Assignment 5 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment 5 - Case Study Example More certainly, the noise was intense between the walls separating these two companies despite the absent of activities in my client premises. Notably, your machines were still running at the time of my evaluation. This noise is highly disrupting the activities in my client’s offices thereby affecting productivity of her employees. Therefore, it is my humbly requesting for you to allow me to conduct these measurements, so that proper recommendation may be arrived at towards curbing this problem. I intend to conduct this survey at different times of the day particularly early in the morning before your machines start running and late in the evening (4: 00 and 4:30) when only your office is at work. Kindly allow me to conduct this activity in your organization at the stipulated hours. In the contemporary society, all workers or employees spend most of their daily time at workplaces or offices where the comfortable and health indoor environment must be acquired naturally (Olpin and Hesson 27). Additionally, for the management to heighten the efficiency and productivity of the company’s investment, it must provide conducive indoor or office environment to increase the intellectual productivity of its employees. Notably, the improvement of the economic effects of the quality of the indoor environment on the productivity of the employees is relatively greater compared to the buildings’ life cycle (Mital and Kumar 88). Therefore, it is vital for any management to improve the quality of the workplace environment to increase the productivity of their employees. There should be  noted that there are underlying differences between sound and noise. Sound is any sensory perception while noise compounds unwanted sound. Noise is never friendly to human production since is an enormous distractor (Mital and Kumar 120). Moreover, it often affects mood and emotions as well as thinking, actions, and

Exam_4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exam_4 - Essay Example These components are applied in operational management allowing the management to access up-to-date data in real-time. Therefore, operational analytics offer an insight of the data within a data warehouse because it allows greater visibility of the various forms of data at a great speed (Turban, Sharda, Delen & King, 2010). OLAP (Online Analytic Processing) is the commonly used technique in data analysis employed within data warehouses driven by the increase in data volumes and the value of data-driven analytics in business. OLAP is also referred to as the capability to effectively manipulate and analyze data from various perspectives using its operational structure that relies in the concept known as cube. This concept has a multidimensional data structure that allows fast analysis of data because arrangement of data into cubes overcomes the limitations associated with relational databases (Turban, Sharda, Delen & King, 2010). KPI (Key Performance Indicator) represents a strategic objective and measures performance against a goal. KPIs are multidimensional and upon translation, this indicates that KPIs encompass various unique features. One of the distinguishing features includes strategy because KPIs embody a strategic objective. Moreover, KPIs measure performance against specific targets that are defined within the strategy, planning, or budget allowing the targets to take different forms like achievement targets, reduction targets and absolute targets among others. KPIs also have ranges because objectives have performance measures like above, on or below the target. Encoding in KPIs allow ranges to be encoded in software enabling the display of performance through colours like green, yellow and red based on percentages or other complex rules. Time frames in KPI mean that targets are assigned time frames within which they have to be accomplished; as well, the time frames are often divided into small int ervals to allow monitoring of performance

Transportation Paper Essay Example for Free

Transportation Paper Essay Every time I go to watch a television I always heard a lot of news about traffic congestion or traffic accidents. Especially when I go to watch foreign channels, most of the time the news was about traffic incidents or super heavy traffic. But there’s a lot of difference about the transportation in the US to other countries. For example in the Philippines, it is common on their everyday lives to have the situation like this as they go out on their house they are expecting for a heavy traffic on their way. But in the US it is not common. I mean not all the time traffic is present in the US. There is only traffic if there’s a special event or sometimes because of the unpredictable accident happened in the road. Some places in the Philippines have always traffic not because of special events or unpredictable accident but because of the road itself. For example some roads in the Philippines were not well constructed and so it causes heavy traffic sometimes a great accident. While in the US road is not a problem, actually all roads are well-constructed, full cement and straight roads. So it can’t cause any harm to the travelers or to any cars as well. But still even though the roads in the US were like these, it seems accident still present and problem to Americans. It’s not only about the traffic congestion in the countries; there are still a lot of problems. Some of these were the form of transportation itself. One of the biggest factors of transportation is the number of cars in a given place. Another great factors are the following way, street or any kind of thoroughfares. A certain hi-way can accommodate a certain number of cars. For example there’s a hi-way that can accommodate only 300,000-400,000 cars a day. But every time there’s a special event people were full blast, for example if they want to have a vacation, an outing or any private family activities they prefer. And so with these matter roads can’t accommodate that number of cars and so traffic congestion occurs. In the US there’s no big problem compare to the Philippines. It is because roads in US were so big and wide that can accommodate a large number of cars there or maybe I can say almost half the numbers of cars there. Compare to the Philippines, roads can accommodate only a very limited number of cars a day and so traffic congestion occurs regularly. Another big factor in the transportation is the discipline of the cars drivers or owner. Those drivers and owner of a car in the US were as discipline as they could. You can see it on news or maybe in some newspapers. And we can observe this also on our everyday lives. You can see that if there’s problem or traffic congestion in US, you can observe that cars were on their proper line. They do obey roads and traffic rules or something like that. While in the Philippines if we will go to observe the process of their transportation, especially with this kind of problem. You will see that most of the drivers don’t have a discipline. If there’s traffic accident or traffic congestion, cars are not on their proper position or lines. Some are going this way some on that way. One thing is important for all the drivers and for some aspiring drivers in US or in the Philippines. Discipline is what I’m talking about. Discipline is the most important thing to have for all the drivers. After this is the skill you have in driving. Of course it’s still important. Discipline in driving won’t work without the ability to drive. Followed by of course honesty in following rules and regulations in the roads. Some road rules or traffic rules or something like that. Whatever it is, drivers need to obey this. Without all these solution we still can’t prevent traffic congestion or something like these.   