Lean Six Sigma in Hrm

1 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry Alessandro Laureani University of Strathclyde United Kingdom 1. Introduction The business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is rooted in the manufacturing industry, where it developed over the past few decades, reaching widespread adoption worldwide.However, according to the World Economic Outlook Database, published in April 2011, by the International Monetary Fund (IMF, 2011), the distribution of PPP (Purchase Power Parity) GDP, in 2010, among various industry sectors in the main worldwide economies, reflected a decline in the industrial sector, with the service sector now representing three-quarters of the US economy and more than half of the European economies. PPP GDP 2010 Agriculture Industry Service European Union 5. 7% 30. 7% 63. 6% United States 1. 2% 22. 2% 76. 7% China . 6% 46. 8% 43. 6% India 16. 1% 28. 6% 55. 3% Table 1. PPP GDP Sector Comparison 2010. In light of the increasing importance of the service sector, the objective of this chapter is to discuss whether the business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is applicable to the service industry as well, and illustrate some case study applications. 2. What is Lean Six Sigma? Lean Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology that aims to maximize shareholders’ value by improving quality, speed, customer satisfaction, and costs.It achieves this by merging tools and principles from both Lean and Six Sigma. It has been widely adopted widely in manufacturing and service industries, and its success in some famous organizations (e. g. GE and Motorola) has created a copycat phenomenon, with many organizations across the world willing to replicate the success. www. intechopen. com 4 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Lean and Six Sigma have followed independent paths since the 1980s, when the terms were first hard-coded and defined.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.The first applications of Lean w ere recorded in the Michigan plants of Ford in 1913, and were then developed to perfection in Japan (within the Toyota Production System), while Six Sigma saw the light in the United States (within the Motorola Research Centre). Lean is a process-improvement methodology, used to deliver products and services better, faster, and at a lower cost. Womack and Jones (1996) defined it as: †¦ a way to specify value, line up value-creating actions in the best sequence, conduct those activities without interruption whenever someone requests them, and perform them more and more effectively.In short, lean thinking is lean because it provides a way to do more and more with less and less—less human effort, less human equipment, less time, and less space—while coming closer and closer to providing customers with exactly what they want. (Womack and Jones, 1996:p. ) Six Sigma is a data-driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable process results, reducing process variation and defects. Snee (1999) defined it as: ‘a business strategy that seeks to identify and eliminate causes of errors or defects or failures in business processes by focusing on outputs that are critical to customers’.While both Lean and Six Sigma have been used for many years, they were not integrated until the late 1990s and early 2000s (George, 2002; George, 2003). Today, Lean Six Sigma is recognized as: ‘a business strategy and methodology that increases process performance resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom line results’ (Snee, 2010). Lean Six Sigma uses tools from both toolboxes, in order to get the best from the two methodologies, increasing speed while also increasing accuracy. The benefits of Lean SixSigma in the industrial world (both in manufacturing and services) have been highlighted extensively in the literature and include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ensuring services/products conform to what the customer needs (‘voice of the customer’). Removing non-value adding steps (waste) in critical business processes. Reducing the cost of poor quality. Reducing the incidence of defective products/transactions. Shortening the cycle time. Delivering the correct product/service at the right time in the right place. Antony, 2005a; Antony, 2005b) Examples of real benefits in various sectors are illustrated in Table 2. One of the key aspects differentiating Lean Six Sigma from previous quality initiatives is the organization and structure of the quality implementation functions. In quality initiatives prior to Lean Six Sigma, the management of quality was relegated largely to the production floor and/or, in larger organizations, to some statisticians in the quality department.Instead, Lean Six Sigma introduces a formal organizational infrastructure for different quality implementation roles, borrowing terminology from the world of martial arts to define hierarchy an d career paths (Snee, 2004; Antony, Kumar & Madu, 2005c; Antony, Kumar & Tiwarid, 2005d; Pande, Neuman & Cavanagh, 2000; Harry & Schroeder, 1999; Adams, Gupta & Wilson, 2003). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 5 Table 2. Benefits of Six Sigma in Service Organizations (Antony, Kumar & Cho, 2007). 3. Lean Six Sigma and the service industryThe service industry has its own special characteristics, which differentiate it from manufacturing and make it harder to apply Lean Six Sigma tools, which can be summarized in the following main areas (Kotler, 1997; Regan 1963; Zeithmal, Parasur and Berry 1985): Intangibility: Although services can be consumed and perceived, they cannot be measured easily and objectively, like manufacturing products. An objective measurement is a critical aspect of Six Sigma, which requires data-driven decisions to eliminate defects and reduce variation.The lack of objective metrics is usually addressed in service organizations through the use of proxy metrics (e. g. customer survey). Perishability: Services cannot be inventoried, but are instead delivered simultaneously in response to the demand for them. As a consequence, services processes contain far too much ‘work-in-process’ and work can spend more than 90% of its time waiting to be executed (George, 2003). Inseparability: Delivery and consumption of service is simultaneous.This adds complexity to service processes, unknown to manufacturing. Having customers waiting in line or on the phone involves some emotional