The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Essay Example for Free

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Essay The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969), and Moon Tiger (1987) all cover various aspects of desire such as the woman as a sexual object of desire, sexual development, repressed sexuality, and variations of sexuality. All three novels cover the woman’s early sexual experiences from childhood, the prevailing Madonna image of the woman accepted by society, sexual liberation, and their unconventional lifestyles. All set in the United Kingdom, the stories traces and discloses the life of the English woman. The novels are written in the post 1960s after the sexual revolution where many sexual taboos are lifted and most people feel an individualistic, unbridled freedom to express their desires. In the novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), the title is self-explanatory in dealing with the issue of desire for the prime does not only signify having the best of health, but also enjoying one’s peak in sexuality or sexual activity. Miss Jean Brodie is a young, bachelorette teacher who is in quest of a partner so as she enters the realm of school, she has to confront desire in fellow teachers, Mr. Lloyd (a married man) and Mr. Lowther. Throughout the novel, Brodie manipulates both men with whom she has a triangular love affair. Her pupils â€Å"found in (Miss Brodie) the only sex-bestirred object in their daily environment† (Spark 50). She awes the Brodie set with her past love affairs and lays bare to their view her sex life. The principal and some of the teaching staff frown on her educational deviance and continue to probe into her sexual life in order to set up Brodie for a downfall. Desire is also manifests itself in the school girls, more commonly called â€Å"the Brodie set† as the book spans their adolescent periods (pun intended). Like a bildungsroman novel, Sparks traces the development of the six girls as they grow into women under the watchful eye of Miss Brodie. In the early chapters of the novel, Sparks observes that â€Å"the year to come was in many ways the most sexual year for the Brodie set† (Spark 45). At the start, Brodie begins educating them at age ten and maintains active interaction with them until they are eighteen, therefore Brodie and the Brodie set are both in their prime of life. Through her, they glean much information about sexual maturity, menstruation, and love. Because sex is taboo, they live in a restrained environment where sexuality is subtle if not altogether cloaked (to which Sandy’s monastic life and the scandalous nature of open sexuality point). A juxtaposition of opposites of desire also arises in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie where innocence seduces and experience repulses. Sparks describes Rose Stanley as being â€Å"famous for sex† (Spark 57) because of her attractive appeal however she confesses that Brodie’s erotic affairs inspire no desire within her and remains indifferent to sex although she generates wide passion. On the other hand, after Sandy has sexual intercourse with Mr. Lloyd, she converts to the Roman Catholic church, choosing to lead the celibate life of a nun (Sparks 132). Her one-time sexual experience has made her turn away from living a promiscuous life as her teacher, Brodie does. In The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969), is a novel replete with sexual desire and the sexualized, objectification of the woman. The beginning of the novel begins with male voyeurism as John Fowles â€Å"the telescopist† (Fowles 2) peers through his binoculars looking at an engaged couple, Charles and Ernestina, walking along the seaside and then turns his vision to Sarah, â€Å"stretching eyes west over the sea wind foul or fair, always stood she prospect-impressed† (Fowles 1), longing and disappointed in love, staring at the sea. These three individuals are all in their sexual prime but are frustrated romantically. The title of the novel, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, also relegates an inferior position to the woman, for her identity is hidden and thus irrelevant apart from her association with the French lieutenant. The overwhelming and provocative interest in Sarah arouses not only Fowles, but Charles. The rest of the village also looks at her as a specimen embodying strangeness, yet rare attraction. Although notorious rumors fly, which she does not attempt to contradict, she still incites much attraction and performs to perfection her role an object of desire. Repressed desire functions to provide insight into the society and its acceptance of different expressions of desire in individuals. Fowles tells us that Ernestina, the first mentioned fiancee of Charles, lives a sexually repressed life peculiar to the Victorian Age, the time frame of the novel. The telescopist observes her outfit which â€Å"was feminine by way of compensation for so much of her expected behavior† (Fowles 3). Charles soon gets bored with Ernestina for her plain, Victorian outlook cannot satisfy his sexual desires. More overt sexual desire adds to the enigma and resultant desirability. This observation proves true as Charles fascination for Ernestina transfers to Sarah, whom society has ostracized and abandoned. The epitome of sexual repression is Mrs. Poulteney who is reputed for her piety, charity, and tyranny. Living under the roof of Mrs. Poulteney imposes Sarah with restrictions on her whereabouts and by extension, associations. Poulteney thinks herself always in the right therefore, the unorthodox or bohemian would never sit well with her. As a consequence of differences in desire, Sarah and Mrs. Poulteney ultimately part ways as Sarah repeatedly flouts Mrs. Poulteney’s commands to not follow a particular path along the farmhouse. This statement is pregnant with meaning since Sarah still ventures out alone, which works against mainstream directives. Out of Mrs. Poulteney’s stifling control, Sarah could reveal her sexual desire more liberally. Marriage is no longer held as the only institution under which one fulfilled sexual desire. Charles and Sarah have sexual encounters, although unmarried. In the end, Sarah chooses not to marry however she continues to live an unconventional life with the Pre-Raphaelite artists which composed controversial art and literature. Charles still desires marriage as a means of consolidating the union between him and Sarah, however, Sarah rebuffs him, standing unique as a Victorian woman who does not aspire to marriage or family. Moon Tiger (1987), authored by Penelope Lively, chronicles the life of a bohemian woman who lives a sexually unbridled life, hinged on desire. Unlike most women, she never falls into the regular, mainstream category of female tradition. Accounts of incest, homosexuality, and promiscuity pepper this novel, making it non-conventional and iconoclastic. The novel traces the sexual development of her and her brother, Gordon â€Å"from the first stirrings of sexual desire† (Lively 25). They undergo many changes during which they carry on an early incestuous relationship. Their filial and sexual ties permeate their lives. Desire is the compass which leads the sibling duo to each other’s arms. Moon Tiger explores incestuous desire, parallels historical records of incest, and justifies it. While doing coverage in Cairo, Egypt during WW II, a tour guide mentions that â€Å"the wife of pharaoh was also the sister of pharaoh. He is loving his sister†¦incest said the Army Padre, quite acceptable in those days apparently† (Lively 74). The incestuous desire runs through the book once both siblings are alive for they both object to each other’s sexual partners and seem unfulfilled in their own relationships. Claudia confesses that desire for Gordon never extinguishes in her life and when he dies. When Claudia and Gordon reveal their incestuous