In Dickinsons poetry Essay Example for Free

In Dickinsons poetry Essay The poem A bird came down the walk shows how man and nature are interlinked and are unable to escape this permanent connection even though they may sometimes clash and not connect. Lines such as then hopped sidewise to the wall show the curtsy and human like behaviour of nature and how nature is inevitably given human qualities. In this poem we are shown the brutal and civilised side of nature, we see that nature is beautiful from a distance however as you get closer and see nature in depth you see the brutality of nature, however even after seeing and showing us the brutality Dickinson still continues to admire nature as something beautiful. Her poem also shows how nature is very free and careless since nature doe not worry about anything, it is also shown to be unforgiving. Themes of nature are also present in I heard a fly buzz and because I could not stop for death Dickinson shows transcendentalist views in many of her poems. Dickinson shows the clash of mankind by saying he bit an angleworm in halves this quote shows how nature can be threatening to mankind since an angleworm is used as bait when fishing and since the bird is eating them it shows that it is disturbing mankinds techniques of survival. The word bit implies human characteristics and highlights a connection between mankind and nature, the word bit is associated with eating which shows the inescapable interlink of man and nature. The word angleworm is capitalised showing its significance which highlights the birds unthoughtful act. This stanza has a ABCB rhyme scheme which sets the a motion in the stanza. Themes of nature are also highlighted in poem 712 by the lines Gazing Grain the word Gazing gives nature human characteristics and the capital letter G makes nature seem like something important and off great value and this again links to human quality since a persons name is always began with a capital letter. Natures brutality is highlighted in the following line where it says And ate the fellow raw this line is quite powerful as it shows that the bird is carefree and is unforgiving, this line shows the freedom in nature since the bird does not hesitate and simply does what it wills. The word And at the beginning of the sentence is capitalised to show the significance of the birds act also it may show the speakers dismay or shock at the innocent looking birds act. This line is quite strong as the word raw stands out this is associated to something dangerous however it can also be seen as fragile since you may interpret it to be something naked. The word raw shows the brutality of nature and that nature has a good and bad side just like mankind who may be evil or good again linking nature to mankind almost like a inescapable cycle. This disturbance is also highlighted in the poem I heard a fly buzz where Dickinson mentions stillness in one line and in the following line she says heaves of storm these lines show the contradictory behaviour of nature it also highlights how quickly nature can change its path from something peaceful and beautiful to something brutal and disturbing, which is linked to mankind since mankind also changes paths very easily from good to evil or vice versa showing the link between mankind and nature. The word stillness associates to death or peace which shows the calm and relaxed side of nature and how it can be in favour to mankind, however the word storm associates to destruction or disaster which represents its brutality and how it can be harmful to mankind. Dickinson also highlights how mankind can disturb nature in their natural performance in the line He stirred his Velvet Head this shows the bird being disturbed as he has now became cautious someone is around him or is watching him this may also reflect that he may feel his privacy is being invaded which again gives the bird human qualities. The word Velvet Head shows connotations of something regal and royal and also highlights a feminine side to the bird, this shows the connection of mankind and nature since the bird is well groomed and words such as velvet may represent some type of clothing which suggest the bird is dressed giving him human quality and characteristics showing the link between nature and mankind. The word Velvet also highlights sexual connotations as you interpret it to be something quite sexy or soft and feminine, further down in the poem the word seam is used also showing something sexual as a seam is usually referred to in context to clothes. The capitalisation of the Velvet Head again gives the bird importance and shows a status for him. In stanza three Dickinson uses words such as rapid, hurried and frightened this shows a change in pace in the poem as the poem was running fairly smoothly and then these words create tension and make the tone more panicked this shows the human like nature of the bird since he is given human characteristics and shows that the bird is frightened of the speaker. The theme of disturbance is shown in the poem I heard a fly buzz since throughout the poem we are being shown how nature is disturbing the death of the speaker, the speaker says there interposed a fly- which shows the disturbance the fly is causing to mankind since the speakers death is being interrupted. The word interposed associates to annoyance or distraction showing that the fly is ever present and it is not prepared to leave showing the presence of nature around mankind all the time and vice versa. The dash at the end of this line suggests that the sentence is unfinished and is maybe going to carry on, also shows the speakers attitude as maybe annoyed and not pleased. Dickinson highlights the arrogance of the bird showing the line And he unrolled his feathers this is representative of the birds ignorance to what its done, it shows that the bird has naturally carried out a act of killing and simply flown away, this line may also be interpreted as the bird having to move on in his life and how the bird has no set place and is on a constant journey. The word unrolled highlights a sort of arrogance in the birds body language, since the word unrolled is quite soft and nai ve suggesting he does not understand the significance of his actions and doesnt realise his mistake, this shows the clash