Another thing for all the drivers in the Philippines don’t forget to be careful in your driving. One day I heard news about this problem about driving after being drunk. It causes a lot of problem on that given place. Not only for the driver himself but more to others. And so accident is more prone to that kind of place because drivers don’t took any care on their driving. In the same matter I don’t hear a lot of things or problem like this in the US. Well maybe I think maybe it’s because many people in the US were so busy and no time for some parties or something like this. But even with this situation in the US still be aware Americans not to happen this in the US. Well for your own sake and for others as well. Well to summarize all on this essay maybe we can now prevent traffic congestions on our own country. US, Philippines or what country are you. Of course first we need to be discipline. Also we need to be skillful in this kind of Profession-driving. We need to obey rules and regulations in the road. And of course we need to be honest in that matter. And lastly we need to be very careful in our driving. and in addition to this we need to be responsible in our action. Works Cited â€Å"Traffic Congestion.† National Service Training Program.1st ed. 2003

Evaluation For Operations Management Of Hard Rock Cafe Marketing Essay

Evaluation For Operations Management Of Hard Rock Cafe Marketing Essay Hard Rock is one of the most globally trademarks in the world with 40 years history . At the beginning, it was a small cafà © located in London. What have made Hard Rock to be success, and their business cover all the world consisting of 169 venues in more than 50 countries.Hard Rock has become a truly phenomenon. We could evaluate how Hard Rock Cafe achieved that phenomenon in many points of view .One of these is operation management strategy of Hard Rock .Now we study and analyse the strategy to manage its operation.   Ã‚  1. Location selection With the first place in London, Hard Rock expands its cafes to major big destination cities on the world where there are huge population and tourist. Mr Oliver Munday, Hard Rocks vice president is heavily looking into global expansion in Europe, Latin American and Asia He said that Weve got to look at political risk, currency, and social norm-how does our brand fit into the country   [i]  . Therefore, the new choice for Hard Rock Cafe is to locate in other cities, they focus on the tremendous resurgence of the central of the city where nightlife is concentrated like Bang Coc, Ho Chi Minhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. which are not rush tourist cities in order to less depend on such a fragile business. For the good position to be chose, markets research is deeply surveyed and analyzed base on Hard Rocks Standard market report. The analysis is based on these following fundamental elements including demographics, visitor market trend, transportations, restaurants and nightclubs, risk of politics, real estate market and comparable market, t. This serious quantitative market research supports Hard Rock Cafe to make right decisions for its business. Moreover, the success of every cafe in each location is also contributing the useful information for Hard Rock cafà © to expand these other one and also to improve their efficiency of the whole chains success. Hard Rock now aims to the area of Europe, Latin America and Asia. Not all cities selected Hard Rock cafà © operated by itself but choose to franchise because of risks, economic challenges such as culture, inflation, exchange rate, may affect its operating. Hard Rock chose to expand its chain to 2 big and busy cities (Bogota and Moscow) in nightlife , but they had both franchise to local partners there. Other Hard Rock Cafes in other place like Honolulu, Dubai .. will be opening soon. 2. Goods and service design: With the name of Hard Rock Cafà © we can image the a typical their service with an electronic guitar and a simple logo, Hard Rock Cafe impress all people entering its places the environment full of rock music which We cant see in any other kind of Cafà © or pubs and bars. Hard Rock Cafe not only serves its clients food, rock enthusiasm but also the special type of enjoying .. Environment is also very typical way of Hard Rock Cafà ©. It is easy to recognize from its outside or inside even other advertising that make its client remember Hard rock cafà ©. Food and drinking do not mean that they are not taken into consideration, courses in Hard Rocks menu are modified, upgraded and concentrated to fit client where it located For example, Thai Snack Combo is added into Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok. Regardless of age, class or gender, Hard Rock Cafe slogan Love all Serve all has been going together with its development throughout the years. All people putting their steps into Hard Rocks door feel that they are always welcome by an enthusiastic attitude, good quality of service.       3. Quality As other business, Hard Rock cafà ©s quality is one of the most important factor during their operating. Keeping food, drinking and service quality ( employees behavior à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) as well as music, environment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is carried out regularly and it is required to get the highest assessment from customers. Improving quality at the cafe is always ensured and achieved their quality in the highest scale basing on the customer evaluation. Besides that, Hard Rock Cafe always update by time the music as well as change menus, environment, layouts, memorabilia, services and strategy to improve quality and adapt with the demand as its clients responses.    4. Process and capacity design. Hard Rock is a very big chain of cafes which provides 100,000 meals per day only referring within the U.S. (3,500 at Orlandos Universal Studios), therefore it has to consider very carefully and carry out effectively. Non-current asset is always well managed and renewed. Labor, materials, inventory, other current asset, scheduling are all elements related, which are described with more details in the following decisions. It depends on the location and culture where Hard Rock cafà © is located, but the design of capacity and its process must follow standards of Hard Rock cafà ©. 5. Layout design Layout is the most key factor to make decisions in the long-term operation of Hard Rock cafà ©. It depends on the scales which follow the market demand or the social norms in different areas. Cafà © module is differently designed in each city, such as Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas is decorated by a huge, outstanding guitar in front of the building and most of the seats are organized in a large space for outside view while the cafe in Ho Chi Minh is designed according to a little eastern style with ceiling lights and chairs. Hard Rock cafà © design is considered whether they must lease in a long term, the structure of construction should be set up or remodeled for its operation smoothly and efficiently. Its places do not show the same module design of Hard Rock Cafà ©s chain.    