Improvement Organizational Posters
McDonalds is an organization that provides fast food items to the society in numerous parts of the globe. The organization aims at improving the quality of services within its interactions with the consumers and other relevant partners in the industry.

Identify 2 or 3 examples of process improvement opportunities in your chosen organization's industry.

Identification of the process improvement opportunities in the industry would depend on what the entity or entities want to achieve. One of the examples of process improvement opportunities in the fast food industry is the development of standards to guide the delivery of goods and services to consumers. This would enable organizations working under this industry to uphold high standards hence economic growth and development. Consumers would associate with these organizations because of the treatment and services they obtain from the entities. It is necessary to improve the quality of services and products to enable…...

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References

Gordon, M.J. (2002). Six Sigma qualities for business & manufacture. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Hakes, C., & Pera International. (2001). Total quality management: The key to business improvement: a Pera International executive briefing. London: Chapman & Hall.

Madison, D. (2007). Process Mapping, Process Improvement, and Process Management: A practical guide to enchanging work and information flow. S.l: s.n..

Mulholland, K.L., John Wiley & Sons., & Wiley InterScience (Online Service). (2006). Identification of cleaner production improvement opportunities. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley- Interscience.

TOYOTA
Process improvements

Toyota: Case study

What exactly needs to be improved?

The Toyota Corporation built its reputation upon safety and quality. Based upon its perceived superiority to its competitors, particularly its American competitors, the Japanese carmaker had established itself as 'benchmark' of excellence in the international marketplace. All of this began to change in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Toyota's safety was questioned after a series of highly-publicized recalls. In particular, the revelation that its accelerators could get 'stuck' and cause vehicles to go dangerously fast was profoundly damaging to Toyota's reputation.

Toyota's fall from grace was so disturbing because Toyota's managerial philosophy had been so influential. Pillars of the Toyota Way included the need for long-term planning; lean manufacturing; keeping inventories low; and cultivating strong relationships with suppliers. Toyota had long been considered the paradigm of what to do 'right,' but its response to the recalls seemed the epitome of what a…...

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Reference

Greto, Michael, Schotter, Andreas, & Teagarden, Mary (2010). Toyota: The accelerator crisis.

Thunderbird School of Global Management, 1-24

Appellate process is integral to the American judicial system and is a constitutionally protected right. Individual, or corporations for that matter, have the right to appeal a trial on the grounds that the decision was made erroneously or without proper attention paid to evidence or judicial procedure. Basically, the appellate process refers to the specific procedures and practices by which the appellate system in particular works. The appellate courts are generally referred to as "higher" courts, and the trial courts as "lower" courts primarily because of the directional process by which cases are brought to trial, heard, and then re-heard in an appellate case. State Appeals Courts, State Supreme Judicial Courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States are examples of appellate courts.
The appellate system works differently from the trial law system. Appellate courts never hear new evidence or new cases. Only trial courts accomplish the initial role of…...

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References

"Appellate Procedure," (n.d.). Cornell Law. Retrieved online:  http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/appellate_procedure 

Mahacek, J.P. (n.d.). How does the appellate process work? Retrieved online: http://appellatelawyercalifornia.com/id70.html

Massachusetts Judicial Branch (2014). An overview of the appellate process. Retrieved online:  http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/overview-of-appellate-process.html 

United States Courts (2014). The appeals process. Retrieved online:  http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/UnderstandingtheFederalCourts/HowCourtsWork/TheAppealsProcess.aspx

Strategic Management Process
Describe the primary components of a strategic management process, and indicate why a strategic management process is needed for a company.

The process of strategic management, according to Alkhafaji (2013), is made up of four key components: environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and evaluation and control.

Environmental scanning, in the words of the author, "consists of analyzing internal and external factors that may affect the organization and its ability to pursue a given course of action" (Alkhafaji, 2013, p. 33). Of key importance here, therefore, is the collection, scrutiny, as well as provision of information for strategic reasons. Next is strategic formulation, which has got to do with the development of strategic decisions that concern not only an entity's policies, objectives, and mission, but also the approaches to be used in achieving the said objectives and policies (Alkhafaji, 2013). Strategy implementation, on the other hand, "is concerned with making…...

