:48:10 UTC at a depth of 18km (United States Geological Survey (USGS) 2009a). It occurred towards the northern of the Tonga Trench, 190 km south of Apia Samoa. Figure 1 shows its location. The Tonga Trench marks the boundary between the Pacific and Australia plates. This is a convergent plate boundary where the oceanic Pacific plate subducts westward below the continental Australia plate at the Tonga Trench. The rate of this subduction is the fastest to be recorded worldwide with a maximum of 240mm per year at the northern end (Cousteau 2006). This makes this region one of the most seismically active in the world. Close to where the earthquake occurred the velocity has been measured to be 86mm per year (USGS 2009a) however in current worldwide plate tectonic movement this rate is still very fast. The actual earthquake occurred on a thin ridge called the outer rise to the east of the Tonga Tre nch (Annunziato et al 2009). Earthquakes occur in these regions, on the ocean side of a subduction zone, as normal faults are ruptured when the oceanic plate is forced to flex as it bends under the continental plate. Thus it can be deduced that the earthquake was a normal fault rupture on the outer rise of the Tonga Trench. The earthquake was felt across the islands in the region and was reported to have shaken the ground for up to 3 minutes (Adetunji and Gabbat 2009). In Iliili and Tafuna, American Samoa, the intensity was measured as reaching IV. According to the USGS modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (2009b) this would mean it would have been felt by most with the disturbance of objects such as â€Å"windows and doors†, â€Å"standing vehicles being noticeably rocked† and a â€Å"sensation like [a] heavy truck striking a building†. A higher intensity was felt in Apia, Samoa of V but it was felt strongest in Faleniu, American Samoa with an intensity of VII (USGS 2009a). This could have resulted in â€Å"considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed buildings† however there are no reports that any damage was caused by the earthquake before the tsunami hit. The Tsunami Tsunamis are generated by a sudden vertical displacement of ocean water. In this instance an earthquake rupture in the sea floor caused water to be pushed upwards. This water collapses producing a tsunami. Through deep water the tsunami moves rapidly with speeds up to 500 km/h but heights of the waves are usually less than 1m. As it nears shore the tsunami slows because of decreasing water depth but is compressed upwards thus growing in height. These waves are then capable of pushing far inshore (Keller and Blodgett 2008). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre first sent out an alert 16 minutes after the earthquake. It had, however, an underestimation of the earthquake magnitude 7.1 and so it was only a green alert. It was not until 20 minutes after the earthquake that the alert was scaled up to orange (Annunziato et al 2009). Both these alerts however would have come too late to help those in the regions first in the tsunamis path. Reports that water began to retreat from coastal areas beyond the coral reefs (Mercer 2009) shows the tsunami was approaching Samoa soon after the Earthquake. This report also suggests the tsunami first struck Samoa shortly after 7:00 am local time or 18:00 UTC. The exact time for the first tsunami waves to hit Samoa is thought to be around 17 minutes after the earthquake (Annunziato et al 2009) or 18:05 UTC. Different sources provide various data for the heights of the tsunami waves. The USGS (2009a) report, lists recorded wave heights as being 314cm in Pago Pago, American Samoa and 140cm in Apia, Samoa. It also details the distance the tsunami travelled with it reaching Wellington, New Zealand where it was 11cm in height. The BBC reported waves of 5m in height (Mercer 2009) whilst the New Zealand Herald informed its readers that the island of Niuatoputapu, Tonga, experienced wave heights of 6m (Tahana 2009). With many of the sensors for measuring tidal height in the region not functioning, Annunziato et al (2009) carried out many calculations so as to try and determine actual wave height. Their results revealed tsunami heights of above 6m in some areas including 7.4m in Alaufu, American Samoa. There are also different reports on the extent to which the tsunami travelled inland causing damage. The Guardian reported the damage extending 100m inshore in Samoa (Adetunji and Gabbatt 2009) wh ere as in eastern Samoa the tsunami caused damage up to 330m inshore (NASA Earth Observatory 2009). In American Samoa there are reports of water surging 1km inland (TVNZ 2009). By utilising all of this data it is evident that this was a large tsunami the impact of which was devastating. The Tsunami Impact and Consequences   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tsunami had a large impact upon the islands of Samoa and American Samoa and also proved to be destructive to the island of Niuatoputapu, Tonga. There were at least 149 killed in Samoa, 24 in American Samoa and 9 in Niuatoputapu (USGS 2009). In total it was reported to have affected around 32000 people and left close to 3000 homeless (Atayman 2009). Devastation was widespread with the destruction of tens of villages. Lalomanu, a village come holiday resort in south-eastern Samoa, was flattened by the tsunami (Mclean 2009). It was made up around 100 homes and resort huts, the majority of which were destroyed. The village of Poutasi in south-western Upolu, Samoa was another that suffered large scale destruction (TVNZ 2009). Radio New Zealand (2009) reported that along