Unilever Company

Abstract Unilever Company is operated by two parent companies which are Netherlands-based Unilever N.V. and UK-based Unilever PLC. It is one of the largest makers of consumer based goods. The product strategy, distribution strategy, communication strategy and pricing strategy that the company has applied over the years has been the main driving force towards its success. In addition, the company has majorly concentrated on the products preferred by consumers. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Its entry in to developing markets has also fanned its growth and success. The reception in such markets was enormous thus any attempt to oust unilever from these markets has not been fruitful. It still dominates the developing markets and some of developed markets. Unilever Company profile Unilever Company is a top manufacturer of packaged consumer goods globally. It s products vend in more than 170 countries through out Western Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East, North America and Asia. The company offers several categories of products. The paramount sellers include mayonnaise, tea, soaps and antiperspirants. Unilever is the working arm of Unilever PLC and Unilever N.V. Mission statement ‘Meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere’ Product strategy Unilever is going by the inexpensive pricing strategy of Hindustan unilever limited in markets with recession such as the US. It offers products through dollar stores to consumers. This is a fraction of a recent Unilever strategy to increase its earnings from recession-hit emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil which have been growing more rapidly. Product strategy is considered a management process (McGrath, 2001). Distribution strategy Unilever has established plants in the 170 countries where their products are vended. The company distributes its products using the plant names in the market. For example in India, the distributor is Hindustan Unilever Limited. In UK, the distributor is Unilever PLC.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Anonymity conceals the company’s significance. Unilever trades using brand names. Everyone knows its brand names. Distribution strategy must always be considered before marketing process (Rolnicki, 1998). Pricing strategy Unilever Thai Holdings Ltd, a large consumer products maker, have taken up a new pricing strategy, offering customers up to 20 per cent discount the usual prices of its products, and setting the phase for ferocious competition in this sector. The firm has reduced its marketing and advertising expenses to hold up the new strategy as more customers have less expenditure ability and confidence, as they are affected by the decrepit economy (Baker, 2010, et al.). Global busin ess environment and the countries selected market Currently emerging and already existing companies that produce similar products as unilever are restrategizing and entering the market. These companies have majorly concentrated in developed countries. This includes the whole of Europe, parts of Asia, South America and Australia. Although unilever vends its products globally, it has mainly conquered the markets in developing countries. These include Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. It has divided its products to meet market specification. In these developing countries, the competition is low thus unilever enjoys the market dominance. Competitive environment As a result, of the competition in most countries unilever vends products in appropriate markets. Unilever manufactures consumer packaged products used mainly at home. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Lear n More The stiff competition present in the 170 countries that unilever operates makes the company to perform selective vending. For example, the ice cream and dressings are not vended in developing countries like Africa, as there are low sales and are not considered basic requirements. Instead, they are retailed in Europe and some parts of Asia where there are more sales. The same applies to products like Omo, dove, Lux and Rexona which are majorly vended in developing countries. This is because they are considered basic requirements; as a result, there is a ready market. Target market Unilever has got a wide target market which includes both domestic and general utilities. These markets include drinks and domestic products. In each market, there are specific products that are retailed. The products include soaps, drinks, spreads (blue band) and ice cream (Kurtz, 2009, et al.). Communication strategy Unilever communicates with its customers by use of media and bill boards for ad vertisement. This is a strategy most companies employ. As a result, Unilever wants to use the Internet in order to perk up brand communication, advertising and on-line selling. It will also simplify business-to-business connections a long the distribution chain. Unilever has lately awarded an Indian firm an IT contract. Unilever has made contact with several software developers to facilitate this project. The use of visual and audio communication means is widely employed by many companies (Jones, 2008). Impact of culture Culture has played a big role in dragging and speeding the prosperity of Unilever Company. When the company first entered the markets in undeveloped countries, for example, Africa, it faced many challenges. The personal care and home care products that are vended in Africa took long to be accepted in the market. This is so because the communities were still conversant with their traditional modes of personal and home based care. Once these products were accepted, the presence of new products from other companies faced massive rejection. This resulted to their withdrawal. Thus, unilever products still dominated.