Women in Hollywood

Mtn Nigeria: Telecommunication MTN Nigeria is a surely understand media transmission industry outfitted towards managing all part of media transmission infrastructural advancement as it concerns GSM rollout. MTN Nigeria has its focal head quarter in South African. MTN was joined in Nigeria February 2001 as the principal none indigenous Telecommunication Company in the territories of GSM advancements. They have enthusiasm for greatness. Worldwide System for Mobile correspondence (GSM) is a computerized versatile communication framework that is broadly utilized everywhere throughout the world. GSM is generally utilized instead of all different remote communication advances among which are TDMA (Time division numerous entrance), CDMA (Code division various access). This uses a variety of time division numerous entrance (TDMA). MTN Nigeria GSM framework works at either the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz recurrence band. In todays exceptionally serious business condition among broadcast communications organizations in Nigeria, MTN as association realize that Change Management is basic to their upper hand and long haul achievement and endurance. This reality have made MTN to contribute immense assets on figuring and actualizing hierarchical change for their prosperity endurance and simultaneously putting colossal assets in preparing of their workers (both administration and lower-level staffs) on the information on Change the executives. As Tofler A. expressed in the ilearn module (2010), module03, unit1, page2, There is just a single steady today and that is change is unavoidable for a fruitful business accomplishment. In view of this prominent statement, MTN Nigeria embraced a change program, MTN Nigeria Project office was extended to become Capital Programs Group (CPG) inside the most recent five years. Assortment of materials on the development of Project Office to Capital Programs bunch was done through close to home contact with top administration levels, Program Managers, Managers, Engineers, course material applicable materials from the web. MTN STRUCTURE PRIOR TO ENLARGEMENT OF PROJECT OFFICE TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS GROUP (CHANGE Program) As prior referenced MTN Nigeria has enthusiasm for greatness in territories like, Acquiring and holding clients, Developing Implementing Market Strategies, Stimulating expanded use of items and administrations, Generating income, Retaining Customers, Stimulating utilization Research. . Before the amplification of their task office, MTN Nigeria has just a single specialized unit that administer all their system rollout activity support exercises. This includes numerous divisions as appeared underneath. System Implementation Division System Programs Unit System Project Management System Operation Division System Intelligent Building Support Services NMC Operation System Access Division System Quality Confirmation RF Planning Unit Remote Bearer Services RF/BT S Operations TX Planning Unit System Group Figure I: Structure of MTN Network bunch before the change program usage. The different divisions execute any given errand as specified by the association. Enormous quantities of destinations manufactured was redundant in light of the fact that the requirement for development was at this point to emerge. Rebuilding OF PROJECT OFFICE TO CAPITAL PROGRAMS GROUP (CHANGE Program) MTN Nigeria having built up their vision and statement of purpose, Vision: To be the main supplier of media transmission benefits in Nigeria with a strategic give top of the line organize quality, client support and worth. Statement of purpose is To be an impetus for Nigeria financial development and improvement ,releasing Nigeria solid advancement possibilities not just through the arrangement of world class correspondence yet additionally through creative and feasible corporate social duty activities To have the option to leave up this desire get together with the new difficulties related with GSM organizations inside Nigeria past. After the finish of the monetary years 2003, the CEO top administration officials of MTN Nigeria thought of new structure that is esteemed to ease and quicken organize extension quality all through the league. New divisions were risen, work obligations changed, new areas were made, new administrators were named by organization arrangements. The new structure that was made is Capital Programs Group, CPG works in association with different specialized providers and applies broad venture the board abilities to rollout all components of MTN GSM system to the best expectations. The Department is contained the accompanying Units: Coordinations Center and Fiber Implementation Site Build Rollout BTS/Transmission/3G Upgrade System Rollout Program Support The making of the new divisions gave the organization better perceivability in overseeing and turning out of a superior system framework in the regions of 2G 3G systems at an extremely rapid to get together with the current interest for clients desire, and furthermore created genuine income increment in supporters base to generally 30,000 million. Interior EXTERNAL DRIVERS FOR CHANGE: Presentation MTN Nigeria came into the nation not foreseeing that the populace as far as their supporters base will truly increment following 3-4 years of activity. The rate at which call drop happens got flighty. MTN Nigeria required more locales to fill the dead spots that achieve the high pace of call drop. The difficulties on GSM innovation development is truly expanding in Nigeria. There is requirement for new innovation headway and new plans of action. This is a basic way wherein top level administration, program directors their subordinates needs to center in accomplishing a superior profitability. MTN direct a study through representatives and expert after the 2003 monetary year finishing with the beginning for the CEO and top administration. Regarding ilearn module (2010), module03, unit1, exercise 1, page2 inside outside drives for change in MTN, the accompanying elements are the essential drivers of MTN authoritative change. Quick innovation propels. Frail business execution Poor consumer loyalty High pace of task disappointment Absence of development Mergers acquisitions Collective association models Redistributing More prominent spryness in clients responsiveness New plans of action Quick TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT This is a huge driver for authoritative change. Fast advancement in innovation roused for innovation development in MTN Nigeria. The expansion in new innovation progression in GSM industry in Nigeria offered ascend to the requirement for gear overhaul so as to incorporate the old supplies that might be old soon with the new types of gear. This was considered by the change operators so as to get together with the new innovation required to make them not to confront a decreasing piece of the pie to contenders lose capital contributed, in particular realize a decrease in their CAPEX capital use to a sensible worth. POOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Because of the high volume of traffic been conveyed my MTN, clients began encountering low quality of administration which offered ascend to extraordinary number of call drops, limit clog, soft tone quality, insufficient inclusion zone. Clients couldn't appreciate the genuine advantage of GSM utilizing MTN Nigeria network.MTN saw the need and acted in that line to abstain from losing their client base to different contenders. Powerless BUSINESS PERFORMANCE There is an apparent danger from clients in regards to the exhibition of the MTN arrange. When MTN began in Nigeria numerous individuals were in anxious to buy MTN sim card and different items that meets clients desire. There was high pace of item securing from clients inside and close to the neighboring nations. The interest for sim cards became significantly increased it became evident that the current system limit cannot deal with the interest for lines. The rate at which organize rollouts were done couldn't get together with the new testing factors. This added to an extraordinary lose in their income age. HIGH RATE OF PROJECT FALIURE The rate at which venture disappointment happens inside the task office gave a worry to the whole administration, this added to low number of locales turned out per quarter yearly. There was no nearby management of site construct temporary workers (SBCs) in other to accomplish the ideal quality on region of the foundations. The presentation of turnkey arrangement not appropriately oversaw likewise added to the disappointment, site construct temporary workers having lacking assets to fund their different undertakings. Absence OF INNOVATION Undertaking office was comprised of Engineers Project directors who are pioneers of MTN from South Africa. This gathering of individuals are exile who works without procedures and methods, there was no set down methodology. Practically all undertakings where taken care of and small scale oversaw by them, this brought forth having the greater part of the site construct contractual worker been none indigenous organizations. Undertakings turned out to be moderate on account of lacking labor to work and handle different allocated works. NEW BUSSINESS MODEL There is requirement for MTN Nigeria to grasp new plans of action. The lacking Transmission limit turned into a thwarting element as far as receiving new plans of action that will be benefitting to the organization. Before the rebuilding of the task office to capital projects bunches new plans of action like giving E1 answers for clients couldnt be accomplished. Yet, after the rebuilding MTN Nigeria began giving E1 answers for different banks ventures in the nation which likewise expanded their income. MERGER ACQUSATIONS When MTN Nigeria blended and combined activities with VGC correspondences constrained at some point in October 2006, critical reengineering occurred. To adjust the administration destinations rebuilding was the fundamental drive in this factor. The combination of MTN and VGC made a significant test in smoothing out and reconciliation of existing satellite activities structure. After the merger procurement, som

