American Volkswagen Budget

Introduction The budget for the IT initiatives was developed by the parent company. The branch in operation in the US had made a proposal for a total of forty projects which at estimation would require up amount to a tune of $210 million.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on American Volkswagen Budget specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was anticipated that the finances could be provided by the mother company in Germany. A mechanism was put in place and before the funds were released they had to be approved first. This approving led some of the projects dropped and probably modification made to some. The process of approving which projects were to be dropped, modified and finally funded was quite detailed and involved a number of offices and several representatives from the various project units (Austin, Ritchie Garrett, 2007). Control of Budgeting It is worth noting that the Next Round of Growth (NRG) was controlle d by executive officers and representatives from the IT departments. The NRG was required to steer the VWoA to the next level of growth hence the need for close cooperation with various departments. The presence of an IT representation in the NRG program was meant to assist in ensuring that the IT initiatives were accorded all the necessary support and that significant initiatives were not dropped unnecessarily. There was also the Program Management Office (PMO) which was meant to harmonize the projects and ensure that the prioritization was done in the correct way. This was very significant as it was a step to ensure that funds were allocated in the right way and to the right projects such that the object of the NRG program could be achieved. Another element that played a significant role on the issue of funding was the Digital Business Council (DBC). The DBC had representation from the various e-business units. In regard to who controlled the financing of the VWoA, it is clear tha t a number of people played significant roles in controlling process. All the teams that were involved had significant roles that they played in the funding process.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Who should control the Budget? I believe that a corporate budget should take into consideration all the units within the corporate body. One way of ensuring that all the units are considered carefully is to carefully make a representation of all the units in the team that will oversee the drawing of the budget. By having all the units represented in the budgetary control committee or team, it is possible to avoid overlooking aspects which may undermine the productivity of the company. It is worth noting that in times of financial constraints it will be very significance to have the representation of the various departments as it will be possible to practically come up with the lo west amount that a business unit can operate with. The department unit representative will give the lowest budget estimation under which the department or unit being represented can operate without necessarily affecting the productivity of the whole firm. I believe that such estimations are very good especially during financial hard times when reductions in budget has to be carried out. By consulting the various heads, it becomes possible for the reduction to be carried out in a manner that will not affect the business units as well as the whole company in general. Therefore, budget control should not be a reserve of the top executives but rather an activity that should be shared by the various heads of a company. Similar ideas have been proposed elsewhere (Blocher, 2005). IT Budget As pointed above, there is a need for collaboration when budgetary issues are discussed. In regard to that, it therefore will not be wise that the IT unit should have its own budget per se. The IT unit s hould make its own estimation which at all times should be in line with the company objectives but again it should be noted that these estimation should be subjected to modifications under the directions of the IT unit heads in collaboration with the head departments (Budgeting, 2011). References Austin, R. D., Ritchie, W., Garrett, G. (2007). Managing IT priorities. USA: Harvard Business School.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on American Volkswagen Budget specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Blocher, E. (2005). Cost management: a strategic emphasis. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Budgeting. (2011). Budgeting: Planning for success. Retrieved from https://www.principlesofaccounting.com/ This report on American Volkswagen Budget was written and submitted by user Jazmyn Mendez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

tv culture essays

tv culture essays Recently one of the biggest corporations in the United States, Microsoft had to face several ultimatums from the government. The case against Microsoft was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as several state Attorneys General. Microsoft is accused of using and maintaining monopoly power to gain an unfair advantage in software market. The case has been under observation for a long time, but the Justice department is having trouble coming up with substantial evidence against Microsoft. Specifically, the Department must prove: That Microsoft has monopoly power and is using it to gain unfair leverage in the market. And that Microsoft has maintained this monopoly power through "predatory" actions. Many people feel that Microsoft is only taking advantage of its position in the market and using marketing strategies to attract new customers. They have chosen to implement a market development strategy to attract new customers, who are looking for a system that has Internet ca pability. Microsoft feels that by integrating their Internet Explorer web browser technology into Windows, they are only improving its functionality available to the customer. Some people, especially the judge, say that Microsoft began its "illegal" agenda when it began requiring PC manufacturers to sign a license agreement that said that, if they were going to have Windows preinstalled on their new systems, that the Windows Internet Explorer must also be installed. Although it is possible for consumers to install other browsers onto Windows and use them, critics say that Microsoft still has an unfair advantage. It also keeps other browser companies from being able to consult with PC manufacturers to put their browser on the PC from the beginning. When Netscape refused to bow before Microsoft, Microsoft decided to do everything in their power to limit the amount of resources that Netscape could access. T ...

