Sub Contracting And Partnering And Framework Agreements Construction Essay

Sub Contracting And Partnering And Framework Agreements Construction Essay This course work talks about the subject of sub-contracting, partnering and framework agreements. It further proceeds to evaluate the benefits and disbenefits and assesses the consequences of a possible return to the more traditional model of contracting and sub-contracting within the industry. The work consists of introduction, case studies review, evaluation and conclusion. Partnering can be referred to many different relationships such as single project partnering; multi project, strategic partnering between a contractor and client; the use of a contractor of the same partnering process over many projects as a key building block in total quality management and contractor-employee partnering in the pursuit of safety goals (Kneeland, 1996). The concepts of partnering are, Partnering is a simple way of avoiding disputes; A dispute in this context refers to existing unsolved problems; Partnering involves proactive step to address project problems (Murphy, et al,. 1996). Individual buildings now have to meet more complex and subtle requirements which in turn demand the use of specialist sub-contractors, as the main contractor cannot and would not hope to carry all the works involved (Rietveld, 2004). Contracting firms exist in many different shapes and forms. It is possible to discriminate between contracting firms in terms of their size as well as by the nature of their business. They range from the very small to the very large. Whatever the size of the individual firm it will fall into one of the following categories: general building; specialist trade; specialist maintenance; building and civil engineering, and civil engineering (Headley and Griffith, 1997). In 1988 standard method of measurement for construction cited about 300 work sections, which reflect massive increase in the use of specialist sub-contractors in present construction projects (Rietveld, 2004). The prime aim of integrating the construction teams as suggests in the Reports of Eg an (1998) and Latham (1994) are to convert unnecessary costs into lower price for the clients and create higher assured profits for the materials and service suppliers (Cain, 2003). Long-term of design, production and supply-side partnerships are essential to the introduction of the supply chain management tools and techniques demanded by the Egan Report. The elimination of waste in the utilization of labour and materials as prescribed by the Latham report, 1994 (Cain, 2003). CASE STUDY REVIEW In a project environment, production and services meet. The location of the role of the project actors and the way in which they are linked are fundamental features for project management system beginning with application of organizational structure and delegation of duties, through some of the more sophisticated analysis and decision-making (Pryke, et al., 2006). The construction industry in UK has being accused for its wasteful, inefficiency, and ineffective execution of projects to meet clients objectives and needs, and how it differ from manufacturing industry. The concerns normally focused on areas regarding profit margin, its clients satisfaction and disintegration of the construction teams and procurement process (Anumba, 2000). Latham report (1994) identifies that low productivity, poor value for money and unsatisfaction of the clients objectives are elements of uniqueness, immobility, and variety causes of fragmentation in the construction industry when compared to manufacturing industries. Comparing the construction industry to other sectors, construction is unsophisticated in its approach to the supply chain. It can learn from the experiences of manufacturing industry, where there are standardization and efficiency to meet the customers demands (Egan, 1998). The need for UK construction companies to become more efficient is to follow the recommended management systems in Egan (1998) and Latham (1994) Reports to become more efficient and to improve productivity. The construction industry must be innovative and respond to change and new challenges before it can have potential improvement in aspects of the construction and design processes (Pryke, 2009). Sub-contracting in its own nature encourages fragmentation (Cox and Townsend, 1998). The uncertainty of the main contractor obtaining continuous work with the need to accommodate the different features and requirements of each project brings separation of the teams. Egan (1998) and Latham (1994) recommend reformation of the construction industry through partnering, when they observe there is disintegration between design and production process. In 1922, the first Standard Method of Measurement (SMM) specified only 16 trades in the text, but in 1988, the seventh edition of SMM (SMM7) included 300 different trades which reflect massive increase in the use of specialist sub-contractors in the present construction projects. This movement in the UK reflects many socio -technical economic movement within the industry (Rietvelde, 2004). Advancement in technology and introduction of sophisticated new materials in the supply organizations, method of production and erection sometimes, require new skills and expertise, hence the evolution of sub-contractors to offer these services to the main contractor (March,2009). In supply chain strategy, what to be sub-contracted and what should be done in-house need to be addressed properly. Activities that should be sub-contracted must be those which are not strategic important of the company and it cannot carry it out better than its competitors and is not anticipated that in the future it will improve its importance (March, 2009). A framework is a general term use for agreements that set out terms and conditions for making specific purchases (Edkins, et al., 2009). Framework Agreement has been design for use in both public and private sectors. It is beneficial to construction procurement system in achieving reduction in transaction costs; long-term relationship improvement; better value and greater wealth and risk solutions. It is the principle of applying Rethinking Construction in developing strategic relationship with the supply chain over a long period (Construction Excellence, 2008). Partnering, framework agreement and supply chain management are potential form of integrating the construction team to improve productivity reduce costs and meet a target time; create value for money and satisfy the clients objectives (Pryke, 2009). Supply chain management involves all parties which will contribute to the execution of a project from raw materials and component suppliers, design and client teams, and service providers, right from inception to commission stages (Cox and Townsend, 1998). Partnering in BAA, T5 project, contractors and suppliers worked closely in an integrated team. The benefits of the approach include the necessity to maintain one set of system record and joint quality control system; improved working condition for workers and higher level of safety on site and it encouraged innovation (Pryke, 2009). The Framework program to partner with suppliers provided them opportunity to learn and they included incentive performance targets which challenged them to make continuous supplies for every year during the five years period of the project. In 1998 BAA recruited Tony Douglas as the group supply chain director when BAA had 26000 suppliers with 23 different processes and 17 different systems for managing the transaction, 24 different architects, 23 costs consultants, and more than 70 external project managers and 340 suppliers (Potts, et al., 2009). In 2002, BAA developed second generation of framework Agreement and achieved more accurate project costs and implemented best practices and worked with suppliers in longer-term relationship which did not exist in UK construction industry during the past decades (Brady, el at., 2006). Lean Thinking by Womack Jones (1996), compared the performance of automobile manufacturing companies, those who were operating under traditional method with those who resolved to the then lean production system. The finding was that Japanese Toyota plant was twice productive and three times as accurate as the US General Motors plant by adopting Just In Time (JIT) system of supply, using 40% less manufacturing space and defects were three times reduced. Because of the success of JIT supplying system carried out by Toyota, which is framework agreement, other manufacturing companies follow their suit. The