Improving Cvs Inventory System Essays

Improving Cvs Inventory System Essays Improving Cvs Inventory System Essay Improving Cvs Inventory System Essay The purpose of this project was to gain experience in quality improvement by working with an organization to identify a business problem, analyze the causes, develop an improvement plan, implement changes, and to verify the effectiveness of the solutions. For this project we had to keep scope in mind. This project had to follow certain criteria, such as: that it is a manageable project with a local organization, it can be completed within the time frame of the course, it has a direct impact on external customers, it is relatively simple, and that it is not something that is currently undergoing major changes. The partner organization that our group worked with was CVS Pharmacies, and our main problem had to do with their current inventory process. Through problem identification tools, that helped us determine the what, when, where, how and who of the problem, as well as through tools such as SIPOC, catter plots, CE diagrams and KPIV/KPOV diagrams we were able to develop a focused problem statement. Our focused problem statement says that due to a poor inventory process, it takes too long for employees to find items that are out of stock (on the shelves), that have been requested for by customers, resulting in lost productivity, as well as frustration by customers, employees and ma nagement. This lost productivity results in poor quality that can be associated with a cost, as poor quality has a cost. We used a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach to help us with this project. The define portion was used to identify the nature of the customer service problem, the measure phase was used to determine key service metrics, during the analyze stage we analyzed the reasons for poor service, within the improve stage we established new service protocols and implemented training strategies, and during the control phase we implemented controls to maintain the improvements that have been made. Some of the major results/findings of the report can be found in the graphs below. They show a summarization of data collected before and after recommendations have been made, in order to determine if any improvements have taken place. In conclusion we were able to make dramatic changes within the CVS we partnered with regarding their inventory process, we were able to reduce average times by 54%, range reduced by 70%, and standard deviation reduced by 50%, it can be concluded that the implementation plan we have instilled within the organization has made improvements to the overall inventory process. Recommendations for the CVS organization include two main ideas, organization and employee motivation. It is crucial that CVS maintain the current organization of their overstock area, with each isle having its own place within overstock, making it much easier for employees to find items. Also the CVS must keep their employees both well informed and motivated. Their employees must understand how important it is to have an organized stockroom, and must be taught how to maintain it. Also employers must motivate their employees to keep a more organized inventory, and also help motivate them to try and keep the shelves stocked, preventing them from even having to go in the overstock inventory area. In conclusion: due to an improved inventory process, it now takes less time for employees to find overstock items, this results in more productivity, a reduced cost of poor quality, as well as less frustration by customers, employees and management. Improvement Opportunity: The Define Phase The purpose of this project was to gain experience in quality improvement by working with an organization to identify a business problem, analyze the causes, develop an improvement plan, implement changes, and to verify the effectiveness of the solutions. For this project we had to keep scope in mind. This project had to follow certain criteria, such as: that it is a manageable project with a local organization, it can be completed within the time frame of the course, it has a direct impact on external customers, it is relatively simple, and that it is not something that is currently undergoing major changes. The company that our group has partnered with for this project is CVS Pharmacies. We looked into this company to see if there were any areas for improvement within the organization that would have an impact on external customers. Within this define stage is when we did exactly that, we defined the problem. One problem that we found within the CVS Pharmacy, that would be easy enough to handle given the scope of the project, concerned the stores current inventory (overstock, backstock) system. It seemed that currently there was no formalized process with regard to placing items in overstock, resulting in an unorganized and unconventional overstock area. This created a problem because it made it harder for employees to find items within overstock, once they have been requested by a customer. For example, a customer wants to by an item, but that shelf is empty, they then ask an employee to check overstock to see if there are any more of the requested items, but due to the lack of organization it takes a long time for employees to find these items, if they even find them. This is a problem because it results in lost productivity from employees, since they spend much time looking for overstock items, as well as frustration from customers, who must wait; frustration from employees who struggle trying to quickly find items; and managers who are angered because their employees are frustrated, and by the loss of productivity. The main key measure that was used to evaluate success was time. It was agreed that the easiest way one could measure and later evaluate and compare data for this project was by minutes. Minutes it takes for employees to find overstock items for customers. This way one could compare averages and deviations from both before and after an attempt to relieve this problem, to determine if any improvements to the process have been made. One of the ways our group used to determine our problem and to get a better understanding of the entire process was through the development of a SIPOC diagram. A SIPOC diagram helps identify the key Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers of the situation. Our developed SIPOC Diagram is seen below. Performance: The Measure Phase During the measure phase our group collected data that indicated the what, when, and where of the problem. The define stage helped as well in the identification of key input and output variables through the use of KPIV and KPOV diagrams. Also