International Logistics Essay -- essays research papers

Logistics is the designing and managing of a system in order to control the flow of material throughout a corporation. This is a very important part of an international company because of geographical barriers. Logistics of an international company includes movement of raw materials, coordinating flows into and out of different countries, choices of transportation, cost of the transportation, packaging the product for shipment, storing the product, and managing the entire process. The concept of logistics is fairly new in the business world. The theoretical development was not used until 1966. Since then, many business practices have evolved and logistics currently costs between 10 and 25 percent of the total cost of an international purchase.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two main phases that are important in the movement of materials: material management and physical distribution. Materials management is the timely movement of raw materials, parts, and supplies. The physical distribution is the movement of the firm’s finished products to the customers. Both phases involve every stage of the process including storage. The ultimate goal of logistics is to coordinate all efforts of the company to maintain a cost effective flow of goods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are four logistics concepts: the systems concept, the total cost concept, the after-tax concept, and the trade-off concept. The systems concept is based on all functions of a organization working together in order to maximize benefits. This concept sometimes requires certain components of the organization to operate suboptimally in order to achieve maximum goals of the system. The total cost concept is based on the systems concept, however goal achievement is measured in terms of cost. A variation of the total cost concept is the after-tax concept. This goal of this concept is after-tax profit. This concept is becoming very popular because of the many different national tax policies. The trade-off concept links the system together in a way that is very efficient, but can have trade-offs that might be inefficient. The advantages of such high efficiency must be weighed against the risk involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the largest obstacles of international logistics is geography. The distance and manner materials must be shipped is the most important step in inte... ...anagement is based on the fact that a company needs to have a division that helps control the local-adaptation needs. Dealing with different cultures requires input from the local branch. The managers that deal with the cultural differences on a daily basis normally know what works and what doesn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Outsourcing is the final option for logistics management. When this happens, transportation firms concentrate on logistics, and the company can concentrate on it’s production. There are many cost savings using this type of program, however that lack of control can negatively effect many companies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  International logistics requires many different options and requirements to be met in order for a company to operate internationally. It’s like a big puzzle that must be put together, in order for all the goals to be met. As described above, there are many options to consider, and sometimes what appears to be an option really isn’t. It is not difficult to hit a road block, and you must start over with a new plan. Once the logistics plan is in place, you must constantly look for improvements in order to maximize profits and goals.

Break-Even Analysis

Managers must know how different costs behave as the volume of sales expands or contracts. The study of the interrelationships of sales, costs and net income is called cost-volume-profit analysis. It is a key factor in many planning decisions. The essence of cost-volume profit analysis is gaining an understanding of how costs and profits change in response to changes in volume. This study is often called break-even-point analysis. This is a mistake because break-even-point, the point of zero net income is just a part of the cost-volume-profit concept and is often only incidental to the planning decision at hand.However, it is often the starting point of the analysis and provides insights into the possible dangers of certain courses of action (Peralta, J. l979). The following situation will be used as a basis for discussion and to demonstrate the techniques of and the need for cost-volume-profit analysis. We shall assume that any cost may be classified as either fixed or variable. Fix ed costs are costs, which remain constant in total, within the current period, regardless of changes in the level or volume of activity.Variable costs are those, which are expected to fluctuate, in total, in proportion to sales, production or other measures of activity. The O-BUSH Company operates a sandwich stand at the Osama Memorial Stadium selling hotdog sandwiches during game days. The company is now in the process of negotiating for a lease of a sandwich stand at the Al Qaeda Coliseum during NBA games. The company has determined that the following costs and prices will probably characterize the new stand: Selling price per sandwich $2. 00 100% Variable expenses per sandwich:Hotdog $ 0. 75 Sandwich bread . 30 Mustard/catsup . 05 Commission to the coliseum . 10 1. 20 60% Contribution Margin . 80 40% Fixed Expenses per game day: Rental of stand $500 Wages for 8 employees at $37. 50 300 Other fixed expense 200Total $1,000 Should the company enter into a lease agreement with Al Qae da? O-BUSH will have to answer certain questions before a decision can be made. Break-Even Point Computation Question: What would be the break-even-point of the company in terms of numbers of units (sandwiches) sold and dollar of sales? At break-even point, revenue is precisely equal to costs, no profits are realized, and no losses are incurred. For the purpose of this illustration, the unit contribution approach is used.The approach is based on the fact that every unit sold generates or provides a certain amount of contribution margin that goes toward the covering of the fixed costs. The contribution margin is the excess of sales price over the variable expenses pertaining to the unit in question: Unit sales price $2. 00 Unit variable expenses 1. 20 Unit contribution margin to fixed Expenses and net profit $ . 80 To find the number of units must be sold to break-even, total fixed cost must be divided by unit contribution margin.Thus, $1,000 divided by $0. 80 is 1,250 sandwiches. If only the percentage relationship between variable expenses and sales is known, the formula can still be used to compute the break-even point in dollar sales. Sales price 100% Variable expenses 60% Contribution margin 40% Total Fixed Cost divided by contribution margin ratio equals break-even point in dollar sales. Thus, $1,000 divided by 40% is $2,500. The company must sell more than 1,250 sandwiches in order to have a profit. Reference Peralta, J. (l979). Management Accounting, An Introduction. GIC Enterprises & Co. , Inc. Manila

