Freedom of Movement in EU Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Freedom of Movement in EU - Essay Example Signed in 1992, the Maastricht Treaty provides that European citizenship confers on every European citizen a fundamental and personal right to move and reside freely without reference to an economic activity. The Treaty also provides for additional active and passive voting rights in European and local elections. Diplomatic and consular protection is also enhanced by giving the right to EU citizens to ask for the help of any Member State represented in a third Country if his/her own Member State is not represented there. Treaty of Amsterdam enforced on May 1999, extended the citizens rights and obligations by introducing a clause allowing EU institutions to take measures against discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. It reinforced the free movement of people by integrating the Schengen Convention into the Treaty. This also affirmed the commitment of each Member State to raise the quality and free access to education at national level to the highest level of knowledge possible with, in particular, the view to tackling unemployment. In 2001, the Treaty of Nice was sign facilitating legislation related to free movement and residence by introducing qualified majority for the decision-making in the European Council. The legal basis for the Freedom of movement for persons in the European Union is: Article 14 (7a) ECT: establishing the internal market, which includes the free movement of persons. Article 18 (8a) ECT: Union citizens have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States. Article 61 (73i) et seq: new Title IV, 'Visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons'. The objectives for the Freedom of movement for persons and the abolition of controls at internal frontiers form part of the internal market in which it is not possible for internal frontiers to exist or for individuals to be hampered in their movements. Since its inception, the concept of the free movement of persons has changed in meaning so that while the first provisions on the subject referred merely to the free movement individuals considered as economic agents, either as employees or providers of services, it has gradually widened to take on a more general meaning connected with the idea of Union citizenship, independent of any economic activity or distinctions of nationality. This currently applies to nationals of third countries as abolition of control at internal borders allows people movements that could no longer be checked for nationality. The freedom of movement applies to goods, persons, services and capital, the so-called "four freedoms" but specifically under

Science News Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Science News - Article Example However, in Asimov’s words, the future is not safeguarded and humanity is staring at disaster. This is evident in issues of overpopulation, global warming, and inter-ethnic conflicts that threaten existence itself. Overall, a belief in an interesting future remains the only gateway to a pleasurable life. There are equally scientists who have attempted to defy norms that have been considered taboos. For instance, the story of the tycoon who attempted to defy gravity is the best case study. In the movie Gravity, two spacecraft astronauts try to oppose the gravitational pull occasioned by severe orbital altitudes. Unfortunately, the phenomenon of inverse square law weakens gravity but still, does not after the effects of the gravitational force (Johnson 1). Likewise, the strength of gravity on terra firma is a huge phenomenon that accounts for more than 13 percent when assessed from the International Space Station. It, therefore, concludes that the actors in Gravity would depart space at the speed of 17,000 mile per hour. Astronomy faces a hazy future if the right plans are not implemented to safeguard most its gains over the last centuries. According to Dennis Overbye, the foundation of the Lick Observatory marks the beginning of a collaborative initiative with the University of California to collect $700,000 in the acquisition of bigger telescopes. On that account, the purchase of the Thirty-Meter Telescope has resulted to acrimony amongst astronomers who fear that the Observatory maybe closed. It implies that they would lose valuable educational and research tools that have shaped astronomy in the institution for many years (Overbye 1). Similarly, Telescopes at Lick were instrumental in the research on dark energy that earned the university the Nobel Prize in 2011. Therefore, a move to interfere with its operations is tantamount to suppressing the success of adaptive

Looking At The Exploitation Of Women To Men English Literature Essay

