Assessing The Capacity Planning For Bmw Business Essay

Assessing The Capacity Planning For Bmw Business Essay First of all, capacity refers to the upper limit or ceiling on the load that an operating unit can handle. And the load might be number of physical units produced or number of service produced. (Stevenson, 2009).According to Eng. Abdel Moniem shehata, he said that capacity is always something to manage. He added that capacity planning is not necessary to be time consuming or expensive. And any company will use the capacity planning depending on its tools and resources. According to BMW, the Company owns workers, machines, tools, engineering and materials and etc, and they have to use all this resources to maximize productivity and take full advantage of it to reach high capacity. When Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata was asked about the importance of capacity decisions towards BMW he said that the more capacity the more profit the company will gain and the expenses will be decreased as BMW involves manufacturing so it is important to set a capacity planning because the source of income of BMW comes from selling cars. However, Capacity is important because it deliver benefits and profits much more than what was expected. Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata said that capacity is very important as it affect and have impact on BMW as a Company and its cars. It also affects competitiveness and he said that he thinks that the most near competitors to BMW are Mercedes and Volkswagen as the three brands are Germany and the factories are located near to each other. On the other hand, the firm that has more capacity will have an advantage of delivery speed. He added that capacity decision affects the Operating costs by helping in minimizing operating cost. There are two different ways to measure capacity which are design capacity and effective capacity. The design capacity is the output rate while the effective capacity is the design capacity minus allowances. According to BMW Eng. Abdel Moniem shehata says about the ways BMW use to measure capacity, that at the beginning of any business a Feasibility study is very important to start with and study it very proper and ensure that it is right to reach the profit which the company needs. Afterward things that is essential for production comes after like machines, inventories, workers, engineering, and equipment all these kind of resources which will help in achieving high capacity. Then the budget of the production is putted which consists of income and outcome. Income like assets and expenses while outcome like revenue and profit that is received. Mainly BMW measures capacity by multiplying the number of machines or workers with the number of shift, with utilization and with efficiency. According to the determinants of effective capacity there are factors that influence capacity. The design of BMW is important including the shape and the size. Also the design can have influence on capacity. According to BMW it is important to produce cars with the same range other than different ones. He added that quality of the car is an important part in the determinants of effective capacity. As by increasing quality the capacity will increase as well. And other external factors like safety, purchasing decisions and inventory stocking decision, all these factors have a great impact on capacity. Any company or organization has a capacity formulation bases its capacity strategy on assumptions and prediction. Strategy formulation consists of 3 primary stages which are leading, following and tracking. Leading helps in building capacity in a hope of future demand increases. While following start building capacity when demand increases current capacity. Finally tracking keeps capacity to keep demand increase (Stevenson, 2009). However, BMW can measure the success of its new process by tracking how long it takes for one car to be built from the very beginning until its all done. If vehicles take different of times to be built then it is a sign of uneven flow of materials to the production line. Another way is looking at the number of vehicles that are returned for warranty work. This measurement looks at the final product. If suppliers are hurried to complete orders, they might reduce the quality of the products that they are supplying to BMW. Once those low quality parts are used in the manufacturing of a new car, the customer will find it unsatisfying and it will be returned back to be corrected. The capacity planning is done by the general manager and other people that are responsible for the materials and engineering as well. There are six steps of capacity planning. The first step is to Estimate the future capacity requirements, the second step is to evaluate existing capacity, the third step is identify alternatives, the fourth step is to conduct financial analysis, the fifth step is to assess key qualities issues, while the six step is to implement alternative chosen, finally, the six step is to monitor results.(Stevenson, 2009). But Eng. Abdel El Moneim said that BMW makes the capacity planning in 3 simple steps. The first step is determining service level requirements; as they categorize the work done by systems and quantify customers expectations for how those works get done. The second step is to analyze the current capacity which is important to analyze it to see how it is meeting customers needs. The third step is planning for the future, by forecasting BMWs future business activity and determining it. However, Implementing is important as it ensure that the available capacity will be enough even if any changes happened if the future. Finally, when coming to the evaluation of the capacity planning at BMW Mr. Abdel Moniem shehata said that Evaluations carried out to learn lessons that can be used to improve ongoing or future capacity planning efforts are of potentially greater value. Unfortunately, improvement-oriented evaluations are seldom carried out. This is a serious shortcoming of evaluation practice, since capacity-development efforts involve a great deal of experimentation, and managers need to know the results in order to sharpen or reformulate objectives and reorient their activities in appropriate ways. In conclusion, for any company to achieve a successful planning capacity is to set goals and define objectives.   The company must also ensure that the planning process is carefully recognized.   And if the company found any mistake in the plan or the plan is not working, it doesnt mean that the organization has to start the planning from the beginning but only to correct or improve the parts which include the mistake. BMW creates their capacity planning at least once a year and sometime every six months. Reference Page: Trading eBook. (2010). , AL: Scribd. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/36253765/bmw-case. kern, H. (2008). , AL: Tech Republic. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-build-a-solid-capacity-planning-effort/370 (2010). , AL: Carzy. Retrieved May 6, 2011, from http://carzy.co.in/blog/car-news/bmw-india-expand-capacity-8000-units-early-2011.html/

