Report of Investigation: Aldrich Ames Essay -- Case Review Spies

In 1986, the Central Intelligence Agency began to notice its agencies contacts and operations within the Soviet Union began to spoil at an alarmingly rate. The Soviet KGB, a national security agency, was eliminating these Soviet â€Å"Double Agents† seemingly instantaneously after meeting with CIA agents. Initial brought about the thought of KGB interception of field communication. Security measures were put in place where select few knew of these field operations yet the KGB still continued to pursue its current mission of eliminating CIA contacts. Ideas of a mole within the Agency became more and more apparent. In mid 1986, the Chief of Counterintelligence Staff created a special task force within the Counterintelligence staff. This task force consisted of four members but none of which had investigative or financial investigation backgrounds. All members were seasoned officers who were tasked with discovering full detailed analysis of compromised operations; this included investigating how many cases was relevant Edward Lee Howard betrayal. In late 1986, the FBI joined the investigation after two Soviet contacts that had worked very closely with the FBI were arrested and executed. The CIA special task force was soon pulled astray following the confession of a marine security guard who confessed to KGB ties while stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Investigations hit a standstill and did not continue until 1991. In late 1989, a tip was received by the Counterintelligence Center that Agent Aldrich Hazen Ames was living well beyond his finances could support following his return from Rome, Italy. (FAS) The information was reported by another CIA agent that was personally close to Ames. The informant also stated to hav... ...ited An Assessment of the Aldrich H. Ames Espionage Case and Its Implications for U.S. Intelligence. (1994, November 1). Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved May 28, 2012, from www.fas.org/irp/congress/1994_rpt/ssci_ames.htm JOHNSTON, D. (1995, January 27). How the F.B.I. Finally Caught Aldrich Ames - New York Times. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved May 29, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/27/us/how-the-fbi-finally-caught-aldrich-ames.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Lerner, A. (n.d.). Ames (Aldrich H.) Espionage Case - . Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - faqs.org. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from http://www.faqs.org/espionage/A-An/Ames-Aldrich-H-Espionage-Case.html Trahair, R. C., & Miller, R. L. (2009). Encyclopedia of Cold War espionage, spies, and secret operations (1. pbk. ed.). New York: Enigma Books.

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: American Perspective Many of the pieces if literature have different perspectives on the American society and government and also have different affects on the readers. One piece of literature that really deals with American society in the 19th century is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This piece of literature deals with racism and the different reforms the government was trying to enforce, which made some people quite upset, along with giving different perspectives of society at this time.One of the character's in this story is referred to as Pap. This is Huck Finn's father and he seems to be in the lower social class of society. He is an alcoholic who thinks the government is against him and also believes the government is stupid for its different reforms, especially the one that lets Negros be free and not slaves in the South if they have not been there for a long enough time. He believes that all Negros should be slaves and that the government is stupid for not implementing that belief.The whole issue with slaves is not an issue anymore, but still many people are racists, including the older generation. This type of attitude is still held by some people, that Negros should be held at a lower class because they are not good as white people or that the Negros think they are better than white people. Pap also believes the justice system is corrupt and it is all about power. He refuses to give custody of Huck to Judge Thatcher and the Widow because he feels like he has more right to Huck because he is his father, even though he has a history of neglect and abuse.This reflects some of the lower class even now because some people feel like their children should not be taken away from them, even though they abuse them or neglect them or something that is just not legal. They will disrespect the justice system and say several crude statements about our justice system. Pap is a character in this novel that reflects some of the lowest in the lower class in American society from the 19th century and now. Pap makes one think about how the members of the lower class act.Some of the lower class are proud people and refuse to act this way, but there are the alcoholics and drug addicts of this class that gives everyone a bad name. Pap represents the worst of the lower class for the 19th century and he displays that not much has changed for these types of people, other than now they take money from the government and then say the government is horrible. This novel shows other perspectives of American society. There is Jim, who is a slave, which gives almost the opposite perspectives to Pap.Jim is a genuinely nice person when he is even lower than Pap in social ranking. The Widow gives a different perspective. She does not speak much about her view of the government but she is perceived as lower class to middle class. She believes everyone should be civilized, which Pap and Huck are not. She g ives a very different perspective then Pap, Huck, or Jim. Then there is the perception of society Huck has. He wants to run away from it all. He does not want to be part of a society where he has to be civilized.He is a typical teenager and some teens in the present think and act in these ways. The different perspectives represented in this book seem to be represented even now, in 2013. This piece of literature changed my perspective on America because it made me realize that this is still how many Americans act in society today. There might be different issues, but there is still the attitudes that are displayed in this piece of literature. People think we have moved forward and become better, but we truly have not done this.This book may not be modern, but it applies to many modern situations and behaviors of the different social classes and the government. All one has to do is read this book and think about the ignorant people in our society and realize we have not really changed at all in the past 150 to 200 years other than more equal rights and we have all gotten lazier because of technology. Those are the only differences in our society now, and this novel made me realize this.