between man and nature since Dickinson is suggesting here that the bird has no morals and this is a natural act for him, whereas mankind would be very cautious and careful of their actions and would most of the time realise there mistake. In this line there is no significant punctuation used. The poem highlights her attempt to get to nature and get to understand nature however the bird does not let her. Dickinson may represent nature as god or something more powerful then mankind and she may be implying that she is trying to understand god or this force however it is so powerful that she is failing. Themes of god being represented in nature are also hinted in poem 465 in which Dickinson says And then the windows failed this line implies that the barrier which was interfering in Dickinson death has failed. In this poem the fly may be interpreted as Satan as it is disturbing a command given by god, puritan values are also shown here as the fly fails to interrupt and death is successful showing that god holds the power. This shows how nature and mankind are interlinked since they can not escape each others realms. Overall Dickinson repeatedly shows the connection between mankind and nature as inescapable, she repeatedly shows how powerful nature is and how nature and mankind effect each other; Like one in danger, cautious, this shows the reader that Dickinson values nature and gives nature the same respect as she would to mankind we know this since Dickinson constantly gives nature human values and qualities. Dickinson clearly highlights her importance for nature by linking it to god and linking it to mankind, showing her transcendentalist views.

Definitions of Multiprocessors in Computing

Definitions of Multiprocessors in Computing A multiprocessor can be defined as the computer which uses two or more processing units under the integrated control. Multi-processing is also defined as the way of using two or more than two CPUs within a single computer. As we all know that there are processors inside the computers, the multi processors, as the name indicates, have the ability to support more than one processor at a same time. Usually in multi-processing the processors are organized in the parallel form and hence a large number of the executions can be brought at the same time i.e. multi-processing helps in executing the same instructions a number of time at a particular time. Some other related definition of the multi processors are that multi-processing is the sharing of the execution process by the interconnection of more than one microprocessor using tightly or loosely couples technology. Usually multi-processing tasks carries two simultaneous steps. One is the performing the task of editing and the other is th e handling the data processing. A multi-processor device comprising, over a single semiconductor chip a plurality of processors including a first group of processors and a second group of processors; a first bus to which the first group of processors is coupled; a second bus to which the second group of processors is coupled; a first external bus interface to which the first bus is coupled; and a second external bus interface to which the second bus is coupled. The term multiprocessing is also used to refer to a computer that has many independent processing elements. The processing elements are almost full computers in their own right. The main difference is that they have been freed from the encumbrance of communication with peripherals. MULTIPROCESSORS IN THE TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE The processors are usually made up of the small and medium scale ICs which usually contains a less or large number of the transistors. The multi processors involves a computer architecture Most common multiprocessor systems today use an SMP architecture. In the case of multi-core processors, the SMP architecture applies to the cores, treating them as separate processors. SMP systems allow any processor to work on any task no matter where the data for that task are located in memory; with proper operating system support, SMP systems can easily move tasks between processors to balance the workload efficiently. Benefits Increased processing power Scale resource use to application requirements Additional operating system responsibilities All processors remain busy Even distribution of processes throughout the system All processors work on consistent copies of shared data Execution of related processes synchronized Mutual exclusion enforced Multiprocessing is a type of processing in which two or more processors work together to process more than one program simultaneously. Multi processor systems have more than one processor thats why known as multi processor systems. In multiprocessor system there is one master processor and other are the Slave. If one processor fails then master can assign the task to other slave processor. But if Master will be fail than entire system will fail. Central part of Multiprocessor is the Master. All of them share the hard disk and Memory and other memory devices. Examples of multiprocessors 1. Quad-Processor Pentium Pro SMP, bus interconnection. 4 x 200 MHz Intel Pentium Pro processors. 8 + 8 Kb L1 cache per processor. 512 Kb L2 cache per processor. Snoopy cache coherence. Compaq, HP, IBM, NetPower. Windows NT, Solaris, Linux, etc. 2. SGI Origin 2000 NUMA, hypercube interconnection. Up to 128 (64 x 2) MIPS R 10000 processors. 32 + 32 Kb L1 cache per processor. 4 Mb L2 cache per processor. Distributed directory-based cache coherence. Automatic page migration/replication. SGI IRIX with Pthreads Classifications of multiprocessor architecture Nature of data path Interconnection scheme How processors share resources Message-Passing Architectures Separate address space for each processor. Processors communicate via message passing. B) Shared-Memory Architectures Single address space shared by all processors. Processors communicate by memory read/write. SMP or NUMA. Cache coherence is important issue. 