during this stage is when the identification of a target performance level was found, as well as a quantification of the current performance level, and a measurement systems analysis. What we measured was the amount of time in minutes in takes employees to find overstock items for customers. This measurement was timed from the moment the customer engaged the employee until the moment that customer received the status of the requested item, with it either being located or deemed unavailable at that location. The figure below is the KPIV and KPOV diagram, this diagram was used to identity both key process input variables as well as key process output variables. Some of the key process input variables include management, employees, customers, and current information systems. In retrospect some of the key process output variables include customer service, better time management for employees, and other tasks that need to be completed. In summary this process has problems because it is taking too long for items to get from overstock to the customer. Also during this measure phase we gathered data. The data gathered for this project as aforementioned was time in minutes it takes employees to retrieve items from overstock. For this our group collected over thirty points of data. A summary of the data we collected can be seen in the figure below, and raw data can be found within the appendix. We analyzed this data to determine the average time it takes employees to find items from within overstock; we also calculated the range of times, as well as the standard deviation. Summary of Data| Â  | Average| | 2 min 55 Sec. | Range| | Â  | | Low| 1 min 20 Sec. | | High| 12 min 20 Sec. | Standard Deviation| 1 min 38 Sec. | Another item measured was how much time on average an employee spends looking for requested items in any given shift, in order to determine the cost of this poor quality. It turned out that out of 18 hours worked, a total of two hours was spent by one employee looking for requested items, averaging out to roughly 48 minutes per eight hour shift. With this information a cost of this poor quality was determined. It was found by multiplying that 48 min per eight hour shift times five days per week, times 50 weeks for the year and lastly multiplying it by the average wage rate of CVS employees of $10 per hour. The projected cost of poor quality was found to be a loss of 203 hours per employee per year, with a rough cost of $2030 per employee per year as well. Later this data can be compared to future data to determine if any quality process improvements have been made. Analysis Findings: The Analyze Phase During the analyze phase, our group started off by developing the focused problem statement. We developed this statement by using a when, where, who, and how analysis. This analysis can be seen below. * What – Employees take too long to find items requested by the customer in overstock when the item is not on the shelves. This results in frustration among the customers as well as the employees. When – The problem takes place during operational hours of the store. * Where – The problem occurs on the sales floor as well as in overstock. * Who – The people involved in the process are the employees, customers, and management. * How – This problem takes place because of a poor inventory process with no set procedures. The next step was to determine the root cause of the problem. We did this by asking the 5 whys to get to the core of why customers and employees were experiencing unnecessary wait times to find the merchandise they were looking for: 1. Why is the process taking so long? The products are not on the shelf. 2. Why are the products not on the shelf? The stockroom is unorganized. 3. Why is the stockroom unorganized? Management has not implemented an effective process to organize the stockroom. 4. Why hasn’t management implemented an effective organization process? Management has not found the problem significant enough to make a change to the current process. 5. Why doesn’t management find it important to change the current process? Management is either not using or does not have the information about the possible losses from the current unorganized state of the stockroom and the possible gains from implementing a new system to organize the stockroom. Next, we brainstormed the potential factors that were causing the extended wait times into a cause-and-effect diagram. As shown below, the main four major categories involved were the equipment, process, people, and management | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | EQUIPMENT| | | | PROCESS| | | | | | | | | | | | Scanner Gun| | | No formalized process| | | | Once a Week| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Employee motivation| | Inconsistency| | | | | | and competency| | | | | | | | | | | Not uniform| | | | | Customers| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | PEOPLE| | | MANAGEMENT| | | | | We believed that there were three theories of causes, which were the people, management, and the process itself. First, the people factor was a main source because of the lack of employee motivation. Employees would either be frustrated with trying to find the merchandise, possibly causing them to quit searching altogether, or would simply lack the motivation to want to find the items in an unorganized stockroom. Also, since there was no formalized procedure in place, each employee had their own technique in trying to retrieve items from overstock to the sales floor. Next, management is a potential theory of cause because they may not have seen that a problem existed and did not take steps to fix or analyze that there may have been a problem. Last, there was no formalized process. When the customer would request an item, many items were left in overstock when the item could have been on the shelves to prevent wait time. Next we used a scatter plot (which can be seen below) to see if the isle number and the time taken to find each item had any correlation. From the scatter plot below, there did not seem to be any correlation between the isles where the items were positioned in the store and the time it took to find each item. The Improve Phase Possible Solutions: While brainstorming for this project our group came up with four possible solutions to the problem of finding out of stock items at CVS. They were; Organization of the back room, manager and employee involvement, the regular filling of outs, and more frequent resupply. * Organization of the back room simply means what it says, to organize the on hand inventory in such a way as to make it easier to find an item that is out of stock on the sales floor. * Management and employee involvement is to get the staff