Saturday 19 October 2013

Use of Research to Improve the Product Quality

Research has always played an important role in determining the needs and wants of the consumers. Any business that wants success must know what its customers want. Instead of producing the goods which the organisation thinks are demanded by consumers, it must focus to learn what actually the customer demands. All organisations must have an Outside-In approach rather than an Inside-Out approach of looking at things.

The customers are the back bone of all business. Every organisation must do its homework before deciding to produce a product. Electrical goods are risky to produce. They have stake of failing, not being performing well or not being compatible for the target market. These risks are always associated with electrical products. The technology changes rapidly and constant innovation is a must for organisation to keep their share in market.  The Research and Development cost of these products is very high and they are not easy to produce. If a product goes wrong and fails in the market, it can add up to the costs of the organisation. To avoid such implications, marketers and production managers play safe and conduct wide spread research to not only acquire the customers’ opinions, but also to improve the product quality.

Research can be done in two ways. It can be either primary research or secondary research. Primary research as the name suggests is about collecting first hand data. This first haNd data can be collected through:

Interviews
Surveys
Questionnaires
Focus Groups 

Secondary research method is related with gathering second hand data. It is about using the previously done research work. It is an inexpensive method of conducting research. These kinds of data can be internal sources or external sources of data. Sales data can be used as the secondary data and the sales can be of the territory, which can give information about the trend in sales. External sources of data can be the Statistics given by the Government and that could include the census, demographic statistics, income statistics etc.


It is advisable to do secondary research first and then to move on by doing primary research. Secondary data gives an idea of what type of information to look for and what type of information is already available. Primary data is highly reliable, but if it is collected in non controlled environment it might be contaminated with other factors that would destroy the reliability of the data.

When the research has been done, that would be considered as the responses of the customers and the end users that can be used to produce the goods. Customers can suggest many ideas and features which the organization can include in their product. This way, they can improve the quality and features of the product and satisfy their customers.

Raw materials-the most important component of manufacturing a quality product

Raw materials are the most important component of producing a quality product. They are essential to be used and they have to be of high quality to ensure a superior quality of the product. From a needle to a high tech robot, raw material plays the most vital role in producing the product. The organisations that lead the business arena in electronic goods ensure that whatever they are producing, the quality of their product should remain high and their goods have longer life. Thinking rationally, quality of the raw material highly influences the quality and life of the product too.

In doing so, the organisation must have a strong supply chain network. The organisation must have alliances built with its suppliers so that they can bargain a good price for high quality raw materials and the suppliers also know the kind of raw material needed by their customers. The core issue of all the organisations is the increase in costs of raw materials. With natural resources depleting fast, the prices of raw materials are increasing. The elements that are used for producing the products are ranging from primary resources such as metals to finished goods such as nuts and bolts. Each of the material is a vital component of the product and has to be procured at the minimum cost possible and at the highest quality.

The quality of the product depends on the material used. However, some materials that are used in production of the electronic goods pose harm to the consumers. These toxic materials are essential to the production processes and they have to be used for the production of the goods. Few of the materials that can be quoted as harmful as lead that are highly used in LCD based products. Mercury is also used for the manufacture of LCD based products for making the glass. These materials pose harm to the consumers as well to the environment. Organisations today are applying the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to conserve the environment and to act socially responsible in understanding what the products are doing in the environment.

Sony has been working towards eradication of these harmful raw materials and it has decided to go green by implementing the technology through resources which conserve the environment instead of depleting it. However, this has not inflicted the quality of the products; rather, it is working to produce better quality electronic goods through the use of raw materials that are good for the environment. For the year 2010, Sony has decided to start its ‘Green Management 2010’. It has been done to work on reducing global warming, using chemicals that will not harm the environment. It is not the vision of today; Sony had been working on producing environmental friendly products since 1990s. Along with the conservation of the environment, Sony plans to be a high quality goods producing company which would work to reduce green house effect and will not use materials that would pose harm to the environment.

These awards highlight the efforts of Sony Corporation towards maintaining high quality and yet, using raw materials that have conserved the environment. Initially the cost of doing so must have been high, as they must have switched from some method of production to the other, but the efforts of being socially responsible are clearly seen and the costs are paid off when the customers prefer to purchase the goods from environmentally conscious organization.