1. Classifying Sequential and Parallel Architectures(DATA PATH) Stream: sequence of bytes Data stream Instruction stream Flynns classifications: MISD multiprocessing: MISD multiprocessing offers mainly the advantage of redundancy, since multiple processing units perform the same tasks on the same data, reducing the chances of incorrect results if one of the units fails. MISD architectures may involve comparisons between processing units to detect failures. Apart from the redundant and fail-safe character of this type of multiprocessing, it has few advantages, and it is very expensive. It does not improve performance. It can be implemented in a way that is transparent to software. It is used inarray processorsand is implemented in fault tolerant machines. MIMD multiprocessing: MIMD multiprocessing architecture is suitable for a wide variety of tasks in which completely independent and parallel execution of instructions touching different sets of data can be put to productive use. For this reason, and because it is easy to implement, MIMD predominates in multiprocessing. Processing is divided into multiplethreads, each with its own hardware processor state, within a single software-defined process or within multiple processes. Insofar as a system has multiple threads awaiting dispatch (either system or user threads), this architecture makes good use of hardware resources. MIMD does raise issues of deadlock and resource contention, however, since threads may collide in their access to resources in an unpredictable way that is difficult to manage efficiently. MIMD requires special coding in the operating system of a computer but does not require application changes unless the programs themselves use multiple threads (MIMD is transparent to single-threaded programs under most operating systems, if the programs do not voluntarily relinquish control to the OS). Both system and user software may need to use software constructs such assemaphores(also called locksorgates) to prevent one thread from interfering with another if they should happen to cross paths in referencing the same data. This gating or locking process increases code complexity, lowers performance, and greatly increases the amount of testing required, although not usually enough to negate the advantages of multiprocessing. Similar conflicts can arise at the hardware level between processors (cache contention and corruption, for example), and must usually be resolved in hardware, or with a combination of software and hardware (e.g.,cache-clear instructions). SISD multiprocessing: In asingle instruction stream, single data streamcomputer one processor sequentially processes instructions, each instruction processes one data item. SIMD multiprocessing: In asingle instruction stream, multiple data streamcomputer one processor handles a stream of instructions, each one of which can perform calculations in parallel on multiple data locations. SIMD multiprocessing is well suited toparallel or vector processing, in which a very large set of data can be divided into parts that are individually subjected to identical but independent operations. A single instruction stream directs the operation of multiple processing units to perform the same manipulations simultaneously on potentially large amounts of data. For certain types of computing applications, this type of architecture can produce enormous increases in performance, in terms of the elapsed time required to complete a given task. However, a drawback to this architecture is that a large part of the system falls idle when programs or system tasks are executed that cannot be divided into units that can be processed in parallel. 2. Interconnection scheme Describes how the systems components, such as processors and memory modules, are connected Consists of nodes (components or switches) and links (connections) Parameters used to evaluate interconnection schemes Node degree Bisection width Network diameter Cost of the interconnection scheme Shared bus Single communication path between all nodes Contention can build up for shared bus Fast for small multiprocessors Form supernodes by connecting several components with a shared bus; use a more scalable interconnection scheme to connect supernodes Dual-processor Intel Pentium Shared bus multiprocessor organization. Crossbar-switch matrix Separate path from every processor to every memory module (or from every to every other node when nodes consist of both processors and memory modules) High fault tolerance, performance and cost Sun UltraSPARC-III Crossbar-s witch matrix multiprocessor organization. Hypercube n -dimensional hypercube has 2 nodes in which each node is n connected to n neighbor nodes Faster, more fault tolerant, but more expensive than a 2-D mesh network n CUBE (up to 8192 processors) Multistage network Switch nodes act as hubs routing messages between nodes Cheaper, less fault tolerant, worse performance compared to a crossbar-switch matrix IBM POWER4 COUPLING of PROCESSORS Tightly coupled systems Processors share most resources including memory Communicate over shared buses using shared physical memory Tasks and/or processors communicate in a highly synchronized fashion Communicates through a common shared memory Shared memory system Loosely coupled systems Processors do not share most resources Most communication through explicit messages or shared virtual memory (although not shared physical memory) Tasks or processors do not communicate in a synchronized fashion Communicates by message passing packets Overhead for data exchange is high Distributed memory system Comparison between them Loosely coupled systems: more flexible, fault tolerant, scalable Tightly coupled systems: more efficient, less burden to operating system programmers Multiprocessor Operating System Organizations Classify systems based on how processors share operating system responsibilities Types: Master/slave Separate kernels Symmetrical organization 1) Master/slave organization Master processor executes the operating system Slaves execute only user processors Hardware asymmetry Low fault tolerance Good for computationally intensive jobs 2) Separate kernels organization Each processor executes its own operating system Some globally shared operating system data Loosely coupled Catastrophic failure unlikely, but failure of one processor results in termination of processes on that processor Little contention over resources Example: Tandem system 3) Symmetrical organization Operating system manages a pool of identical processors High amount of resource sharing Need for mutual exclusion Highest