at the CVS to create a culture of maintaining the sales floor and on hand inventories more closely, and to strive to not have the problem of having to find the items in the first place. Filling outs regularly means to go through the sales floor periodically though out the day and fill the empty spaces on the shelves with the appropriate merchandise. * Resupplying more often was thought to have more frequent deliveries of merchandise to prevent selling out of items and possibly to help maintain a smaller on hand inventory in the back, possibly along the lines of JIT. Tests of Theories: To test the organization of th e back room the area was organized by aisle and the merchandise that would belong on that aisle grouped in that area. It took a little while to complete but was fairly simple and straight forward. The reorganization was done in an afternoon and the staff was reminded to maintain the placement of the stock. Manager and employee involvement was trickier. The concept had to be presented to CVS management in such a way as to get their attention and cooperation. Improved customer service and resulting sales were the key points. Unfortunately, there was a lack of interest on the part of both management and employees to change their current behaviors. To get the outs filled regularly the employees (or more specifically, Phong) were instructed to walk the sales floor though out the day and to fill any outs they came across. This one tied in closely with management and employee involvement and as such there was trouble in getting the employees to remember to continue checking and filling outs. They would do it perhaps once during the day, not enough to make a serious impact. For the more frequent resupply the on hand inventory was monitored to see what items were running out and how fast, as well as how long it took to receive new shipment of those items. It was discovered though that only a few items would ever completely run out. And the cost that would be incurred to reschedule deliveries and quantities for a few small items far outweighed the inconvenience of them being out of stock. While these were being implemented the time it took to find an item for the customer was being documented to compare to the previous data collected at the beginning of the project. Select Best Solution: While we were testing the possible solutions it became clear that some simply would not work. The more frequent resupply was not worth the effort and quite simply beyond the capabilities of the group to implement. Without being able to generate a culture of involvement with the managers and employees not only did it make improvement difficult to achieve and maintain it also affected the plan to frequently fill the outs on the shelf, as staff members simply were not involved at a necessary level to perform. As simple as that solution was it was not being effective. The best solution turned out to be to reorganize the back room. It was done in one day and was easy to keep staff members continuing to use it once it was done. As well it was not much different from the past, simply better organized. As well as our data showed the time it took to find an item did in fact decrease. Improvement Plan and Implementation: In a way the plan and implementation are already complete. The times to find items have already improved and the organization of the back room has already been done so the real plan now is to make sure that the CVS staff maintains the back room in that order and does not let it return to its previous disorganized stated. Hopefully over time this first step will foster a more proactive attitude towards the on hand inventory and actions such as filling the outs regularly will come naturally. Measures of Results: The data below was collected before implementation and after implementation. The average time before implementation was 2. 99 minutes and after implementation the average was 1. 34 minutes. The average time it took to locate items dropped dramatically with a reduction of 54%, which average time dropping from 175 seconds down to 80 seconds. Also the range has been reduced by 70%, with range being reduced from 11 minutes down to 2 minutes 40 seconds. The low of the range was brought down by a full minute, and the high was reduced by roughly nine minutes. Also we compared our two standard deviations and found a reduction of 50%, going from 1 minute 38 seconds down to 49 seconds. But what about the cost of poor quality, has that been reduced? Yes, it has. Originally our cost of poor quality was calculated within the measure phase of the project and was projected at $2030, or 203 lost hours per employee per year, but with the new processes in place these numbers have been reduced to $930, or 93 hours. This reduction of the cost of poor quality saves CVS on average $1100 per employee per year. The Control Phase Several steps need to be taken to maintain the improvements made on CVS’s inventory system. It needs to start with upper management. Upper management needs to create a culture of quality and set an example for the employees. Upper management should set new standards and procedures for the employees to follow. The employees should receive training equivalent to at least 1 day of work throughout the workweek for a period of 1-2 weeks to ensure full comprehension of the new formalized inventory process. The sales floor should be checked twice a week for items out of stock and items running low in stock on the sales floor. When either situation occurs, the safety stock from the stockroom should be used to fill in the empty shelves. Employees should be given scanner guns to determine if the items are available on the spot for the customer before they have to walk to the stockroom. The appropriate reorder point should be determined to prevent running out of safety stock, reducing the risk of stock-outs. Several lessons were learned from deciding to implement an organization process for a stockroom. The best way to organize a stockroom is by using shelves and pallets. First, we need to place food items on food shelves and paper items on paper shelves. Canned goods should be placed together in rows containing specific foods. Any bulk items should be placed on the top shelves. Next, extra containers and shelving should be purchased to ensure the stockroom has a place for everything including future shipments. The best way is to make exactly another front store in the backroom so we know where the items are when we need to find them for customers. Several lessons were learned from the overall project. The first was to understand the DMAIC process of Six Sigma and using it to solve problems. It is a valuable tool in solving significant business problems and