Organizational Analysis Groups and Leadership Case Study

Organizational Analysis Groups and Leadership - Case Study Example The teams are small from 3 to 16 members and are formed on a temporary basis as needed. The role of team leader rotates through the team members (Clawson 2005 p.7). FMC Green River is a task-oriented environment where employees are restricted by their job description. The manager of FMC Green River would like to begin utilizing the team concept to see if it can improve production and employee satisfaction. The leadership at FMC Aberdeen has seen a succession of delegated authority and empowered employees. The management style is relationship oriented and involves a great amount of trust. The FMC Green River plant has a larger employee base. Though the manager, Kenneth Dailey, feels he has an interactive style he would like to improve management's relationship with the employees. The scope of the operation is such that it limits relationship building. FMC Aberdeen has a solid communication network that can disseminate information very rapidly to the necessary people. FMC Green River would like to improve their company communications but face several challenges. The team concept used at FMC Aberdeen may not be able to be implemented at FMC Green River. Green River is a highly industrialized environment that works around heavy machinery that is spread out over a large area. They currently work in a group structure. Machine operation may be too specialized to be spread out over a team responsibility. Forming large teams simply for the sake of a 'team in name only' would not have any beneficial effect (Robbins 2003 p.263). However, administrative workers may be able to form teams and share responsibilities. Dailey has a small management team at the FMC Green River plant. This limits the time and amount of employee involvement they can have. FMC Aberdeen is a close knit organization that has an opportunity to see and talk to one another on a daily basis. FMC Green River does not enjoy this and has thus limited Kenneth Dailey's ability to empower the employees or delegate authority based on trust. He may have an unrealistic view of his interactive style. The close geographical environment at FMC Aberdeen makes it easy for quick communications between team members. Communications networks are well established. FMC Green River is more challenged in this area as the employees are spread out and separated from one another both geographically and technically. FMC Green River is also hindered by their computer system (Clawson 2005 p.22). Most employees do not have access to e-mail or the company Intranet. They have also never created or fostered an environment of open communications. Recommendations FMC Green River should begin to form teams in the administrative area as a way to introduce the concept to the facility. Training will need to be conducted to assure that the workers are skilled at team leadership as well as educated in regards to what is expected of the members. Rules will need to be implemented to prevent 'social loafing' and norms for the team will need to be enforced (Robbins 2003 p.269). As systems are replaced in the manufacturing area, they need to be designed with the team concept in mind. It will not be possible for Kenneth Dailey to undertake the management style at FMC Aberdeen. The employee base is too large and installing more middle managers that

Development of Anna Fitzgerald Character Essay Example for Free

Development of Anna Fitzgerald Character Essay Adolescence development relies upon many factors. In order to accurately examine its growth, it is useful to look at some developmental theories. Anna Fitzgerald is thirteen years old; however, she is not like any other teenager with some ordinary problems. Anna was born for a specific purpose she was born to save her sister’s life and to serve as a matched tissue donor. When Anna was born, her umbilical cord was collected and since then she was constantly donating blood, stem cells or bone marrow. That resulted in her undergoing more serious and risky procedures. But when she reaches the age 13, she is being told to donate one of her kidneys. Aware of the fact that she was conceived to be a perfect match and ongoing donor for her sister, she wants to have the chance of living her own life. This is when Anna decides to hire a lawyer and to sue her parents to be â€Å"medically emancipated† from her family. Because she loves her sister unconditionally, Anna struggles with her decision. Developmental theories of Piaget, Ericson, Marcia and Freud are very useful, in order to examine the development of Anna Fitzgerald, the character from â€Å"My Sister’s Keeper†. Nature vs. nurture is the first theory that can be applied to Anna’s life. Nature refers to the human biological inheritance and nurture to the environmental experience (Santrock, MacKenzie-Rivers, Malcomson Leung, 2011). Since she was born for a specific purpose, her parents had already planned her future. To some point of her life, Anna felt it was normal to be a donor and to be in the hospital three to four days a week. Whenever her sister had an emergency, Anna had to be present. The environment Anna lives in is unusual for a teenager. Anna thinks of herself as a total freak. As it is common for teenagers to complain about her look, she states that God must have had some sort of a moody day on her birthday. She sees a big picture of her household. She knows that the environment which she was born in, did not allow her to be a kid. She had to mature fast and act as an adult. It is clear that Anna is going through identity crisis of moratorium. Moratorium stage according to James Marcia is defined by individual exploring different possibilities, yet not being ready to make a commitment to one. In Anna’s case she had plenty of ideas who she would like to be. When asked by her lawyer, where she sees herself in ten years period, she responds: â€Å"There was a time when, like Kate, I’d wanted to be a ballerina. But since then I’ve gone through a thousand different stages: I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be a paleontologist. I wanted to be a backup singer for Aretha Franklin, a member of the Cabinet, a Yellowstone National Park ranger. Now, based on the day, I sometimes want to be a microsurgeon, a poet, a ghost hunter† (Picoult, 2004, p. 412). What strikes the most in her young, yet mature personality is that in ten years period, she would like to be Kate’s sister. Based on Piaget operational stage theory, Anna is clearly capable of using abstract thought. Abstract thought is an adolescence possibility to think outside of the box and see likely outcomes and consequences. Anna knew exactly that by starting the lawsuit, she has a chance of wining the right to decide for her own. Deep inside her, she still wants to help her sister, but knowing the fact that she cannot make her own decisions, made her to go to the extreme and sue her own parents. She is aware of the fact that her decision may have a huge impact on her sister’s life. Perhaps, she will die; however, she is looking at the long term goal. How is the transplant going to affect her life? Is she going to be able to function normally? What if something goes wrong? All this questions were building up