Macon Inc free essay sample

In the process of going from a non-project driven firm to a project-driven one, the greatest resistance might come from the executives including the board members, company owners and the vice president. The strong and rigid culture has been instilled in the company since 50 years and as a result, the presidents preaching fell on deaf ears. Authoritative support is necessary to execute such strategies and it seems that for Macon Inc. , that will be the most difficult one. Resistance will also surface among other groups like the line managers and engineers as there is a lack of accountability and cross-functional composition. The arrogant and accusing attitude of engineers towards the production group as well as vice presidents favoritism towards the mechanical department will be uprooted if excellent project management is executed, thereby they will resist the change. 2 What plan should be developed for achieving excellence in Project Management? The following systematic plan should be followed in order to achieve desirable results for project management: a A comprehensive list of current pit holes and improvement areas in Macon Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Macon Inc or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page has to be compiled. For example a few of them could be: i Project Delays ii Customer Complaints iii Conflict within departments due to documentation iv Project failure due to uncontrolled scope This helps in recognizing the need for project management techniques implementation. a The second step will be to educate and convince the executive management including the board members and vice-president for the need of these techniques. Without executive support and acceptance, excellence in PM is impossible. b Next in line would be the line managers whose acceptance is critical due to changing functional roles leading to shared resources (employees) between line and project management. Without the cooperation of the line managers, employees will suffer from conflicts in dual-reporting standards. c After the acceptance of all stakeholders is achieved, actual growth begins and a project management methodology needs to be selected based on the major areas seeking improvement. A project tracking and monitoring system has to be in place for improved estimation of project life-cycle. d In the last step of maturity, continued training and refining is inevitable for good project management practices. Educational programs should be embedded as a part of employee and executive level training. e Excellence in PM goes beyond the maturity phase, where all the improvement areas have been addressed and the experience from mature PM combined with the deduced KPIs now allows the company to lead projects with a customer-focused approach. 3 How long will it take to achieve some degree of excellence? Implementing an efficient PM system requires some initial investment in developing the methodology and support systems for planning and scheduling. However, these costs will be offset by the additional benefits that it generates in term of efficiency and customer satisfaction. Only at this point, PM can be said to have benefited the company. This stage is called the maturity level where the processes and tools are in place to achieve successes in PM. With immediate support from the executive level, Macon Inc. could take close to 2 years to achieve a maturity phase. Built on the learnings and KPIs from the maturity phase, a degree of excellence follows. If PM practices are continued for each project along with correcting the realizations from each failure, a stage of excellence where there are almost all projects succeed, can take minimum 5 or more years. 4 Explain the potential risks to Macon if the customers experience with project management increases while Macons knowledge remains stagnant. If Macon does not adopt Project Management practices soon while the customers continue doing so, it might actually end up costing them a significant amount of clients, customers and hindering their bottom line. Some of the other implications are as follows: Losing Customers customers switch to those companies who have parallel Project Management processes as their own Decreased Profits Without Project Management, budget management will be poor and often resulting in cost overruns which lead to decreased profits An inability to cope with the Competition Schedule Delays leading to penalty payments or lost contract Inefficient Project Communications: Customers will actively seek one point of contact for all their queries but without Project Management, they may have unclear and changing communication channels