degree of fault tolerance of any organization Some contention for resources Example: BBN Butterfly Memory Access Architectures Can classify multiprocessors based on how processors share memory Goal: Fast memory access from all processors to all memory Contention in large systems makes this impractical 1) Uniform memory access (UMA) multiprocessor All processors share all memory Access to any memory page is nearly the same for all processors and all memory modules (disregarding cache hits) Typically uses shared bus or crossbar-switch matrix Also called symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) Small multiprocessors (typically two to eight processors) 2) Nonuniform memory access (NUMA) multiprocessor Each node contains a few processors and a portion of system memory, which is local to that node Access to local memory faster than access to global memory (rest of memory) More scalable than UMA (fewer bus collisions) 3) Cache-only memory architecture (COMA) multiprocessor Physically interconnected as a NUMA is Local memory vs. global memory Main memory is viewed as a cache and called an attraction memory (AM) Allows system to migrate data to node that most often accesses it at granularity of a memory line (more efficient than a memory page) Reduces the number of cache misses serviced remotely Overhead Duplicated data items Complex protocol to ensure all updates are received at all processors 4) No-remote-memory-access (NORMA) multiprocessor Does not share physical memory Some implement the illusion of shared physical memory shared virtual memory (SVM) Loosely coupled Communication through explicit messages Distributed systems Not networked system Features of the multiprocessors Many multiprocessors share one address space They conceptually share memory. Sometimes it is often implemented just like a multicomputer In it the communication is implicit. It reads and writes access to the shared memories. Usually the multi processors are characterized by the complex behaviour. The MPU handles high-level tasks, including axis profile generation, host/controller communication, user-program execution, and safety event handling. Advanced real time algorithm and special filter execution Digital encoder input up to 20 million counts per second Analog Sin-Cos encoder input and interpolation up to a multiplication factor of 65,536 Fast, high-rate Position Event Generator (PEG) to trigger external devices Fast position registration (Mark) to capture position on input event High resolution analog or PWM command generation to the drive High Speed Synchronous Interface channel (HSSI) to manage fast communication with remote axes or I/O expansion modules Advantages of Multiprocessor Systems Some advantages of multiprocessor system are as follows: Reduced Cost: Multiple processors share the same resources. Separate power supply or mother board for each chip is not required. This reduces the cost. Increased Reliability: The reliability of system is also increased. The failure of one processor does not affect the other processors though it will slow down the machine. Several mechanisms are required to achieve increased reliability. If a processor fails, a job running on that processor also fails. The system must be able to reschedule the failed job or to alert the user that the job was not successfully completed. More work: As we increase the number of processors then it means that more work can be done in less time. Id more than one processor cooperates on a task then they will take less time to complete it. If we divide functions among several processors, then if one processor fails then it will not affect the system or we can say it will not halt the system, but it will effect on the work speed. Suppose I have five processors and one of them fails due to some reasons then each of the remaining four processors will share the work of failed processor. So it means that system will not fail but definitely failed processor will effect on its speed. If you pay attention on the matter of which save much money among multi-processor systems and multiple single-processor systems then you will know that multiprocessor systems save moremoneythan multiple single-processor systems because they can share power supplies, memory and peripherals. Increased Throughput: An increase in the number of processes completes the work in less time. It is important to note that doubling the number of processors does not halve the time to complete a job. It is due to the overhead in communication between processors and contention for shared resources etc. Reference BOOKS Referred: Morris Mano, Computer System Architecture, Prentice Hall, 2007

Utopian Thought in William Shakespeare :: Biography Biographies Essays

Although Columbus had discovered the "New World" in 1492, it is interesting to note how relatively uninterested Shakespeare was in the Americas or the western travel that was sweeping Europe. While some Englanders focused their attention and dreams on the uncivilized land in the west, Shakespeare "dreamed and wrote of the old world, of battles long ago, of an ancient story-land already splendid in its braveries and devotions" (Thorndike 110). He has left no evidence that might suggest any interest in the voyagers or the dangers faced on the uncharted oceans of the west, but he knew of the colonization endeavors through leaders such as Southampton, his early patron (110). The disinterest changed, though, when he read of the Sea Adventure shipwreck. In the year 1609, a year before the estimated writing of The Tempest, nine ships set out from England to strengthen John Smith's Virginian colonies. En route, though, one of the ships was carried away from the other during a storm. The lost ship, the Sea-Adventure, had on board the operation commanders, and all of the passengers were presumed to be lost at sea. However, a year later, news reached England that the crew and passengers of the Sea-Adventure had been blown to the coast of a Bermudan island, but they survived and rejoined the party the following year. Stunned English journalists reported many accounts of the shipwreck, and it is from these stories that some historians attribute Shakespeare's initial inspiration for the setting and foundation of The Tempest (Wain 202-203). After the shipwreck and news of the amazing survival, there were numerous