relations to Sylvia and Mrs. Hampton, Claudia gets physically sick and is emotionally disturbed. Yet, the two prefer to classify their relationship as â€Å"classical, very high class. Look at the Greeks† (Lively 142). Since this book is written by a historian, several references to world history are not uncommon. The Greeks were a people who are said to found classic civilization and who favored incest and homosexuality. Claudia rejects wifehood and motherhood as a bohemian woman. Claudia does not have the inclination to marry and rejects the proposals of several men to marriage. She prefers to preserve her own freedom by remaining single. Jasper offers to marry Claudia after finding out that she bears their child. Although she gets impregnated a few times, she refuses marriage as a way out to escape reproof. She attests that â€Å"no one has ever married Claudia† (Lively 53) –which not only appears as a confession, but also a resolution. Gordon marries and settles down with Sylvia, and it can be argued that because she cannot marry her brother, she spurns marriage. In spite of her lack of will to get married, Claudia chooses to have â€Å"a sexual field day† (Lively 91). Working in a male dominated realm allows Claudia opportunity to explore more desire in herself and sparks the desire of other male soldiers in the camp. A highly desirable woman, she enjoys herself as the men make erotic advances to her especially since women are rare. She also denies her daughter, Lisa, a maternal relationship since her birth came about with a man for whom she does not love enough to marry. In sum, the novels all delve into woman’s desire and the ways in which she expresses her sexuality whether covertly or openly, conventionally or otherwise. Desire drives the women to pursue passionate relationships, where they either become fulfilled or hurt. Within framework of female desire is male sexuality which is sparked by the female presence. The texts deal with the recourses which women have to take in order to live contentedly with themselves, their sexual desires, and their partners and point the reader to wider considerations such as culture, belief systems, and the woman question. Works Cited: Fowles, John. The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Back Bay Books. , 1998 Lively, Penelope. Moon Tiger. Grove Atlantic Inc, New York, 1989. Sparks, Muriel. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Harper Collins Publishers, United Kingdom, 1984.

Operational Management approaches by Shell Company

Operational Management approaches by Shell Company The chosen company to evaluate the operation management approaches employed in an energy company is Royal Dutch Shell Company. Shell a British-Dutch company that provides oil, gas, petroleum products and renewable source of energy to the world. This company is one of the largest companies around the world that maintains and supplies the world with its fuel, oil and petrochemical products. The Royal Dutch/Shell Group is the worlds biggest and oldest joint venture, formed in 1907 when the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd of the United Kingdom merged their operations. It operates in over 140 countries, providing fossil fuels and green fuels like Hydrogen fuel cells. Some of the facts related to Shell are: has 102,000 number of employees worldwide, provides 2% of oil worldwide and 3% of gas, has 45,000 service stations, 10 million customers worldwide and one of the top fortune 500 companies. Shell has five core businesses: exploration and production, gas and power, refining and marketing, chemicals, and trading and shipping. Source: http://www.annualreview.shell.com/2008/servicepages/downloads/files/entire_shell_review_08.pdf 2 Shells Operation Management System Operation management: Definitions: Management Of the conversion process which transforms inputs such as raw materials and labour into outputs in the form of finished goods and services (Davis, Aquilano Chase, 1999). Schroder (2007) defined operation management as: Operations is responsible for supplying the product or service of the organization. Operations managers make decisions regarding the operations function and its connection with other functions. The operations managers plan and control the production process and its interfaces within the organization and with the external environment (Schroder, 2007). Operation management (OM) is basically the set of activities that creates goods and services by transforming input into output. Activities creating goods and services take place in all organization. In manufacturing firms, the production activities that create goods are usually quite obvious. In them we can see the creation of a tangible product such as Sony TV or a ford Taurus. In organizations that do not create physical products, the production function may be less obvious. It may be hidden from the public and even from the customers. An example is the transformation that takes place at a bank, hospital, airline office, or college. Regardless of whether the end product is a good or service, the production activities that go on in the organization are often referred to as operations or operation management. Operation management is associated with number of areas linked with an organization as how does the organization establish customers requirements, transformation of customers requirement in to product and services, what operations systems/ processes are in place to satisfy the product/services requirement of customer, decision associated with capacity planning, inventory, quality of product etc All these decisions come under the umbrella of operation management. Identification of Customer Requirements: We know that the basic existence of an organization depends upon the product or services it provides to the society. However, with the changing consumer taste and the limited lifecycle of products companies must be looking for new product development. It is a companys life blood. Both profits and growth are affected without aggressive product development. Operation managers give high value to the strong communication between customers, product, processes and suppliers that result in a high success rate for their products. All companies need to search out their customers wants and requirements in order to fill any gaps in the market. A successful market research for new product development comes from knowing what customers value. 3 Shells Operation Management System Product decision: One of the important decisions of operation management is the selection, definition, and design of products. Heizer and Render (2005, pp-132) discussed the product decision in their work as it concerned with the development and implementation of a product strategy that meets the demands of the marketplace with a competitive advantage that can be achieved via differentiation, low cost, rapid response, or a combination of these. Product development system: Product development system may well determine not only product success but also the firms future. Product development goes through a series of steps, starting with ideas that may come from either internal or external sources and ending with the evaluation of new products. Heizer and Render (2005, pp-137) considers two tools that are particularly helpful in the early stages of product development are (1) creativity and (2) identifying customer wants. The former can be addressed via creative, open organizations and brain storming and the second with quality function development. Organizing for product development: According Heizer and Render (2005, pp-141), There are different approaches to the product development. The traditional U.S approach to product development is an organization with distinct departments. These departments are: First research and development department to do the necessary research; then an engineering department to design the product: then a manufacturing