Hr Management

I will investigate the present business enactment that associations are confronted with concerning enrollment, (HOC) embraces, taking into account how I can make fitting proposals to improve the procedure in general just as keeping the procedure agreeable with the enactment. Research staff prerequisites and embrace a Job examination for a recognized post. The significance of enlisting the correct gauge of individuals for an association is basic for some, reasons, diminishing staff turnover, hierarchical costs, assurance in existing workforce and the general increased the value of authoritative procedure and goals.Whilst I was exploring which potential opening to use as the reason for finishing this task, I promptly thought of an opportunity inside the HER area of expertise that would be portrayed as business basic to the HOC, the position is HER Pensions Administrator. The Requirements of the HER Pensions Administrator The post is the main asset apportioned to benefits organization i n the HOC, with a duty regarding consistence with authoritative necessities, HEMP guidelines and for consistence with the prerequisites of the Pensions Regulator.It is an independent post, tit everyday obligation regarding the organization of the annuity understandings for more than 1500 individuals, just as liaising with the neighborhood Government Pension Schemes which we have acquired. They are additionally answerable for giving first line backing to the Secretary of the Trustees, including everyday administration of scofflaws, speculation game plans and contact with the Scheme Actuary and other expert counselors. The peashooter is answerable for preparing HOC Scheme joiners and leavers and is first purpose of contact for plot individuals comparable to all ensign enquiries.They are additionally liable for guaranteeing that all Scheme benefits (typical, retirements, Ill wellbeing retirements, demise in administration and other early retirements) are determined precisely and paid i n an opportune way. Taking the discoveries from the Job examination and the data accumulated by the various procedures utilized, I inferred that the reasons above clarify why this particular post is business basic to the association and that the post holder requires explicit specialized abilities and experience expected to satisfy the whole of the Job successfully.To explore precisely what this post involves and to finish my Job investigation, I practiced a couple of various strategies to get the data required; Interview †I set up a casual meeting with the post holder to catch a decent foundation of the Jobs hopes, who the fundamental partners/clients are and how upsetting a vocation it is. This method was the most accommodating when assembling my Job Description and Personal Specification, as I had the option to set up the principle squeeze focuses, just as the most significant prerequisites required for this specific post.Observation †I figured shadowing the post holder would be method of achieving the Job from a viable perspective. I saw this as an especially advantageous procedure to acquire data I require for my Job examination, you truly get a vibe of the everyday undertakings included, the discussion's you have with clients/partner, the weights of the Job and how this post fits in with different divisions inside the organization.Diaries, Logs and Journals †This post requires a very sorted out proactive individual, there are various ‘pinch' focuses that are basic to the post and low graph for instance of the kind of assignments included. (If it's not too much trouble allude to Appendix 1). Set of working responsibilities for HER Pensions Administrator and Personal Specification †Please allude to Appendix 2 For the Personal Specification I decided to utilize a notable framework known as ‘Rogers Seven Point Plan (1970)' just as Hack's skills to diagram what the perfect individual for the Job would be.Personal determinations must be arranged and utilized cautiously. Specifically, guarantee that the basic or wanted skills don't prompt unlawful victimization potential candidates. Inspect Employment enactment with respect to enlistment Evaluate current work enactment as it influences enrollment and choice of staff The Equality Act became an integral factor on 1 October 2010, its primary point was to make the structure progressively productive, less complex and increasingly steady at how bosses can forestall discrimination.There have been ongoing changes to the demonstration to make it significantly more smoothed out and to reinforce the law on correspondence by and large. The Equality Act covers the accompanying gatherings of enactment * age * incapacity * sex reassignment * race religion or conviction * sex * sexual direction * marriage and common association * pregnancy and maternity The rundown of gatherings above are currently known as the ‘Protected Characteristics' I will presently picked a det ermination of the gatherings above and clarify how they sway the enrollment and choice in my organization.Disability â€Å"Disability in work terms alludes to physical or mental disability which has a significant and long haul antagonistic effect on an individual's capacity to do typical everyday exercises. † (CHIP Recruitment and Selection) As the HOC is an open part odd, we as a HER specialization or even on a more extensive scale, the association overall has an obligation of care to be as consistent with all types of law and enactment. In the event that we are discovered that we are not consistent we would need to reply to the Unions just as the Government itself.It would likewise leave us open for complaints and councils that can annihilate an associations notoriety as a business. The HOC are individuals from the ‘Two Ticks' Positive about Disabled People Scheme, this is the place a crippled individual is ensured a meeting in the event that they meet the base measur es for the Job. Its primary point it to stop the enrolling chiefs/bosses utilizing inability as