Looking At The Exploitation Of Women To Men English Literature Essay Selden states that, Rhys presents the idea of a woman as an imprisoned victim oppressed by the standards and ideals prevailing in the patriarchal, phallogecentric society dominated by the male form of logos, language (selden139). Rhys female protagonist is the victim of domination and humiliation due to the system of patriarchal and colonial oppression which is prevalent in England and Jamaica. In Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys reveals patriarchal power as dominating and unhealthy. These patriarchal power structures are present in economic, legal, family and educational systems in Rhyss novel. This patriarchal power affects the lives of all the characters in Rhyss novel because they all belong to a patriarchal society. This is the story of Antoinettes Cosway who is isolated by her Victorian husband who locked her up and drives her mad. She is left alone by her husband in the patriarchal society and become helpless and trapped like a ship struck in Sargasso Sea by the British. Through her portrayal of female characters in her novel, Rhys exposes how women are legally and financially dependent on men around them. When we consider the situation of Antoinettes mother, Annette, who is economically dependent upon men, we can at once notice that in patriarchal society economic inequality exist. When Annettes first husband died, she thinks that her second marriage is the chance for her to escape from her life at Coulibri where she is rejected by blacks because of her Creole heritage and may be able to retrieve status among her peers. Maria olaussen states that, Annette signifies the gender ideology in the patriarchal economic system, since she need to be provided for by men. She uses her beauty as her only means to compete with other women in search for English protection and economic support (Olausen103). When Wide Sargasso Sea was written it was that time when marriage was considered as a mean to get economic support. Antoinette is not able to free herself from Rochesters brutality and cruelty because she has no financial independence. All of the money was given to her husband, Mr. Rochester when she married him. In Victorian times, there was a law that women could not held property in their names, even if they inherited that property from their parents. It was still in the custody of their husbands. Patriarchal law prohibits women from inheriting money if there is a son in the family, the inheritance runs in the male line. Mr. Masons son, Richard Mason, represents patriarchal law, since, he after his fathers death, become the lawful provider and protector of Antoinette. He makes her decisions and arranges her marriage to Mr. Rochester, without consent (olaussen108-9). The feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote in 1972 about patriarchal education systems in Vindications of the Rights of women, questioned why only men were prepared for professions and not women. She believed that, this was the reason for womens needs for marriage; they had to marry in order to be economically supported (wollstonecraft150). But Jean Rhys in Wide Sargasso Sea denies Wollstonecraft theories in one aspect, that marriage with Antoinette is necessary for Mr. Rochester because he will not inherit from his father as he is the youngest son in the family. By marrying Antoinette, he saves her wealth and in this way she becomes completely economically dependent upon Mr. Rochester. In the patriarchal family structures of Victorian era, father has authority over his wife and his children. Women and children are legally and economically dependent upon their fathers or husbands. Mr. Rochester uses his patriarchal power to drive Antoinette crazy. She is dependent upon him because of the patriarchal power structures in society (both legally and economically) and therefore, it is not possible for her to leave Mr. Rochester. In Wide Sargasso Sea, marriage increases the wealth of men by allowing them power to possess their wives inheritance. If we critically examine the condition of Annette and Antoinette womanhood is similar to a kind of child like dependence on the nearest men. In fact, it is the dependence that contributes to the tragic end of both Annette and Antoinette. Both women marry white English men in the hopes of assuaging their fears as vulnerable outsiders, but both men betray and abandon them. As Teresa OConnor puts it, the level of betrayal ranges from the cultural and historical implicit in the relationship between blacks and whites to the familical and filial levels. In Wide Sargasso Sea, it appears that the one quality of Antoinette that best express her through out the novel is her dependency in others. From her friendship with Tia, to her marriage with Rochester, Antoinette is just in search for happiness. After the burning down of her house by the slaves in part one, Antoinette has no one in her life, and she is all alone. Her brother Perrie dies and her mother gets mad, therefore, she marries Rochester because she wants to feel safe again. She needs someone to protect her from the ill-treatment that her mother experiences through out her life as a single woman. You are safe, Id say. Shed like that-to be told you are safe. Or Id touch her gently and touch her tears (pg.78). These lines from Mr. Rochester shows that Antoinette wants to be feel safe and secure. Since Rhys is a West-Indian, she wants to reveal a truth about the limit of literary standards that supposes a shared white heritage in its audience. She draws an unflattering picture of patriarchal society in the characterization of Mr. Mason. When Annette describes the troubles of her sisters married life to and specially describes her husbands oppressive and dominating behavior to