engineering department to design a product that can be produced; and finally, a production department that produced the product. A second and popular approach is to assign a product manager to champion the product through the product development system and related organization The third and perhaps the best, product development approach used in the U.S. is the use of teams. Such teams are known variously as product development teams, design for manufacturability teams, and value engineering teams. The Japanese bypass the team issue by not subdividing organization into research and development, engineering, production and so forth. Consistent with the Japanese style of group effort and team work, these activities are all in one organization. Game Changer: Shell Game changer is an internal shell organization which looks for new and innovative ideas that addresses a demand or significant problem in the energy industry. Game changer helps entrepreneurs to convert ideas into products by sponsoring them. Ideas can range from new oil exploration techniques to improved production tools, or even new form of energy. It provides a sheltered testing zone where an idea is developed, tried and improved upon. It also helps to get it to market. 4 Shells Operation Management System Areas of focus are: Increasing energy production Carbon management Energy conversion, storage and distribution Fuelling transportation Working of Game changer: Game Changer screens the novel, early stage idea. If the idea has any potential and game changer agree, it will take it through some important steps and provide the funding and support to get it to proof-of concept. Although game changer grew up on ideas from Shell employees, it also invests in those originating from beyond Shell such as from academics and other entrepreneurs. Game changer primary criteria: Novelty Is the idea truly and fundamentally new and different? Value Could the idea create substantial new value if it works? Credible Plan Is there a plan to manage primary risks prudently by qualified people? Game changer process: The first step in entering the GameChanger process is submission of a short description of the idea through the shell website. A selection panel formed by a group of full-time Shell professionals with diverse backgrounds in the energy industry carries out assessment of all proposals. They assess the proposal at three different levels [7]: Pre-Screening: If a person is an entrepreneur from outside Shell then, after the initial assessment of the idea, a member of the panel will contact the entrepreneur to allocate a Shell technical counterpart to him. This person will then be entrepreneurs co-proponent of the idea and help him through the screening process. Screening Panel: The Screening Panel consists of (any) two members of the GameChanger team. They will listen to the presentation of inventors idea and ask questions in order to obtain a complete understanding of the proposal. The GameChanger panellists will consider the merits of the proposal and within 48 hours decide if the idea could potentially mature into a GameChanger project. If this is the result, the inventor will then be invited to prepare a more detailed presentation for the Extended Panel. Extended Panel: The Extended Panel consists of three members of the GameChanger team and at least three experts who are not members of the GameChanger team. This group will attend the presentation on the inventors proposal and work plan. The panellists will ask questions and the experts will give opinions on the merits of the proposal. The GameChanger panel will then come to a decision on whether to go ahead and fund the development of the 5 Shells Operation Management System idea. Game changer will strive to communicate this decision to the inventor and the co-proponent within 48 hours. If funding is awarded, it is often with a time span of 2- 3 years. The inventor will then use the funds to develop the idea in accordance with an agreed plan. At agreed tollgates, progress and continuation are discussed with proponents and panel experts. Selection Criteria: GameChanger ideas have the potential to effect a significant improvement in the profitability of a business or open up opportunities for growth. The GameChanger panel funds these projects through to their proof-of-concept stage. The final step: Going to the market place If proof-of-concept is reached successfully, GameChanger may also be able to help take the invention a further stage. There are three potential forward paths [7]: Proprietary -The idea is graduated into Shells internal RD funnel or another Shell business for direct use by Shell. Licensing -The idea is licensed to an existing technology provider other than Shell. This is usually applied when complementary capabilities are required to further develop and deploy the idea. Venturing -A new company might be set up to bring the idea to commercial market. In short, once an idea is considered a true GameChanger it will not be shelved and all options will be considered to ensure the GameChanger idea reaches the marketplace. Before digging deep into the operation management system employed within Shell, we need to first understand the following concepts: Process: Process refers to the physical process or facility used to produce the product or service. It includes the type of equipment and technology, process flows, layout of the facility, job design, and workforce policies. Process strategy: A process or (transformation) strategy is an organizations approach to transform resources into goods and services. The objective of the process strategy is to find a way to produce goods and services that meet customers requirements and product specification within cost and other managerial constraints. Virtually every good or service is made by using some variation of one of the four process strategies Process focus: A production facility organized around processes to facilitate low volumes, high variety production.75% of all global production is devoted to making low volumes, high variety products in places called job shops. Such facilities are organized around performing processes. In factory, these processes might be departments devoted to welding, grinding, and painting. In office, the processes might be account payable, 6 Shells Operation Management System sales and payroll. Such facilities are process focused in terms of equipment, layout and supervision Repetitive focus: A product-oriented production process that uses modules (parts or components of a product previously prepared, often in a continuous process. It falls between the product and process focuses. The repetitive process line is the classic assembly line. Widely used in the assembly of virtually all automobiles and household appliances. Fast food firms are an example of a repetitive process using modules Product focus: a facility organized around products; a product oriented, high volume, low variety process. They are also called continuous process, because they have long continues production runs. Shell uses product focused approach for its oil refinery processes. Mass customization: rapid, low cost production that caters to constantly changing unique customers desires.Mass customization brings us the variety of products traditionally provided by low volume manufacturer (a process focused) at the cost of standardized high volume (product focused) production. Operational Systems and Processes at Shell: Shell is involved in production of many products and services. It claims that We provide transport fuel to around 10 million customers each day through our 45,000 service stations worldwide. We are working to deliver cleaner burning and more efficient fuels. Our products and services are also designed to meet the needs of businesses from the construction industry to aviation, chemicals to shipping. [1] (Shell.com) Shell is best known for its service stations and