The Economic Impact of The New Telecommunications Essay Example For Students

The Economic Impact of The New Telecommunications Essay LegislationBy: David ListerCanada has been transformed in recent years into an information based society. Nearly half of the labour force in Canada works in occupations involving the collection and processing of information. In a society in which information has become a commodity, communications provide a vital link that can mean the difference between success or failure. Telecommunications is a fundamental infrastructure of the Canadian economy and society. For these reasons, an efficient and dynamic telecommunications industry is necessary to ensure economic prosperity. Deregulating the Long Distance Industry is the only sure way to ensure that prosperity. Telecommunications in Canada, which include services and manufacturing, employ more than 125,000 people and generate over $21 billion in revenues (Dept. of Communications, 1992, p7). Telecommunications helps to overcome the obstacles of distance in a vast country such as Canada, permitting remote communities to benefit from services taken for granted in large urban centres. More than 98 percent of Canadian households have a telephone, and there are more than 15 million telephone lines for a population of nearly 27 million(Dept. of Communications, 1992, p7). It is therefore not surprising that Canadians are among the biggest users of telecommunications in the world. For example, in 1990, Canadians made more than three billion long-distance calls (Dept. of Communications, 1992, p8). We will write a custom essay on The Economic Impact of The New Telecommunications specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Innovations made possible through telecommunications have also contributed significantly to the phenomenal growth of the Canadian telecommunications industry. For example, the total value of the major telephone companies investment in their facilities rose from $17.8 billion in 1979 to $40.3 billion in 1990. In the same year, Canadian telecommunications companies reported more than $15 billion in revenues, accounting for an estimated 2.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, in 1990 the telecom industry achieved a real growth rate (after inflation) of 8.6 percent compared to 0.3 percent for the Canadian economy as a whole. Telecommunications is also Canadas leading high-technology industry; its Research and Development costs of $1.4 billion in 1990 represent about 24 percent of total expenditures in this area. This shows how telecommunications has come to play such a vital role in our society, in addition to being our most important high technology industry (Dept. of Communications, 1992, p9-12). Changes are constantly taking place in the telecom industry. These changes are caused by rapid progress in telecommunications technology, growing demand for new services, the globalization of trade and manufacturing operations, and increasing competition worldwide. It is also important to note that the Canadian telecommunications market of $15 billion is small compared to those of our major trading partners, the United States ($185 billion), the European Community ($125 billion) and Japan ($65 billion) (Blackwell, 1993, p26). These factors were a mounting source of pressure on the previous regulatory structure of the Canadian telecom system. As regulation was eased in other countries around the world, Canada was beginning to lose its competitiveness. The USA and Britain have made strategic decisions to increase competition in telecommunications services and to modernize their information infrastructures. Other countries such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are following their le ad. The European Community is considering legislation to unify the European telecommunications market next year (Blackwell, 1993, p22). In order to not be left behind, Canada updated its telecommunications legislation to bring it in line with world developments. For example, a key piece of legislation that regulated telecommunications, the Railway Act, dated back to 1908 (Beatty, 1990, p135). Clearly, with such ancient legislation, new policy was required that would allow a more flexible regulatory system, and not hamper the development of our telecommunications industry (as the Railway Act did). The first steps toward such a policy were taken in 1987 by the Minister of Communications, who outlined three basic principles to guide telecommunications policy making:Maintaining a basic telephone service which is affordable and universally accessible;Encouraging development of an effective and efficient telecommunications infrastructure; andPermitting Canadians in all regions to have access to the same levels of competitive services (Beatty, 1990, p42). .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .postImageUrl , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:hover , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:visited , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:active { border:0!important; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:active , .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40 .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u84f82b5e15d4725c9c925cc4885c3a40:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Embodiment and Free Indirect Discourse: Reliance   EssayBill C-62 the Telecom Act, passed in June of 1993, brought these principals to reality. In addition, the legislation gave Canadian Parliament legislative authority over the principal telecommunications common carriers (i.e. Bell Canada, Alberta Govt Telephone, BC-Tel) in Canada. The new legislation defines the powers of the federal government and the regulation that is required to bring Canadas telecommunications policy into the twenty-first century. It ensures the efficient operation of our telecommunications system, maintains and promotes and internationally competitive telecommunications industry, and guarantees all Canadians access to reliable, affordable, and high-quality services. In order to achieve this, the new law centres on two major principals: the first is to open the telecommunications market by having a workable policy for the whole country under the guidance of a single regulatory agency (i.e. the CRTC); the second is to establish a more flexible regulatory framework. The new legislation modernizes and improves the existing system in three ways:1.By updating and modernizing existing legislation that governs telecommunications. Namely, the Railway Act, the National Telecommunications Powers and Procedures Act, and the Telegraphs Act. 2.By making a single agency responsible for regulating telecommunications, and3.By ensuring consistent conditions in regards to access to facilities, local and long-distance rates, and introduction of