Mr. Mason, his answer to Annette was, thats her story. I dont believe it. He successfully and unsympathetically silences the Creole womens voice. Rhys wanted to give voice to this silent woman and raise this silent women voice in her novel Wide Sargasso Sea. In patriarchal society the man is the superior and educated being. Mr. Rochester gets irritated by Antoinette when he tries to teach her about England and she denies the beauty of industrialized England in comparison with West Indies. Is it true, she said, that England is like a dream? Well, I answered annoyed, that is precisely how your beautiful island seems to me, quite unreal and like a dream. But how can rivers and mountains and the sea be unreal? And how can millions of people, their houses and their streets be unreal? More easily, she said, much more easily. Yes a big city must be like a dream (pg67) Mr. Rochester feels embarrassment in accepting his wifes superior knowledge about the West Indies, as he is completely a Victorian, patriarchal Englishman. Antoinette tries to teach about the nature and life of West Indies because he is a new comer in her island. But Mr. Rochester is that kind of a person who believes that to be taught by a woman is a sign of weakness and inferiority. He belongs to that category of men who wants to maintain their superiority over women. This is the reason that Mr. Rochester opposes his wifes concepts about England and West Indies. The patriarchal educational system of the 18th century was criticized by Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote that men preserved womens innocence by keeping them ignorant (131). If she was a child she was not a stupid child but an obstinate one. She often questioned me about England and listened attentively to my answers, but I was certain that nothing I said made much difference. Her mind was already made up. Some romantic novel, a star remark never forgotten, a sketch, a picture, a song, a waltz, some note of music, and her ideas were fixed. About England and about Europe. I could not change them and probably nothing would. Reality might discontent her, bewilder her, hurt her, but it would not be reality. It would be only a mistake, a misfortune, a wrong path taken, her fixed ideas would never change. Nothing that I told her influenced her at all (pg78). This statement shows that Antoinettes resistance in his attempt to educate her annoys him. He feels that he can not influence her thoughts and ideas. Thus, he is scared to accept his lack of knowledge because it would lead to his loss of control over her. Teresa F. O Connor explains that Mr. Rochester, who comes from the male-identified England, is protected by Antoinette when he lives in her female identified West Indies. I agree with Teresa F. O Connor that their roles are reversed and that Mr. Rochester is afraid of finding himself in a female role in a female world (148-49). Personal tragedies which are founded in patriarchal societies are expressed through dramatization, imagery and characterization right from the opening pages. All the characters in Wide Sargasso Sea are imprisoned in patriarchal social structure and it lead to their tragic end. In suggesting, the common working of fascism, racism and bourgeois patriarchy, the persecutory power of the modern religion of intolerance (carr12). Rhys echoes Virginia Woolf, who argued in Three Guineas that, patriarchy, racism, pomposity, militarism, economic exploitation, autocracy and fascism are all part of the same process (carr51). Rhys reveals the hidden working of patriarchy by explaining how both Antoinette and Rochester are trapped and conditioned by the dominant patriarchal law. The marriage of Antoinette and Rochester is set in the patriarchal world. If we read Wide Sargasso Sea on deeper level we can see that Rochesters marriage to Antoinette is parallel to a business contract. His statement that, I will trust you if you trust me? Would appear to demonstrate that he does not want to give the unconditional security and love which she desires. However, by uttering the line, is it a bargain? It gives us a clue that what are the real motives of Rochester for marrying Antoinette. Everyone knows that Bargain is an economic term and it does not exist in the marriage of two people. But this marriage is like a bargain for Rochester, because he is able to gain wealth which he desired for and Antoinette is able to feel safe after all the sufferings which she faces in part one of the Wide Sargasso Sea. Rhys portrays Rochester as a person who implies the patriarchal set of laws (sexism, colonialism, the English law and the law which the patriarchal society imposes and which creates sanity and insanity) that trapped Antoinette Cosway. Both the female characters Annette and Antoinette are sexually exploited in this patriarchal world. Men in the patriarchal society can be seen as tyrants having every right to deprive women from their innocence. They demoralized womens sexuality and innocence in the same way as falcon hunts its prey. As Rhys writes, the men did as they liked. The women-never. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys illustrates that men consider women as a pieces of sexual pleasure. They take women for granted and consider them as a life less creature, not having feelings and emotions like a doll. The most important episode in the novel is the scene of Antoinettes mother with the black man. It also contains the motifs of race and sex which are central in the novel. As Antoinette says in the text remembering the helplessness and pain of her mother, I remember the dress she was wearing-an evening dress cut very low, and she was barefooted. There was a fat black man with a glass of rum in his hand. He said drink it and you will forget. She drank it without stopping. I saw his mouth fasten on hers and she went all soft and limp in his arms and he laughed. This incident happened when Annette was under the take care of black couple. After the burning down of her house and death of her son Perrie she starts exhibiting the signs of emotionally unbalanced woman. Therefore, Mr. Mason assigned black couple to take care of her. This scene depicts the subjugation of women by male authority in a patriarchal world. This scene has also its roots grounded in racial conflicts. The mothers dreadful condition is clearly the result of revenge on the owners of Coulibri by the black slaves. After the emancipation act black slaves wants to take revenge on their ex-slaves owners because of the brutal treatment which they receive from the hands of white people. In Victorian society, men treat women cruelly. They think women are only there for them to provide sexual pleasures. Antoinette and Rochesters marriage can be seen in this perspective. Mr. Rochester only appreciates Antoinette for her external beauty. I wonder why I never realized how beautiful she was. This statement shows that Mr. Rochester is only sexually attracted towards his wife. He has only a sexual lust for her and this yearn does not show a true feeling of love for her. Even Mr. Rochester confesses this kind of feeling for her wife. He states, I did not love her. I was thirsty for her, but that is not love. I felt very little tenderness for her, she was a stranger to me, a stranger who did not think or feel as I did (pg78). According to Howells, Rochester belongs to that patriarchal world where women are luxury items to be bought, enjoyed and discarded. Through out the novel, Mr. Rochester is consistently shown as being hostile, cruel and unloving towards her wife. Christophine tells Antoinette, that he is hard as a board. He belongs to that patriarchal world where men substitutes love with sex and domination. He wants to break Antoinette up like an aggressive warrior. As Christophine keeps repeating to him, all you want is to break her up (126). In all of Rhyss works sexuality is the most important theme. It was mostly due to the idea that men dominate women in all aspects. They want control and repress womens sexually. And Rochester here is not only shown as a patriarchal husband but he is also shown as a Victorian who believes that women sexuality should be repressed. Here Rhys illustrates that men want to link women with death, just for the reason to control and suppress them. They kill women to repress them and here Rochester does the same thing to Antoinette. Die then! Die! I watched her die many times. In my way, not in hers. In sunlight, in shadow, by moonlight, by candle light. In the long afternoons, when the house was empty. Only the sun was there to keep us company (Rhys pg.77). Angier indicate Rhyss idea about men and love, men rob love with sex (Angier543). In the Victorian patriarchal society, men think about sex equivalent to love. They believed that feeling of love and sex is alike. Therefore, when Antoinette offers herself to love her, Rochester replies her only with sexual desires because has no feeling of love for her. He is cold in his feelings of love for Antoinette and therefore, he is emotionally a stone. This shows Mr. Rochesters patriarchal and unloving attitude towards her which kills Antoinette emotionally and she transforms into a Zombie, a living dead, in Voodoo or Obeah. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Mr. Rochester has been shown as the ultimate in patriarchal tyranny, but other male characters in this novel also exhibit deep-rooted feelings of misogyny, including Mr. Mason and Daniel. Rhys undoubtedly laments these men who deprived all of the female characters in this novel from their agency. Conventional aspects are traditionally associated with women, such as having propensity to mental illness, or being illogical, frivolous, depended, decorative, subordinate, scheming, manipulative, weak, jealous, gossiping, vulnerable and deceitful. Marriage of Antoinette and Rochester is marked with suspicion, betrayal and misunderstanding right from the beginning of their marriage. When Mr. Rochester receives the letter from Antoinettes half brother, Daniel Cosway, in which Daniel has written about Antoinettes mad mother and her drunkard father, he is not surprised. And when he came to know about Antoinettes love affair with her cousin Sandy, he became more aggressive and cruel towards her. The feeling of jealousy takes control of him. Thus the issue of trust is play out between Rochester and Antoinettes relationship. Although Mr. Rochester is only concerned with material success as Christophine says to Rochester, Everybody know that you marry her for her money and you take it all. And then you want to break her