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Key management issues Changes were recently made in the company’s top administration. It has started selling off any subordinate companies that are earning less profit, and ‘decentralized’ control of subsidiaries. The Head Quarter in Europe just scrutinizes profit margins and making sure they are maximized. This resulted in cutting of expenditure like reducing workers pay. References McGrath, M. (2001). Product strategy for high technology companies: accelerating your business to web speed. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Rolnicki, K. (1998). Managing channels of distribution. New York: AMACOM Division of American Management Association. Baker, W. Marn, M. Zawada, C. (2010). The Price Advantage. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Kurtz, D. Mackenzie, H Snow, K. (2009). Contemporary Marketing. Toronto: Cengage Learning. Jones, P. (2008). Communicating Strategy. Gower Publishing limited. This research paper on Unilever Company was written and submitted by user Legion to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition of an Activated Complex in Chemistry

Definition of an Activated Complex in Chemistry An activated complex is an intermediate state that is formed during the conversion of reactants into products. An activated complex is the structure that results in the maximum energy point along the reaction path. The activation energy of a chemical reaction is the difference between the energy of the activated complex and the energy of the reactants. How an Activated Complex Works Consider a chemical reaction between reactants A and B to form products C and D. The reactants must collide with each other and interact in order to form the products. Several factors improve the chances that A and B will encounter each other, including increased temperature, increased concentration of reactants, or adding a catalyst. In a reaction with an activated complex, A and B form the complex A-B. The complex only forms if sufficient energy (the activation energy) is present. The energy of the activated complex is higher than that of either the reactants or products, which makes the activated complex unstable and temporary. If there isnt enough energy for the activated complex to form the products, it eventually breaks apart into the reactants. If enough energy is available, the products form. Activated Complex Versus Transition State Some textbooks use the terms transition state and activated complex interchangeably, but they mean different things. The transition state refers only to the highest potential energy of the atoms participating in a chemical reaction. The activated complex covers a range of atom configurations that atoms form on their way from reactant to products. In other words, the transition state is the one molecular configuration that occurs at the peak of the energy diagram of the reaction. The activated complex may be present at any point near the transition state.

Cardiac Catheterization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cardiac Catheterization - Essay Example In 1947, Louis Dexter expanded the clinical use of right heart catheterization with studies in patients with congenital heart disease and identified the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure as a useful clinical measurement. By this point, the value of homodynamic measurements was being fully realized, and further developments came rapidly" (Roger, 2008). The technique and safety profile of the instruments used for bringing homodynamic stability though has been evolving over the time. Initial there used to be compression techniques to stop the vessels from bleeding which was and still is the main complication of angiography and angioplasty. Post op bleeding from the intervention site is the main reason of keeping patients in bed for a couple of hours which is very cumbersome for the patients. Cardiac catheterization can be done through different access points but the window to work in becomes an issue. Using upper extremity vessels will be a very good alternative to have a controlled bl eeding because of the diameter of the vessel and their easy access but the window of access gets compromised and the choice of catheters for maximum access and manipulation becomes a problem so, the preferred access rout is still femoral arty and mainly the common femoral artery neither above non below it. "The main advantages to this method are its ease and substantial safety record. The main disadvantage is the need for an extended (2-6 h) period of bed rest after completion of the procedure. Several types of arterial closure devices now are available that provide rapid homeostasis and shorten the period of bed rest considerably. However, complication rates with these closure devices are similar to conventional manual compression". (Roger, 2008). "Reductions in sheath size, intensity and duration of anticoagulation with heparin, and procedure time were observed. Adverse outcomes of major femoral bleeding included prolonged hospital stay, and increased requirement for blood transfu sion. Major femoral bleeding and blood transfusion are both associated with decreased long-term survival, driven by a significant increase in 30-day mortality" (Brendan, 2007). Manual or mechanical compression as the name itself explains it is to be done by the surgeon or any other volunteer in the surgical team to provide compression with the pressure through the pulp of three