Operations Management and Productivity Essay Example for Free

Operations Management and Productivity Essay Service and product design decision is one of the very important issues of operations management. Indeed this decision determines the health and fate of any organization (Krajewski Ritzman, 1998). A company that designs products and services that are of superior quality and that click with the intended market, definately succeeds. Hard Rock Cafe’s operations management has been successful in designing products and services in entertainment hospitality sector. This sector is one of the most competitive sectors, but they have been able to design and offer quality products and superior services in cafes, hotels, casinos and lately in music venues, Rock museum and Rock concerts (Evans, 1996). To respond to changing customer needs and expectations, they have continuously changed their menus and the services they offer. Hard Rock’s success comes as a result of continuous monitoring of quality of their products and services (Saheli, 2007). Their Quality Management Department has devised techniques to continuously monitor quality so as to improve quality of products and services and also make timely corrective measures and hence reduce quality costs. In the cafe, regular surveys are done to evaluate quality of food and services, where a scale is devised to measure scores (Ibid, 2007). To ensure quality products and services, production processes and capacity have been enhanced by using state-of-the-art equipment in catering, entertainment services in casinos, hotels and music venues. Technology is also embraced to increase production capacity in cafes and hotels (Krajewski Ritzman, 1998). Hard Rock started its operations in London. However, in 1988 it moved its headquarters to Orlando, Florida as it targeted the booming US market (Evans, 1996). It has later spread its cafes and hotels to more than 40 locations in US. The decision of spreading its wings to many states is to tap into unsaturated markets as well as diversify operation risks (Ibid, 1996). Due to increasing customers and hence operations, Hard Rock has expanded their cafe facilities to handle their clients. For example at Orlando Universal Studios, their cafe serves over 3,000 meals a day with about 400 employees and the number is expected to grow especially during high tourist seasons (Saheli, 2007). To ensure high labor productivity, Hard Rock Cafe has provided their workers with excellent working conditions. This is achieved through good industrial relation management and employee-management relations. Human Resource Management has ensured that the company has the best of employees who are competent, skilled and fit for their positions, hence Hard Rock expects the best out of their labor force (Krajewski Ritzman, 1998). Productiveness is the main task of the supply chain management in Hard Rock. The department has developed supply chain strategies aimed at reducing procurement costs and value adding the process. Hard Rock has entered into strategic partnership with suppliers to improve efficiency and effectiveness of this activity (Evans, 1996). To effectively manage inventory, the company has inventory management system that guides the managers on when to order inventory and how much (Saheli, 2007). To increase efficiency and reduce costs, they have embraced Just-In-Time philosophy where the materials required are procured in time and used in time (Saheli, 2007). During low season, Orlando Cafe staff is scheduled down to 15-minutes intervals to meet seasonal and daily demand changes in tourist environment. Annual Routine maintenance is exercised in all their facilities. Maintenance department is charged with responsibilities of ensuring that Hard Rock Cafes, hotels, casinos, music venues and rock museum are renovated and machines maintained at good conditions (Krajewski Ritzman, 1998). The productivity of the kitchen staff and wait staff can be measured by dividing the number of meals they prepare and serve by the number of labor hours they input (Saheli, 2007). During low seasons wait staff may serve fewer meals as demand gets low and also kitchen staff prepares fewer meals. Nevertheless, they will also use less labour hours as they are scheduled and down-sized to respond to low operations (Evans, 1996).