result demonstrates that JIT is not only about delivering of materials, but also to improve management as a whole (March, 2009). Framework agreement encourages collaboration between all key parties and personnel involved in the program of projects to achieve economic benefits and involve contractors at early stage of the project to develop efficiency of work (McKee, 2005). Initially the agreement may be between the client and the service provider, but the service provider may enter into another framework agreement with other service providers in the supply chain to create web that interwoven the major project participants. it contains provision which determines the rights and responsibilities of all the parties involved in the project. The objectives of framework agreement may not be achieved overnight, but its implementation will improve productivity and integrate the teams in the construction industry (Potts, 2009). The light of integration and collaboration as recommended by Egan Report Rethinking Construction and Latham Constructing the Team is rapidly arising in the construction industry during this mille mium, if maintained may set the industry abreast with manufacturing companies to achieve standard and quality of work (McKee, 2005). BAA is the leading implementer of Egans report (1998) and Latham (1994). BAA reduced costs by 10%, defects by 20% and cutting accidents on site by 20%. Construction time prediction rose to 20% through lean construction in T5 project (BAA, Capital Projects). Through contribution of collaboration and integration of all participating teams in partnering, BAA was able to achieve the Health and Safety Award in 2001 (Pryke, 2006). Perth and Melbourne airports applied the supply chain strategy and linked with UKs supply chain team which corresponds with BAAs primary product categories, and were successful to complete within time and budget ( Lee Richard, al et.2002). Charter Institute of Purchasing and Supply, have identified how BAA used professional purchasing team from seven different purchasing departments. 27 different purchasing processes,11 different accountancy systems and more than 12,000 suppliers which projected BAA to win Kellys Award for excellence in purchasing and supply service. The development, the design and the engineering teams in AMA have recognized the importance of partnering and intended to work together to identify the business needs and focus on solution and developed them and have balance in costs, time and quality of work when they undertake a project (Construction Excellence, 2004). BAA executed the extension of the North Terminal (NT) project successfully on schedule through teamwork and management was flexible with the responsible participants. Partnering and framework agreement was the process which made it possible for the company to work successfully in such confined environment without obstruction and destruction. It could have faced delay in cladding on the outside of the building which coincided with wettest and windiest period, but, because understanding among the teams, the procurement route was changed easily (Potts, et al., 2009). During the past century, construction was procured through the use of separate contracts for design and production. BAA could have 2 years time overrun and 40% costs overrun if it had adopted the traditional approach of project execution, but completed on scheduled time. The T5 project was a complex which added 50% capacity to Heathrow Airport, commenced in December 2002 and completed in March 2008. Professionals were employed to share ideas, knowledge and information with other colleagues in the other professions (Potts, et al., 2009). The agreement signed by BAA with the suppliers was clear and was based on a cost reimbursable form of contract, profits were ring- fenced and BAA retained the risks. The core value of the agreement are team work, trust and commitment, and the team members were encouraged in order to drive out all unnecessary costs, including claims and litigation which boost productivity level (Douglas, 2005). BAA learned from historical events of construction projects, such as British library; upgrading of the West Coast Railway Line; London Underground Jubilee Line extension; the Scottish Parliament building and the new Wembley Stadium, and was armed against the mistakes and difficulties they encountered (Potts, et al., 2009). Slough Estates experimented supply chain management process through executing contracts in 1980s and early 1990s when building designs were becoming sophisticated and new materials and new technology were introduced. Skills from architects and specialist contractors and project management teams were required from outside. New era began when the in-house construction teams were retained to carry out the works, and the caliber of the team was improved in which the company won BCO Award for its work through partnering and frame work agreement which constitute the supply change management (Pryke, 2009). The company experiment all the procurement methods including Traditional, Management Contracting and Construction Management methods which are discussed later. However the overall result was unsatisfactory, because overspending for rectification of unacceptable level of defects developing from its projects was high (Potts, et al., 2009). In 1983, the British Property Federation produced its own procurement system to pioneer reformation in the construction industry through introduction of project management profession and consultants were perceived by majority in construction industry as over- bureaucratic and failed to embrace the industry in collaboration manner ( ). Slough Estates Company failed when it first introduced the supply chain management in 1980s and early 1990s. There was no link between specialist contractors and architects or with the consulting engineers. There was no relationship between the parties except the legal binding instruction as provided for as architects instructions (Rimmer, et al., 2009). The company observed that there is no upstream relationship between the contractors and the client during design stage, the client brief the architects and engineers about what he wants and they convert the information into drawings and specifications and transfer them to the contractor. The projects were won on competitive basis without any prior idea or negotiation, the lowest bid was selected. The contractors have no meaningful upstream relationship with the client to work with their downstream relationships with production and service suppliers and it could not allow in-house to continue (Rimmer, et al., 2009). Supply chain manag ement can be improved if clients are willing to negotiate with the contractors and specialists at the early stage (design stage) of the project. All parties in the supply chain should be consulted during the design and decision making stages. Pryke Stephen, (2009) therefore concluded that UK traditional form of procurement is a weak platform from which to add value and reduce cost through supply chain management. Slough Estates observed that Management Contracting (MC) is similar to traditional method but the management contractor has better opportunity to influence upstream relationship with the clients, particularly at the design stage but has no financial interest in the payment of the contractors. His duty is only to concentrate on programming and planning of the project, and defining the role of each player in the construction teams. It encountered a lot of problems when it experimented MC, and shifted to Construction Management (CM), though it is better than MC, the company did not have constant flow of large projects to maintain the recruitment of large in-house management team. CM was better because it allows early involvement of the package contractors and created an opportunity for all parties to take the initiative to involve their own supply chain in the process (Pryke,2009). The strongest platform from which supply chain management can develop is the Design and Build form of procurement where the contractor has relationship with both upstream and downstream parties and in position to add value to work and reduce costs (reference). Contractors are brought on at the initial stage of the project and can deliberate with the architects, engineers and quantity surveyors for a potential framework agreement and partnering (Pryke, 2009). Supply chain Private Finance Initiative is structured to remove any hindrance that will prevent effective relationship among the participating parties. The contractors have full control over