competition for providing telecommunications services across the country (Beatty, 1990, p42). In addition, the legislation resulted in the creation of a more open domestic market so that all Canadians will have access to relatively high-quality services, regardless of where they live. Advances in telecommunications technology enable companies to offer a wide variety of new services to satisfy the needs and interests of consumers. One of the goals on the legislation is to ensure that all Canadians benefit from innovations in communications. In addition to promoting the economic benefits of telecommunications technology, the legislation also tackles the social needs and interests of users. The legislation also contains measures to protect consumers against possible abuse, including the sending of unsolicited information by telephone or fax machine (Beatty, 1990, p66). The Telecom Act gives the government the power to issue licenses to Canadian telecommunications companies and to set standards for equipment and facilities. In order to be eligible to hold a telecommunications license, the company ,must meet specific requirements respecting Canadian ownership and control. A main requirement is that 80 percent of the companies shares must be owned and controlled by Canadians (Angus, 1993, p17). The legislation, and related regulations, therefore promote Canadian control over the countrys information infrastructure. As well as this, the new legislation ensures that telecommunications policy takes into account the interests of the regions and provinces. Given the fundamental role of communications in Canadian society, and the vital importance of this sector in the Canadian economy, deregulation (or more accurately, easier regulation) of the telecom market will ensure that the Canadian telecommunications industry can successfully meet the challenges of the coming decades. By promoting the establishment of a more open telecommunications market, deregulation will contribute to improving Canadas competitiveness, which is essential to the countrys prosperity and well-being. Telecommunications is the countrys leading high-technology industry (Dept. of Communications, 1992, p1). It is one of the few industries in which Canada is a world leader, and it provides an essential infrastructure for Canadian businesses. The economic importance of this sector has been proved, and the deregulation of telecommunications recognizes the urgent need to give Canada the ability to maintain and promote competitiveness in telecommunications, both nationally and internationally. Deregulation thereby ensures that the telecommunications industry, which is vital for the countrys economy and for all Canadians, can successfully meet the challenges of the next century. Works CitedAngus, Lis. Telecom Act Close to Approval Telemanagement: The Angus Report on Communications Systems, Services, and Strategies. p17, June-July 1993. .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .postImageUrl , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:hover , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:visited , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:active { border:0!important; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:active , .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5 .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue225226650e060f9b8d746e09e9dc6c5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Polymers EssayAngus, Ian More Discount Options in Unitels Portfolio Telemanagement: The Angus Report on Communications Systems, Services, and Strategies. p15, May 1993. Blackwell, Gerry The Canadian Telecom Market in Perspective Telemanagement: The Angus Report on Communications Systems, Services, and Strategies. p20-32, September 1993. Bill C62 An Act Respecting Telecommunications (The Telecom Act) Ottawa: Canadian Federal Government, 1990. Beatty, Perrin Summary of the Bill Respecting Telecommunications Ottawa: Canadian Federal Government, 1990. Telecommunications: New Legislation for Canada Ottawa: Department of Communications, 1992. Untitled and Anonymous postings from the Internet, including messages from rec.canada and the CRTCs WWW (World Wide Web) site.

Football at Slack Essay Example

Football at Slack Essay Example Football at Slack Essay Football at Slack Essay As the train approaches its destination, the poem gains momentum as though possessed of some new energy, then suddenly slows down. The philosophical discourse slackens too, as Larkin can no longer sustain the intensity of his superior knowledge that extends far beyond the superficiality of socially constructed rituals. He relinquishes the awareness that the journey was merely a frail / Travelling coincidence: the experience now inhabits the past, and Larkin releases his hold on it, leaving him free to pursue the fertile possibilities of the future. Larkin has taken us on a journey through more than simply space and time: it has been a journey through experience and knowledge. It has revealed and observed the substance of Englishness: its landscape and the people who inhabit it. The gentle closing lines of the poem: there swelled A sense of falling, like an arrow-shower Sent out of sight, somewhere becoming rain is an optimistic release of the true meaning of life that can never be fully sustained, or indeed realised, by most Englanders. In the poetry which makes up The Whitsun Weddings, Larkin presents the reader with a simple and uncomplicated depiction of the matter of England, through which it is easy to perceive what is the matter with England. Ted Hughes has an altogether different attitude towards the matter of England, and indeed towards poetry itself. There are few overt references to the English nation in his New Selected Poems 1957-1994, primarily because Hughes does not deem the rational division of the earth into separate states to be of any real importance. : To him landscapes, animalistic forces and the scope of nature are not contingent upon the demarcation of a particular region they are equally in existence the world over. However, certain landscapes in his verse can be identified geographically, and many of these are of England, or at least an England of the past. For example, Remains of Elmet is a series of poems which has as its backdrop the last Celtic kingdom; within this geography Hughes brings together history and the activity of contemporary life to create a mythic effect. England is depicted through the portrayal of the whole of western civilisation. The sentiments contained in Hughes poetry apply to England because it has been shaped by the same processes as western culture, and both are now in the grip of a spiritual and natural paralysis. Hughes harbours a powerful contempt for western civilisation because its values and attitudes have impeded the operation of mans natural energy. 