Fate And Downfall Of Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet written by playwright, William Shakespeare, is widely renowned for being the greatest love story of all. However, after reading, it is hard for anyone to understand how the tragic story of two ‘†¦star-crossed lovers†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ – Chorus (1.1.6) who take their lives, can be seen as ‘beautiful’ or ‘inspiring’. This also leads to other questions being raised such as, who is most to blame for the untimely death of Romeo and Juliet? Now, many will argue that those who had the most contact with the lovers, in the time leading up to the affliction are to be held responsible i.e. Friar Laurence or their families. Others may just simply believe that they brought it upon themselves. The purpose of this essay is to explore and analyse the role†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœMy name, dear saints, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee.’ – Romeo (2.2.55). Protagonist of the story, Romeo was simply ju st a Montague as opposed to Juliet who was a Capulet. Through this quote Romeo alludes to the detriment his name causes to himself. Nevertheless, Juliet pursued her love. Mingling with the enemy, Romeo and Juliet seem to have no regard for their town and its inhabitants. Albeit, their deaths acted as a catalyst for the family’s reconciliation. As the Friar philosophises in his soliloquy, ‘O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies in plants, stones, and their true qualities; for naught so vile that on the earth doth live; but to the earth some special good doth give.’ – Friar Laurence (2.3.15-18). This extract talks of the death of plants and herbs. While this superficially comes across as negative, in actuality the deaths give way for new life. Similarly, when Romeo and Juliet’s love, sprung in a world of hate, was consequentially struck by fate, it was plausible to conclude that it was an act on behalf of the stars to trigger new life and change am ong Verona citizens. Shakespeare, demonstrated Romeo and Juliet’s bad luck through numerous events. Even though Romeo and Juliet’s lives were teeming with incidents controlled by fate, the week-long time span depicted in the play offers three main events that led to the final disaster. Firstly, during Act 1, Lord Capulet hosts a party of which his family is invited.Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet987 Words   |  4 Pages William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is centered around the tragic story of two â€Å"star-cross’d lovers†. A tragedy is a dramatic story that chronicles the downfall or death of a tragic hero. Tragedies usually depict the causes of a tragic hero’s downfall, which are most commonly a tragic choice or a tragic flaw. There is often some sort of greater power at play in tragedies, like fate. A key aspect of tragedies is both fate and free will leading to the downfall of a tragic hero. In William Shakespeare’sRead MoreRomeo and Juliet Fate Essay1103 Words   |  5 Pages‘Shakespeare intends the audience to see that the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was destined to happen’ In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, is about two â€Å"star crossed† lovers who are destined to end in a tragic accident. Fate is the path that leads to the future and cannot be altered no matter the outcome. Set in Shakespearean time, fate was believed to be in control of people’s lives. The fact that Romeo and Juliet would never live a peaceful life, none of the tragediesRead MoreEssay about William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet969 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of too unfortunate lovers caught up in their family’s hatred which in the end leads to the tragic deaths of both lovers. Classical Greek tragedy influenced Renaissance writers greatly Shakespeare was no exception. According to the dictionary, fate is ‘the supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines event.’ Which means that it is out of our hands. I believeRead MoreRomeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare818 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout history, Shakespeare has been given credit for the popularizing of tragedies, causing a tragic hero to be seen as a reputable character. In Shakespeare’s story â€Å"Romeo and Juliet,† two ill-fated lovers are caught between the bitter hatred of their two families. Knowing their parents would never approve, Romeo and Juliet struggle to keep their love a secret. Though the story ends in what most people would view as a tragedy, Romeo fails to meet the characteristics of a tragic hero establishedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1264 Words   |  6 Pagestheater-going public the most important dramatist in English literature, Shakespeare occupies a well-known position in the world of talented authors. His canon contains thirty-seven plays, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Additionally, throughout the years, they continue to su stain critical attention, with the majority of his works circling tragedies, one being Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet speaks to the timeless appeal of star-crossed lovers. Their loveRead MoreSome May Argue That It Is Not In The Stars To Hold Our1182 Words   |  5 Pagesstars to hold our destiny but in ourselves (Shakespeare, 1602 ). Shakespeare referred to the stars many times in his plays but stars were seen to have a connection with fate and destiny. furthermore, The plot of Romeo and Juliet and midsummer night dream was both leads by the idea of fate. Because The characters in both plays display signs of destiny being a factor in how things turned out either bad or good at the end of each play.The belief of fate destiny played a big role in both plays becauseRead MoreFate Is Responsible For The Deaths In Romeo And Juliet Analysis873 Words   |  4 PagesFate is responsible for the deaths of the lovers. Discuss In the play of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, William Shakespeare explores the idea of fate, through the characters experiences. The play was taken place during the Elizabethan Era where the social norms were completely different to those today and the idea of fate was well and truly believed by the society. Shakespeare incorporates this concept of fate in different ways, he makes references to celestial bodies, employs premonitions and orchestratesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet773 Words   |  4 Pagesextremely different in Elizabethan England than they are today. In Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare there are many examples of this concept. In this story, two families, the Montagues, and Capulets have been feuding for many generations. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet defied their societal rules and fell in love. This toxic relationship turned out to be the cause of many tragedies, including their own suicides. Romeo and Juliet are so in love, tha t they are both willing to kill themselvesRead More Fate in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay1094 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Fate, for better or worse, interrupts everyone’s daily life, whether he/she chooses to acknowledge it or not. Thinking about fate conjures up different feelings for different people; some people believe strongly in it, some people think of fate as ridiculous, and some do not care one way or the other. However, in many instances, such as in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, far too many coincidences occur to be strictly coincidental. Fate creates a powerfulRead MoreAnalysis of Friar Lawrence and the Nurse1075 Words   |  5 PagesFriar Laurence as mentors to the young people in the play. Do these two people do the â€Å"right thing† by Romeo and Juliet? The nurse and Friar are sophisticated characters that act as parental figures within the prolix and truculent play. The timeless classic Romeo and Juliet (RJ) by William Shakespeare revolves around the notion of determinism, death, love and deception. Despite Romeo and Juliet having warring parents who pay little regard to them, the Nurse and Friar act as parental figures towards

What Were the Goals of 1960s/1970s Feminism

Feminism changed womens lives and created new worlds of possibility for education, empowerment, working women, feminist art and feminist theory. For some, the goals of the feminist movement were simple: let women have freedom, equal opportunity and control over their lives. For others, though, the goals were more abstract or complex. Scholars and historians often divide the feminist movement into three waves. First-wave feminism, rooted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is closely related to the womens suffrage movement, as it focused primarily on legal inequalities. In contrast, second-wave feminism was mainly active in the 1960s and 70s and focused on inequalities embedded in social norms more than in laws. Here are some specific feminist movement goals from the â€Å"second wave† of feminism. Rethinking Society With Feminist Theory This was accomplished by, among other disciplines, women’s studies, feminist literary criticism, gynocriticism, socialist feminism and the feminist art movement.  Looking through a feminist lens at history, politics, culture, and economics, feminists developed insights in just about every intellectual discipline. To this day, the fields of womens studies and gender studies are major presences in academia and in social criticism. Abortion Rights The call for â€Å"abortion on demand† is often misunderstood. Leaders of the women’s liberation movement were clear that women should have reproductive freedom and safe access to legal abortion, making the choice for her reproductive status without interference by the state or paternalistic medical professionals. Second-wave feminism led to the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which legalized abortion in most circumstances. De-Sexing the English Language Feminists helped spark debate over assumptions embedded in our language that reflect the assumption of a male-dominated patriarchal society. Language was often centered around males, assuming that humanity was male and women were exceptions.  Use neutral pronouns? Identify words with gender bias? Invent new words?  Many solutions were tried, and the debate continues into the 21st century. Education Many women went to college and worked professionally in the early 20th century, but the mid-20th century ideal of the middle-class suburban housewife and the nuclear family downplayed the importance of women’s education. Feminists knew that girls and women must be encouraged to seek an education, and not just as â€Å"something to fall back on,† if they were to become, and be seen as, fully equal.  And within education, access by women to all programs, including sports programs, was a major goal. In 1972, Title IX forbade gender discrimination in education-related programs that received federal funding (such as school athletic programs). Equality Legislation Feminists worked for the Equal Rights Amendment, the Equal Pay Act, the addition of sex discrimination to the Civil Rights Act and other laws that would guarantee equality.  Feminists advocated for a variety of laws and interpretations of existing laws to remove impediments to womens professional and economic achievements, or full exercise of citizenship rights (such as having women on juries on an equal basis to men).  Feminists questioned the long tradition of protective legislation for women which often ended up sidelining women from being hired, promoted, or treated fairly. Promoting Political Participation The League of Women Voters had existed since just after women won the vote, and the LWV had supported educating women (and men) in informed voting, and had done some work in promoting women as candidates.  