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References

Alkhafaji, A.F. (2013). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control in a Dynamic Environment. New York, NY: Routledge

Foot Locker. (2014). Foot Locker, Inc. Announces Updated Strategic Plan and Elevated Long-Term Financial Objectives. Retrieved from  http://www.footlocker-inc.com/investors.cfm?page=2012-foot-locker-announces-strategic-plan 

Harrison, J. & John, C.H. (2013). Foundations in Strategic Management (6th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Automation
Process automation has revolutionized the way that organizations do business and has led to the downsizing of many companies. There are a variety of technology products that are available through process automation which make business operations simpler and less expensive. The purpose of this paper is to discuss process automation and the impact that it has on downsizing. We will discuss the technologies that are available and why these technologies are important to the overall business strategies of corporations. Let's begin our discussion by defining process automation.

Process Automation

According to a whitepaper entitled Requirements and Characteristics of Process Automation, process automation is defined as "Automatic control of an organization's processes, policies, and communications using computer technology which brings about improved productivity and quality." (Matthews) The whitepaper, published by Cypress technologies, states that effective process automation is designed to improve manual processes within an organization. (Matthews) The whitepaper also explains that there…...

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Bibliography

Can Your Process Automation System Deliver in the Collaborative Era? Business Wire. 2002

Global Process Automation and OSIsoft Partner on Enterprise Solutions..2003. BusinessWire.

Issues of Merit. 2002. Merit System Protection Board. 20 June 2003  http://www.mspb.gov/studies/02sepnws.pdf 

Key Industry Executives Discuss Future of Automation Business at ARC Forum. 2002 BusinessWire

modernization in early China and Japan
Two Asian countries, China and Japan, have tried to postpone the process of modernization in the occidental sense of the word as long as possible. By definition, modernization comes along with openness. Governments become aware of the technological and scientific revolutions that happen in the rest of the world. China's continuity in culture and civilization was not necessarily a result of its refuse to let different cultures interfere with its one. On the countrary, China's history is closely linked with waves of migration, foreign Asiatic governments and by the time China became "the largest unified empire in the world," towards the end of the eighteenth century, the western world, especially Great Britain was attempting to expand its trading relations with China as well as the cultural exchanges that were by the time almost non-existent. Lord George Macartney, the emissary of king George III, on…...

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Sources of Japanese Tradition, Vol II. Okakura Kakuzo: Aesthetic Pan-Asianism

Rozman, G. The Modernization of China. Simon and Schuster. 1982

The Meiji Restoration and Modernization. Retrieved: Nov 22, 2009. Available at: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/modernhist/meiji.html

Cheng, P-K. & Lestz, M with Spence, JD. The Search For Modern China W.W. Norton & Company. New York. London.

Reliablism & Bonjour's Objections
The central belief of process reliabilism is the belief in the reliability of the causal process. Its central tenant is what is observed regularly or reliably as a chain of events in a process can be relied up. However, the philosopher Louis Bonjour objects firstly that such a presumption will always be tenuous because one does not know if the senses in question that observe the causal connections are reliable. Thus, one cannot verify the senses accurately or reliably, because although one may see, one does not have to know how the eye works to apprehend in vision. The process occurs before the apprehension of the reliability of the apparatus of the eye, nose, ear, etc.

Probabilistic inferences are even more problematic when they do not depend upon immediate sensory data, such as clairvoyance. Although it may sound, the author acknowledges, absurd to make a comparison between…...

Attaining Knowledge: hy throwing a baseball would not be possible for a neural network.
Learning how to throw a baseball occurs in stages. First, someone, usually a parent instructs a young child on the basic process of throwing the ball, before the child is scheduled to participate in a game. The child is first shown the basic motion as to how to curve his or her body when tossing the baseball, to get the ball across the field with some measure of force. Then, when the child gains a sense of physical confidence in the simple act of throwing, the parent shows the child how to hold the ball in such a fashion that the ball travels farther, with a sharper degree of accuracy.

The physical motion is only the most rudimentary aspect of throwing a baseball. Gradually, over time, the child enters into a real game with similarly skilled players, usually…...

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Work Cited

Smith, Leslie. (1996) "An introduction to neural networks." Center for Cognitive Development. Updated 2001. Retrieved 21 Mar 2004  http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~lss/NNIntro/InvSlides.html#what

Moving households is among the stressful household tasks especially if it is because of relocation to another place. Moving households does not only entail the need for energy and strength to endure the tiresome process mostly because of the heavy weight of furniture, but also entails time and money to accomplish the process. Most people who needs to move or relocate to another place gets the service of mover companies to free themselves from stress that moving causes. However, for those who cannot afford to pay much for the task, there are many techniques to make moving easy and less tiresome.
Following is a step-by-step process of moving households, particularly during relocation to another house.