finance and design and facilities management expertise within their own teams. There is continuous and systematic improvement and effective partnering arrangement when contractors are able to work on series of similar projects. Construction industry is now matching with the manufacturing industry in terms of supply chain management. Design an d build and PFI have placed construction industry in a position where it can perform better and unnecessary cost of wastes in rectification is reduced (Pryke, 2009). Research conducted on 300 projects by University of Reading discovered that Design and Build projects delivers better quality of work than Traditional method when the projects are complicated and involves high technology (Bennett, Pothcary and Robinson, 1996). During the innovation of Egan (1994) and Latham (1998) reports, Building Research Establishment (BRE) launched a productivity sampling for construction sites (CALIBRE), Slough Estates employed their services to assess two of its sites, and the result showed that collaboration and better construction methods produced about 55% of value producing hours which was low and the cause was from errors in designs, replacement and repetition of work, defects rectification and delays in supply of materials. Slough Estates has found that implementation of changes required information and knowledge sharing across the supply chain (Pryke ,2009). Construction industry is now realizing the necessity to changes the current working practices and attitudes (Pearson, 1999). Organizations such as Ministry of Defense and Tesco , together with BAA, Balfour and Tarmac have developed supply chain management techniques to improve their supply base which has being practiced by other organizations (manufacturing) long time ago and increasingly improve their competitiveness global market. The supply chain management in manufacturing industry involves all the activities associated with the processing from raw materials to the completion of the finished product for the client customer. Construction industry defers from manufacturing industry by lack of standardization, because it does not consists of stable group of interacting partners to deliberate on improving product quality and efficiency of production (Pryke, 2009). The impact of supply chain on construction sites activities is to reduce the cost and the duration of the activities to b udget and time constraint, through establishing a reliable flow of materials and labour on sites. The application of supply chain management in the construction industry requires serious effort , which entails developing upstream integration in the design and production process and operation to link the process into a chain that would increase the opportunity to add value and reduce total cost. With conventional procurement, which is used in both public and private sectors, the majority of the risk is apportioned to the client. The public sector project team is encouraged to produce a project for the cheapest possible initial cost without regard for the long-term maintenance or running cost (Cartlidge, 2006). The report of Mott MacDonald (2002) states that the public sector procurement managers have been over optimistic and naà ¯ve in their estimates of cost and time of large and complex construction projects. This pattern of inefficiency brings the rationale of introduction of alt ernative form of procurement, with less risk for the public sector (Cartlidge, 2006). This harnesses the private sector expertise such as Public Private Partnership. Private sector organization performances are viewed as more efficient than sector organizations. They are more discipline by market force and competition (Cartlidge, 2006). As common as it is to most large public sector providers the National Health Service (NHS) has suffered from the usual problems of late delivery and cost overruns. One of the main challenges to NHS capital procurement is disintegration of the NHS client base for specific healthcare schemes. Several health trusts have responsibility for the delivery of the schemes with differing level of expertise and experience in capital procurement. The solution to the problem is the departure from the traditional NHS procurement method to a procurement known as NHS ProCure21, which is framework agreement with its materials and services suppliers (Cartlidge, 2006). EVALUATION Evaluation of benefits and disbenefits partnership and traditional model of contracting is carried in terms of time and costs saving, quality control, health and safety on sites, value for money and risk management. BAA T5 project could have two years overrun and 40% costs overrun if traditional approach was followed (Keith, et al., 2009). 10 30% cost was saved to BAA on the budget for mechanical and electrical materials and equipment. The Buy Club was early engaged in design stage which promoted lean manufacturing and installation (Keith, et al., 2009). Early agreement on benchmark prototypes with an open book approach reveal issues before they become problems. Collaborative agreement avoids waste of resources (Standing, 2001). Culture has an impact on supply chain manage. The limiting issues are: clash of cultures; lack of trust; lack of coordination between teams; differing procedures and attitudes, and relational risk associated with self-interest focus (Elmuthi, 2001). Partnering has works for the entire project team in the US Army Corp of Engineering; owners. Contractors and design firms all attest to the benefits. Results have exceeded their expectation over 90% of the time in 100 projects. Schedules were shortened and costs fall. Value engineering opportunities are more likely to be identified and implemented (Davy, et al., 1996). MCI Constructors places a heavy emphasis on efficient project management and on prompt identification and resolution of disputes while attempting to avoid litigation at all cost, state: We found that the most successful way to achieve these goals is to utilize partnering (Mitchell, et al., 1996,.53). in the new handbook on partnering, the American Institute of Architects and the American Consulting Engineers Council note that The benefits are clear: Projects are completed on time, within budget, to high standards, and to the satisfaction of everyone (Davy, et al.,1996, p. 290). Traditional construction is fragmented, w hich is solely defined by organizational boundaries (Pryke, 2002). The management using supply chain approach, improves knowledge for academic and practice, which contributes to the management of projects in construction (Pryke, 2009). Leverage affects the flow of information and knowledge throughout the network of actors who constitute the supply chain. It also has an impact on how risk is been transferred fairly, unlike in the traditional process (Cox, 2001). The potential of supply chain is presented for long-term to develop over time and improve and in so doing provide better business solution for the clients, better project outcome for the stakeholder and higher level of profitability for the supply chain members(Pryke, 2009). The concept of supply chains and their management, helps to assemble groups of suppliers and contractors and manage them in a way that emphasizes on value and cost. The groups collaborate to share information and knowledge. They manage and share risk in a manner that is equitable and transparent (Pryke, 2009). The 1994 Latham Report indicates that the level of unnecessary costs generated from inefficiency of use of labour and materials was around 30% of the initial capital cost. Involvement of the specialist contractors and suppliers in the design from outset, means abandoning all forms of traditional procurement which delay the appointment of the specialist constructors, sub-contractors and manufacturers, until the design is well advanced. The traditional forms of sequential of appointment are replaced with appointment of integrated design and construction supply chain from the inception period (Cain, 2003). Sub-contracting in supply chain management should be revisited, because smaller companies are less likely to offer apprenticeships and who would train for the future. In selecting suppliers and sub-contractor in the supply chain many factors should be considered. The location of the project and its proximity to the supplier. The experience of the sub-contractor working in such environment and if he/she can recruit qualified people living in the area or they may be brought in for the during of the project. Accommodation in close proximity for the imported personnel who would stay on the job