a detriment to potential applicants. In our procedure we consolidate into the short-posting stage so the enlisting directors know about which candidates have with a note at the base to exhorting or should I say helping them to remember best practice.If they do meet the minim measures and in this way welcome to talk with, we at that point inquire as to whether there are any sensible changes we have to make to suit them at the meeting stage so nobody is hindered in any capacity. For instance, we promotion a competitor who was dyslexic, met the fundamental models and welcomed for meet. As it was a serious prominent Job, they we required to go to an evaluation day. So as to make it a reasonable evaluation we made sensible changes in accordance with give the applicant additional time when perusing and finishing certain tasks.I do feel that HOC as a business clings to the plan and positively pa ys attention to it very. In spite of the fact that, I would go above and beyond and recommend that we (HER) keep the duplicate of the featured shape and send the selecting administrator a short-posting structure without the incapacitated predates featured (assuming any). That route there will be no chance the enlisting director can by implication segregate or think they have an obligation to short-list the incapacitated applicants regardless of whether the rules has not been met.Age Discrimination The Age Discrimination Act is there to secure individuals everything being equal. When promoting as a business we need to consider age separation, we ensure we stay away from words, for example, youthful and dynamic' as this may show that we are searching for somebody of a particular age. Indeed, even the situation of an advert should be Justified, if goodness place an advert in a distribution or site that lone a particular age bunch see that might be viewed as roundabout discrimination.Th erefore, when composing Job adverts for the HOC we center around the aptitudes ascribes expected to satisfy the Job. We utilize a similar technique through to the choice procedure, at no time to we ask the competitor their age or D. O. B or direct any inquiry or reference to the subject. This is to guarantee that all competitors are dealt with reasonably as could be expected under the circumstances and to give each applicant equivalent open door for being chosen. Pregnancy and Maternity This ensures ladies during pregnancy and all through her Maternity and to any legal Maternity leave she is entitled to.An business isn't permitted to oppress you if pregnant or on maternity leave, instances of this sort of segregation are; * For requesting to go on vacation to go to risk natal classes * in light of the fact that you can't carry out your Responsibility during your pregnancy for wellbeing and security reasons * on the grounds that you requested to take maternity leave or you are on mat ernity leave. * By not giving you what you are qualified for while pregnant or on maternity leave If n representative feels they have been dealt with unjustifiably as a result of being pregnant or on maternity leave they could raise a complaint or present a case too tribunal.In the couple of long periods of being in the HER calling, this is a subject that yields up more frequently than others and can be a serious sensitive issue to manage in certain occasions. The HOC has experienced various changes over the most recent 5 years, and we as HER experts need to react to any progressions with inward and outside variables that influence us, yet in particular enactment. With the goal for us to meet the desires for he enactment we guarantee the accompanying; * Perform a Health and Safety hazard evaluation when we are educated regarding the pregnancy * KIT days (Keep in Touch Days †10 of which you are qualified for when on maternity leave). Prompt and advise the and 32 weeks half compe nsation with SMS * Flexi-time * Job assurance during a rebuild while pregnant or on maternity leave * Informs a worker of any preparation and improvement openings accessible * Full 33 occasion privilege just as any bank occasions added to the maternity leave To add to the circumstance there has been another advancements with The Children's and suggests Bill. The Bill was introduced to Parliament on fourth February this year and

Essay Topics For College - The Top Argumentative Essay Topics For College

Essay Topics For College - The Top Argumentative Essay Topics For CollegeIf you want to write a great essay, and the best way to do this is to avoid all of the common mistakes, then you need to know where to start. This article will provide you with the top argumentative essay topics for college 15 pages.This is a lot of information to take in, but when you are trying to get a few words written upon paper, it can seem overwhelming. So, here is some advice for the top argumentative essay topics for college.If you are thinking about going to college for the first time, this is your chance to get into a college that you love. This is one of the best arguments to put out there, because you will be telling all of your friends that you went to college. You don't have to tell all of your friends, but it would be nice to get a few people who know that you went to college in on the fact that you did.This is a great argument, especially if you plan on writing an essay for a class. You can use your social security number as the basis for your essay, but you can also use your birth date, or the fact that you are a married man or woman.When it comes to writing an essay, there are many arguments that you can use to make a good point about going to college. However, you should remember that it is important to not be too persuasive.If you feel like your essays aren't being persuasive enough, then you can always start by using other arguments. You might use quotes from books, movies, or even songs.Here is a link to a resource that you can use to help you get started with article topics. These are some great essay topics for college.