Before Moving

Be 100% certain that the place you are moving to is worth staying for a long time.

Planning to move is important, but before anything else, it is more important to be certain that you like the…...

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References

Horn, S. On the Road Again.

Retrieved on August 28, 2005, from Online.

Web site: http://www.usma.edu/sja/Legal%20Ease/Ready%20to%20PCS.doc.

Negotiating Union Contracts
Jonathan Zaun

The relationship between a city or municipality and its various employee groups is often defined by the collective bargaining process which is used to formulate and finalize contracts between the two parties. From police and other law enforcement officials to firefighters and courthouse workers, city employees are often bound by the terms of contracts which are negotiated by their respective union representatives. The negotiation process between municipalities and unions, which seemingly present a simple and pragmatic exercise in economic policy, can often devolve into a public display of political maneuvering based on the brokering of backroom deals. Ostensibly, city worker contract negotiations are the designated forum through which issues such as salary increases or decreases, pension planning and the allotment of benefits are discussed and agreed upon. Unions fight to expand the scope of their influence, securing gains for their members in the form of guaranteed pay…...

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Works Cited

Borda, P.S. (2011, July 03). Salaries divide city, police: mayor, union to resume negotiations tuesday. Frederick News Post, p. 1-2.

Gillespie, M.H. (1986, July 15). Some philadelphia workers return to jobs. Anchorage Daily News, p. A5.

Kammerer, K. (2011, March 25). City policies on police: can our elected leaders make the calls?. Crosscut.com, Retrieved from  http://crosscut.com/2011/03/25/seattle-city-hall/20747/City-policies-on-police:-Can-our-elected-leaders-make-the-calls-/one_page/ 

Takahashi, P. (2011, June 15). North las vegas plans to cut 83 police positions, including 17 officers. Las Vegas Sun, p. 1-3.

FedEx Quality Management Issue
Process Improvement Tools and Applications in Quality Management

FED-EX Case Study

For the purpose of the present study, the company chosen is that of Fed-Ex. This writer will take on the role of a quality management consultant and submit a recommended direction to implement a quality management initiative to address the quality management related problems identified. An examination of the Fed-Ex company informs this study that Fed-Ex has issues with its software in that other companies are not able to integrate with Fed-Ex software. This presents challenges and some of these challenges are affecting the quality of service delivery of Fed-Ex. An online search via Google's search engine reveals that there are software issues affecting the quality and perceived quality of Fed-Ex delivery services. A February 28, 2011 report states that FedEx had suffered a "major computer glitch…" and the result was system wide computer problems for the company.…...

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References

Information Technologies - Concepts and Management (nd) MIS. Scribd. Retrieved from:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/7047205/MIS-Chapter-02-Information-Technologies-Concepts-and-Management 

Krill, Paul (2006) FedEx seeks improved software testing. Computer World. Retrieved from:  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9006342/FedEx_seeks_improved_software_testing 

Savitz, Eric (2010) FedEx Suffers Tracking Update Issues; iPHone Buyers Jittery. Barron's Tech Trader Daily. 23 June 2010. Retrieved from: http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/06/23/FedEx-suffers-tracking-update-issues-iPhone-buyers-jittery/

Sunoco and FedEx Suffer 'Back to the Future' Computer Problems. 8 Feb 2011. Retrieved from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/computing/it/sunoco-and-FedEx-suffer-back-to-the-future-computer-problems

Location Strategy
Flow of Maternity Patients at Arnold Palmer Hospital (APH)

Born w / complications

Taken to an operating room and/or intensive care unit for necessary care; o nce stabilized transferred to care unit and discharged when ready. If additional care needed child transferred to neo-natal and released at a later time.

Mother and baby discharged

Born w/o complications transferred to mother and baby care unit

eady to deliver taken to the

nd floor until the baby is born

Not ready to deliver sent home, asked to return later.

#2 If baby is born in route or imminent goes to #6. Otherwise go to #3

#3 Patient is asked about pre- registration

#4 pregnant woman is taken to Labor & delivery Triage on the

th floor for assessment

Babies

born #1 Enter APH's Labor & Delivery check in desk entrance

#1.Through analysis of the flow chart there really doesn't seem to be many ways that the process could be improved. However one thing that…...