up, because you jealous of her (pg125). This statement reveals the fact that Rochester married Antoinette only for her money and does not love her. But still he wants to possess her in order to show his patriarchal power over her. He believes that she belongs to him and is therefore not allowed to leave him and love someone else. I tell you she loves no one, anyone. I could not touch her. Expecting as the hurricane will touch that tree-and break it. You say I did? No. that was loves fierce play. Now Ill do it. She ill not laugh in the sun again. Shell not dress up and smile at herself in that damnable looking glass. So pleased, so satisfied. Vain, silly creature. Made for loving? Yes, but shell have no lover, for I dont want her and shell see no other (Rhys 136). Though, Mr. Rochester feel hatred towards Antoinette, he still feels that she belongs to him. He does not want Antoinette to lead an independent life, because it would result in loosing his patriarchal power and dominance over his wife. Therefore, he refuses to let her leave him. Despite the fact that Mr. Rochester married Antoinette only for her money, he still feels that he is attracted towards her wifes exotic beauty and the beauty of her island. He does not want to fall for their charms and magnificence and thus he denies the attraction he feels towards the island and his wife. I hated the mountains and the hills, the rivers and the rains. I hated the sunsets of whatever color, I hated its beauty and its magic and the secret I would never know. I hated its indifference and the cruelty which was part of its loveliness. Above all I hated her. For she belonged to the magic and the loveliness. She had left me thirsty and all my life would be thirst and longing for what I had lost before I found it (Rhys). This quotation describes Mr. Rochester as a colonizer. As an Englishman, he wants to colonize both his wife and her island. His strict Victorian breeding and patriarchal values makes him obsessed with control and dominance. He does not want to fall love with her wife and her island, even though he is attracted towards them, because of the fact that he wants to maintain his patriarchal power to control and dominate them. Thus, by acting blindly to the attractions he feels towards his wife and her island, he condemns Antoinette and her world and in this way he tries to protect himself. All the sufferings and miseries which Antoinette suffers through out her life are due to the fact that in Victorian patriarchal society women were considered to be the source to bring sexual pleasures to their husbands. Men treat women in the same manner as somebody treat the servant or an animal. Women in Victorian societies are thought to be weak, helpless creatures that are unable to think for themselves. Men believed that it was the law of bible that males are superior to females, therefore they have a right to treat them as they like.

Oedipus the King: Oedipus And The Gods :: essays research papers fc

In Ancient Greece the existence of gods and fate prevailed. In the Greek tragedy King Oedipus by the playwright Sophocles these topics are heavily involved. We receive a clear insight into their roles in the play such as they both control man's actions and that challenging their authority leads to a fall. The concepts of the gods and fate were created to explain things. In Ancient Greece there was a lot that was not understood; science was in its infancy and everything that happened could be explained by the will of the gods or fate. The gods were the height of power; they supposedly existed since the beginning of time. They were immortal, omnipresent and omnipotent. However, the different gods had different personalities. In this sense they were anthropomorphic. Having such mastery of the world would enable them to control man's behavior, as is shown in King Oedipus. The idea of fate has existed for a long time and exists even today. Fate revolves around the idea that people's lives are predetermined and that no matter what is done it cannot be changed. With the gods it was used to explain events that seemed strange. Sophocles expands on this idea by introducing Oedipus' fate. The thought of fate is strong considering no matter how hard he struggles he still receives what was predetermined. As a baby he survived the elements on Mount Cithaeron. As Oedipus was destined to live, it shows the dominance of fate. Having fate play such a large part of the play is certainly an insight into the Greek's idea that fate controls us no matter how hard we struggle against it. In the play the dominance of the gods is shown again and again. In the second stasimon after Tiresias leaves the chorus chants "Zeus and Apollo know, they know, the great masters of all the dark and depth of human life", reasserting the belief in the god's power. At the very opening of the play, the priest who converses with Oedipus says ". . . You cannot equal the gods, your children know that. . . ", proving again the Greek belief that the gods are the height of power. However, it is not only the people that revere the gods. After Oedipus blinds himself, Creon takes control of Thebes. When Oedipus asks to be banished, Creon replies "Not I. Only the gods can give you that", again acknowledging the higher authority of the gods.