Obedience Essay - 744 Words

Obedience In this essay I am going to write on how obedience can affect individuals on how they would normally behave and integrate in society. The meaning of Obedience is a form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually an authority figure. It is assumed that without such an order the person would not have acted in this way. (McLeod, 2007) Migram (1963) conducted a study on how obedient a person would be to an authority figure and establish a baseline measure of how obedient they would be when ordered to inflict pain to another human via electric shocks. The way he conducted this was by doing a lab experiment, he advertised for forty volunteers being paid  £2 to†¦show more content†¦The rest going all the way a staggering 65% we believe the pressure of the authoritative figure in the room telling them to continue and telling them they will not be held responsible for anything bad that happens in the test. Social setting is a powerful determinate of behavior, we are socialized to recognize authority and react to obedience. There are many positives to Milgrams study such as in has applicability; this experiment has shown us that we are very obedient to authoritative figures. C.P. Snow (1961) noted that ‘when you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. One such example of this was when six million innocent people were systematically slaughtered on command by the Nazis during Hitler’s regime. One of the criticisms of Milgram’s work is concerned with its ethics was participants were deceived as to the exact nature of the study for which they had volunteered, and by making them believe they were administering real electric shocks to a real participant. However Milgram could not have found results that truly reflected the way people behave in real situations if he had not deceived his participants, all of whom were thoroughly debriefed afterwards. A major criticism of Milgram’s study was his unrepresentative sample. Milgram chose to study only American men (thus he was deliberately ethnocentric), butShow MoreRelatedEssay on Obedience755 Words   |  4 PagesObedience is the process by which individuals comply with the instructions given by an authority figure not to be confused with conformity. There is one similarity between obedience and conformity which is that both involved a renunciation Of personal responsibility. There is three differences between Obedience and Conformity. The first one is that in Obedience an order or an instruction is given whereas no instructions or order is given in conformity. The second one is that in obedience thereRead MoreMilgram s Research On Obedience Essay1067 Words   |  5 PagesWhy did Milgram decide to study this topic? What was the motivating factor/event that inspired Milgram to research obedience? †¢ The main reason that Milgram decided to study the topic of obedience was to better understand the extreme inhumane conditions that Jews faced during the holocaust at the hands of German soldiers. Over the 12 year period between the early 1930’s through the mid 1940’s millions of Jews died in death camps run by Germans. Since Milgram himself was of Jewish descent, MilgramRead MoreAuthority Is A Fundamental Part Of Life Essay2069 Words   |  9 Pagesuse authority to maintain order and obedience throughout communities. Parents possess characteristics of authority in order to teach children right from wrong. As well as, teachers are considered authority figures since they need to control and maintain obedience in the classroom. Authority cannot exist without obedience. Society is developed on this notion. Without authority, and its required obedience, disorder and disruption would occur. But how much obedience to authority is necessary? When isRead MoreAnalysis Of Just Do What The Pilot Tells You831 Words   |  4 PagesDalrymple, is a British physician who discusses why blind obedience is discouraged. His article, â€Å" Just Do What the Pilot Tells You†, was first published in the New Statesman. In this specific article, he touches on points in our lives when we are supposed to do what we are told. Disobedience is when a person chooses to disobey some sort of order they were directed to do. The main point that the author is trying to make is that neither obedience or disobedience should be more prominent than the otherRead MoreObedience : Obedience And Obedience1997 Words   |  8 PagesOBEDIENCE Obedience can be described as an action exhibited by an individual as a result of direct command or order from another person who is normally in position of authority. Obedience take place when an authority figure ask a person to do something, this usually entails people with status, that is, someone giving the command has to be above the person the order is being given to. Everyday Examples of Obedience Obedience plays a vital role in everyday life; it is an expectation for people to obeyRead MoreA Study On Obedience And The Obedience1178 Words   |  5 Pageswanted to do a study on the obedience to an authority figure, and the obedience is a situationist experiment that evidences what happened the real life (Badhwar, 2009). Milgram’s idea was the Holocaust situation and the Nazis who had the authority over European Jews, during World War II, when the Nazi killed thousands of people because they had power, as well as how lived Nazis enemies in the death camps. The point of the research was people behavior in the obedience situation, and Holocaust situationRead MoreHow To Train Your Dog Essay909 Words   |  4 Pagesdog, create a job for him to do such as pulling the kids around the yard in a cart. Practice Your dog is well-exercised and he understands that he needs to refer to you, so now is the time to teach commands. When you begin teaching your dog obedience commands, it will take practice. First, verbalize the command and attempt to get the dog to obey without any touching. For example, if you are teaching â€Å"sit†, you can draw the treat in a straight line form the top of the head. The dog will naturallyRead MoreDog Training The Easy Way817 Words   |  4 Pagesrecommend them, your friends can recommend them, websites such as Angie s list can recommend them. There are many questions you ll probably have for the trainer, but here are a few to bear in mind: What you want your dog to be able to do? Simple obedience is light years from therapy dog training which is a perhaps smaller journey from bomb identification and disposal. Make sure your perspective trainer has experience with your desired outcome. Can you take part? Training where you and your dog learnRead MoreThe Levels Of Obedience1224 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause there was a division of labor. Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi organizer of these mass murders, never saw the direct effects of the genocide he was orchestrating. After the Holo-caust, Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment to study the levels of obedience to authority; he used his experiment to find where evil resided in people and to discover the cause of the Holo-caust. Some people found his findings useful information, while others thought his experiment was morally unacceptable due to his useRead MoreEssay on Obedience1004 Words   |  5 PagesErin Poulsen ACP W131 Mr. Scanlan 19 October, 2015 Comparative Critique Obedience and Disobedience has been a part of key moments in history. Many have studied forms of obedience to learn how it affects people and situations. For example, Stanley Milgram conducted a well-known experiment in which the subject, named the â€Å"teacher† must shock the â€Å"learner† every time he doesn’t remember a word pair from a memory test. The focus of this study is on the teacher, and whether they will administer