inside of her head and did not want to stop. This process of thoughts indicated her ability to think logically by looking at cons and pros of her situation. Based on Ericson psychosocial developmental theory, Anna is going through identity vs. role confusion stage. She is confused of her role in the family. Often reflecting of who she is, and what is the purpose of her life, besides being a perfect match for her sick sister. Anna once said: â€Å"I used to pretend that I was just passing through this family on my way to my real one† (Picoult, 2004, p. 49). This shows how confused she is in terms of her life. Furthermore, this identity confusion grows into her even more upon receiving a long awaited letter of acceptance, into a two weeks hockey summer camp. She is not allowed to go because of her sister’s condition. There is a big chance of Kate going into some health crisis while Anna is gone. It is a difficult time for a thirteen year old girl who is full of energy and is not being able to be just an ordinary adolescence. One can also relate Freud’s theory of development to Anna. The id is one of the structures of human personality. It operates on principles of pleasure and immediate satisfaction regardless of societal rules or other surrounding context (Santrock, MacKenzie-Rivers, Malcomson Leung, 2011). Anna’s id arises from her frustration to all medical treatments which are done in order to save her older sister, Kate. Frustration is added by her mother who pushes her to donate the kidney for Kate. Yet, from the start of the novel Anna knows the reality which she refuses to face, as result of her inner id: â€Å"On other hand, I was born for specific purpose†¦ I was born because a scientist managed to hook up my mother’s eggs and my father’s sperm to create a specific combination of precious genetic material†¦ specifically, because I could save my sister, Kateâ€Å"(Picoult, 2004, p. 7-8). This inner id, pushes her to rebel against her parents wishes, and results in Anna seeing a lawyer to help her end the suffering and release her from the heavy responsibility towards her sister. This unconscious part of her personality resurfaced, in her reply to the lawyer, when she says: â€Å"Because, she says simply, it never stops† (Picoult, 2004, p. 22). Some may find this very selfish, with total neglect for her sister’s future well being. It results in confrontation with her mother, who tries to make her realize â€Å"You went to a lawyer and made him think is all about you – and it’s not. It’s about us. All of us –â€Å"(Picoult, 2004, p. 54). Thus, her id rises up and does not care if it destroys other people – parents, brother and her sister. In Anna’s case her id prevails over ego. The ego is supposed to negotiate a compromise between her id, current reality and constraints. Anna feels some guilt, as her ego makes her think over and ask herself about her decision regarding kidney. â€Å"I started thinking about this. Would I have to be in the hospital? Would it hurt? Could people live with just one kidney? What if I wound up with kidney failure when I was, like, seventy? Where would I get my spare?†(Picoult, 2004, p.377). Anna’s superego, is supposed to be her moral guide, conscience to do the right thing. It rises up, specifically, when Anna looks at Kate who is becoming weaker and sicker than before and worries about her future and a possibility of her dying. â€Å"What do you think is the best way to die? I don’t want to talk about this, I said. Why? I’m dying. You’re dying. When I frowned, she said, Well, you are. The she grinned. I just happen to be more gifted at it than y ou are†¦ †¦You know, normal people don’t sit around thinking about dying. Liar. Everyone thinks about dying. Everyone thinks about you dying I said. The room went so still†¦ Then a twitchy smile crossed her face. Well, Kate said, at least now you’re telling the truth† (Picoult, 2004, p. 134-135). From this quote it is clear than Anna has difficulty hearing things from Kate, and that her superego is present and possibly regretting the lawsuit action. Perhaps, this is what prompted Anna, to write in her diary that in case of her death, she wants all of her organs to be donated to Kate. In the end, Anna has a car accident and dies, the lawyer who has won the case and got power of attorney, decides to honor Anna’s last wishes: â€Å"I have power of attorney for Anna, he explains, not her parents. And there is a girl upstairs who needs the kidney† (Picoult, 2004, p. 416). Anna’s life ends up tragically. One can assume that she fulfilled her purpos e in her short life, she saved her sister. Since Anna was born, she was a regular donor to her sister. One can observe it as continuity vs. discontinuity development. â€Å"The first time I gave something to my sister, it was a cord blood, and I was a newborn†¦ The next time she relapsed, I was five and I had lymphocytes drawn from me, three times over, because the doctors never seemed to get enough of them the first time around. When that stopped working, they took bone marrow for a transplant. When Kate got infections, I had to donate granulocytes. When she relapsed again, I had to donate peripheral stem cells† (Picoult, 2004, p. 21). One can explain continuity as a process involving a gradual accumulation of behavior or knowledge. Anna, throughout her short life was exposed to medical procedure, terms and responsibilities from the moment of her birth. She was growing up among those circumstances and she never got a chance to be a kid. She had to mature faster. Even her vocabulary was unusual for a thirteen years old girl. In his mind, her lawyer thought â€Å"This girl’s medical vocabulary would put some of my paid experts to shame† (Picoult, 2004, p. 21). Discontinuity is defined as a passing through life stages in a qualitative way. Since Anna’s character is presented just as she is thirteen years old, one can assume that for her to be able to think abstractly, indeed she was at concrete thinking stage in her earlier age. Anna would go through many different stages, perhaps having her case won; she would still donate her kidney. Anna’s life ends abruptly in a car accident. The logical sequence of life is death but to Anna it was way too early. In conclusion, Piaget, Ericson, Marcia and Freud theories were helpful to examine Anna development by using the appropriate key issues. Based on their theories, it is clear to observe Anna’s life and struggles that she is going through. The young age was not an obstacle to deal with some serious adult problems to which Anna was exposed to from an early age. Throughout the story she has dilemmas concerning her sister’s life. By combining the work of these theorists, it was possible to analyze her life from psychological perspective. References Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Intro To Developmental Psychology. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Theories of Development. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Keenan, T. (2011). Developmental psychology lecture. Adolescence. Niagara Collage. Welland, Ontario, Canada Picoult, J. (2004). My sisters keeper. New York, NY: Atria Books. Santrock, J. W., MacKenzie-Rivers, A., Malcomson, T., Leung, K. H. (2011). Life-span development. (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.