International Business Concepts

International Business Concepts 1st Concept: Sovereign Wealth Funds Sovereign Wealth Funds are investment funds controlled by governments holding great amount of stakes in foreign businesses aiming to gain profits and stimulate Its national economy. Charles Orate, reporting for Washington Times, expresses our urgency as a nation to create an American Sovereign Wealth Fund. If our government soon capitalizes $1 currently have a head start with their Swift. But that Is merely leverage. The leading reason as to why we absolutely need a SF Is to recover from our national debt.Ever nice the survival of the 1945 World War, our debt Is no longer $345 billion. Instead, It has heightened to a depressing amount of $17 plus trillion. The ratios of our total debt to private sector incomes are distant values, causing a substantial deficit. The debt we have accumulated to this day is almost unfathomable. But if there is a will, there is a way out. If America were willing to have a politically inde pendent Sovereign Wealth Fund, it would act as an economic stimulus. Our financial dilemma would be revived soon enough.But the SF must be dealt with phenomenal management in order to gain substantial returns. Also, to evade interrupting America's market prices, it would be wise to only invest internationally. Once America's SF is established, the capital investment of $1 trillion will achieve immense profits, in turn accumulating wealth to subside our national debt. Therefore, relieving our country from financial stress, rejuvenating America's credit rating, and rehabilitating our economy. An American Sovereign Wealth Fund will create a brighter and prosperous future. 2nd Concept: North American Free Trade Agreement (NONFAT)North American Free Trade Agreement created a free-trade area among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The three countries agreed to expand the flow of goods, services, and investments. Their objectives were to eliminate all tariff on imports, eliminate or r educe imitation trade barriers, promote conditions of equal competition, provide protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, establish regional trade cooperation, and improve employment In North America. Forbes, a leading source for business news and financial Information, comments on the aged North American Free Trade Agreement.Although It has been successful during It's previous decades, the agreement seems to be on â€Å"life support. † The NONFAT Is past Its 20th anniversary and yet there has been a lack of modern revisions. During February this year, President Barack Obama met with Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Mexican President, Unripe Penn Unite. They attempted to revivalist the NONFAT and strengthen their regional cooperation. But they were distracted by other international crises. In consequence, North America Is loosing business to China due to unaligned rules and unrecognized policies between the

Dell’s Supply Chain Management Essay

The term supply chain management (SCM) was initially used in wholesaling and retailing to denote the integration of logistics and physical distribution functions with the goal of reducing delivery lead times. Manufacturers and service providers have used the same term to describe integration and partnership efforts with first- and second- tier suppliers to reduce cost and improve quality and delivery timing. Terms such as integrated purchasing strategy, integrated logistics, supplier integration, value chain management, supply base management, strategic supplier alliances, lean production, Just-In-Time (JIT) logistics, and supply chain synchronization have been used in the literature to address certain elements or stages of this new management philosophy (1998; 1994). Conceptually, SCM includes all value-adding activities from the extraction of raw materials through the transformation processes and through delivery to the end user. SCM spans organizational boundaries and treats the organizations within the value chain as a unified virtual business entity (1991; 1995). (1995) further expanded SCM to include recycling or reuse activities. In general, SCM seeks improved performance through elimination of waste and better use of internal and external supplier capabilities and technologies (1996). The retailing industry has focused on different aspects of SCM, namely, location, transportation, and logistics issues. Indeed, the origin of supply chain management can be traced back to efforts to better manage the transportation and logistics functions (1997; 1995; 1994; 1993; 1991; 1987). The wholesaling and retailing industries incorporate a logistics focus within their strategic decisions. In this respect, SCM is synonymous with integrated logistics systems that control the movement of goods from the suppliers to end customers without waste (1991). Moreover, integrated logistics systems seek to manage inventories through close relationships with suppliers and transportation, distribution, and delivery services. A goal is to replace inventory with frequent communication and sophisticated information