for long time ( March, 2009). Many case studies revealed that framework agreement is achieving better value of work year by year during the past decade. Though the process is expensive, it does not re-advertise for applying/bidding and awarding of subsequent contracts, therefore great amount of costs is saved. It is able to establish objectives and targets and monitor performance of project and compare successive projects and transfer lessons from project to project (Constructing Excellence, 2005). Partnering is a management system that is based on collaborative approach to work. It is different style of working when compared to the traditional approach which was formerly common in the construction industry. It achieves greater value for money for the client and higher profit for the companies involved, and improves quality of work and is more predictable for project completion ( Bennett and Jayes, 1998). Some the attributed benefits of partnering are: Improved communication among participating parties; better working environment created; reduction of adversarial relationships; Less litigation; Fewer claims; better control over health and safety issues; Improve decision-making that helps to avoid costly claims and saves time and money (Fryer, 2004). Prime contracting(sub-contracting) has been used effectively for high value complex facility procurement projects for many years. It was selected as the procurement model of construction and maintenance services for the defence estates in the 1997 Strategic Defence Review , when it was decided that a more effective and efficient process was required the billion pounds a that the Ministry of Defence spends on its estates (Fryer, 2004). Benefits acquired by MoD include: Easier fault reporting; continuous improvement and innovation; consistent approach across allestates in England and Wales; greater emphasis on quality control and checking as a direct result of a reduction in bureaucracy (Fryer, 2004) CONCLUSION The involvement of the specialists at design stage enabled BAA to eliminate time overrun and cost overrun (Pryke, 2009). There is no production line in construction, hence the difficulty of transferring of this manufacturing-orientated approach. Nevertheless, all other construction companies have to follow the footsteps of the initiators to improve value for money, meeting time constraints, meet budget and quality and lift the industry in high esteem in terms of investment. Supply chain enhances good relationship among the participating teams through integration (Egan, 1998). Despite the impact of the reports of Egan in 1998 and Latham in 1994 there are traditional barriers to reform is proving unassailable. It is recognized that the clients, especially their internal professional advisors within their procurement groups were refusing to change their traditional, sequential procurement practices (Cain, 2003). The inevitable conclusion of the foregoing is that the construction industry is unlikely to be able to transform itself across the board by using SCM-type technique, unless sufficient private clients are persuaded to provide the leadership such as provide by Slough Estates in the 1990s. furthermore, Government and public sector clients need to keep their nerves and let SCM-friendly process like PFI mature into the world class delivers of projects they are capable of becoming (Pryke, 2009 p. 159). The previous specialized knowledge that are trapped within small specialist sub-contractors and suppliers can now become available to clients and designers in a way that is not previously possible (Bresnen, et al., 2009). From Latham (1994) and Egan (1998) there are indications of problems facing UK construction industry. The problems are fragmentation, adversarial relationships, project uniqueness, separation of design from production and competitive tendering. The use of clusters embedded within a partnered supply chain managing approach is cited as solution to the problem (Gray, (1996). It is an improvement of eliminating waste when specialist sub-contractors are brought in during design stage as it is in supply chain management (Morledge, et al,. 2009). It is suggested that where there is a context in construction, involving routine risk minimization coupled with transaction cost emphasis, and this simply creates a situation where costs are cut to achieve competitive status; value added may also be reduced and continuous improvement is unlikely to flourish (Pryke, 2009). Risk comes to rest in the supply chain at the position where leverage is dominant on the part of transferring out project actor. Edkins et al., 2009) suggested that economic power is not relevant to supply chain members and that the power or leverage exercised is supply chain specific and related to the power of other firms within the supply chain. Construction needs structure that provides collaborative relationship and which will maintain the flexibility demanded by the business environment (Smyth and Pryke, 2008). Supply chain management provides means of managing the players comprising the project coalition without the need to return direct employment and management which has improved unsustainable in the British construction industry of the twentieth century (Latham, 1994). The function of supply chain observes that, network of actors linked by number of sophisticated relational linkages (Pryke, 2006). Communication network is more important to the industry, its firms and its clients in the supply chain than the size of the firm. The distance that information or knowledge must pass to reach the actor wh o would handle such material affects the quality of such material on arrival and attitude of the receiver on arrival (Pryke, 2009). More education and motivation is required to maintain partnering, framework agreement and supply chain in the construction industry. As suggested by the government sponsored committees (Egan,1998 and Latham, 1994) reports, this is only possible way standardization. All construction team should participate in the development of partnering strategy for the project for effective result (Davy, et al., 1995). All stakeholders of a construction project should be committed to partnering. Every stakeholders interest should be considered in creating mutual goals,

charhf Development of Hucks Character :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn – Development of His Character    Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn displays the development of a 'sound hearted pre teen boy' called Huck Finn. We see Huck develop in character, attitude and maturity as he travels down the Mississippi River. This is represented through Huck's search for freedom from 'sivilisation' and it's beliefs and through his personal observations of a corrupt and immoral society. Most importantly, we live through Huck's confusion over his supposedly immoral behavior and his acceptance that he will '...go to Hell...' as he conquers his social beliefs.    Huck's displeasure in 'sivilisation' and it's beliefs is the trigger to his development. Initially, Huck is presented as a uneducated 12 year old, born in to the rigorous life of pre-civil war America. He lives with Widow Douglas (Huck's conservative and motherly foster parent) and Miss Watson (Widow Douglas' sister) who both try to 'sivilise' Huck through religion, manners and beliefs. 'In the opening chapters, Huck is relatively though not completely, untouched by society. He is totally unsophisticated and is basically unthwarted by the ethical ideals and manners of adult society or by the game-playing unreality of Tom Sawyer.' PAUL EGGERT: Literary Perspectives. From this critics comment, we see that Huck's limited understanding in the 'sivilised' world also limited his capacity to comprehend society's teachings such as religion '...she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wish I was there.' and it's rules and life style 'She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up.' This in many ways allowed Huck to make decisions from his own moral evaluation instead of relying on the disillusioned teachings of society.    As the novel develops, we see Huck kidnapped by his father, a drunken byproduct of society's corruption. At first, Huck enjoys the relief from religion and the 'sivilized' life '...it warn't long after that till I was used to being where I was and liked it...' but latter realized he was still trapped in the depressing confines of 'sivilisation'. Huck is subjected to the constant tyrannical treatment inflicted from his father ranging from beatings to being locked up days at a time.

Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeares King Lear Essay

Tragedy Through Misreading in William Shakespeare's King Lear Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, portrays many important misconceptions which result in a long sequence of tragic events. The foundation of the story revolves around two characters, King Lear and Gloucester, and concentrates on their common flaw, the inability to read truth in other characters. For example, the king condemns his own daughter after he clearly misreads the truth behind her â€Å"dower,†(1.1.107) or honesty. Later, Gloucester passes judgment on his son Edgar based on a letter in which he â€Å"shall not need spectacles†(1.2.35) to read. While these two characters continue to misread people’s words, advisors around them repeatedly give hints to their misinterpretations, which pave the road for possible reconciliation. The realization of their mistakes, however, occurs after tragedy is inevitable. Gloucester and Lear, create their eventual downfalls due to their inability to read deceit. Though these characters share the same tragic flaw, the means by which they make their errors is completely different. Gloucester remains a poor reader because he is quick to believe his sense of sight. When his illegitimate son, Edmund, reveals a deceitful letter designed to incriminate Edgar, Gloucester is quick to believe him. â€Å"Abominable villain†(1.2.74) he cries out before he even examines the letter with his reading glasses. Edmund’s trickery is conducted cleverly, but Gloucester’s lack of disbelief is unexplainable. Even though Gloucester is a fundamentally good man he tends to have a pessimistic view on his situation, as well as the rest of the world. Gloucester displays his inability to read and comprehend reality once more when he begins to read the skies. â€Å"... ...able to regain his ability to see but it is during the last act of the play in which the circumstances are completely out of his control. These characters both die because they are pushed way past the limits of human fortitude and competence. When Lear tells Gloucester â€Å"A man may see how this world /goes with no eyes† (4.6.146-47) he displays both of their misfortunes, but it is too late to prevent ultimate tragedy. Shakespeare proposes that their tragic saga is a mere game to the heavens. â€Å"As flies to wanton boys, are we to th’ gods,/They kill us for their sport† (4.1.37-38). This line generalizes the overall simplicity behind the tragedy of King Lear. Even though Gloucester and Lear made terrible, fatal errors the reader feels at the end as if it is intended to be their destiny. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. King Lear . New York: Oxford UP, 1994.

Healthcare & Current regulatory policy

The Current regulatory policy touching on the healthcare professionals is grounded on the believe that the marketplace of these professionals services fails because of the lack of full information concerning the healthcare services on the part of the consumers of these services (Haas-Wilson, 2010). That way a number of professionals in this field can offer low quality services at prices that are not commensurate to the quality of the services to gullible consumers without the fear of being told to account for these compromised services that even flout professional ethics of the healthcare profession (Haas-Wilson, 2010).Healthcare professional are always very quick to defend the existence of these regulations arguing that they ensure that healthcare professionals are offering high quality healthcare services to each and every client of these services irrespective of whether they are informed of their right to quality healthcare services or not (Drake, 2008). Whether they ensure qualit y service to clients the way healthcare professionals argues is still a subject of intense debate.However, it is not in contention that by dictating the minimum qualification and experience that a healthcare professional should have in order to practices, there a big number of quacks who are restrain from infiltrating the lucrative healthcare market (Drake, 2008). The regulatory agencies that have been mandated to pass rules and regulations that will be used to govern the practice of the healthcare professional is also another major step at protecting the clients of these services and ensuring that they get only the best and most appropriate services.The restriction especially on advertising on the other hand which also makes up these regulations also go along way in enabling that the clients of these services make informed decision free from any influence when looking for the healthcare services. Reasons for the existence of mal-distribution of physicians in spite the high number o f physicians graduating from medical school The problem of mal-distribution of the healthcares professional is not a new phenomenon in the United States especially in the rural areas (Rapaport, 1980).This has continued despite the government intervention and even the high number of medical graduates graduating from our universities and other institutions of higher learning offering medical disciplines. Healthcare professional in this case refers to the likes of nurses, nurse practitioners, physician, and physician assistants. One of the reasons for this state of affair is due to the fact a large number of healthcare practitioners prefers to locate their medical facilities in the metropolitan areas because of their high population (Sign, & Shi, 2009).Another factor that is aggravating the already worse situation is the fact that many medical practitioners are leaving graduate school as specialists like retina specialist thereby making their application in the rural areas untenable (S ign, & Shi, 2009). Effects of this distribution in the context of diverse special populations There are a number of problems that are associated with this mal-distribution in the United States, some of these concerns that are associated with this kind of lopsided distribution include cost, access and finally quality.With scanty availability of healthcare services in most rural areas the question of high cost begin to haunt the consumers of this services. The few who are practicing in these rural areas can increase costs of these services without improving on quality of the same (Sign, & Shi, 2009). The same applies to the quality of the services which happens because of few practitioners, lack of enough information and inadequate regulation (Rapaport, 1980). Finally, the access of these services also becomes a problem to the dweller of these areas primarily because of the high healthcare practitioner to patient’ ratio (Rapaport, 1980).References Haas-Wilson, Deborah, (2010). The Regulation of Health Care Professionals Other Than Physician. Retrieved 25 July 2010 from http://www. cato. org/pubs/regulation/regv15n4/reg15n4d. html Drake, M. Dawn, (2008). Examining the Issue of Mal-Distribution of Physician through GIS: A Case Study of Retina Specialists in the United States. Retrieved 25 July 2010 from

Hacktivism: The Anonymous Hackers. Essay

Hacktivism is the act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a politically or socially motivated purpose. The anonymous hackers are part of the hacktivisim, it originated in 2003, however, in 2008 the group began to move toward political and social change. â€Å"We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us† (Brian 2012). The anonymous hacker group has presented itself in the street of different cities in the world after downloading a Youtube video asking all the anonymous for a meeting in the street, and starting their own community. â€Å"After WikiLeaks released hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. government documents in 2010, the ensuing cyber-attacks waged by all sides in the controversy brought the phenomenon of hacktivism into popular focus† (Noah 2012). After WikiLeaks many forms of hacktivism exploit illegal. The anonymous help in saving people life in Arab spring country. As in Egypt the anonymous team up tog ether from the US and Egypt to provide communication tools for Egyptian people after the Egyptian government starts shutting down the internet for the whole country (Brian 2012 Anonymous). The hacktivisim is used to search for freedom in Arab spring country from the dictatorial government. In Tunisia and Egypt, anonymous took down the government websites, and allowed people to enter the websites, and post their messages in the government consider it as freedom of speech as the websites own by the people not by the government (Kris 2011). Hacktivism most of the time is illegal act of getting secret information from our own government and publish it to