Elephant the movie Essay - 1540 Words

Gus Van Sant’s Elephant was at once critically praised and denounced by both film reviewers and filmgoers alike. The cinematography takes you on a waltz throughout a seemingly typical day at an unnamed high school, stopping through the journey to focus on the stereotypes of school. The jock, the quirky artist, the cliqued girls, the skateboarder, they are all represented and representative of his film. Van Sant created a film, seemingly without a staunch opinion on the horrors of the Columbine shootings. The movie seems distanced from the actors and their actions: an unaware participant from the tranquil introduction to the gruesome climax. His seeming lack of a purpose, lack of a reason for the creation of this film, is exactly the†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Van Sant’s film aestheticizes the reality of high school, focusing on its beauty and character, and ignoring the underlying grime inherent on most campuses. The halls and yard of the sch ool are kept in immaculate condition, staying unnaturally clean, almost sterile for a school. Despite this seeming glorification of the building, the hallways are kept as a constant secondary to the sharply focused characters the camera constantly follows. It takes the focus away from the bare walls and empty hallways and places it solely on the students. The film isn’t about the location that it occurred, but the people that it happened to. The focus is on the students of the film, both literally and figuratively. The camera seems to never stop moving, save for brief pauses that seem to rest the viewer. There is little extraneous distraction from the characters as they walk down the hall; the only time something distracts from the center of attention is when it is repeated again as the film goes through its several cycles that repeat scenes from different points of view. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The film intertwines the lives of its multiple points of view. They all seem to be unrelated, but they ultimately tie together in a cohesive storyline that unravels into its unavoidable conclusion. Each person follows his or her own timeline until it reaches the pointShow MoreRelatedThemes: Joseph Merrick and Elephant Man Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesBreaking through the Blindness: A Fight for Freedom The three short stories we read, The Elephant in the Village of Blind, 20/20, and The Cathedral, all have many common themes with the movie The Elephant man. What intrigues me the most is the hidden underlining meaning each and every story carries. There are three prominent themes I would like to discuss, the figurative and the literal blindness of the characters in the works, enlightenment, and the freedom the characters experience throughoutRead MoreThe Film, Elephant, Directed by by Gus Van Sant was Inspired by Real Life Events659 Words   |  3 Pages‘Elephant’ is a film directed and written by Gus Van Sant and was inspired by a real incident that took place in 1999. The term â€Å"elephant† here is taken from the phrase â€Å"Elephant in the room† which means a significant issue that people overlook or do not resolve. The issue (elephant) here is high school shootings in America. Elephant is a serene, yet haunting experience that leaves viewers with a â€Å"spirit-crushing ennui† that images American culture (Zwick 2004). The movie tracks a handful of studentsRead MoreCruelty Towards Animals772 Words   |  4 Pagesaround and then lay down in unison, elephants dont walk trunk to tail and female elephants dont mount each other. All this is possible only by extreme training, which may translate into extreme torture. The animals in circuses are also routinely and dangerously exposed to various diseases. In some cases, they were not provided with basic medical first aid. Tuberculosis is seen as a major disease for the elephants in circuses. Some instances show that the elephants were not treated medically for woundsRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Water for Elephant995 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis Essay 9th Novemember 2011 Water for Elephants In a recent interview for â€Å"Collider.com†, Robert Pattinson, a household young actor, revealed that he was offered with various movie characters that he could choose from as his next role after starring in the â€Å"Twilight† series. Finally, he decided to play the role of Jacob Jankowski in a film adaptation directed by Francis Lawrence, â€Å"Water for Elephants†. Why did Robert Pattinson choose to act an orphaned and impecuniousRead MoreEng 225 Week 3 Final Film Critique Outline791 Words   |  4 PagesThe Elephant Man English 225 Introduction To Film 11/3/2012 I chose to critique the film â€Å"The Elephant Man† it is an iconic filmmaking endeavor. Director David Lynch shows the sadness and the scariness of deformities onto the audience in a way that touches your heart and leaves you with a sense of sadness and will also leave a tear in your eye. Most of the people who have watched this film are touched and completely changes the way they view crippled, weak, and deformed people in this worldRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Water for Elephant980 Words   |  4 PagesDoris Zhang Miss. Trosko English Character Analysis Essay 9th Novemember 2011 Water for Elephants In a recent interview for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Collider.comà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , Robert Pattinson, a household young actor, revealed that he was offered with various movie characters that he could choose from as his next role after starring in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Twilightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  series. Finally, he decided to play the role of Jacob Jankowski in a film adaptation directed by Francis Lawrence, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Water for Elephantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . WhyRead MoreEssay on A Review for â€Å"The Lion King†1188 Words   |  5 Pagesseemingly educated woman that has won Oscar awards for her documentaries, could possibly be so far off base in her review of the Disney movie â€Å"The Lion King†. Margaret Lazarus has taken a movie made for the entertainment of children and turned it into something that is racist, sexist and stereotypes gender roles. She uses many personal arguments to review the movie but offers few solutions. The author is well organized but she lacks alternate points of view and does not use adequate sources. LazarusRead MoreEssay Harper1467 Words   |  6 Pagessolution or choice to the problem. In Leon Weiseltier’s â€Å"The Democratic thinker† he shows the obligation that people have. â€Å"The Blind Men and the Elephant† shows conflict between knowledge and understanding. â€Å"The Three Questions† by Leo Tolstoy also shows conflict between knowledge and understanding but in a different way than the blind men and the elephant does. â€Å"Education as Maturity† by H.A Overstreet shows the process. Finally Wag the Dog by Barry Levinson shows the dangers of critical thinkingRead MoreLondon s Delusive Visionary, Banksy1475 Words   |  6 Pagesof art† was the elephant in the room. The literal elephant in the room was a live mother elephant who calmly walked around the venue painted bright red with a golden damask stencil to match the wallpaper of the site. The bigger than life artwork done what had nev er been done before, but the meaning behind the exhibition was poverty which was overlooked by most which gave meaning to bringing in a living animal and camouflaging it even though it is hard not to notice the â€Å"elephant in the room.† Banksy’sRead MoreEssay 1 Elephant1078 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Essay: Elephant by Polly Clark, 2006 A To choose your own future, destiny and life is very hard. Everyone wants to do something that makes them happy. But sometimes you take the wrong decisions or everything decides to go against you, which makes you stay in the box you were trying to escape from. When your dreams don’t get fulfilled, you will be in that box and wait for the light. It’s not always about what you want, but what you need. And to live a good life, and to do something productive, you

