Pompeii Essays - World Heritage Sites In Italy, Osci, Pompeii

Pompeii Pompeii is possibly the best-documented catastrophe in Antiquity. Because of it, we know now how the Pompeians lived because they left behind an extensive legacy of art, including monuments, sculptures and paintings. Pompeii lay on a plateau of ancient lava near the Bay of Naples in western Italy in a region called Campania, less than 1.6 kilometers from the foot of Mount Vesuvius. With the coast to the west and the Apennine Mountains to the East, Campania is a fertile plain, traversed by two major rivers and rich soil. However, in the early days, it was not a remarkable city. Scholars have not been able to identify Pompeii's original inhabitants. The first people to settle in this region were probably prehistoric hunters and fishers. By at least the eight century B.C., a group of Italic people known as the Oscans occupied the region; they most likely established Pompeii, although the exact date of its origin is unknown. ?The root of the word Pompeii would appear to be the Oscan word for the number five, pompe, which suggests that either the community consisted of five hamlets or, perhaps, was settled by a family group (gens Pompeia)?(Kraus 7). In the course of the eight century B.C., Greek and Etruscan colonization stimulated the development of Pompeii as a city around the area of the Forum. A point for important trade routes, it became a place for trading towards the inland. Up until the middle of the 5th century B.C., the city was dominated politically by the Etruscans. In the course of the 6th century B.C., the influence of Greek culture is also documented by terracottas, ceramics and architecture. A group of warriors from Samnium, called Samnite, invaded the region in the 400's B.C. Pompeii remained a relatively unimportant village until the 200's B.C., when the town entered a prosperous period of building and expansion. The Romans defeated the Samnites, and Pompeii became part of the emerging Roman state. Pompeii joined the Italic revolt against Rome, the Social War of 91-87 B.C., and was crushed by Sulla. Although the city was not destroyed, it lost its autonomy, becoming a colony called Colonia Veernia Cornelia P, in honor of its conqueror L. Cornelius Sulla. By 79 AD, Latin had replaced Oscan as the principal language, and the laws and culture of Imperial Rome were implanted. The ?romanization? had began. Pompeii grew from a modest farming town to an important and sophisticated industrial and trading center. In 62 A.D., the first disaster, a terrible earthquake hit the city. As the city was being rebuilt the second disaster struck. In the summer of A.D. 79, Vesuvius suddenly erupted with violence. Hot ashes, lava and stones poured into Pompeii. The eruption caught Pompeians by surprise: ?They heard the crash of falling roofs: an instant more and the mountain-cloud seemed to roll towards them, dark and rapid, like a torrent; at the same time, it cast forth from its bosom a showe of ashes mixed with vast fragments of burning stone! over the crushing vines- over the desolate streets- over the amphitheater itself- far and wide- with many a mighty splash in the agitated sea- fell that awful shower.?, (Bulwer-Lytton 1). The remains of about 2,000 victims out of a population of 20,000 have been found in excavations. Some of them were trapped and killed in their homes. Others died as they fled. Archaeologists have found the shells (molds) of the bodies preserved in the hardened ash. By pouring plaster into the shells, they can make copies of the victims, even to the expressions of agony on their faces. Pompeii was not forgotten. Peasants in the area searched for hidden treasure and they made tunnels. In the 1500's workers digging a tunnel to change the course of the Sarno river discovered parts of a temple and the forum, but no one paid much attention. In 1748, a farmer discovered a wall and the authorities in Italy began a series of excavations. After 1860, Giuseppe Fiorelli served as director of the excavations. He directed the first uncovering of the whole city block by block. The Italian government has provided funding money for this project. After many years of work, we can now walk in Pompeii ?as Pompeians did?. After standing in line for quite a while and paying for a ticket, the tourist experiences what are about to live are quite unique. When walking in Pompeii, you can close your eyes and feel the magic of the city, because it seems like the

STAT 1350, Quiz #11, Summer 2014 Essays - Probability And Statistics