6. Human resources and job design Good human resource strategies are expensive, difficult to achieve, and hard to sustain, like other many organizations, Hard Rock cafà © concentrate to build the human resource strategy. The purpose of human resource is that how employees contribute to firm and set up a reasonable quality of work life. Service industry is a industry employing around 75% of the people in the U.S, and Hard Rock have had huge network which creates a lot of jobs for people in the area it stands. All staff of Hard Rock Cafe must be required to have not only job skills, job description but also passion of rock music as well as to engage their personalities. Before working for Hard Rock Cafe, they are trained by Hard Rock cafà © and received a Hard Rock value card. Hard Rock employees will be proud to joint in a unique working environment and culture which appreciates the substantial diversity and individuality, personal and professional manner. Hard Rock has their promotion policies as well to encourage their employees loyalty, 60% managers of Hard Rock Cafe are promoted from their worker. Managers performance is evaluated by a target, and they will receive bonus when exceeding the target. It encourages all managers of Hard Rock Cafe to become better not only depend on the available data, but also they have to forecast other impacts and effects on sales then set up these countermeasure to improve or prevent for their operating . All of above human resource policy always helps Hard Rock take a competitive advantage, increase more revenues and saving costs for their success.    7. Supply-chain management Outsourcing is a creative management strategy that is popular method that a big-scale company, like Hard Rock, using for its supply-chain management to improve efficiency working such as capital, inventory management and operating margins. Qualified suppliers or vendors are chosen and controlled to ensure enough, fresh and quality meals. Risk of outsourcing is considered carefully for Hard Rock cafà © operation Hard Rock cafà © also manage the supply-chain risk by Hard Rock cafà © is reducing environment ( political) risk by franchising and licensing, rather than owning, when the political barriers seem significant  [ii]  Hard Rock cafà © in 2003 had the successful engagement of Avicon architects of the new supply chain and provided expertise in logistics for Hard Rock.    8. Inventory All company must establish system for managing inventory. Costs and expenditure can be substantial to store and move inventory. The way to manage inventory by ABC analysis, record accuracyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ make Just-in-Time inventory control, can save costs and let products and services to customers more quickly. The best management of supply-chain support Hard Rock to keep a safe and effective inventory. Foods and drinking need to be fresh and provided on time. Also Hard Rock cafà © manage inventory base on the market demand to avoid long-term stock. A huge valued memorabilia are controlled by locations and catalogues and are renewed every few years.    9. Scheduling Types of scheduling decisions depend on type of company and its operating. Hard Rock Cafe applies shot-term forecasting scheduling to their services. It can be based on the real daily activities and data from whole restaurants in right Hard Rock chain. Every manager of each cafe set up its database to prepare the daily forecast which is recorded daily working. Next other factors, like upcoming events, major conventions, concerts, etc. are referred to. And then hourly sales are examined and Hard Rock is possible to calculate the time for rush or low hours in order to allocate suitable jobs for all employees.. This way of above managing schedule support Hard Rock Cafe managers Who can predict the volume of people, theirs feeling may get in and enjoy in its restaurants and prepare a right human, foods and services to serve Hard Rocks people with the way, Just-In-Time to save the costs.   10. Maintenance Maintenance is the way to keep quality that is the key to success in all industry sectors. Hard Rock Cafà © use preventive maintenance for inspection and serving to keep their facilities in good condition. They also adjusted its menus and music time by time, it depend on locations, basing on the survey done. All kitchens, bar, restaurants or other equipments are maintained regularly under supervising. In order to strengthen the brand name, Hard Rock Cafe creates its own website: www.hardrock.com and maintain a cable television program weekly on VH-1. Task 2: In the light of the above, discuss the operations management challenges and opportunities for Hard Rock when considering an expansion of its business into Hanoi. Hard Rock Cafe just established in Ho Chi Minh city. When expanding business into Hanoi, Hard Rock needs to survey the Hanoi market.Hard Rocks Standard market report following conditions: A- Demographics As Hard Rocks focus, Hanoi is the city center and have the nightlife with many small satellite cities to be built around like Ha Dong, Trung hoa Nhan chinh, Bac Thang long. Total is over 6,000,000 people (See table 2 below) with rapid urbanization , so tendency of population will surely increase in near future. Hard Rock may have is more and more people (Foreigner and Vietnamese) in Hanoi love Rock Roll music in Hanoi. And Hanoi is a choosier market for all cultural activities than Ho Chi Minh, it has quite loyal audiences if Hard Rock cafà © can convince them by the unique culture, interesting activities. Moreover, the cheap labor is an important advantage that affects to its cost and particular the companys human resources strategy (See table1 below). Beside that the economic indicator of Hanoi and Hanoi area is attractive for all business sector(See table 1 below) Table 1 (Economic index of Hanoi) Content 2009 2010 2011 ( forecast) GDP per capita (UD$) 1710 1900 2120 GDP growth rate (%) 6.70% 11% 11.50% CPI 8.22% 9.56% 10% Exchange rate (VND/US$) 17500 19500 21000 Source: VnEconomic-December 2010  [iii]   B-Visitor market and market trend Hanoi have Tourists and business visitor growth rate increasing with 20,5% for foreigner ( 1.227 million people) and 10% for Vietnamese(7.392 million people) in the year 2010. Total revenue in tourist industry increased 26.9% in Hanoi -Report of Hanoi general statistic offices data December 2010(See table 2 below) Table 2 (Population and tourist of Hanoi Content 2009 2010 2011 ( forecast) Population (1000) 6480 6617 6750 Population growth rate (%) 2% 2.10% 2% Tourist Foreigner (1000) 1080 1227 1472 Foreigner growth rate(%) 11% 20.50% 20% Local tourist (1000) 6720 7392 8130 Local tourist growth rate (%) 5% 10% 10% Source: Report of Hanoi general statistic offices data December 2010.  [iv]   As above data, Hanoi market of population and visitors is potential market for all kind of business, especially for service industry C-Transportation Because Both population and tourist/ visitor have been increasing, so the trend of infrastructure suck as Hotel, Convention center, Entertainment service place .. to be increased . Transportation is concentrated priority, Phase two of Noibai airport is going to start within 2011 with ODA fund from Japan. Four lines subway are studying to build soon and some bridges have been built crossing Red river. Also Hanoi have expanded the wide of many road and built the new road with high standard from Northern part to southern part, from eastern part to western part, they try to connecting center Hanoi to the rest of Hanoi by road, subway, railà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ D-Restaurants and nightclubs Right location is a very important element for Hard Rock cafe to be successful in Hanoi, where is the most tourist to stay and also there are many restaurants and nightclubs located, that is HoanKiem district in the center Hanoi which is called tourist town. But the lease cost for a centre position is too high and most of them are dominated by both foreign and local cafe brands, consist of Highland, Trung Nguyen with trademark G7à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. There are also many potential competitors such as Coffee Bean and other foreign brands who really want to enter Hanoi markets as well like Gloria Jeans Coffee, etc. E-Political risk Besides, Vietnam is evaluated one of the most stably politic regimes. This situation allows Hard Rock cafà © to feel safe to invest the business in Hanoi. Vietnam government established a system of open policies, encouraging foreign investors to invest by foreign country investment law, develop Vietnam country and create jobs for local people. However, many environment challenges that Hard Rock Cafe has to consider before entering in Hanoi. Hanoian has the way to drink coffee and enjoy it in differently way. Almost them like to sit in a street-cafe with a cheap cup of coffee, making cafe by the traditional and simple method, talk each other, read newspapers and look people passing by. There are not many people to spend high price ( around VND 80,000,000 )on drinking a cup of coffee that Hard Rock may serve that average price for its items. One thing, the local peoples taste of coffee and foods in is different. They are drinking stronger taste than the other countries. Robusta coffee in Viet Nam is more popular than Arabica. The type of cafe with live-music is more and more popular in Hanoi and its price is various from low-end to high-end level. With Hard Rocks price set (Hard Rock Ho Chi Minh), it can not only aim to rich people but also change clients mind or their consumption behavior. Local labor will be a issue that Hard Rock need to care about . The labor cost is cheap, but the tendency of labor cost is increasing year by year and local people are not familiar with the high international working intensiveness, style of unique business of Hard Rock cafe and they may not satisfy with standard required. Hard Rock cafà © must train them and change their thinking, all labor need to be trained regularly and intensively. Furthermore, the Vietnamese is too modest, so they may not feel confident to show their thinking, personality as expected by Hard Rock Cafà ©. F-Real estate market The real estate market is rapidly increasing in recent years in whole country , particularly in Hanoi and Hochiminh City, the tendency of market is also increasing of capital investment, sector investment , source investment as well as management investment. The real estate price is too high where is good location (See table 3 below) Table 3 (Rental fee of office and shopping mall of Hanoi) Content 2009 2010 2011 ( forecast) Rental fee ( $/m2/month) Office ($/m2/month) 35.7 34 35 Office growth rate (%) -6% -5% 3% Shopping mall ($/m2/month) 40.1 42.2 45 Shopping mall growth rate(%) -13% 5% 7% Source : CB Richarsd Ellis Viet Nam -December -2010  [v]   These information of the market brings information to Hard Rock if managers want to study and set up its business in Hanoi. They must have a comparable market analysis carefully then making their decision whether Hard Rock cafà © expand its business in Hanoi or not. Vietnam has not developed the information system and its information is some time not unclear, so it is difficult for researchers to collect exactly data for studying all business. In summary, all above information which mention in this topic is only for us to have a look of Hanoi market, that is surely a potential market for doing business, but it is not sure for Hard Rock cafà © or other business to be successful when they set up business in Hanoi. So Hard rock need to analyse many factors and index such as breakeven point, IRR,RCE,ROCEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦inflation, exchange rate, GDP, GDP growth rate.. before they make final decision for expand their business in Hanoi In this topic we only concentrate to analyse the breakeven point and we assume that all data collect from all sources to be accepted Assumption that We will set up Har rock cafà © in Hanoi with capacity as follow: -Area : 400 m2, Labor : 16 persons ( 2 shift/day),Facility investment : 200,000 USD, design and reconstruction:100,000USD, training cost : 30,000USD and other: 16,500 USD, other figure refer Table 1,2,3 above. Option 1 Option 2 Definition Description   Explanation Change rental fee Change cost/unit 50 42.2 35 1.5 1.25 1 Area (400 m2) 400 Labor ( 2 shift)/day total 16 persons, 8persons/shift Non-current asset Design and construction ( 400m2) 250$/m2 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 Total Facility (USD) Full set 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 Training (USD) Full course 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 Other ( 5%)(USD) Allowance 16,500 16,500 16,500 16,500 16,500 16,500 Total(USD) 346,500 346,500 346,500 346,500 346,500 346,500 Depreciation ( 10 years) Depreciation/month(USD) Straight-line 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 Fixed cost Rental fee ( 500m2)(USD) Option 1 20,000 16,880 14,000 16,880 16,880 16,880 Labor cost for 16 employees 200$/p/month 3,200 3,200 3,200 3,200 3,200 3,200 power consumption ( lighting.. per /month 500 500 500 500 500 500 Depreciation(USD) per /month 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 2,888 Total fixed cost / month(USD) 26,588 23,468 20,588 23,468 23,468 23,468 Variable cost Raw material ( coffee, ice, sugarà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)(USD) cost /unit 1 1 1 1 0.75 0.75 Material consumption ( Gas ,tissue (USD) cost /unit 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.25 Total cost /unit(USD) Option 2 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.25 1.00 Sale price Sale price/unit(USD) 4 4 4 4 4 4 Breakeven point Breakeven point Total fixed cost + total variable cost= total revenue; X : breakeven point How many units will be sold/month 10,635 9,387 8,235 9,387 8,534 7,823 How many units will be / day 355 313 275 313 284 261 Above analysis just give Hard Rock a data about the breakeven point which depend on the difference level of rental fee and unit cost, they must analysis more other variable. So Hard Rock cafà © should compare with its data of Hard Rock Cafà ©s chain. Hard Rock decision maker will make decision whether they are going to expand their business in Hanoi or not.