Quality management is an essential factor for the survival of the organisation in such rapidly changing technology and fierce competition. If the quality management systems are adopted and are implemented in the organisation, organisations will be able to be more profitable and will incur less costs.

Introduction of Carbohydrates and Causes of Diabetes

When introducing Carbohydrates, the first thing that should come in mind is that it is an organic compound. They carry an empirical formula of CH2O and molecular formulae of C5H10O5 and C6H12O6. A very important property of carbohydrates is that they are water soluble and hydroxyl group is present in carbohydrates. There is evidence that carbonyl group of Aldehyde and Ketone is present in carbohydrates. In Biochemistry, the carbohydrates are usually known as Saccharides. They can be further divided into four chemical groupings: monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, and polysaccharide.

As mentioned earlier, carbohydrates are divided into four chemical groupings. Here we briefly introduce the four groups. Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates as they cannot be divided into simpler chemicals. They are important fuel molecules and act as building blocks for nucleic acids. Disaccharides are formed by combining two monosaccharide units. Two important disaccharides are sucrose and lactose. Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are more complex carbohydrates with longer chains of monosaccharides. 
 
Simple carbohydrates are also known as simple sugars. These carbohydrates have monosaccharides or disaccharides. They taste sweet and because of their simple nature, they easily breakdown in our body to providing us with energy. The three most common simple carbohydrates are Glucose, Fructose, and Table Sugar. Glucose forms an important part of our body and provides us with energy while fructose is found in fruits. Table Sugar is a disaccharide formed by a unit each of fructose and glucose. 

Complex carbohydrates are characterized by long chains of simple sugar units such monosaccharides and disaccharides. These are also known as polysaccharides. An example of complex carbohydrates is the starch which is found in potatoes. Plants store starch to store glucose which will eventually provide energy to plants in future. Starch is made up of a chain of monosaccharide units. Another example of complex carbohydrates is Glycogen which is used by animals for the purpose of obtaining energy.

The process of metabolism starts in our mouth where polysaccharides are broken down into simpler monosaccharides and mixes with an enzyme in our saliva called salivary amylase. After we swallow the food, it goes down into our stomach through esophagus and it breakdown is still in the process. In our stomachs, it is converted into a liquid called chyme. Chyme then enters our intestines and it is here that the chemical breakdown of carbohydrates is completed. Carbohydrates are synthesized into glucose in intestine and glucose is then carried to our blood. In our blood, glucose acts as a source of energy for various cells. In cells, glucose may further be divided into various smaller components. Pancreas release insulin when the level of glucose goes up in our body after meal and it facilitates the metabolism of glucose especially in live and fat tissues.  


As mentioned earlier carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body. In our bodies, they are broken down into glucose which eventually goes down in our bloodstream providing us energy. Secondly, if there are fewer carbohydrates, the body will break muscle tissues to obtain needed energy. Thirdly, dietary fibers which are very complex carbohydrates are of two types: soluble and insoluble. One of their characteristics is that they cannot be converted into glucose unlike normal carbohydrates making them indigestible. Paradoxically, this property of their helps in our digestive system. Insoluble fiber make our muscles move to push food through colon. And, soluble fiber reduces our cholesterol levels. 

We many kinds of foods everyday and almost every food provide our bodies with some quantity of carbohydrates. As mentioned earlier, these carbohydrates are converted into glucose which then enters our bloodstream providing our body with energy. The mixing of glucose with our blood is facilitated by insulin released by pancreas. The malfunctioning of insulin will stop glucose from being absorbed in our bloodstream which will cause diabetes. There are two types of diabetes: one in which insulin required by body is not produced by pancreas and two in which  our body does not respond to insulin produced. 

Diabetes patients’ sugar levels are high which damages our body. Diabetes can possibly cause eye damage, kidney diseases, hear and blood vessel diseases, and nerve diseases. A diabetes patient needs to take care of his health. He/she has to keep a continuous check on his/her blood sugar level. Based on this monitoring, a person may consider changing exercise, diet, and medication on the advice of DOCTOR. He/she also needs to take care that only those carbohydrates are taken which are high on fiber and vitamins. A person should regularly exercise to lose weight if overweight. Finally, he/she needs to make sure that he/she visits doctor regularly so as to avoid any emergency.