4 He conceives of civilisation as a cage from which man must break free and rediscover basic instincts. Thus the role of contemporary society is negated, and the logical rationalism of modernity is denied, in favour of the evocation of primitive but unrecognised natural forces at work in man and his environment. Hughes sees that being disconnected from this inner [primeval] world, life becomes empty, meaningless, sterile. 5, so he uses poetry as a means to discover this life by giving voice to the figure beneath the mask of civilisation. Social history becomes translated into a natural history by Hughes poetry: in October Dawn for example, the social is related to the evolution of the landscape. 6 October Dawn sets a precarious civilisation against the puissant force of nature, a battle which civilisation inevitably loses. This poem emphasises that western culture is subject to the benevolence of the earth, and can be reclaimed at any point. So A glass half full of wine is left out / To the dark heaven all night like an offering to placate some primeval god. Yet the insubstantial wine glass, an emblem of civilisation, is doomed as natural forces begin to conquer all things man-made: Ice/ Has got its spearhead into place. The delicacy soon gives way to something more forceful, which is reflected by the elemental and energetic diction: a fist of cold / Squeezes the fire at the core of the world. Such is the unbridled power of nature that it has eliminated the civilised man and all evidence of his existence, and reinstated the Mammoth and Sabre-tooth, but has only just begun its domination. The potential of the landscape is immense: And now it is about to start. Football at Slack appears in Remains of Elmet, a collection that focuses on a real world inhabited by real people as opposed to the mythopoeic world of Crow, for example. Here, the human and the elemental interact in an exhilarating celebration of vitality. But significantly the human activity of football, a game that occupies an increasingly central role in the culture of England, is contained within the bounds of the landscape: Between plunging valleys, on a bareback of hill. The football game is recounted in a gently mocking tone; the football players take on an absurd quality, and become almost clown-like figures: Men in bunting colours / Bounced, and The rubbery men bounced after it. There is something incongruous about the whole activity men flailing around in the landscape, chasing a ball while the enduring hillside looks on. As always, nature exercises control over the activities of man: The ball jumped up and out and hung on the wind / Over a gulf of treetops. Nature exerts its powers on the men, as though in teasing; for although: the rain lowered a steel press leaving the players practically submerged, they remain: washed and happy. Man interacts with the landscape, and there is the connotation that the landscape watches the match and is entertained by it. Hughes identifies in this football game a vestige of mans natural energy. Yet although in this instance the natural and the social operate side by side in a complicit agreement, Football at Slack carries the suggestion that the hillside could at any time unleash its power on the comical figures: a golden holocaust / Lifted the clouds edge. A bleak, physical landscape once again has supremacy over humankind, and primitive energies possess the advantage over the peculiarities of western civilisation. An awareness of the carnal mentality shared by animals and humans alike is basic to Ted Hughes. 7 The impulse to get back to a new and more vital life principle is ever present in his poetry -he strips humanity down to a bare animal in order to attempt a reconciliation with a consciousness that has insisted on the alienation from the inner life. The Long Tunnel Ceiling is a drama of consciousness, and illustrates the way in which the observation of animals, as representative of the true order of nature, provides the stimulus for the re-acquaintance with our true selves. In The Long Tunnel Ceiling, the sight of a trout in a canal marks a departure from the mundaneness of modern life, and the verse that contains it. The fish takes on the persona of a natural god, a: Master of the Pennine Pass, and in that capacity is exalted, indeed almost worshipped, by Hughes. The sighting of the: Molten pig of many a bronze loach triggers in the poet an imaginative flight into a mystical, natural landscape a flight on which he is accompanied by the reader: Brought down on a midnight cloudburst In a shake-up of heaven and the hills When the streams burst with zig-zags and explosions. An encounter with a single, inert fish initiates a mental and spiritual departure from the heedless bustle of modern life, with its: Lorries from Bradford [and] Rochdale that pass insistently overhead. The animal is accepted as a desirable and precious aspect of the self; against this knowledge, the industrial society that surrounds the poet and the trout fails to possess any meaning. We are left with an awareness of a wild god that flowers like a symbol of hope and sustenance amid the relentless passage of modern life. Her Husband is one of the few poems by Hughes to possess a socially oriented view. A precarious social hierarchy, with males assuming a higher status because they know: The stubborn character of money, is portrayed. The existence of humans and their ultimately insignificant social structures are sustained through the violation of the landscape. Thus civilisation is supported and underpinned by nature. Yet the poem suggests that the physical earth will revenge its desecration at the hands of ruthless humanity: Their jurors are to be assembled / From the little crumbs of soot. The transience and superficiality of western culture is contrasted with the enduring and far superior presence of the landscape and its fossil fuels: Their brief / Goes straight up to heaven and nothing more is heard of it. The farcical notion of the rights of humanity is burnt away as effortlessly as the coal. Hughes portrays basic natural forces with a language of energy and vigour, and in doing so creates a mythic dimension. The poetry of Ted Hughes is neither social commentary nor a straight-forward description of the geography of England. It condemns the whole of western culture, of which England is a part, for distancing itself and its people from the strong primitive urges that comprise the inner self. His aim is to: reconnect our own natural energies with those in the external, natural world8 through the medium of poetry. Both Philip Larkin and Ted Hughes both examine the matter of England, and expose its flaws. But their attitudes towards and treatment of this England differ radically. The term English poets seeks to unite the two perspectives of two poets that remain essentially irreconcilable.