A Sense of Pathos in Journeys End :: R.C. Sheriff Journeys End Literature Essays

A Sense of Pathos in Journey's End How Does Sherriff Create a Sense of Pathos in Act Three Scene Three of the Play? Act Three Scene Three in the play is ultimately the point in which all of the dramatic tension comes to a tragic climax. This sense of pathos is achieved by a number of different factors. The first is that the scene begins with an emotive description of the atmosphere, describing the ‘intense darkness of the dugout is softened by the glow of the Very lights’ and the ‘distant mutter of the guns’. There is also a frequent reference to the cold, which helps to reflect the bitterness of war. The men in the dugout are clearly trying to keep things normal in order to try and suppress their fears about the approaching German attack, for example Trotter sings to himself and Mason fusses about tea and drinks. However it is also clear that there is an underlying tension in the unnerving stillness of the atmosphere at this moment in the play. The men coping with their fears through trivial matters are contrasted with Hibbert, whose fears are not so well concealed. It is at this point that Stanhope’s caring personality and good leadership skills are visible, when he gets water for Hibbert and sends Mason up to keep him company. The more we empathise with Stanhope, the greater the tragedy when he is killed. We also see that the attack is steadily building as the noises of the shells and minenwerfers increase, and the demand for stretcher-bearers becomes more frequent as soldiers are being injured. This relentlessness of the battle portrays how merciless and horrific life on the front line was. When Raleigh is hit, the first thing we learn is that it has broken his spine and so understand that his condition is most likely fatal. Stanhope then commands that he is brought down into the dugout, which was unusual for a soldier to be treated in this way. A great sense of pathos is created in the conversation that takes place between Raleigh and Stanhope. The first way in which this is achieved is by the way in which the address each other, through use of their first names as opposed to Raleigh and Stanhope. This indicates a revert back to the memories of when they were best friends in school and shows Stanhope’s compassionate nature. We also greatly admire Raleigh because he still feels compelled to fulfil his duty, despite being critically injured. As with Stanhope, this sympathy felt by the viewer helps to intensify the tragedy of his death. There is a sense of irony in the fact that Stanhope lays Raleigh down

Teens Parental Friend Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"It’s okay what you do here. I’m a cool mom.† That’s a quote from the latest teen movie, Mean Girls. Most parents think that being their teen’s best friend is something that will help them understand why teens do what they do. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Parents who give their teens whatever they want at whatever cost are wrong. They are teaching their teen to spoil their own child in the future. They also can start teaching their teen bad habits by not giving them chores to do or making them do homework. When parents become close friends with their teen the role of the authority figure is lost, which causes the teen to become lazy, dependent, and prevents them from succeeding to their highest performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parents who give their teen whatever they want at whatever cost is spoiling their child. Yes, we all understand that parents want to stay active and participate in their teen’s life. If a parent spoils his teen with new clothes, shoes, video games, and money that gives the teen the impression that it’s okay to ask for whatever they want, in reality that’s not possible. The teens have to work for what he wants. In a research 40 percent of parents said that they would buy their child everything they wanted if they could (USA Today). Sampson Lee Blair said, â€Å"Trying to play to every little whim or desire will create problems for the child later in life.† I have to agree. A parent can still be his teen’s friend, but in a different way, a par...

Operations Management Report on Lux Soap Essay

Acknowledgement: We thank all those people who helped us in preparing this report. Immense hard work has been done by all the members of our group in compilation of this report. We also thank our instructor Mr Jawad Bhatti, who has helped us always by providing us with the much-needed guidance, kind behavior, moral support and her valuable time. Our contact person in Unilever Pakistan, Ms. Sarah Siddiqui also provided us with her expertise in the construction of the report and we are extremely grateful to her for providing us with valuable insight and information with respect to LUX. The preparation of this report was a wonderful learning experience. We learnt to work in a group efficiently and equally. The experience gained by the preparation of this report will surely be beneficial for us in the future, always. 2 Executive Summary: Lux soap first produced in United Kingdom in 1899. It was produced by British company name Lever Brothers. Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother James. They using glycerin and vegetable oil such as palm oil to manufacture soap called â€Å"Sunlight Soap.† The flaked version of soap called Lux soap. Glycerin was a lucrative byproduct of the soap making process, and by the end of 1886, Lever brothers also had a glycerin factory. The beauty soap industry has a few major producers of which Unilever holds market share of slightly less than 50%. Other competing brands like Dove, Rexona and Capri have started to have a strong consumer base, but LUX.’s product features distribution and promotional activities have created high brand loyalty for which it is still the market leader. Since the 1930s, more than 400 of the world’s most famous female celebrities have been associated with Lux. Sarah Jessica Parker, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Mahira Khan are some actresses featured in Lux advertising campaigns in US, India and Pakistan. Today, Lux is the market leader in several countries including Pakistan, Brazil, India, Thailand and South Africa. Developed by Unilever, Lux (soap) is now headquartered in Singapore. Introduction Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever. The range of products includes beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives, hair shampoos and conditioners. The brand was founded by the Lever Brothers (today known as Unilever) in 1899. The name changed from â€Å"Sunlight Flakes† to â€Å"Lux† in 1900, a Latin word for â€Å"light† and suggestive of â€Å"luxury.† In 1924, it became the first mass market toilet soap in the world. It is noted as a brand that pioneered female celebrity endorsements. As of 2005, Lux revenue is at 1.0 billion euros, with market shares spread out to more than 100 countries across the globe. Lux toilet soap was launched in the United States in 1925 and in the United Kingdom in 1928. Subsequently, Lux soap has been marketed in several forms, including hand wash, shower gel and cream bath soap. Since the 1930s, more than 400 of the world’s most famous female celebrities have been associated with Lux. Sarah Jessica Parker, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Mahira Khan are some actresses featured in Lux advertising campaigns in US, India and Pakistan. Today, Lux is the market leader in several countries including Pakistan, Brazil, India, Thailand and South Africa. Developed by Unilever, Lux (soap) is now headquartered in Singapore. About Unilever Unilever is a multinational consumer product manufacturing giant operating in over hundred countries all around the globe. Unilever Pakistan is the Pakistan chapter of Unilever, where the company holds 60.75% share whereas the Government of Peoples Republic of Pakistan holds 39.25% share. Unilever’s one of the most popular brand in Pakistani  market is LUX. They have segmented the local market for  LUX according to geographical locations. It further  differentiates these segments into Socio Economic Cluster  (SEC) which takes into account the criteria of education  and profession which ultimately measures the financial  ability of consumers. The cluster is divided into five parts starting from A to E. Unilever targets the urban and sub urban upper middle class and middle class segment of the population, who falls under A to C of SEC. Tactical marketing tools, 4P’s,  are extensively used by the  company  to  market  LUX.  