PROPOSITION 218 Essays - Property Taxes, Politics Of California

PROPOSITION 218 Essays - Property Taxes, Politics Of California PROPOSITION 218 Introduction California voters have spoken again. On November 6, they passed (56%) Proposition 218, marking the continued fiscal conservatism of the state's electorate and their frustration with what has been characterized as the arrogance and inefficiency of government. (SF Chronicle Staff, SF Chronicle: 11/6/96). As Bob Therrien of Ventura stated in his letter to the LA Times "Prop 13 and Prop 218 are the direct result of taxpayer abuse by our elected officials. Its time for government to do some serious soul-searching as to its duties, including the right of the people to have minimum intrusive government." (Therrien, LA Times, 10/13/96). There are two primary political impacts of Prop 218. The first is to take the power to levy taxes and assessments out of the hands of local government and put it into the hands of the general populace, and the second is to strengthen the control of the State government over local affairs. In essence, combined with Prop 13, local government officials have been told by its citizenry - here's a level of taxes, fees, charges and assessments you can collect from us without asking our permission for more. Mechanically, this is somewhat debilitating because getting voter approval is a slow and, often, expensive process. The schedule of elections does not allow for a rapid enough response to deal with the speed of today's demands. A case in point has already occurred in the City of Inglewood where the City has pulled back its offer to help finance a sports arena because Prop 218 knocked out taxes needed to support this effort and it would not be able to go before its voters until April 1997. This has given the City of Los Angeles "a leg up in getting a new sports facility at its downtown Convention Center" and may cause Inglewood to lose both the Lakers and the Kings, which would result in a significant negative financial impact. (Belgum & Merl, LA Times: 11/8/96).! In another example, the City of South Pasadena decided to cancel a special election for a utility tax which was scheduled in December and would have cost $25,000. (LA Times Staff, LA Times: 9/20/96). The LA Times, in a post-election article raised an interesting point when it said " the legislature and the governor must come to terms with the huge new burdens put on local governments... Sacramento, now flush with revenues, should help solve the problem by restoring property tax revenues to local government." (LA Times Staff, LA Times: 11/7/96). Although a potential short-term solution, it does give the State government an additional level of control of local government action (the other golden rule - he who has the gold rules) and, in effect, directly contradicts one of the intents of Prop 218's sponsors of putting more control in the hands of the local citizenry. It is my opinion that Prop 218 is another aspect of a developing trend toward a realignment of American society away from a representative democracy toward a desire for a general democracy (whether or not this will really work is another matter altogether). It is part of the citizenry's way of saying to both elected and appointed government officials that government has lost its trust. Background In 1978, the California electorate passed Prop 13 which set property taxes at a maximum rate of 1% of the property's assessed value and limited annual assessment increases to 2% until the property is sold, at which time the assessment adjusts to sales price, or there is construction or improvements to the property. Prop 13 also requires approval of two-thirds of the Legislature to raise state taxes and two-thirds of the local voters to raise special taxes. Since the passage of Prop 13, local government and the State Legislature have devised a number of ways to finance their operations. These have included increasing the use of assessments from capital specific to revenue general, expanding the use of Community Facilities Districts to charge "fees" citywide, and charging user type fees and taxes (i.e. - utility, hotel occupancy). Although challenged a number of times in court, California courts have, generally, upheld these practices. According to lawyers at O'Melveny & Myers (a major California law firm which represents many local governments), after a

A Book Review of Philip Dicks Blade Runner

This paper analyzes the novel Blade Runner, through the authors intent and history. This paper examines the novel, `Blade Runner,` through two important questions, what is the authors message and what is the historical importance of this novel? The paper gives a background to the science-fiction plot and the central theme of the book, human identity. It further focuses on the central character, Rick Deckard, and his role central to that theme. The work centers around the question of what it means to be human. San Francisco Police bounty hunter Rick Deckard tracks down renegade androids who have escaped from colony worlds and retires them. The catch is that these androids are so human-like in appearance that no one can tell from looking at them whether they are real (i.e. human) or not and so that Deckard has to determine what they are before he can know whether or not to kill them. He has, in other words, to be able to look into their souls, into their hearts.