Environment and Feminism - Ecofeminist Theory and Sustainable Developme

Ecofeminist Theory and Sustainable Development "People have to be able to work together if they are to realize the shared destiny and to preserve a habitable environment for generations to come." Albert Bandura, 1995 Bandura's words epitomize the spirit of environmental education and its challenges of community cooperation, trans-generational communication and sustainable development. The success of these challenges depends on the ability to pass on knowledge about the environment to future generations in order for them to better understand how to maintain a sustainable relationship with nature. In this era of globalization and neo-liberalist policies, maintaining a sustainable relationship with the environment needs to be examined not just from an ecological perspective, but also from political and social angles. Since environmental issues are often connected to social and political concerns, a theoretical framework that encompasses a wider ideology may facilitate an understanding of the interconnectedness of ecological issues. Deep ecology, institutional environmentalism, green political theory, and possibly other schools of thought forge connections between environmental, political and social concerns. Ecofeminism emerges as an alternative theory for framing the issues and answers of sustainable development. An ecofeminist perspective more fully describes the connections between environmental degradation and the social inequalities that plague the poverty-stricken victims of pollution, urbanization, deforestation, and other by-products of over-development. Finally, it is important to include ecofeminist theory in a discussion of sustainable development, because "in a patriarchal society, failure to recognize the int... ...w. Milbrath, Lester. (1989). Envisioning a Sustainable Society. Learning Our Way Out. Albany: SUNY Press. Pomeroy, Robert S. (1987). "The Role of Women and Children in Small Scale Fishing Households: A Case Study in Matalom, Leyte, Philippines." Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. v.15, 1987, pp.353-360. Salleh, Ariel K. (1988). "Epistemology and the Metaphors of Production: An Ecofeminist Reading of Critical theory." Studies in the Humanities. 5(2), pp. 130-39. UN Chronicle. (1995). "Empowering Women: More Education, Better Health Care, Less Poverty." United Nations Chronicle. v.32 (June '95) p.46-47. New York: United Nations Department of Public Information. Warren, Karen. (1996). "Ecological Feminist Philosophies: An Overview of the Issues." In Karen Warren (Ed.), Ecological Feminist Philosophies. Bloomington, ID: Indiana University Press.

Gothic art Essay

n 1250, the European art was totally transformed in what today we call Gothic art. This architectural style has three periods: The transition from Romanesque to Gothic from the 12th and 13th centuries, the height of its period in the 13th and 14th centuries, and the fall or decadence in the 15th and 16th centuries. Of these, the period that maybe the most difficult to understand is the transition period. First, the Gothic style is like a continuation of the Romanesque. This causes confusion when you want to distinguish the end of Romanesque and the start of the Gothic period. Second, many monuments have important characteristics of both styles. Therefore, many of these monuments do not have their own style, and certain conflicts exist about what style is really being used. The architecture used is what best defines Gothic, by this is what starts the movement. The two basic elements of the architecture are the pointed arches and the vaults made of many pointed arches. If Romanesque art is a classic art, the Gothic for me would be considered an extravagant, passionate, and romantic art. For that reason I believe that it is one of the favorites in the 19th century. The Gothic architecture is much more complicated than the Romanesque, this is probably because the period was full of religious competition and very fine materials. The kings and many important people had fortunes, the people started to get out of their misery and develop strong groups, and this richness and power made the Gothic art happen. Gothic art as resulting of the medieval period starts to use the art of architecture, paintings, and sculptures trying to accomplish the religious values. The cathedrals become the new stone evangelists, who tell stories with paintings, statues and scenes in stained glass windows from the life of Christ, the Virgin, the Saints and the Old Testament. The people, most of the times have a tendency to enjoy the familiar things that they have and see in their life. In the 13th century the most familiar was the Romanesque, and for that the Gothic style was identified as savage and barbaric. The beauty of this style wasn’t really discovered until the end of the 18th century. The Gothic style uses the ideas of the Romans, for example the arch, they are now made to be structurally perfect so they last longer and have more strength. This is done by having done a pointed arch that made it easier for the construction of tall cathedrals, with its towers that look more like skyscrapers. Although the pointed arch is seen by many people as very beautiful, its function was not so much for to please the eye, but more to be structurally necessary. In addition to the pointed arches, the columns also helped support these immense Gothic cathedrals. The Gothic cathedrals were the tallest monuments that were ever constructed, and this fact began a type of competition in Europe. Many described these cathedrals like medieval miracles, and between 1050 and 1350, 80 cathedrals from this style were constructed. It seemed that every king wanted his kingdom with the highest cathedral, and they built immense cathedrals that ended up collapsing to the ground. This obsession resulted in the building of many useless cathedrals that had no use. The Gothic style is also very famous for its stained glass windows. These large windows also had the shape of the pointed arch, and allowed a lot of light to enter the cathedral. The stained glass windows were a very different site to those who were used to the smaller windows from the Romanesque style. These were decorated with biblical stories and with other daily life stories. Another type of typical Gothic windows was the round ones. These round windows are located above of the main door in the fai ade of these cathedrals. Another difference to the simplicity of the Romanesque style is the large quantity of decoration that the Gothic style has. The fai ade of the cathedrals are full with sculpture that many describe it as extravagant for its great detailed work. The towers also have detailed sculpture that cannot be appreciated because it is not within the reach to see it with your eyes. The reason that they put the sculpture on the towers was as they believed that God can see them and enjoy them. I chose this style of art because I always thought of Gothic art as being dark, many dragons, crosses and mythical creatures. I guess how TV sometimes portrays â€Å"Gothic† is probably something else but when we went through it in class and after watching all the pictures in books, reading the history and looking at some webpage’s it was really interesting and now I have a different view of Gothic art and its architectural monuments. I will be also majoring in architecture and by looking at all these monuments and very little or no technology back then, I really respect the architects and workers who build these immense cathedrals that are still standing for everyone to appreciate them.