STAT 1350, Quiz #11, Summer 2014 Essays - Probability And Statistics STAT 1350, Quiz #11, Summer 2014Name _______________________________________ 1.If I toss a fair coin five times and the outcomes are TTTTT, then the probability that tails appears on the next toss is A) 0.5. B) less than 0.5. C) greater than 0.5. D) 0. E) 1. Ans: A 2.If I toss a fair coin 5000 times A)the number of heads will be close to 2500. B)the proportion of heads will be close to 0.5. C)the proportion of heads in these tosses is a parameter. D)the proportion of heads will be close to 50. Ans: B 3.When two six-sided die are rolled, the probability of getting a one on both is 1/36. This means that A)of every 36 rolls, exactly 1 will have both die be one. B)the odds against both die being one are 36 to 1. C)in the long run, the average number of ones is 1/36. D)in the long run the outcome that both die are one will occur on 1/36 of all rolls. Ans: D 4.The odds against racehorse #9 (named Southern Comfort) winning this years Southeastern Derby are 7 to 3 (7:3 odds against winning). What is the probability that Southern Comfort will win this years Southeastern Derby? A) 7/3 B) 3/7 C) 0.7 D) 0.3 E) 0.73 Ans: C 5.The Virginia State Lottery Commission states that the probability of winning a prize in their new scratch-off ticket lottery is 0.31. What are the odds against winning a prize in this new lottery game? A) 69 B) 69 to 31 C) 31 to 69 D) 31 E) 1 0.31 = 0.69 Ans: B 6-10. Suppose you have a hat containing ten balls numbered from 0 to 9. You draw one ball at random and discover that it numbered 7. 6.If you place the ball back into the hat, what is the probability that you pull out the 7 ball on your next draw? A) 0.5 (either you draw a 7 or you dont) B) 1/10 C) 1/9 D) 0 E) 1 Ans: B 7.If you place the ball back into the hat, what is the probability that you pull out the 3 ball on your next draw? A) 0.5 (either you draw a 3 or you dont) B) 1/10 C) 1/9 D) 0 E) 1 Ans: B 8.If you do not place the ball back into the hat, what is the probability that you pull out the 7 ball on your next draw? A) 0.5 (either you draw a 7 or you dont) B) 1/10 C) 1/9 D) 0 E) 1 Ans: D 9.If you do not place the ball back into the hat, what is the probability that you pull out the 3 ball on your next draw? A) 0.5 (either you draw a 3 or you dont) B) 1/10 C) 1/9 D) 0 E) 1 Ans: C 10.If you do not place the ball back into the hat, what is the probability that you pull out even-numbered ball on your next draw? A) 1/10 B) 1/9 C) 5/9 D) 5/10 E) 0 Ans: C 11.A collection of possible outcomes from a random phenomenon is called A)a standard deviation. B)a median. C)an event. D)an average. E)a probability. Ans: C 12.A _______________ for a random phenomenon describes all the possible outcomes and indicates how to assign probabilities to any collection of outcomes. A)standard deviation B)median C)probability model D)boxplot E)scatterplot Ans: C 13.A friend rolls a cheap 6-sided die many times. He reports that the probabilities of the possible outcomes are about as follows: Outcome123456 Probability0.20.20.20.10.10.2 Is this a legitimate assignment of probabilities? A)Yes. B)No, the faces must all have the same probability. C)No, the 3 and 4 faces are opposite each other, so they must have the same probability. D)No, the total probability for all faces is wrong. E)No, not all the values given are possible values for a probability. Ans: A

Integrating Business prespictive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrating Business prespictive - Essay Example To bridge this gap that exist between the job graduate job seekers and potential employers the app we have initiated will be crucial. With this program, graduates can connect with incredible companies that are potential employers. This program is specially designed for graduates to come in contact with employers, and it’s open to all graduates possessing a great attitude and wanting a new job. The program will offer unemployed graduates with an opportunity like no other. Through this program graduates develop job skills, earn training and make fruitful business and personal connections (Horie, 2004). The program is distinctive in the sense that it gets the graduates working. Through this project, graduates earn the much-needed experience in the job market. This project gives the perfect opportunity for the graduates to enter the workforce as well as earning some money. Besides, our program enlightens graduates on the wages that the various industries offered for diverse careers. With this