systems to provide visibility and coordination. In this way, merchandise can be replenished quickly in small lot size and arrive where and when it is needed (1994; 1993). Firms that use advanced process technology to increase flexibility and involve manufacturing managers in strategic decision making alter the role of logistics in firm success (1998). A supply chain can reduce overall inventory while maximizing customer service by efficiently redistributing stock within the supply chain using effective postponement and speculation strategies (1998; 1993; 1991). New logistics technology gives businesses a complex way to make things easier for their customers and suppliers. Within logistics industry, Dell’s system is recognized as one that takes advantage of technology to decrease storage and increase efficiency. The computer company’s supply and shipping networks exemplify the latest trend in logistics, that is, visibility. Companies with the money and foresight are making sure their inventories can be traced and tracked throughout their entire logistical operations, even if their systems are entirely outsourced. Executing a supply chain with full visibility gives companies better information to work with and a more agile system. Dell has a better control of their operation which has reduced safety stocks and has operate faster to get cash-to-cash conversion cycles. By producing custom products at a rapid pace, the computer manufacturer receives payments from customer before it pays suppliers. Companies can do this only if there’s a short window between receiving an order and shipping it. In addition, Dell’s customers can also keep track of their order status. They can trace their computer as is moves through assembly and testing, and can track its shipment due to the technology of major shipping companies. The pulse of Dell’s execution effort centers on increasing business velocity and eliminating waste. Dell employees are constantly focused on driving down backlogs, promoting best practices, and creating synergies among adjacent processes as seen in cross-functional initiatives such as the design-for-manufacturability effort between manufacturing and R&D. This initiative successfully promoted product designs that are easier to assemble. In 1994, Dell was a struggling second-tier PC maker. Like many others, the company ordered its components in advance and manufactured to inventory. Then Dell began to implement a new business model. It converted its operations to a build-to-order process, eliminated its inventories through a just-in-time system, and sold its products directly to consumers. Dell carefully targeted corporate relationship customers that had predictable, budgeted needs and that wanted a pre-determined set of product models. The company also selected individual customers who were high-end, repeat purchasers with a preference for early technology adoption. Both account segments had the stable, predictable purchase patterns that Dell needed to make its joint build-product-to-order/buy-component-to-plan system work. In connection with this, Dell developed a set of new operations capabilities in five crucial areas (2005). First, it created the flawless make-to-order system that has been widely noted. Secondly, Dell worked at length to build an effective supplier management function in order to shorten component lead times and maintain the absolute quality standards required by the just-in-time operation. Third, Dell developed the â€Å"sell what you have† system that was essential to matching supply and demand. Fourth, it instituted an extraordinarily crisp set of product life cycle management capabilities that yielded great cost reductions and strategic advantage. Fifth, the company worked with its suppliers to shorten their product life cycles, extending the Dell business model to the whole channel. Together these operating capabilities formed a cornerstone for Dell’s business model. Moreover, to maintain its rapid growth, Dell needs to hone its just-in-time process. Dell believes that the key to JIT is integrating with the suppliers into its operation. It is important for the company to work with the suppliers to figure out how to minimize the supply chain and hold the least amount of inventory in it. Inventory can add costs, damage quality, slow production, and wreak havoc with Dell’s rapid response reputation. To guard against this, Dell has optimized its supply base and developed a tightly run system in which it â€Å"pulls† parts from suppliers just as they are needed for production. Dell has manufacturing facilities in Austin; Limerick, Ireland; and Penang, Malaysia, each of which produces PCs on a JIT basis. In order to ensure the smooth flow of production supplies into these plants, Dell has developed a two-tiered strategy that employs different sourcing arrangements and delivery schedules for custom and commodity parts. When Dell receives an order for a PC, it faxes or phones its requirements to suppliers who pick the proper parts and pack them in reusable bins with kanban cards attached. Trucks on a continuous loop between suppliers and Dell, known as a â€Å"milk