Humans & Nature In The Industrial Revolution :: Essays Papers

Humans & Nature In The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a technological transformation because during this time inventions began spreading like wild fire. The first invention came in the cotton industry. Cotton was a key part of Englands economy and the demand for it was very high, but the production was very low. A solution to this problem was found when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This new invention showed the efficiency of machinery as one person could now produce six-hundred pounds of cotton per day. " The cotton industry presented the most dramatic example of rapid transition from a traditional, loosely organized, dependent on hand tool technology, to a centrally managed and centrally located factory system using large scale machinery, powered by inanimate sources of energy." ( Deane, pg. 17) Another key invention was the steam engine. The dissenters played a huge role in making this invention possible. They found burning coal was much more useful than trees. Steam engines provide d better transportation, but more important it brought the factories out off the hillside. The factories and water mills that once needed the hills of the mountains now could go into the cities and prosper greatly. It was also during the revolution that many countries changed economically. With the inventions of the steam engine and cotton gin came the soaring of many economies across the country. For this rising economy the increase in production of cotton is an immediate effect. People were able to produce more product with less workers and in less time. Another key element for the rise in economies was the idea of large scale banking operations. This is best seen with the creation of the National City Bank in New York City. Another key economic addition was the idea of capitalism. " Capitalist, people who have their own materials, money, and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory, where hired people worked the whole day manufacturing goods. Humans & Nature In The Industrial Revolution :: Essays Papers Humans & Nature In The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a technological transformation because during this time inventions began spreading like wild fire. The first invention came in the cotton industry. Cotton was a key part of Englands economy and the demand for it was very high, but the production was very low. A solution to this problem was found when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. This new invention showed the efficiency of machinery as one person could now produce six-hundred pounds of cotton per day. " The cotton industry presented the most dramatic example of rapid transition from a traditional, loosely organized, dependent on hand tool technology, to a centrally managed and centrally located factory system using large scale machinery, powered by inanimate sources of energy." ( Deane, pg. 17) Another key invention was the steam engine. The dissenters played a huge role in making this invention possible. They found burning coal was much more useful than trees. Steam engines provide d better transportation, but more important it brought the factories out off the hillside. The factories and water mills that once needed the hills of the mountains now could go into the cities and prosper greatly. It was also during the revolution that many countries changed economically. With the inventions of the steam engine and cotton gin came the soaring of many economies across the country. For this rising economy the increase in production of cotton is an immediate effect. People were able to produce more product with less workers and in less time. Another key element for the rise in economies was the idea of large scale banking operations. This is best seen with the creation of the National City Bank in New York City. Another key economic addition was the idea of capitalism. " Capitalist, people who have their own materials, money, and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory, where hired people worked the whole day manufacturing goods.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Hated My Father :: College Admissions Essays

I Hated My Father I hated my father for a long time. I resemble him completely, and everyone says I am a copy of him in appearance. And some people even said that 30 years after, I would be what he was completely in everything. But I really disliked to be told so, and I felt it was an insult to me. My father was an object of detestation for me; to be his son was my curse. I didn't regard him as my father and despised him very much, so I sought ways of revenge on him. I decided that after I graduate from university and I can earn my own living, I would abandon him. "For now, I will act a meek son, but it won't last forever. He should live his lonely old age," I thought. There were many reasons why I hated my father. He was quick-tempered, selfish, and he easily beat and kicked me, because he wanted to have his own way in everything. Though I had not been such a bad child, I was often scolded and knocked about by him since I was a small child, so I was afraid of him, and I really had contempt for him. There was one more reason why I hated my father; it was my name "Taro", given me by my father "Taro" is a very simple name. Anyone naming a child could think of this name in one second. Of course, this simple name was made fun of by my friends. I really hated it, and I wondered whether my father had really thought my name over seriously. I asked him the reasons for naming me this, but he answered only "Taro is simple, manful, and easy to remember." I even wondered if perhaps my father thought of me as a dog. I seldom felt his love for me. Last year, I entered Fukui Medical School, and started to live alone. My despising of my father had not changed at all, so I was very happy to live alone, because I didn't have to meet him except during my vacation! Of course, I seldom went home though it is possible to go there in only one hour by car. But since I have lived by myself, my impression of my father has gradually changed. My mother often said my father wanted to meet me and he talked about me very often.