program, graduates earn valuable work experiences, training to enhance once employability and job skills. It also grows their resume and connections with relevant organizations that could be helpful in the future. Since our main objective to solve the unemployment among the graduates, intend to reduce the number of unemployed graduates every year. The problem of labour market mismatch in supply and demand will be our main objective (Wasmer & Weil, 2000). The project starts the process of connecting graduates with the job market right at the various institution of higher learning. Finalists are the key targets of the projects as well as freshly graduated individuals. To ensure equality, a similar number of graduates are picked from various institutions of higher learning and absorbed into the program every year. The main source of revenue for this project is the subscription from various graduates

Accounting and Finance will send you fquestions file Essay - 1

Accounting and Finance will send you fquestions file - Essay Example s that both the companies are efficient in utilizing their capital and equity to generate sufficient profits despite the fact that Wimbledon has a higher ratio than Kensington. The Net Profit Margin and Gross Profit ratio of Kensington are higher than that of Wimbledon. To make it worse, the ratios of Wimbledon are below the industry averages (Bull, 2008). The total assets turnover and non-current assets of Wimbledon is higher than that of Kensington. The ratio of Kensington was lower than the industrial averages. This implies that Wimbledon is efficient in utilizing its total assets and non-current assets to generate sufficient revenue. Apart from receivables collection period of Wimbledon being below the industrial averages, it is also below that of Kensington (Tennent, 2008). This shows that Wimbledon is very efficient in collecting its debts. The Inventory holding period follows the same trend as the receivables collection period. This reveals that Wimbledon is efficient in converting its inventory since it holds them for a short period (Berman, Knight and Case, 2013). The current ratio and decisive test ratio of both the two companies are below the industrial averages. This is despite the fact the current ratio of the two companies are above the one implying that both the two companies can at least service their current obligations with their current assets. The debt-equity of Wimbledon is below both that of Kensington and the industrial average implying that it is not heavily geared (Barrow and Barrow, 2008). Considering the above analysis, it is highly advisable that Chelsea Plc. should acquire Wimbledon than Kensington company since it has financial ratios indicate better financial performance. The directors of Chelsea Plc. should consider other information such as cash flow statements and company policy before of the two companies before making their final

Inventory Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Inventory Management - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that inventory is a major investment for many companies today. Manufacturing companies can easily be carrying inventory equivalent to between 50% to 70% revenue of the business. It is therefore necessary to reduce the levels of inventory held to the necessary minimum. On the other side if inventory levels are kept too low, the business faces alternative problems like stock outs, high re order cost, setup cost and lost quantity discounts. As it is stated in information that is provided by the company in the essay, that finance team of Wooden Wonders LTD have recently been reviewing that inventory management system for the company and they have decided that FIFO as a recording method would be successful. In addition, the researcher analyzes that the company is focusing on the methods of minimiseing the costs of ordering and holding inventory. Management of Wooden Wonders Ltd stated their aim to control the extra costs attached with inventory manageme nt. As Wooden Wonders’ customers are department stores from across the UK and Europe, Wood Wooden can run its manufacturing cycle in the light of Just In Time approach. For the purpose of minimising the costs of ordering and holding inventory, the company can use any of the methods that were mentioned in the essay and decide which suits with its economic conditions. It is also concluded that care should be taken before choosing any of the alternatives because any wrong step can directly affect the company’s good will.