Aviation Research Method for Connectivity- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theAviation Research Method for Capacity andConnectivity. Answer: In order to develop air services and enhance the flow of tourism in any country, airports majorly focus on airlines through route development in terms of marketing strategies. Route development includes attracting customers, initiations of new routes and transport means, expansion the current routes, and retention of the older systems and improvement of air services with occasional changes in price frequencies, capacity, connectivity of hubs and number of non-stop destinations. In order to operate new routes for route development, new airlines are needed to identify air service development cycle where services grow the traffic which makes the market as attractive as well as services offered. New airline development attracts new routes and help the existing routes to grow through influencing the existing routes through lowering of fares, changing schedules, reducing seasonality and upgrading of aircrafts. Methods invested in determining air development include survey design. It involves use of quest back and act survey tools. It consists of more questions that concern route development. Route development process and importance of route development. There is sampling and analysis of population in the world airports so as to create information for the industry in route development and administration of personnel. Frequency analysis of responses enables route development. Data collection from researches and primary and secondary sources like newspapers provide information about route suspension in countries and mapping of airlines through interviews from airline managers and directors who have experienced similar situations. Analysis of data from non-aviation factors like previous case studies in related fields like railway management and market researches from the stakeholders in order to achieve sustainability development in route and route performance. There is analysis of airline fro m tourist authorities to fund particular routes as well as campaigns spearheaded by partners. Another is seasonality presents challenges to numerous tourism destinations and thus forcing stakeholders in tourism development to work together, share information and taking actions to overcome its effects. Stake-holder engagement with airlines identify demand as one of the main factors affecting airline suspensions and development. It is normally influenced by factors such as geographical characteristics in various target markets. Similarly, airport role and engagement with airlines control flows in the airlines and dictate profitability and set-ups costs. This is due to availability of resources and the time for research conducts. Seat factors also determine airline developments as number of seats influence market and ensures that there is a clearance in the long run especially in the low-cost carriers. sear factors are interpreted as reason for route procutviy levels.

The Great Depression Possible Leads To Its Cause Essays

The Great Depression: Possible Leads To Its Cause The Great Depression is known as the worst economic disaster of our time. While this fact is accepted throughout the world, a specific cause to this disaster remains a mystery. Maybe there is no one certain reason. Maybe it was a result of widespread factors causing the world-wide recession. Overproduction, World War I, and the banking system were all origins of the Great Depression. Thanks to the roaring twenties, consumers of the late twenties were very confident. They didn't care to spend. To complement the increased spending, producers began to spend more as technology improved production speeds and costs. Author T.H. Watkins says more and better goods were produced during this time (the 1920's), than at any time in history (45). With slightly increasing wages, consumers bought as much as their wallet would allow them. However, they couldn't afford to purchase all that was produced and overproduction occurred. Even though overproduction occurred, that still wasn't enough to cause this stagnant economic recession. World War I was partly to blame because it had made the international economy unstable. Though Great Britain was the national creditor before the war, devastating circumstances made G.B. needy for some finances instead. In fact, much of the continent of Europe had been destroyed. Factories, farms, and homes were all brought to the ground as the battle between nations began. By the end of the war, the United States was the least harmed of the Allied nations. The United States didn't lose near the lives but it did lose a lot of money. After the war, nations still sought cash to repair their tarnished homelands. The United States and its supposed booming economy became the lender to many countries. These loans couldn't be repaid. In fact, Europe even relied on U.S. loans to purchase U.S. goods. With the foreign trade market in a downward spiral, it was evident that harsh times were s oon to come. As Paul Gusmorino illustrates on his web page, by 1929, ten percent of American gross national product went into exports. When the foreign nations discovered they couldn't afford to buy U.S. goods, U.S. exports fell a drastic thirty percent seemingly overnight. The $1.5 billion lost in foreign sales between 1929 to 1933 was one-eighth of all lost American sales, Gusmorino concludes. So, as the world economy became a nightmare, the banking system of the United States also became a disgust. After World War I, U.S. banks were extremely corrupt. Watkins writes that banks were poorly managed, stating that banks gave high-dollar, unsecured loans to promote speculative enterprises (47). Banks wanted the United States to prosper so they granted money to many entrepreneurs. One can't blame the banking system for trying to lend a hand to big business. However, the banking system definitely polluted our economy and assisted the world in falling into the Great Depression. Whatever the case may be, it is obvious that one may draw several conclusions when looking for a cause of the Great Depression. Nonetheless, until one reason can be expedited, no one can ensure the safety of today's economy. So, as the search continues, we must use the origins we do realize to prepare for possible economic disaster in the future. No one can be sure it will happen again, but what do you think? Economics