Cathedral Critical Essay - 1250 Words

V. Harbert Eng. 102 S. Buchanan 02/01/2012 â€Å"Cathedral† Critical Essay It is human nature to shy away from social situations that make us uncomfortable. Also, as a people with great pride, we often find it difficult to admit when we have been iniquitous, or to allow ourselves to be open to humbling experiences. Sometimes though, it is not entirely due to intolerance that we allow ourselves to make ill-informed judgments. Raymond Carver was a writer with some insight concerning these very ideas. In his short story, â€Å"Cathedral,† Carver uses a nameless narrator and his interactions with a blind man to illustrate how a lack of experience can lead to ignorance and thus prejudice. Through the development of this character,†¦show more content†¦Creepy.† Bub becomes keenly interested in gaining an understanding of Robert. Bub watches as Robert eats. â€Å"The blind man had right away located his foods. He knew just where everything was on his plate. I watched with admiration as he used his knife and fork on the meat.† Bub cont inues watching Robert intensely throughout the meal. Bub takes note of everything Robert does, even considering him as Robert enjoys conversation with Bub’s wife, â€Å"For the most part, I just listened. Now and then I joined in. I didn’t want him to think I had left the room, and I didn’t want her to think I was feeling left out.† Although our narrator Bub is still being brusque and dismissive with Robert outwardly, one might presume due to our insight into his thoughts that Bub is beginning to set aside his preconceived notions about Robert. We can see clearly the development of this character from someone with no interest in communication or understanding, to an inquisitive person. Without his knowing it or wanting it, Bub is slowly opening himself to Robert. The most significant transformation takes place once Bub’s wife has retired for the evening. At last, Bub and Robert are left alone. After some initial awkwardness, the men begin to discus s the television. Bub notices Robert leaning his ear towards the television, listening to the newscaster. This is the moment when some of the mostShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Cathedral And The Red Convertible 1362 Words   |  6 PagesSukhpreet Kaur Professor Robert Sternberg EAC 150 Date- August 5, 2016 Topic - In both â€Å"Cathedral† and â€Å"The Red Convertible,† one character attempts to help another overcome a state of unhappiness and hopelessness. Happiness and Hope are the two most important blessings in life. Happiness is the ultimate reason for living. It is not relevant just to a single person but it is important for the whole global community. Hope is that great thing in life that gives strength to people to live life, evenRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1340 Words   |  6 PagesRaymond Carver’s characters were considered to be very much like him: â€Å"’on the edge: of poverty, alcoholic self-destruction, loneliness† (Mays 32). His short story â€Å"Cathedral† is about a young couple, who have a visitor coming to stay with them. This visitor, Robert, is the wife’s friend, and he is blind. The narrator, the husband, has never met someone who is blind, was bothered by that. To him, being blind meant constantly needing help from others. His depiction of blindness was what he has seenRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1426 Words   |  6 PagesCha racter Analysis in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral†: The Narrator Literature has the potential to act as a mirror by presenting people’s lived experiences, expectations, and perceptions through characters. Such is what can be deciphered through the analysis of different characters in Raymond Carver’s story â€Å"Cathedral.