the south coast of Upolu the majority of resorts and hotels were destroyed. American Samoas main village of Pago Pago was â€Å"completely devastated† with only the foundations of buildings b eing left and a large degree of flooding. On a greater scale all of western American Samoa was left with no power. Lieutenant Governor Faoa Sunia of American Samoa reportedly said that water was limited in some areas due to damage to the water system (Samoa news staff 2009). In Niuatoputapu, home to just over 1000 people, 90% of homes had been ruined and the hospital was also badly damaged (Tahana 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The long term consequences of the tsunami will be substantial. Not only will infrastructure have to be redeveloped but other factors are going to be problematic. The loss of homes means people have been forced to live outdoors. This has resulted in people becoming more at risk of dengue fever. The fever is spread by mosquitoes and so a lack of shelter means people are more likely to get bitten. American Samoas only hospital has confirmed that there has been an increase in patients suffering from dengue fever with 62 confirmed cases in October and the first two deaths from the disease in 2009 (Anon 2009). The risk of polluted water being drunk is also greatly enhanced by the poor living conditions. Leptospirosis, a disease spread by the contamination of water by the urine of rats and other species has also seen a rise in confirmed cases in American Samoa, according to the same report. The economic impact is going to be significant in the longer term. People from the rural areas of Samoa are dependent on agriculture, fisheries and eco-tourism (FAO 2009). Areas of vegetable cultivation were devastated and the tsunami swept away fishing boats and fishing gear. The destruction of holiday resorts around the coasts of the islands and that their owners are fearful of returning means many tourists are likely to look elsewhere (Coopes 2009). The environmental impacts of the tsunami were also extensive. The Samoa Tsunami Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Report (Ifopo et al 2009) lists much of the damage caused and what damage was expected. It includes septic tank pollution, solid waste pollution and salinisation pollution which occurred in many areas. Salinisation pollution is going to be a significant impact to the agricultural industry as crops may fail to grow in soil with a high salt concentration. It also details that there was foreshore and beach erosion, damage to wetland areas and in particular mangroves. Damage to ecosystems extended beyond the coast with marine protected areas and no take zones heavily impacted. Coral reefs were also devastated. The Associated Press (2009) reported that some coral reefs had been â€Å"obliterated† whilst others may not be able to recover. Response to the Earthquake and Tsunami   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first tsunami alert was issued 16 minutes after the earthquake. This does appear to be relatively fast considering the data for the earthquake had to be received and analysed. However the first alert was green the lowest alert level due to the earthquake magnitude being underestimated. It wasnt until 20 minutes after the earthquake when the alert was upgraded to orange by which point the tsunami had already struck the Samoa islands. Many people didnt realise the earthquake could have generated a tsunami and thus few moved to higher ground (Driscoll 2009). It is therefore apparent that a faster and more accurate response to the earthquake was required so as to have saved at least some of the lives that were lost. As this could save lives in the future further investigations into methods on how to analyse earthquakes more quickly are worthwhile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aid response for the victims of the tsunami was issued within 2 days. The US, New Zealand and Australia provided the initial help with them all sending in planes to provide aid and assess the overall damage, the US also sent in a ship from their naval fleet to assist (Atayman 2009; Australian Government Department of Defence 2009). The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) delivered water to those who were affected by water shortages (Samoa news staff 2009) and the Red Cross set up camps for those who had been left homeless (Mercer 2009). The New Zealand Air Force provided medical supplies, medical teams and temporary morgue facilities to assist the hospital in Apia, Samoa (Young 2009). By October 8th all of Samoa was reconnected to the electricity grid and the main water pipes had been fixed as detailed in the 7th United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) situation report (2009b). The report informed that roads had been cleared in Samoa a nd Tonga and airports were functional. Financial aid was provided by governments and other organisations worldwide. Using information from OCHA situation reports 6 through to 9 and also 11 (2009a; 2009b; 2009c; 2009d; 2009e;) some of the funding provided can be listed as coming from; the European Union (over $2 million), the Japan International Cooperation Agency ($220 thousand), Australia ($874 thousand for Niuatoputapu), New Zealand (over $1.1 million), the European Commission ($150 thousand for Samoa) and the Asian Development Bank ($1 million). It is evident that the response to the tsunami was fast, well funded and efficient. Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When researching the initial response to the earthquake it was found that local people had previously been uninterested in the dangers of a tsunami (Driscoll 2009). This is likely to have been due to there being no living memory of the last significant tsunami which occurred in 1917 (Mataafa 2009). If they had knowledge of the consequences of a large earthquake occurring in the ocean they may have responded more quickly by moving to higher ground. In this case in order to have saved lives it would have been essential for the local people of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga to react quickly as the tsunami alert came too late. By educating people on the affects of earthquakes and how they can generate earthquakes it may be possible to save lives in the future. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 29th September Samoa Tonga tsunami devastated the islands and many of the people living on them. It was caused by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake which occurred on the outer ridge of the Tonga Trench. The Tsunami killed at least 182 people and affected thousands more. Much of the islands infrastructures were destroyed and the tsunami also had a significant environmental impact especially upon coral reefs. Long term consequences have already been seen with an increase in cases of dengue fever and leptospirosis disease. Economically the impacts are also going to be long lasting. The destruction of livelihoods whether it is through fishing, agriculture or tourism will be widespread. It was found that the initial tsunami alert issued was the lowest level and wasnt upgraded until after the first tsunami waves hit. The response in the days following the tsunami however was quick effective and well funded. By educating people especially in areas where the risk of tsunami is high it is probable that lives will be saved in the future. References Adetunji, J. and Gabbatt, A. (2009) Samoa tsunami: 100 feared dead on Pacific islands. Guardian, [internet] 30 September. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/30/samoa-tsunami-pacific-earthquake [Accessed 5 November 2009]. Annunziato, A., Franchello, G., Ulutas, E. and De Groeve, T. (2009) 29 September 2009 Samoa Tsunami, (pp 70 of 2009). Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Anon (2009) Dengue Fever in American Samoa rises after Tsunami. New Zealand Herald. [internet] 9 November. Available at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/samoa-tsunami/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502844objectid=10608167 [Accessed 12 November 2009). Associated Press (2009) Tsunami in Samoa takes toll on coral. New Zealand Herald. [internet] 2 November. Available at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/marine/news/article.cfm?c_id=61objectid=10606655 [Accessed 12 November 2009]. Atayman, B. (2009) Tsunami deaths likely to rise in Pacific islands: Villages and vacation resorts destroyed. The Windsor Star. [internet] 30 September. Available at http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Over+killed+tsunamis+smash+Pacific+islands/2049879/story.html [Accessed 6 November 2009]. Australian Government Department of Defence (2009) ADF support to Samoa update. Defence Media Release. [internet] 1 October. Available at http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=9535 [Accessed 12 November 2009]. Coopes, A. (2009) Tsunami-hit Samoa braces for tourism slump. news.com.au, [internet] 7 October. Available at http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26178055-23109,00.html [Accessed 12 November 2009). Cousteau, F. (2006) Atlas of the Oceans. In Ocean: The Worlds Last Wilderness Revealed, pp 480 481. London, Dorling Kindersley Limited. Driscoll, J. (2009) Lessons from Samoa: Local researcher part of team sent to tsunami zone. Times Standard. [internet] 3 November. Available at http://www.times-standard.com/ci_13701412?source=most_viewed [Accessed 12 November 2009]. FAO (2009) Recent natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific: Samoa, Tonga, American Samoa, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. [online] (updated 2 October 2009) Available at ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/017/asia_emerg.pdf [Accessed 12 November]. Ifopo, P.E., Atherton, J., Miller-Taei, S., Anderson, P., Suaesi, T., Steffen, J., Paisley, S. And Sherley, G. (unpublished) Samoa Tsunami Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Report. [internet] 14 October. Available at http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/samoa/171.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. Mataafa, T. (2009) Tsunami scientist presents findings of Sept. 29 wave. Samoa News. [internet] 24 October. Available at http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=10111 [Accessed 13 November 2009]. Mercer, P. (2009) Samoas tsunami death toll rises. BBC News, [internet] 2 October. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8286635.stm [Accessed 5 November 2009]. Mclean, T. (2009) Searching ruins for reason to live after tsunami. The Daily Telegraph, [internet] 2 October. Available at http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/searching-ruins-for-reason-to-live-after-the-tsunami/story-e6freuy9-1225781822624 [Accessed 9 November 2009]. NASA Earth Observatory (2009) Earthquake off Samoa Generates Tsunami. [online] (updated 13 October 2009) Available at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40532 [Accessed 2 November 2009). OCHA (2009a) Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Situation Report No. 6. [internet] 6 October. Available at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2009.