for exploring and producing oil gas on land and at sea. Shell delivers a vast range of energy solutions and petrochemicals to customers; produce and sell petrochemical building blocks to industrial customers on a global scale; invest in making renewable and lower-carbon energy sources; involved in transporting and trading oil and gas; marketing natural gas; producing and selling fuel for ships and planes and generating electricity and providing energy efficiency advice. As mentioned earlier, shell is involved in five core businesses and each business involves number of processes within. To limit our scope, we will discuss the oil gas exploration and production business. Oil Gas exploration and production cycle involves oil exploration, drilling, refining and production of petroleum products. Oil exploration process: In this phase, the initial step is to find the oil. This is of huge importance and Shell invests a lot of money to use statistical analysis to determine the location of oil. This survey process is known as Seismic Surveying. There are three components in Seismic Surveying: 7 Shells Operation Management System A seismic source Sensors Recording equipment During this survey, the scientists create a picture of the rock layer structure beneath the earth and the data collected is carefully examined and interpreted to decide whether to further analysis would be need or to start the exploration process. Once the location of oil is determined, Shell draw up exploration contracts with the countries within whose boundaries the oil was first established. Once the contracts have been approved and negotiations agreed the company can then start its drilling process. Drilling process: Once the oils location is identified, the next step is to drill. Well play fundamental role in recovering oil and gas. With the advancement of technology, new drilling techniques and technology has been developed that helped Shell in drilling wells from few metres to more than 10 kilometers. Wells are not only drilled vertically but also horizontally, can turn corners and snake from one pocket of oil to another. Souce: http://www.shell.com/home/content/innovation/meeting_demand/getting_more/smartfields/smartfields.html As drilling is vital part during oil extraction process, however the issue of planning and operating of wells is of greater importance. Shell realizes that as part of its operations it needs to research into whether a well would produce oil, gas or both. During the late 90s Shell introduced Drilling the Limit methodology which allowed the company to focus attention on how efficiently wells are planned, drilled and managed as a process. The main reason for introducing such a scheme was to limit costs and reduced to time it take to drill. Shell also have introduced a Smart Fields ® program providing both the knowledge and the control by integrating digital information technology with the latest drilling, seismic and reservoir monitoring techniques. 8 Shells Operation Management System Furthermore, Shell has introduced the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology to squeeze out the extra oil that would have been left behind in the oil fields due limited access and hard to get them out. Estimation shows that by recovering just 1% extra throughout the world would equate to 20-30 billion barrels of oil oil that may have been left behind. [5] (Shell.com) Scouce: http://www.shell.com/home/content/innovation/meeting_demand/getting_more/eor_ccs/eor.html Shell is using three techniques: injecting steam into reservoirs to heat and make the oil more fluid, and ease its flow; injecting gas to push oil out or to thin it, or injecting chemicals that free trapped oil. Refining process: Refining is the manufacture of petroleum products from crude oil extracted in the drilling process. Refining process can be classified into three major processes: separation processes, conversion processes and the chemical treatment processes. Refining involves separating crude oil into the desired components depending on the final processes chosen and the available crude oil selected. Separation Processes: Its the first stage of petroleum refining. During this process the crude oil is separated into some of its fractions. This stage involves three separation processes: Fractional Distillation: In the process, the crude oil, which is a mixture of many types of hydrocarbons, is boiled and re-condensed to separate the crude oil into components based on ranges of boiling points. The components with low boiling point are evaporated and collected in the upper part of the chamber known as Distillation column, while the component with higher boiling points are heavier and collected in the 9 Shells Operation Management System lower part of the distillation column. The components collected at the top of the chamber are known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Solvent Extraction: This process involves the separation of oil into parts by adding chemicals to dissolve the unwanted substances to the crude oil. The main solvents used in this process are furfural, phenol and benzene. Refineries use this method to improve the quality of lubricating oils. Crystallization: This method is mainly used to remove wax and other semi-solid substances from heavy fractions or components. The components are cooled to a temperature at which them become solidify or crystal. They are then put through a filter that separates the solid. Conversion Processes: Petrol is obtained through this process. Conversion process involves to processes: Cracking process and combining process. Cracking Process: It involves breaking up of large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller molecules using a combination of heat and catalytic action. These processes not only increase the production of petrol but also improve its quality and results in products like Cat Cracked Gasoline (CCG) etc. Combining Process: This process is the opposite of cracking. It combines simple hydrocarbons to form more complex fractions. This process results in different products like LPG, Coke (used to generate steam and electricity). Chemical Treatment Processes: Hydrogen Treatment: This process is used to remove the impurities like sulphur compounds by mixing the components with hydrogen. Blending: This is the last stage of refining process. This stage dealt with the mixing of various hydrocarbons, formed in the refining processes, together to make the final product as required by the customer. The final product is tested before sold to the consumer. Capacity Planning and Inventory Management System: Inventory represents a major investment for many firms. Inventories are of four types (Heizer, Render 2005) Raw material and purchased components Work-in-process (WIP) Maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) Finished goods 10 Shells Operation Management System All organizations have some type of inventory planning and control system. In case of physical products, the organization must determine whether to produce goods or purchase them. Once the decision is made, the next step is to forecast demand. Then operation managers determine the inventory necessary to service that demand. Operation manager establish systems for managing inventory. Vendor Managed Inventory: VMI is an abbreviation of vendor- managed inventory. Shell offer VMI. Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is more beneficial for the chemical buyers. In this system supplier warehouses the product till customer uses it. In this way Buyers are able to reduce a large portion of inventory from their books. They also benefit from the reduced paperwork, phoning in product orders and following up to see that they are delivered where and when theyre needed. VMI often results in the development of more efficient inventory and supply management, which can shave significant savings off the total cost. VMI takes inventory out of the production equation for buyers. Buyers no longer have to worry about tank levels or when to schedule new shipments. The supplier handles that. By monitoring the customers tank (often using sophisticated telemetry equipment), suppliers know when inventory levels are low. When they reach a certain point, usually agreed upon with the customer, the supplier schedules a deliv ery and the truck shows up at the customers site to replenish the tank. In November of last year, Shell Chemical Corp., Herndon, Va., went into an agreement with ControlSAT, under which ControlSAT would be Shells exclusive telemetry supplier. The agreement has helped the shell a lot because of the compatibility of ControlSATs technology to Shells Supplier Inventory Management Order Network (SIMON), which was developed by Shell Services, the technology arm of Shell Corp. (Reilly, 2000) ControlSAT Telemetry system: ControlSAT, is a technology company that manufactures and markets satellite -based inventory monitoring telemetry systems (system based on cellular and radio wave transmission). Working of ControlSATs System: Orbocomm Global, L.P., ControlSATs parent company, owns a network of 36 del fluorocarbon satellites orbiting the Earth. The satellites are spaced to orbit the polar planes, tropical planes, equatorial plane and about 45 degrees in between, providing total coverage of the Earth. (Reilly, 2000) ControlSAT installs hardware on customers tanks designed to relay inventory data to those satellites. Then, once per day, data is sent via the satellite network to a central monitoring computer, then on to the supplier through a secure Internet link. Data that suppliers receive show their customers inventory levels in tanks around the world. When product inventory levels fall below a certain point, the supplier receives notification to replenish the material in the tanks. In this way, the supplier can proactively 11 Shells Operation Management System schedule its own deliveries. With its daily running inventory and materials needs forecast it can streamline supply. SIMON: SIMON is a Lotus Notes-based software program that provides process industry suppliers with information and analysis tools. SIMON monitors and tracks inventory and consumption and then generates demand forecasts, minimum inventory requirements and re-supplies schedules. As a result, suppliers benefit from an improved ability to control facility and warehouse costs, increased inventory turns, streamlined administrative processes, and better focus on production capabilities. Through ControlSATs tank telemetry service, the SIMON database automatically incorporates timely, accurate and reliable inventory data without the need for manual intervention. Before SIMON and the telemetry supplied by ControlSAT, Shells inventory monitoring used to require a lot of phone calls, faxes and interaction between the customer and Shell. Any Information related to the customers inventory position would be initiated by the customer. Automating the process allowed the supplier to be more proactive in meeting the customers needs (in terms of getting the right product in the right location at the right time) and eliminate the need for time spent faxing and phoning in orders, etc. Shell currently provides the service only to customers that are sole-supplied by Shell, where a very strong business relationship has been developed and where there is a strong, demonstrated opportunity for cost savings through inventory monitoring. One of Shells customers currently using the program agrees that it can save a lot of time in product procurement. Balmoral Marine Inc., a petroleum and industrial gas drilling company based in Houston, Texas, is supplied by Shell and is currently using Shells SIMON and ControlSATs inventory management systems for supply of a particular resin product. (Reilly, 2000) Feature of the new system: Through SIMON, Shell Chemical keeps vital inventory; customers pay upon use for what is consumed. Shell Chemical is the sole source supplier, tied to a supplier/customer business model. Customers reduce safety stocks to bare minimums. Lotus-based SIMON Extracts data on amount of product consumed in past 24 hours. Determines the amount of new product that arrived and was unloaded in same period. Draws information on current and anticipated product schedules. Compares data against known changes to schedules. Data is replicated back to central customer service centre for automatic reconciliation with SAP/MRP systems, generating an automatic re-supply plan. 12 Shells Operation Management System SIMON Features: †¢ When plan indicates a stocking level below accepted minimum, electronic purchase order and shipment is initiated. All information pertaining to status is accessible to customers. Invoices are issued monthly, based on consumption, not shipments. Introduced to 23 of the most strategic customers. Short-term (12 months) results were plus $20 million in product sales. Customer Benefits: Eliminates excess safety stock, reducing working capital and carrying costs. Facilitates timely, low-cost re-synchronization of supply chain. Ensures product is on site when needed. Creates shorter response time to changing conditions. Reduces transaction costs data entry, invoicing, payables, etc. Smoothes erratic order patterns. Reduces order management costs. Streamlines financial accounting. Monitoring and Evaluation of Operations at Shell: Shell has heavily invested in monitoring and evaluation of each of its processes and operations because every process in this business is very much crucial and need careful attention. During the initial stage of oil exploration and production cycle, Shell conducts Seismic Surveying to confirm the presence of oil beds beneath the earth. Otherwise drilling is very much cost intensive process and failure to the initial stage may results in heavy lose to the organization. To determine whether the well would produce oil, gas or both Shell introduced Drilling the Limit methodology which allowed the company to focus attention on how efficiently wells are planned, drilled and managed as a process. Significant reduction both in drilling cost and drilling time has been seen over the decades with the introduction of Drilling the Limit methodology. Shell has introduced a Smart Field program which controls the ongoing drilling, seismic and reservoir monitoring from the separate place equipped with information technology. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Combined with the experience of geologists, engineers and others, Smart Fields ® can help increase the total amount of oil recovered from a field by 10 per cent and gas recovery by 5 per cent, while also boosting the rate of production. [4] (Shell.com) Furthermore, Shell has formed a department under the name Shell Global Solution. Shell Global Solution provide business and operational consultancy, technical services, catalyst and research development expertise to its global customers as well as provide its assistance to Shell in many operational areas such as exploration and production, refining, gas and LNG etc. 13 Shells Operation Management System Conclusion: Shell is one of the largest companies around the world that maintains and supplies the world with its fuel, oil and petrochemical products. In this report we tried to explain how Shell establish its customer requirements, its product development decisions, different operational systems involved in oil and gas exploration and production, inventory management systems and monitoring and evaluation strategy by Shell. As Shell is involved in number of businesses (exploration and production, gas and power, refining and marketing, chemicals, and trading and shipping) and each business has number of operations and processes that need to be maintained. To limit the scope of this report, we only focused our study on the oil exploration and production business.