In the 1960s and 1970s, other organizations were created and the LWV extended its mission to promote even more participation in the political process by women including by recruiting, training, and financially supporting women candidates. Rethinking Womens Roles in Nuclear Family Households Although not all feminists called for collective mothering or went so far as to urge â€Å"seizing the means of reproduction,† as Shulamith Firestone wrote in The Dialectic of Sex, it was clear that women should not have to bear the sole responsibility for raising children.  Roles also included who does the housework.  Research showed that even full time working wives did the majority of housework, and various individuals and theorists proposed ways of changing the proportion of who did which household chores, and who held responsibility for those chores as well. â€Å"I Want a Wife† No, this essay from the first issue of  Ms.  magazine  did not mean that every woman literally wanted a wife. It did suggest that any adult would love to have someone to play the â€Å"housewife† role as it had been defined: the caretaker and the one who runs things behind-the-scenes. Supporting Women as Parents While feminism re-examined the maternal role expected of women, feminism also worked to support women when they were the primary caretaker of children or the primary custodial parent.  Feminists worked for family leave, employment rights through pregnancy and childbirth including covering pregnancy and newborn medical expenses through health insurance, child care, and reform in marriage and divorce laws. Representation in Popular Culture Feminists critiqued the presence (or non-presence) of women in popular culture, and popular culture expanded the roles which women held.  Television shows gradually added women in more central and less stereotyped roles, including some shows featuring single women who wanted more than just to find a man.  Movies also expanded roles, and female-driven comics saw a resurgence and widened audience, with Wonder Woman leading the way.  Traditional womens magazines fell under critique, with the result of both some change in how women were depicted there, and specialty magazines like  Working Woman  and Ms. Magazine  created to meet the new market demands -- and to reshape the market. Expanding the Voice of Women in Other Movements An example: women had often been shut out of unions or relegated to a Ladies Auxiliary through much of the 20th century. As the feminist movement gained momentum, pressure on the union movement to represent more jobs that were pink collar jobs (mostly held by women) increased.  Organizations like Women Employed were created for representing women in offices where unions were not strong.  And the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) was created to help women in leadership roles within unions develop solidarity and support in getting the union movement to be more inclusive of women, both among those represented, and in leadership.

Analysis Of Frank Sargeson s Short Stories Conversation...

Connections One might have heard about Frank Sargeson many times, but never really had the opportunity to know more about him. This text offers the chance to learn about his contribution to New Zealand literature. Frank Sargeson was one of New Zealand’s most important short story writers. He was born in Hamilton on the 21st, March 1903 and died in Auckland, the first of March of 1982. His peculiar works contributed to creating a special language. Like Katherine Mansfield, who is considered to be the first who used New Zealand’s modernist writing style, Sargeson has been responsible for placing New Zealand’s literature on the world map. Because he lived in the years when New Zealanders were still looking for their own identity, as most Pakeha at that time considered Britain their motherland, it was complicated for him to distinguish himself from the rest of them. My aim in this essay is to identify, analyse and critique the similarities and differences of four Frank Sargesonà ¢â‚¬â„¢s short stories: ‘Conversation with my Uncle’, ‘Cats by the Tail’, ‘A Piece of Yellow Soap’ and ‘Chaucerian’. Many things intrigued me about Sargeson such as: the development of anecdotes into short stories, the transcript of the New Zealand colloquial language, and the use of simple words leading to a breathtaking level of complexity in his stories. But what impressed me the most was the fact that he almost never referred to himself in his workings, keeping a low, mysterious profile. In every story we

Harley Davidson Erp Vendor Selection free essay sample

Harley-Davidson, Inc. Contents Introduction Problem Statement Supply Management Strategy Project Scope Project Execution Software Vendor Finalists Recommendations 2004 update References Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer with a rich history and cultural tradition. Founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, WI, Harley Just celebrated its 100th anniversary with a series of events around the world that culminated in hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists rallying last summer on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1929, there were 241 motorcycle manufacturers in the US. After the Depression, only two remained: Harley and Indian. By 1953, Indian went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson as the only American motorcycle manufacturer. Financial difficulties in the 1970s led to the parent company, AMF putting the motorcycle division up for sale. Without a buyer, a group of Harley managers bought out the company and rescued it with a business turnaround that included brand extensions into licensed goods, such as apparel and related accessories. Now a publicly owned company, Harley has scored double digit growth for eighteen consecutive years. Harley ransformed itself into a strong marketing company with a focus on lifestyle image and product quality. The case took place in retrospect from 1997-1999. The purpose of the case was to management for this large manufacturing company. Recognizing