management, not present in a manufacturing process. Variability: Each service is a unique event dependent on so many changing conditions, which cannot be reproduced exactly. As a result of this, the variability in service processes is much higher than in manufacturing processes, leading to very different customer experiences. www. intechopen. com 6 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations ManagementOwing to these inherent differences, it has b een harder for service organizations, such as financial companies, health-care providers, retail and hospitality organizations, to apply Lean Six Sigma to their own reality. However, there are also great opportunities in the service organizations (George 2003): – – Empirical data has shown the cost of services are inflated by 30–80% of waste. Service functions have little or no history of using data to make decisions. It is often difficult to retrieve data and many key decision-makers may not be as ‘numerically literate’ as some of their manufacturing counterparts.Approximately 30–50% of the cost in a service organization is caused by costs related to slow speed, or carrying out work again to satisfy customer needs. In the last few years, successful applications in service organizations have come to fruition and we will illustrate three possible applications: in a call centre, in human resources, and finally in a healthcare provider. 4. Case study 1: Lean Six Sigma in a call centre (Laureani et al, 2010a) The two major types of call centres are outbound centres and inbound centres. The most common are inbound call centre operations.Almost everyone in their daily life has had to call one of those centres for a variety of reasons. Outbound centres are used more in areas such as marketing, sales and credit collection. In these instances, it is the call centre operators who establish contact with the user. Although there are some differences between outbound and inbound call centres, they each have certain potential benefits and challenges, with regard to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. Benefits Some of the benefits that Lean Six Sigma can deliver in a call centre are (Jacowski, 2008; Gettys, 2009): . 2. 3. 4. 5. Streamlining the operations of the call centre: Lean strategy helps in eliminating waste and other non-value added activities from the process. Decreasing the number of lost calls: Six Sigma’s root-cau se analysis and hypothesistesting techniques can assist in determining how much time to spend on different type of calls, thus providing a guide to the operators. Better use of resources (both human resources and technology), thus leading to a reduction in the cost of running such centres.Unveiling the ‘hidden factory’: establishing the root causes of why customers call in the first place can help in uncovering trouble further along the process, providing benefits that go further than the call centre itself, improving customer service and support. Reducing employee turnover: call centres are usually characterized by high employee turnover, owing to the highly stressful work environment. A more streamlined operation would assist in reducing operators’ stress, particularly in an inbound centre. ChallengesSpecific challenges of applying Lean Six Sigma in a call centre environment (Piercy & Rich, 2009): www. intechopen. com 7 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 1. 2. 3. The relentless pace of the activity (often 24/7) makes it more difficult for key staff to find the time to become involved in projects and Lean Six Sigma training. The realization of an appropriate measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) is difficult because of the inherent subjectivity and interpretation of some call types, failing reproducibility tests of different call centre operators.High employee turnover, that normally characterizes call centres, makes it more difficult for the programme to remain in the organization. Strengths Weaknesses ? ? Root cause analysis can determine major reasons for customers’ calls, helping to unveil problems further along the value stream map of the company Lean Six Sigma deployment requires significant investment in training, that may be difficult from a time perspective in a fastpaced environment such as a call centre Opportunities Threats ? ? ? ? ? Decrease number of lost calls Reduce waiting time for calls in t he queue Improve employee productivity (i. . number of calls dealt with by the hour) ? Lack of metrics Lack of support from process owner Preconceived ideas Table 3. SWOT Analysis for the Use of Lean Six Sigma in a Call Centre. Overall, the opportunities far outweigh the challenges. Call centres nowadays are more than just operations: they are the first, and sometimes a unique, point of contact that a company may have with its customers. Their efficient and effective running, and their timely resolution of customers’ queries, all go a long way to establishing the company’s brand and image. Project selection is a critical component of success.Not all projects may be suitable candidates for the application of Lean Six Sigma, and this needs to be kept in mind in assessing the operation of a call centre. Also, different tools and techniques may be more suited to a specific project, depending on the nature and characteristics of the process it is trying to address. Projects that better lend themselves to Lean Six Sigma share, inter alia, the following characteristics: ? The focus of the project is on a process that is either not in statistical control (unstable) or outside customer specifications (incapable).As already mentioned in the introduction, Six Sigma techniques focus on reducing the variation in a process, making them the ideal tools for tackling an incapable but stable process, whereas Lean tools focus more on the elimination of waste and would be the first port of call for streamlining an unstable process. Priority should be given to unstable processes, using Lean tools to eliminate the waste and simplify the process. Once it has stabilized, more advanced statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox, can be used to reduce variation and make the process capable. ww. intechopen. com 8 ? ? ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management The root reason(s) for this has not been identified yet. It is important to start work on the project wit h an open mind and without any prejudice. Data and hard facts should guide the project along its path. Quantitative metrics of the process are available. A lack of measures and failing to realize a complete measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) can seriously jeopardize any improvement effort. The process owner is supportive and willing to provide data and resources.This is critical for the ongoing success of the project; the process owner’s role is discussed in detail in the Control Phase section. Potential areas of focus for Six Sigma projects in call centres (Gettys, 2009): ? ? ? ? Lost call ratio out of total calls for an inbound call centre; Customer waiting/holding times for an inbound call centre; First-call resolution; Calls back inflating call volumes. Call centres are increasingly important for many businesses and are struggling consistently with the pressure of delivering a better service at a lower cost.Lean Six Sigma can improve the operation o f a call centre through an increase in first-call resolution (that reduces the failure created by failing to answer the query in the first place), a reduction in call centre operator turnover (leveraging on training and experience), and streamlining the underlying processes, eliminating unnecessary operations. Given the large scale of many call-centre operations, even a relatively small improvement in the sigma value of the process can dramatically reduce the defect rate, increase customer satisfaction and deliver financial benefits to the bottom line (Rosenberg, 2005).By focusing on eliminating waste, identifying the real value-adding activities and using the DMAIC tools for problem-solving, it is possible to achieve significant improvements in the cost and customer service provided (Swank, 2003). 5. Case study 2: Lean Six Sigma in HR administration (Laureani & Antony, 2010b) In the late 1980s, when Motorola implemented Six Sigma originally, obtaining astonishing results, the compa ny was then faced with the dilemma of how to reward its employees for these successes (Gupta, 2005).This was the first time Six Sigma and HR practices came into contact, and a more accurate definition of HR practices was needed. If, in the past, the term HR was related only to administrative functions (e. g. payroll, timekeeping, etc. ), the term has increased substantially, in the last few decades, to include the acquisition and application of skills and strategies to maximize the return on investment from an organization’s human capital (Milmore et al, 2007). HR management is the strategic approach to the management of all people that contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business (Armstrong, 2006).As such it includes, but it is not limited to, personnel administration. In effect it includes all steps where an employee and an organization come into contact, with the potential of adding value to the organization (Ulrich, 1996). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 9 As such, and merging terminology from Lean and HR, we define the following seven points as the Human Capital Value Stream Map: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Attraction Selection Orientation (or induction) Reward Development Management Separation Fig. 1. Human Capital Value Stream Map.The Human Capital Value Stream Map is a Lean technique that identifies the flow of information or material required in delivering a product or service to a customer (Womack & Jones, 1996). Human capital is the accumulated skills and experience of the human force in an organization (Becker, 1993). The Human Capital Value Stream Map is the flow of human capital required for an organization to deliver its products or service to customers; the objectives of which are briefly described below: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Attract: to establish a proper employer’s brand that attracts the right calibre of individual.Select: to select the best possible candidate for the job. Orient: to ensure new employees are properly trained and integrated into the organization. Reward: to ensure compensation packages are appropriate and in line with the market. Develop: to distinguish talent and ensure career progression. Manage: to supervise and administer the day-to-day jobs. Separation: to track reasons for voluntary leavers and maintain a constructive relationship. It is possible to apply Lean Six Sigma tools to each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, in order to eliminate waste in the HR process Wyper & Harrison, 2000). For each step in the Human Capital Value Stream Map it is necessary to establish proper quantitative metrics that allow objective assessment and control of the process step (Sullivan, 2003). This makes use of the more quantitative statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox possible. Establishing HR metrics can be controversial, with different parts of the organization having different objectives (Jamrog & Overholt, 2005), but the answer to these simple ques tions may help to focus on the real value each step can provide. 1. 2. 3.What is the expected deliverable of the step? What are the relevant metrics and key performance indicators of the step? What are the opportunities for defects in the step? www. intechopen. com 10 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management For recruitment, for example, the answers to the above questions may be as follows. 1. 2. 3. Hire, in the shortest possible time, new members of staff to fulfil a certain job. The number of days to fill a vacancy (also define the acceptable norm for the organization). Any job remaining vacant for longer than the acceptable norm.Similar thought processes can be performed for other steps: having set metrics for each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, an organization is now in the position to apply Six Sigma DMAIC to it. Six Sigma can be used to improve administrative processes, such as HR processes. Implementing the Six Sigma DMAIC breakthrough methodology in HR f ollows the same path as implementing it in any other part of the organization. However, there are some specific key learning points and challenges for the HR area, such as: ? ? ?Difficulty in establishing an appropriate measurement system analysis and metrics; Data collection can be extremely difficult, as the project team is dealing with very sensitive issues; and Difficulty in performing any pilot or design of experiment. Any of these is going to impact on the behaviour of staff, making it difficult to measure its results accurately. As a result, projects may last longer than the standard four to six months and the wider use of tools such as brainstorming and ‘Kaizen’ workshops with domain experts may be necessary (Lee et al, 2008).Examples of potential Six Sigma projects in the HR function are: ? ? ? ? ? ? reduction of employees’ turnover reduction in time and cost to hire a new employee reduction in training costs reduction in cost of managing employeesâ€⠄¢ separation reduction in administrative defects (payroll, benefits, sick pay, etc. ) reduction in queries from the employee population to the HR department. Every area of an organization needs to perform better, faster and more cheaply, to keep the company ahead of the competition, and be able to satisfy ever-increasing customer expectations.HR is no exception: more cost-effective and streamlined HR processes will create value for the organization, instead of just being a support act for management (Gupta, 2005). 