the public. It looks for individual and group freedoms that may achieve with hacking (Shalin 2013). MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal also have been attacked by the anonymous hackers. A phone interview with anonymous in RT news about these hacking, the anonym said â€Å"that we did that for the movement of freedom of information speech† as the anonymous support WikiLeaks and the information that WikiLeaks provide, and these three company cut the fund to WikiLeaks. â€Å"On February 25 @AnonymousIRC, an Anonymous Twitter account with over 280,000 followers began posting â€Å"teasers† about a massive Bank of America data leak (Dell 2013)† the anonymous found 4.8 gigabyte of information about people career and salaries. The anonymous collective said â€Å"the data was actually retrieved from an open, insecure server in Tel Aviv, Israel, but also managed to obtain a full version of Clear Forest’s text analyzing software (Dave 2013)†, and at the end the anonymous left a message asking about these information and why it’s in the Israeli server. The anonymous isn’t about the good guy or the bad guy; it’s the character of the individual. One minute they are heroic and good in saving civilization. A few minutes later they are hacking, and doing unethical thing by hacking personal information and put them for the public, and steeling credit cards. â€Å"Anonymous was never anyone’s personal army, and never stayed on any one topic for very long (Quinn 2011).† The anonymous can be anything from anywhere, a child, a mother, a doctor, and a teacher anyone can be anonymous. The anonymous groups are people who have opinion, and they express their opinion with hacking corporation and government websites. They are looking for the freedom of speech and exchanging information among others without any limitation from the government that hide information from the people, and from the big corporations that they just look at the people as profit. The anonymous have been success of expressing their opinion in Arab spring country, and they were one of the biggest reasons in starting the revolution in those countries. The anonymous have been hacked many Israeli website to show the world the unethical act that the Israeli government does against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Hacktivism is expressing a lot of people opinion that they can’t say because they are scared of the government, and it is going to play major role in the future, like it’s right now or more. As the technology will get wider the hacktivism will get bigger. The anonymous might continue with same name or with different name, as long as, people looking for the truth and freedom hacktivism will stay around and grow. The Anonymous is a group of people from all over the world doing illegal acts, but most of the time they are showing the bad activity that government big corporation does to the people. And is hard for any government to follow them and a rest them, because they are anonymous and anyone can be one of them. Works Sites Anonymous Internet Users Team Up To Provide Communication Tools For Egyptian People (2011 January 29). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/29/anonymous-internet-egypt_n_815889.ht ml Brian Knappenberger. (2013 February 26) Anonymous/4Chan/LulzSec/Hacktivism – Full Documentary. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MYl1CbW5jY Dave Smith (2013 February 28). Bank of America Hacked By Anonymous: Hackers Leak ‘Secrets’ About Executives, Salaries, And Spy Activities. http://www.ibtimes.com/ Dell Cameron (2013 February). ANONYMOUS HACKED BANK OF AMERICA AND SEEMINGLY REVEALED THAT THEY ARE SPYING ON HACKTIVISTS. http://www.vice.com/read/anonymous-hacked-bank-of-america Kris Notaro (2011 March 9). From Tunisia and Egypt to Wisconsin: Anonymous Hacker Group Helps Take Down Insupportable Websites. http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/notaro20110309 Noah C.N. (2012 July 1). HACKTIVISM: A NEW BREED OF PROTEST IN A NETWORKED WORLD. Boston College International & Comparative Law.

Marketing Plan New Product Essay

Titles Page No 1) Executive Summary 4 2) Current Marketing Situation 5-6 3) Threats and Opportunities 6-9 4) Objectives and issues 9-13 5) Marketing Strategy 13-19 6) Action Programs 19-21 7) Budgets and Controls 21-23 8) References 24 Executive Summary on Apogee Apogee is a shoe which is completely made from old, unused soccer balls. After using a soccer ball for quite sometimes it becomes unworthy to use. So people throw out the old soccer ball to buy a new one. But what they don’t realize is how harmful this plastic material can be for our environment. To remove this problem and also to make brand new merchandise we are going to produce trendy shoes from these unused soccer balls. These shoes can be worn by the people of all ages. These are also going to be stylish so fashion concerned people can feel attractive in them. Next comes the huge issue of environment safety. There are many products in the market which are very useful but there deathly for our environment. But this shoe is completely made from recycling old soccer balls. So it does no harm to our environment. In fact it works to protect the environment. The third issue is price. People want to wear new and fashionable shoes. But most of them can’t afford such expensive products. As apogee is made from old soccer balls it is really cheap to produce. So we can offer people new and trendy shoes at a minimum price. Reviewing all the features of apogee we can assertively say that this product is going to be popular, environment friendly and last but not the least inexpensive. Current marketing situation We are planning to produce shoes from recycled soccer balls. In the current market people of all classes need shoes. They want more trendy & sturdier shoes. Furthermore people are now more conscious about the environment they live in. So we choose this idea of making shoes from recycled soccer balls keeping in mind the environment as well as the customers both at international and domestic level. Our customers: In today’s modern world there is a craze about sports, particularly about football.Soccer mania is here and everyone seems to be riding high on the popularity wave. Everyone watches football now a days, so what if they could use a product that not only served their purpose but also indicate their love for the game and that’s how we came up with the idea of making shoes from recycled soccer balls. Football is popular around the  globe , specially in Europe and south america. As we are planning for a global launch of our product we will concentrate particularly on these region. The youths of Bangladesh are quite interested about sports and of course football, so we are developing our product keeping in mind their taste and preferences. We are hoping we can go global with our product after we are successful in making it a success in our domestic market. Market segmentation: We are planning to divide our market on the differences of our customers trend,styl e and fashion. We will develop these shoes for both boys and girls. For Boys and girls who are aged from 10 to 15, we will asses their current demand for new shoes and also we will customize them according to their needs. We will use the same strategy for customers aged 16 and above. Thinking internationally, we may think about the international preferences of our global customers. We will also give our customers the alternative to customize their product according to their need and taste. Current market competitors: currently adidas and nike are dominating the sports accessories business by providing state of the art merchandises specially sports shoes. But what we want to do is we want to create an positive image of our product by creating the ultimate soccer shoes that is available and most importantly affordable for the customers. Furthermore we are using recycling material to make this product that will also create a positive image. As they say â€Å" first impression is the last impression† and that’s exactly what we are planning to do. We wan to make a global impact. Opportunity We cannot sustain our consumerist lifestyle without getting inundated by garbage and exhausting the earth’s resources. Solid waste disposal experts engage in an uphill struggle to contain this virtual avalanche of garbage we produce every day. It is apparent that digging a hole, a landfill, is clearly not the answer. Sooner or later, the waste becomes uncontainable and will spill into our farming areas, forests, and water sources. Here we have shown some opportunities of producing shoes from recycling football soccer – Good raw material: As football is an international game and it