Individual Scholarly Paper of the Coat of Arms

Individual Scholarly Paper of the Coat of Arms The purpose of this paper is to discuss the qualities chosen in our groups Coat of Arms assignment and why these qualities represent Nursing. Knowledge, communication, critical thinking, caring, advocacy, and leadership are the qualities being chosen in the Coat of Arms assignment. The components and symbols of the Coat of Arms will also be explained at the final part of this paper First of all, knowledge is the essential building block of the art of nursing. Knowledge helps a nurse think critically and make decisions during their practice. There are two types of knowledge: empirical and particular knowledge. A nurse acquires empirical knowledge at school which includes knowledge of anatomy, physiology, path physiology, and epidemiology. Empirical knowledge can be applied directly to patients. Particular knowledge is unique to each patient situation. For example, if a patient has kidney failure, according to empirical knowledge a nurse would suggest the patient have a kidney transplant. On the other side, the nurse understands the patients religion makes the patient reluctant to have any organs transplantation, therefore the nurse would establish different nursing interventions for the patient. Through lifelong learning, a nurse will be able to acquire more nursing knowledge and this will help them excel in their practice (Cooper,2001). Communication is another important quality of nursing. It is important that a nurse use communication skills to establish a therapeutic relationship with his or her patients. Through actively listening and inquiry a nurse can find out clients needs and identify goals. The nurse then must communicate that information back to her patient and begin establishing realistic expectations of recovery. Nurses also work with many other coworkers so effective communication is key to maintaining an effective health care team (Potter Perry, 2009). Critical thinking emphasizes the use of logic and reasoning to make decisions. This is an important quality in nursing because during the care of patients, nurses are constantly making decisions that affect patient well being.(Forneris  1  Ã‚  McAlpine, 2009) For instance, Mrs. Smith, a 50 year old woman comes to see a nurse with a swollen right knee. The nurse has to thinking critically to find the cause of Mrs. Smiths injured knee. The nurse will ask questions related to Mrs. Smiths previous health problems to determine what led to the injured knee, and for her to rank the pain from 0 to 10. After Mrs. Smith responds, the nurse has to analyze the data and might explain to Mrs. Smith that she may apply some ointment to help with the pain along with doing endurance exercises. Two weeks later, Mrs. Smith is asked to come back to see if the exercise and ointment helped. Critical thinking helps nurses identify patients unique problems and assist nurses with planning for a special nu rsing intervention for the patient and evaluate if the treatment given to clients have been effective. Caring is important for nursing because caring behavior shown by a nurse can make patients optimistic and speed up their healing process. Caring behavior also shows that nurses have a connection with the patient and makes the patient feel that he is not alone. By having a nurse using knowledge tailored to care for them, patients can gain a sense of comfort. Moreover, according to Watson, a caring relationship and caring environment can promote human dignity and integrity, empower patients self awareness and self knowledge which will affect healing positively (Watson, 2005). In the health care system, patients are vulnerable because their physical condition is less than optimal and they do not have the knowledge that health care professionals have regarding the treatment they receive. This creates an unequal power between the health care system and the patient. Therefore it is nurses obligation to be an advocate for their patients needs and speak out for the patient for the most ideal intervention, especially where there is a dispute among the health care team (Steefel,2008). Leadership is important to nursing because it is a quality that ensures and promotes the best nursing care to the general public. When a nurse finds an inappropriate situation in the health care system which could cause harm to the public, a nurse with leadership characteristics would step out and actively solve the problem in order to protect the public interest. A nurse with leadership qualities can also demonstrate and educate other new nurses about nursing integrity and professionalism. A nurse leader can work in the health care unit and use her knowledge to direct other health care members to solve conflicts within the health care system, ensuring that the public can enjoy better health care service (CNO,2002). The six symbols in our groups coat of arm are puzzle pieces, a torch, a sheep skin scroll, a heart with hands of different race , a book with key, and a balance. All the symbols are sitting on an aqua coloured shield. There is a pink shell with four pearls at the apex of the shield. In the middle of the shield is a hexagon combined with two triangles connecting all six symbols on the coat of arms. There are also two brown wooden ladders on each side of the shield. Puzzle pieces are a symbol of critical thinking. It is because a person has to think carefully to put all the puzzle pieces together. It is just like how nurses think critically to put all the pieces of patient information together and analyze them in order to provide appropriate care to the patient. The torch symbolizes leadership. The person who holds the torch takes initiative to walk in front of the crowd and uses the light to guide the followers. The scroll is a symbol of communication since in the ancient times, Kings communicated over long distances by writing messages on a scroll and sending it to his officials. A heart with hands of different races symbolizes caring, as nurses care for others including patients and their family members, regardless of their background and race. The book with key symbolizes knowledge. The key helps people open the doors of knowledge. The balance is a symbol of advocacy because nurses have to be an advocate for their clients and to help balance the power between vulnerable patients and health care professionals. The ladders symbolize Benners five stages of skill acquisition a nurse will undergo, from novice to expert. In conclusion, my understanding of nursing has changed by become more rounded since fall. Before I thought nursing simply means to take care of the problem affecting patients, but now I understand that nurses take care of the patients overall well being. Doing so properly requires all of the skills described in this essay.