Osmosis Investigation Essay -- GCSE Biology Osmosis Coursework

Osmosis Investigation How different concentrations of sucrose solution effect potato tissue. Aim How do different concentrations of sucrose solution effect potato tissue. Background Information Osmosis is the movement of water molecules though a partially permeable membrane from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential. High Concentration Low Concentration The membrane lets small water molecules pass though but not large ones. The flow continues until the concentration becomes the same on the inside as on the outside. This is called equilibrium. Molarity is a measure of concentration. Prediction I predict that the potato will change in mass and in length. I believe this because each Molarity of sucrose will change the potato's water content. This will happen because either the concentration will higher in the sucrose and lower in the Tubas or lower in the sucrose and higher in the Tubers. Therefore water will travel in or out of the potatoes cell though its partial permeable membrane. Preliminary Method ÂÂ · I will firstly get 10 test tubes and to test tube racks ÂÂ · Then I will cut 9 pieces of potato ÂÂ · I will then get 3 different Concentrations of sucrose solution and add 20cm3 to each test tube ÂÂ · Cut a 4 mm in diameter tuba to 1 cm in length ÂÂ · Now I will measure the length and mass ÂÂ · Now place the pieces in ÂÂ · Now leave this for 15 minutes ÂÂ · Now I will measure the length and mass Preliminary Results After we did the Preliminary Test we decided to use 1 cm long 4 mm diameter tubas. We would put them in 25 cm3 sucrose solutions. I don't have any actual results because the potato tubas shrivelled up in the fridge. Method 1. I took two average sized ground potatoes and checked that they were both healthy and hard. 2. Using a standard kitchen knife I peeled the potatoes and used a potato tuba to cut 18 equally size tubas 3. Using a scalpel and ruler I cut the potato into lengths of 4mm by 10mm. I had to be very careful whilst cutting the potato as the scalpel is exceptionally sharp. I then had 18 tubas 4. Taking a test tube rack I placed 18 test tubes in it and then labelled them (0.00M, 0.25M, 0.50M, 1.00M, 1.50M, 2.00M) 5. Using a measuring cylinder I measured out 25cm3. I then poured this carefully into ea... ...the water potential inside the tissue. To measure the tubers I think I would use a digital measurer that goes to two decimal places for accuracy and it would go to the same accuracy level as the top pan balance. I would also increase the amount molar amounts I use, such as 0.25 and 0.75. one explanation for the bad results is when the potato chips were removed from the test tubes and dried I may well have dried some potatoes more thoroughly than others and so some would have more excess water, which would add to the mass. If the experiment was repeated I could find another way to dry the potatoes that would ensure that all were dried in the same way for the same time. I were to repeat the experiment I would have possibly found a machine to cut the potato as it would ensure that all potatoes would be the same weight and dimensions. As well as the potato I could have found a more accurate way to measure out the solutions and to determine the molar concentrations. Perhaps I could have used a burette. This would ensure that I have an accurate amount of fluid in each test tube. I could also weigh each tuber on a more accurate scale, e.g. not to 0.00g but to 0.0000g

Anselms Proslogium :: essays research papers

In this discourse, Anselm looks to discover God, and discover what makes God real. Anselm has many conflicts at first with himself, wondering if there is one true single argument as to prove the existence of God. Anselm puts all his thoughts together from first to last, those which made him almost give up wondering, and those thoughts that made him fully understand. Anselm also tries to answer the many questions as to why human’s sometimes doubt the existence of god, such as the fact God has left us, and since then man has digressed and lives in misery without God’s existence. He enlightens us on the fact yes, many of us truly do seek God, but we are oftentimes clouded by our own thoughts and desires. As soon as man begins to look for the truth and look for the good in God’s grace, we have ambitious intentions, such as to further our own wisdom. Is it truly an evil to further our own wisdom? This is one thing that comes to mind when dealing with this article for me. For every reason we seek god though, it in someway has a selfish reasoning behind it, even if not harmful intent. If one seeks God for calm and serenity, then he seeks to exclude himself from the rest of the world and not pay homage to God with his fellow friends. If one seeks God to further their own knowledge and become an expert, then he seeks God to become better then others in respect, and is thinking merely of himself. The main point being made here is God should just be felt, not understood. God created man in his own image so that man could understand and know that God has compassion and grace. It need not be felt or seen to be truly there, we should simply know and understand that God is there for us and helping us become better individuals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think the second point being made from this paper is that many individuals have a â€Å"lust† for God. They want to believe so they have something to believe in, and want the Lord to be real. Anselm repeatedly discusses his â€Å"hunger† he had for God, where he continuously sought to learn more and extend his faith. This lust for God he finally resolves is something we should not feel. One should simply love God without question, because if seeking God, selfish purposes often arise.

Medieval Ballad vs. Modern Interpretation in Get Up and Bar the Door Es

Medieval Ballad vs. Modern Interpretation in Get Up and Bar the Door  Ã‚   An often used literary form in Medieval English literature was the folk ballad, an example of which is "Get Up and Bar the Door." A typical ballad is humorous, its author is unknown, and it focuses on one subject. This subject and the events of the story are conveyed both by the words written and those implied. The implied thoughts are conveyed and emphasized using a variety of literary techniques such as symbolism, repetition, and rhyme. The anonymous author of "Get Up and Bar the Door" tells his story make use of these and other literary techniques. The basic conflict in this ballad is one if not widely used, easily recognized: man vs. woman, or more specifically, husband vs. wife, a battle of the wills. The setting of this story is mid-November, in the home of a man and his wife, most likely of the lower two-thrids of society, since the wife must do her own housework. The wind is blowing and coming in through the door, and the man, in the typical male fashion, tells his wife to shut the door. She repl...