is produced for international purpose, we are getting almost best quality of product. If we recycle the  soccer and if we produce shoes from this waste material, ultimately we are getting good quality material for producing shoes. Less expensive: Many of we have the tendency to buy pure leather shoes. Sometimes we desire to buy but we step back when there is a question of money. If we use the useless soccer we will be able to reduce the cost of soccer and so ultimately we will reduce the purchasing price also. Save animals life: As we are using football soccer as our raw material which people consider as wastage, we are helping our environment to keep sound. When we are using animal leather, animal lives are in danger. So if we use the soccer we will be able to protect the life and it will be environment friendly. Proper utilization of resources: We are using the proper use of resources which is also good for environment. Environment friendly: Football is made with plastic, synthetic paper, leather and rubber. We know plastic, synthetic paper, plastic are discomposed material. When we get the utility, we throughout the ball in the dustbin that may causes problem to the environment. It may stick in the drain and can create problem in drainage system. Objectives and Issues of APOGEE: Marketing plans are written documents that help us communicate our marketing efforts for the following year. One of the most important parts of the marketing plan is the objectives and issues section, which helps internal employees or external stakeholders understand the marketing goals. 1. To save our Environment Our main objective is to save our environment through recycling. We will prepare shoes by recycling footballs. In recent years, scientists have been carefully examining the ways that people affect the environment. They have found that we are causing air pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and other problems that are dangerous both to the earth and to ourselves. With the help of recycling we can protect our environment to some extent. Recycling is a process using materials (waste) into new products to  prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from land filling) by reducing the need for â€Å"conventional† waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic production. When a football gets old and rusty, it has no use. We often throw it into the dustbin or somewhere else. It is polluting our air and land. With the help o f recycling we can convert these footballs into shoes. We hope it will reduce air and land pollution and thus we can protect our environment. 2. Sell quality shoes with low price: Another objective is to sell quality shoes with low price. People now are very concern about quality and price. They want high quality product with low price. So we will sell high quality products with low price. 3. Increase market share: Another objective is to increase our market share. With the help of marketing strategy we can increase our market share. In this case we have to invest a lot of money in promotion and distribution of the product. We are expecting to increase our market share up to 10% in the next year. 4. To be the number one in the existing market One of the most important objective is to be the number one in the existing market. For these reason we have to implement our market strategies properly which have been discussed later. Issues that can affect our objectives: 1. Environmental issue: Environment means everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth. Today environmental issue is very important. There are many organizations who are working to protect the environment. They are creating pressure on the companies. So we will sell environment friendly product. We will not use any synthetic leather or any other chemicals that may cause harm to our environment. 2. Health issue: Today people are very health conscious. They want to know everything about the product. If they feel that  the product they are using are not safe, they will not use the product. APOGEE shoes are really safe because it is a green product. We will not use any chemical product in producing the shoes. 3. Social issue: We have to work in our society. So we have some social responsibilities. We have to think about our society and produce products according to their needs and wants. We should keep a friendly relationship with the people of our community. 4. Child labor issue: Another important issue is child labor issue. According to the labor act policy in 2006 child labor has been banned from all the industries. Showing respect to the law we will not use any child as our labor. 5. High quality with low price issue: People now are very concern about quality and price. They want high quality product with low price. So we will sell high quality products with low price. We will also give some discount to our customers. Marketing Strategy Of Apogee : Introducing a new product to the market can be a challenging task for a business. No matter how much confidence you have in the value of the product or how unique it is, there are still things to consider before unleashing it on the public. The marketing concept of building an organization around the profitable satisfaction of customer needs has helped firms to achieve success in high-growth, moderately competitive markets. However, to be successful in markets in which economic growth has leveled and in which there exist many competitors who follow the marketing concept, a well-developed marketing strategy is required. Such a strategy considers a portfolio of products and takes into account the anticipated moves of competitors in the mark. Customer Driven Marketing Strategies for Apogee : Making strategy decisions need to be customer driven as your end customers are the ones who will be making purchase to our products and services. The topic of Customer Driven Marketing is how to divide up the identified market into meaningful customer groups, choose which customer groups to serve, create market offerings that best serve targeted customers and position the offerings in the minds of customers – referred to market segmentation,  targeting, differentiation and positioning. The reason for having customer driven marketing strategies is companies today cannot appeal to all buyers in the marketplace. Buyers’ behaviors are difficult to predict, too widely scattered and too varied in their needs and buying practices. Companies must design customer driven marketing strategies that build the right relationships with the right customers. Why Customer Driven Marketing for Apogee : In a nutshell, with proper application of a customer driven marketing strategy, the we can focus our efforts on meeting distinct needs of individual market segment & to target segments in which it can profitably generate and sustain customer value. It can then communicate & deliver the chosen position with its resources available for an effective strategic marketing plan. With a customer driven marketing approach, the company has clearer direction to maintain its desired marketing position on targeted market segment(s) through consistent performance & communications. Nonetheless, for larger companies such as Unilever and P&G, they can offer complete range of products to serve all market segments to meet customers’ needs. We must divide up the total market ,choose the best segments and design strategies for profitably serving chosen segments. This process involves market segmentation ,market targeting , differentiation and positioning . Market Segmentation : As we are making shoes from recycled soccer balls and its for everyone ( Boys,girls,Childrens) we can divide our markets into 2 types – 1. Customers Aged 10-15. 2. Customers Aged 16 and above. Market Targeting : Footwear sales have been falling in developed countries and slowing in emerging countries due to lower income levels; and therefore, less spending on apparel and footwear. Consumers are  focusing increasingly on value for money, looking for simple, hard-wearing shoes that last . As children and young people are passionate about stylish shoes we are focusing them as our target market . Positioning : We will make our shoes more attractive than our market competitors . We will sell our shoes at a reasonable price . We will give them longer lasting shoes and will guarantee them for a certain period. We will use our distinctive shoe logo or Brand name so that we can hold our market for a long time. At the beginning we will give advertisements to acknowledge them about our products .We will give discounts for our special customers . Our shoe logo Differentiation : We will serve our customer a different service compared better than our competitors on the following basis : I. We will make our Shoes attractive. II. We will sell our shoes at reasonable price. III. We will give discount to our customers . IV. Will give them guarantee for our products . V. Will take orders from customers to make customized shoes . Marketing Mix : This section outlines how we will make strategies for each marketing mix element of our Apogee shoes and how each responds to the threats , opportunities and critical issues . Product : In order to outdo our competitors we will take specific strategies for our product .The strategies will be – 1. We will make a variety of products on some specific categories such as for boys shoes ,Sandals , Sport shoes for girls we will make clogs ,lace ups, heel shoes etc. 2. We will always promise them  100% best quality for our product . 