Lifes Too Short :: essays research papers

Life's Too Short Often times when the normal parent or upstanding citizen turns on the TV and sees a young black man rapping about the hood they are usually turned off. Stereotypes come in to play and the channel is switched without even considering what message that human being is trying to convey. When listening to rapper Too Short and his song "Gettin it", you here a lot of stereotypes being defied. The song is about getting out of the hood and making a good life for yourself. Most of society just assumes that these young black rappers have no brain's and no sense of purpose for life. Too Short's song "Gettin it" tells a different story. Too Short's successes portray the dream that kids have growing up in the hood. Those kids dream of getting rich at a young age and living like a true "player" for the rest of their day's. They want to drive around in a benz' and have girls fill the whole thing. What these kids don't understand is that Too Short didn't get to where he is by pimping or selling drugs, he got to where he is by some simple rules discussed in his song "Gettin it". First of all, an important ingredient to the song is how it appeals to kids. With it's ghetto beat and monster bass the song is something that kids feel cool listening to. This is his first success ingredient, getting the attention of his audience so that they will listen to his message. His message is of course the best thing about the song. It explains to kids to "stop just hangin out, set your self some goals, think positive, and keep hustling". Too Short has got to the financial level he's at, by following the keys that he describes in his song, not by following the stereotypes that parent's turn off of the TV. Acting ghetto, for appeal, and rapping with a sweet rythym tongue was only the bare minimum of what he needed to rise to the top of the rapping industry. Studies show that the majority of successful people are not lucky, nor are they geniuses. Successful people usually follow three simple keys that are outlined in Too Short's song. The first key to success is the ability to take action and go out and get what you want out of this life. Too Short talk's about this when he says, "you got to get a good job and set your self some goals think positive, and never stop hustling". The world owes you nothing, you have to do the right things, or

Erp Project Oracle vs Asap

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project Students name: Registration number: Course: Date: Table of Contents ABSTRACT3 INTRODUCTION5 VENDOR OVERVIEW8 INTRODUCTION8 SAP8 ORACLE9 BUSINESS FUNCTIONS13 Production14 Sales14 Support services15 External services15 BUSINESS FUNCTIONS SUPPORTED BY ORACLE AND SAP16 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FROM SAP AND ORACLE19 COST COMPARISON BETWEEN SAP AND ORACLE20 EASE OF USE22 ERP MODULES23 Oracle’s Financial Management Analytics23 Oracle database 11g enterprise edition24 VENDOR SELECTION27 ERP DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE28 SCOPE AND COMMITMENT STAGE28 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN29 ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT STAGE30IMPLEMENTATION STAGE30 OPERATIONAL STAGE30 Bibliography31 ABSTRACT Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a system that integrates all the internal and external functional units of an organization, the functional units may be manufacturing, finance, storage, management, transport, customer satisfaction etc. in order to integrate all the organizationâ₠¬â„¢s functional unit into a flawless and harmonious system, computer software have been developed by different vendors, these software may be custom made for a particular organization or they may be general for use by any organization (Jerferson, 2010).ERP systems are put in place to improve on the efficiency of information management of the organization, all the data from the different units of the organization are managed by the software and is usually stored in a central location called a server, the server may be physically located in the organization or it may be a virtual one on the internet, the virtual serve uses a technology called cloud computing.The ERP system normally contains modules that are specialized sub-systems that are task-oriented, these modules include human resource, production planning, financial planning, quality management, materials management, sales and distribution, maintenance, controlling, asset management, project management and industry solutions. T he ERP software are developed and sold by vendors under different levels, the highest level is the large Enterprise ERP tier I which include vendors such as SAP, Oracle and Microsoft, this level is for larger enterprises with complex communication protocols between so many functional units.The second level is the midmarket ERP tier II which include vendors such as Infor, QAD, Lawson, sage and IFS, these ERP software are suitable for medium companies that have average complexity in terms of information management. The last level is the small business ERP tier III, vendors of these ERP systems include Exact Globe, Syspro, NetSuite and Visibility, ERP software in this are suitable for small businesses with simple information management systems (Jerferson, 2010).In this project, a detailed analysis of a hypothetical university’s information management system is made, and then an ERP software will be selected from one of the two vendors, SAP or Oracle. The selection will be based on the steps of the ERP development life cycle, the cycle will involve all the standard phases of an ERP development life cycle. The major activities of the university include provision of education, research activities and community service. The functional units of the university include the academics affairs, inance department, staff administration, medical services, marketing and public relations, central store, catering, students welfare and quality assurance. The project will analyze the software modules that are provided by Oracle and SAP, a detailed investigation on the suitability of the two will also be made, and then one of them will be selected for use as the university’s ERP system. This selection will be based on facts and will be as systematic as the ERP development cycle.INTRODUCTION There are several ERP vendors in the global market, each is fighting to be the dominant brand, and as a result, stiff competition between the vendors is taking place. Each vendor i s engineering better ERP software to attract the customer’s attention and fulfill their needs, some of the vendors are SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Lawson, sage and IFS. In this project, the two most dominant vendors in the market will be analyzed, these are SAP and Oracle.The two vendors had a total market share of 55% between the year 2005 and 2009, and they have developed a wide range of products that are tailored to suit several organizations, be it military, government or industrial (Jerferson, 2010). SAP and Oracle are both in the large enterprise tier I category and they have mainly designed products to suit this segment of the market, however, nowadays they are developing ERP software for midmarket tier II. The project will take a hypothetical university as a case study, the university offers a variety of courses and has a number of campuses distributed all over the country.As part of the management policy, the university is divided into several departments that represent the business functions of a generalized organization, the departments are:- 1. Academics affairs This department deals with the core business of the university, which is provision of education, the department organizes the timetables, assigns lecturers to the different units, manages the curriculum, manages the student’s results, ensures that all the university policies are adhered to and organizes the tests and exams. 2. Central storeIn this department, they receive anything that is supplied by the suppliers. The central store also makes requisitions for general materials such as stationery, staff uniforms, sanitary consumables etc. but they don’t make orders for special materials that are specific to a certain department only such as machinery, computers, furniture etc. 3. Finance This department deals with the management and controlling of the university’s budgets, it also deals with monitoring and management of the school fees as well as the staff salaries a nd allowances.The department relies heavily on computer software to carry out its daily activities, all data is stored in a central server. 