Models for Change Business Process Reengineering Essay

Assess Business Strategy Like many other approaches, BPR claims to align organisation change (and IT development) with business strategy. This is important because BPR concentrates of improving processes which are of primary strategic importance. The assumption is that strategy is already determined, and that it is externally focussed, dealing with customers, products, suppliers and markets. BPR is quite distinct from strategic planning. Select Processes Here we choose those processes on which we will concentrate our reengineering effort. This choice involves a number of steps. Identify Major Processes A process as â€Å"a structured,measured set of activities designed to produce a specified output for a particular customer or market, process is â€Å"an interrelated series of activities that convert business inputs into business outputs (by changing the state of relevant business entities)†. Determine Process Boundaries This is easy to say and hard to do. Some processes, such as product manufacture, are fairly obvious, though there may be doubt whether to include activities such as materials procurement within this process. Sometimes the boundaries between processes which follow one another (eg marketing and sales, delivery and installation) are hard to agree. Processes which involve more than one company can also cause boundary problems. Assess Strategic Relevance Usually reengineering will concentrate on a small number of processes. This may seem suboptimal, but provided the processes chosen are complete (not parts of processes) and the reengineering is thorough, a flow-on effect will probably mean that unsatisfactory neighbouring processes will soon become candidates for redesign. So we should begin with those processes which are most critical to the organisation’s strategy. At UTS, for instance, the major strategy might be to obtain more money from industry. Processes directly contributing to this strategy would be good candidates for reengineering. Qualify Culture and Politics This step (which is even less quantifiable than the others) assesses the culture and politics of the organisational units performing activities within the process, and how these units are viewed in wider organisational politics and culture. Processes in a medical school, for instance, may be harder to reengineer than those in a business school, both because the medical school places a high value on its independence and because it is highly regarded by the rest of the university (or even society). Since successful reengineering ultimately depends on the cooperation of those performing the process, it is better to deal with processes where the culture and politics are favourable. Creating a Process Vision â€Å"Creating a strong and sustained linkage between strategy and the way work is done is an enduring challenge in complex organizations. Because business processes define how work is done, we are dealing with the relationship between strategy and processes.In BPR, as in all design work, creating the vision is the crucial stage; and it is also the least structured. In assessing strategy and selecting processes we were trying to understand things which (in theory) already exist. Similarly when we come to assess existing processes and resources. For design and implementation we may be helped by guidelines, methodologies and examples of similar systems. But in creating a vision we are more or less on our own. There are a number of techniques, which are known to help in the creative process. When working on process visions it is also helpful to consider in which areas of the business we wish to redesign processes. Davenport deals with two aspects of vision creation: the search for a vi sion and vision characteristics. Vision – search Process visons must be related to strategy, so we may look to the organisation’s strategy for inspiration. This assumes that the strategy is sufficiently specific to give a sense of direction (eg â€Å"improve quality of service to regular customers† rather than â€Å"improve quality†). Thinking about strategy also keeps the vision search at the right level – broad but specific. Because much BPR work supports a customer focused strategy, it is important to have customer input to the vision. More generally, the â€Å"customer† is the one receiving the business output, and this includes internal customers; it is important that we know the output is â€Å"right† before we start working out how to produce it. Benchmarking, in the context of creating a project, means seeing how other people do it. This is related to the idea of adopting â€Å"best practice†, though if we want competitive advantage we may have to do better than â€Å"best†; nevertheless, it is good to find out what is best so far. We are looking for ideas, not imitating, so we may look for benchmarks in quite different types of organisation; in fact this may be easier, since our direct competitors may not wish to reveal their â€Å"best† practice to us. Vision – objectives and attributes â€Å"Process visions, like strategies, should be easy to communicate to the organization, no threatening to those who must implement (or who are affected by) them, and as inspirational as measurable targets can be.