3. We will follow Fendi ,DIESEL ,Armani , Burberry ,Moschino designs to make our shoes . 4. We will use clear shoe box, ,paper shoe boxes in packaging our shoes . 5. We will make it eco -friendly. paper shoe boxes plastic shoe box clear shoe box – Price : We will always try to give customers good quality shoes at a reasonable price .For this we need to take some sort of incentives , they are – 1. We will give price tag on each of our shoes. 2. We will give 5% discount on our shoes at the starting of our business in order to get consumer attention on our shoes. Place : 1. We will open our branches in home and abroad. 2. We will try to open our branches in U.S.A , Canada , South-Africa .So we will obviously try to make an influence on consumers to buy our product. 3. We will always try to sell the shoes that were produced first. 4. As shoes will be produced in Bangladesh we need to transport them across national boarder and in home .We prefer to transport shoes to abroad by air and in home by our private transport . Promotion : 1. We will advertise our shoes on newspaper, magazines , and on t.v. 2. We will open our own branch in home and abroad . 3. We will show the positive sides of our products such as its durability, comfort ability , up to date with latest designs and customer choices . ACTION PROGRAMES A Marketing Action Plan is a way of putting in place a structured series of activities to get a predictable result. Here are the basic steps: 1. Define the service we want to offer. 2. Define our Target Market for the service. 3. Define additional outcomes 4. Plan the resources required 5. Plan of costing Financial Plan Our financial plan is based on receiving several loans to purchase/fabricate the production equipment, provide initial operating capital, and establish the customer value. We will achieve profitability early in the first year and due to the expected high growth rate, we will realize strong profits on sales by net year. APOGEE shoes are made with recycled soccer ball and produced in fair-trade factories. We also sell only to independent retailers worldwide in order to cycle money back into local economics. Our hope is that people with similar philosophies will be inspired by our experiment in grassroots capitalism and start their own business ventures. This company pretty much focuses on one thing: recycled material. In making shoes, we use 80% recycled material and other things. Our principles underlie on low cost, but effective marketing strategies. Budgeting Apogee develop and make use a effective budget plan that will make sure to achieve expected profit rate. The following is an estimate of the sources of our principal costs: Capital costs †¢ Land fees †¢ cost of special equipment and †¢ Cost of set-out containers. Operating Costs †¢ Labor; †¢ Supplies; †¢ Administrative and Overhead; †¢ Truck Maintenance; †¢ Fuel, Maintenance; †¢ licenses, insurance, registration fees; Cost of Production WE will establish a minimum cost estimate for producing hoe. As we use the useless soccer ball for producing hoe the cost will not be high than using the material. Recycling less energy and generate less pollution than using less material. So here we have low energy cost. Promotion cost Our budget include marketing cost. Because e need to advertise.issue pre release, and make calls to potential customer. We will determine the cost of each marketing element. Labor cost In Bangladesh, the labor cost is not high. Here at first e hire some labors who are expert in this work. We analysis that this cost will not exceed our budget. We will make sure that we can get maximum output from labor. Distribution cost Apogee first launch some testing product and when it reached at higher growth rate then it ill export it product to other country. Controlling Apogee practice a constant marketing control process. First it set specific marketing goal. Then we will measure it performance in the marketplace and then evaluate the cause of any difference between expected and actual performance. Finally it takes corrective action to close the gap between it goal and it performance. This may require changing the action program or even changing the goal. (RESOURCES) Recycling Benefits – A Recycling Revolution www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-benefits.htm Threats on scrap sources accessibility: the loss of access and a new †¦ www.institut.veolia.org/†¦recycling†¦/recycling†¦/recycling-threats.as†¦ Photos – National Geographic Kids kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/

Business System Analysis

Chapter 1 Problems/Exercises1.)Why is it important to use systems analysis and design methodologies when building a system? Why not just build the system in whatever way seems to be â€Å"quick and easy?† What value is provided by using an â€Å"engineering† approach?It’s important to use systems analysis and design methodologies when building a system because it ensure the quality of the system being built, it is also tested and you are following an appropriate process that is very structural. If you build a system in whatever way seems to be quick and easy, it can result in a poorly developed system, yes it can be easier and cheaper but in the long run it can require extra work to maintain and more money to maintain it. The value that is provided by using an engineering approach is well designed, precise and systematic. 8.) How might prototyping be used as part of the SDLC?Prototyping is part of the feasibility analysis phase of SDLC. A simulated prototype of t he target system is created which gives the initial fee of the target system. This also helps in pre-analyzing the behavior of the target system.Chapter 2:3.) In the section on choosing off-the-shelf software, eight criteria are proposed for evaluating alternative packages. Suppose the choice is between alternative custom software developers rather than prewritten packages. What criteria would be appropriate to select and compare among competing bidders for custom development of an application? Define each of these criteria.The criteria for evaluating alternative packages from custom software developers would be: cost, functionality, and response time. As with custom software, you know from your bid that vendor support, viability of vender,  flexibility, documentation and ease of installation is taken care of, as the vendor will install the system, supply appropriate documentation, will ensure flexibility of software (if in the bid) and will offer support for its own software that it wrote for the company.As far as viability of vender, I would hope that someone checked out the company before giving a bid. When trying to decide which software a developer is going to go with we would want to follow pretty much the same criteria they we followed when going with an off-the-shelf software. Regardless if it’s an off-the-shelf or custom made I would still want the software to have the same features. Will the software developer have some sort of warranty; will they stand behind their product? Will it be easily installed? Cost, usefulness and will the developing company offer some sort of documentation.Off the shelf software, also known as â€Å"shrink-wrapped† or â€Å"canned† software, refers to standard (not custom) software applications. When you take off the shelf software out of the package, you automatically agree to the terms and conditions of the software license and agreement. The most common criteria for choosing off the shell software are the following: Cost, Functionality, Vendor Support, Flexibility, Documentation, Response, Time, and Ease of Installation.4. How might the project team recommending an ERP design strategy justify its recommendation as compared with other types of design strategies?By using a strategy through cost saving due to facilitated reuse/raw materials inventory and by innovating, integrating and transforming their design processes.