run,† deliver the sorted parts to the computer maker’s plant for final assembly. This process frees Dell from having to manage inventories and the costs associated with them. However, Dell has made efforts to ensure that suppliers don’t get stuck with much inventory. The computer maker allows suppliers to participate in a â€Å"revolver program,† where they can sell parts stored at the warehouse to other customers. In comparison with Dell’s supply chain management, Baxter, a hospital supply company, developed a powerful new type of partnership with its hospital customers. Baxter develops a strategy which is the vendor-managed inventory system, then called the Stockless System in managing its customer’s inventories within their hospital facilities (2001). The hospital specifies its stock requirements for each ward; an on-site Baxter employee counts the stock in each ward each day or every few days; the employee enters this information into a hand-held device and transmits it to Baxter’s warehouse, where a replenishment order is derived; at the warehouse, the order is picked into ward-specific containers; that order is delivered the next day or in a few days directly to the ward, and the Baxter employee puts the stock away; finally, Baxter invoices the hospital. Baxter’s Stockless System created a powerful new channel that changed the ground rules for all other hospita l supply companies. However, in the long run, the shift to service competition led to significant sales increases as conversions to Baxter products naturally occurred. The company also gained significant first-mover advantage as it tied up key accounts with this new channel. In the case of Procter and Gamble (P&G), the company first partnered with Wal-Mart to develop a pioneering continuous replenishment system. Through this system, P&G replenishes Wal-Mart’s facilities without purchase orders based on the retailer’s product movement data. Based on this experience, P&G systematically shifted its strategic focus toward supply chain-based service innovation–and in the process transformed both the consumer products and retail industries. P&G also developed a careful account selection plan as part of an innovative product supply model. The company developed operating partnerships with major customers capable of linking electronically, taking full-truckload deliveries, and engaging in joint business process reorganization programs. Smaller accounts were shifted to master distributors, which in turn were selected for their ability to partner effectively with P&G. P&G, for its part, developed operations capabilities in two key areas ( 2001). First, it created a sweeping new set of industry-change programs such as ECR (efficient consumer response), CRP (customer requirements planning), and streamlined logistics. These programs required a solid new understanding of channel economics and the impact of supply chain innovation. Second, the company developed sophisticated IT ties to coordinate its product flow, enabling it to raise service levels to meet the needs of the new system. With regards with Dell’s, supply chain competency of the company comprises of four qualities which includes demand management, internal collaboration, leveraging partners, and financial fundamentals (2004). Dell’s direct model enables the company to excel at demand management. The process of selling directly to customers and building product to order creates opportunities for true real-time collaboration and synchronization between manufacturing and sales. By being in direct contact with the market, Dell can quickly see changes in customer demand. Synchronization allows Dell to respond more quickly to customer demand than its competitors can. Additionally, this true internal collaboration allows for highly accurate forecasts. Another key aspect of Dell’s success is its ability to collaborate internally. This competency is driven by a culture that values information sharing and empowers all employees. At Dell, â€Å"direct† refers not only to how the company sells but also to how team members communicate and attack issues (2004). Moreover, Dell’s culture and processes not only help the company collaborate internally but also help it leverage its business partners. Dell leverages its partners by linking suppliers’ planning and execution activities with Dell’s systems. The company uses information technology to gather and share a constant stream of data on supply and demand trends. On the supply side, Dell gathers real-time information about the inventory levels of its suppliers at various positions in the supply chain. Finally, Dell’s entire supply chain is focused on fundamental business performance. Operating margin and not just profits or growth rate is the number that Dell cares about most to ensure long-term profitability. Dell Inc.’s renowned direct sales model is regularly cited as the key reason for its overall competitive prowess. At Dell, supply chain management is truly viewed as a strategic capability; it drives coordination with, and in many instances it includes, activities such as marketing, sales, finance, and information technology.