Authority in King Lear

Kayla Jacklin Dr. Treschow English 153 25 March 2013 Power Corrupts a Happily Ever After The theme of authority is prominent in William Shakespeare’s play King Lear. The play has many situations that allow readers to observe the negative effects that ones authority can have, and the negative effects that the lust for power will bring. Having authority is an important responsibility that is often misused. Even in today’s society there are world leaders either taking the wrong irrational action or taking no action at all, which results in consequences for themselves and their people.In Shakespeare’s play we are presented with the idea that having a great deal of authority can make one seem â€Å"blind† by making poor thoughtless decisions. These characters, and the readers of the play, will learn something from those mistakes through observing the outcomes the characters are faced with. Also in our society, there is corruption from a strong desire for power. Throughout history many dictators and tyrants have caused disruption for the people from their personal greed.In Shakespeare’s play, the characters who have a strong want for power will causes corruption which can teach the readers the downfalls of authoritative behavior. When a person of high power ends up in a situation they are not pleased with, they often act irrationally. Most times they act too quickly without proper analysis of the situation, leading to poor decisions. An example of this occurs in the play when King Lear decides to split up his kingdom equally among his three daughters. He asks his daughters to express their love for him, which he will use to decide who gets which land.The most love and admiration will get the best land. When Lear finds out Cordelia, the daughter he loves most, has the least love to express he acts unreasonably. Lear is furious, and he banishes Cordelia from the kingdom, refusing to give her the power he initially intended too. He deg rades her in front of her possible suitors, making her undesirable to the Duke of Burgundy. This scene portrays how Lear is blind to his daughter’s intentions from his self centered personality. Authority often makes one self centered because they are constantly worshipped by other people and they do not hear things they disapprove of often.Cordelia does not love her father the least, she is attempting to use honesty to show how her two sisters were exaggerating and lying about their love for Lear. Lear sees this as pure betrayal because he is used to being bowed down to at any expense. Cordelia doesn’t express the great love he is expecting, so he is stunned. This causes him to act irrationally without thinking anything through or trying to understand the situation. Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity, and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and meHold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation messes To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom Be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved As thou my sometime daughter. – (Shakespeare 1. 1. 110-117) Lear tells Cordelia how he has disowned her from the royal family and then tells her that he cares for her as much as he cares for savages that eat their own children. This extreme reaction from Lear illustrates how power has corrupted his thinking. Lear provides another example of acting irrationally, but with Kent this time.Kent argues with Lear about his decision to banish Cordelia. Kent believes Lear is making the wrong decision, and being the nobleman he is, he must attempt to change it. Since Kent is a noble man he will stand up for what is right, even if that means doubting his majesty’s decisions. â€Å"See better, Lear, and let me still remain/ The true blank of thine eye† (Shakespeare 1. 1. 156-157). Kent tells Lear to see better because Lear is misunderstanding Cordelia’s intentions. But because Lear is being so arrogant, he refuses to understand Kent and banishes him also.Lear’s arrogance will lead to an unhappy ending for all, just like Dan Brayton states in his journal article: â€Å"What Lear cannot see, and what is perhaps glimpsed by Cordelia and Kent in their reactions to Lear's living will, is that the process of division initiated with the display of the map will become uncontrol-lable, as the play proceeds to leave nearly all of its major characters propertyless, bereft, or dead† (402). Lear is blind to the good intentions of Kent and Cordelia, which brings punishments upon himself.These irrational decisions lead to negative consequences for Lear. After Cordelia is banished, all the power is split between his other two daughters Goneril and Regan. In their deep lust for power, Goneril and Regan turn on Lear. Now that the two daughters have all the power they feel no need to respect their father and his wishes. They find no benefit in keeping him around and t hey find him a nuisance. The two daughters won’t let their father keep all his noble knights; they refuse to house the only thing he has left in his waning life.Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires, Men so disordered, so debauched and bold That this our court, infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous inn. Epicurism and lust Make it more like a tavern or a brothel Than a graced palace. The shame itself doth speak For instant remedy. Be then desired By her that else will take the thing she begs, A little to disquantity your train, – (Shakespeare 1. 4. 223-231) Goneril tells Lear that there are too many ill-mannered knights crowding the palace, and if he does not reduce their number she will do it herself.Lear has given Goneril and Regan all his power so he has no choice but to obey his daughters. He went from a King to a lonely old man because he was fooled by his two selfish daughters. The author of the journal article â€Å"Sex and Authority in â₠¬ËœHamlet, King Lear’ and ‘Pericles’†, Kay Stockholder, adds to this point: â€Å"Having lost Cordelia to another king, Lear embarks on an inner journey through desolate isolation and victimization† (26). Stockholder’s words can be interpreted such that Lear’s daughters Goneril and Regan isolate him by ignoring him and his wishes.Since Lear has given up his power he is slowly being forgotten. He then becomes Goneril’s and Regan’s victim in their thirst for power. Lear’s poor decisions have fueled his already coming insanity. Goneril and Regan betray their father in their personal desire for power, they are so concerned with their own well being they have lost all intent to care for and love their father. The double plot of this play, Lear and his daughters along with Gloucester and his sons, brings in another significant example with Gloucester and his two sons Edgar and Edmund.Edmund is Gloucester’s bastard son who seeks revenge and full inheritance from his father. Edmund knows that because he is the bastard son he will not be the son to take the place of his father; Edgar will. Edmund has been made to feel less than his brother his whole life and has a strong desire to be on top for once. In Edmund desire to get his father’s inheritance he will commit multiple acts of betrayal. He begins by telling his father of a fake letter which explains that Edgar is going to kill Gloucester.He then tells Edgar that Gloucester is angry with him and that he should avoid him till he can calm him down. Now that Edmund has created some tension, he expands on his plot. Edmund is with Edgar in Gloucester’s castle when they hear Gloucester coming. Edmund tells Edgar to flee for his safety while he draws his own sword and wounds himself. When Gloucester enters Edmund tells him Edgar wounded him. This angers Gloucester and he sends out servants to find Edgar for punishment. In addition to Gl oucester and Edgars plot, Gloucester is involved with King Lear.Cornwall and Regan have taken over Gloucester’s home and have forbidden him to help Lear. Gloucester knows he must help Lear, so he tells Edmund to distract Cornwall and Regan while he sneaks out to find Lear. Edmund immediately betrays his father by telling Cornwall and Regan what Gloucester has gone off to do. All this betrayal and cruelty come from Edmunds motivation to receive inheritance of his father; he wants the power from his father. These evil actions are a result of Edmunds greedy mentality, and with evil actions comes punishment like all of Shakespeare’s plays.At the end of the play, Edmund finally gets what he has coming for himself. Albany realizes Edmund committed treason and calls him to a duel. Just as the Herald calls up anyone who agrees so Albany’s assumption of Edmund, Edgar walks in and takes over the fight. Edmund falls and eventually dies. While Edmund is dying he comes to th e realization that his actions were wrong. I pant for life. Some good I mean to do Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send— Be brief in it—to th' castle, for my writ Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia. Nay, send in time! – (Shakespeare 5. . 242-246) Edmund appears to regret his wicked actions as he explains how he wishes he could live longer to do a little good. He also tells Albany and Edgar to go quickly to the castle in hope to save King Lear and Cordelia from the death he had sentenced on them. This gesture shows that he has recognized wrong from right and is making any attempt he can to do good before his life’s end. Along with Edmund learning from his actions, the audience too learns from his actions. Tragic endings like such are not pleasant, but they are eye openers for readers and observers.The readers can learn how the misuse of authority has negative effects without having to experience it themselves in real life. After observing the negat ive effects in the text, they can understand and recognize the same situations in real life to avoid them. Throughout King Lear attention is drawn to the idea that authority can have consequences if misused. The two plots in the play signify its importance by being very tragic and upsetting. King Lear’s loss of Cordelia shows how egotistical actions and misused power lead to loss. He is blind to the signs Cordelia and Kent present him with which eventually lead to his demise.Goneril and Regan exemplify how a strong aspiration for power can lead to insensitive and wrong decisions. They betray their father, and anyone who stands in their way. Edmund also exemplifies how an immense want for power leads to his demise by betraying the two people dearest to him, his father and brother, just to inherit the power of his father. He commits acts of pure evil from inner greed. Although the play introduces so many sinful acts and wrong doings upon characters, in the end the readers learn valuable lessons. Authority corrupts when it is taken too far.Authority must not be taken for granted, and it should be used wisely. It should be used for the good of the people, not just for the good of one. Work Cited Brayton, Dan. â€Å"Angling in the Lake of Darkness: Possession, Dispossession, and the Politics of Discovery in ‘King Lear’† ELH 70. 2 (2003): 399-426. Summons. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. New York: Pearson, 2005. Print. Longman Cultural Edition. Stockholder, Kay. â€Å"Sex and Authority in ‘Hamlet, King Lear’ and ‘Pericles’† Mosaic 18. 3 (1985): 17-29. Summons. Web. 22 Mar. 2013.

