Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Existence Of God. Throughout The Years As Human Beings

The Existence of God Throughout the years as human beings keep learning about the world we are finding out that we are living in a world where evil surrounds us. This belief conflicts with the beliefs of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God, then he should have the knowledge that there’s evil in the world, he should have the benevolence to want to stop the evil, and he should have the ability to make the evil vanish. We can know that the problem of evil exists in the world by having to experience it only a few times and the suffering caused by this evil is something no human would want happening to them. The†¦show more content†¦An uncontrollable and unnecessary evil is the example of all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-evil being known as Satan. â€Å"Some try to justify evil by blaming it on Satan. God doesn’t create evil; Satan do es†(taken from Doing Philosophy, Lewis Vaughn). This argument helps solidify the theistic beliefs that there’s an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God who is aware of how much evils is brought in the world by humans and is able to control it and keep it in equilibrium with the good. If we were controlled by a force beyond our control like God, then we would be perfectly good beings who would always choose the good decision over the evil one. Some of the evil in this world is said to be caused by humans and the choices we choose. This is implemented that we live in a world where our actions aren’t constrained by any limiting factor, meaning we have the freewill to choose to act on our own moral values and choose between evil or good. These people believe that, â€Å"the price we pay for having free will is the existence of evil†(taken from Doing Philosophy, Lewis Vaughn). Although some argue that, â€Å"a being who has free will and yet always choos e the good does not seem to be logically impossible†(taken from Doing Philosophy, Lewis Vaughn) we get a sense that we aren’t born that way since we all were raised with differentShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of God : Evil1293 Words   |  6 Pages The Existence of God Throughout the years as the human species keeps learning about the world we live in, we are finding out that we are surrounded everywhere by evil. This seems to conflict with the belief of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-omnipotent, all-omniscient, and all-benevolent God, then he should have consummate knowledge that there’s evil inRead MoreThe Existence Of Miracles By David Hume1350 Words   |  6 PagesThrough these varying views, the man on the tightrope is being inspected, as well as his greater world and the fly that he sees disappear and reappear in front of him. This shows there is an extensive variation of facts to be examined for and against the case of miracles. Consequently, the authors included in the book, In Defense of Miracles, each considers different important details as the defining factors in the debate of the existence of miracles. Of those, some focus more heavi ly on the likelihoodRead MoreThe Existence Of God : Evil1297 Words   |  6 PagesThe Existence of God Throughout the years as the human species keeps learning about the world we live in, we are finding out that we are surrounded everywhere by evil. This seems to conflict with the belief of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-omnipotent, all-omniscient, and all-benevolent God, then he should have consummate knowledge that there’s evil in the world. Given that, if he knows there’s corruptionRead MoreCritique of the ideas for the Existence of God1100 Words   |  5 Pagesideas for the Existence of God For thousands of years the idea of God have been questioned and proposed by philosophers, scientists and scholars alike. Many have argued for and against its existence and it’s still a subject of heated debates in the present day. Since God is a notion about an entity that was never seen or heard from by anyone, it has been a strenuous struggle to substantiate his existence. Yet, great philosophers have always found a way to validate the idea of God through their ownRead MoreEssay on Science vs God636 Words   |  3 PagesScience Vs God Religion and human civilization are two words that pretty much go hand in hand. No great civilization has ever flourished without the existence of some sort of religion whether it be the polytheistic religions of early man that had many gods responsible for different parts of the world around them, or the monotheistic religions that millions of people practice throughout the world today. Mankind has always had the idea that there is a higher power who created and has the abilityRead MoreBeing Is Not Everything : The Importance Of Becoming Nothing1425 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 2016 Being Is Not Everything: The Importance of Becoming Nothing Heidegger believed that â€Å"Philosophizing is questioning the extra-ordinary† (Heidegger, et al. 14). He suggests, however, that when science questions existence, it simply focuses on what is, while dismissing that which is not (the nothing), and that because of this oversight, scientists do not see the full picture of existence. As a philosopher, Heidegger sought a deeper understanding of the purpose of human existence − his secularRead MoreObjection Response Paper On God s Existence1061 Words   |  5 Pageswhether or not God exists. 2. By â€Å"God† I mean the following. There is a single omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient higher power in existence that has created the universe and all that exists within it. 3. One premise supporting my uncertainty about God’s existence is the following. There is no physical evidence of God’s existence other than the Bible which was not written by God himself and is instead the work of humans. 4. A second premise supporting my uncertainty about God’s existence is the followingRead MoreThe Cosmological Argument On The Existence Of God1444 Words   |  6 Pagesexplain the existence of God; the Cosmological Argument is one such theory. The Cosmological Argument has been changed and reviewed for years; however, the focus has always stayed the same. The universe is a prime example that there is a God. A simple Cosmological argument states that: Everything that exists has a cause of its existence. The universe exists. Therefore, The universe has a cause of its existence. If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God. Therefore, God existsRead MoreThe Lifelong Goal Of Saint Thomas Aquinas1692 Words   |  7 Pages Study Of St. Thomas Aquinas Research Paper 11/23/2014 The lifelong goal of Saint Thomas Aquinas was to clearly elaborate the independence of philosophy and theology, but at the same time show their symbiotic relationship with each other. Throughout his life Aquinas was known as a theologian but many of his works carry strong philosophical undertones as well. The beauty of theology is it can enlighten us through its leap of faith. Philosophy was required to precede theology. The truths laidRead MoreDescartes Mind-Body Dualism Against Darwin’s Monism.Docx Essay883 Words   |  4 Pagesseparate entities and that human life is not simply the result random mutations that took place throughout the past two billion years or so. I am not going to attempt to disprove science; I can’t do that. I am however, going to try to give specific examples on the origin of existence and the nature of reality. Renà © Descartes believed that the mind and body are separate; that the senses could not always be trusted, but that because we as humans are able to think about our existence, we possess some sort

Friday, December 20, 2019

Analysis Of Denzel Washington s The Best Actor Of All...