Though LUX is produced in  Pakistan, Unilever Pakistan  maintains the same standard  all around the globe. The  product is available in six  different  fragrances  under  three different sizes. Since the  demand  for  beauty  soap  market is to a great extent oligopolistic, variations in price lead to price war which can eventually break down the company’s market share.  Thus Unilever cannot provide a better price than its competitors. But the price is affordable by most of the people. Unilever Pakistan has outsourced its distribution channels to third party distributors which allow them to distribute LUX in massive  bulks amounting to around ten million pieces. It undertakes the largest promotional activities in the beauty soap industry. The beauty soap industry has a few major producers of which Unilever holds market share of slightly less than 50%. Other competing brands like Dove, Rexona and Capri have started to have a strong consumer base, but LUX.’s product features distribution and promotional activities have created high brand loyalty for which it is still the market leader. History of lux soaps: Lux soap first produced in United Kingdom in 1899. It  was produced by British company name Lever  Brothers. Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by  William Hesketh Lever and his brother James. They  using glycerin and vegetable oil such as palm oil to  manufacture soap called â€Å"Sunlight Soap.† The flaked  version of soap called Lux soap. Glycerin was a  lucrative byproduct of the soap making process, and  by the end of 1886, Lever brothers also had a glycerin  factory. Lever opened their small office in New York in 1895. The company started selling Sunlight and Lifebuoy but did not doing well until 1916. Lux soap was first launched in United States in 1916. The Lux trademark  was registered in United States in 1900.  Lux soap was launched in India in 1929  and later in Pakistan. The soap’s very first  advertisement  featured  actress  Leela  Chitnis as its brand ambassador. It was  popularly known as ‘the beauty soap of  film stars.  From 1930s right through 1970s, Lux soap colors and packaging were altered several times to reflect fashion trends. In 1958 five colors were made up the range: pink, white, blue, green and yellow. In 1990s, Lux launching its own range of shower gels, liquid soaps and moisturizing bars. Today, Lux soap is sold in 100 countries and sales achieved 1.0 billion euros in 2005 alone. From 1930s right through 1970s, Lux soap colors and packaging were altered several times to reflect fashion trends. In 1958 five colors were made up the range: pink, white, blue, green and yellow. In 1990s, Lux launching its own range of shower gels, liqui d soaps and moisturizing bars. Today, Lux soap is sold in 100 countries and sales achieved 1.0 billion euros in 2005 alone. Building the Beauty Soap Credentials: Introduced in the US in 1924, Lux became the world’s first mass market toilet soap with the tagline â€Å"made as fine as French Soap†. In the first 2 years of launch, Lux concentrated on building its beauty soap credentials. Advertisements offered consumers â€Å"a beauty soap made in the French method† at an affordable price, with the promise of smooth skin. Made with fine-texture, rich in fragrance, and manufactured using a method created in France, the first Lux toilet soap was sold for 10 cents apiece. 1928–1940: 9 out of 10 stars  This era saw key launches of LUX in the UK, India,  Argentina and Thailand. The brand concentrated on  building its association with the increasingly popular  movie world, focusing more on movie stars and their roles  rather than on the product. In 1929, advertising featured  26 of the biggest female stars of the day, creating a huge  impact among the movie-loving target audience. This was  followed by Hollywood Directors talking about the  importance of smooth and youthful skin. This pioneered  the trend of celebrity product endorsements.  In 1931, Lux launched a campaign with older stars, â€Å"I am over 31†. The series of print ads had stars talking about preserving youthful skin. Lux also launched campaigns featuring interviews with Stars and Close Ups of Stars, bringing to life the ‘9 out of 10’ idea 40s & 50s: Romancing the consumer Using movie star as role models, Lux’s strategy was to build relevance by looking at beauty through the consumer’s eyes. While still retaining the star element, the focus  shifted to the consumer and the role of the brand in her life. Advertising commercials showed ordinary looking women with direct references to stars, such as Deanna Durbin. 60s: Romancing the brand The 60’s saw a shift in advertising to product stories and the romanticizing of brand through its â€Å"sensorial & emotional† dimensions. This was the era of ‘the film star feeling’ and the ‘Golden Lux’, featuring stars such as Sandra Dee, Diana Rigg and Samantha Eggar. The bathing ritual, the ‘fantasy’ element that has been the imagery of Lux, was created in this era. The brand also moved forward with launching LUX in the Middle East, entering a more conservative market. 70s: Dimensionalizing beauty Reflecting the shift in beauty trends in the 70s, the Lux stars stepped down from their pedestals and were portrayed as multi-faceted women with natural, wholesome beauty that the ordinary consumer could relate and aspire to. The executions were more of ‘a day in the life’ of the stars with focus on their ‘natural beauty’. Stars included Brigitte Bardot and Natalie Wood. 80s: Owning the category space Establishing itself as THE beauty soap for stars and  beautiful women, the 80s emphasized the importance of  skin care – the first step to beauty. LUX was launched in  China at this time. Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Cheryl  Ladd were some famous celebrities used during this time.  In India actresses Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Madhuri  Dixit, endorsed Lux soap. 90s – Early 2000s: Advanced skin benefits In the 90s, Lux moved from generic beauty benefits to focus on specific benefits and transformation. More emphasis on functionality and variant associations with different 12 skin types as well as mention of ingredients. The communication was far more regional specific and localized, using stars like Malu Mader and Debora Bloch. This period launched product brand extensions Shower Cream and Gels and Lux Super Rich Shampoo in Japan and China. 2000s: Beyond movie stars In early 2000, the focus shifted from specific skin benefits to a stronger emotional space. The brand provided the link between the aspirational role models and real life with the campaign, ‘Lux brings out the star in you’. The benefit was now more than just beauty, it was also about the confidence that comes from beautiful skin. In 2005, Lux encouraged women to celebrate and indulge their femininity with the â€Å"Play with Beauty† philosophy, with stars like Aishwarya Rai. The brand also connected with consumers to take a more ‘active’ stance on beauty. From 2008, building off the brand’s root  strengths, focus has shifted to beauty (vs.  femininity), appealing to consumers’  fantasies and aspirations. Lux believes  that ‘beauty is a female instinct that  shouldn’t be denied’ and showcases the  pleasure that every woman enjoys from  using her beauty, encapsulating that idea  in a simple phrase: Declare your beauty.  