6. Case study 3: Lean Six Sigma in health-care delivery Health care is a complex business, having to balance continuously the need for medical care and attention to financial data. It offers pocket of excellence, with outstanding advances in technology and treatment, together with inefficiencies and errors (Taner et al, 2007). Everywhere in the world, the financial pressures on health care have increased steadily in the last decade.While an ageing population and technolog ical investments are often cited as culprits for these financial pressures, unnecessary operational inefficiency is another source www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 11 of cost increases, largely under the control of health-care professionals (de Koning et al, 2006). Lean Six Sigma projects so far in the health-care literature have focused on direct care delivery, administrative support and financial administration (Antony et al, 2006), with projects executed in the following processes (Taner et al, 2007): ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? increasing capacity in X-ray rooms reducing avoidable emergency admissions improving day case performance improving accuracy of clinical coding improving patient satisfaction in Accident and Emergency (A&E) reducing turn-around time in preparing medical reports reducing bottle necks in emergency departments reducing cycle time in various inpatient and outpatient diagnostic areas reducing number of m edical errors and hence enhancing patient safety reducing patient falls reducing errors from high-risk medication educing medication ordering and administration errors improving active management of personnel costs increasing productivity of health-care personnel increasing accuracy of laboratory results increasing accuracy of billing processes and thereby reducing the number of billing errors improving bed availability across various departments in hospitals reducing number of postoperative wound infections and related problems improving MRI exam scheduling reducing lost MRI films improving turn-around time for pharmacy orders improving nurse or pharmacy technician recruitment mproving operating theatre throughput increasing surgical capacity reducing length of stay in A&E reducing A&E diversions improving revenue cycle reducing inventory levels improving patient registration accuracy improving employee retention The focus has been on the improvement of clinical processes to identi fy and eliminate waste from the patient pathways, to enable staff to examine their own workplace, and to increase quality, safety and efficiency in processes (e. g. Fillingham, 2007; Silvester et al, 2004; Radnor and Boaden, 2008).The barriers specific to the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in health care, in addition to the ones commonly present in other industries, are: ? Measurement: it is often difficult to identify processes, which can be measured in terms of defects (Lanham and Maxson-Cooper, 2003). www. intechopen. com 12 ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Psychology of the workforce: in the health-care industry it is particularly important to not use jargonistic business language, as this has a high chance of being rejected or accepted with cynicism by medical professionalsThe application of Lean Six Sigma in health care is still in its early stages. Therefore early successes in simple projects will pave the way for tackling more complicated initiatives in the f uture, initiating a positive circle of improvement, bringing clinical change on a broad scale. Appropriately implemented, Lean Six Sigma can produce benefits in terms of better operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and higher process quality (Taner et al, 2007), as the case studies presented in this paper illustrate.The spiralling costs of health care means that unless health-care processes become more efficient, a decreasing proportion of citizens in industrialized societies will be able to afford high-quality health care (de Koning et al, 2006). Continuous process improvement is needed to ensure health-care processes are efficient, cost-effective and of high quality. The five case study applications we have examined in this paper provide examples of how Lean Six Sigma can help to improve health-care processes.The adoption of similar programs in other hospitals across the health-care sector will help the delivery of high quality health care to an increasing population. 7. Conc lusion Lean Six Sigma is now accepted widely as a business strategy to improve business profitability and achieve service excellence, and its use in service organizations is growing quickly. However, there are a number of barriers to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in services, such as the innate characteristics of services, as well as the manufacturing origins of Lean Six Sigma that have conditioned service managers to consider them as physical products only.On the other hand, as shown in the case studies, there are a number of advantages for the use of Lean Six Sigma in services (Eisenhower, 1999). Overall, the applications so far have showed the benefits (such as lowering operational costs, improving processes quality, increasing efficiency) to outweigh the costs associated with its implementation. 8. References Adams, C. , Gupta, P. & Wilson, C. (2003) Six Sigma deployment. Burlington, MA, Butterworth-Heinemann. Antony, J. 