One of the most talked about actors today is Denzel Washington, and considered one of the most engaging men of our time. So we can all agree on the fact that he’s the best actor of all time, right ?! Denzel Washington told a reporter who talked with him for a article that What individuals expound on me is the thing that they are, and they think I am I am who I am, a dark man, said Washington. He is a dark man with nobility and intellect . A dark man who declines to agree with injustice , a black man who fails at times, however stands up and starts once more. That gives him such a great amount of acknowledgment in the reality of film-making. Washington explained in 1990 to a journalist who addressed him about his race, I am exceptionally pleased to be dark, however dark is not all I am. (Denzel Washington His Film and Career) In spite of the fact that Denzel came from a broken family, his life does not reflect any hint of his past because of the fact that he is a good father and husband. Great speaker and exceptionally exquisite are some of words certain individuals use when discussing him. As a devotee of films, I think Washington has a picture of a performing artist who actuates individuals to expound on his life and conduct. That is the reason I picked him for my paper since he is a model to imitate. He is the one among those performing artists who don t let Hollywood degenerate them. Denzel was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 28, 1954, DenzelShow MoreRelated Ed Zwick’s Glory - An Exemplary Model for Historical Films Essay example2155 Words   |  9 Pagesaffinity. Director Ed Zwick was apprehensive with the task and struggled with his entitlement to create such a film. I was afraid initially that a young, white, liberal, Jewish director would be presuming a lot to talk to them [African-American actors] about their slave antecedents. In fact, what I discovered in rehearsal and everyday shooting was that they approached the situation with extraordinary humor and generosity. And I realized that if I was to act out my ancestors in the shtetl in Poland

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Musics affect on our brains Essay Example For Students

Musics affect on our brains Essay The state our brain goes into is scientifically known as the alpha state. According to scientist from Ben Greenfield Fitness, the brain is split into four different conscious and unconscious states. These states include but are not limited to the Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta states. As human beings our brain usually sits idle in the Beta state. The beta state consists of your brain being alert with concentration. In order to be as productive as possible the brain needs to be transferred to the alpha state. The alpha state is a super learning state of relaxation. You fall into a slight trance where you are more susceptible to new information. Commonly known by sports people as the zone this state can be reached through the focusing of your breathe, deep meditation or music. However not the same music will put all the same people in the zone. This is due to the fact that not all people hear music in the same way. Some people hear the melody rather than the harmony giving a different opinion to people on music and allowing everyone to experience it differently. An experience like this can often be indescribable for those who dont hear the song the same way. An experience like this could be compared to a person trying to describe a color to a blind person. We prepare colors into different categories such as pastels or dark, however if you have been blind all your life you have no way of knowing how that would compare. Pick a color and try to explain it to the next person you see without using the adjectives hot or cold. So why do some people play a song on repeat and memorize the lyrics while another skips it? According to scientist Salesroom It all depends on past musical experiences. Depending on what styles youre used to ? Eastern, Western, Jazz, heavy metal, pop ? all of these have very different rules they follow, and theyre all implicitly recorded n your brain, she says. Whether you realize it or not, every time youre listening to music, youre constantly activating these templates that you have. Using those musical memory templates, the nucleus acumens then acts as a prediction machine, she says. It predicts the reward that youll feel from a given piece of music based on similar types of music youve heard before. If you like it better than predicted, it registers as intense pleasure. If you feel worse than predicted, you feel bored or disappointed. music affect on our brains By accelerations 5 spoon similarly to music their feelings become more in sync then if they sat for the same amount of time talking. This is a possible link to understanding why dancing has been brought down in our culture as something romantic. When waltzing to a rhythm your partners heartbeat and yours fall into sync and your brains both drop into the alpha state giving an instant connection, perhaps even a romantic one. However scientists believe that dancing is possibly something built into our brains rather then brought down through generations. It is said that the need to tap your tot or bob your head has more to do with humans need to want to fit in and less to do with the effect music has on us. Despite the fact that music makes us want to dance it is noted from scientists that a good dancer is overall rated more attractive than a bad one. This has to with the fact that a good dancer connects to the music and humans rate that as a good communicator. When you do end up finding a song you enjoy, dopamine is released into your brain. .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .postImageUrl , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:hover , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:visited , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:active { border:0!important; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:active , .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8 .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2a543e0de78cf54486fe5cf9ce7f97c8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music Macro Environment EssayDopamine is the chemical that fills your brain and brings up happiness and positive thoughts! This chemical often is linked to your nucleus acumens this is attached to our superior temporal gurus. Do you ever listen to a song and memories come flooding back? This is the reason why. The superior temporal gurus brings up memories in the form of song lyrics and beats. Due to the fact that it is attached to your visual centers you can see an image, perhaps its of something you want to come out of your future or more commonly a time from your past. This is called nostalgia. It is the fond remembering of past, perhaps even dormant memories that can be dug up by a catchy pop tune or a drawn out ballad. Its a local and global experience for your body and an overall roust for your brain. This study can be lead to the conclusion that music can cure Alchemists. When listening to a song from their generation, people with Alchemists are able to see previous dormant memories. Scientists conclude that music is one of the most effective ways of curing different kinds of Alchemists. Not only does music cure the brain but it can also improve physical performance. Known as pump up music, music with a steady fast beat makes you work harder when exerting yourself. When taking in the music your brain recognizes the beat and your heart tries to match it. This sends extra blood pumping through your body which gives you the energy to train harder. This method is known as brainwave entertainment. Brainwave entrainment is any method that causes your brainwave frequencies to fall into step with a specific frequency. Its based on the concept that the human brain has a tendency to change its dominant GEE frequency towards the frequency of a dominant external stimulus (such as music, or sound). Songbirds and humans are the only two animals that this happens to. In fact recent research has discovered that songbirds and humans are more alike than one might first believe. ND humans share a distinct pattern of activity in roughly 40 genes in analogous regions called Area X in birds and the anterior stratum at the base of the foreordain in humans. These structures are involved in imitation. The genes in the brain that involve speaking and singing are more utilized by songbirds as opposed to other animals. This new information has lead scientists to believe that they have found a cure to speech impediment and disorders. In conclusion we have learned that music can not only change your mood, from sad to happy but can change your brain state from Beta to Alpha. Music has the ability to bring your focus to a better place and youre learning to a higher level. Sound waves can cure speech impediments and bring back dormant memories to those who thought they had lost everything. Improvement on physical state is to be counted on. Music gets you up and moving with your brain and muscles engaged. Music gives you the edge you need to be able to connect with other human beings. Not to mention playing music, in which gives your brain the ability to hold on to memories for longer. Music is the best enrichment you could ask for! It affects you in every way possible.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Fyp report free essay sample