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service It sells hamburgers, hot dogs, chipped ham, chicken, French fries, and beverages as theyll as breakfast biscuits with country ham, sausage, and gravy. It can easily distinguish itself from fast-food competitors by delivering competitively priced food of consistently high quality, delivered rapidly, cheerfully, and without error. Pals is the first business in the restaurant industry to receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The performance excellence goals and criteria for the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award offer a formalized program that defines, measures, and rewards organizations who exemplify the principles of an organization that is actively taking step and reaping the results of being a high-performing organization. Visionary Leadership Pals Senior Leaders (Chairman and President/ CEO) set their Vision and Values annually as part of their strategic planning process after carefully analyzing the market environment and actively seeking input from all stakeholders. Senior Leaders personally lead, monitor, and coach the Pals Leadership Team in interpreting their Vision and Values. Leadership is sharply in tune with customer preferences and organizational needs. Senior Leaders communicate with employees throughout the organization by: Using the Pals Communication/Feedback Process, frequently being present at the restaurants Employing an open-door policy, providing easy access to all Senior Leaders for the entire staff, reading and responding to employee e-mails, and being easily accessible by phone or e-mail. The impact on Pals organization from this leadership-driven, full stakeholder involvement approach has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high-value business results. This employee engagement practice creates and reinforces an environment for participation, employment, and innovation. It also drives organizational agility and organizational and employee learning. Besides, the leadership team uses the Strategic Planning Process to set direction and pursue future opportunities for the business while using inputs from all key stakeholders (e.g., customers, store owner/operators, general staff, suppliers/partners), taking into account their needs and expectations. This process is used to define, align, review, and maintain a Corporate Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Key Business Drivers, Values Code of Ethics, and action plans. Through these strategic outputs, Pals Leadership Team maintains clear values, high performance expectations, and a keen focus on all stakeholder needs. Senior leaders and store owner/operators communicate and interpret these at each organizational level to define organizational, store, and individual responsibilities and to identify opportunities for learning and innovation. Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Leadership Team members adopted the On-line Quality Control Process (Figure 4) and routinely review its application of best practices to achieve high performance and excellence in Pals operational and support processes. This ensures consistent adherence to procedures, standards, and targets. Organisational Personal Learning The impact on Pals organization from this leadership driven, full stakeholder involvement approach to deployment has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high value business results. Leaders create a sustainable organization by: Investing in the future by developing the people to ensure that they will be able to always meet future needs and requirements Employing a progressive capital reinvestment plan Pals brand-building Actively listening and staying tightly aligned with their customers and their needs, Building a strong and healthy supply chain, Helping the communities where they operate to grow and prosper. Pals has a process for everything organizational and operational. There are always new product introductions to hiring decisions to the design of support processes and work systems. Key learnings are captured and shared throughout the organization using the Communication/Feedback Process and the On-line Quality Control Process. Pals market research seeks comparative information relating to key issues such as (1) customers likes or dislikes concerning Pals or specific Pals competitors, and (2) reasons a particular restaurant is selected as a favorite. They analyze the comparative data for trends and shifts in buying patterns to identify needed changes in their business strategy and to target other potential customer groups and future markets. Key customer requirements and drivers of purchase decisions are determined from the application of the following listening and learning methods: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telephone interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mall interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drop-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mail-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing By Wandering Around (MkBWA), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On-site interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ user-based surveys Pals frontline staff training program includes intense instruction on effective listening skills. These skills are not only critical for high performance on the food preparation line (required for order accuracy, speed, and customization), but are also beneficial for gathering valuable customer information about needs, expectations, and satisfaction (as post transaction feedback). Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle they conduct small-scale pilot efforts to evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers and their ability to understand changing customer needs and buying habits. In addition, they measure and evaluate the overall effectiveness of their customer listening and learning approaches by checking the validity of their market research, customer surveys, and results against operational data, industry trends, and competitor information. They also evaluate how they are doing against their customer-focused strategic objectives by benchmarking their Key Business Drivers against competitors. Moreover, Pals staff members (from hourly worker to senior leader) have continual learning ingrained into their basic approach to performing work. They participate regularly on improvement and learning teams where brainstorming and consensus-building sessions enable them to identify problems or opportunities for improvements, analyze processes, and recommend solutions. This experience builds individual confidence, provides skills in problem solving and continual learning, and motivates employees to develop and utilize their full potential. Valuing Employees and Partners Pals aims to provide the quickest, friendliest, most accurate service available. Achieving this objective is a real challenge in an industry with annual employee turnover rates of more than 200 percent. The companys success in reducing turnover among front-line production and service personnel, who are between the ages of 16 and 32, has translated into a competitive advantage. The companys training processes support improvement in operational and business performance with the aid of benchmarking studies. Owner/operators and assistant managers have primary responsibility for staff training. They use a four-step model: show, do it, evaluate, and perform again. Employees must demonstrate 100 percent competence before they are certified to work at a specific work station. Initial training for all employees includes intensive instruction on effective listening skills. In addition, in-store training on processes, health and safety, and organizational Culture is required for new staff at all facilities via computer-based training, flash cards, and one-on-one coaching. Cross-training is required of all store-level staff to ensure their complete understanding of all production and service procedures as well as quality standards. Recognizing that most of its front-line workers are first-time entrants into the labor force, Pals management believes it has responsibility to help its workers develop knowledge and skills that can be applied in future jobs. This approach, along with competitive wages and financial incentives, has made the restaurant chain a desirable place to work for high school and college students. Pals has leveraged its reputation by implementing a statistically controlled, talent-based hiring system that helps managers identify applicants with attributes associated with effective job performance and customer satisfaction. In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The staff at each Pals facility is organized into process. They also performed extensive market research to pinpoint customer requirements: convenience; ease of ingress and egress; easy-to-read menu; simple, accurate order system; fast service; wholesome food; and reasonable price. This data has been used to translate their key customer requirements into Key Business Drivers. Customer requirements are linked to clearly define operational processes, procedures, and systems that are continually monitored to ensure that they are meeting customer requirements. They maintain on-going communications links to their customers so that they can listen to how well they think they are meeting their needs. They also listen to learn if customer needs are changing or if new needs have arisen. Pals has three key suppliers/partners who provide the majority of their raw materials. Focusing their supplier/partner base on just three vendors has reduced product variability. It has also allowed them to develop a more positive relationship with each supplier/partner with whom they have established long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. They work with suppliers to design in quality, value and their unique flavor profile. The Key Business Drivers are mainly: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality of products, service, and process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Service à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cleanliness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Speed Customer Excellence Customer-driven excellence is a strategic concept imbedded in the Baldrige Award Criteria. Pals uses the industry-proven standard method of segmenting by age, gender, income, and proximity to the store location for analyzing buying patterns and defining expectations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Age à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gender à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Income à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Proximity Product quality, hospitality, accuracy, and speed are important factors to their customers. Pals has solidified its already strong market position on product and service performance by realizing improvement in each of these customer-linked critical areas. Pals performance in customer-rated results for food quality, service (hospitality, convenience, ease of access, menu board readability), and accuracy are consistently improving. These product and service outcomes are a direct reflection of Pals ability to understand the voices of customers and the market and to address them with menu design, pricing strategy, sudden service performance, and proactive customer contact standards. Pals order handout speed has improved more than 30 percent since 1995, decreasing from 31 seconds to 20 seconds, almost their times faster than its top competitor. Errors in orders are rare, averaging less than one for every 2,000 transactions. The company aims to reduce its error rate to one in every 5,000 transactions. In addition, Pals has consistently received the highest health inspection scores in its market and in the entire state of Tennessee. Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle, they are able to continually evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers by assessing how have understood changing customer needs and buying habits. Through small-scale pilot efforts, the Customer Listening and Learning Process are continually evaluated and improved. Customer complaints are tracked at the store level on an Opportunity Log and then aggregated at the company level to indicate trends. This critical-incidents information is used to understand key service attributes from the point of view of customers and frontline employees. Also, as part of their market research, they ask customers very specific loyalty questions that they translate into key customer loyalty data. Focus on Results and Creating Value Pals begins considering user requirements during the data and information selection stage with predefined user criteria. The data selection, collection, and reporting criteria include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meets stakeholder requirements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Links to our Key Business Drivers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides a balanced scorecard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drives action à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creates reliability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides rapid access à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allows rapid update à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supports continual learning/improvement Besides, the rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The companys Business Excellence Process which is the key integrating element and a management approach ensures that customer requirements are always met in every transaction. Pals lays emphasis on data which is the basis for sound planning and decision making. Customer, employee, and supplier feedback is central to all processes, and it is gathered in numerous formal and informal ways. For example, Pals owner/operators must devote part of every work day to marketing by wandering around. Views on how a location is performing and to solicit ideas for improvement from employees and customers are noted. Anstheyrs to predesigned questions are recorded, compiled, and later analyzed at the store and corporate levels. Owner/operators also maintain a communications log. The Communication/ Feedback Process is a progressive and rapid means of communication to/from all stakeholders. This process serves as a standard operating mode for Leadership Team members. SysDine, is a key tool, generating store-level and company-wide data on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This information supports daily operational decisions. It also is used to update Pals Balanced Scorecard of Core Performance Measures, which links directly to its key business drivers: quality, service, cleanliness, value, people, and speed. Managers regularly review the value of the data collected, and the company employs an outside statistician to evaluate the type of information tracked, how it is used, and how it is collected. Social Responsiblity Pals measures and pursues continual improvement in the areas of ethics violations, labor violations, sexual harassment complaints, and honesty violations. Pals Senior Leaders promote an environment of legally, morally, and ethically correct behaviors by: modeling correct decision making and behaviors, providing training in correct decision making and behaviors testing to verify that the training transferred the desired knowledge holding monthly reviews at leadership meetings, creating a culture of open-book whole-company data sharing communicating openly and honestly Food safety, which is a primary indicator of compliance with sanitation requirements established by federal and state regulations and of Pals ability to serve wholesome food products, is their key measure of industry leadership and social responsibility. Pals consistently receives the highest health inspection scores in their market. Agility Customer and Market Needs/Expectations are evaluated using market research studies and customer complaint data. These data are used to interpret customer needs and requirements, to project market trends, and to establish new strategies that will delight customers and sustain our competitive advantages. Competitive Environment and Capabilities Relative to Competitors are evaluated with data from our benchmarking process, benchmark data exchange, and competitive reviews. They use the data to identify market and industry trends, industry and competitor capabilities and Best Business Practices, competitor strategies, potential competitor reactions to our strategies, and promotional and technological improvement opportunities. Technological Risk is evaluated with data gathered from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations using the following criteria: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How will the technology help them meet needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are any of their technologies becoming obsolete? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do our existing technologies have new hazards/ risks? Managing by Innovation Operational Capabilities and Needs are considered by evaluating anticipated needs and capabilities for human resources, technology, research and development, innovation, and business processes. Internal capability data are analyzed against industry trends, technology developments, and performance advances, looking for ways to develop dominant positions within our market. They have focused their Human Resources strategies, plans, job/work designs, and HR processes for developing capabilities that support the key competitive performance expectations of their organization (speed, accuracy, quality, and hospitality). In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The equipment, facilities, and technologies that Pals uses to meet customer needs are components that serve their manufacturing, service and retail needs through ongoing use of their Benchmarking, Innovation and Product/Service/ Process Introduction processes Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Also, their Business Excellence Process will continue to drive them toward performance improvement over the next two to five years by maintaining their focus on strategies and plans linked directly to Key Business Drivers and derived heavily from customer/market. Pals projected performance will continue to strengthen their position as the market leader versus their leading competitor by generating additional sales, and by developing the required operating capabilities. At this time, they are the regional leader in all major areas of comparative performance (quality, service, speed, food health/safety, customer satisfaction, market share, sales, and profit). Management by Fact Pals Leadership Team has carefully designed a performance measurement and analysis system for the collection, integration, and analysis of information and data that feeds and interacts with their Strategic Planning, Continual Improvement, Benchmarking, and Management Review processes. Pals Management Information System is also used to guide the selection, gathering, integration, management, and effective use of information and data to support our key operational processes, action plans, and performance management system. Pals Management Information System gathers and integrates data and information from multiple sources (e.g., operations, customer listening/learning processes, market research, benchmarking studies, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and industry publications). Much of the data is gathered at its source (in the store) through our automated SysDine data collection, integration, and analysis system. SysDine generates store-level and companywide reports on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This data, which is readily available at each store, is reviewed and analyzed for use in support of daily operations. Focus on Future The Pals Strategic Planning Process is used by Senior Leaders working with the Leadership Team to provide a disciplined and structured approach for setting strategic directions to strengthen business performance and competitive position. Strategic planning is performed annually, with primary emphasis on one- and three-year planning horizons. strategic objectives and action plans with a planning horizon of up to five years are also maintained. Pals organizations strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are addressed during strategic planning, using the SWOT analysis process and supported by various analyses of key processes, internal capabilities, and Key Business Driver data. Technological changes and risks are evaluated with data gathered primarily from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations. Human resources strategies and plans are developed to recruit, staff, train, and educate personnel to build staff capacity for success; to improve work/job designs and work areas; and to build a better culture for excellence and employee well-being. Employee turnover shows that employee retention levels are clearly superior to the industry average. Pals continues to reduce employee turnover and to set the pace for other QSR operations. Their group of store Owners/Operators and Senior Leaders has experienced near-zero turnover for the past 25 years, which has provided a major advantage in leadership continuity over their competitors. Pals existing strategic objectives, action plans (short term and longer term), and target completion are carefully managed throughout the year. Systems Perspective Pals Business Excellence Process is based on the core concepts of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. These principles, which are a pervasive part of our culture, are used to achieve our action plans. They are integrated throughout our training for team skills, performance measurement, standards, continual improvement, problem solving, quality control, and benchmarking. Pals Training Program contains a variety of modules designed to support our strategic objectives, key action plans, and operational capabilities by addressing organizational and employee needs for development, learning, and career progression

Erythema Migrans Essay -- Health, Diseases, Ticks

Erythema migrans (EM) is a red, slowly expanding rash which is associated with the bite of ticks. European physicians observed EM in patients in the early 20th century and theorized that it was caused by a tick-borne bacterium. Later the in the 1970’s a physican observed a clusters of child with arthritis in and around Lyme, Conneticut. After further investigation it was discovered that the arthritis occurred subsequent to the presence of tick bites followed through with EM rash lesions. It was not until 1984 when conclusive evidence showed that the bacterium spirochete Berrelia burgdorferi caused Lyme disease. In 2002 Lyme disease caused more than 23, 000 infections in the United States (1) . Lyme disease is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium spirochete B. burgdorferi that transmitts the bacterium to humans through the bites of western black-legged deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis). This tick is much smaller than a dog or cattle tick and feed by inserting their mouths into the skin of a host and slowly receive their vital fluid (1). Early localized Lyme disease occurs 3-30 days after the tick bites. Symptoms include EM, mild muslce aches, fever, headache, and lymphadenopathy. Early disseminated disease occurs 1-4 months subsequent to the tick bite. Symptoms include cranial-nerve facial palsy, meningitis, radiculopathy, and heart block. In the late platform of the disease which begins 3-4 months after the tick bite. Symptoms include arthirits in big joints, rigid headache, encephalitis and cognitive disorders. Early localized Lyme disease is treated with doxycycline or amoxicillin for 14-21 days. Early disseminated and late Lyme disorder are treated for 14- 28 days with either oral or parental therapy (ceft... ...ible through seasonal feeding activity of nymphal I. scapularis and the increase of outdoor activities tribe engage in during these months (4). In 2002 there were a total of 23,763 reported cases of Lyme disease, more than any previous year (2). Similar to previous years, the highest incidence rates occurred in northeastern, mid-Atlanatic and north central states. The largest proportion of cases were reported among ages 5-14 years and 50-59 years. Factors influences this grow in reported cases include a growing deer population, increased residential development of wodded areas, tick dispersal to new areas, improved disorder remembrance in areas where Lyme disease is endemic, and enhanced reporting (2). The NETSS system is weighty because it helps determinine who is at risk and where the highest incidence rates are that need targeted preventative measures.