4. Students welfare The student’s wellbeing is taken care by this department, activities such as sports, festivals, parties, concerts are organized, monitored and financed by this department. 5. Human resource The recruitment of new members of staff, promotions and disciplinary procedure for misconduct of staff are all carried out by this department. The department also carries out training programs for members of staff. . Catering This department manages the catering services at the students and staff cafeterias, the department also makes orders for all the ingredients they need for preparing the food on the menu for the different days. The sales from the cafeteria are not managed by the catering department, they are managed by the finance department. 7. Medical services The student’s and health needs are meet by this department, the staff in this department include doctors, nurses and pharmacists.They treat any sick student or staff for free, but they use software to keep their data such as medical records, inventory and lab results. 8. Public relations This department deals with uplifting the university’s image, maintaining good relations with other stakeholders and promoting the university at different levels of the socioeconomic setup. 9. Other department Other smaller departments include quality assurance office, advertising department and repairs and maintenance, transport and research institute. VENDOR OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION SAPSAP AG is a software company based in Germany that makes enterprise software, the company was founded in June 1972 and was started by former IBM engineers, the company was initially called Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (â€Å"System Analysis and Program Development†) but the name was later changed to Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (â€Å"System Anal ysis and Program Development†), in 2005, the name was officially changed to SAP AG, SAP AG was included in the German stock index DAX in 1995 and was included in the Dow Jones STOXX 50 in 2003 (Leakey, 2013).Currently, SAP is the world leader in the sale of business and database software with a market share of 32%. Some of the main products of SAP are:- CATEGORY| PACKAGE NAME| Business| Analytics| | Advanced Planner And Optimizer| | Business Information Warehouse| | Portal| | Enterprise Central Component| | Governance, Risk And Compliance| | Human Resource Management Systems| | Knowledge Warehouse| | Internet Transaction Server| | Catalog Content Management| | Hana| | Supply Chain Performance Management| | Training And Event Management| | Manufacturing | | Master Data Management| | Service And Asset Management|Industry| Oil And Gas| | Healthcare| | Telecommunication| | Public Sector| | Utilities| | Retail| Small and midsize enterprises| Business One| | Business ByDesign| Other | CCMS| | Sapgui| | eCATT| | Central Process Scheduling| | Solution Manager| ORACLE Oracle is an American database and business management software company that was founded in 1977, its first name was Software Development Laboratories, in 1979 the name was changed to Relational Software Incorporation, the name was changed again in 1982 to Oracle Systems Corporation and lastly it was renamed Oracle Corporation in 1995 (Wikipedia, 2013).Oracle is ranked as the world’s third largest software maker after Microsoft and IBM by revenue, however, it is ranked second in as an ERP software maker by market share after SAP. Oracle had a market share of 23% in ERP software between 2005 and 2009 while SAP had a staggering 32% market share. Some of Oracle’s products are listed below CATEGORY| PACKAGE NAME| Applications| Oracle E-Business Suite| | Enterprise performance management| | Financial management| | Oracle fusion applications| | Oracle CRM on demand| | Customer relation manage ment| Hyperion| | JD Edwards world| | JD Edwards enterprise one| | Human capital management| | Master data management| | Primavera| | Web commerce| | Sustainability| | Procurement| | Project management| | Siebel| | Supply chain management| Database| Oracle database 11g enterprise edition| | Oracle database 11g standard edition| | Oracle database 11g standard edition one| | Active data guard| | Advanced security| | Airline data model| | Database security| | Express edition| | Label security| | MySQL| | OLAP| | Oracle database appliance| | Database vault| NoSQL database| | Secure backup| | Secure enterprise search| Engineered systems| Oracle big data appliance| | Oracle database appliance| | Oracle exadata database machine| | Oracle exalogic elastic cloud| | SPARC superCluster T4-4| | Sun ZFS storage appliance| Enterprise management| Application management| | Application performance management| | Application quality management| | Cloud management| | Database management| | Hardware man agement| | Lifecycle management| | Middleware management| | Oracle enterprise manager 12c| Java| javaFX| | Oracle JDeveloper| Java platform Micro edition| | Java platform standard edition| | Oracle java SE suite| | Netbeans IDE| | Oracle java SE support| Middleware| Application grid| | Application server| | Collaboration| | Portal| | Linux| | Developer tools| | Weblogic| | Webcenter| | SOA| | Identity management| Others| Solaris| | Servers (hardware)| | Integrated management| | Sun ray clients| | Virtual desktop infrastructure| From the list, it can be seen that Oracle makes more products than SAP, this may explain why their revenue is higher. BUSINESS FUNCTIONSBusiness functions are the routine tasks performed in order to achieve the goal of an organization. The figure below shows the business functions (LLC, 2002). These functions are similar for almost all types of organization, but in some organization some functions are totally omitted based on the products or services offered. The figure below shows the most common business functions of any organization. A brief description of the business functions is given below Production Research and development: in this level, the organization develops new products and new designs for existing products.Tests, experiments and survey are the characteristic activities of this phase, data collected from tests and experiments is stored, managed and utilized by the organization’s decision makers Production and quality: this is a major function and usually represents the biggest part of the organization in terms of human resource, at this level, the production is managed, scheduled and planned. Effective machine and staff utilization is a very important aspect in this function, the quality and production rates are controlled based on the data received from the sales and design team.Distribution and Logistics: this function deals with the supply chain, it manages the raw materials and the final products. The activiti es that fall under this function include the coordination of storage of raw and finished products, management of transport and staff who directly deal with the supply chain. Sales Sales: under this function, the relationship between the organization and its customer comes in, the sales team presents the products to the customers in a convenient and persuasive manner, the team also makes tenders, proposals, invoices etc. o the customers. The team also gives feedback to the research, development and marketing teams on the status of customer satisfaction. Marketing: the marketing department deals with promoting the products of the organization, marketing will involve managing the packaging, advertising, forecasting, budgeting, pricing and planning. Carrying out market research and survey is also a key role played under this function Support services Finance: this is a key function in any organization, even for non-profitable organizations.Management of funds and budgeting are the key a ctivities in this function, the finance department records the incomes and expenditures of the organization and carries out future planning in terms of increasing the income and reducing the expenditure. Computing: the use of computers has become almost mandatory for any business, therefore, having computing support services is very important. In this category, the organization’s database, network and software are effectively managed.Human resource: it deals with recruitment of new members of staff, promotion of staff, formulation of contracts and job descriptions for the staff, training of the staff and