or four fingers in the downward direction without releasing it for a microsecond for at least for 10-15 minutes at the site of the intervention. (Shaffer, 2005).Vascular closure devices are a very nice and safe alternative to the mechanical compression methods in terms of vascular complication, surgeon's factors and patient's factors. In percoutaneous intervention intra vascular complication which includes "ecchymosis (37%), hematoma (20%), and oozing (15%)" are major complications. These complications occur more frequently with mechanical and device assisted compression. The main reason for these complications is the way mechanical or device assisted compression is applied and unless it is applied exactly the same way it does not fulfill the purpose. Apart from these commonly happening but comparatively less dangerous issues there is a another major complication of leg ischemia which occurs due to prolonged deprivation of blood supply. Post-operatively some patients do

Romantic Poetry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Romantic Poetry - Research Paper Example The Romantic Movement thus became a revolutionary phase in the history of English poetry. Keats once said â€Å"I think I shall be among the English poets after my death†. Mathew Arnold commenting upon this statement said† He is with Shakespeare â€Å".T. S Eliot in spite of his reservations and qualifications about romantic poetry, in general, conceded that the kind of poetry which Keats wrote seems â€Å"much more the kind of Shakespeare†. He also said that Keats had, like Shakespeare, a philosophic mind†. It is indeed a credit to Keats that he has been compared to Shakespeare by some of the most eminent critics of our time. The essential quality of Keats as a poet is his sensitiveness to beauty. With singleness of aim he seeks for â€Å"the principle of beauty in all things. Poets like Milton, Wordsworth and Shelly also worshipped, but they had secondary moral intentions. He worships beauty with the unreasoning rapture of a child or a lover. Keats poetr y has a sensuous richness. All that appeals to the senses is vividly described in his poems. In early poems, the sensuous richness is too great. This is merely the eager lavishness of youth rejoicing in its abundance, and not yet disciplined by good taste. Once Keats expressed his love of sensuousness and delights by preferring sensation to thought, â€Å"O for a life of sensation rather than of thought†. None of Keats predecessors had the same keen eagerness as had Keats to taste all earthly delights to burst joy’s grape against his palate fine† and to convey in verse the wealth of his sensations. By describing life as it impinged upon the sensuous, Keats greatly widened the sensuous realm of poetry. The finest of the four odes written in the spring of 1819the ‘Ode to A Nightingale’ is the passionately human and personal. He did not think about the particular bird of Hampstead but of its song which had been beautiful and delightful for centuries. Th e poem as we know was composed in the morning and but in the ode, the Queen moon is on her throne and the Nightingale is a type of the race imagined as singing in a far-off scene of woodland mystery, of verdurous gloom and winding mossy way. The poet would like to escape from the woes of the world,†Where youth grows pale and specter-thin, to the fairy land, to the †¦melodious plot, Of beeches green and shadows numberless†. Ode to the nightingale, though not so classic in its perfection, is richer in emotion and is truly romantic in haunting suggestiveness and melody. It might even be said that the ‘ode to autumn is to the Nightingale, what the poetry of Pope is to Keats. The Nightingale has true romantic spirit, attempts the impossible and like all romantic poetry pleases us by its very glorious failure. This ode is deeply charged with human feeling and the mood here is very intense. Crushed down by a personal loss, the poet is tortured by the thought of insta bility of man’s estate on earth and his continual suffering and decay in the world. The enjoyed sensuous experience is shown in the poem ‘The Ode To Nightingale’. Sidney Colvin regards it as â€Å"one among the glories of English poetry†. The song of the nightingale is the first experience that gives him

Correlation Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Correlation Discussion - Essay Example 2. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient: This is considered the strongest measure of correlation; and is sensitive to even small variations in data. It is also a base for predictive analysis. The biggest problem with this method is that it requires data that is either on an equal interval or ratio scale; and cannot be used with data on simpler scales. 3. Rank Order Correlation Coefficient: This method is computed with data on an ordinal scale; and with a reasonably large sample size the results are quite robust. While the technique is quite robust, it can get extremely cumbersome as the size of the data set increases. 4. Biserial Correlation Coefficient: If the data sets belong to two variables that are inherently continuous, but the data available on one has been reduced to two discrete categories; one needs to compute a Biserial correlation coefficient. This technique is not as robust; and should not be substituted for a stronger one. 5. Point – Biserial C orrelation Coefficient: If a continuous variable needs to be correlated with a discrete dichotomous one; a Point – Biserial Correlation coefficient is computed. This technique is simple and important in fields of study where such occurrences are commonplace; but it is otherwise not too robust. 6.