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/AZHU-7WL2CX-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. OCHA (2009b) Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Situation Report No. 7. [internet] 8 October. Available at http://www.un.org.au/files/files/Samoa%20SitRep%20No%207%208%20Oct.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. OCHA (2009c) Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Situation Report No. 8. [internet] 10 October. Available at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2009.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/MYAI-7WQ2JM-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. OCHA (2009d) Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Situation Report No. 9. [internet] 14 October. Available at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2009.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/EDIS-7WTR39-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. OCHA (2009e) Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Situation Report No. 11. [internet] 22 October. Available at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2009.nsf/FilesByRWDocUnidFilename/AZHU-7X42LF-full_report.pdf/$File/full_report.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2009]. Radio New Zealand (2009) Samoa disaster toll soars. [internet] 30 September. Available at http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=readid=49414 [Accessed 9 November 2009). Samoa news staff (2009) 8.0 quake hits Samoa islands. Samoa News [internet] 29 September. Available at http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=9550edition=1254218400 [Accessed 6 November 2009]. Tahana, Y. (2009) Teams Reach Tonga Victims. New Zealand Herald, [internet] 2 October. Available at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/samoa-tsunami/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502844objectid=10600831 [Accessed 6 November 2009]. TVNZ (2009) Over 100 feared dead in Samoa tsunami. [internet] 30 September. Available at http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/tsunami-sirens-wail-again-in-samoa-3041553/video [Accessed 9 November 2009]. USGS (2009a) Magnitude 8.0 SAMOA ISLANDS REGION. [online] (updated 28 October 2009) Available at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009mdbi/ [Accessed 2 November 2009). USGS (2009b) The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. [online] (updated 27 October 2009) Available at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mercalli.php [Accessed 2 November 2009). Young, A. (2009) NZ aid arrives in Samoa. New Zealand Herald [internet] 1 October. Available at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1objectid=10600651 [Accessed 12 November].

James Baldwin Essays -- Biography Bio

For The World to See James Baldwin was a man who wrote an exceptional amount of essays. He enticed audiences differing in race, sexuality, ethnic background, government preference and so much more. Each piece is a circulation of emotions and a teeter-totter on where he balances personal experiences and worldly events to the way you feel. Not only did he have the ability to catch readers’ attention through writing, but he also appeared on television a few times. Boston’s local public television station WGBH, under the leadership of Hartford Gunn, presented an array of educational and cultural programming. Similar to an earlier interview, in a 1963 taping of â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise,† Baldwin is interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Clark. This happened just months after Alabama’s governor, George Wallace, expressed his support of â€Å"segregation forever† (qtd. in PBS Online). To inflect the possibility that blacks were not as equal or fairly treated as whites in the mid-twentieth century, two very different African Americans were brought on air. Malcolm X based his interview on historical and present references, but James Baldwin took a more personal approach. As a grown black male Baldwin had encompassed a range of experiences, both horrifying and gratuitous. Those occurrences most treacherous were a focal point when he adds that, â€Å"It doesn’t matter any longer what you do to me; you can put me in jail, you can kill me. By the time I was 17, you’d done everything that you could do to me† (â€Å"The Negro† 2). Reflecting back on â€Å"Down at the Cross† for a moment, Baldwin starts by explaining the metamorphosis of both the black girls and boys. Most of his friends became pimps and whores, and the b... ...erance for those who are disrespectful, but realizes that people can and hopefully will change and that we need each other to change. The New York Times described the James Baldwin segment as "a television experience that seared the conscience" (qtd. in PBS Online). In one instance Baldwin makes a hearty and honest â€Å"can’t we all get along† statement. â€Å"In short, we, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation – if we are really, that is, to achieve our identity, our maturity as men and women† (Baldwin 342). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1962. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise.† Citizen King. 2004. PBS Online. 