† This paper focuses on the narrator of the story portrayed by the author as blind, which is used metaphorically not to imply physical blindness, but the inability to have reasonedRead MoreReligion Expressed Through Art Essays2552 Words   |  11 Pagesdevotion and worship takes place in churches and cathedrals. It is these places that help us gain knowledge and a deeper more spiritual meaning of God. The churches and cathedrals are the very foundation of religious practice and devotion to God in my opinion. They are known as temples, ceremonial places, and are places of worship to God. However it is the claim that ‘art museums in the modern period fulfil some of the same functions as cathedrals a nd churches have done in the past’, which challengesRead MoreTypes Of Strengths And Weaknesses1460 Words   |  6 Pageshad trouble with focusing on a topic and being concise throughout the rest of the essay. Taking a step into college, I have found myself taking WRC 1013 my first semester. After seventeen weeks of dedication to my essays, I was not able to receive the grade I desired. My form of communication in my essays has lacked a desire to draw the readers toward the prompt. The work throughout this course demonstrates  critical thinking and detailed writing skills, and, though I make some progress in focusingRead MoreA Modest Proposal1096 Words   |  5 PagesHe lived in London most of his life, but after the death of Queen Anne in 1714, he was offered a position as Dean of St. Patrick’s in Dublin. He held his position until his death in 1745 at the age of seventy eight. He was buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Glendinning, 1998) . In order to understand the message behind the â€Å"A Modest Proposal â€Å", it is necessary to understand the writer, his feelings and background. In the early eighteenth century, literature was a vehicle for public, not privateRead MoreMinimalism by Raymond Carver Essay3013 Words   |  13 Pagesthe plots as shown in â€Å"The Bath†, â€Å"A Small, Good Thing† and â€Å"Cathedral†. Carver’s use of minimalism was an intelligent way to allow readers to make their own personal connections and analogies of hidden messages throughout his stories. Minimalistic writing is when less means more. Many Critics refer to Raymond Carver as one of the greatest practitioners of American short stories due to the complexity of his omissive style. In the critical analysis â€Å"Narrowed Voice: Minimalism by Raymond Carver†, theRead Moreuna‚Äà ²ÃƒÅ Ãƒ ²ÃƒËœ1561 Words   |  7 PagesDictionary A good quality thesaurus (optional but strongly recommended) A folder/portfolio to keep all work throughout the semester Grading/Assignments â€Å"Pop† Reading Quizzes or Group Work 10% Citation Assignment 5% Essay 1 10% Essay 2 15% Essay 3 20% Research Assignment 15% Exam 25% Note: Use of internet, cell phones and other electronic devices is not permitted during in-class writing or exams. The term work for courses within the School of EnglishRead MoreFrom W.S. by L.P. Hartley1397 Words   |  6 Pagesrecognized immediately as a major contribution to English fiction; The Go-Between (1953) and The Hireling (1957) were later made into internationally successful films. In 1967 he published The Novelists Responsibility, a collection of critical essays. L.P. Hartley was a highly skilled narrator and all his tales are admirably told. W.S. comes from The Complete Short Stories of L.P. Hartley published posthumously in 1973. The content of the story tells for us about the writer-novelistRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of The Death Of The Moth And On Keeping A Notebook 1427 Words   |  6 Pagesheavily rely on such devices to get their points across to the audience, and these devices help strengthen overall theme the authors want to communicate. Though several may argue that Didion’s use of metaphor and rhetorical question compliment her essay very well, the repetition and metaphors Dillard uses are more effective in developing the theme of loss and gain throughout the story. Throughout the writing, Didion makes a frequent use of metaphors. One of the most powerful metaphors she uses is