First and foremost, I would like to thank to my supervisor from University of Malaya who also act as the Coordinator for Industrial Training for 2011/2012 session, Dr. Farazila Binti Yusof for helping me during the period of my training and Dr Salwa Hanim Binti Abdul Rashid for visiting me during my period of training. They had taken a lot of efforts to come up with helpful guidance and advises while the industrial training process. Secondly, I would like to acknowledge my thanks to Dr. Abdul Hamid Saleh, the Head of Furniture Design Unit in Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), who is my supervisor at the company during 2 month and 2 weeks of my industrial training. He had assisted and cooperated with me so I can complete the training successfully. Besides, I would like to extent my gratitude to the company, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) for their kindness and their trust giving me the chance to have my Industrial Training in there. We will write a custom essay sample on Fyp report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would like to gratitude to Miss Yanti Binti Abdul Kadir, Miss Tuan Anis Nadia Binti Tuan Mohd Saipudin, Mr. Haji Ab Jalil Bin Muhammad and Mr. Sopian Bin Mukhtar, staff in Furniture Design Unit. Without help from them, I surely came into deep problem in completing everything regarding the industrial training process. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my family, friends and also lectures for their support, constructive suggestions and also critics. Thank you for all. 1 ABSTRACT The student Industrial Training Program involve the placement at UM students in organizations for a specified period of time. It is a part of the degree requirements at the Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya in order for the students to successfully complete their Bachelor of Engineering. The objective of this industrial training is to expose students to the actual working environment. By undergo the industrial training, students will create a trust worthy and responsible person. Besides that objective of industrial training is to build self-confidence among students and let students know the technical knowledge and professionalism. I was placed in Furniture Design Unit (FDU) during my industrial training in Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). I had learnt on how the process planning were done in producing some products and to design a table for four people where its main materials is from bamboo flat board. This field of works are strongly related with the subjects that I have learned in university, they are Product Design, CAD/CAM and Basic in Manufacturing Process. A few software are used in these departments such as ProEngineering and AutoCAD. In conclusion, my industrial training at FRIM was a satisfactory and enjoyable experience. 2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 BACKGROUND OF FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MALAYSIA (FRIM) Company Name : Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Address Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), 68100 Kuala : Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Telephone : 603-62797000 Facsimile : 603-62731314 Web Site Link : http://www. frim. gov. my 1. 1. 1 Overview The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) founded in 1929 as the Forest Research Institute (FRI) was a department under the Forestry Headquarters Peninsular Malaysia. It was not until 1985, the Institute became a statutory body governed by the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board (MFRDB) under the then Ministry of Primary Industries. Later in 2004, FRIM was administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Located 16 km north west of Kuala Lumpur, the 544. 3 ha campus is surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve. FRIM, which recently was awarded the MS ISO 9001:2008 accreditation is headed by its Director General, Dato’ Dr. Abd. Latif Mohmod. 3 Figure 1 : Road map of FRIM FRIM promotes sustainable forest management and the optimal use of forest resources through the knowledge and technology generated from the various researches conducted. Not only is FRIM proud of its diverse expertise, its award-winning researches and international collaborations have earned the Institute a name for itself in the tropical forestry. FRIM has five research divisions, three technical support divisions and three administrative and finance divisions. Of the five research divisions, the Forestry Environment Division focuses on conservation of forest ecology and biodiversity by providing data, standards and guidelines in managing tropical forest on a sustainable basis. The Forestry Biotechnology Division researchers into ways to establish cost-effective forest plantations as an alternative and/or supplementary supply of timber. The Forest Products Division researches into the utilization of ligno-cellulosic materials and promotes the development of forest based industries. The Forest Biodiversity Division focuses on the conservation of forest biodiversity by providing samples, data, standards and guidelines in managing the tropical forest, while the Medicinal Plants Division researches into the medicinal values of forest plants and product development. 4 Among the facilities available at FRIM are the five arboreta that serve as ex-situ conservation areas and references for forestry education, a xylarium with more than 10,000 wood samples of over 1,500 species, a herbarium established in 1908 with over 200,000 specimens, a library, a nursery, several venues for seminars and conferences. The nine field stations located in different localities in the country also facilitate researchers conducting studies in respective areas. The Institute also offers a wide range of tests and services for the industries such as preservative test, soil test as well as resistant tests for furniture and fire doors. FRIM, which has become a popular spot for picnickers, joggers and nature groups provides visitors, opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature education activities. It is also a preferred place for family day event, bird watching, jungle trekking and nature photography. The campus, which was once a degraded land with and long-abandoned sterile mining pools, scrubby wasteland and barren vegetable farms, is today a haven for nature lovers to enjoy fresh and for serene ambiance. 1. 1. 2 Mission, Vision and Objective ? Mission To deliver science-based innovations and solutions meeting forestry needs for today and tomorrow. ? Vision By 2020 FRIM will be a world leader in tropical forestry research. 5 ? Objective General Objectives: To generate scientific knowledge for the understanding, management, conservation and use of forest resources To achieve excellence in research and development through the use of the latest scientific equipment To study biodiversity to produce useful products through intensive research and development To develop related technology to fulfill the needs of the forestry industry To package research and development findings for dissemination to clients To commercialize research and development findings through technology transfer to all interested parties To provide excellent service to fulfill client needs To create strategic cooperation with local and international agencies To raise public awareness regarding the importance of the environment and the conservation of forest biodiversity Operational Objectives: To provide human resource development programs to produce a class of authoritative and competent scientists To provide a work environment that is conducive to encourage creative thinking among scientists and a close relationship with clients To disseminate the technological and research products as well as giving accurate and professional advice and technical services To provide practical solutions to problems involving management and usage of forest resources and products To provide facilities and professional services in order to raise environmental awareness. 6 1. 1. 3 Commitment to Quality of FRIM Corporate Quality Policy FRIM is committed to providing effective research and related supporting services to fulfil its Customers’ needs. We ensure that those working with and for us shall be committed and adhered to the quality standards that have been identified. FRIM will carry out continual improvements to enhance the effectiveness of related systems. Operational Quality Policy We are responsible for: conducting research and providing quality professional services appropriate to the customers’ needs and expectations in the tropical forestry and forest product sectors; implementing Quality Management System (QMS) effectively within the scope of research, training, testing calibration, selling, renting and consultancy services, in accordance to MS ISO 9001 requirements; monitoring the effectiveness in the implementation of the QMS through feedback received from customers; ensuring that the continual improvement on the current quality objectives through effective corrective and preventive actions based on the key performance indicator analysis which is done consistently; ensuring that all procedures and services provided to customers are reviewed to meet the standard requirements; ensuring that any failure towards achieving the identified standard is reviewed and evaluated to be used as a reference in the continual improvement process; ensuring that the quality policy is understood by FRIM’s personnel through briefings, meetings and poster exhibitions; 7 To ensure that all personnel implement the policies and procedures in all aspects services provided to the customers. 1. 1. 4 Logo and Motto ? Logo Figure 2 logo of FRIM ? Motto Conserve, Innovate, Educate 8 1. 2 BACKGROUND OF FURNITURE DESIGN UNIT (FDU) Furniture Design Unit (FDU) is a unit under the division of Forest Product in FRIM. The current Head of Department is Dr. Abdul Hamid Bin Saleh. 1. 2. 