that the purchasing process for obtaining materials and parts was out of control, management coordinated a project to understand its purchasing process and activities, solicit feedback from the 800 people who would be affected by the new system, and create a complete transformation in thinking and action regarding the procurement and management of incoming supplies. In addition, management wanted to move the company from a short-term transaction purchasing basis to a long-term relationship with suppliers. In addition to selecting an ERP system, Harley Davidson was interested in developing supplier relationships with key vendors. They wanted the new system to facilitate this development. In the case, the managers went as far as making the distinction between vendor and a supplier indicating that a vendor is someone selling on the street corner and a supplier was an extension of the primary business. The company had highly fragmented purchasing functions. Even though all product development and manufacturing remained in the US, materials represented nearly 75% of product cost. They used different invoices, schedules and procedures in every facility. Suppliers complained that they were dealing with three different companies, sometimes receiving orders from various facilities in the same day. Harley had hundreds of suppliers and no system of coordination or relationship management. Because the company was steeped in cultural traditions of gradual improvement and quality ideology, dramatic change was an unlikely outcome. As n any major software project, the company faced three types of risk with this endeavor; size, experience, and structure. The size of the project determined how much risk was involved in terms of cost, time, and supplier relationships. Switching over to a centralized purchasing system may have resulted disruptions in supplies and production flow, costing the company in lost sales and dealer/customer relationships. Failure of the system to meet the expectations of users would cost the management credibility with employees and suppliers. We do not know the selection process cost. Because this project consisted of only two ERP modules in collaboration and delivery management, it was not as large in size and posed only moderate organizational risk. Harley employees had experience with many different software systems to support various activities. They did not have an ERP system, so there was some risk involved in the coordination of all purchasing activities among facilities under one program. Because the managers understood the strong culture and history of the company, they structured the project carefully to create a change in thinking before creating a change in software. The methods they used to survey purchasing people, involve representatives from all areas of the company, understand the process, work with suppliers, and select an ERP provider to grow with company and its future needs. All of these components helped to reduce the risk of the project. To get a better understanding of the scope of their problem and to plan the project, managers decided to survey those who were responsible for purchasing. They intended to discover what activities purchasing people carried out and how much time and effort went into procuring materials. Everyone was surprised to learn hat 85% of purchasing time was being spent in non-strategic activities, such as counting inventory, data entry and expediting. While the company had 200 purchasing staff, the survey revealed that over 2,000 people were issuing purchase orders. Quantitative estimates provided a potential savings of an ERP implementation for purchasing at $34 million. Data like these helped to get people committed to making the project a success. The project scope had to identify the purchasing activities, the stakeholder groups (owner, driver, or participant), and the target audience (800 people). In addition, the scope had to fine tune the details needed to create a software quote request and a list of supplier selection criteria. This helped to answer the following questions: Who will use the system? What will the system have to do? How can we make the implementation a success? Which vendor can best provide the functionality, support, and scalable potential? Even though the process took over two years, Harley managers did a comprehensive Job of selecting the ERP solution. It appears that the Silk team did a good Job preparing for the project evidenced by the careful mapping of the as is rocess and of the to be process. This helped to reduce and manage project scope creep. Typical of lower risk, low technology projects, the details in planning generally pay dividends in the form of reduced implementation time at a cut over to a new system. Poor planning can lead to huge cost over runs and delays in system implementation. More serious problems can occur if the system can not deliver on promises made in initial project Justification. These are the kinds of problems over which project managers can lose their Jobs. We think that external consultants could have helped with the initial ssessments. This may have helped Harley Davidson get a broader picture of the purchasing organization and allowed for the use of best practices from other industries. They may have done this†we do not know from the case. Great planning that is myopic does not necessarily lead to the best solutions. The time Harley Davidson spent on the initial phase of the project is much longer compared to either Tektronix or Cisco. In the case of Tektronix, they were happy throwing more money at implementation problems to stay on schedule. Tektronix also suffered from their lack f planning with previous implementation failures. Cisco succeeded in meeting the short, implementation schedule through the use of a very standard, off-the-shelf system. Less customization of any ERP system leads to lower costs and quicker implementation schedules. A standard system is easier to upgrade also. Customizations are often required to