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(1985), Problems and strategies in services marketing, Journal of Marketing, 49 (Spring), 33-46. www. intechopen. com Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Edited by Mr. Yair Holtzman ISBN 978-953-51-0345-5 Hard cover, 200 pages Publisher InTech Published online 16, March, 2012 Published in print edition March, 2012 The chapters in Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management creatively demonstrate a valuable connection among operations strategy, operations management, operations research, and various departments, systems, and practices throughout an organization.The authors show how mathematical tools and process improvements can be applied effectively in unique measures to other functions. The book provides examples that illustrate the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment b ridging the gap between theory and practice by analyzing real situations. How to reference In order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following: Alessandro Laureani (2012). Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry, Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management, Mr.Yair Holtzman (Ed. ), ISBN: 978-953-51-0345-5, InTech, Available from: http://www. intechopen. com/books/advanced-topics-in-applied-operations-managem ent/lean-six-sigma-in-theservice-industry InTech Europe University Campus STeP Ri Slavka Krautzeka 83/A 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Phone: +385 (51) 770 447 Fax: +385 (51) 686 166 www. intechopen. com InTech China Unit 405, Office Block, Hotel Equatorial Shanghai No. 65, Yan An Road (West), Shanghai, 200040, China Phone: +86-21-62489820 Fax: +86-21-62489821

Is There Any Evidence for Cannibalism in Dinosaurs

A few years ago, a paper published in the distinguished scientific journal Nature bore an arresting title: Cannibalism in the Madagascan Dinosaur Majungatholus atopus. In it, researchers described their discovery of various Majungatholus bones bearing Majungatholus-sized bite marks, the only logical explanation being that this 20-foot-long, one-ton theropod preyed on other members of the same species, either for fun or because it was especially hungry. (Since then, Majungatholus has had its name changed to the slightly less impressive Majungasaurus, but it was still the apex predator of late Cretaceous Madagascar.) As you might have expected, the media went wild. Its hard to resist a press release with the words dinosaur and cannibal in the title, and Majungasaurus was soon vilified worldwide as a heartless, amoral predator of friends, family,  children, and random strangers. It was only a matter of time before The History Channel featured a pair of Majungasaurus in an episode of its long-extinct series Jurassic Fight Club, where the ominous music and portentous narration made the offending dinosaur seem like the Mesozoic equivalent of Hannibal Lecter (I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti!) Notably, Majungasaurus, aka Majungatholus, is one of the few dinosaurs  for which we have indisputable evidence of cannibalism. The only other genus that even comes close is Coelophysis, an early theropod that congregated by the thousands in the southwestern U.S.  It was once believed that some adult Coelophysis fossils contained the partially digested remains of juveniles, but it now appears that these were actually small, prehistoric, yet uncannily dinosaur-like crocodiles like Hesperosuchus. So Coelophysis (for now) has been cleared of all charges, while Majungasaurus has been pronounced guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. But why should we even care? Most  Creatures Will Be Cannibals Given the Right Circumstances The question that should have been asked upon the publication of that Nature paper wasnt Why on earth would a dinosaur be a cannibal?, but rather, Why should dinosaurs be different from any other animal? The fact is that thousands of modern species, ranging from fish to insects to primates, engage in cannibalism, not as a flawed moral choice but as a hardwired response to stressful environmental conditions. For example: Even before theyre born, sand tiger sharks will cannibalize each other in the mothers womb, the biggest baby shark (with the biggest teeth) devouring its unfortunate siblings.Male lions  and other predators will  kill and eat the cubs of their rivals, in order to establish dominance in the pack and ensure the survival of their own bloodline.No less an authority than Jane Goodall noted that chimps in the wild will occasionally kill and eat their own young, or the young of other adults in the community. This limited definition of cannibalism applies only to animals that deliberately slaughter, and then eat, other members of their own species. But we can vastly expand the definition by including predators that opportunistically consume their packmates carcasses--you can bet that an Africa hyena wouldnt turn up its nose at the body of a two-days-dead comrade, and the same rule doubtless applied to your average Tyrannosaurus Rex or Velociraptor. Of course, the reason cannibalism evokes such strong feelings in the first place is that even supposedly civilized human beings have been known to engage in this activity. But again, we have to draw a crucial distinction: its one thing for Hannibal Lecter to premeditate the murder and consumption of his  victims, but quite another for, say, members of the Donner Party to cook and eat already-dead travelers to ensure their own survival. This (some would say dubious) moral distinction doesnt apply to animals--and if you cant hold a chimpanzee to account for its actions, you certainly cant blame a much more dim-witted creature like Majungasaurus. Why Isnt There More Evidence of Dinosaur Cannibalism? At this point you may be asking: if dinosaurs were like modern animals, killing and eating their own young and the young of their rivals and gobbling down already-dead members of their own species, why havent we discovered more fossil evidence? Well, consider this: trillions of meat-eating dinosaurs hunted and killed trillions of plant-eating dinosaurs during the course of the Mesozoic Era, and weve only unearthed a handful of fossils that memorialize the act of predation (say, a Triceratops femur bearing a T. Rex bite mark). Since cannibalism was presumably less common than the active hunting of other species, its no surprise that the evidence thus far is limited to Majungasaurus--but dont be surprised if additional cannibal dinosaurs are discovered soon.