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age Essay

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age - Essay Example As the study discusses in preschools where learning areas divide the classrooms, children gravitate to those areas where more possibilities in play are foreseen.   Usually, these are in the Make-believe area, filled with housekeeping toys like kitchen furniture, telephones, tea sets, cooking sets, tool sets, doctor kits, and the like which encourages creative imaginings.  From this research it is clear that one of the most popular areas in the classroom frequented by children is the Block Area where children spend time building their own constructions with wooden block pieces of many sizes and shapes.   During block play, children seem to get lost in their own imaginative world as they plan, design and build the structure one block at a time, carefully choosing the right block to stack on a particular place. This paper will thoroughly discuss the value of block play in the early childhood education setting.   Despite the widespread availability of new educational tools and te chnology, the traditional blocks developed nearly a century ago by Caroline Pratt, remain one of the most enduring mediums for early childhood education and even in the primary grades.  Unit blocks are those small hardwood blocks filled with potential for creative play.   These blocks are designed in a 1:2:4 size proportion emphasizing the size relationship among the different blocks.   Aside from rectangular and square-shaped blocks, there are cylinders, archs, half-circles, ramps, and many more shapes in the set.

Ethical dilemma about the same sex marriage Research Paper

Ethical dilemma about the same sex marriage - Research Paper Example text, the â€Å"Firm Balk at Gay Wedding† can be viewed as demonstrative of both ethical dilemmas raised by gay marriages and the way it can make interests of people clash. To start with, the gist of the article is a controversy concerning the human rights and religious views of a person as far as gay marriages often make these considerations collide. For instance, as it was explained in the article â€Å"Firms Balk on Gay Weddings† by Nathan Koppel and Ashby Johnes, people refused to serve wedding ceremonies of gay couples as it would insult their religious convictions. (Koppel & Johnes) Subsequently, there raises the dilemma of whether it is ethically right to deny gay couples services due to personal views. Obviously, there could be various opinions on this question, depending on the approach one uses. From the duty-based ethics, a person who denies services to a gay couple is right as far as he/she does it due to believing in immorality of such relationships. The basics of the given theory are found in the works of Immanuel Kant, one of the most influential proponents of deontology. According to it, a person is morally obliged to act accordingly to a set of principle and rules, regardless of whether an outcome would be good or bad. (Shakil) Putting it in other words, the only criterion to evaluate the ethics or morality of a decision or action is this action or decision itself. Subsequently, applying this theory to the situation described in the article, it is right to allow people to deny serving a gay couple if they act in accordance with their religious beliefs. In contrast, the given situation can be regarded as wrong when appealing to the outcome-based ethics that obliges to evaluate the degree of morality of an action or intention on the basis of the consequences it will bring. ("Consequentialism," 2014) Subsequently, the fact that business owners denied gay people an access to the services, such as â€Å"baking cakes for the ceremonies† is wrong

Distribution Networks For Consumer Goods In India Marketing Essay

Distribution Networks For Consumer Goods In India Marketing Essay ABSTRACT In this paper we look into the various distribution networks employed by leading companies in the consumer goods sector. We try to find the benefits of different distribution network designs to various companies. The reason why these leading companies have decided upon that particular distribution network design will be found out in this particular paper.in this paper we see into the role of distribution networks in the supply chain of consumer goods. The companies we look into are Hindustan Unilever Limited, PepsiCo Limited and Nestle India Limited. Distribution networks are channels that move various kinds of products and services from one place to another. They are also known as marketing channels, they are made of independent organisations such as distributor, retailer, sales agents, etc. which are involved in the making of products and services and ensuring them to reach its final consumers. The concept of distribution network is a very wide concept of which distribution channel is just one component, they are tangible systems of interconnected sources and destinations through which products and services move on their way to final customers. Every distribution network has two parts: Places where the products and services are stored such as factories, warehouses, retail outlets, etc. a set of paths that connect these places such as land, sea, air, satellite, cable, internet, etc. Distribution networks can be categorized into complex and simple. A simple distribution networks the one which consists of a single demand and to fulfil that only a single source of supply and a fixed path that connect the source with other parts of the networks. Managers decide upon a particular distribution network based on what and how much they have to ship, based on internal purchasing and inventory consideration. In short distribution refers to the efforts done to move the products and services from the manufacturing plants to the final customers through the various independent organisations in between such as retailers and wholesalers. The main aim is to ensure the products reach the final consumers into the simplest way and also the cheapest way. A good distribution network provides a great competitive advantage to the firm whereas a bad distribution network can lead to the failure of even a very superior product. Hence a distribution network should be well chosen and a lot of thought process should go into it. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR CONSUMER GOODS The distribution networks that the companies usually use for consumer goods are the ones which use both the distributors or the wholesalers and the retailer and thats because it allows them exposure to the wide networks that wholesalers have already established. Products that are of low quantity and of common use are usually distributed via intermediaries and those products that are expensive are usually sold by the producer itself. Products that are heavy and bulky or are perishable are subjected to shorter distances and are distributed directly. The main aim in all of it is to reduce the cost as much as possible. Products such as electronic appliances need after sales service also to provide the customers all the relevant information to use it. The firms that produce large variety of products in large number may develop their own retail outlets and distribute their products through distribution centres whereas firms producing products in small quantity may contract wholesalers as intermediaries and get the products delivered to retailers to be sold to the end customers. For products that are newly launched they need a wider distribution network so that they can reach as many consumers as possible. They need to reach all the retailers before the marketing efforts start hence many intermediaries may be required. While products which are on the last few stages of their lifecycle may need less intermediaries because the sales and the demand drops down by this stage. Firms that are small in size may depend on few number of intermediaries various large firms may appoint large number of intermediaries for a wider distribution network. The type of intermediaries also affects the choice of distribution networks like a consumer goods producing firm may require intermediaries which could increase the sales of the products i.e. the middlemen that are well known and have a goodwill in the market and those who have large storage capacities for large volumes of products to be distributed. All the above discussed factors affect the decision on which distribution network to be chosen for consumer goods hence a manager should efficiently choose which middlemen to choose and what channel to follow for sending their products to maximum population of consumers in the minimum possible cost. LEADING CONSUMER GOODS FIRMS OPERATING IN INDIA Some of the leading consumer goods firms operating India may be: Hindustan Unilever Limited PepsiCo Limited Nestle India Limited HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED It is a subsidiary of UNILEVER which has market capitalization of $ 14 billion. It is an FMCG major which owns around 35 of Indias very powerful and trusted brands and is a market leader in many of the consumer goods categories such as dish wash, personal wash, fabric wash, skin care, hair wash, jams, packet teas, talcum powders, etc. and it is number second in the toothpaste, instant coffee and ketchup segment. HUL products are available at approximately seven million distinct outlets of the country, it is used in one of every twenty eight houses and fifty nine percent of these outlets are located in rural India. HUL also serves certain stores directly and that amounts to around one million and has a wide network of seven thousand stockists and distributors There are about 35 CFAs (Carry Forward Agents) appointed by HUL in the country who serve the stockists with the products. The trade mainly comprises of grocery stores, chemists, kiosks, wholesalers and general stores. It is known for providing tailor made services to all its distribution channel partners. They have about two thousand suppliers that supply to forty different manufacturing plants of HUL that are decentralized across two million sq meters of the territory. HULs approach to distribution is divided into 3 segments based on the accessibility of the area and the turnover per market: Direct coverage: under direct coverage HUL distributes its products from its manufacturing plants to the Carry Forward Agents. From there the products are transported to the stockist or the distributor and finally to the retailers. Indirect coverage: HUL has certain stockists for a group of villages located nearby, the products are first delivered to the stockists from the manufacturing plants and then they deliver the products to the villages around them. Streamline distribution: in areas of low accessibility but high turnover per market, the products are delivered to the distributor by the CFAs which delivers the products to sub-stockists in rural areas located in the villages itself, they are also known as the Star Sellers. In order to reach the rural population HUL started the PROJECT SHAKTI in 2000. Under this project HUL has partnered with Self Help Groups (SHG) of rural women who get trained by HUL and also get support from government agencies and NGOs and they first receive HUL products from the rural distributor and sell them to various villages. They are basically Shakti entrepreneurs commonly referred as Shakti Amma who have helped HUL extend its distribution network to around 80000 villages of India. PEPSICO LIMITED Pepsico entered India in 1989 and has since then grown to be one of the largest food and beverages company of the country. Pepsi owns many of the leading food and beverage brands of the country such as Pepsi, Mirinda, 7up, Aquafina, Gatorade, Tropicana, Slice, Leher, Dukes, Lays, Uncle chips, Kurkure, etc. For the distribution of their products they use the Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system which is the key method for distribution of products such as food and beverages, home and personal care products, etc. It is a type distribution process in which the companies ship their products directly from the manufacturing plant to the final consumers. Direct Store Delivery (DSD) system: Pepsico uses a system called GES which stands for geographical enterprise solution and it is the reshaping of the powerful direct store delivery system. In addition to great products and tremendous brands, the strength of Pepsicos DSD supply chain has been another driver of the companys success. DSD means that it brings their products directly to stores and then their employees put the products right on to the store shelves. This system has a multiple benefits: it ensures the company gets great penetration of all its products that the products are delivered safely and efficiently it also enables Pepsico to provide great service to its customers and gives them an opportunity to work directly with their customers to get the space they need to reach their consumers. DSD system is one of its greatest competitive advantages. The aim at GES was to use the latest technology and lean supply chain thinking to dramatically improve their DSD system and ensure that they could support another 30 plus years of growth. For their customers they have improved their service and accuracy and dramatically improved their ability to bring new items to the market. For their consumers they will be able to improve their products freshness by over one week and get unique products that they want at their store instead of just a general line up of products. As the product is made at their plants from where it is then sent to large distribution centres in the metro areas, also to the distribution centres in the rural