Reflecting On The Importance Of Oral Hygiene Nursing Essay

Reflecting On The Importance Of Oral Hygiene Nursing Essay The care of a patients mouth forms an important component of assisting hygiene needs and yet is an aspect of practice which is not always afforded the attention it fully deserves. It is also a role which too often delegated to health care assistants. Research shows that, in the United States, nosocomial pneumonia ranks second in morbidity and first in mortality among nosocomial infections. The treatment of nosocomial pneumonia adds 5 to 7 days to the hospital stay of surviving patients and billions of dollars to healthcare costs. REFLECTION There are different models of reflection one of which is Gibbs (1988). Reflection is the process of reviewing an experience in order to describe, analyses, evaluate and so inform learning about practice (Reid1993). I will use this reflection model in guiding me because it has helped focusing on different aspects of an experience, and exploiting their full potential for learning will be more appreciated. Reflection in professional practice, however, gives back not what it is, but what might be, an improvement on the original (Moon 1999). Description As part of placement simulation, I was part of a group introduced to oral hygiene care. It is one of the core requirements in maintaining the hygiene needs of a patient. When we were told to bring in a towel and tooth brush, I was taken aback as to what was the need for them? I went to the multi-skills laboratory not knowing what will befall me. My lecturer introduced us to a range of chemicals for oral hygiene. I had used some before but on this occasion, there was one I had not tried and used before. I was assigned a colleague to have the opportunity of experiencing the giving and receiving of oral hygiene by cleaning his teeth with toothbrush and pepsodent and vice versa.We performed as instructed. Feelings Upon commencement of activity, my views of healthy oral care were not very clear to me. Generally I perceived cleaning your teeth as being much like washing a face. I felt very embarrassed and inadequate and consequently, felt very uncomfortable as I have not done this to anyone outside of my family. On his part, it was obvious from his reaction that he had no confidence in me, thinking I was going to brush his teeth hard. It highlighted the complex problems I have to solve in practice and the provision of care needs to patients for whom I may not have had contact with before. I thought my pride and dignity had been taken away from me but later felt comfortable having understood what it was generally. Critical Analysis Helping patients/service users to meet their hygiene needs is a fundamental component of nursing care. Again, helping patients to meet their personal hygiene needs provides any nurse with an ideal opportunity to undertake a thorough physical, emotional and cognitive assessment of the patient. Although it seemed difficult at the beginning, by the time we performed on each other for the third time with encouragement we had developed a good working relationship. Encouraging students to acknowledge their intuitive capacity helps them to appreciate their strengths and weaknesses (SWOT). Jasper (2003) regards SWOT analysis as getting to know yourself. The understanding of our skills and abilities and the awareness of where our limits lie is seen as crucial to being able to act as a professional practitioner. After identifying and analyzing of my own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, I showed no more discomfort and shown more interest in the activity as our lecturer continued talked us through. Jackson and Mannix (2001) note that amount of interest the nurse shows in the learning needs of the student and the key role he or she plays in their achievement are essential to the students development. It is strange that sometimes you do things or know what things are without ever really stopping and analysing it. Most students and many professionals note that learning acquired from placement experience is much more meaningful and relevant than that acquired in the lecture room (Quinn 2000). Boud et al 1985 argue: it is common for reflection to be treated as if it were an intellectual exercise a simple matter of thinking rigorously. However, reflection is not solely a cognitive process; emotions are central to all learning. Conclusion Caring for a patient requires a relationship and empathy. By developing collaborative relationship with patients, I can provide prompt and focused interventions which can limit illness. Action Plan My aim is to be proactive in the future by promptly opening up. I aim to develop the skill of emotional resilience to be able to deliver and receive any care. Conclusion Like many others on the group, I thought that students were there through choice, they wanted to learn. As a result of this I expected the group to be mature and behaved. Due to my lack of experience in care and the job title of student nurse, I perceived that most sessions would run in a lecture format. This was probably a very naive move on my part, however following my first two sessions, I realised that if I was to be a successful student nurse, I had to adapt my approach. I needed to focus more upon my involvement and participation, getting the group involved in sessions would help to improve my learning process. However as I develop my nursing skills and also my ability to reflect, I have begun to realise that the process of reflection is more complex than Gibbs (1988) suggests. Whilst Gibbs highlights key areas of the process, I feel that reflection is not as cyclical as this model implies. As my reflective skills develop, I am finding myself jumping some stages of the cycle, revisiting others and in some instances digressing in different directions. I feel that this represents my views of reflection as I have a start point (the experience) and an end point (the outcomes/actions), but how I get there is down to my trail of thought. Whilst at this stage of my development I would not class myself as a successful, I believe I am working to develop the skills required to be successful.