Auditor Independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Auditor Independence - Essay Example Each time such news grabs headlines questions are raised about the expected role of auditors to be the whistle blowers on first whiff of material fraud or manipulation and if they had compromised their role by losing their independence. Investigation into reasons for Enron failure in particular revealed that its auditors had colluded with the management in weaving a web of complex financial transactions creatively to help window dress the dwindling fortunes and losses in return for hefty non audit fee. The firm was found guilty and indicted which brought about break up of one of the five largest audit firms of the world namely Arthur Anderson. Now there are only four big audit firms in the world namely, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) Deloitte & Touch, KPMG and Ernst & Young, popularly known as the big four. Recently another big four firm namely Price Waterhouse Coopers' name has been dragged into another scandal of global proportions i.e., "Satyam", the software company based in India. This company had overstated its revenues for a number of years and falsified accounts to show nonexistent bank deposits. Once again the role of Auditors was reviewed and it is primarily concluded that the auditors had accommodated the management in creating the charade. The auditors responsible for signing the reports are behind bars for criminal conduct in rendering services. In Australia too there have been cases of failed entities like HIH Ltd and Harris Scarfe were both placed into administration in the 2001/2002 financial year and subsequent investigation revealed irregularities in the financial statements of both. Around the same time, the Australian companies One-Tel, Impulse Airlines, Ansett and Pasminco also collapsed, seemingly without warning, suggesting a deficiency in the corporate governance practices of these companies (Walker et al, 2008, p. 9). Just like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) of USA, CLERP 9 (Corporate Law and Economic Reform Program was enacted in response to public outcry over the seemingly expensive presence of auditors without commensurate accountability towards their functions to be discharged in an objective and honest manner. Thus a "conflict of interest" situation must be avoided by auditors. A formal enactment only strengthens and structures the conduct expected of auditors as a matter of best practice while discharging their duties. Explanatory Memorandum to CLERP 9 (4.19) states that the inclusion of an objective standard in the general auditor independence requirement is critical for enforcement purposes because objectivity, being a state of mind, is not, except in unusual circumstances, subject to direct proof. The difficulties associated with identifying a compromise of independence are also inherent in the nature of the audit process. Accordingly, the perception of auditor independence, as demonstrated by external facts and circumstances, under an objective standard takes on great importance. Main impact on audit function as a result of this legislation is summarised below: Partner rotation in all public interest entities with different partners namely engagement partner, the individual responsible for the engagement quality control review and other audit partners on the engagement team who are responsible for key decisions or

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan" presents the analysis of the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Coleridge, one of the widely analyzed poems in history due to its deep, captivating nature and a manner with which it helps in the portrayal of an unconscious mind. The poem describes a place called Xanadu where Kubla Khan resides. The excitement of the narrator about the river (Alph) is seen in the second stanza, where the narrator tells of the canyon through which the river flows. Nevertheless, the romance of the river is exhibited with the narrator making the river a haunted, spooky place where one could find â€Å"a woman wailing for her demon lover.† The poet goes ahead to describe how the river leaps and strikes the canyons, by exploding into noisy fountains initially and then sinks to the underground caves where it is marred with silence. The romance brought about by the imaginative language of the poet concerning the river is interrupted by the narrator focusing again o n Kubla Khan. He describes Kubla Khan, who is listening to the noise created by the river, and thinks about war, as a message the noise transcends. The smooth, beautiful and colorful rhythm of the landscape as painted by the narrator is interrupted in the fourth stanza by the narrator telling about another vision where a woman was playing an instrument and singing. The memory of the song sang by the woman fills the narrator with longing, and the narrator imagines himself singing his own song and using the song to create a vision of Xanadu.

Chap 2 Homework Essay Example for Free

Chap 2 Homework Essay 1. Performance, Reliability and responsiveness, Serviceability, and Aesthetics are all significant dimensions of quality in fast food restaurants. First of all, the performance and serviceability of a fast food restaurant is very important because like the name states â€Å"fast food† is exactly that†¦ fast! So in order for it to be considered a fast food establishment it if very important to keep up the flow of traffic in and out of the drive thru and the dining room in a timely and efficient manner without compromising the quality of the food. The second thing is to provide reliability and responsive services for a fast food restaurant such as customer service. If customer service is poor and the food isn’t prepared properly or your orders keep getting messed up then by their bad experience word of mouth will spread and it could drive people away from the establishment and they will begin searching for other places to eat. The last form of quality I believe a fast food restaurant should have is Aesthetics or the way the restaurant looks and smells. For example, we went to Golden Corral a long time ago and it literally smelled like feces. It made eating there hard to do because it stunk so badly. Come to find out they had a sewer leak and had to get it repaired but my family and I stopped going there for quite a long time until it was fixed. It is very important that the facility is clean without debris and trash around it and that even the inside facility is kept up with clean bathrooms, tables wiped and floors mopped. In order to exceed my expectations I would expect to run thru the drive thru and hear a happy or courteous person over the speaker that’s not rushing me to make a decision, acknowledgment when I pay and prompt service when I reach the food window. I would also expect that my food be prepared like I asked and that there be condiments or utensils necessary for me to eat or drink my food in the bag. 2. One way that productivity could have been improved is when Jon (the cashier) needed more batteries for his headset, he could have asked someone else or his manager in the kitchen to obtain them for him so that he could have remained at the window with the customer to receive his payment. Therefore, none of the confusion with the other orders would have happened. 3. Employees Materials Needed Services Provided Jon (Cashier) Batteries for headset Took customer order, and accepted payment Supervisor None Corrected order error on computer Mary/third employee Napkins Handed customer order and napkins List of Improvements: Jon could have asked for assistance in obtaining the batteries for his headset to prevent any confusion with the orders and remained at the window with his customer. The Supervisor should have acknowledged the customer and asked how the customers’ service was and if there was anything he could do for the customer for any inconvenience. Mary should have paid more attention to the customer at her window and his needs, therefore he wouldn’t have had to ask twice for napkins.