identifying and removing defects to improve quality, ultimately saving the business costs associated with poor quality. We also learned to use a team approach to problem-solving. The DMAIC process requires a team effort from top management to lower-level employees and works best when everyone involved contributes their efforts to improve a process. Finally, the time spent on the project taught us to apply the appropriate problem-solving tools throughout the entire process. Conclusion After working with the CVS organization for several weeks, we were able to make a comparison of are original data and are second set of data that was collected during the improve phase. This was done to see, if in fact we have made some sort of quantifiable improvement to the process. One of the easiest ways to do this is through data comparison. As you may recall, we originally measured how long it takes for employees to retrieve items from overstock once they have been requested by the customer. We then calculated average, standard deviation, and the range of the data. The original data as well as the second data set can be seen below. Once one has all the quantifiable data available for comparison, it is easy to determine whether or not an improvement to the system and process has been made. By looking above it can easily be seen that an improvement has been made. The average time it took to locate items dropped dramatically with a reduction of 54%, which average time dropping from 175 seconds down to 80 seconds. Also the range has been reduced by 70%, with range being reduced from 11 minutes down to 2 minutes 40 seconds. The low of the range was brought down by a full minute, and the high was reduced by roughly nine minutes. Also we compared our two standard deviations and found a reduction of 50%, going from 1 minute 38 seconds down to 49 seconds. But what about the cost of poor quality, has that been reduced? Yes, it has. Originally our cost of poor quality was calculated within the measure phase of the project and was projected at $2030, or 203 lost hours per employee per year, but with the new processes in place these numbers have been reduced to $930, or 93 hours. This reduction of the cost of poor quality saves CVS on average $1100 per employee per year. In conclusion the recommendations that we applied to this process has had an overall improvement to the inventory system at our partner CVS location. Through the use of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process and with the help of several tools such as SIPOC diagrams, Cause and Effect diagrams, as well as tools to help identify key players such as the KPOV/KPIV diagrams, and through the implementation of a better formalized process; we were able to dramatically improve the inventory process for our CVS partnership store, with average time reduced by 54%, range reduced by 70%, and standard deviation reduced by 50%, it can be concluded that the implementation plan we have instilled within the organization has made improvements to the overall inventory process.

Ways to Alleviate Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ways to Alleviate Poverty - Essay Example Poverty is found in both the rural and urban settings, however, recent studies have shown that urban poverty is on the rise which could lead to growing inequalities among the people and finally end in conflict. The misconception of poverty stricken people residing in the rural areas that life is better off in the urban regions has only increased urban poverty (United Nations Economic). Considering this fact and also the associated negative effects of poverty such as child abuse and violence, malnutrition, unhealthy living conditions and the increasing informal settlements have resulted in the need to address poverty and provide suitable solutions to alleviate poverty (Leschied; United Nations Economic). There has been an increasing growth in economy over the past years that have given immense opportunity to people to grow. However, it would not be wise to assume that such economic development would benefit every individual living in poverty. The only other means to enhance the living conditions of the poorer sector is through introduction of suitable policies which are aimed at increasing their productivity and employment opportunities, increase investments on the small scale informal sectors where people living in poverty usually find employment, provide better living conditions for the poor and empower the poor population by providing their due social recognition. All this could be achieved through able governance with the help of other non-governmental organizations and the community as a whole. Those living under poverty have found immense employment opportunities in some informal working sector and the public and private sector companies will have to learn from the informal sectors about providing opportunities to the lower-income population. In order to increase job opportunities to the poor, the labor regulations imposed by the government should be aimed at maintaining the security provided to the existing employees. Another vital factor that would incre ase the employment of the poor is provision of adequate access to education, especially for girls, by which the literacy rate and access to employment can be attained among the poverty stricken population. In addition, investments to increase the capital of the informal working sector that employs people living in poverty should be expanded in order to provide better wages to the employees and thereby improve their living conditions. Additionally the government will also have to regularly review the regulations and procedures that are required for the operation of these informal sectors. Examples of such investments and regulatory changes have been the expansion of social collateral for the informal sector and the provision of land security for shops and workshops in the informal sector. Urban agriculture can also provide employment options for the poor sector and thus help in poverty reduction. The poor should also have banking access as it would alleviate their need to depend upon moneylenders and help them with their savings and loan requirements. Such facilities will enhance the self-confidence of the poor to start their own ventures thus paving the way for their development. In addition, if the housing needs of the poor are taken care by the government by the introduction of a security measure for their land tenure, it would help them to better their living conditions as they would not have to live with the constant fear of vacating the informal settlements. In addition, the government should also ensure that all the settlements have basic amenities such as water supply, drainage facilities, proper sanitation, good roads and power