An Examination of Music in The Tempest Essay -- The Tempest Essays

An Examination of Music in The Tempest Compared to plays written for public playhouses, The Tempest offers a unique emphasis on music. Hiring extra musicians, along with the time constraints usually resulted in small attention given to this area (Long 95). Given the large degree of detail allotted to music in the play, it is believed the audience to have been upper class, however, music of The Tempest serves a variety of functions beyond that of mere entertainment. By exploring the evidence provided in The Tempest, we can reveal some of these functions that music serves in the play. Direct roles of music in The Tempest: Mental manipulation Music in The Tempest is utilized by Ariel to manipulate his victims in a number of ways, one being a sleight of mind. Take away the enchanted island and Prospero's magic and music still holds a quality which enhances or detracts from one's mood; similarly, Ariel's songs seem to have a way of creeping into the mind of the listeners, but his gradually changes their very thoughts. Our first evidence of how this manipulation functions is Ariel's song sung to Ferdinand: This music crept by me upon the waters, Allaying both their fury and my passion With its sweet air; thence I have follow'd it, Or it hath drawn me rather. (1.2.391-95) The music begins to work by evoking a state of passion, then playing upon this heightened sense of emotion, Ferdinand is drawn in a manner which seems similar to that of the call of the sirens. Ariel's playing and singing while invisible allows the music to be felt like a subtle presence, perhaps coming from the island, perhaps his own mind. Ferdinand is not sure whether it comes from the wat... ...hich the play leads, it is the conflict in the struggle for the power it represents, and the resolution in the harmony it provides. Works Cited Gervinus, G. "A review of The Tempest." Shakespearean Criticism 8 (1877) Johnson, W. "The Genesis of Ariel" Shakespeare Quarterly 11.3 (1951): 205-10. Long, John. Shakespeare's Use of Music: The Final Comedies. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1961. "Other Voices: The Sweet, Dangerous Air(s) of Shakespeare's Tempest." Shakespeare Studies 24 (1996): 241-74 Palmer, D.J. The Tempest. London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1968. Scott, Mark. Shakespearean Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1989. Smith, Hallett. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Tempest. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969. The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.

The Awakening Essay -- Literary Analysis, Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin wrote for a reason and with a sense of passion and desire. She lived the way she wanted to and wrote what she felt, thought, and wanted to say. Kate wrote for many years and her popularity was extreme until critical disapproval of her novel, The Awakening, a story that portrayed women’s desires of independence and control of their own sexuality. Most men condemned this story, while women applauded her for it. Kate wrote with a sense of realism and naturalism and she created a voice that is unique and unmatched. The voice gave a view of the female role in society and contributed to the beginning of the later feminist movements. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, "some of Chopin's work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. She displayed what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius" (qtd. in Amazon.com â€Å"About the Author†). Kate Chopin was a 19th century American author who cared abou t women and their rights. She was a bold writer who had a huge impact on how the world should treat women. On February 8, 1851, Katherine O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kate was born to the parents of Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. Her father was a wealthy Irish immigrant and a successful businessman. Sadly, Kate’s father died in a railway accident when she was only four years old. Kate’s childhood was influenced mostly by her mother and great-grandmother. Kate spent much time with her family’s Creole and mulatto slaves, becoming familiar with their dialects. She attended Sacred Heart convent where she was a very poor student, but an avid reader. At the age of eleven Kate’s great-grandmother as well as her half-brother died. These two deaths caused Kat... ...wn as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction. Kate grew up in a world where women were seen as very little importance. She wrote to change that. Kate wrote with passion and a sense of realism. She proved to the world around her that women were just as equal to men. Conclusively, Kate Chopin is known to be the first feminist writer and a woman ahead of her time. Even though during her time she was looked down upon for the things she wrote, she is celebrated and acclaimed by people around the world today. Kate's writings provided her with the means to live how she wanted-both mentally and physically-rather than play the role society expected of her. Kate Chopin proved to women they had a right to express themselves however they wanted to. This is why Kate is known today as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction.

Essay --

A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem. Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved. In World War II, mechanical analog computers were used for specialized military applications. During this time the first electronic digital computers were developed. Originally they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers . Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as â€Å"computers.† However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous. History of computing Etymology The first recorded use of the word â€Å"computer† was in 1613 in a book called â€Å"The yong mans gleanings† by English writer Richard Braithwait I haue read the truest computer of Times, and the best Arithmetician that euer breathed, and he... ...e working at Bell Labs in November 1937, Stibitz invented and built a relay-based calculator he dubbed the â€Å"Model K†, which was the first to use binary circuits to perform an arithmetic operation. Later models added greater sophistication including complex arithmetic and programmability. The Atanasoff–Berry Computer was the world's first electronic digital computer, albeit not programmable. Atanasoff is considered to be one of the fathers of the computer. Conceived in 1937 by Iowa State College physics professor John Atanasoff, and built with the assistance of graduate student Clifford Berry, the machine was not programmable, being designed only to solve systems of linear equations. The computer did employ parallel computation. A 1973 court ruling in a patent dispute found that the patent for the 1946 ENIAC computer derived from the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. The fir

Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Behavior on the Youth of Pakistan Essay