FINAL EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FINAL EXAM - Essay Example These days a lot of weapons with large magazine capacities are available on the market. The gun models used for this most recent Aurora shooting have been revealed by the local police chief but it is claimed that talking about the gun model just happens to be a distraction as â€Å"when it comes to weaponry and mass shootings, the issue to focus on is magazine capacity† (Barrett). Now though the gun-control advocates might shift focus to call for controlling the large magazine capacity weapons at a national level, another sad bit is that it is quite tough to ensure that the names of all the emotionally and mentally sick people exist in the background-check system that one goes through when buying guns. However, laws should be passed to limit gun possession further as â€Å"unstable individuals should not have access to any kind of weapon† (Thornburgh). Concluding, this much becomes clear that the pattern of opening fire in a public place has not led to successful gun control policies which could be implemented nationally. Instead of obsessing about which gun models to confiscate and which to sell, focus should be shifted to the magazine capacity and identification of the mentally sick people. Barrett, Paul M. â€Å"After Aurora: Gun Control, One More Time.† BloombergBusinessweek. 20 Jul. 2012. Web. 14 Aug. 2012.

The Truth About Charlie (2002) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Truth About Charlie (2002) - Movie Review Example What was more disturbing to her is the discovery of the idea that her husband had several identities, which made it more difficult to find out what had happened to her husband while she was away. She found several passports that belonged to her husband but with different identities. There was also missing $6 million. The police seemed convinced that Regina was involved in her husband’s murder but she was later notified that Charlie was a secret agent and was involved in many shady operations involving some dangerous people including Lola Jansco and Emil Zadapec. These individuals followed Regina to Paris believing that she knew where Charlie hid the money. This leads to the change in Regina’s life as it changes for the worse becoming dangerous. Joshua, an American that Regina met while she was at her vacation also arrived in Paris and seemed determined to help her solve the mystery. The editing of the film was done very well and the music has been integrated well in the film. The music can be said to be intense and varying but analytical. The sound effects offered all the information required according to different scenes and determined the

Delta air lines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Delta air lines - Case Study Example Three of the most important factors are innovation, quality and inventory reduction. Core values include: safety, high service quality and customer wants and needs. In order to improve logistics, the company is aimed to concentrate on doing business with other carriers which allow it to involve larger orders. Goals and objectives are aimed to improve its current position on the market and increase profitability. A continuum of resource sustainability is to compose resources and capabilities characterized by their durability and imitability. Financial goal is to increase sales and liquidity of business. The policy of safety adopted by airlines will be the main strategic criteria over the next years (Delta Airline News, 2006; Dove-Morse, 2004). Control of interest rates influences the extent of consumer credit and hence the size of an individual's budget, as will levels of taxation. During periods of high inflation the government should well introduce measures to control prices on flights. The main factor is that airline industry operates on the international arena and a major influence on price is the currency exchange rate which fluctuates according to the state of the economy. Increasing tariffs and quotas force carriers to find new ways to reduce transportation costs which lowing quality of their service. With profit margins collapsing, competitors are struggling to adjust. Unemployment rate is high in airline industry: approximately 7,4%. During the period of recession unemployment rate was doubled reducing buying capacity of potential market (Delta Air Lines.2006). Technological forces generate problem-solving inventions. Airline target is on average as dependent on reliable information technology as any other businesses. Improvements in cargo ships and handling equipment, increasing containerization, applications of IT to scheduling and controlling shipments and to customs procedures, new plains, and a host of other technological advances and innovations have reduced the costs of services and information. On the other hand, airline technology cost is one of the highest among other industries. The culture and structure of Apple develop over time and in response to a complex set of factors. Today, customer service in airlines relies on reputation and trustworthiness and this no less true in the new forms of system-service. In fields such as package delivery and money management, consumers are seeking indications that their risks will be minimised or eliminated. For these kinds of consumer acts, customer service plays an essential role in assuaging the fears of consumers by projecting an image of trustworthiness and expertise. Delta Airlines has competitors, but they do not have a great influence on the company's revenue. The presence of substitute services like trains, ships or automobiles transportation can lower service attractiveness and profitability as well as the price levels. The events of 11/09 and recent crashes of Boeing planes occurred these years reduce the attractiveness of airline industry. "The company has lost some $6.1 billion since the start of 2001 from its airline operations, according to First Call, which tracks corporate earnings"(Isidore, 2005). Many potential passengers prefer to use alternative transport even if it takes more time to get to the place of destination. In this case, the bargaining power of customers is crucial. In spite of the fact that