10 Mar. 2004 . James Baldwin Essays -- Biography Bio For The World to See James Baldwin was a man who wrote an exceptional amount of essays. He enticed audiences differing in race, sexuality, ethnic background, government preference and so much more. Each piece is a circulation of emotions and a teeter-totter on where he balances personal experiences and worldly events to the way you feel. Not only did he have the ability to catch readers’ attention through writing, but he also appeared on television a few times. Boston’s local public television station WGBH, under the leadership of Hartford Gunn, presented an array of educational and cultural programming. Similar to an earlier interview, in a 1963 taping of â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise,† Baldwin is interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Clark. This happened just months after Alabama’s governor, George Wallace, expressed his support of â€Å"segregation forever† (qtd. in PBS Online). To inflect the possibility that blacks were not as equal or fairly treated as whites in the mid-twentieth century, two very different African Americans were brought on air. Malcolm X based his interview on historical and present references, but James Baldwin took a more personal approach. As a grown black male Baldwin had encompassed a range of experiences, both horrifying and gratuitous. Those occurrences most treacherous were a focal point when he adds that, â€Å"It doesn’t matter any longer what you do to me; you can put me in jail, you can kill me. By the time I was 17, you’d done everything that you could do to me† (â€Å"The Negro† 2). Reflecting back on â€Å"Down at the Cross† for a moment, Baldwin starts by explaining the metamorphosis of both the black girls and boys. Most of his friends became pimps and whores, and the b... ...erance for those who are disrespectful, but realizes that people can and hopefully will change and that we need each other to change. The New York Times described the James Baldwin segment as "a television experience that seared the conscience" (qtd. in PBS Online). In one instance Baldwin makes a hearty and honest â€Å"can’t we all get along† statement. â€Å"In short, we, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation – if we are really, that is, to achieve our identity, our maturity as men and women† (Baldwin 342). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1962. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. â€Å"The Negro and the American Promise.† Citizen King. 2004. PBS Online. 10 Mar. 2004 .

Police Ethics and Deviance Assignment

Running head: POLICE ETHICS AND DEVIANCE ASSIGNMENT Police Ethics and Deviance Assignment Axia College Police Ethics and Deviance Assignment Police officers live by a specific code of ethics that helps them to their chosen profession in the noblest means possible. The problem is that officers are human and as humans, they sometimes give in to temptation and bad judgment while trying to fulfill the completion of those duties. A few of the deviant behaviors that officers succumb to are corruption, misconduct, and brutality. Some officers will partake in the items previously listed in the name of doing the â€Å"right thing†. This has been given the name â€Å"The Dirty Harry† syndrome, after the movie of the same name (Dempsey & Frost, 2005). Regardless of the goodwill behind it, any abnormal behavior by a person sworn to uphold the law cannot and will not be tolerated. Ethics can be described as what one does that is considered right and wrong to society and people. Ethics helps one make decisions and behave in specific ways that will not bring shame and disgrace to one’s self. A police officer’s code of ethics has to be higher than the people they are protecting and serving. T. O’Connor (2005) cites the following Law Enforcement Code of Ethics: |The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics | |As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the | |innocent against deception; the weak against oppression or intimidation; and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to| |respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice. |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or | |ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in my thought and deed in both | |personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department. Whatever| |I see or hear of a confidential nature or that i s confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless | |revelation is necessary in the performance of my duties. |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my | |decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and | |appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill-will, never employing unnecessary force or violence, and never accepting | |gratuities. | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I| |am true to the ethics of police service. I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself | |before God to my chosen profession — law enforcement. (para. 12) | As one can see, it is very specific about the treatment of others and how an officer is expected to act while working in the public trust (O’Connor, 2006). This code ethics provides an outline for the officers and takes away any gray areas that may cause some confusion and wrong choices by the officers. One of the first items of the code deals with an officer’s duty to protect and not deceive. Unfortunately, some officers do not apply this part to their working lives or they choose to forget it. This will lead an officer to the darker side of police work such as, corruption and misconduct by the officer. In Los Angeles, for example, corruption presents itself in many forms, such as financial kick-backs, drug-dealing, obstruction of justice, and theft (Staff, 2009). These acts will degrade an officer’s identity and create an air of mistrust amongst those they are supposed to help. Not to mention, they are against the law the police officers