1 Objective Related Research Process Management To ensure that at least one (1) research project conducted annually Obtaining research funds of RM150000 a year from government and nongovernment funds, from within and outside the country produced four technical and semi-technical paper of the resea rch findings every year, including a journal produce at least one invention disclosure of research activities every year Promotion-Related Process To ensure participation in the promotion of R D through exhibitions, innovation, national and international competitions for at least two entries per year Matters Related to Services Aim for at least one year of professional consulting services Earn at least RM1000 from technical, equipment rental and room service as well as organized training per year Process Related to Training Co-organizing at least one training for the industry. Four students practical from IPTA/S. Two training program in one year from the field of materials technology and design. 9 1. 2. 2 Customer Charter 1. Send at least 90% of the final report RD projects undertaken to sponsor within three months after the project completion 2. provide at least 90% of responses to the consultation questions, technical, consulting and training to customers in the period of time mutually agreed between the customer involved 3. give at least a 90% response to the customer within five working days after receipt of the complaint 10 1. 2. 3 Organization Chart Figure 3 Organization Chart for Furniture Design Unit (FDU) 11 CHAPTER 2: TASK AND ACTIVITIES 2. 1 WEEKLY TASK I was assigned in Furniture Design Unit during this industrial training. During the ten weeks of industrial training, a lot of experiences and exposures have been obtained. Activities and training had been planned and structured well and been illustrated into a schedule. The report show 10 weeks of daily task. DATE/DAY WEEK 1 26/6/2013 28/6/2013 TASK/ACTIVITIES 1. Report at Furniture Design Unit (FDU), Forest Products Division, FRIM. 2. Briefing by Miss Yanti Miss Tuan Anis. Introduction to FRIM and FDU Visit workshops, lab all office regarding to Forest Products Division 3. Report at Human Resource Centre, FRIM. 4. Attended ISO meeting for FDU. Explanation regarding ISO Need to involve in updating file for ISO WEEK 2 1. Update all file before 4/7/2013 as they will be two internal 1/7/2013 auditor as a panel for ISO they will come and check all 5/7/2013 file. 2. Attended ISO audit session. 3. Involved in preparing sample (bamboo, sesenduk jelutong) for the surface roughness quality test. WEEK 3 8/7/2013 12/7/2013 1. Prepare a brochure for the AutoCAD software application workshop. 2. Attended a Safety Briefing by En. Mohd Nasir Mat Arif, 2nd Officer for Safety in FRIM. 12 3. Do some research for criteria in designing moulded chair. 4. Design a moulded chair by using Pro-E software. WEEK 4 1. Attended ISO Management meeting 15/7/2013- 2. Being assigned to : 19/7/2013 Design a bamboo flat board table for four people Make a report of process in the making of bamboo flat board table. 3. Data enty for surface roughness test for bamboo, sesenduk and jelutong. 4. Attended Management Industrial Training Meeting WEEK 5 1. Do some research on FRIM, FDU, FITEC 22/7/2013- 2. Started preparing final Industrial Training Report 26/7/2013 3. Visited FITEC (Furniture Industry Technology Center) 4. Visited National Craft Institute (IKN) WEEK 6 1. Prepare sketches for bamboo flat board table 29/7/2013- 2. Had ‘gotong- royong’ session as a preparation for 5S 2/8/2013 3. Attended surface checking test workshop Learnt on how to use a new devise; microscope for veneer surface checking test 4. Attended Iftar Event for Furniture Design Unit (FDU) which was a compulsory to all practical students 5. Went to Kin Heng Timber Industries Sdn. Bhd. For site visit and board manufacturing of coconut, oil palm and sesenduk veneer from 31/7/2013 until 1/8/2013 6. Attended 5S audit session WEEK 7 1. Continued with final industrial report. 5/8/2013- 2. Prepared for slide presentation for Furniture Design Unit 9/8/2013 (FDU). 13 WEEK 8 12/8/201316/8/2013 1. Re-design the current design as for improving the mechanism involved. 2. Combine improve the concepts of selected design. 3. Drawing final design by using Pro-Engineering software. WEEK 9 1. Attended meeting presentation at FITEC. 19/8/2013- 2. ‘Gotong-royong’ Perdana, FRIM. 23/8/2013 3. Did preparation for the visits from Kolej Kemahiran Teknologi Mara (KKTM) students. 4. Did preparation for faculty supervisor visits on Monday (26/8/2013) 5. Attended Forest Product Division Open House. WEEK 10 1. Attended Furniture Design Unit Open House. 26/8/2013- 2. Meeting and presentation with faculty supervisor and 30/8/2013 industrial supervisor. 3. Attended 5S internal audit session. 4. Submit industrial training report. Table 1 Tasks and Activities 14 2. 2 PROJECT(s) 2. 2. 1 Design table from bamboo flat board Product Description Table top made of bamboo, a strong and flexible material. Small dimensions make the table easy to furnish with, even when space is limited. The table easily adjusts for 2-4 people. The design is kept simple in order to avoid increasing in manufacturing cost. Project Boundaries ? Extendable ? Material used must be light in weight ? Size must be small for space saving ? Stylish outlook ? Modern yet simple ? Ease of use ? Well management of quality control Assumptions Competitive price Light in weight extendable good quality long lasting affordable simple 15 Sketches Figure 4 Ideation and concept development 16 Final Design Extendable table Modern table stand Multi- purpose storage Figure 5 final sketching design 17 Figure 6 Final design for bamboo flat board 18 2. 2. 2 Process flow of bamboo veneer flat board Objective To produce flat board from bamboo veneer same as plywood. Manufacturing of Bamboo Veneer Board (MBVB) SELECTION OF VENEER GLUE SPREADER FLAT PRESS PROCESS CUT AND TRIM TESTING Figure 7 shows the process flow of developing flat board from veneer. 19 bamboo Explanation on each steps of manufacturing (MLBV) Board Step 1: Selection of veneer The good quality veneers are chosen while the ones with defects are selected out and cut to smaller sizes which are then joint into regular size. Check the moisture content (MC) to ensure that it below 12%. This MC will affect the strength of board at the end. If high MC in board it will corrupt the bonding between fiber and adhesive. The pre-produced veneers have the size of 685. 8 mm x 685. 8 mm x 0. 7 mm (length x width x thickness) and the veneers are cut bigger than the dimensions required which is 609. 6 mm x 609. 6 mm as to provide the tolerance for cutting and trimming. The veneers are cut parallel to the grain. Then, the thickness of each veneer is measured using the digital caliper. Step 2: Glue application The type of adhesive used is urea-formaldehyde (UF). The advantage of UF glues is it does not introduce any moisture to the veneer as there are chemical curing process involved. In addition, the UF glues has longer open time, waterproof, heatproof and dries as crystalline. We used glue spreader to the bamboo veneers selected so that the adhesive is applied evenly on both side of veneers surface and arranged them together into a form of a board. As for ply-type board, the veneers are arranged perpendicular to each layer until it reached the desired thickness according to the type of boards to be produced. There are 2 different types of bamboo boards produced which are 100% bamboo board and hybrid board. The specifications of each type is: Type of Thickness boards (Â ± 1 mm) 100% bamboo 7 Hybrid Bamboo 9 12 Number of bamboo veneers Number of wood used veneers used 10 plies 13 plies 6 plies 7 plies Table 2 shows the specifications of each type of boards 20 Before applying glue, the veneers are weighed individually and the mean weight is calculated. Then, each bamboo veneer is inserted into the glue spreader and the glued veneers are then weighed again. A type of plastic is used to avoid the glued veneers from sticking to the balance. Figure 8 Weighing before and after gluing For the production of 100% bamboo, plies of glued veneers are arranged together and the total weight of the compiled veneers is taken. Bamboo veneers Figure 9 shows the arrangement of 100% Bamboo Board 21 While for the production of the hybrid board, it consists of two different veneers which is bamboo veneers and wood veneers. Firstly, 3 plies of glued veneers are compiled to produce a 2. 1 mm thick bamboo board. One hybrid board required two bamboo board to serve as the top and bottom layer of the hybrid board. Each of the bamboo board is weighed. In between the bamboo boards is the 1. 2 mm thick wood veneers; glued, arranged perpendicularly and compiled with the bamboo boards to form a hybrid board. Seven plies of wood veneers is used per hybrid board. Finally, the total weight of the hybrid board is taken. Top Bamboo Board Wood veneers Bottom Bamboo Board Figure 10 shows the arrangement of Hybrid Board 22 Figure 11 Glue being spread on the veneer using glue spreader machine Step 3: Flat Press Process After being compiled perpendicularly ply by ply, the veneers are pressed in hot press machine, Burkle, with the temperature of 65 ? C for 8 minutes. The pressure given is 12 x 106 N/mm2. The purpose of pressing is to cure the adhesive so that each veneers are strongly bonded to each other. Hence, a strong flat solid board is produced. The thickness of the board produced is measured using the digital calliper. 23 Figure 12 Pressing the arranged veneers using flat press machine Figure 13 Bamboo boards produced after pressed 24 Step 4: Cut and Trim The boards produced are cut into exactly 609. 6 mm x 609. 