How Toyota Achieve Its Objectives By Implementing Tqm Marketing Essay

How Toyota Achieve Its Objectives By Implementing Tqm Marketing Essay The Toyota motor company of Japan has taken this challenge seriously and has proved its ability to compete with the once emperors of the industry such as Ford, Volvo, Chevrolet et al. Buy careful adoption of cutting edge technologies such as Total quality management, Toyota has turned itself into a game changer in the industry. This assignment focuses on how Toyota achieved its objectives using TQM. It unfolds in three stages starting with TQM and its scope. Secondly competitive environment analysis with SWOT and PESTLE analyses and finally it arrives at conclusion based on a thorough evaluation of the organization. Company Overview Toyota Motor Company (TMC) is the crown of Japanese auto industry. Started as a small car manufacturer on August 28, 1937 it gifted many quality innovations to the world throughout its history. In the early 1980s Toyota won its first quality control award in Japan. The company launched its luxury brand Lexus in 1989 which became a massive success. It also manufactures Scion an economical automobile brand that targets young adults. Toyota also conquered the hybrid car market with the launch of its iconic car Prius in 17. Today with a work force of 71,116 and an annual sale of US$228+ billion, Toyota is as profitable as all the other car companies combined. In 2007 it became the worlds largest auto manufacturer beating General Motors. (Info http://www.toyota-global.com/) Literature Review Total Quality management Total quality management can be defined as A management psychology that seeks to integrate all organizational functions such as marketing, finance, design, engineering, production, customers satisfaction et al. to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. [Abstract Besterfield D, Michna Besterfield C, Besterfield Glen and Besterfield-Sacre Mary Total Quality Management (3rd Edition) (2002)] The team of the organization that the TQM is implementing tries to take part in improving processes, products, services as well as the culture which they work. This approach is inspired by quality leaders such as Philip B Crosby, W. Edwards Deming, Kaonru Ishikawa and Joshep M. Juran. According to Deming TQM involves 14 principles. 1. Create constancy of purpose 2. Adopt a new philosophy of cooperation 3. Cease dependence on mass inspection to achieve quality 4. End the practice of awarding business 5. Improve constantly, and forever 6. Institute training 7. Adopt and institute leadership for the management of people, 8. Drive out fear and build trust 9. Break down barriers between departments. 10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets asking for zero defects or new levels of productivity 11. Eliminate numerical goals, numerical quotas and management by objectives 12. Remove barriers that rob people of joy in their work 13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement. 14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. Today The concept of quality is significant more than ever before. The history of quality goes as far as 1920s to the times of gurus such as F.W. Taylor who is the father of scientific management. It erupted in 1950s in Japan in a time where the Japanese were searching ways to boost their economy that was ruined by World War 2. By 70s high quality Japanese goods had flooded the US and European markets. It took 20 years for the west to catch up the Japanese quality system. By today the growing global competition the quality has become a decisive factor and is inspired by changing customer needs. Today the customer is the person who defines the quality of a product. Quality management is important because achieving a higher quality is ever changing. Also failing to meet the quality standards continuously would result in losing customers. An organization can take many initiatives to assure quality of its products. Standardization is one such initiative that assures quality. Standardization can be carried out by round interchangeability, variety reduction; improved communication of technical criteria, commonly agreed safety and performance parameters. Standardization applies to raw materials, testing, sampling methods as well as processes Institutional learning is another way of ensuring quality. Here the training process for workers are recorded and will be used in the learning process. The learning forms such as lessons as well as good practices are the primary sources of the knowledge working process. The institutional learning process can be further enhanced through training workshops, evaluation material as well as electronic training media. Also by way of knowledge management an organization can assure the quality of its products. Under knowledge management the capacity to retain knowledge, educational capacity, design and training methods, the training programs as well as qualified trainers are the majors concerns under knowledge management. The fruits of knowledge management can only be picked when The learnt knowledge puts in to practice. The knowledge is material in innovation. Turning tacit knowledge in to explicit knowledge Gathering and preserving knowledge from every possible source such as information, experience etc. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a method used to analyze the internal and external environment of an organization. Following is a comprehensive SWOT analysis of Toyota Motor Company. Strengths Toyota operates factories in US and China that led to increase in company profits since 2005. The organization through careful segmentation, Targeting and positioning offers the right product mix to the market. Toyota is highly efficient in its manufacturing which uses total quality management. Toyota has a strong brand name which is a house hold brand name all around the world. Weaknesses Toyota is excessively focused on US and Japanese markets. Thus suffers from fluctuating economic and political conditions of these countries. Toyota has few layers in its hierarchy and as a result there are few opportunities for promotions. Heavy emphasize on techniques such as kaizen has led to higher level of stress among workers. Opportunities Toyota and Lexus has pioneered the environmentally friendly technologies. The world needs vehicles inspired by such technologies more than ever. The company is targeting the urban youth market which has a huge potential. The European Union is emerging as a world of opportunities for auto manufacturers. Toyota already has a large market share in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Ireland et al. Threats Global recession has drastically affected the performance of the global auto industry. Rising gas prices due to the OPEC decision of price hike is a severe damage. In 200, 2010 the product recall of Toyota was estimated to be million units. This can have adverse effects the organizations reputation. Toyota faces strong competition from rivals. New entrants from China, South Korea and India are growing rapidly. (Info http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/toyota-swot.html) PESTLE Analysis The PESTLE stands for P Political E Economical S Social T Technological L Legal E Environmental Political Since it is a global organization Toyota needs to observe the global political situation. For the past few years Toyota has been enjoying from some of the governments key decisions. The governments decision to limit vehicle imports to Japan and the US governments introduction of quota system in vehicle importing eases the pressure of heavy competition from the outsiders. The Japanese government has provided stimulus packages and tax reliefs to deal with the recent economic down turn. Economical The global recession has hit the global auto industry severely. With inevitable losses companies tend to cut jobs. The same is applicable to Toyota. Due to sky rocketing cost of living people might be prioritizing the fulfillment of their needs at primitive levels. In such a background the industry might get a serious blow. Also during the past 5 consecutive years the global auto mobile sales in major markets have sharply dropped. Social Social factors are vital in deciding the demand for a certain good. Throughout the past decade Japan is experiencing a growing adult population. It is estimated that by 2030 the 65 year old population will be 25.6% of the total population of Japan. Some critical changes in the age structure of the country can be observed. Also the countrys negative population growth rates provide serious implications for the business organizations. Because the shrinking population implies that the business organizations will have to face a shortage in skilled labor in the near future. [Source Matsumoto Yoshiko Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan ] Technology With the introduction of cutting edge production technologies adoption of such technologies in the auto industry can be widely seen. Use of robotics for production in Japan has become a major trend. In this information age people have more ways to know about products which makes the present consumer a highly aware one compared to some decades back. The development in World Wide Web led to many organizations going online. The organization will have to adapt to the new ground realities of online marketing to stay ahead of the curve. Legal Today although the free trade is been heavily promoted some key player in the global economy are following protectionism. Countries such as India, Brazil et al are imposing legal restrictions on foreign auto manufacturers in order to promote indigenous manufacturing. With its recall of some of the car models in 2010 Toyota had to face several court cases over accidents occurred due to defect Toyota cars. It was reported that Toyota has paid $ 1.2 million in settlement of a case that was filed against the company. (Info