have sworn to uphold. This will lead to the officers answering for their actions and being reviewed by other officers, whose duty is to weed out the corrupt officers. Even lesser types of corruption, like taking gratuities and â€Å"cooping†, will compromise an officer’s integrity and effect how they do their job. By taking gifts they will show favoritism to those individuals giving them the gifts. Cooping is the term for when officers rest, sleep or just are negligent in doing their job. That is why it is very important that officer’s followed the code of ethics and remain above the public in everything they do. Misconduct is also something that an officer can do that will tarnish the whole department. Misconduct is what an officer does when they break departmental rules and regulations that guide police behavior. This is not a misuse of authority, but of how an officer acts in regard to the force. This type of deviant behavior shows the police force in a bad light and paints a negative picture of the police and what they do. Some of the types of misconduct are using police property for personal use, unsafe use of police property, failure to write reports, and improper searching of suspects. This is only a small collection of the many types of misconduct, but all are damaging to the character of the officer (Stevens, 2005). Police brutality is probably one of the most egregious of all the deviant behaviors that has been listed previously. It is the use of excessive force against suspects, civilians, and offenders (Dempsey & Frost, 2005, p. 308). This type of deviant behavior has been present since the inception of police work. These acts of aggression are direct infringements of constitutional rights against people who officers are supposed to protect and help. The needed trust in the police officer by the public is broken and is difficult to try to repair. Even if citizen oversight committees are formed and officers are punished for their actions, public trust usually is not restored. Police brutality usually goes hand-in-hand with perjury by the officer committing the brutality. An officer is more likely to lie under oath instead of risking punishment from the court and their department (O’Connor, 2005) Thankfully, most police officers follow the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. Only a small fraction of â€Å"rogue† officers use the influence of the position to gain power and monetary gain. What needs to be done is to have more honest officers stand up and police their own. Only then will society be able to purge this nefarious aspect from its policing expectations and create a culture free from deceit and wrongdoings by those charged with protecting others. References Dempsey, J. S. , & Frost, L. S. (2005). Police and the law. In (Ed. ), An introduction to policing (pp. 250-290). Retrieved from Axia CJS 210. O’Connor, T. (2006). Topics in police ethics. Manuscript submitted for publication. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www. apsu. edu/oconnort/3300/3300lect04. htm O’Connor, T. R. (2005). Police deviance and ethics. Retrieved February 20, 2010, from http://policecrimes. com/police_deviance. html Staff (2009, July). In the news: police corruption. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles. latimes. com/keyword/police-corruption Stevens, M. (2005). Police deviance and ethics (Masters Thesis, California State University – Fresno, 2005). Retrieved from http://faculty. ncwc. edu/mstevens/205/205lect11. htm

Battle of Ascalon in the First Crusade

Battle of Ascalon in the First Crusade Battle of Ascalon - Conflict Date: The Battle of Ascalon was fought August 12, 1099, and was the final engagement of the First Crusade (1096-1099). Armies Commanders: Crusaders Godfrey of BouillonRobert II, Count of FlandersRaymond of Toulouseapproximately 10,000 men Fatimids al-Afdal Shahanshahapproximately 10,000-12,000 men, possibly as high as 50,000 Battle of Ascalon - Background: Following the capture of Jerusalem from the Fatimids on July 15, 1099, the leaders of the First Crusade began to divide the titles and spoils. Godfrey of Bouillon was named Defender of the Holy Sepulchre on July 22 while Arnulf of Chocques became the Patriarch of Jerusalem on August 1. Four days later, Arnulf discovered a relic of the True Cross. These appointments created some strife within the crusader camp as Raymond IV of Toulouse and Robert of Normandy were angered by Godfreys election. As the crusaders consolidated their hold on Jerusalem, word was received that a Fatimid army was en route from Egypt to retake the city. Led by Vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah, the army encamped just north of the port of Ascalon. On August 10, Godfrey mobilized the crusader forces and moved towards the coast to meet the approaching enemy. He was accompanied by Arnulf who carried the True Cross and Raymond of Aguilers who bore a relic of the Holy Lance which had been captured at Antioch the previous year. Raymond and Robert remained in the city for a day until finally being convinced of the threat and joining Godfrey. Battle of Ascalon - Crusaders Outnumbered: While advancing, Godfrey was further reinforced by troops under his brother Eustace, Count of Boulogne, and Tancred. Despite these additions, the crusader army remained outnumbered by as much as five-to-one. Pressing forward on August 11, Godfrey halted for night near the Sorec River. While there, his scouts spotted what was initially thought to be a large body of enemy troops. Investigating, it was soon found to be a great number of livestock which had been gathered