LAW FOR BUSINESS Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LAW FOR BUSINESS Assignment - Essay Example This type of loss is mostly related with the economic benefits or profits of the claimant. Furthermore, the damages for pure economic losses are not recoverable in tort actions in the absence of the injury of personal nature and in the absence of personal property damage (Claim story, November 1998, p. 60, quoted as saying by Murphy and et. al, 1999). On the other hand, consequential economic loss is a type of economic loss that nearly or proximately results from the failure of the goods to work or function as warranted (Us legal). The examples of consequential economic loss are loss of business reputation, loss of goodwill and other types of loss that are created from the use and consumption of defective products and so on. How does the â€Å"floodgates† principle constrain the right of claimants to claim damages for pure economic loss in negligence?   Answer: The concept of floodgate is that the court will only make the defendant responsible and liable when it is appropria te and reasonable to do so in the public interest (Corporate and Business Law, 2007/08). Additionally, in order to satisfy the basic needs of this approach, some basic and fundamental conditions must be satisfied before going to use this approach for the purpose of claiming damages for pure economic loss in negligence. ... The loss of profit, wasted expenditure, loss of gain and so on are the examples of pure economic loss. Floodgates principles can constrain the right of claimant for the purpose of claiming damages for pure economic loss in negligence. If the claimant is unable to satisfy the basic and fundamental requirements given in the floodgate test, and even if the claimant becomes successful in proving any of the steps given in the floodgate test, he or she cannot be able to receive damages since all the components of floodgate test are not fully and totally satisfied as they should be. Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) Facts: Mrs Donoghue went to a cafe with a friend. She drank a bottle of ginger beer. She subsequently realised that there was a decomposed snail in the bottom of the opaque bottle. As a result, she suffered physical loss. She decided to sue the manufacturer, claiming that they were liable and under a duty to see such external and outside bodies did not get into the bottle of ginger be er. Held: There was a duty on the behalf of the manufacturer to take appropriate and reasonable care while manufacturing of these products. The manufacturer is under an obligation and duty to the consumer to take appropriate and reasonable care to stop and prevent injury. ‘You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour’ (Lord Atkin as saying quoted by Corporate and Business Law, 2007/2008, pp.67). Negligence Negligence as a tort is a sort of breach of a legal duty to take care, which causes in damage to another (OUP). In order to satisfy the occurrence of negligence, three conditions must be satisfied. Without satisfying these basic and fundamental conditions, the event or incident of

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Example for Free

Labor Relations Project and Presentation Essay Labor Relations is a very delicate part of a business that should be properly reviewed and studied before implementing or changing a businesses conduct. Happy Trails is a medium-sized company that is trying to minimize cost to continue to serve its tenants with a cost effective service. Unfortunately cost has to be reviewed in all possible ways and strategies. We will be covering a few of the advantages and disadvantages of unionizing. A recommendation will be given to help guide Happy Trails. A review will also be conducted of the issues a union might raise during the organizing effort. The steps that should be covered by the LPN’s will also be presented. We will then present the labor practice that the LPN’s should avoid. We will then advise the independent living home management on what we feel they should do. We will cover the arguments and defense the hospital will rise to the unions organizing issues. Then we will take a look at what the company must do if they resist unionization. We will then see what unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management. We will finalize this paper by reviewing what activities Happy Trail management should and should not engage in. Advantages Disadvantages The advisement to unionize, or not, is a complicated stance. There are advantages and disadvantages on both sides of the decision. With a decision to unionize, the LPNs would be protected and guaranteed wages and certain work conditions. On the other hand, Unionizing immediately creates an adverse relationship between members and the employer sometimes out weighing the benefits. In the event that a group of employees has a community of interests coupled with concerns about their treatment as an employee by an employer for any reason, the employees have the right under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). Recommendation In this case, the recommendation for the LPN’s would be to unionize. This would protect them from being over (or under) worked, insure that proper wages and entitlements were established, as well as make sure Happy Trails was not expecting or giving RN level care through the lesser qualified LPNs. Steps to Unionize For the group of LPN’s at Happy Trails, the first step would be to contact the local healthcare union representative mentioned in the overview. This would be a perfect starting resource for information, questions and answers. This is also the step in which the union should become clear about what issues are important and expected to be addressed by the collective bargaining. For the LPN’s at Happy Trails, their issues should be concentrated on wages, minimum hours worked, overtime terms, benefits, as well as clearly understanding the scope of their expected duties. Secondly, the LPN’s would need to decide to join an already established industry union, or to create a union of their own. In either case, a sufficient number of authorization cards (or petition signatures) must be acquired, and the union must be voted in during a union representation election, or by asking the employer to voluntarily recognize the union. The National Labor Relations Board supervises and the union election, and certifies the results (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). The last step is to win a strong union contract. The LPNs in this case would need to negotiate wages paid, overtime payment terms, benefits, and