Author Main Goal ACT English Questions

Author Main Goal ACT English Questions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Generally, ACT English tests two things: grammar and reading comprehension. Author main goal is a specific type of reading comprehension question that appears frequently on the ACT. Having a systematic approach to correctly answer these questions will boost your score and help you maximize your limited time to complete the ACT English section. Read this article for a thorough explanation of and guidance on how to figure out author main goal questions. In this post, I'll do the following: Define author main goal questions. Provide example questions from actual ACTs. Explain the process to answer specific author main goal questions. Provide general strategies for answering author main goal questions. General Construction of Author Main Goal Questions Author main goal questions are all presented in the same way, displayed bleow. Knowing the type of question you are being asked will help you to be able to answer it. Suppose the writer had intended to write an essay about (something). Would this essay fulfill that goal? A. Yes, because... B. Yes, because... C. No, because... D. No, because... As you can see, these questionsrequire you to understand the main idea of the passage. To answer them, you first have to determine if the main idea matches the intended main idea that's presented in the question. Then, you have to determine why the passage fulfills the author's intended purpose or why it doesn't. Now, let's take a look at specific author main goal questions from actual ACTs. Real Examples of Author Main Goal Questions Here are examples of three different author main goal questions from the ACT English section. You'll notice that all of the questions have the same construction. Example #1: Example #2: Example #3: Now that you can recognize an author main goal question, I'll teach you the process to correctly answer any author main goal question you may encounter on the ACT. The arrow should be pointing down. Strategy for Answering Author Main Goal Questions On the ACT English section, always save the main idea questions for last. After doing the other questions, you should be able to more quickly determine the main idea and have a better sense of what the passage is about. Luckily, these questions are normally at the end of a passage's set of questions. Remember that time is precious on this test, so we want to make sure that we have a strategy for approaching these questions that will be as efficient as possible. I believe that following these steps will help you maximize your time and arrive at the correct answer. Step #1: Determine the Main Idea So, how do you determine the main idea? Well, you should not reread the entire passage. Doing so will take way too much time, and it isn't necessary. If you're unsure about the main ideawhen you begin to tackle an author main goal question I recommend usingthe following strategiesto quickly and efficiently identifyit: Look at the Title The title often gives an indication about the scope or focus of the passage, allowing you to more easily determine the main idea. In Example #1 from above, the title is "An American Griot". Therefore, we know the focus will be on a griot from America. The passage defines a griot so we can incorporate that information in determining the main idea. Sentence #6 in the passage from the first example question provides the definition of a griot: Indeed, she identifies strongly with the griots of West Africa- those village storytellers where they use songs, poems, and narration to help preserve and transmit culture and history. So, based on the title,we know that the passage is about an American storyteller. However, what should you do if you're still unsure about the main idea? If the Title Doesn't Give You the Main Idea, Reread the First Few Sentences of the Passage Here are the first couple of sentences from Example #1: [1] When storyteller Mary Carter Smith practices her art and everybody listens. [2] Wearing a brightly colored African dress, a large turban, and bracelets, the seventy-eight-year-old Smith seems to inhabit each of the different characters she describes. Given these two sentences and the title, we know that the passage is about an American woman named Mary Carter Smith who does a specific type of storytelling. In very rare instances, you may have to read more if you're still unsure of the main idea. Main ideas can also be found in the concluding paragraph or in the introductory sentences of other paragraphs. Remember, though, that you want to find the main idea of the whole passage. Just because something is mentioned in the passage doesn’t make it the main idea. After identifying the main idea, this is the next step: Step #2: Look at the Question Again Here's our question from Example #1: At this point we know the main idea and can use that information to answer the question. Identifying the main idea enables you to very quickly answer the first part of the question. Step #3: Start With Just the Yes or No Portion of the Question In our example, if we know that the focus of the essay is on Mary Carter Smith, who does a specific type of storytelling, would the essay fulfill a goal of focusing on the various ways that storytelling influences community values? No. Even though the ways that storytelling influences community values can be part of this essay, that’s not the focus. The focus is on Mary Carter Smith. After correctly answering the first part of the question, you have at least a 50% chance of getting the question right. Step #4: Eliminate the Two Choices that State â€Å"Yes† if You Know the Answer is â€Å"No," and Vice Versa In our example, we can immediately get rid of A and B. Now we're left with only two answer choices. All we have to do is determine why the passage doesn't fulfill the author's intended goal. Step #5: In Your Own Words, State Why "Yes" or Why "No" I would say that this essay wouldn't fulfill the goal of focusing on ways that storytelling influences community values because it focuses on Mary Carter Smith and her storytelling. Now that we have a reason, we can select the answer to the question. Step #6: Pick the Answer Choice That Most Closely Matches Your Reasoning Answer choice D most closely matches our reasoning. It's the only â€Å"No† answer choice that mentions that the essay focuses on a specific person, Mary Carter Smith, and her storytelling. While this may seem like a lot of steps, this whole process should take less than a minute, and these main idea questions typically take longer to answer than the sentence/paragraph reference questions in ACT English. Let's go through this process again with another author main goal question from an actual ACT. Unlocking the mystery of author main goal questions Another Actual ACT Example This is a real question from a real ACT. Check it out. First, we'll determine the main idea. The title of the passage is "Notes From Underground". From the title, we do know that the focus is about something underground. However, the title tells us little else, so we'll have to read the first couple of sentences. Here they are: A lot of people hate to ride the New York City subways, but I love them because I like to get places fast. A musician balancing a cello case, two Buddhist monks in saffron robes, and a group of stockbrokers in crisp, charcoal gray suits get on at Wall Street. Just from the first two sentences we know that the narrator loves the subway because it’s fast and there are many different types of people who ride it. After answering the other non-main idea questions, you would have probably noticed that the paragraphs are about the various people the narrator encounters on the subway. There's no mention of how economical the subway is in the introductory paragraph, so the focus is not that the subway is New York City’s most economical means of public transportation. Therefore, the answer is â€Å"no." Immediately, we can get rid of A and B. In our own words, the passage isn't about the subway being the most economical means of public transportation because it focuses on the author’s description of the many types of passengers on the subway and his encounters with them. Finally, we'll look at C and D to determine which answer choice most closely matches our own reasoning. Answer choice D is definitely incorrect. From the title and the first couple of sentences, we know that author is focusing on subways. Answer choice C matches our reasoning and is the correct answer. Let's review the process for answering author main goal questions. Quick Review of General Strategies for Author Main Goal Questions #1: Determine the Main Idea #2: Use the Title and the First Couple of Sentences to Determine the Main Idea #3: Answer "Yes" or "No" First #4: Eliminate the Two "Yes" or "No" Answers #5: Provide Your Own Reason for "Yes" or "No" #6: Pick the Answer Choice that Most Closely Matches Your Own Reasoning At this point, you should be much more comfortable with author main goal questions and one step closer to total ACT domination! What's Next? If you want to learn about another type of reading comprehension question on the ACT English section, check out this post on author technique. Also, as you continue your preparation for the ACT, you most definitely want to read these articles on the best ACT prep books and learn from a perfect scorer about how to get a perfect score on the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management