carrying out disciplinary tasks concerning the staff. Materials: under this category, the requirements of the organization are identified and then the potential suppliers are contacted, the prices are negotiated and the purchase orders are prepared. The staffs working in this area have to closely work with the production team as well as other teams in order to ensure that all teams in the organization have the necessary materials.External services Chartered accountants: the accountants carry out audits to validate the company’s accounts, they also give advice on matters relating to tax and other issues related to the finances of the organization. Management consultants: the consultants carry out surveys on the organization’s policies, procedures, methods, governance and administration. Then they use the data from the surveys to recommend changes to the areas that have any flaws or require improvements.Recruitment agency: they carry out job interviews for recruitment purposes, they look for the necessary skills required by the organization and recommend to the human resource department a list of candidates who can best fit in the job. Advertising: in most organizations, advertising is done by the marketing team, but in large organization, a separate external body is charged with advertising the organization’s products and services. T he advertisers will propose to the management the best approach to get an edge over the competitors.Market research: this can also be done by the marketing department or by an external agency, surveys, data analysis, drawing conclusions from the analysis and formulating recommendations are the main tasks in market research. Public relations: this has recently become a very important business function for almost all organization, the public relations department uplifts and maintains the image of the organization, they answer to any inquiries made, carry out exhibitions, attend and organize conferences and also prepare press releases, brochures and newsletters.BUSINESS FUNCTIONS SUPPORTED BY ORACLE AND SAP From the list of business functions and the list of packages of the two vendors, it is easy to see that the two vendors have packages for almost all the business functions, packages such as procurement, Human capital, JD Edwards world, Master data management, Database security, Data base management etc. from oracle cover almost all the business functions. SAP also has packages that support business functions these packages included Supply Chain Performance Management, Human Resource Management Systems, Manufacturing, Business One, Central Process Scheduling etc. the table below compares the two vendors in their ability to support business functions, BUSINESS FUNCTION SUPPORTED| SAP| ORACLE|Research and development| * Master Data Management * Central Process Scheduling * Analytics * Solution Manager| * Project management * Master data management, Advanced security * Active data guard * Application management * Database management * Collaboration * Identity management| Production and quality| * CCMS * Business One * Utilities * Manufacturing * Advanced Planner And Optimizer| * Integrated management * Hardware management * Lifecycle management * Application performance management * Oracle exalogic elastic cloud * Database security * Siebel| Distribution and Logist ics| * Central Process Scheduling * Service And Asset Management * Supply Chain Performance * Management * Catalog Content Management| * Central Process Scheduling * Service And Asset Management * Supply Chain Performance * Management * Catalog Content Management| Sales| * Business ByDesign * Retail * Master Data Management * Portal * Internet Transaction Server| * Business ByDesign * Retail * Master Data Management * Portal * Internet Transaction Server| Marketing| * Training And Event Management * Analytics| * Application quality management * Project management * Enterprise performance management| Finance| * Enterprise Central Component * Internet Transaction Server * Master Data Management * Service And Asset Management * Business One * Business ByDesign| * JD Edwards world * Financial management * Oracle E-Business Suite * Web commerce * MySQL * Oracle database appliance * Database vault * Database management| Human resource| * Human Resource Management Systems * Training And Ev ent Management| * Human capital management| TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM FROM SAP AND ORACLE Technology platform refers to the ability to create or edit a software on an existing or future system, different ERP vendors have platforms that support their range of products and even their rivals products, this helps in allowing the customer to purchase a mixture of products from the same vendor or from two or more vendors. The table below shows the technology platforms of the two vendors SAP| Oracle| Sapgui * NetWeaver * Enterprise Workspaces * Cloud * SAP StreamWork * Mobility * Sybase Unwired Platform * Sybase Afaria * Project Gateway * Duet Enterprise * In-Memory Computing | * Virtual desktop infrastructure * Developer tools * Linux * Portal * Application grid * Oracle java SE support * Netbeans IDE * Java platform standard edition * Java platform Micro edition * Oracle JDeveloper * javaFX * Application server * Collaboration| The table below shows the technology platform of the two In terms of the operating systems they support and other platforms. SAP| ORACLE| * Windows * Open Source * Web Based * Linux| WindowsLinuxUnix| COST COMPARISON BETWEEN SAP AND ORACLEThe total cost of implementing an ERP project is the total amount paid to put the system in place, it involve the purchase of the system, the cost of implementing the changes required for the system to work and the salaries and wages of the personnel who work in the system. In term of the initial cost, SAP has a higher price than Oracle, SAP has maintained their high billing rates because their focus is mainly on larger enterprises, so the price seems unreasonable for small and medium enterprises, and therefore, most customer rank SAP as the most expensive (Jerferson, 2010). However, SAP has the lowest average cost overrun at about 8% over budget but Oracle had the highest cost overrun at about 15%, which is almost double that of SAP.The payback period for SAP is 13 months while that of Oracle stands at 11 months (Jerferson, 2010). According to a research conducted by Panorama consulting group, the project cost for the two vendors were as depicted on the graph below It can be seen that the two normally go beyond the anticipated budget (at 53. 6% SAP, 52. 6% Oracle) suggesting that the budgeted cost for ERP projects are likely to be less than the actual budget by an average of 53. 1% (Jerferson, 2010). The tables below were extracted from Nucleus Research and they were comparing the costs of SAP and Oracle (Jerferson, 2010). EASE OF USE The ease of use of an ERP system can be compared by looking at the customer’s satisfaction after purchasing the software. 2% of SAP’s customers were satisfied while 74% of Oracle’s customer were satisfied, this indicates that Oracle’s software are easier to use than SAP’s software but the margin between the two was very close (Jerferson, 2010). ERP MODULES The two modules were selected from Oracle, and they are Oracleâ€℠¢s Financial Management Analytics This module provides the top financial management team with a good insight into the status of the financial department and the financial results, it offers a unified solution that can be deployed quickly and contains packaged dashboards and analytics tools that help give a quick insight into the status of the financial system.This module supports the financial business function, finance involves a lot of staff and workload, and the staffs carry out routine tasks that can be repeated daily, weekly, semi-annually or annually. These records are often kept in files and this poses a huge challenge when the top management needs a quick insight or review into the results. Oracle’s Financial Management Analytics automates this system and maintains the records in a database system so that they can be accessed easily. The working principle of Analytics is depicted in the figure below (Oracle, 2012). The key features of Analytics are shown in the table below FEATURE| DESCRIPTION| Executive View| Gross Profit By Region, Income By Region, Net Cash Flow| Process Management| Metrics, Trend Analysis, Overall/Entity Status|Financial Close Schedule Summary| Summary, Graphs, Milestones, Compensation| Performance