Chinese Vocabulary Lesson for Household Items

Analysis Of The Play Fences August Wilson - 964 Words

In Fences, August Wilson tells a story that includes baseball as a major part of the play. Even though baseball is a huge part of the play, the game itself is not actually played. Troy, who is the main character of the play, is the main source of all the conflicts that occur in the story. Whenever a conflict occurs in the story, Troy uses baseball analogies to explain his reasoning. Baseball also plays a historical part of the play to create the setting and the characters. In the play, baseball echoes the history of America and the racial discrimination that occurred to African Americans. The game of baseball plays a major role in Troy’s life. He played baseball in the Negro Leagues but the game for him ended because of his color. African Americans were not permitted on baseball teams because of how white people discriminated against them. It was not until 1947 when baseball became integrated and the colored were allowed to play. That did not mean racial discrimination disappeared from baseball. It would still take a while for everyone to accept the African American community and to realize that they are the same people, all here to achieve the American dream. Wilson sets the story in 1957 to show Troy’s experience of how â€Å"the American dream remained out of reach for people of African descent† (Koprince par.8). Everyone had a different American dream, but baseball was Troy’s. He never got to achieve the ultimate â€Å"America Dream† because he was too old to play when AfricanShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson940 Words   |  4 PagesThe play Fences by August Wilson, explains and explores the lives of the Maxson family, an African American family in 1957. Like in most plays each of the main characters has a strong desire that they want to achieve throughout the course of the story. Rose Maxson, the matriarch of the family, wants to be with people and connected to them. She does not want to be alone. This is seen through her family’s history, her feelings on marriage, and the family she has made for herself. RoseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson1228 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween family members. Author of the play, â€Å"Fences†, August Wilson, can personally relate to the experiences of his character’s as he has experienced his share of dysfunctional relationships often as a result of race inspired bullying and prejudice making this specific work deeply personal to his own experiences in more ways than one. The primary overarching idea, as well as meaning of the work as a whole that can be seen throughout the play, â€Å"Fences†, by August Wilson, is that familial conflict due toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe Play â€Å"Fences† written by August Wilson is a very interesting play to read and understand. This play also introduces many different themes as well as literary devices that helps the readers to have a better understanding of what will happen later on in the play. The C haracters are Troy, Bono and the boss Mr. Rand. This play has conflicts that are occurring in the play between these two characters. In this play the characters Troy and Bono are best friends and they hang out by drinking and talkingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson Essay1978 Words   |  8 PagesThe play â€Å"Fences† by August Wilson shows the struggle of an African American family set in 1950’s in Pittsburgh. The man of the house Troy has had a troubled life and even spent 15 years in prison. Even though Troy moans and groans about not making the MLB because of his race he is against his own son receiving a football scholarship and tells his son’s coach he’s not allowed to play even though a scout was planning on watching him. Even after pronouncing his love for his wife earlier in the playRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson853 Words   |  4 Pagesimpossible for people of color to do what they wanted to do. In t he play Fences by August Wilson he brings in Troy Marxson, who is the main character of the play dealing with racial discrimination. Troy Marxson is a man with strange views of the world and who has a life that can be described as frustrating. Troy’s frustration is caused by his dream of becoming a major league baseball player being ruined by racist tyranny. The era in which Fences took place was during a time where fights to end segregationRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Cory in The Play Fences by August Wilson1109 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause of a fear that was rooted in him nearly eight-teen years earlier. When Troy was released from prison he dreamed of playing Major League Baseball but at that time it was an impossibility because of racial dis he other primary relationship of Fences is that of Troy to his son Cory (Courtney B. Vance) - a promising 17-year-old football player being courted by a college recruiter. Troy himself was once a baseball player in the Negro Leagues - early enough to hit homers off Satchel Paige, tooRead MoreAnalysis Of The Play Fences By August Wilson And Zoot Suit By Luis Valdez2015 Words   |  9 Pages For my final project, I have chosen the plays Fences by August Wilson and Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez to compare and contrast, when it comes to their themes of multiculturalism, interculturalism, and transculturalism. Multiculturalism is the process of immigration and globalization of societies in the world. The world is made up of a mix of many nationalities, cultures, groups, orientations, or ideologies. Multiculturalism involves the acknowledgment of the different groups of ethnic people, culturesRead MoreSymbolism In Fences By August Wilson1460 Words   |  6 PagesKeep Love in or Lock it Out?: An Analysis of Symbolism in Fences Symbolism is defined as an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. In Fences by August Wilson, symbolism is used heavily throughout the play in order to represent deeper meanings and add to the emotion of the storyline. In order for the play to have so much depth and emotion, symbolism is crucial to the work itself and the heavy topicsRead MoreNotes On The Novel Fences And Pied Piper Of Tucson 1080 Words   |  5 Pagesand hold’ readers with specific choices. Next, students read the play Fences by Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson and analyze the role of stories within in the story to create tension and advance the plot. Fences is the foundation for the unit’s cornerstone task: after ranking and discussing important lines in the play, student perform them, and reflect on the impact of the important lines exercise on comprehension of the play. Finally, students write a synthesis essay to merge writings throughoutRead MoreFences Character Analysis Essay924 Words   |  4 Pagestimes within Fences that his actions are based off of his responsibilities; instead of love. â€Å"[...]Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you?[...]† (Wilson,37). This quote displays that although Troy loves his family, his sense of responsibility is stronger. The sense of responsibility shows he is concerned for what is to come to the family; although this shadowed his emotions to forget to show affection. â€Å"[...]Some people build fences to keep people out†¦and other people build fences to keep people