† [Davenport,p119] The process vision shows what we want our new process to do and to a very limited extent how it will do it. These are respectively the process objectives and attributes. The objectives should have a customer or business focus – they must truly be concerned with outcome. They must according to all the experts be measurable – we must be able to tell how we have done. And they should be simple and non-contradicty – we don’t want a long list of competing objectives, nor objectives whose measures are only comprehensible to a mathematician, economist or accountant. Typical objectives would be â€Å"reduce delivery time by 50%† or â€Å"double the number of potential customers contacted per month†. The attributes indicate how we intend to achieve the objectives, perhaps in terms of technology or general principles. It is somewhat unusual to develop objectives and means simultaneously but since BPR is aiming for radical objectives it is necessary to have some indication of how they will be achieved before management will be prepared to commit to the design phase. Notice that it is important at this stage to consider a variety of means before the vision is finalised. Adding attributes to our objectives might give â€Å"reduce delivery time by 50% by outsourcing delivery services† or â€Å"use to internet to double the number of potential customers contacted per month without increasing staff†. Davenport points out that radical change will only be achieved by setting ambitious objectives – â€Å"creativity must be encouraged by setting impossible goals†. Understand and Improve Existing Processes Some proponents of BPR advocate starting with a â€Å"clean slate† but most (including Davenport) recommend that we spend time studying existing processes. There are a number of reasons for this: †¢People in the organisations (and customers) will use language based on the existing processes. We need to use this language to explain our proposals. †¢When implementing the new processes we will have to plan change from the current situation – the existing processes. †¢The existing processes may be causing problems which we could easily repeat if we do not understand them. Existing processes may also contain activities for avoiding problems which we might not anticipate. †¢The existing processes are the base from which we measure improvement. Studying the existing processes includes the following activities: †¢The current process flow is described using any suitable diagramming method. Such a method should indicate the sequence of activities, trigger events, time taken for each activity and any buffering delays. †¢The current process is evaluated against the new objectives and assessed for conformance to the new attributes. †¢Problems with the current process are identified. It is important to remember that reengneering is not meant simply to rationalize existing processes. †¢Short term improvements to the current processes are proposed. It is not advisable to postpone simple improvements until complete reengineering is done. Assess Social and Technical Resources In this step we judge whether we have the resources available to proceed with the project. â€Å"Social resources† refer to the organisation and the people in it. Is the organisation used to change? Are there key supporters of BPR? Does the organisation have a tradition of team work and open discussion? Is there an atmosphere of trust? What skills are available? Are people willing to learn? If social resources appear to be inadequate, they will need to be developed before or during the reengineering project. The same applies to technical resources, though these are easier to judge. Is appropriate technology available to support the new processes? This means hardware, software and skilled people. Limitations particularly occur with network infrastructure. Again, missing capabilities will have to be developed, although in this case (unlike social resources) outsourcing is a possibility. Design and Implement New Processes Design and implementation of the new processes can use any suitable methodology, but a number of points need to be remembered. †¢Since BPR is performance oriented the methodology must be able to predict performance during design. †¢BPR projects are meant to be done quickly – the methodology should support this. †¢Stakeholders (both customers and those who will be operating the process) must be involved. †¢We are looking for radical design as well as radical vision so there will be more brainstorming. †¢For any design proposal we must be able to assess feasibility, risk and benefit. †¢It would be difficult to achieve the previous objectives unless the methodology was strongly based on prototyping. 5 stages of reengineering: †¢preparation †¢identification †¢vision †¢design – technical, social †¢transformation These stages are very similar to Davenport’s, although they go into more detail about process modelling. Manganelli pays more attention to improving existing processes and his methodology has more emphasis on entities rather than processes – ie it has more of a data base flavour. Davenport (1993) notes that Quality management, often referred to as total quality management (TQM) or continuous improvement, refers to programs and initiatives that emphasize incremental improvement in work processes and outputs over an open-ended period of time. In contrast, Reengineering, also known as business process redesign or process innovation, refers to discrete initiatives that are intended to achieve radically redesigned and improved work processes in a bounded time frame. Contrast between the two is provided by Davenport (1993):

Enron collapse A look back Essay