ensure systems can meet a companies reengineering and ERP customization when implementing an ERP system. The successful ERP selection at Harley Davidson was not a result of planning alone. The case paints the picture of the culture of HD well. This culture is brought ut in the style of management and the approach to the project and the selection process. Their use of their internal business integration (81) of process, people and technology was consistent. It would send a good message to the organization. Their definition of full time members as a Tuesday through Thursday was interesting. This is contrary to our experience of Monday through Friday being full time. The reason they gave does have merit. Full time members can lose track of the day-to-day business and not realize the impact of pending changes. Seemingly small obstacles can turn out to be the biggest problems of system acceptance. There are some people that think a new ERP system can fix all of an organizations ailments. This is simply not true, as bad processes are often the root cause of many ERP installation failures. The last paragraph of the case mentions the question of linking the Supply Management Strategy (SMS) and procurement system. Without the link, this process could have failed. The risks of not linking were higher than with linking because the procurement system should be looked at as an enabler of the SMS process. Harley Davidson also developed additional standards before embarking on the ERP selection process. One was that of platform standardization. The case did not mention the standard but made note of the disqualification of one vendors product due to architectural incompatibility. IT does need to lead and develop standards as part of the ERP and other operational strategies. Scalability of the purchasing system must also be considered. They had a basis to work from for future growth and development. An example here would be to standardize on Oracle for the database and Java script language for the web-enabled application development. The group selected three finalists based on a number of variables. By allowing the software vendors to rate themselves quantitatively on functional variables, the team had some hard data, biased as it was. Each vendor wanted the opportunity and the business†of course they would rate their functionality as high as possible! There may have been no statistical differences among any of them. Clearly the motivation for the vendor was to win the contract, not be accurate in their capability assessment and potential fit for that organization. Software vendors are notorious for assuring any potential large customer that their system will be great for them! The qualitative cale of fuzzier attributes (low, medium, high) was perhaps useful to the selection team, but again, held rater bias. Finally, three software vendors made it to the final round. The case was written such that there appeared to be a close tie between two, with a confounding variable for number three. The reference to provider threes existing project was interesting. There is reference to the political and economic advantages. It appears that having an existing project was a consideration. This may explain the poor first-run performance by the group as they may have thought they would get the work. The team tried to be objective. Ultimately, the company largest client bases of Supply Chain Management in the world. Harley is using their Collaborate and Delivery Management modules. The modules provide Harley with a web-based private trading network that provides visibility and transaction execution through a portal. In retrospect, we would have recommended that Harley do a few things differently. First, they could have researched the literature on what types of problems mechanistic manufacturing organizations face when they try to implement an ERP system in a highly inflexible environment. There was enough research and case analysis available to do this. While they were clearly aware of potential change resistance and the need to get all stakeholders involved, the amount of time their search and selection process required was ridiculous in todays business environment. We speculate that the sheer demand and high prices of their product allowed them to wallow in their inefficiencies a few more years before they had to bite the bullet. Second, obtaining the advice of experienced software and supply chain consultants earlier in the process probably could have saved some time and created a defined focus. Often, managers use the discipline and recommendations of onsultants to reinforce the need for organizational change. With the purchasing process out of control, they could have brought in some purchasing expertise to clean up some of the mess before selecting a software system to help organize the Third, we questioned the research methods and bias of the data. process. However, if Harley eventually got what they wanted and it turned out to be a success for them, then perhaps their methods were valid. We do not know final cost fgures and messier details of implementation (schedule, support, etc. ). There are many technical details that we also know nothing about. Three out of five comments in the making the decision section suggest the people side was more important that the functional side. In reality, the functionality of any finalist should not be questioned. To get to the final round, the product has to work. It is analogous to having to have a certain quality level to sell products. The team was looking at the project from the implementation and buy-in standpoint of the end users, which was appropriate. They tried to remain close to the end users from the start. Harley was successful in transforming its scattered purchasing functions into a supplier relationship management program. The supplier portal now serves 300 of its 695 suppliers. In 2004, the company will be extending portal access to its accessories and merchandise suppliers. This year, Harley will have about 300 IT employees.