to feed al-Afdals army. Some sources indicate that these animals were exposed by the Fatimids in the hope that the crusaders would disperse to pillage the countryside, while others suggest that al-Afdal was unaware of Godfreys approach. Regardless, Godfrey held his men together and resumed the march the next morning with the animals in tow. Approaching Ascalon, Arnulf moved through the ranks with the True Cross blessing the men. Marching over the Plains of Ashdod near Ascalon, Godfrey formed his men for battle and took command of the armys left wing. Battle of Ascalon - The Crusaders Attack: The right wing was led by Raymond, while the center was guided by Robert of Normandy, Robert of Flanders, Tancred, Eustace, and Gaston IV of BÃ ©arn. Near Ascalon, al-Afdal raced to prepare his men to meet the approaching crusaders. Though more numerous, the Fatimid army was poorly trained relative to those the crusaders had faced previously and was composed of a mix of ethnicities from throughout the caliphate. As Godfreys men approached, the Fatimids became discouraged as the cloud of dust generated by the captured livestock suggested that the crusaders had been heavily reinforced. Advancing with infantry in the lead, Godfreys army exchanged arrows with the Fatimids until the two lines clashed. Striking hard and fast, the crusaders quickly overwhelmed the Fatimids on most parts of the battlefield. In the center, Robert of Normandy, leading the cavalry, shattered the Fatimid line. Nearby, a group of Ethiopians mounted a successful counterattack, but were defeated when Godfrey assaulted their flank. Driving the Fatimids from the field, the crusaders soon moved into the enemys camp. Fleeing, many of the Fatimids sought safety within the walls of Ascalon. Battle of Ascalon - Aftermath: Precise casualties for the Battle of Ascalon are not known though some sources indicate that Fatimid losses were around 10,000 to 12,000. While the Fatimid army retreated to Egypt, the crusaders looted al-Afdals camp before returning to Jerusalem on August 13. A subsequent dispute between Godfrey and Raymond regarding the future of Ascalon led to its garrison refusing to surrender. As a result, the city remained in Fatimid hands and served as a springboard for future attacks into the Kingdom of Jerusalem. With the Holy City secure, many of the crusader knights, believing their duty done, returned home to Europe. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of AscalonGodfrey His SuccessorsMedieval Crusades: Battle of Ascalon

Proper Language and Sentence Structure for Academic Writing by Lauren Gartner

Proper Language and Sentence Structure for Academic Writing Proper Language and Sentence Structure for Academic Writing Academic writing is the form of writing that students and others in the world of academia use to communicate their knowledge and informed opinions on a variety of subjects. Academic writing is by definition objective, evidence based, accurate, and written from an impersonal point of view. Notes about the Academic Writing Style The style that you will use to write academic papers is much different than the style that you would use for personal or business communication. For example, when writing in an academic setting, you would never use contractions. You would also never use slang, jargon, or colloquialisms. The rules of academic writing also require that you avoid filler words, vague words (thing, a lot, more), and phrases that can be replaced with one word. Sexist language should also be avoided. Use police officer instead of police man. Avoid using first person pronouns or gender based pronouns. Use they or their instead of he or she. Writing in the second person (you) is also expressly forbidden. Avoid using filler words. Having a good vocabulary will be beneficial to you, but big words will not impress simply because they are big words. Understanding The Conventions of Academic Writing Here are a few rules that may help you to understand what is expected of you when you write a research paper or essay: Your writing should be based on solid research Your goal when writing a research paper should be expressing what the evidence proves, not manipulating evidence to support your opinion Shorter words are often the better choice than longer words Paragraphs must always have a main idea sentence Your thesis should be clear Being concise is extremely important Your papers should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion Help With Academic Writing Now that you better understand the characteristics of academic writing, let us discuss where you can get writing help both on and off campus. If your campus has a writing center, this is a great place to go and get help with academic writing assignments. The writing center will usually be staffed with assistant instructors or upperclassmen who are willing to volunteer their time to assist you. In some cases, your school's writing center will be internet based. In this case, you can log in to get information on various types of academic papers, rules of citation formats, and to see examples of various papers. If you need additional help, you may be able to find a tutor who can work with you one on one. A final option that many students use at least once are academic writing services. These are services that will write, edit, or proofread your academic papers for you. This is a very good option for students who are truly stuck on an assignment, and who are counting on getting a good gr ade. You can also use these services to help you to learn more about the proper structure and format of academic papers.