Analysis of Bacteria Strains: Phonotypical Tests

Analysis of Bacteria Strains: Phonotypical Tests Kunthavai Jeevananthan Bacterial Identification Aims: To analyse and identify 10 different strains of bacteria by conducting 19 different tests phonotypical tests. Bacteria also known as eubacteria are microorganisms that are invisible to the naked eye but exist in virtually all environments in the world. Bacteria are classified as part of the Monera kingdom which includes archaebacteria and cyanobacteria. Most bacteria are pathogenic or disease causing however not all bacteria are harmful as there are a number of bacteria that can be found in the human body that have positive benefit to their hosts such as help digest food, secrete hormones, chemicals and vitamins required in cell metabolism and even fight off other harmful bacteria. Bacteria exist in various rod, spiral and spherical shapes and are more numerous than any other living organisms. It is important to be able to identify microorganisms in medical clinic in order to help selection of antibodies. Some pharmaceutical products are also made using bacteria therefore many unknown and unidentified bacteria may be useful in the clinical industries. The taxonomy or a particular bacterial c haracteristic can be used to identify similarities that show relationships with disease related descriptions (Janda and Abbott, 2002). Various laboratory tests have been developed that are based on the type of nutrients a bacterium can grow on, the kind of toxins or waste products they produce or how much variation in growth temperature they can tolerate and their morphology can be used to distinguish closely related strains of bacteria. Rapid test kits have also been developed to identify bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae genera and other gram negative bacteria. Phonotypical approaches of identifying bacteria does not always provide sufficient information to set taxonomic boundaries between different species the repetition of some phenotypic characteristics make it difficult to separate them. Genotyping is however is more precise when it comes to differentiating bacteria within species that lead to the development of DNA hybridisation. This is a technique used measure the similarities in sequences between the DNA of an isolate and a known bacteria. Before conducting a phonotypical bacterial identification it is important to have a pure culture of the bacteria that needs to be identified so that all components of the cells have grown from a single cell and they are clones of one another also known as Holy Grail (Barrow and Feltham, 1993). The bacterial colonies formed for different types of bacteria have different cultural characteristics on agar plates known as colony morphology these include pigments, size edge, pattern, opacity and shine t herefore macroscopically examining the colonies of bacterial cultures is one of the first important tests in bacterial identification. There may be drawbacks in this technique as the visual interpretation can differ from person to person therefore it might not produce reliable results and also mutations in the bacteria strains occur all the time that may provide slightly different characteristics than normal making difficult or incorrect identification. A number of staining methods can be used to examine the cultures under a microscope such as negative staining which stains the background and leaves the cells clear so that the shape of the bacterial cells, presence of glistening capsule and presence of a diffusive extracellular substance (EPS) around the cell and the arrangement of cells can be determined. Differential staining is a test that divides bacteria into two large groups either gram negative or gram positive. Pink- red staining indicates gram negative bacteria and a blue purple staining shows gram positive bacteria cells. Unevenly stained clear surfaces can be formed on the surface of the bacterial cells during gram staining due to the presence of endospores that can be confirmed using spore stain. Acid fast staining is also used if cells appear long, slender and intertwined in order to confirm the presence of acid fast cells which are bacteria in the genera Mycobacteria and Nocardia that are resistant to gram staining. Oxidase, catalase and the ability of the culture to grow in anaerobic conditions are three tests that are conducted during the first steps of identification. Catalase test is to dip an inoculating needle coated with culture into a droplet of hydrogen peroxide and if the bacteria possesses a catalase enzyme it will breakdown the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen that effervesce to form foam. Catalase positive bacteria are usually aerobic while catalase negative bacteria are anaerobic. Cytochrome oxidase is another enzyme found normally in the electron transport chains of an aerobic bacteria and this is tested by adding an artificial substrate such as para amino dimethylaniline that will produce a dark red to black product when oxidised (Cullimore, 2000). Alongside these test the cultures can be tested on their abilities to grow under anaerobic conditions which can further divide them into 4 major groups; strictly aerobic, reduced concentrations of oxygen, both aerobic and anaero bic and strictly anaerobic bacteria. Urease synthesis, gelatin hydrolysis and citrate utilisation are tests that can be conducted to narrowly distinguish bacteria further to help identify their genera. Urease is produced the bacterial genera proteus, providentia and morgenella to break down urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia therefore it is a useful test to help distinguish these genera from other gram negative rods during identification. Urease test is carried out by incubating urea broth with samples of gram negative cultures. The presence of ammonia increases the pH hence turning the phenol red indicator to a pink-purple colour for a positive test (Harvey and Champe et al, 2001). The gelatin hydrolysis test identifies the ability of bacteria to produce gelatinases which can help identification of serratia and proteus. The citrate utilisation tests the ability of the bacteria to utilise citrate as its carbon and energy source used mostly to identify gram negative bacteria. Indole, methyl red- Voges- protease test and fermentation of glucose, sucrose and lactose are also test that are conducted to help assist with identification of bacteria. Indole test is preformed to test the ability of bacteria to breakdown amino acid tryptophan and produce indole that can be detected using Kovac’s reagent. This method is important in the identification of gram negative enterobacteria. Methyl red-Voges- Proskauer on the other hand are two tests that are conducted together as they both require the use of the same medium. The methyl red test identifies the ability of the bacteria to carry out mixed acid fermentations whereas the VP test determines whether the bacteria fermenting sugars via the butanediol pathway by testing for the by-product acetoin. These tests are also