markets. Now in this model store orders are either picked at the distribution centre or even at the back of the road truck. Once the orders are placed they are then sent to the stores on the familiar trucks that one sees on the road today. Their sales team members are limited by the number of line items that they can carry based on whats in a distribution centre or on the truck and that means their customers dont always have full access to their full line of products. Well GES changes all of that. With GES the orders are not placed at the distribution centres but are hand held and are transmitted back at the manufacturing plant and the plants are now all fitted with the latest automated picking technology where these orders get assembled. Once they are assembled they can now take the large format orders to the stores like Big Bazaar or other super markets and they can go directly from plant to stores completely bypassing distribution centres altogether. This is the most efficient supply chain possible direct from plant to store. It also enables their customers to choose from their full line of product offerings as they no longer can be limited by what the distribution centre or the truck can carry. For small format customers like seven eleven our other stores things are slightly different. In this scenario they ship orders to small cross dock facilities called product exchange centres. Once the product gets there it is then transferred on 12 truck s and driven to stores by their own sales people. So since they no longer carry inventory on their trucks they are able to use much smaller vehicles and reduce drive mile and that helps them improve their environmental footprint. The other important benefit of GES is that their plant based pick centres are being configured to handle over a 1000 line items which is more enough to handle their growth in the next 10 to 20 years. The pick centres that enable them to pick orders at this scale are in the form of large pallets and are automatically depalletised. Once all the cases are picked, they find their way into the collection area where they are automatically released in exact store order to get to their delivery trucks and not only are they in store order but they are also ordered just like they are at the shelves in the stores. So it makes it very efficient to merchandise their product at the store. Pepsico also uses other methods of distribution such as Broker Warehouse Distribution (BWD) in which it delivers its products and services to the distributors and from there to the retailers. It also uses Vending and Food Service (VFS) which is method according to which Pepsico distributes its products to the restaurants. NESTLE INDIA LIMITED It is the worlds number one health and wellness company. It was established in 1866 in Switzerland. Since then it has delighted its customers worldwide. It is well known for its distribution all over the world and also in India. Its aim is to provide its customers with the tastiest and the most nutrient filled foods and beverages night and day. It has wide spread distribution network all over India covering all the major states and cities and also most of the villages. The company has divided its distributors into two categories i.e. trade distributors and the chocolate distributors. Trade distributors deal with products such as Maggi, Nestle Dahi, etc. whereas the chocolate distributors deal with products such as chocolates, sweets, etc. Every distributor has appointed a person who goes to various outlets every few days i.e. once or twice a week based on the type of area. They take the order from the outlets and either delivers it at the very moment or may be next day. It is assumed that any retailer has a limited amount of money to buy products for a particular day. Hence Nestle believes that sending more than one retailer would be more beneficial as the retailer shells out limited money for a single distributor and hence more distributors will get more number of orders. They have also started an operation STING under which their sales representatives go on bicycles and sell small amounts of products to outlets that are small and not much catered to like pan walas, etc. The stocks that are manufactured at the plants and then packaged finally for shipment are delivered to the mother godowns at various places. The stocks from the mother godowns are sent to the Carry and Store Agents (CS) where they are stored as a property of Nestle. The money for the stocks are given as guidelines given to the CS and the Cash Distributors (CD) via invoicing. Along with the main products they also store with them give aways and support materials such as stickers and free gifts, etc. Note: the wholesalers are not a part of the formal structure of Nestle Indias distribution network for NCR. They make bulk purchases from the distributors directly thereby leveraging on the margins. The products and services of Nestle India Limited are first manufactured in the factory and transferred using a Transfer Challan to the Mother Godown (one for a large geographical area). From the Mother Godown the stocks are transferred to the Carry and Stock Agents (CS) using a Transfer D.A. Till here the stocks are a company property. Then via invoicing the stocks are transferred to the Cash Distributors and finally to the Stockists. At these stages the ownership of the stock transfers from the company to the Cash Distributors and Stockists. Transport: in order to carry perishable food and beverage items such as milk, curd, etc. the company ensures a transport system having refrigeration facilities on board. The company also has cold storage facilities at its Mother Godowns at various locations so that the goods do not get spoilt during storage even for a few hours. Hence the company ensures that the health factor remains intact. They have dedicated Air Conditioned Vans for the transport of products like chocolates from the Mother Godown to the Cash Distributors. The following is the transport system being used by the company: Selection of distributors: The various distributors are selected based on certain criteria which are as follows: Capital investment: the distributors are selected based on the money they invest and also the money they can invest in the business in the future. It is not only based on the turnover that is necessary in the present but also in the future. This is also based on the amount of growth the company is expecting in that particular area. The amounts required may change from region to region. Relevant experience: according to the company norms it is vital that the distributor that they choose should be having some past experience of being a distributor in the FMCG sector. The main aim here is that the company will not have to give him any training in the same field. The company also aims at selecting dedicated