Strategic Thinking free essay sample

The research paper provides an in-depth discussion of the effects of adopting a strategic thinking mindset on the policies and efficiency of companies. The paper discusses the effects of adopting a strategic thinking mindset, on the policies and overall efficiency of the organization. It has discussed in detail the core issues necessary for the development of a strategic thinking mindset. The paper examines how strategic thinking is a very effective tool in bringing improvements to organizations ability to conduct business and helps the management to direct the company policies in the right direction for the achievement of short and long term goals. Strategic thinking is a companys ability to demonstrate a close understanding of the capabilities, nature and potential of the business and successfully deciding on what steps should be taken and why any particular initiative should be taken. The process of strategic thinking involves such crucial activities like calculated risks on the basis of clear understanding and knowledge of societal, economic, technical, environmental and political issues. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Thinking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The general concept of strategic thinking, as defined by the management experts, is that it is a process involving the formulation of a vision and developing a sequence of strategic measures and actions in order to bring that vision to a reality. When a company aims to achieve these objectives the primary area of concern should be to create an environment of team work and community. Employee involvement for achieving competitive advantage is one of the key strategies of a company for future growth. The importance of this strategy can be well understood by realizing the fact that in an environment where there is no team spirit and sense of community, the company will not be able to gain maximum output from all of the employees and only those who are smart enough to work individually will work productively.

Juran and Deming Essay Example

Juran and Deming Essay Juran and Deming W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran pursued their efforts and devoted their lives to helping organizations improve the quality of their products and services. Their impact is now worldwide and their accomplishments eminent. Deming and Juran’s amazing lives paralleled each other in many ways. As youths, both experienced hard times. However, they both overcame their humble beginnings, graduated from college, and embarked on their careers. Both Juran and Deming started off by working at Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant in Chicago, where they were influenced by the work of Walter Shewhart, a pioneer in statistical method. When World War II began, both men were active in the federal government’s wartime efforts. Employing his mathematician and statistician skills, Deming joined the Census Bureau and taught statistical methods to engineers and managers. Juran made marks by helping redesign critical supply processes in the Lend-Lease Administration. After the war, Deming and Juran’s work attained worldwide recognition, and both received an invitation to work in Japan from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers. Deming taught Japanese engineers and top management statistical methods and how to view production as a system that included suppliers and consumers. Juran delivered lectures in Japan about managing for quality. The teachings of Deming and Juran were greatly appreciated by the Japanese: both men were presented medals by the Emperor of Japan as high awards for their assistance. We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Back on the home front, these pioneers’ careers continued on parallel courses. Both developed well-received videotapes. Both founded institutes to help others continue to learn from their work. W. Edwards Deming, at 91, he continues to teach and consult Deming holds a Ph. D. in physics, but is a statistician by experience. He is an best known for leading Japanese businesses on the course that has made them leaders in quality and productivity throughout the world. In recognition of Deming, the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers established the Deming Prize. Joseph Juran has worked devotedly to establish his own institute, which provides education, training, and consulting in how to manage for quality. Juran holds degrees in electrical engineering and law. He is also well known in Japan for his contributions to the practice of total quality control. Deming does not define quality in a single phrase. He asserts that the customer can only define the quality of any product or service. Juran defines quality as fitness for use. He stresses a balance between product features and products free from deficiencies. Juran’s definition of quality reflects his strong orientation to meeting customer’s expectations. Deming considers that being within specifications is just the first step to continuous process improvement. He advocates reducing process variation on a continuing basis to improve quality. Deming also opposes the use of numerical goals and quotas to manage work. Deming takes a systems and leadership approach to quality. Concepts associated with his approach include: A. The System of Profound Knowledge B. The Plan–Do–Check–Act Cycle C. â€Å"Prevention by Process Improvement† D. The Chain Reaction for Quality Improvement E. Common Cause and Special Cause Variation F. The 