Nike Wacc free essay sample

The definition of WACC Weighted average cost of capital(WACC), is a weighted-computational method of analyzing the cost of capital based on the whole capital structure of a firm. The result of WACC is the rate a firm use to monitor the application of the current assets because it represents the return the firm MUST get. For example this rate could be used as the discount rate of evaluating an investment, and maintaining the price of firm’s stock. . 2 Analysis of Johanna Cohen’s calculation We analyzed the process of Johanna Cohen’s calculation, and found some flaws we believe caused computational mistakes. i. When using the WACC method, the book value of bond is available as the market value since bonds are not quite active in the market, but the book value of equity isn’t. Instead of Johanna’s using equity’s book value, we should multiply the current price of Nike’s stock price by the numbers of shares outstanding. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Wacc or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ii. When calculating the YTM of the firm’s bond, Johanna only used the interest expense of the year divided by the average debt balance, which fully ignored the discounted cash flow of the cost of debt. 2. If you do not agree with Cohen’s analysis, calculate your own WACC for Nike and be prepared to justify your assumptions. Combining the analysis above, we now give our own WACC calculation as following. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method? 3. 1 Calculating the costs of equity by CAPM, and its advantages amp; disadvantages i. Calculation: According to 2. 4, we have already got the result of CAPM, which is 10. 46%. ii. Advantages First, because CAPM is a theory based on the whole market, it obviously includes the effects between the market as the integrity and each individual stock. Second, with the counterbalance among each stock in the entire market, CAPM only needs the consideration of systematic risk, which much simplifies the calculation. Third, CAPM also bypasses the specific values of future cash flow because the equation is actually the relation between systematic risk and return rate, which is also another simplification of calculating. Fourth, merely depending on the systematic risk, CAPM could offer the investors a reliable discounting rate to assess the value of a certain investment. iii. Disadvantages: First, involving the counterbalance among the entire market, CAPM acquiesces an effective, active and healthy market environment. Second, comparing the consideration of market risk, CAPM may omit the subtle risk differences among each single firm. Third, the crucial systematic risk, the beta coefficient, is obviously hard to calculate. 3. 2 Calculating the costs of equity by DDM, and its advantages amp; disadvantages i. Calculation (based on EXIHIBIT 4):: Based on the dividend discount model, P0 = D0 * (1+g) / (k – g), then we get the return rate (the cost of equity) k = D0 * (1+g) / P0 + g = 0. 48 * (1 + 0. 055) / 42. 09 + 0. 055 = 6. 7% ii. Advantages First, DDM fully considers the time value of consistent cash flow of an investment. Second, it is pretty easy to get the necessary historical data. Third DDM is flexible enough for the adjustment of any future situation. Fourth, once the growth pattern is confirmed, it is very straightforward to get the discount rate of assessing an investment. iii. Disadvantages First, without enough consideration of risk cost, DDM may underestimate the equity cost. Second, all of the data is based on historical record, so the result is not reliable considering of the future situations. Third, with the predetermined growth rate, it is obviously practical for the stock investors to estimate the possible profit, but may mislead the stock issuing firm from a better budgeting decision to a comparatively unsubstantial investment. 3. 3 Calculating the costs of equity by the earnings capitalization ratio, and its advantages amp; disadvantages i. Calculation (based on EXIHIBIT 1amp;4) According to the earnings capitalization model, we have cost of equity = E1 / P0 = 2. 16 / 42. 09 = 5. 13% ii. Advantages First, it’s very easy to calculate and understand. Second, it’s easy to get the necessary accounting data iii. Disadvantages Without any consideration of the risk and the growth of the firm, it doesn’t reflect the true value of an investment or the cost of the budgeting at all. 4. What should Kimi Ford recommend regarding an investment in Nike? According to EXIHIBIT 2, the market’s forecasting sensitivity of equity value of Nike is 11. 17%. But based on our own analysis by WACC, we believe the discount rate of Nike is around 9. 85%. That means the market underestimated the value of Nike. So we recommend the Northpoint to purchase the stock of Nike.