distributors hence it ensures that the distributor it chooses does not work for a competitor so that it only focuses in distributing products of Nestle. For example if choosing a distributor for Nestle milk products it would select a distributor who already distributes Nestle products such as Maggi so that he is dedicated towards entire range of products and not only a particular SKU. Infrastructure: the distributor should be having the necessary infrastructure required for storing and distributing the various products such as cold storage, sales men, warehouses, transport vehicles, etc. However there are no fixed guidelines for selecting a particular distributor. The company has the discretion to select a particular distributor based on the region or the market it is serving or planning to serve. Incentives to the Distributors 2) scheme spread over 2-3 months: the distributors are given monetary benefits such as extra margin of 2-3 % if the sales targets set are achieved and the growth rate is high for example a 15 % growth rate means a distributor having Rs 1 lac sales will have more benefit than one having Rs 25000 sales. The benefits can also be in kind such as free gifts on achieving targets. It is always kept in mind that even with such rewards he gets monetary benefit for example by selling it. 3) Certificates: distributors achieving targets are also given certificates of acknowledgment which they may frame in their shops as a certificate from a company like Nestle is valued by everyone. Motivation of Channel Partners Proud to be Nestle The company keeps on coming up with schemes to give rewards to the distributors for achieving targets and also to build good and long term relations with its distributors. One such scheme that became successful was Proud to be Nestle Super awards for super achievers! launched on March 30, 2002. They are all open for the following: Area Sales Managers Sales Officers Cash Distributors Pallet Salesmen (these are the officials that work under the sales officers in order to enable him to handle a wider area of distribution.) Distributor Salesmen (these are sales men who work under the distributors are hence paid indirectly by the company) Merchandisers How does it work? Step 1: the following are the criteria that need to be fulfilled: The targets need to fulfilled to the 100% for the quarter III RDBN turnover growth should be at least 10% in the last year Quarter II. Duration should be: Invoicing: 01/04/2011 29/06/2011 RD: 02/03/2011 23/06/2011 Step 2: all the ASMs that fulfill the above criteria are then ranked on the basis of an index number. INDEX = % RD turnover growth * absolute value increase Step 3: now prizes are awarded to the top ASMs. The winning team comprises of: All Sales Officers in the ASM team 2 top ranked Cash Distributors in each Sales Officer Zone (Index = %RD growth * absolute turnover increase) Two distributor salesmen in each of the top two Cash Distributors The sales officers on the basis of the quality of merchandising achieved select a merchandiser to be awarded. The awards are mentioned in the table below: RDBM T/O growth achieved SO CD PS DS Merchandisers 20% + 5500 3500 2300 2000 1200 15-19.99% 4500 2500 1800 1500 1100 10-14.99% 3500 1800 1300 1000 1000 The ASM teams are ranked at the top win certificates and trophies. Evaluation When a distributor gets selected he is evaluated based on his sales targets but he does not lose business from the company until he under performs for a long period of time. Also the targets vary based on the region where he is located because each area may have a different sales projected. DISTRIBUTION IN PRACTICE (DIP) TRAINING For the distributor and the Carry Forward Agents there are training programs offered by the companies to the give them the in depth knowledge of the business aspects. Following are the training programs Quality System Good Warehousing Practices (GWP) Good Distribution Practices. Major aspects of the program include: Stacking as per norms: First In First Out (FIFO) method is used for Inventory management. The pallets are arranged in an orderly manner that too away from the walls so that they do not get spoilt or damaged. Also there is enough space between the pallets to move around freely. Good Warehousing Practices Security Fire Fighting: special precautions are taken to prevent damage by fire and also appropriate measures are taken to fight fire. Control of Pests Cleanliness/Tidiness Temperature record and maintenance at the Air Conditioned Godowns Proper ventilation All the taxes and licenses are given as per the government norms Transportation: availability of reliable sources of transportation to and from the godowns or warehouses. Proper Loading / unloading: proper loading and unloading of the pallets take place. It is either automated or the labour is given proper training and instructions to handle them with care. Remittance: the remittance is deposited on a timely basis. The warehouses have a record of all the Sales Tax given and the exemption certificates Accounting The record of Receipts and the data of dispatches are maintained in registers for refrence whenever required. In case of shortages they are handled seperately. The Carry Stock Agents are responsible for handling the Sales tax and the Octroi. A different registered is maintained for the freely distributed material. All the expenses that take place are handled by the Carry Stock Agents which are then paid back to them by the company. Handling of Bad Goods: The good and the bad or spoilt goods are separated from each other and are accordingly marked salable or not salable. Temperature control: there are special provisions for Air Conditioned warehouses for products like milk products and chocolates and also vehicles that have a facility for cold storage. CONCLUSION As seen above that the consumer goods in India usually use a distribution network that has few number of intermediaries in between as these are fast moving goods and need some middlemen to make it possible to reach far away locations in minimum time possible. For a company like HUL the products are not perishable and a delay by one or two days can be tolerated. But when it comes to a company like PepsiCo and Nestle they have certain perishable food and beverage items that need to be transported quickly and safely. Hence this means food and beverage firms have their warehouses located nearby so that transport doesnt take much time or they may even use faster modes of transport such as railway, etc. but for a company like HUL the warehouses may be a little far away with slower modes of transport. Hence according to the needs of the firm and the type of products or services a distribution network is well chosen to be competitive and better serve the customers. The main aim always is to deliver the products safely in the minimum cost possible.