Mystic Monk Coffee Case Analysis Essay

Mystic Monk Coffee is a company established by Father Daniel Mary, the Prior of the Carmelite Order of monks in Clark, Wyoming. The monks are a group of 13 living in a small home. Coffee sales are used to support the brotherhood and to eventually prepare for expansion of the order. Coffee is produced using high quality fair trade Arabica and fair trade/organic Arabica beans. There are many popular flavors such as Mystical Chants of Carmel, Cowboy Blend, Royal Rum Pecan, and Mystic Monk Blend. The company’s traditional target market has been the segment of the U.S. Catholic population who drinks coffee and supports the monastery’s mission. Industry Analysis The approximate number of coffee consumers in the United Stated is 150 million and 89 percent of those drinkers prefer to make coffee at home rather than purchase from franchises. Of the consumers who drink coffee at home, approximately 30 percent prefer premium specialty coffees that sell for $7 to $10 per 12-ounce package. These coffees are made from high quality Arabica beans rather that low quality, bitter Arabica beans. Mystic Monk Coffee is among the distributors that produces a higher quality product. Company Mission The current mission is to produce a high quality product that is marketed to the segment of the U.S. catholic population who drink coffee and wish to support the monastery’s mission. The monks make their appeal by asking the Catholics to use their Catholic coffee dollar for â€Å"Christ and his Catholic church.† This is published on the website. Company Objective Mystic Monk Coffee has a primary goal of transforming the small brotherhood of 13 monks lining in the small home to include accommodations for 30 monks. There is a property in the Rockies with an asking price of $8.9 million. The monks currently have a donation of $250,000 and a plan to raise the remainder of the funds. There are currently more than 500 inquiries who want to be considered to become a Wyoming Carmelite and Father Prior Daniel Mary wished to accept a select few when he is able to expand. Company Strategy The company primarily uses word of mouth as a means of sales and increase of revenue. Sales are generated primarily from online orders. Mystic Monk also offers non-secular websites commissions on sales made to customers directed to the website. The website and its affiliates help the company to earn a net profit margin average 11 percent of revenues. SWOT Strengths: * The price is reasonable. The average premium brand coffee is sold for $7 to $10 dollars per 12 ounce package. Mystic Monk Coffee averages $9.95 per 12 ounce bag and all purchases over $25 qualifies for free shipping. * The monks are dedicated to making the coffee. Everyone at the company has the same goal and this is to further the revenue of the company in hopes of expanding to better serve God. Weaknesses: * The Carmelite Order currently has the production capacity of 540 pounds per day and the demand will soon exceed the production capacity. The production is also limited due to prayer and meditation throughout the day. * Advertisement is primarily by word of mouth. There are consumers who would try the coffee because it is of high quality and good price but do not know about it. Opportunity: * Through the sale of its coffee, the Carmelite Monks may realize their dream of purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. * Donations made by individual supporters will help to fund the purchase of the land. * Expansion of the brotherhood through the purchase of a larger parcel of land. Threat: * Some people may not purchase the coffee because of the religious affiliation. * The price of the coffee may increase after the purchase of new land. *FINANCIALS NOT AVAILABLE Problem Scope The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming would like to purchase a ranch that would greatly increase its operations. The order currently has 13 monks working to produce coffee for sale and has a production capacity of 540 pounds per day. The company is sustainable because the monks have a specific goal in mind and all are on the same page when trying to reach the goal of the purchase. I selected this problem because although the company makes great sales, sales will not be enough to purchase the land. The company does not effectively advertise itself and will need to improve advertisement to increase sales. Problem: The mission of the company is tied to the vision of the company. Father Daniel Mary realizes that the monastery environment is a unique challenge to the business because of the limited hours of production and also the limited access to the outside world. Although the monks are highly secluded, they manage to sell their coffee although it is mainly sold to Catholic believers. Solution: Mystic Monk Coffee can begin to be offered in small shops in the United States. I would not recommend supermarkets at this time because of the limitations of production. As sales increase, revenue generated from increased sales will help with the purchase of new property and the coffee can then be offered in a limited amount of supermarkets. With the purchase of new land, there will also be an increase in labor and production with the addition of new monks to the order. Problem: Mystic Monk Coffee has a target market of the U.S. Catholic population who drank coffee and wished to support the monastery’s mission. Solution: Mystic Monk Coffee should expand its target market. It can do this by targeting not only Catholics but all coffee drinkers in the U.S. who value price and quality. Most people enjoy a good cup of inexpensive coffee. The emphasis should not be on the support of the monastery’s mission but should focus on great coffee for a reasonable price. By doing this, the Monks would increase sales and eventually be able to purchase a larger property. Challenges: The monks may feel they are compromising their beliefs by focusing more on the coffee than their stated religious mission. If the monks focus on the fact that they are running a company that will eventually generate the sales needed to further their mission, this may ease the feelings. The monks may also want to increase their order by two to increase production and earn more money. Summary Although Mystic Monk Coffee has a unique set of variables, they will be successful in increasing sales and purchasing the land.