Enron collapse: A look back Introduction                   Enron was formed as a result of merging with another company and it became a successful corporate. The joy of the business owners is to see how it grows fast and to attract more investors. There are rules and regulation that governs the corporate financial report that is open for inspection by potential investors (Folger, 2011). The audit of these financial reports should disclose the accurate financial state of the company and this should be made known to the stakeholders of the company. The stakeholders of a company play an important role in progress of the business and the going concern of the company (Sterling, 2002). The company of Enron did not manage its debts and therefore looked for means of hiding the truth from its stakeholders so as to continue making profit.                   The aim of a business is to make profit and be able to pay the debts of the creditors and also attract investors who are interested in the business. Most investor relay on the financial statement to determine whether to invest or not to invest (Folger, 2011). The Enron Company was a big company that was famous and successful before its fall. The corporate attracted many investors since they financial report showed how the business was growing at high rate (Bauer, 2009). However the corporate management did not disclose the true and fair view of the financial reports. The financial report of a company should not mislead the shareholders or its members.                   Moreover, in the Enron scandal there were some cases in which it showed misconduct of its financial reporting since the corporate did not display true and fair financial accountings to its stakeholders. The corporate used financial fabrication and mark- market accounting to hide its actual debts and real financial situation (Folger, 2011). These reports made the investor believe that the corporate was making profit while it was making losses in real sense. It is also a form of fraud to stakeholders since it cannot meet all its debts and in case of winding up majority of the investors and shareholder would suffer greatly. The Enron scandal was deemed to be great since it had huge debts to settle and its assets could not settle these debts.                   Indeed, financial misconduct affects a large group of stakeholder and leaves a great mark that cannot be erased (Sterling, 2002). For example the shareholders of Enron corporate were highly affected and suffered a loss of billions that were not recovered since the corporate went bankrupt and the assets of the business were also false in existence. The investors also suffered greatly from these financial misconduct, they lost their resources. In addition, the employees suffered greatly by losing billions of pension benefits due to the misconduct of financial reports which led to the bankruptcy of the Enron therefore could no longer pay them (Folger, 2011).                   The financial statement of a company is very important to the investors, it gives an over view of the stability of the business and its ability to pay debts. The Enron corporate failed to disclose true and fair view financial statements by hiding its real financial reports and the investors were misled and also due to many investments made by the company lead to its bankruptcy (Sterling, 2002). The purpose of accurate financial reports is to help the investors and also the company to know to what extent they should contract or invest in other businesses. It also helps in managing of the company’s debt thus making profit but the Enron was only interested in making a lot of profits that led to their down fall.                   Ethics are rules that govern every business and its members on how to conduct their daily roles in the company (Brady, & Dunn, 1995). In other words, the managers of this corporate owe their loyalty to its stakeholders and their interest ought to be the interest of the business (Bauer, 2009). In deontology of the Enron corporate, the management had a duty and obligations to display the true statement of finance and also to operate the business in the interest of the stakeholders and not their interest. As the leaders they ought to make sure that the going concern of the business is kept and the assets of the company are secured. In addition, the duty of the Enron managers was to disclose the true and fair view of financial reports (Bauer, 2009).                   On other hand, utilitarian is a form ethic that is used to show the positive side of the organization, for example by disclosing the false statement to stakeholders thus blinding them of the real situation (Folger, 2011). The Enron leaders used different methods to conceal the truth about its debts and faked the profits. They made the business look attractive and therefore more investors invested in the business. At the end, the ethics rules were violated and the leaders had a role to play .Enron had a role to disclose the truth which could have rescued the company (Bauer, 2009). If at the beginning, the company revealed the truth it would not have ended bankrupt and the employees would have secured their jobs. Finally, the company had a duty to disclose the true financial statements and also save the company from falling and the scandals would have been avoided. The companies should put into practice the ethics governing the corporates. Therefore, to pr event any future happenings such as the past frauds in the company, there has been an enhanced regulation as well as oversight in the company (Folger, 2011). References Bauer, A. (2009). The Enron scandal and the Sarbanes-Oxley-Act. München: GRIN Verlag. Brady, F. N., & Dunn, C. P. (1995). Business meta-ethics: An analysis of two theories. Business Ethics Quarterly, 385-398. Folger, J. (2011). The Enron collapse: A look back. Investopedia, December 1. Retrieved October 25, 2014, at http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1211/the-enron-collapse-a-look-back.aspx Sterling, T. F. (2002). The Enron scandal. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Source document