Today, LUX products are manufactured at 71 locations with more than 2000 suppliers and associates providing the raw materials. It has key markets in Pakistan, Brazil, USA, China, Bangladesh and South Africa, and is a market leader in India (for soap bars), Pakistan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia (for soap bars), Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam. Operations at Lux Unilever has established itself as a leader in the FMCG industry, given its wide product range which consists of home care, skin and hair care, beauty care and oral care products.  An FMCG (Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods) is a regular model factory. Unilever under its skin care, soap category has 3 skincare brands; Lux (Middle Class), Dove (Upper Class) and Lifebuoy (Lower Class). Lux and Lifebuoy are produced (in-house production) in the factory located at Rahimyaar Khan in Pakistan while Dove is mainly imported as the production methods and procedure are extremely technical and critical to maintain the  high standards of the quality of the product. Another reason for importing Dove is the cost of production. Dove’s manufacturing is expensive due to the ingredients and raw material involved for it to produce in Pakistan and raw materials will be extremely expensive to import. Recently however, a rumor was spread in the market that Unilever Pakistan in order to cut down costs, will be outsourcing its production to Unilever South East Asian countries and will stop all the production in Pakistan. It was a rumor and completely untrue of them to be shifting to Malaysia. Unilever has one of the oldest factories in Pakistan and enjoy high EOS and have denied any intension to move production as it would be too expensive to produce outside Pakistan and import it back. The procurement of palm oil for Lux is the main ingredient in the production and manufacturing of the product. As palm oil is not produced in Pakistan, importing it from foreign suppliers is the best option available and costs are affordable for the company. Before the production is begun, capital expenditure is evaluated after which the setup is done for production in factories. The main raw material is in the production of Lux is palm oil which is imported due to its unavailability in the Pakistani region. This is the major head expense for Lux besides the facility itself. The production method for Lux and Life Buoy is batch processing and Dove is mainly produced through job order processing technique. Production is heavily dependent on palm oil. Production Process: The production method for Lux is batch processing and Dove is mainly produced through job order processing technique. Production is heavily dependent on palm oil. Lux Soap is the combination of animal fat or plant oil and caustic soda. The Soap needs two major raw materials: one is fat and the other one is alkali. Lux soap makers use fat that has been processed into fatty acids. This eradicates various impurities, and it produces as by-product water as an alternative of glycerin. Many vegetable fats, including olive oil and coconut oil, are also used. The alkali most commonly used is sodium hydroxide and sometimes, Potassium hydroxide is also used. Additives are used to enhance the color, texture, and scent of the soap. Palm oil is used for the manufacturing of Lux Soaps which is processed and bleached. This is then divided into two proportions as per the soap requirements; to manufacture Lux and Life buoy. After separation as per the proportions, alkali in the form of sodium hydroxide/ Potassium hydroxide are added to the palm oil barrels. Synthetic chemicals are added to clean and sterilize the mixture to remove any impurities. After this the mixture is divided into categories as per the product variety, after which perfumes and colors are added to give the soap a nice subtle fragrance and attractive color. Fragrances and perfumes are added to the soap mixture to protect the smell of dirt and leave behind a fresh smelling aroma. Substances to enhance the texture of soap include silica, talc, and marble pumice. Soap made without color is of a brown or dull grey color, but Lux manufacturers color the soap to make it more appealing to the end-user. Other material is then added according to the partic ular variety of soap. After the entire process of chemicals and ingredients have been added, the soap is further processed, cut and shaped into bars of soap according to the product specifications and SKUs of the product. The produced soap bars are then sent to packaging, where they are wrapped in the respective prepared packaging and transferred to warehouse until delivery has to be made. Loading and unloading of cargo and also wrapping of cargo is handled by labor but the process is mostly auto mated. Production Flow: Procured Palm Oil Is Processed And Bleached The Oil Is Divided Into Two Portions, For Lux And For Lifebouy Synthetic Chemcials Are Added To Clean And Steerelize The Mixture Other Ingredients Are Added As Per The Requirements Of The Product Variety Perfumes And Colours Are Added To The Mixture The Mixture Is Cooled, Further Processed And Cut Into Soap Bars The Bars Are Sent To Packagining Where They Are Wrapped In The Prepared Packs Packed Soap Bars Are Sent To Warehouses Until Delivery Costing and Expenses: The method of costing used for the manufacture of Lux Soaps is Batch Costing which is a part of Operation Costing. First of all the ingredients of the soap are mixed together in order to make a mixture. The entire mixture for the preparation of the soap produces, approximately, 1 lakh unit of soaps; this 1 lot will be treated as a batch  and will be automatically numbered by the help of machines during the process of packaging. The purpose of manufacturing the soaps using batch costing is that, it becomes easier for the company to track their product in the factory as well as in the market. For example, the end-user finds something wrong with the soap and sent a complain to the company, now if the management finds some defect in the manufacturing of the soap, it can easily track the batch number and withdraw all the soaps from the market that were produced in that particular batch. The cost of unit is determined by dividing the cost of the batch by the number of units produced in that batch. Given below is the cost sheet of Lux soap that shows the Material Cost, Prime Cost as well as the Factory Cost. PARTICULARS AMOUNT (in Rs.) Direct Material Acid Specialty chemicals Ordinary chemicals Perfumes TOTAL 6.45 0.11 0.04 0.81 7.41 Direct Labor 12.6 Direct Expenses 1.73 PRIME COST 21.74 Production Overheads Power 0.62 Maintenance 0.14 FACTORY COST 17 22.50 Revenue Generation and Costing: This table shows the details of the revenue and the cost generated to manufacture Lux Soaps REVENUE AND COST GENERATION OF LUX (Base for the preparation of Cost Sheet) PARTICULARS UNITS AMOUNT (in Rs.) Revenue Generated Sales Price Rs./packet 25 Sales Volume packets 3,20,000 Sales Revenue Rs. (in lakhs) 80 -Acid paise/ ml 4.5 -Specialty chemicals paise/ ml 2.75 -Ordinary chemicals paise/ ml 1.5 -Perfumes paise/ ml 7 Cost Generated Raw Material Prices Raw Material Volumes -Acid In 1000 litres 14.34 -Specialty chemicals In 1000 litres 0.41 -Ordinary chemicals In 1000 litres 0.29 -Perfumes In 1000 litres 1.15 -Acid Rs. (in lakhs) 6.45 -Specialty chemicals Rs. (in lakhs) 0.11 -Ordinary chemicals Rs. (in lakhs) 0.04 -Perfumes Rs. (in lakhs) 0.81 Rs. (in lakhs) 7.41 Raw Material Cost TOTAL Headcount -Manufacturing Numbers 11 -Marketing professionals Numbers 2 -Corporate employees Numbers 1 18 Average Monthly Salary -Manufacturing Rs./Month 10000 -Marketing professionals Rs./Month 15000 -Corporate employees Rs./Month 16500 Bonus on Salary (% of Salary) 12% Employee Cost -Manufacturing Rs./Month (in 10,000) 12.6 -Marketing professionals Rs./Month (in 10,000) 4.53 -Corporate employees Rs./Month (in 10,000) 1.63 TOTAL 18.76 Power Cost Rs. (in lakhs) 0.62 Packaging Cost Rs. (in lakhs) 1.73 Advertising Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 7.23 Commissions Rs. (in lakhs) 5.3 Maintenance Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 0.14 Insurance Premium Rs. (in lakhs) 0.5 Total Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 41.69 19 Strategy and Competitiveness: Vision: â€Å"We help people around the world meet every day needs for nutrition, hygiene and wellbeing, with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.