minimum expected hours worked. Any union is only as valuable as the contract agreed upon. Unfair Labor Practices that should be Avoided by the LPNs Generally, most unfair labor practices are committed by the union or the employer. The only unfair labor practice the LPNs should avoid is to not try to coerce their fellow workers to join the union. Should Happy Trails Oppose Unionization? Although unionization of groups like nurses is typically non-traditional, over the past 10 years there have been many registered nurses’ groups that have unionized across the country because of the demand for their employment and the shortage of nurses. Because of the need to have every American be able to afford healthcare, licensed practical nurses are in demand more because of their lower wages. Happy Trails should not oppose unionization. There are many other healthcare facilities in the area who are working with unions Happy Trails would benefit by negotiating with a union also. Because of the unhappy nurses at Happy Trails, trying to block unionization would probably be the worse step for the organization take. Employees may feel that management’s trying to manipulate them and this can decrease employee morale. The nurses may go to any of the other facilities to seek work and representation by the union for better working conditions. If Happy Trails loses more nurses, it may be hard to recruit new workers. Steps to Resist Unionization Tactics and strategies must be implemented in order to resist unionization. One strategy that has been used in the past is to hire consulting firms, also known as union busters (Bennett-Alexander Hartmann, 2007). These firms use methods that discourage employees from voting to have union representation. This strategy is a costly one and should only be used if basic steps are not working. One important step to avoiding unionization is through employee relations (Thomas Associates, 2009). Employee relations programs have the employees best interest in mind. An effective program will help employee/employer communication, which can help resolve any issues or dissatisfaction. If step one does not stop union organizing, the next step is to prevent the union from gaining employee support. Throughout this step the company should inform the LPNs of the cons of signing a union authorization card. If the employees are informed and feel valuable to the company they will be less likely to sign a union card. Information can be provided through meetings, letters, and bulletin boards. If an election campaign begins because 30 percent of employees signed cards, the next step is to resolve any employee issues and to legally convince employees that their best interests are served by rejecting the union. Happy Trails would need to build a strong campaign and reinforce the value of the existing benefits and the excellent working conditions. Arguments against Unionization by Happy Trails Arguments Happy Trails can use against unionization include the following: †¢ Funding the workers’ salary if a union exists †¢ Relationships between employee and employer may be threatened with a union †¢ Union dues paid by employees is taken from their paycheck †¢ The union cannot guarantee anything What unfair labor practices need to be avoided by management? a) Management should not try to control or interfere with union affairs. They should not try to get their favorite/certain candidate to be elected to the union office. b) Management should not discriminate against employees who join or is in favor of brining in a union. They should not discriminate against employees â€Å"who exercise their rights under the law (e.g., terminating, demoting, or giving poor working schedules to such employees).† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 666) c) Management should not interfere, threaten or restrain their employees from exercising their rights under the labor law legislation, for example, they should not tell employees that they are not allowed to have unions or they will be punished or terminated if they do bring a union). d) Management should not refuse to bargain with the union. And they should not refuse to bargain in good faith. †¢ Happy Trails’ management team may engage in any number of activities during the unionization. Which of the following would you advise? Explain why or why not? Activities during Unionization Promote LPNs, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. Unionization can be a long process but is quite beneficial for the LPN’s. Unions are typically formed because employees are unhappy with their pay, working conditions, or poor benefits. For that reason the activity management should engage in is to actively promote LPN’s, offer bonuses, and place some into leadership and management roles. This is the best tactic to use and could benefit Happy Trails as well as the LPN’s. However, the company has to make sure the tactics do not interfere with the employees’ efforts to unionize. Raises and opportunities must be given to everyone, not just union supporters; otherwise the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) could view the act as illegal and as unfair labor practices. As long as the employer bargains in good faith no law has been broken. Tell employees salary increases must cease to finance the collective bargaining agreement. This option is not viable therefore I do not recommend it. Utilizing scare tactics and threatening to cease salary increases will do more harm than good. Strikes could occur, which would have a negative impact on the company. The LPN’s shouldn’t feel like they are being punished for going with the union. Explain current employee benefits to the LPN’s, comparing them to union promises. Though this option is informative it is timely. There are cons to being in a union such as dues and possible strikes. Providing information to employees could sway their decision especially if they are not familiar with the union practices. However, overall the union has benefited employees, which is why this method could be more wasteful than effective. Most union members have better benefits and pay than non-union members. The LPN’s are aware of the superior wages and benefits other LPN’s in the areas have received therefore there is not much to explain. Threaten to close facility due to union campaign Being that Happy Trails is a health care facility, closing the facility would not be practical. It would also be considered discrimination against employees if they closed the facility down due to the union campaign. The NLRA does not allow discrimination against employees for participating in union activities. By staying open, they have the upper hand and it would give them more opportunity to explain the disadvantages of a union to their employees. Assist in circulation of antiunion petitions. During a unionizing campaign an employer cannot assist in antiunion petitions. Assisting in this activity could be considered interference by the employer. Participating in these activities is illegal and viewed as unfair labor practices. Counter union exaggerated claims on flyers. We recommend the management not to send the flyers with exaggerated counter offers to union claims. The management is not supposed to â€Å"promise wage increases or other benefits if employees don’t join the union.† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, pg 673) And they are not supposed to e-mail, post or circulate any intimidating letters or leaflets (flyers). The management can however give pay raises or benefits, but they have to give them all across the boards, not only to the union supporters. However, this tactic is limited if the management decides to do this after the union has applied for the certificate or has given notice to the management to bargain its first agreement. Tell employees they do not need to talk to union organizers, that they may vote against the union, and that the independent living home does not welcome the union. We recommend the management to talk with the employees, and tell them that they have the option to join the union, but it’s not mandatory for them to join. They can also tell the employees that the independent living home does not welcome the union, but if the employees vote for the union, the management will follow the good faith bargaining agreement. Solicit employees to request the return of their authorization cards. We would recommend the management not to ask employees to return the authorization cards (badges) that mean you are letting them go. Employers can not threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Tell employees they may be replaced if they vote for the union. We would recommend the management not to tell employees that they will be replaced if they vote for the union. That would mean the management is threatening the employees. Management can’t threaten to fire, lay-off or terminate employees for supporting or joining a union. Appeal to the employees to defeat the union. We would recommend the management to talk with the employees and tell them not to vote in favor of the union. The independent living home will do everything possible to raise the wages and benefits as much as possible if the union is defeated. The management has to be careful not to negatively influence the employees against the union. The management can also tell the employees, that if the union is organized, we will treat the collective bargaining process with full faith and not follow any unfair labor practices. The management also can state that we will follow exactly what the law requires. Statistics for union members in United States and California (Statistics, 2013): [pic] Conclusion When making huge changes that change an employees, benefits, pay, rights, and responsibilities it is very important and should be done very carefully. A company must remember how important these changes are to people and what issues could be created if the employees feel they are not being taken into consideration. When an employee feels violated they can go to extreme measure like becoming part of a union. A union can become a huge burden for a company and cost employees money. Many of the reasons why employees look at unions can usually be avoided and handled in house. Employees should also remember that a union cost money and they should search for a union that is worth their money. Unfortunately sometimes employees end up loosing more than winning when they become part of a union. If the people in the union are not doing their job and looking out for all employees then they might just be spending their money and not getting what they deserve. References: Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, L. P. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Ch. 14-Labor Law. Pg. 666 673. Labor Union Statistics. Retrieved on February 17, 2013. http://www.bls.gov/ro9/unionca.htm Thomas Associates (2009). Avoiding Unions. Retrieved February 18, 2013 from http://www.employersattorneys.com/employment-law/California-employer-how-to-

Microfone Inc. :: essays research papers

MICROFONE INC.Ó Introduction If you have been keeping up to date with the news than you already know that people are accusing cell phones of causing car accidents. People say they are unsafe and distracting to drivers. Georgia is trying to pass a law that will ban the use of cell phones while driving a vehicle, because of the accidents and safety. Florida has had this law for several years now, and from past experience, when the law was passed our company sales decreased. Consumers did not want to buy a cell phone if they could not use it in their car. The company was not expecting a decrease and was not prepared for this, so we suffered with layoffs till things smoothed out. We can not let this happen again, so when the law is passed in Georgia we have to be ready. My department and I put our heads together in hopes of designing a new phone to help us through this situation, for the second time. We were aiming towards a small phone that our customers could use hands free, something simple that did not have unsightly wires hanging out of it. The best result was a cell phone that is as small as a hearing aid. It is called the MicrofoneÓ, it combines all our latest technology into one small phone. Drivers can then talk on their phones hands free, therefore reducing the risk of an accident, and avoid breaking the law. Corporation & Sales The MicrofoneÓ Corporation began in the late 1980’s. From the development of many analog and digital phones, to the development of hands free devices, and portable Internet; the Portadigital INC. Company has brought many technological advances in the wireless world. Many of our leading scholars, graduated from DeVry Institute of Technology and are very knowledgeable in the technology field. We have spent numerous hours developing and now promoting this amazing product that will revolutionize the Cell Phone Industry. After the latest invention of the MicrofoneÓ, to our belief is the best advance in the technology world, the Portadigital company did not want to spend valuable time competing with similar products, but moreover to break away with the concept of Microfone Ó. So after careful decision the Portadigital Corporation successfully changed their name in 2000, to Microfone INC. This change has allowed us to concentrate solely on our unprecedented MicrofoneÓ invention, and it allowed everyone to recognize the Monopoly this could form.