What Does It All Mean - 896 Words

The belief in something out of the universe is what helps most people continue on with their day. It may be hard for some to believe that they are only on this planet, living, just to die one day. Therefore, many turn to religion to seek a hope in an afterlife in which they can exist after death. However, believing in most religions means believing in something in charge of the universe. Something, or someone, that is practically supernatural, and supremely powerful. Thomas Nagel, in his text What Does It All Mean?, questions â€Å"Can there really be something which gives point to everything else by encompassing it, but which couldn’t have, or need, any point itself?† (page 100). Nagel is referring to a creator, God, probing whether this all-powerful creator can be an â€Å"ultimate explanation,† but an â€Å"incomprehensible answer† (100). Two Greek philosophers, Descartes and Anselm, try to individually prove the existence of God as the most omnipotent being in the universe, but they differ in explaining their thoughts of reasoning. In understanding their logic, we must also question whether God’s existence is a valid explanation outside of their thoughts. Whereas Anselm bases God as â€Å"something than which nothing greater can be thought,† relying on purely a definition, Descartes uses his theory of innate ideas and principle of definite and clear perception as grounds for the existence of God. To Descartes, God must exist simply because of his idea of a supreme perfect being. ThoughShow MoreRelatedWhat Does It All Mean?2510 Words   |  11 PagesWhat Does It All Mean? Thomas Nagel presents various arguments regarding various philosophical questions namely, free will, how do we know anything, and what is the meaning of life? Nagel pointed out that the inside of your mind is the only place where one can be sure of oneself (Nagel 8). He also purports that anything ranging from the universe, human beings, physical structures like buildings and roads; even our own body is based on our experiences, thoughts and sensations (Nagel 11). WhetherRead MoreSo What Does It All Mean?1378 Words   |  6 PagesVideo #1 – â€Å"So What Does It All Mean?† This video was particularly interesting re; the rapid expansion of technology across the globe. One key fact that stood out was more data was created this year than in the previous 5000 years combined. A main cause of this increased demand for technology is the exponentially growing population. The video points out that if you are â€Å"1 in a million† in China, that there are actually 1,300 people that are exactly the same as you. India has more students with higherRead MoreWhat Does It All Mean? 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The statement suggests that without language, we would not be able to become aware of something using the senses, we would not be able to experience and express emotion, and we would not be able to reason. To investigate the relationship between language and the other ways of knowing, I will explore the following knowledge issues. What is theRead MoreAll of the Other Ways of Knowing Are Controlled by Language. ¡Ã‚ ¨ What Does This Statement Mean and Do You Think It Is a Fair Representation of the Relationship Between Perception, Emotion, Reason and Language?1463 Words   |  6 PagesLanguage is such a universal phenomenon in human society. Whenever we write or speak, we use it; whenever we make a promise or ask a question, we use it. In the statement  ¡Ã‚ §All of the other ways of knowing are controlled by language ¡Ã‚ ¨, language is defined as  ¡Ã‚ §words ¡Ã‚ ¨ and this  ¡Ã‚ §control ¡Ã‚ ¨ can be defined as  ¡Ã‚ §dominate ¡Ã‚ ¨. 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However, one finds when reading â€Å"Two Notions of Interpretation† and â€Å"Intention and Interpretation in Literature† that these criticisms are effectively countered by two arguments that Levinson presents. Firstly, although the exploratory mode of inquiry can have multiple, if not infinite, cou ld mean answers, it also has could not mean answers. These could not mean interpretations provide insight into the work and allow for interpretationsRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Me Underpin Aristotle s Account Of Citizen Virtue?899 Words   |  4 PagesTo what extent, and how, does ‘the doctrine of the mean’ underpin Aristotle’s account of citizen virtue? 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