6 mm (2 ft x 2 ft) and the edges are trimmed for the purpose of tidiness and to improve the appearance. The tools used for cutting the boards are cutter and table saw. Figure 14 Cutting the board into size using table saw Step 5: Testing The tests are divided into 2 which are physical test and mechanical test. Physical Tests Mechanical Tests 1. Thickness swelling and 1. Bending test water absorption 2. Shear test 2. Density and moisture content test Table 3 shows the type of test for each division Before the test, the board needed to be cut into sample sizes. The cutting pattern is drawn on the board and then the testing samples are cut into dimension of 250 mm x 50 mm for bending test and 125 mm x 25 mm for shear test using the arm saw machine. The samples are left in the room condition of 20 ? C temperature and 65% humidity for 4 days until they reach equilibrium moisture content. 25 12 mm 12 mm mm mm 250 mm 125 mm (a) (b) Figure 15 shows the testing samples dimensions. (a) Bending test (b) Shear test Moisture Content Bending Test Shear Test Figure 16 shows the cutting pattern of the samples 26 Figure 17 shows Physical test – Thickness swelling and water absorption Figure 18 shows Mechanical test Bending test and shear test 27 2. 3 VISIT(S) 2. 3. 1 National Craft Institute/ Institut Kraf Negara (IKN) (25/7/2013) Top: (left) photo shoot session between FRIM IKN Staffs, (right) third year student shows us his hand skills on carving shoe rack. Bottom: (left) all third year students with their hand skills on carving shoe rack, (right) third year students’ work of carving shoe rack. 28 2. 3. 2 Kin Heng Timber Industrial Sdn. Bhd. Chemor, Perak (31/7/2013-1/8/2013) Top: (left) Photo shoot session between Industrial Supervisor, Dr. Abdul Hamid Saleh with practical students, (right) Short briefing by Dr. Abdul Hamid Saleh before entering the factory. Bottom: (left) Student with sample of bamboo veneer, (right) some of product produced at Kin Heng Timber Industries Sdn. Bhd. 29 2. 4 OTHER ACTIVITIES 2. 4. 1 Surface Checking Test Workshop (30/7/2013) I have attended Surface Checking Test Workshop regarding the usage of laboratory device which is Dino-Lite Portable Digital Microscope. The microscope is used in surface checking test for veneer and it has an advantages of the ability to zoom in up to 200 times enlargement and the usage of the device and the software is simple and user friendly. Dino-Lite Portable Digital Microscope. 2. 4. 2 Weekly Meeting Attended management meeting with all staff in Furniture Design Unit (FDU 30 2. 4. 3 Gotong-royong for 5S Gotong-royong Perdana FRIM (22/8/201323/8/2013) Left: Clean up front sites of Furniture Design Unit (FDU). Right: Peeler machine that has been cleaned up. 2. 4. 4 Update file for ISO (1/7/2013-3/7/2013) Before After 31 2. 4. 5 Involved in preparing sample for surface roughness and surface quality test for Bamboo, Sesenduk and Jelutong veneer. (5/7/2013) Left: Cutting and trimming bamboo veneer. Right: Sample of bamboo veneer. 2. 4. 6 Meeting presentation at FITEC (21/8/2013) Left: Attended meeting between all staff of FDU together with FITEC staff. Right: Presentation of the console table, chair, coffee table, dining table and book shelf design by Industrial Design student. 32 CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Internship program is a great chance for trainee to the working environment and prepared themselves for their final year projects. Otherwise trainee will have better understanding on engineering field and practice them on how to handle projects and how to solve the problems with their knowledge. It is not hard for me to understand about environment of this company because the company is based on designing and research and development and I had learnt about CAD/CAM during my 1st and 2nd year of study in university. But, I need a few times to understand about the research that are involved in this company as they are more on research and development regarding forest materials which is not in my course. When it comes to production system, many new things I had learnt in there. Before this I just learn a basic on production planning during my 3rd year of study. But, during this industrial training, I learnt about production planning deeper, starts from how the production line starts, until it finish. In addition, some recommendations from my side are the students who are really interested in doing their industrial training in Furniture Design Unit (FDU), FRIM should have interest in designing furniture from forest material and involve in production process. Subjects like CAD/CAM and Basic in Manufacturing Process are strongly related with this company’s system and for those who willing to make their industrial training in this company should emphasize more on that subjects. Finally, the students who are doing the industrial training should have passion to learn new things. It is because the working industry is a huge field of knowledge and it is impossible for us to study the whole things in class during our university time. Therefore, we should prepare on our own to face the situations and adapt with the environment, and learn as much as we can 33 CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION Industrial Training program was one of important component in co-curriculum program that can be practice in university. This program was for students to improve the knowledge, technical skill and also able to deal with the so-called real life working environment. All the experiences and lessons learned throughout the training duration are very precious and invaluable. I manage to feel the position of designer and production engineer of the company, and I believe to become a designer and production engineer for a company is a big responsibility because the production of the company is based on your design and the process flow is based on the production planning. In conclusion, I would like to say that the industrial training objectives in this company are achieved.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Balanced Scorecard free essay sample

Strategic Plan III: Balanced Scorecard A balanced scorecard is a strategic business tool used to collect and report information to management on four specific areas which include the financial perspective, customers perspective, internal operations perspective, and learning and growing aspect. These help a business monitor performance and make necessary improvements that will contribute to the success of the organization. In the following paragraphs I will discuss my ice cream parlor’s balanced scorecard and how it will be used to better my business. In my ice cream parlor’s financial perspective of my balanced scorecard the strategic objectives that merit the main focus would be revenues and costs, profitability and competitive position objectives. Revenues and costs are extremely important because these will help us get the necessary ratios to determine the current ratio and whether or not we are stable in our finances. The goal is to have higher revenues than costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Balanced Scorecard or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The profitability is also just as important and we can use the profit margin to conclude if we are meeting our objectives and targets, which are to maximize the business value and to increase profits by three percent every six months. The initiative used would be to create a main focus on net income and sales to create stricter strategies to meet our goals. Lastly, our competitive position would be our products prices. They will be lower than the other ice cream parlor- like stores because we will buy from a wholesaler or distributer and start selling making a slight profit but as the competition raises their prices we will raise ours but keep them lower than the rest. Customer value perspective is very significant to my business. My business strategic objectives would dominate in the following areas: customer retention, customer satisfaction, and customer value. The most important strategic objective is to keep customers happy and loyal to my company. This can be achieved by keeping the business fun, friendly, clean, and fast which is what most customers want. This can help us predict that we will maintain a stable clientele and be able to attract more customers. To measure this, web polls, surveys, and emails will be used. We will have many promotions and use different media types to advertise so we can meet our target of increasing our clientele 3 to 5 percent every 6 months. Our customer value is what will help us establish our customer retention. We will give the customer a delightful and high quality treat for the low price they are paying as well as the best service possible. Our internal operations perspective includes strategic objectives on measures of process performance, productivity, and operations metrics. The objective on measuring the process performance will be to keep a high quality of products and service as well as a friendly staff. This would be measured by customer satisfaction through web polls and surveys. In this aspect, our target would be to introduce a new product every 6 months and reassess processes to modify as needed. Productivity objective would be to keep high levels of production and maintain high levels of demand. Employees would be trained accordingly and would also have incentives and rewards for extraordinary performance. As for our operations metrics, our objective would be to maintain efficiency in all processes and operations. We would achieve this goal by having regularly checks and getting input from employees as well. The learning and growth perspective would include strategic objectives in areas such as employee satisfaction, employee retention, and level of organizational capability. Employee satisfaction and employee retention go hand in hand and the objective for these is to develop a strong relationship with each employee to keep a