Authors Websites : http://www.makemyessay.com/buy-essay-paper-online/

Four Stages of Group Development And Its Functions


A group consists of people who share a unifying relationship. People form groups in order to work effectively to achieve a sated objective. In this essay, we are primarily concerned with group development and the role of diversity in how a group functions. Researchers have put forward various models, such as Kurt Lewin's Individual Change Process, Tuckman’s Stages Model, Tubb’s Systems, and Poole's multiple-sequences model. Diversity refers to how group members differ as for as characteristics like age, gender, culture, education etc are concerned. For the purpose of this essay, we will review Tuckman’s Stages Model and apply it to critically analyze my experiences as a member of various groups. 

Tuckman’s Stages Model:

In 1960s, Tuckman reviewed many studies related to group development and based on his findings came forward with his own development model which consisted of four stages: forming, storming, norming, and performing. He suggested that if a team is to grow and accomplish its objectives successfully, it has to go through these stages.

Forming:

This is the first stage of group development and members get to know each other. They may identify opportunities and challenges and decide on ways to overcome them. Objectives of the group are set in this stage. During this stage, some group members may seem uninvolved and uncommitted toward the group cause and may create hurdles in the way of group. The group will be able to work effectively if they are informed of the stages of group development as this will help them to understand the dynamics of group better. 

Storming:

In this stage, group members put forward various ideas and try hard that their ideas be considered. They brainstorm on what issues they need to work on and decide on ways to solve those issues.  Conflict may arise as each team member tries to get its ideas and perspectives considered which may make some members feel uncomfortable during this stage. This stage is very critical and some members may even raise questions on the goals of the group.

Norming:   

This stage is characterized by mutual understanding and trust among the group members. Group members become more flexible and change their work habits so that the group members are able to work in harmony. As the group reaches this stage, it is well-aware of the project at hand and is motivated to work on it together.  

Performing:

This is a very difficult stage to reach as only high-performing teams make it to this stage. By the time a group reaches this stage, group members will have understood each other so much so they would have found ways to accomplish tasks smoothly without any supervision. Even the leader does not command the group but acts in a participative style.

A fifth stage, adjourning, was also added after stages were revisited. In this stage, group members complete the task and the group disbands.

Barriers to Implementation of Code of Ethics

Giving suggestion is easy but implementing them is the real issue. Everyone knows what is right but can we follow what is right? Many companies realize the importance of ethical practices but they alone cannot implement them. It is kind of a joint venture in which government, employees and all other stake holders should be willing to implement the change.

The main issue regarding implantation of code of ethics is the conflict between traditional corporate objectives of profit maximization and the increase of social welfare. Increase in charitable contributions and giving back to the society decreases the bottom line payments and thus has an impact on the profit maximization goal. Big corporate have realized the importance of CSR as a major contributor to the bottom line. They feel that consumers won’t buy their products unless and un till they are green therefore CSR is important. Small and medium sized businesses have not yet realized the benefits of CSR and this can be a major barrier in implementing code of ethics.

Proper evaluation and monitoring is required in implementing code of ethics. Developing countries normally do not have a transparent system of check and balance and also the corruption rate is high. The appointed officials might not properly monitor the factories and might also take bribes from the factory owners. Global companies which have factories in multiple locations face this issue immensely.


Implementation of an ethical policy requires support of the local government as well. If the local government is not supportive then the code of ethics can’t be implemented. The local authorities should understand the importance of code of ethics and take steps for the betterment of their citizens as well.

Conclusion:
Thus we can see that a sound ethical policy can only be implemented if the local government and stake holders are willing to do so. There is always a conflict but steps should be taken to resolve such conflicts. Any business avenue and decision faces conflict of opinion but ultimately it gets implemented. Therefore the dream of implementation of a sound ethical policy will be fulfilled in the near future. 

Authors Websites : http://www.makemyessay.com/