http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/2010/12/28/toyota-pays-10m-crash-compensation/) Environment The global warming and climate change has become a burning problem in todays world. The changes in this regard have a major influence on the global auto mobile industry. The global warming has insisted the global auto manufacturing firms to come up with less emission solutions. Governments all around the world are raising the standards and tightening the environmental laws on this matter. In addition to the global warming problem the dwindling oil reserves in Middle Eastern countries which are expected to come to an end as soon as 2040s has urged the auto manufacturers to seek more sustainable and energy efficient solutions for the future. The green marketing has become a major weapon for any organization competing in todays auto industry. Today the green products as well as green production methods has become a threshold in many cases. Thus any organization lagging behind its counterparts in green marketing is in the path to destruction. Analysis Although the total quality management is widely adopted in todays highly dynamic business environment Toyota motor company has its own version of quality management called the Toyota production system or TPS. The TPS includes just in time production which means manufacturing products in required amounts avoiding excess inventories Kanban and Jidoko or automation. According to the field research done and published by Harvards Steven J. Spear it leads to the conclusion that Toyota has achieved a dynamic capability by following the Rules-in-Use for Organizational design, improvement, and adaptation. [Source Spear J Steven Just-in-Time in practice at Toyota: Rules-in-Use for building self-diagnostic, adaptive work-systems Harvard Business Review Oct 2002] The paper identifies that in TPS managed organizations every operation is performed by carrying out hypothesis testing experiments that makes accelerated generation and accumulation of individual and organizational learning about coordinating delegating, and performing work done collaboratively. This also includes work which is done repeatedly few times. The findings adds literature by explaining the most tools that got lot of attention in the operations research process were trustworthy and were giving uninterrupted service without any malfunctioning. lean_cs_toyota.gif [Source http://www.icsti.su/rus_ten3/1000ventures_e/presentations/production_systems.html] Just in time The idea behind just in time is manufacturing the required amounts in required numbers at the required time. For instance the assembly line of a car arrives all the sub assembly lines should reach the main assembly line in right quantities. This will eliminate the need for inventories thus removing the requirement for warehouses and storage facilities. As a result the inventory cost will be drastically reduced giving a higher capital turn out to the company. The JIT manufactures quality products in an efficient manner by completely eliminating waste, inconsistencies and unwanted use of production lines. According to the JIT the Toyota by adhering to the following guidelines can manufacture a car which was ordered by a customer in a soonest possible manner. No sooner an order is received for a vehicle the instructions as well as specifications of the vehicle reach the start of the production line. The assembly line is stored with sufficient parts and components to enable the plant to assemble any kind of vehicle model without any delays. The assembly line must replace the parts used by retrieving the same number of parts from the parts-producing process. The preceding process should store a small number of all types of parts to manufacture only the numbers of parts that were retrieved by an operator from the next process. Although it proves to be a success of following JIT method it is a complicated exercise at Toyota as its business involves hundreds of spare parts and components. Kanban system Although many believe that kanban is TPS, the kanban method exist to manage the just in time method. Simply it is an information system which controls the quantities in every process. In kanban the required amount of units and types are written in a card called kanban. It is send to the people in preceding process to the subsequent process which connects many processes in a Toyota plant. This method is supported by followings. Smoothing of process Reduction of machine set up time Autonomation Standardization of jobs Improvement activities Kanban uses two cards. One a withdrawal card and the other a production order card. jit.gif (Source http://www.toyota-global.com/) According to the above figure there are two operational flows as production instruction kanban and the operational flow of parts retrieval kanban. In the production instruction kanban it involves 3 distinctive steps. Firstly a production instruction kanban A is removed when an operator retrieves parts. Then