Indicators| Ratios Year On Year Comparison Table, Ratio Components, Ratio Trend Analysis| Profit And Loss| Summary Income Statement, Variance Analysis, Trend Profit And Loss| Gross Profit| Variance Analysis, Gross Profit By Product, Trend Gross Profit| Balance Sheet| Consolidating Balance Sheet, Metrics, Variance Analysis, Trend Balance Sheet| Cash Flow| Cash Flow Summary, Consolidation, Variance Analysis| Current Analysis| Variance Analysis| This module supports the finance business function, this is a key function in any organization, even for non-profitable organizations.Management of funds and budgeting are the key activities in this function, the finance department records the incomes and expenditures of the organization and carries out future planning in terms of increasing the income and reducing the expenditure. Oracle database 11g enterprise edition Oracle’s database 11g enterprise edition is a database management software that is suitable for small and medium sized enterprises, this module manages all the data in the organization and enables all the business applications to benefit from the performance, reliability, security and scalability of Oracle’s database 11g enterprise edition (Wikipedia, 2013). Oracle’s database 11g enterprise edition supports all standard data types such as XML, Text, Documents, Images, Audio, Video and Location data.Access to data is via standard interfaces such as SQL, JDBC, SQLJ, ODBC . NET, OLE . NET and ODP . NET, SQL/XML and Xquery, and WebDAV. It also has some analytical tools for modeling in SQL-based systems (Wikipedia, 2013). The figure below shows the working principle of Oracle’s database 11g enterprise edition. DATA STORE PROCESS DA TA STORE USER USER PROCESS DATA STORE PROCESS DATA STORE PROCESS DATA STORE USER USER PROCESS DATA STORE PROCESS This module support several business functions, for example it supports the sales, finance, logistics, human resource management, production etc. by keeping all the relevant data in a secure and organized manner for easy access and retrieval when needed.The two selected modules can perfectly fit in the university’s operation. The university has a finance department which deals with the management and controlling of the university’s budgets, it also deals with monitoring and management of the school fees as well as the staff salaries and allowances. The department relies heavily on computer software to carry out its daily activities. Oracle’s Financial Management Analytics can be used to manage the finance department of the university. Oracle’s database 11g enterprise edition can be used to manage all the university data including the studentâ⠂¬â„¢s results, past and present exams, e-books, financial records, hospital records, timetables etc. VENDOR SELECTIONThe preferred vendor is Oracle, this is because, they are cheaper compared to SAP, the payback period is shorter than that of SAP and their customers enjoy higher rates of satisfaction. In addition, Oracle has better customer services than SAP and has a wider range of products to choose from than SAP. The domain of the organization under study did affect the choice, the university is a service provider and not a manufacturing organization, hence, some of the modules needed in the manufacturing domain may not be needed by the service providing university. The size also affected the choice of the vendor, the university can be considered as a big enterprise with branches (campuses) in different regions, thus a powerful tier I ERP system would be required to manage the university. A customized version ofERP will be the most appropriate for use in the university, this is because, the university is a unique enterprise with unique types of data management protocols, some data can be accessed by a few authorized users while other types of data should be available for every user, the levels of authority in the university are different from those in other service providing enterprises. Therefore, a great deal of customization will be required if a successful ERP system is to be implemented, this is nevertheless, an expensive option since customized ERP system cost more and take longer to implement. ERP DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE The ERP development life cycle can be summarized in a flowchart below (Motiwalla, 2010).SCOPE AND COMMITMENT STAGE This is the first stage of the cycle and it entails carrying out a feasibility study to determine whether the ERP system will actually work and if it works (Motiwalla, 2010), will it benefit the university. In addition to this, the university will develop the scope of the implementation based on the resources and time re quirements. Then the characteristics of the ERP implementation are defined to determine what features should be included in the ERP and the customization it may need, the top management’s commitment becomes very important at this stage and the short and long term vision for the new ERP system are formulated.Once this has been done, the suitable vendor is selected based on criterions such as price, reliability, payback period, customer support etc. The scope and commitments required at this stage include: * Gap analysis: an evaluation of the functions provided by the proposed ERP system is made and a comparison between the functions it can perform and the required functions is also made * Physical scope: the number of users who will use the system, the location where the system will be implemented and the sites that will be addressed are considered at this point * BPR scope: at this level, the users, department and sites affected are identified, the current processes are looke d at to see if any changes will e required to implement the system * Technical scope: evaluate the ERP system to establish if there are any modifications to be done on the system * Resource scope: the time and money allocated to the project are determined at this point * Implementation scope: the actual implementation is considered to determine which modules will be implemented and the link with the existing system ANALYSIS AND DESIGN At this stage, the ERP system is designed by the appointed teams, the user requirements are established, and the differences between the current business process and the ERP are identified and accommodated in the design (Motiwalla, 2010).Conversion of the data and the system is done at this point so that the new system is linked with the old one, a change in the management plan is also formulated to ensure successful implementation of the ERP system. Training of the staff on how to use the new system is also done at this stage. ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPM ENT STAGE The software is purchased from the vendor and the license is paid for as well, tasks identified in the gap analysis are executed at this stage, the changes in the management are also implemented to allow for the proper functionality of the new ERP, the old data is transferred to the new system and finally the security of the new system is configured. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE The purchased software is installed and implemented, the approach used in implementation can be one of the following * Phased * Pilot * Parallel * Big bangEach of these approaches has its pros and cons, but for our case, the best approach would either be phased or parallel because these two would give the staff and the students enough time to adapt to the new system. OPERATIONAL STAGE This is the final stage of the cycle, the project team officially hands over the system to the university, the university will own the system and shall be responsible for managing new releases, installation of the patches and upgrades and renewal of contracts and licenses with the vendor. Bibliography Jerferson, D. (2010). Battle of the Titans: SAP vs ORACLE. Denver: Panorama Consulting Group. Leakey, J. (2013, February 21). SAP AG. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/SAP_AG LLC, A. P. (2002). Business Etiquette. London: ILT. Mereddy, R. (2011).SAP basis Administration Handbook. New Dehli: McGraw-Hill. Motiwalla, L. F. (2010). Enterprise System for Management. New Jersey: Pearson Education Incorporation. Oracle. (2012). Oracle Financial Management Analytics Data Sheet. California: Oracle Press. Research, N. (2010). TCO CASE STUDY: SAP VERSUS ORACLE JD EDWARDS. Alabama: Nucleus REsearch Incorporation. SAP. (2013, February 19). SAP Home Page. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from SAP: http://www. sap. com/index. epx Wang, J. (2011). Oracle Database 11g. New York: Oracle Press. Wikipedia. (2013, February 22). Oracle corporation. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from Wikipedi a: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Oracle_Corporation