dedicated employee and keep them happy. To measure this we would survey employees and have monthly meetings where they could also have a say in most aspects of the business and give ideas that could better processes whether it is speeding them up or lowering operational costs. The target is to be to better in all aspects of the staff which includes communication, management, skills, morale, and knowledge. Employees would receive incentives, bonuses and rewards for being the best. All aspects of a balanced scorecard are very important and can definitely help an organization flourish. It will give insights and remind everyone of objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives. In my ice cream parlor, a balance scorecard will help establish goals and report information to all shareholders. It is a valuable tool that helps achieve success. Balanced Scorecard free essay sample Since the Market downturn in October 2007, a challenging set of economic events has been rocking the financial services industry and AXA equitable has since experienced major changes to keep the company competitive. A well-developed balanced scorecard is what AXA Equitable needs in order to remain a worldwide leader in the financial services industry. In the past, management have believed that the factors critical to the success of a company were based solely upon financial measures; this is why the Balanced scorecard was developed. The BSC has gained increasing popularity as an effective management tool that aligns employee actions and goals with corporate strategy since first being introduced in 1992 (Davis Albright, 2004). Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton proposed the balanced scorecard (BSC). The Balanced scorecard is a widely recognized tool to support decision making at the strategic management level which improves the satisfaction of the strategic objectives (Kaplan Norton, 1992). We will write a custom essay sample on Balanced Scorecard or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The BSC provides feedback on internal business processes, performance, and market conditions in order to review the trategy and future plans and  Large U. S. companies, such as General Electric and Federal Express, and non-profit and public organizations have implemented the BSC approach (Creamer Freun, 2010). According to the module, â€Å"financial measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation (Baltzan, Phillips, Haag 2010). The balanced scorecard deals with a proposed model that embraces both financial and non-financial aspects to measure performance of an organization in the financial services industry (Wu, Tzeng, Chen, 2009). The  balanced scorecard[pic](BSC) is a multi-criteria evaluation concept that highlights the importance of performance measurement, and it recognizes that performance measurement should be incorporated in both of financial and non-financial measures; it captures not only a firm’s current performance but also the drivers of its future performance (Tseng, 2010). The balanced scorecard would be a positive force for AXA Equitable as it is a vital part of an overall strategy to become and remain an industry leader. Since times can be unsettling and while no company is immune from the challenges of a volatile market, management should strive to identify the factors that are critical to the success of the company. AXA Equitable needs to implement the measures listed on the balanced scorecard to achieve the company’s critical success factors. This will strengthen the company and continually improve AXA Equitable’s ability to manage through turbulent market conditions when necessary. The Balanced scorecard has four main parts. The balanced scorecard is developed along the four well-known perspectives of Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process, and Learning and Growth Performance, which, at any point in time of measurement, characterize the current status and future potential of organizations (Craig Moores, 2010). The financial perspective includes the measure of an organizations financial performance. For instance, it measures revenue growth, shareholder’s value, assets under management, and cash flow. This perspective links the company to its shareholders with main attention to the question: â€Å"How do we look to our shareholders and those with a financial interest in the organization? † Financial goals include achieving profitability, maintaining liquidity and solvency both short term as well as long-term, growth in sales turnover and maximizing wealth of shareholders (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The customer perspective includes the measure of an organizations market share, customer satisfaction, customer retention, customer referrals and value added activities. This is the second external oriented perspective that takes a look at the organization’s customers, who are the crucial factor for financial success generating revenue by buying products and services. The question is: â€Å"How do our customers perceive us in term of products, services, relationships and value-added? † (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The internal process perspective includes the measure of an organizations productivity, research and development, customer complaints and returns, and operational speed. This Measure focuses on the internal processes that will have the greatest impact on customer satisfaction and achieving an organization’s financial objectives. Firms should decide what processes and competencies they must excel at and specify measures for each of them (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The learning and growth perspective includes the measure of an organizations turnover ratio, hiring goals, education and training of new and existing employees, and number of new and improved products or services. This perspective identifies the infrastructure that the organization must build to create long-term growth and improvement. Intense global competition requires that organizations continually improve their capabilities for delivering value to customers and shareholders. Thus the question remains: â€Å"To achieve our future vision, how will we continue to improve and create future value for our stakeholders? † (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). The best way to measure AXA Equitable’s financial performance is the shareholders value. This shows the value that the shareholders perceive AXA Equitable to be worth. There is strong evidence that the balanced scorecard is an effective strategic management tool that leads to improved shareholder returns (Crabtree DeBusk, 2008). The primary objective of management should be maximizing its shareholder’s value. Since the turbulent economy, AXA Equitable shareholder value is back on the up rise again. This can be seen with the stock price. AXA Equitable stocks, just like most other companies, were not immune to the highly volatile market conditions; However with the market getting back together, the stock price is gradually rising again. The management decisions at AXA should be geared towards maximizing the wealth of AXA Equitable shareholders, which means increasing the value of shares owned by existing shareholders. A good measure of AXA Equitable’s superiority over its competition would be the ability to generate consistent and high total returns that it gives to its shareholders over time. Major company issues will exist with AXA Equitable if management interests are not aligned with those of shareholders. When managers pursue self-serving behavior rather than the maximization of shareholder wealth, several symptoms may become apparent: low stock returns, below-average operating performance, and suboptimal investment decisions. The likelihood of company problems is higher when managerial incentive systems do not coincide with shareholder wealth maximization (Manry Stangeland 2003). It is very important that AXA Equitable management put the interest of the shareholders first. Research suggests that firms with management that pursues its own interests at the expense of shareholders will perform comparatively worse than firms with management whose interests are aligned with shareholders (Manry Stangeland 2003). When a company like AXA Equitable is able to generate wealth for its shareholders year after year, it is able to differentiate itself from the competition and creates better value for its shareholders. Investors who purchase AXA Equitable shares hope that the returns they get on their investments would be higher than what they could get from putting those funds in a risk-free savings account. This shows that the investors are definitely willing to tolerate more risk of ownership in AXA Equitable because of the chance of making higher returns. Assets under management are a measure of the total market value of client assets with the company. AXA as a whole has 1. 