the numbers of parts that are indicated in the kanban card are only manufactured. Thirdly the kanban is attached to the newly manufacture parts ready for the next process. Then the next process starts on the operational flow of parts retrieval kanban. The parts are transferred to this process from the preceding process. Then as the first step the parts retrieval kanban is removed when an operator uses parts. Secondly the operator carries the kanban to retrieve replacement parts. As the third step the operator removes the production instruction kanban and replaces it with a parts retrieval kanban. Finally the parts that are displaying the parts retrieval kanban are transported to the next process. Autonomation To gain maximum of just in time 100% good units must reach the prior process. And this process should continue without any interruptions. This means quality control must co-exist with JIT to get the best out of kanban. The idea behind autonomation is built in a mechanism means to avoid mass production of defective items in product lines. It involves autonomous inspections for abnormalities in the process. At Toyota all machines are autonomous where every machine is attached with automatic stopping device. This avoids mass production of defective items and also alarms machine break downs if there are any. The above theory also applies to the manual works at Toyota where an employee pushes the stop button if something abnormal happens in the production line. This would eventually cease the operations of his whole lines. In order to detect discrepancies in the process a device called andon, an electric light board is hung very high in the factory that it is visible to everyone this is called Toyotas visual control system. Conclusion The Toyota production system is a practical and effective as it popped out from the real life experience of the organization. This system is enriched with practical effects, actual practices and implications over the analysis. This system has a vital role in developing the quality of operations of the companies all around the world. Even to this date hundreds of western companies are using the Toyota quality management methods which are a clear indication of Toyotas success. Since Toyotas founding we have adhered to the core principal of contributing to society through the practice of manufacturing high quality products and services. Our business practices and activities based on this core principal created values, beliefs and business methods that over the years have become a source of competitive advantage. these are the managerial values and business methods that are known collectively as the Toyota way. Fujio Cho, president Toyota [Source Liker Jeffery, The Toyota Way, McGraw-hill, 2003]

College Admissions Essay - Selling Your Disability :: College Admissions Essays

Selling Your Disability to the Admissions Office "My father was an alcoholic, and I did anything I could to stay away from home. I chose that college because it was the farthest away. But I hated it there, and didn't do very well. Then I began to worry that I'd flunk out and have to go home, and of course my grades just got worse." "My mother was a drug addict. She did everything a person might do to get money for drugs. Often we didn't have food in the house; if there wasn't money for both, drugs came first. I ran away when I was sixteen, and never even finished high school. They figured that out in my third year of college, and made me take an equivalency test." "When my girlfriend got pregnant, we decided to keep the baby. I had to work two jobs to support us, three during the summer. So my grades aren't so hot." "They found out I had bone cancer in my senior year of high school; I hurt my knee playing basketball, and it wouldn't heal. I've had six operations in six years, along with the chemotherapy. But it didn't interfere with my studies; what else could I do in the hospital anyway?" Each of these cases was presented to me by my clients in the last few years. These clients all had two important things in common. The first is that they overcame incredible obstacles which would have completely demoralized many other people. The second is that, in every single case, the client was embarrassed by these events, and wanted to hide them. "Why should I talk about my problems?" Let's step back into the admissions office for a minute. The faculty committee is reviewing the files of two applicants. Both have a 3.0 g.p.a. and a 155 LSAT score. They're the same age and race, and both went to local colleges. But one is in good health, while the other has suffered from a lifelong kidney disease. They only have one seat left. Which applicant should they admit? They could toss a coin. Or they could decide that, in some cosmic sense, the person with kidney disease "deserves" the seat. Now what if you're that person, but don't want to tell the law school about the kidney disease, because you don't want to sound like you're asking for favors?