Evaluation of Telémakhos’ Actions Essay -- Aristotle Telemakhos Essays

Evaluation of Telà ©makhos’ Actions Authors and poets in ancient and modern literature laud the actions of heroes and condemn the actions of villains—judging which is laudable action comes from understanding the virtues. Our greatest stories are nothing if not conflict between antagonist and protagonist, a battle against that esteemed as good and that which is evil. In ancient literature, our understanding of virtuous action comes principally from Aristotle. The path of virtue is the middle ground, such that it â€Å"is an intermediate between excess and defect† (Aristotle 1220). Just as Aristotle gives a framework with which to judge virtuous action, so Dante presents a framework with which to punish actions deemed outside of virtue. In Dante’s Inferno we meet non-Christians, those not baptized, whom God punishes according to the severity of their sin. At the entrance to Hell, Dante reads an inscription above the gate that says, â€Å"Abandon every hope, you who enter here† (Dante 1416). He ll is a place of stasis—the dead found there can never leave. Drawing from Homer’s Odyssey, this essay explores the actions of Odysseus’ son Telà ©makhos. By applying Aristotle’s Nichomacean Ethics and incorporating Dante’s system of punishment, this essay evaluates Telà ©makhos’ actions and places him in his proper place in hell: submerged in a hot river of blood forever. In order to know what virtuous action is, one must carefully choose between too much and too little. Aristotle says, â€Å"It is possible to fail in many ways, while to succeed is possible only in one way† (Aristotle 1221). This teaching is the premise of Nichomacean Ethics; Aristotle teaches what modern readers know as â€Å"The Golden Mean†Ã¢â‚¬â€the understanding that moral virtue â€Å"is a mean bet... ... audience just as Virgil warns Dante of his own fate. In the opening lines of the Inferno Dante says, â€Å"In the middle of the journey of our life I came to my senses in a dark forest, for I had lost the straight path† (1408). This straight path is the way of virtue. The relevance of virtue is as applicable today as it was in the time of Homer, Aristotle, and Dante—and in a Dantean understanding of the world, failure to follow the mean carries with it the punishment of an eternity in Hell. Works Cited Aristotle. Nichomacean Ethics. Trans. W. D. Ross. Wilkie and Hurt 1220-1225. Dante, Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. Trans. H. R. Huse. Wilkie and Hurt 1398-1571. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Wilkie and Hurt 273-594. Wilkie, Brian, and James Hurt, ed. Literature of the Western World Volume 1. 5th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2001.

Holy The Firm by Annie Dillard Essay

​â€Å"Death of a Moth† is a short essay from the author, Annie Dillard, called Holy the Firm, and also one of her most personal essay that she’s ever written. It is about the burning moths, her belief in God, and acceptance of her faith to being a writer. She uses the death of the moths to tell us nature’s cycle of life. Everything is the same, human and animal, life and death. In the end, they will all end up like the moth being burned up by candle light. ​In the essay of Annie Dillard, Death of a Moth, she writes about a woman who lives alone on Northern Puget South in Washington State, with one enormous window, one cat, and one spider(2). She has a flashback about two summers ago when she tried to run away from society to read and write her book, To Mountain. She tries to find herself to becoming a writer. She wants to leave the world behind and enjoy herself alongside animal and nature. She sees a moth landing on her candle light and gets burnt. She, then, describes the moth in such realistic ways which remind the readers about nature’s cycle of life. As she looks at the moth, she falls asleep. ​In the essay, the author has mentioned in her class about â€Å"you must go at your life with a broadax† (10). In theory, a broadax is a weapon or a tool used to chop down trees. At this point, Annie wants to explain to her class if you want to be something or get something in your life, you have to be willing to overcome anything to be able to get what you want. Your life is like a battle. When in battle, you need to equip yourself with a broadax, and be prepared to fight and struggle. In addition, it also shows you are willing to hack down at anything standing in your way. In practice, students also face the same situation. They try their best to overcome obstacles teachers give them to be able to pass their classes. ​In â€Å"Death of a Moth† essay, Annie Dillard tells us about nature’s cycle of life. Everything will have the same ending, being born, living for a certain period of time, and then dying. The same as the moths or ephemera stabs by fire. George has mentioned about significance of butterfly to her moths essay by posting his post on bookcritics.org(5). I would say that butterfly is the most beautiful insect I have even known. To be obtaining this beauty, it also has suffered so many miseries. It has to endured ninety months to a year in a cocoon, then it breaks pupa without any help, and transforms to a beautiful butterfly. The pity is it only lives for 3 days or a month, depending on what type it is. From the butterfly example, effort is what we can’t lack in our life. If we live without any obstacles, we will never learn or become stronger like a butterfly’s ability to break cocoon and fly up high. ​It can be seen that Annie Dillard is focusing more about the nature’s cycle life and also, expressing her effort to being a writer. She uses the moths as an example to describe her idea about nature to the readers, which is accept faith and move on with your life. In my own opinion, I would recommend or love to hear the significance of butterfly in her moth essay than reading about the moth being burned by the candle light. It was not a waste of time to write an essay about a moth, but replacing the moth to a more gracious creature like a butterfl y would better capture the audience.