46 trillion dollars in assets under management, making it the 13th largest company in the world. One of the biggest advantages of having assets under management as a critical success factor on the balanced scorecard is that focus on increasing the total value of assets under AXA demands continuous efforts and improvement by the management and employees of AXA. This financial measure is not only obvious to AXA management and employees but also those outside the company, i. e. the public. Ranking organization like Fortune 500, use the figures for assets under management as a financial success measure to rank companies against their competition and industries. Constantly increasing the sale of financial products or services is a very important aspect of a company especially one in the financial services industry. AXA Equitable offers a wide range of financial products and services like fixed income investments, equity investments, individual retirement accounts, education planning accounts, life disability insurance and annuities to its clients. The products or services is used to address their needs and help shape their financial futures. The sale of AXA Equitable’s financial products or services is crucial in measuring the financial success of the company. The product or services sale is exactly how the company makes money and becomes profitable. Employees of AXA Equitable earn production credits after each sale of its products or services. Production Credits are the total amount of compensation that AXA Equitable pays to its employees in form of commission for the sale of its products or services. The total amount of production credits earned by each employee is the best way AXA uses to measure employee performance. The Production credits can also serve as a measure of financial performance that AXA Equitable uses as a requirement for other benefits other than commission for its employees. Benefits such as medical plan eligibility, stock options, stocks appreciation rights, AXA Share plan and AXA Equitable Advantage. AXA Equitable should strive for consistent and positive investment results for its investment portfolios. This is very important to a company that deals with attracting new prospects and retaining existing clients. An AXA Equitable client, for example, with a portfolio with poor investment results will not remain with the company if that client can get better results with other financial companies outside of AXA Equitable. AXA Equitable financial advisors manage the managers. Portfolio managers manage the investment portfolios and financial products inside AXA Equitable. Those managers are in turn, managed by the financial advisors that make these investment portfolios available to the clients. The portfolio managers are responsible for picking the equities and bonds available in each portfolio, making changes and the investment results for the portfolios they handle. Clients can benefit from a professional allocated portfolio of AXA Equitable funds that delivers automatic diversification, risk management benefits, quarterly rebalancing, and consistent investment results. The customer perspective section of he balanced scorecard cannot be effective if customer satisfaction is not the number one focus. The first and most important rule for any company in the financial services industry is that the client is of the utmost priority. Financial advisors should learn to put the interest of their clients first before any other interests. Companies in a service industry should understand that customer satisfaction is a great measure of performance. Banks and other companies that deal with providing financial services to the public must first put more emphasis on customer satisfaction, and then on financial return. These companies must ensure that their customers remain loyal to them and develop new markets to attract new customers (Wu, Tzeng, Chen, 2009). A crucial part of maintaining client satisfaction is understanding the clients and their needs. AXA Equitable and its advisors are responsible for making financial recommendations and providing its clients with financial products and services, and financial education to address their needs and help the clients create the retirement of their dreams. AXA Equitable should take sending out client satisfaction surveys to every client on the anniversary date of purchasing a financial product or service very seriously. This Client Satisfaction Index survey is a true measure of customer satisfaction and has helped the company identify the key drivers of client satisfaction. AXA Equitable uses this survey to get client feedback on their financial products and the level of service that their advisors showed the client throughout the year. Value added activity is an important way a company can separate itself from the competition. Companies in the financial services industry primarily offer financial products or services to their clients. Why would a client want to use AXA Equitable’s products and service versus another financial company like American International Group (AIG)? What can AXA Equitable offer that client that no other company can? For example, every financial advisor is required to provide the clients with a contract after every sale of a financial product or service. This contract usually contains copies of signed forms and prospectus. It is better to hand deliver these contracts instead of mailing it to the clients. AIG, a major competition for AXA Equitable, usually sends out thank you cards and client referral forms after every new sale of the company’s financial product or service. This is very effective because it showed that AIG appreciates the client and their business. Value added activities can be as simple as remembering a customers’ favorite drink. Whatever the activity is, managers must find a way to capitalize upon it, as doing so will enable them to gain a competitive advantage. AIG uses this service-oriented strategy to get additional referrals and establish relationships with their clients. BSC is an effective performance measurement tool in performance improvement, which positively affects service quality (Ghani, Said, Laswad, 2010). Exceeding client expectations is another critical success factor on the balanced scorecard that AXA Equitable and its employees should incorporate. When this strategy is taken seriously and done correctly, the clients are satisfied; they stay with the company longer, purchase additional financial products or services and most importantly, refer others to the company. Customer satisfaction offers an immediate, meaningful and objective feedback about clients’ preferences and expectations (Mihelis, Grigoroudis, Siskos, Politis, Malandrakis, 2001). AXA Equitable has provided several tools like eRelationship ® for its financial advisors for client contact. The eRelationship ® platform is a good way for the advisors to have continuous contact and build strong relationships with their clients all year long. For example, doing the simple things like remembering and sending out birthday cards, wedding anniversary cards, seminars invitations, could go a long way in building and maintaining credibility, trust and satisfaction with the clients. When the financial advisor is compassionate and is always willing to help, the clients can now see the true value of the advisors. AXA Equitable needs to generate clients constantly to be successful in the financial service industry. To be successful in this business, the financial advisors have to constantly be in front of their clients. Activities that drive the success of AXA Equitable financial advisors include prospecting and meeting new clients, number of appointments set, running appointments and appointments closed. AXA Equitable uses to 5-3-1 weekly matrix to guide our advisor activities They will be successful every week if they can have five prospecting visits, run three client appointments and sign up one new client†. Internationale Nederlanden Groep (ING), another major competition in the financial services industry uses a performance management strategy to keep track of employee activities. The financial advisors are required to submit their performance goals, development plans, and action plans at the beginning of every quarter to their managers. At the end of the quarter, performance reviews are conducted by the managers to measure the activities and production of the financial advisor. The balanced scorecard will help enhance communication between the client and the organization to ensure favorable organization performance (Wong, Lam, Chan, 2009). The internal business process perspective measures efficiency and productivity level within the company. During the client appointments, after the recommendations have been presented to the client, how quickly and efficiently can AXA Equitable provide the financial products or services needed to the client? This can be done with a software called eDox ®. eDox ® is an online database software that the financial advisor carries with him to every appointment with clients. eDox ® contains information about every product that AXA Equitable offers to its clients as well as links to products from other companies that AXA Equitable advisors can also offer to its client. Intra-industry trade (IIT) has been central to increasing the variety of products available to consumers (Moshirian, Li, and Sim. 2005). eDox ® also serves as a tool that top management uses to send out memos, journals, sales ideas, and information on new product launches to every employee of the company. When the client agrees to go ahead with the advisors recommendation and get the financial products; all the applications and forms necessary to make the sale can also be found on eDox ®. A continual review and constant improvement of eDox ® would be very important to keep productivity levels high to become an industry leader. AXA Compliance department is faced with the task of keeping AXA Equitable and its financial advisors compliant with the governing rules made by the Security and Exchange Commission. The Security and Exchange Commission set rules, regulations and guidelines that govern all the companies in the financial services industry. The SEC draws up new regulations periodically that sometimes make business very difficult in the financial services industry, for example, the 90-24 transfer rule, which involves more documentation for transfers of funds between one financial companies. Meeting these guidelines and standards set by the Securities and Exchange Commission is important to eliminate client complaints, trading malpractice, and negative internal and external audit for AXA Equitable Growth within