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References

Braaten, J., & Bellhouse, D. (2007). Improving patient care by making small sustainable changes: a cardiac telemetry unit's experience. Nursing Economic$, 25(3), 162-166. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database

Pate, D., & Puffe, M. (2007). Improving Patient Flow. (cover story). Physician Executive, 33(3), 32. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.

#1 Enter APH's Labor & Delivery check in desk entrance

Process chart without registration process.

Strategy Mapping and the Learning and Growth Perspective
Strategy mapping has recently emerged as an important component in strategic planning, especially in relation to the learning and growth perspective. In most cases, the strategic planning process involves developing a strategy map that is in line with balanced scorecard as the outline for strategy development. Generally, strategy mapping is part of the process that is geared towards exceeding customer expectations and eventually creating value for an organization's financial stakeholders. The significance of strategy mapping as a foundation towards organizational success is mainly attributed to its link to performance management and the establishment of value propositions. This article explains the process of strategy mapping and demonstrates how it relates to performance management and establishing value propositions.

Strategy Mapping and Balanced Scorecard:

The modern business world is characterized with crisis in strategy despite the ability of managers to develop good strategies. Therefore, the crisis is attributed…...

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References:

Armitage, H. & Scholey, C. (2007, March). Using Strategy Maps to Drive Performance.

Retrieved July 16, 2014, from  http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/Tech_MAG_Strategy_Mapping_March07.pdf 

"Baldrige Program Strategy Map." (2014). National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST).

Retrieved from U.S. Department of Commerce website:  http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/about/strategy_map.cfm

Capital Budgeting and Cost of Capital
Capital budgeting is a multifaceted process that is crucial to good investment decisions by a business or company. This complicated process is defined as a procedure of determining whether an investment is beneficial or not. In essence, capital budgeting helps an organization or company to examine the attractiveness and profitability of an investment opportunity. During this process, companies have several opportunities, which are weighed depending on their potential for the purpose of making a comparison and choosing the most appropriate opportunity. Despite its complexity, capital budgeting is always used by companies as they seek to become more profitable through good investment decisions.

An example of a capital budgeting decision a company might need to make is the consideration of purchasing new equipment. A company may need to consider buying new equipment as part of its measures to enhance its production capacity. The expansion of production capacity…...

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References

Marzec, E. (n.d.). Three Primary Methods Used to Make Capital Budgeting Decisions. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-primary-methods-used-make-capital-budgeting-decisions-11570.html 

Peavler, R. (n.d.). Internal Rate of Return -- A Capital Budgeting Decision Method. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from  http://bizfinance.about.com/od/Capital-Budgeting/a/internal-rate-of-return.htm

Purchasing Process Flowchart
The organization is classified as a small business retail business in the beverage and food industry. Specifically, the business is an independently owned coffee roaster and coffee shop. The products sold by this merchant include coffee beans roasted in-house, hot and cold handcrafted coffee beverages, pastries, and hot and cold sandwiches. The target market for this business is primarily the people who work in the downtown area where the shop is located. This means that the target market accesses the products and services mainly during the weekdays when they are at work in the urban area characterized by mixed-use development. One target market segment lives and works in the urban area, while another major target market segment commutes to the urban area for work and may occasionally visit the museums, theatres, restaurants, and bars after hours or on weekends. The market niche that supports this business is Millennials…...

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References

E-Draw Flowcharts. (2012). Retrieved from  https://www.edrawsoft.com/flowchart-examples.php 

PC Magazine. (2010). Definistion of flow chart. Retrieved from  http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/43329/flowchart 

Quality Digest. (2014). Flowcharting: An essential tool. Retrieved from  http://www.qualitydigest.com/jan98/html/flowchrt.html 

FlowBreeze. (2008). Flowchart symbols and their meanings. Retreived from  http://www.breezetree.com/article-excel-flowchart-shapes.htm

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While the concept of a bathing culture may be most strongly associated with the Romans at the time of the Roman Empire, many cultures have placed social, economic, and personal emphasis on bathing in a way that makes the practice as much about culture as it is about hygiene.  Historically, cultures had very different approaches to bathing, with some ancient cultures considering baths dangerous, while others considered them almost sacred.  Even in modern times, cultures take different approaches to the concept of bathing.

You can see the influence of nature on Japanese bathing tradition, which sets it apart....