useful in differentiating between members of the enterobacteria such as E. coli (Wong, 2005). The ability of bacteria to ferment carbohydrates is also a way to discriminate them during identific ation as fewer bacteria are able to use disaccharides like lactose and sucrose as a source of energy. This can be detected by checking for release of gaseous by products and metabolic chemicals that are released during the process of oxidation and fermentation of sugars. These tests described in the context above were carried out under standard conditions and results were recorded. Results Table 1: shows test results for Colony Morphology for 10 unknown bacterial cultures A to J. Table 2: shows test results for 18 different bacterial identification tests for unknown cultures A to J. Urease, indole, citrate, oxidase, methyl red and Voges-Proskauer test were only carried out for gram negative strains of bacteria and the endospores were only tested for gram positive bacteria. Microphotographs showing cell morphologies and gram (+/-) strains for cultures C, D and F are shown in the appendix. For culture C it can be seen that the cells are arranged in â€Å"grape like† structures whereas C is arranged in packets of four. It can also be seen that culture F it can be seen that the cells were single and in chains. Discussion Organism A and B are both gram positive rods that gave positive results for anaerobic, catalase and endospores test however they can both be differentiated as organism B is brown in colour and a glucose fermenter whereas organism A is orange in colour and a non-glucose fermenter. Organism B was in a cooked meat liquid broth which also indicates that the bacterium maybe part of the Clostridium species that have a few pathogenic bacteria that are responsible for food poisoning and tetanus. Organism A is therefore Bacillus Cereus some bacterium in this species are harmless whereas others are pathogenic that may cause foodborne illnesses such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Organism C has the morphology of pale yellow cocci clusters arranged in packets of four. It is a gram positive bacterium that also shows positive results for glucose fermentation and the catalase test show characteristics of Staphylococcus species which include pathogenic bacteria that causes skin infections, pneum onia and food poisoning. Organism C appeared in clusters that were â€Å"grape like† and is also a gram positive cocci and has a positive result for catalase however it does not ferment carbohydrates but shows positive test results for their metabolic chemical produced and hereby conveying characteristics of Micrococcus species these bacteria are very rarely disease causing and if so some may cause chronic cutaneous infections (Breed and Murray, 1957). Organism E has a white flat mycelial morphology and it is a gram positive glucose fermenter therefore it is a part of the Streptomyces genera that are known to inhibit the soil and causes the common scab in root vegetables. Organism F is a clear gram negative rod bacterium that is glucose and lactose fermenter and produces metabolic chemicals for glucose, lactose. It also produced negative results for tests urease, gelatin, oxidase, Voges-Proskauer (VP) and indole however it showed positive results for catalase, citrate and methyl red and anaerobic tests as shown in figure 2. Analysing these results organism F can be identified as Escherichia coli that consist of many different strains some of which can cause urinary tract infections, diarrhoea, anaemia and even kidney failure. Organism G is a gram negative rod that produces metabolic chemicals for all three carbohydrates glucose, lactose and sucrose however bubbles were only present for lactose and sucrose. It also shows positive results for tests urease, indole anaerobic and VP but negative results for catalase, oxidase, gelatin and methyl red. Organism G showed similar results to organism F however unlike organism F it is urease positive therefore it can be a bacterium from the Proteus genera that also contain a few pathogenic bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections, kidney stones and cystitis. Organism H is only a glucose fermenter but does not produce any metabolic chemicals. It demonstrates positive test results for urease, gelatin, citrate, anaerobic catalase and oxidase but negative for both methyl red and VP as well as indole tests. It is possible that this bacterium maybe be a part of the Pseudomonas genera with different bacterial strains that may cause respiratory tract infections, dermatitis and bone and joint infections. Organism I is also a gram negative rod and had a clear pigmentation on an agar medium that is a glucose fermenter but however it produces metabolic chemicals for glucose, lactose and sucrose. It also produces positive results when being tested for citrate, anaerobic, catalase and methyl red but not for urease, gelatin, indole, oxidase and VP this indicates that organism I could be Salmonella typhimurium a pathogenic bacteria that causes gastroenteritis that leads to diarrhoea. Organism J is another gram negative bacterium that produces no bubbles for glucose, lactose or sucrose fermentation but produces metabolic chemicals for glucose and sucrose. It is also positive for gelatin, citrate, anaerobic, catalase and VP however it is negative for urease, indole, oxidase and methyl red tests. The red pigmentation of the bacterial culture and the other tests results indicates that organism J maybe Serratia marcescens that are associated with many different types of diseases some of which in clude bacteraemia, sepsis and meningitis. In order to conduct more specific identification of these bacteria further tests can be carried out that will help to distinguish each bacterium more accurately. Other tests that can be carried out include starch hydrolysis, lipid hydrolysis, motility (SIM) deeps, beta galactosidase, nitrate, coagulase, mannitol salt, osmotic pressure and haemolysis. References Barrow, G. I., Feltham, K. A. R. (1993). Crowan and Steel’s manual for the identification of medical bacteria: classification and nomenclature. 1-6. United Kingdom: Cambridge university press. Breed, R. S., Murray, G. D. E., Smith, N. R. (1957). Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. 695- 800. United States of America: Baltimore Williams and Wilkins co. Cullimore, D. R. (2000). Practical atlas for bacterial identification: initial stages of the identification of the bacterial culture. 1-7. United States of America: CRC press LLC; Harvey, R. A., Champe, P.C., Fisher, B.D. (2001). Microbiology: identification of bacteria. 24-27. United Stated of America: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Janda, J.M., Abbott, S. L. (2002). Bacterial identification for publication: when enough is enough? Journal of clinical microbiology. Vol. 40 no. 6, (1887-1891). Wong, T. (2005). Introduction to microbiology laboratory exercises for Allied Heath students: The IMViC tests. 48-50. United States of America: Author House. Appendix Culture C Culture D Culture F