a company like AXA Equitable does not always have to mean more profits because it is in the financial services industry. To become a leader in this industry, the financial company would have to hire more financial advisors to acquire more clients, which in turn leads to more productivity within the company. AXA Equitable should set hiring goals for its managers each year that the company expects to be met because an increase in the number of financial advisors every year will cause an increase in the amount of business written in that year. AXA Equitable and other companies in the financial service industry are constantly rolling out new financial products or services to keep pace with market volatility and unlimited client needs. The companies equip these products with better features and benefits to make them more attractive to the clients and stand out from the competition. AXA Equitable should be committed to providing its financial advisors with the resources necessary to build a lifelong career. Companies facing intensive competition also have a greater impetus to find ways to differentiate their products and services from those provided by competitors, this frequently results in a greater number of product and service lines and differentiation sought through increased customization of products and services in order to meet specific customer desires. (Guilding and McManus, 2002). The Learning center at AXA Equitable is set up to train and support new and experienced financial advisors. For example, when a new financial advisor is hired, the advisor is required to take some necessary courses on AXA Advisors Virtual University (AAVU) to learn everything about the company, its policies and financial product or services. American International Group (AIG) is another company that has a similar new employee development strategy. AIG developed a New Branch Employee Orientation Program where new employees receive online orientation sessions that include information about AIG, as well as company policies and benefits. AXA Equitable should require additional sessions for training and development for their financial advisors. These sessions should include experiences and accomplishments of experienced licensed financial advisors to keep the all other financial advisors motivated and knowledgeable about everything going on with the company and the industry as a whole. Introducing a balanced scorecard in an organization and implementing the critical success factors identified on it will not be an easy task. When firms develop a  scorecard they often start with a strategic performance measurement system which includes a set of financial and non-financial measures. Afterwards, the cause and effect relationships between the different (sets of) measures are developed further to translate the firm strategy to operational activities (Wiersma, 2009). AXA Equitable’s Management and employees will have to cultivate a change initiative. The increasing use of balanced scorecards is changing the way top managers run their companies. When envisioning a firm’s future development, they no longer focus chiefly on monetary success indicators in the financial area, Instead balanced scorecard is designed to complement financial measures of past performance with their measures of the drivers of future performance (Asosheh, Nalchigar, Jamporazmey, 2010). Companies need to address issues to help assess competition in their industry. The Balanced Scorecard is generally implemented at the corporate, business unit, and individual level, and also becomes a powerful tool for the directors to monitor the implementation of the corporate strategy.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Self

Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? These questions have baffled the minds of humankind for centuries, since man was able to evolve a concept of self and consider his own nature. Man has come a long way since that day, but has no further answers in the quest for "Self-Concept". Who we are is, and always will be a reflection of different yet individual societies and environments in which we live. The roles we play in our specific societies give us a place of belonging and self. The self as an entity exists on two levels: mental and physical. Diverse environments and habitats are what give us our individuality and our ideas of self. What I mean is; would I be the same person I am now if I was born and raised in say, Saudi Arabia? Is my view of my self the same as my ideal self? I am tall; thin have short hair, fairly goal oriented. Is this how I perceived myself ten years ago. Am I the same person I was ten years ago? I am and I'm not. I am still in the same body, only bigger and still have most of the same interests and viewpoints on things, but I'm also different. I have expanded my knowledge, and elaborated on some and changed some views I once had. I was born in Canada and raised with the social norms and values of that of a Christian as opposed to that of a Muslim. I have never experienced war or lived in a society controlled by a Monarchy. My entire lifestyle would be different. My upbringing would be different. All my experiences would be different. My idea of norm and thoughts on gender, race and religion w! ould be differed. I would have different goals and heroes and activities for enjoyment. I would be a completely different person than I am now, due to the fact that I was raised in an entirely different culture than my own. My idea of self would contain altered aspects than now. As of now, I live and have always lived in a free, peaceful society. The role I hold in my specific society makes me who I am and gives me a pla... Free Essays on Self Free Essays on Self Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? These questions have baffled the minds of humankind for centuries, since man was able to evolve a concept of self and consider his own nature. Man has come a long way since that day, but has no further answers in the quest for "Self-Concept". Who we are is, and always will be a reflection of different yet individual societies and environments in which we live. The roles we play in our specific societies give us a place of belonging and self. The self as an entity exists on two levels: mental and physical. Diverse environments and habitats are what give us our individuality and our ideas of self. What I mean is; would I be the same person I am now if I was born and raised in say, Saudi Arabia? Is my view of my self the same as my ideal self? I am tall; thin have short hair, fairly goal oriented. Is this how I perceived myself ten years ago. Am I the same person I was ten years ago? I am and I'm not. I am still in the same body, only bigger and still have most of the same interests and viewpoints on things, but I'm also different. I have expanded my knowledge, and elaborated on some and changed some views I once had. I was born in Canada and raised with the social norms and values of that of a Christian as opposed to that of a Muslim. I have never experienced war or lived in a society controlled by a Monarchy. My entire lifestyle would be different. My upbringing would be different. All my experiences would be different. My idea of norm and thoughts on gender, race and religion w! ould be differed. I would have different goals and heroes and activities for enjoyment. I would be a completely different person than I am now, due to the fact that I was raised in an entirely different culture than my own. My idea of self would contain altered aspects than now. As of now, I live and have always lived in a free, peaceful society. The role I hold in my specific society makes me who I am and gives me a pla...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Mixed Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mixed Strategy - Essay Example My parents would always remind me whenever I came home late from partying that I should change my ways if I were to get a college education. My friends and classmates would no longer be there for me and that I should learn to stand on my own, be independent, because college is going to be a serious matter. My mother, who only finished seventh grade, would lecture to me again and again how important college education is and that if I want to have a better life then I should mend my ways. On the other hand, my father, who is a law school drop out, would back her lectures with the gravity of college. He said that if I would not learn any study skills I would be put in extreme embarrassment because professors would give unannounced quizzes and oral examinations. A student would be asked to stand up whenever he/she is called to answer and he/she would not be allowed to sit unless he/she is able to answer correctly. Before I graduated high school then, I spent less time with my friends and began to take a serious look at my life and my life ahead. I wanted college so much that I should be ready to face it and as much as possible finish it, not only for my parents’ sake but for my own personal satisfaction and fulfillment. I wanted a life that is more comfortable and convenient than what my parents gave me. Having spent more than a year in college, I feel that life is not that bad after all. I have new-found friends who back me up whenever I get entangled with my Math problem sets, others are there just to cheer me up whenever I have to spend sleepless nights just to beat the deadlines for my papers. Friends can be found everywhere and I can choose the good ones who will give me good influences. My professors are also not as bad as my father said. They are very supportive and understanding. My professor in Art, for instance, lent me some of her books for my project in Miro and Dali. She even coached me on how to use the internet for research since I only used the