3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. M. 1989, â€Å"L ogistics Information Systems in a Just-In-Time Environment â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 50-67. Bowersox, D. J. 1974, Logistics Management: A Systems Integration of Physical Distribution Management and Materials Management, Macmillan Publishing, New York, NY. Chatfield, A. T. Bjorn-Andersen, N. 1997, â€Å"The impact of IOS-enabled business process change on business outcomes: Transformation of the Value Chain of Japan Airlines†, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-40. Closs, D. J. Kefeng, X. 2000, â€Å"Logistics information technology practice in manufacturing and merchandising firms† An international benchmarking study versus world class logistics firms†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 869-86. 624 Closs, D. J. , Goldsby, T. J. Clinton, S. R. 1997, â€Å"Information technology influences on world class logistics capability†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. Handfield, R. B. 1997, â€Å"Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. Lasserre, P. 1989, â€Å"Information as a Substitute for Inventories â€Å", European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. Mentzer, J. T. 988, â€Å"A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. Morton, M. S. S. 1989, â€Å"A Framework for Management Information Systems†, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, â€Å"Computer Models in Distribution Management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, p p. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. Auker, K. 1973, â€Å"A Survey of Computer Applications and Practices in Transportation and Distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. Cail, R. E. 1988, â€Å"Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy†, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. Talalayevsky, A. 2000, â€Å"Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. Bentz, B. A. 004, â€Å"The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey†, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. Wells, M. V. 1992, â€Å"Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, â€Å"Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. Randall, H. L. 1998, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by European industry†, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, pp. 167-79. Porter, M. E. Millar, V. E. 1985, â€Å"How information gives you competitive advantage†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. Corsi, T. 1999, â€Å"Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Stank, T. P. 1992, â€Å"Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20. Sauvage, T. 2003, â€Å"The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. Weng, Z. K. 2000, â€Å"The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. Langley, J. C. J. 1997, â€Å"A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. Patricia, J. D. 1994, â€Å"JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Rogers, D. S. 1996, â€Å"Logistics support for JIF implementation†, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, â€Å"Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM†, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, â€Å"Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future†, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. Nakamura, N. 2000, â€Å"Reactive logistics in a JIT environment†, Production Planning Control, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, â€Å"Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning†, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, â€Å"A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics†, Communications o f the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. Yasin, M. M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626 A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management 3528 Email: gurung@uta. edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. 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R. 1997, â€Å"Information technology influences on world class logistics capability†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. Handfield, R. B. 1997, â€Å"Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. Lasserre, P. 1989, â€Å"Information as a Substitute for Inventories â€Å", European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. Mentzer, J. T. 988, â€Å"A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. Morton, M. S. S. 1989, â€Å"A Framework for Management Information Systems†, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, â€Å"Computer Models in Distribution Management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, p p. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. Auker, K. 1973, â€Å"A Survey of Computer Applications and Practices in Transportation and Distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. Cail, R. E. 1988, â€Å"Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy†, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. Talalayevsky, A. 2000, â€Å"Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. Bentz, B. A. 004, â€Å"The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey†, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. Wells, M. V. 1992, â€Å"Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, â€Å"Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. Randall, H. L. 1998, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by European industry†, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, pp. 167-79. Porter, M. E. Millar, V. E. 1985, â€Å"How information gives you competitive advantage†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. Corsi, T. 1999, â€Å"Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Stank, T. P. 1992, â€Å"Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20. Sauvage, T. 2003, â€Å"The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. Weng, Z. K. 2000, â€Å"The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. Langley, J. C. J. 1997, â€Å"A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. Patricia, J. D. 1994, â€Å"JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Rogers, D. S. 1996, â€Å"Logistics support for JIF implementation†, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, â€Å"Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM†, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, â€Å"Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future†, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. Nakamura, N. 2000, â€Å"Reactive logistics in a JIT environment†, Production Planning Control, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, â€Å"Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning†, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, â€Å"A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics†, Communications o f the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. Yasin, M. M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626