Coral Reefs Essay -- Ecology Environment Environmental Essays

Coral Reefs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coral reefs are one of the oldest types of living systems on earth, and certainly one of the most spectacular (Goreau, 1987). They are massive underwater structures formed by the limestone skeletons of tiny invertebrate animals. Reefs house a greater diversity of body forms, chemistry, and animal phyla (thirty-two compared to the eight that inhabit the most biodiversity ecosystems on land). Phyla comprise the second largest category of living things, after kingdoms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coral animals begin life as free-floating larvae, but settle on the sea floor in sedentary colonies. The term "coral" applies both to these animals and to their skeletons, particularly the skeletons of stone-like corals (Discover 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many different organisms, including mollusks, sponges, and worms, help shape reefs, but hard corals and various algae are the major architects. In effect, the corals build limestone, because their skeletons are made of Calcium Carbonate. The skeletons deposited by these corals and other organisms accumulate, along with sand and other debris, to form the backbone of the reef. Over tens of thousands of years, chemical and mechanical changes turn the reef into true rock (Alstyne and Paul, 1988).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The body of a coral animal consists of a polyp, which is the living portion of the coral. A polyp is a hollow, cylindrical structure attached at one end to a surface, the other end is a mouth surrounded by tentacles, which gather food and can sting prey to paralyze it. Polyps live in colonies, which grow from 1 to 7 inches, depending on the species. Coral polyps are classified as animals. Microscopic algae live within the animal tissues in a symbiotic relationship. The algae turn sunlight into carbon and sugars, which are then available to the polyp. In turn the polyp filters particles out of the water and excretes waste (nitrogen and phosphorus) that becomes available to the symbiotic algae. It's this very tight nutrient recycling within the coral itself that allows these corals to live in very low nutrient waters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three kinds of reefs: atolls, barrier reefs, and fringing reefs. Atolls are formed out in the middle of the ocean by volcanic subsidence, while fringing and barrier reefs form near continents. Florida contains both of these kinds of reefs, not as far offshore as Australia's Great Barrier Reef, b... ...al life. Another way that corral growth is controlled is by the weather. All of these are natural occurrences. This should not be confused with human use and disruption which does major harm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fourth and final principle of sustainability is that biodiversity must be maintained. This is where we are playing a devastating role to the survival to the reefs. Through human waste and consumption time will only tell if they will survive. I hope that by reading this paper someday we can make a difference. Works Cited: â€Å"Coral Color.† November 1997. Discover Magazine-Current Clips. P10 Cousteau, J. Y. 1985. The Ocean World. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 174-175. Goreau, Thomas. August 1987. â€Å"Coral and Coral Parks.† Scientific American. V113:34-36 Luoma, Jon R. Nov. 1996. â€Å"Reef Madness† Audubon. V98: n6. P24(3). Richmond, R. H. 1993. â€Å"Coral Reefs: Present problems and Future Concerns Resulting form Anthropogenic Disturbance.† American Zoologist. V33: P524-536. Van Alstyne, K. L. and V. J. Paul. 1988. â€Å"The Role of Secondary Metabolites in Marine Ecological Interactions.† Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Australia, Vol. 1.