Attention Getter Essay

Nowadays, many tragic accidents happen everywhere and this situation is alarming. Rate of accidents keep on increasing from day to day not just in the cities but also in rural areas. All of these accidents have made many people lost their families and loved ones. It is very pitiful when we get news about accidents which happen every day from newspapers. This shows that many people suffer when accidents happen to their family or relatives. Greetings: Good morning everyone. My name is Apollo Thesis statement: Today i would like to give a speech about the causes of happen road accidents. Summative Overview: Here are some causes of the road accidents happen such as: drink and drive, using cell phone while driving and teenage drivers. Benefit: It we know the causes of road accidents we can become more responsible and more careful to avoid road accidents/ those causes are reminds us to be more responsible to not only ourselves also the passenger in our car. Point 1: Drink and drive First of the causes is drinking and driving is the leading cause of car accidents. Driving while intoxication is dangerous, because drinking increases your inhibitions and self-confidence but lowers your driving performance and your ability to focus. In other words, alcohol impairs the decision-making ability of the brain. For example, when people get drunk, they do not even think they are drunk. They may feel like they can do anything. But they cannot. Many accidents occur because of drinking. These accidents involve mostly one car, but other people are killed by drunk drivers. People have to be educated about drinking and driving, so they do not kill themselves or innocent people on the road. Point 2: Using cell phone while driving The second point is using cell phones while driving is also a cause for car accidents. When a cell phone is used while driving, it distracts the attention of the driver, leading to car accidents. While using a cell phone  many people tend to miss the traffic signals, not really concentrating on driving. The process of dialing or answering the phone can make them lose control of the vehicle as well. Even though the driver is looking at the road, he or she can easily get distracted by the conversation. This can result in fatal accidents. Point 3: Teenage drivers Another cause of road accidents on the road is teenage drivers. Some teenagers cause fatal accidents, because of immaturity and lack of experience. Teenagers are very impulsive. Although not intending to hurt anyone, they sometimes drive very aggressively. It is not difficult to find teenagers driving with one hand on the steering wheel, seat pushed back, and with loud music playing. In traffic they go wild, trying to seek attention. They underestimate the risk of what they are doing. All these acts result is serious consequences on the road. Many accidents of young drivers result from their own mistakes. It will cause a psychological shadow in their future. Conclusion Re-thesis statement + summative overview: As conclusion, all this ways which are drink and drive, using cell phone while driving and teenage drivers are the causes of road accidents by avoid those causes we decrease the road accidents in our country and make a good image for the tourist who come to our country Benefit: We can learn to become more responsible to our passage it will help decrease the number of road accidents happen. By the way decrease the road accidents we can save more people . Clincher: By avoid road accidents we are not only saving our own life we also saving other people life too. Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don’t  let yourself believe it will happen to you!

Revenue in Print Media - 1648 Words

REVENUE IN PRINT MEDIA Print production is measured on its quality, timeliness and effectiveness, whether its a brochure or packaging or a magazine advertisement. But when something in the production process goes wrong, it can not only cause delays but also increase cost and impact quality. The challenge for print buyers is to manage print jobs efficiently through procurement and production while guaranteeing consistent quality and on-time in-budget completion. This requires specialized expertise. Digital technology is increasingly competing with print media by opening access to endless sources of news. It may now seem that the need of the reader to buy a newspaper for news and the need of the advertiser to advertise in it, is slowly†¦show more content†¦Modern newspapers must be compact, a less-is-more approach would help cut newsprint, printing, distribution and other costs that do not add to the journalism. As for the revenue to sustain print media, it will have to come from a high degree of integration between the static and the dynamic mediums. For example, a dynamic browser tool-bar may aggregate news from different sources, allowing not only targeted advertising but also for charging micro-payment from readers. In the true sense of the word no two media can be rivals. New technology rarely replaces the previous technology completely. As both print and digital media is completely dependent on computers for their production process it would be easy for both to be complementary to each other. The wise perspective would be one of digital and print media rather than digital vs print media. The economic downturn has thrown up a challenge and an opportunity for the print media to transform itself. Costs involved in production of print media : Costs of Self-Publishing †¢ You have to learn about it all yourself. This can be fun. Its also a lot of work, and can cost quite a bit. †¢ Publishing company startup costs include: o ISBN prefix, equipment and software for layout printing—approximately $1000 o Learning curve means expensive mistakes. o ~$500-1000 minimum startup promotion per book. †¢ Minimum economical print run is 2000 copies at $3-10 per book: $6000-$20,000 commitmentShow MoreRelatedMajor Media Companies Continue For Dump Newsprint1043 Words   |  5 PagesCourse: Comm 233 Subject: Major Media Companies Continue to Dump Newsprint Journals: The New York Times, 8/10/14 (Print is Down, and Now Out) http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/business/media/media-companies-spin-off-newspapers-to-uncertain-futures.html?_r=0 The Atlantic 8/11/14 (A Terrible Year for Newspapers, a Good Year for News) http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/a-terrible-year-for-newspapers-a-great-year-for-news/375859/ SUMMARY OF PRINT IS DOWN, AND NOW OUT Recently,Read MorePrint Is Not So Fast1573 Words   |  7 PagesA Forbes magazine article titled â€Å"Print is Dead? 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