Big D :: Personal Narrative Disabilites Papers

Big D A couple weeks ago, exactly four days after Christmas, I woke up thinking about my uncle Dennis. I loved him very much, but I have never woken up thinking about him. After a few minutes, I realized that three years ago, exactly four days after Christmas, was the day he died. My uncle Dennis was an unforgettable man. He had sparkling blue eyes and a sweet smile. When he laughed everyone else in the room couldn't help but join him. That's not what made him unforgettable, though. Dennis was tall, around 380 pounds, and anoxic; he had brain damage. He never learned to cook, ride a bike, or properly operate an appliance. He required 24-hour a day care from the time he was born until the day he died at age 40. This is not an exaggeration. If Dennis was awake and no one was around to stop him, he consistently caused trouble. Forty years ago, fetal heart monitors were not routinely used in the labor room. Today, a heart monitor aids in the detection of problems such as a pinched umbilical cord, which what caused Dennis's brain damage at birth. Because the pinched cord was not detected, a cesarean section was not performed, and Dennis entered the world mentally retarded because not enough oxygen reached his brain during the birthing process. The small part of the world he entered was Milwaukee. My grandparents had a house which has since been torn down and replaced by projects. In the early fifties about 60% of the residents were black. A large portion of the rest were immigrants. My grandparents were from northern Wisconsin. My grandfather was then working as a boilermaker engineer in a tannery downtown. In addition to staying with Dennis, my grandmother stayed at home with my Uncle Mike, 3; my mother, 2; and my Uncle Tom, 1. Four more children would soon follow. The youngest, Patrick, had Downs' Syndrome. Eleven cousins lived just down the block. A house of prostitution was across the street. Saturday was laundry day. The three older children would eventually be hired as babysitters for Dennis. On Saturdays they would keep an eye on Dennis and play in the backyard while my grandmother did the week's wash. At the end of the day the three young nannies got to split a dime between them at the grocery store on the corner.