In our research we have to just focus on the youth so our target area is â€Å"Lahore† because more than 75% are students are here. We chose Lahore as my population because it is well develop city and here large number of consumer’s are educated as compare to other many cities. More over people from all over Pakistan are living in Lahore. Sample size A sample of two hundred consumers was chosen on the basis of simple random sampling because the respondent are divided on the bases of demographic factor like age. We categories the sample of 200 respondents 160 males and 40 females because mostly females do not gave proper response. Sampling Technique The data has been collected from the respondent living in Lahore with the help of Mail questionnaires, consisting of 12 questions were developing to quantify my observation and give study a direction. we chose the probability based simple random sampling because the respondents are divided on the bases of demographic factor like age(16 to 30). Unit of analyses In this research paper we chose the individual person through the mail questionnaire because every individual have its own perception regarding buying so they individually can easily gave response that either celebrity endorsement effect on buying behavior or not. Research Instrument When we choosing a research instrument we focus on dimension of variable and also validity and reliability of variable so, we chose the scaling method as research instrument. Through scaling method we easily measure the idea, concept theme and document of research problem. We use likert scale in our questionnaire. Data collection method Basically in this paper two types of data have been used. Both are listed below: I. Primary data Primary data is the one which is collected from the scratch meaning that the data is collecting from the source and it has not changed hands. In this paper primary data has been collected from the respondents from Lahore via mail questionnaire that consist of 12 questions. The questions were structured, placed in a sequence to understand the consumer perception. The respondents were chosen randomly and the data obtained from their questionnaires was analyzed to come up with the findings. II. Secondary data Secondary data is the one which is collected from secondary source. This research study also contains secondary data .The secondary data was collected for the purpose of literature review. The secondary data was collected from different research journals and furthermore from different websites were used for this purpose. Data Organization Data organization is also called data washing. Data washing means separate the data of out layer and those respondents who just fill the questionnaires without any thinking. Reliability and Validity of Data In this step of research design check the data validity and reliability so, for checking the validity and reliability of data we focus on different test. We choose the t-test for checking the validity and reliability of our research study. Data analysis In this research paper for the analysis of data we focus on goodness of data, hypothesis testing and also focus on feel for data. In goodness of data we see the reliability and validity of data and in hypothesis testing we see that either my research study approve or disapprove. We analyze our data by regression and simple percentage method by using SPSS software.

Bless Me Ultima Essay

Bless Me Ultimo Essay â€Å"The ways of men are strange and hard to learn (peg 8)†. The novel, Bless Me ultimo by Antonio Mare, tells a story of a young boy named Antonio who lives in New Mexico with his family. Throughout the book the author has flashbacks of some of his earliest memories as a child. At the age of six a lady named Ultimo joins the family and becomes one of Notation's closest companions. Ultimo is a Surrender, or a healer, but is no longer working so the family takes her in. He quickly begins to trust her as she tries her best to explain the hard ways of life to him.Although Antonio is a young boy, he experiences multiple difficult situations a six year old boy should not have to experience. This causes him to question his faith and his moral reasoning. Notation's mom is very religious and highly emphasizes Catholicism around the household. This young boy shares this love Of religion with his mother. From a very young age he felt much comfort in believing in a higher power watching over him. Although his faith is strong in the beginning of the novel Antonio witnesses his Father kill a man.After that moment he becomes fitful of his faith and wonders why events occur the way they do. He seeks reasons to explain why life can be so cruel. His dad is a vaquero with a background of living his life on the llano. His mother believes that he has the capabilities to one day become a priest although his father would love to see his son enjoy the life of a cowboy. These conflicting impressions make Antonio question his future. One day he hears the story of the golden carp from his friend Samuel. The story is about how a group of people angered the gods and they turned all the people into carp.But one god loved the people so much that he asked to be turned into a carp as well. Because he was a god they made him very big and made him of gold. After the story, Antonio states â€Å"The Golden Carp†¦ A new God (peg 129). † This shows a moment of realization for Antonio because he knows that not everybody is catholic and God has a different meaning to everyone. Quickly his ideas about God and religion start to shift. As the novel continues, numerous moral questions begin to arise as he sees more death and hatred. It is much more than he has every experienced before.His mom wishes to hide him from the hateful things that occur outside his door, but she realizes she can only do so much to protect him. He will have to figure out the ways of life for himself. He gains wisdom from the people around him and he learns that to gain happiness because he must be at peace with his identity. He will never truly understand the reason evil occurs, he feels it is too complicated for anyone to understand. He concludes that by being the best person he can be, he will obtain the happiness he desires.