† A clear direction: Unilever helps people around the world meet every day needs for nutrition, hygiene and wellbeing, with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life. In 2009, they launched called The Compass – Unilever’s strategy for sustainable growth. At the heart of that vision is the philosophy of working to create a better future every day for their consumers and the communities in which they operate. Another key element of their strategy is our aim of doubling the size of Unilever while reducing our impact on the environment. It’s a goal the company is seeking to achieve by developing new ways of doing business through which can minimize our direct impact. The company is also working with suppliers, consumers and the retailers who sell the brands to improve their sustainability credentials too. By combining our multinational expertise with the deep roots in diverse local cultures, Unilever is continuing to provide a range of products to suit a wealt h of consumers. The company is also strengthening its strong relationships in the emerging markets they believe will be significant for future growth. â€Å"Achieving significant growth objectives while decoupling growth from environmental impact is a bold but challenging vision,† says Unilever CEO Paul Polman. â€Å"Not many companies have yet taken it on. But I believe it’s the only viable vision. One that builds on Unilever’s long-term heritage and achievement, while supporting a responsible future.† . Supply Chain Management: The supply chain of Lux is the core feature which looks after the efficient  running of the entire business production and processes. Supply chain is divided into two parts one is the efficiency and the other looks after quality control. Supply chain is the core of Lux sales since it is responsible to make the deliveries to the depot, distributer and ultimately the shops. To ensure the supply chain is well maintained Lux management has weekly meetings and a software to record our forecast, orders placed by distributors (primary sales) and ultimately the orders delivered to the distributor. MSO is in direct contact with the brand team. He is responsible for required production and also informs organizations about lag or delays in production and all logistics involved and other things related to production. Forecast is based on a trend line that is predicted out of exponential sales trend graph and marketing impact added on. There are 2 major raw materials that go into production besides acid and bases. One is palm oil which is ultimately brought to the factory for further processing. The other is perfume which is globally tested and supplied. Various people within the supply chain department are responsible for various functions such as one for forecast and right demand planning, one for production and quality assurance (R&D) and one for ultimate supply and logistics. The management of the supply chain has the following processes which creates the whole flow of the supply chain network: Planning: Demand Planning: This phase is the pre-production phase where business analysts and managers sit together and create a strategic plan based on two core functions, promotional value selling and the base line target. Demand planning is carried out for a period of 5 years at Lux Promotional Value Selling is where Lux managers sit together with the planning team and set targets to achieve in terms of sales and production after advertising and marketing campaigns Base Line is the bottom line target of sales which can be achieved even without any marketing efforts. This is what the brand will achieve in terms of sale at all costs Supply Planning: In this phase the team forecasts the demands with the supply in order to procure the material required for the manufacturing of the soap bars. The supply plan is derived from the demand plan. Material Requirement Plan is the procurement plan in which  vendors and suppliers are identified and the material is procured. The details of procurement are established and are further shared with the budget control team. Master Production Schedule is the detailed plan of how the product will be produced, All details are included in this portion in terms of batches, number of bars produced, time period, production methods and flow, Procurement is done and the material is sent to the production department Production where the manufacturing and packaging is done and stored Distribution where product is warehoused and further sent to distributors around Pakistan and the distributors further give it to whole sellers. Supply Chain flow: Planning Distribution †¢ Demand plan †¢ Supply plan †¢ Warehousing †¢ Distributors Demand Plan Production †¢Manufacturin g †¢Packaging †¢Promotional Value Selling †¢Base line target Procureme nt Supply Plan †¢MPS †¢MRP †¢Buying Department †¢Warehousing Strategy and R&D: Strategy: The strategy used by Unilever is in two regions, production and campaigns. In order to maintain their strategic function, the factory is one of the oldest in Pakistan. It was Rahim Yar Khan and it was initially Unilever HO. It was initially chosen because of the following factors: 1. Proximity to Labor: Majority of labor working in the factory reside close by in Punjab region which is densely populated 2. Proximity to Source of Supply: Water supply from the rivers flowing close by provide ease of water availability (Punjnad) 3. Storage and Warehousing: Since the factory site was owned by Unilever, there was no space shortage problem so expansion and new installments was possible along with ample space for warehousing. 4. Community Considerations 5. Accessibility Research and Development: In order to maintain the competitive advantage of being the leading beauty soap brand of Pakistan, the R&D department also supervises production and packaging. R & D and Supply both monitor production and quality. Each  machine involved is configured for production according to the amount required and for how much should be in each carton so that the carton does not explode. R & D carries out research and tries to increase efficiency by running machine trials. Further to ensure quality product is produced and any likely flaws are eliminated, batch inspections are done at random to check the quality. The Supply Chain acknowledges the capacity of the machinery and production figures, therefore R & D only work on improvement and monitoring. The R&D department also carries out focus groups and sample testing when introducing new variants in the product according to consumer insight gathered through research and development. The R&D is responsible for the 24  suggestions for upcoming variants, which is then strategically planned by the brand team and tested at a small scale. If successful, the new variant is sent for production. Total quality management: TQM is different for every company and is defined by each with respect to 5 major factors: 1. Conformance to specifications 2. Fitness quality 3. Value for price paid 4. Support services 5. Psychological factors Being a manufacturing firm, Lux observes strict manufacturing quality as the focus is on a tangible product with respect to the features, reliability and conformance. Total Quality management for Lux is split into R&D functions which look into formulation, quality assurance, and packaging and ultimately logistics transit trials. Various people within the supply chain department are responsible for various functions such as forecast and demand planning, one for production and quality assurance (R&D) and one for ultimate supply and logistics. The quality of production at lux relies on the following basic concepts: ï‚ ·