Understanding Bioprinting and Its Applications

Understanding Bioprinting and Its Applications Bioprinting, a type of 3D printing,  uses cells and other biological materials as â€Å"inks† to fabricate 3D biological structures. Bioprinted materials have the potential to repair damaged organs, cells, and tissues in the human body. In the future, bioprinting may be used to build entire organs from scratch, a possibility that could transform the field of bioprinting. Materials That Can Be Bioprinted Researchers have studied the bioprinting of many different cell types, including stem cells, muscle cells, and endothelial cells. Several factors determine whether or not a material can be bioprinted. First, the  biological materials must be biocompatible with the materials in the ink and the printer itself. In addition, the mechanical properties of the printed structure, as well as the time it takes for the organ or tissue to mature, also affect the process.   Bioinks typically fall into one of two types: Water-based gels, or hydrogels, act as 3D structures in which cells can thrive. Hydrogels containing cells are printed into defined shapes, and the polymers in the hydrogels are joined together or crosslinked so that the printed gel becomes stronger. These polymers can be naturally derived or synthetic, but should be compatible with the cells.Aggregates of cells that  spontaneously fuse together into tissues after printing. How Bioprinting Works The bioprinting process has many similarities with the 3D printing process. Bioprinting is generally divided into the following steps:   Preprocessing: A 3D model based on a digital reconstruction of the  organ or tissue to be bioprinted is prepared. This reconstruction can be created based on images captured non-invasively (e.g. with an MRI) or through a more invasive process, such as a series of two-dimensional slices imaged with X-rays.     Processing: The tissue or organ based on the 3D model in the preprocessing stage is printed. Like in other types of 3D printing, layers of material are successively added together in order to print the material.Postprocessing: Necessary procedures are performed to transform the print into a functional organ or tissue. These procedures may include placing the print in a special chamber that helps cells to mature properly and more quickly. Types of Bioprinters As with other types of 3D printing, bioinks can be printed several different way.  Each method has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Inkjet-based bioprinting acts similarly to an office inkjet printer. When a design is printed with an inkjet printer, ink is fired through many tiny nozzles onto the paper. This creates an image made of many droplets that are so small, they are not visible to the eye. Researchers have adapted inkjet printing for bioprinting, including methods that use heat or vibration to push ink through the nozzles. These bioprinters are more affordable than other techniques, but are limited to low-viscosity bioinks, which could in turn constrain the types of materials that can be printed.Laser-assisted bioprinting uses a laser to move cells from a solution onto a surface with high precision. The laser heats up part of the solution, creating an air pocket and displacing cells towards a surface. Because this technique does not require small nozzles like in inkjet-based bioprinting, higher viscosity materials, which cannot flow easily through nozzles, can be used. Laser-assisted bioprinting also allo ws for very high precision printing. However, the heat from the laser may damage the cells being printed. Furthermore, the technique cannot easily be scaled up to quickly print structures in large quantities. Extrusion-based bioprinting uses pressure to force material out of a nozzle to create fixed shapes. This method is relatively versatile: biomaterials with different viscosities can be printed by adjusting the pressure, though care should be taken as higher pressures are more likely to damage the cells. Extrusion-based bioprinting can likely be scaled up for manufacturing, but may not be as precise as other techniques.Electrospray and electrospinning bioprinters  make use of electric fields to create droplets or fibers, respectively. These methods can have up to nanometer-level precision. However, they utilize very high voltage, which may be unsafe for cells. Applications of Bioprinting Because bioprinting enables the precise construction of biological structures, the technique may find many uses in biomedicine. Researchers have used bioprinting to introduce cells to help repair the heart after a heart attack as well as deposit cells into wounded skin or cartilage.  Bioprinting has been used to fabricate heart valves for possible use in patients with heart disease, build muscle and bone tissues, and help repair nerves. Though more work needs to be done to determine  how these results would perform in a clinical setting, the research shows that bioprinting could be used to help regenerate tissues during surgery or after injury. Bioprinters could, in the future, also enable entire organs like livers or hearts to be made from scratch and used in organ transplants. 4D Bioprinting In addition to 3D bioprinting, some groups have also examined 4D bioprinting, which takes into account the fourth dimension of time. 4D bioprinting  is based on the idea that the printed 3D structures may continue to evolve over time, even after they have been printed. The structures may thus change their shape and/or function when exposed to the right stimulus, like heat. 4D bioprinting may  find use in biomedical areas, such as making blood vessels by taking advantage of how some biological constructs fold and roll. The Future Although bioprinting could help save many lives in the future, a number of challenges have yet to be addressed. For example, the printed structures may be weak and unable to retain their shape after they are transferred to the appropriate location on the body. Furthermore, tissues and organs are complex, containing many different types of cells arranged in very precise ways. Current printing technologies may not be able to replicate such intricate architectures. Finally, existing techniques are also limited to certain types of materials, a limited range of viscosities, and limited precision. Each technique has the potential to cause damage to the cells and other materials being printed. These issues will be addressed as researchers continue to develop bioprinting to tackle increasingly difficult engineering and medical problems. References Beating, pumping heart cells generated using 3D printer could help heart attack patients, Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage, ABC.Dababneh, A., and Ozbolat, I. â€Å"Bioprinting technology: A current state-of-the-art review.† Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 2014, vol. 136, no. 6, doi: 10.1115/1.4028512.Gao, B., Yang, Q., Zhao, X., Jin, G., Ma, Y., and Xu, F. â€Å"4D bioprinting for biomedical applications.† Trends in Biotechnology, 2016, vol. 34, no. 9, pp. 746-756, doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.03.004.Hong, N., Yang, G., Lee, J., and Kim, G. â€Å"3D bioprinting and its in vivo applications.† Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 2017, vol. 106, no. 1, doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.33826.Mironov, V., Boland, T., Trusk, T., Forgacs, G., and Markwald, P. â€Å"Organ printing: computer-aided jet-based 3D tissue engineering.† Trends in Biotechnology, 2003, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 157-161, doi: 10.1016/S0167-7799(03)00033-7.Murphy, S., and Atala, A. †Å"3D bioprinting of tissues and organs.† Nature Biotechnology, 2014, vol. 32, no. 8, pp. 773-785, doi: 10.1038/nbt.2958. Seol, Y., Kang, H., Lee, S., Atala, A., and Yoo, J. Bioprinting technology and its applications. European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 2014, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 342-348, doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezu148.Sun, W., and Lal, P. â€Å"Recent development on computer aided tissue engineering – a review.† Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 85-103, doi: 10.1016/S0169-2607(01)00116-X.