Cross calture issuse in international business Essay

Cross calture issuse in international business - Essay Example Each group has slightly different opinion. The main step for business growth IKEA took is to hire non Chinese managers and Chinese co-workers. The cross culture issues in international business Influence of cultural differences between china and Europe on IKEA IKEA is an international company owned by non-governmental organization. IKEA is the abbreviation of Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. each term in its abbreviation has its own history. Ingvar Kamprad is the Swedish 17 year's old man who founded this company in 1943. this man was grown up in Elmtaryd and his home parish is in Agunnaryd. it is the world's largest retailer that designs and sell knock-down or flat pack furniture, home appliances and accessories. IKEA also launched a family mobile (Aug 8, 2008), a virtual mobile network running on T-mobiles. IKEA is known as one of the best company which does a lot for the third world. It built an image for the low price furniture but for the Chinese customers the case was opposit e when IKEA opened the first store in Shanghai, China (1998). Most of the Chinese likes to visit IKEA store but they mostly of them just wandered there and only few can by the items because of high prices. IKEA tried to low down their price but still their product became luxury for the Chinese customers. In the beginning IKEA had to face many challenges. For success in business it is much necessary to understand the cultural values of the country where you are setting your business. For IKEA, to achieve the strategy goal in china means to understand the culture and socio-economic conditions of china. In terms of culture and business practices, economical and political changes in china IKEA suffered with many ups and downs. The main issue for IKEA is to understand the environment and cultural difference which influence the Chinese customer's behavior. Hofstede's Cultural dimensions Geert Hofstede had done the influential work to demonstrate the cultural differences. He identified fiv e major dimensions along which cultural values vary: high vs. low power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, and uncertainty avoidance vs. uncertainty acceptance and short-term vs. long-term orientation. Difference between china and Sweden culture In china culture dominant values in society are masculine. Caring of others and the quality of people and life are not so important but the importance is given to the assertiveness, acquisition of money and things. In china society muscularity, assertiveness and challenges are preferred over co-operation and good working relationship. Another important cultural trait of china is the high power distance. This means that the distance between subordinates and superiors in china is relatively high then west. We can consider it as a shape of narrow triangle in which the mangers placed on the apex while subordinates on the base. The management is not so common or in practice. This high power distance is basically roots from the imperial tradition in china. Until 1911, the emperors were given so high value that extremely they were called the sons of god. This resulted as an unequal relationship in the society. The subordinates are restricted to obey and owe their superiors in exchange for protection and consideration (Sriramesh, vercic, 2003, p 26). The local government institutions in china are powerful and mostly they operate on discretion. This is the main

Financial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Economics - Essay Example Under CAPM, the variations associated with returns are considered as sufficient measure of the risk related to a particular portfolio. But, on the other hand, there are several other risk factors, which may be considered as influential in the determination of risk involved in the investment in a portfolio. Apart from this, as per the assumption made in CAPM, returns related to assets are deemed to be normally distributed, which in real life situation, cannot be guaranteed as such (Kurschner, 2008). In addition to this, it is also pertinent to note that investors do not possess the same ability to invest and therefore investment costs to be borne by them may vary significantly. Similarly, assumptions relating to no variations in the expected returns and the concept of asset market without friction can also be considered as unfeasible. In fact, markets, which are assumed to be frictionless are reflective of situations where there exist no costs of transaction and other costs relating t o taxes or any limit on transactions. Moreover, the model also presumes that the assets traded in the market can be segregated to an infinite extent, thus enabling them to be held or sold. Apart from these limitations, one other significant limitations associated with the model is that CAPM does not require investors to take into consideration unsystematic risk, as the model presumes that it is not difficult to diversify such risks. But, since returns are directly related to the returns on market portfolio, therefore it is not possible to eliminate such risks with mere diversification (Kurschner, 2008). Roll’s Critique of the Early Empirical Tests of the CAPM Based on the empirical testing of the CAPM, Roll’s critical evaluation of the model relates to the determination of the fact that whether CAPM equation is valid and does it hold its ground? As per the equation of CAPM, E (Ri) signifies the returns expected from investment in a security â€Å"i† (Roll, 1977) . On the other hand, Rf is representative of the risk free return and ? represents systematic risk associated with the security for expected returns are to be determined. Moreover, it is also pertinent to note here that under CAPM making use of expected returns in relation to a real market portfolio carries out the evaluation of investment portfolio. As per the criticism of Roll, there is a relationship between systematic risk and returns expected from investment in a security, which is linear, provided that the value for ? is determined in the form of an index portfolio. Apart from this, the intercept also equates with the return when a portfolio with minimum return is considered. In light of these findings, it can be stated that the assumptions of the model are not required (Roll, 1977). Moreover, Roll also argued that as Capital Asset Pricing Model is concerned with the mean and variances therein in relation to efficiency of market portfolios and since it is not possible to obser ve the investments for which returns are being determined through it, it is therefore not possible to evaluate the model through empirical testing (Roll, 1977). Arbitrage Pricing Theory as an Alternative to CAPM’s Limitations The Arbitrage Pricing theory reflects that pricing of an