14 Points; and G. The Deadly and Dreadful Diseases. Juran addresses quality–related goals and company–wide objectives, but more important to him is the deployment of goals throughout the organization. Strategic goals need to be deployed to all divisions and sections of the organization, and more specific goals need to be deployed to people so that they know what to do. Juran proposes a strategic and structured approach to achieve quality including: A. The Spiral of Progress in Quality B. The Breakthrough Sequence C. The Project–by–Project Approach D. The Juran Trilogy, and E. The principle of the Vital Few and Trivial Many. The two experts distinguish clearly between internal and external customers, and all support the practice of involving the suppliers in the quality effort. It is impossible to achieve quality when products or services provided by suppliers are inferior. These approaches also require the use of measurement and problem–solving techniques, but the emphasis on their use varies. Juran explained that measurement has to focus on the cost of quality. They use the reduction in cost as an indicator to meet customer requirements. Deming put more weight to the unknown costs (e. g. Impact from loosing a customer). He explained that measuring and meeting customer needs and expectations are major to implementing quality improvements. He emphasis more on quantitative methods and statistical methods rather than did his counterparts. Juran thought that Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ) is the sum of all costs that would disappear if there were no quality problems. Quality improvement does not come free. On the other hand Deming expressed that companies should look at the total cost of product or service provided by others , and not just the purchase price. Accepting the lowest bid does not guarantee the lowest total cost. Deming focused on product improvement and service conformance by reducing uncertainty and manufacturing processes however Juran focused on frequency as a controlling factor : Plan , Do , Study , Act . If we observe Juran’s and Deming’s philosophy in suppliers roles . Deming favors the practice of working with a single supplier, where feasible, to reduce variability of incoming materials. To maintain long–term contracts, suppliers will be more likely to improve their own processes to provide better products or services. Juran recognize some of the advantages of single suppliers, but they take a more conservative view and simply advocate reducing the number of suppliers. Crosby and Juran consider it important to have different suppliers for the same product when the product is a critical one. The difference lies mainly in perspective. Deming’s perspective is customer-driven, Juran’s is more engineering-driven. In the end we can say that Deming was a philosopher who desired to provide a new way to view the world. Juran was a practitioner who desired to teach people better management practices. Because of their different approaches, Deming’s work tends to appeal to theoretical-minded individuals, whereas Juran’s tends to appeal to the practical-minded. REFERENCES www. karlin. sdsmt. edu www. scribd. com www. qualitytimes. co. in www. curiouscat. net www. slideshare. net

Juran and Deming Essay Example

Juran and Deming Essay Juran and Deming W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran pursued their efforts and devoted their lives to helping organizations improve the quality of their products and services. Their impact is now worldwide and their accomplishments eminent. Deming and Juran’s amazing lives paralleled each other in many ways. As youths, both experienced hard times. However, they both overcame their humble beginnings, graduated from college, and embarked on their careers. Both Juran and Deming started off by working at Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant in Chicago, where they were influenced by the work of Walter Shewhart, a pioneer in statistical method. When World War II began, both men were active in the federal government’s wartime efforts. Employing his mathematician and statistician skills, Deming joined the Census Bureau and taught statistical methods to engineers and managers. Juran made marks by helping redesign critical supply processes in the Lend-Lease Administration. After the war, Deming and Juran’s work attained worldwide recognition, and both received an invitation to work in Japan from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers. Deming taught Japanese engineers and top management statistical methods and how to view production as a system that included suppliers and consumers. Juran delivered lectures in Japan about managing for quality. The teachings of Deming and Juran were greatly appreciated by the Japanese: both men were presented medals by the Emperor of Japan as high awards for their assistance. We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Juran and Deming specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Back on the home front, these pioneers’ careers continued on parallel courses. Both developed well-received videotapes. Both founded institutes to help others continue to learn from their work. W. Edwards Deming, at 91, he continues to teach and consult Deming holds a Ph. D. in physics, but is a statistician by experience. He is an best known for leading Japanese businesses on the course that has made them leaders in quality and productivity throughout the world. In recognition of Deming, the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers established the Deming Prize. Joseph Juran has worked devotedly to establish his own institute, which provides education, training, and consulting in how to manage for quality. Juran holds degrees in electrical engineering and law. He is also well known in Japan for his contributions to the practice of total quality control. Deming does not define quality in a single phrase. He asserts that the customer can only define the quality of any product or service. Juran defines quality as fitness for use. He stresses a balance between product features and products free from deficiencies. Juran’s definition of quality reflects his strong orientation to meeting customer’s expectations. Deming considers that being within specifications is just the first step to continuous process improvement. He advocates reducing process variation on a continuing basis to improve quality. Deming also opposes the use of numerical goals and quotas to manage work. Deming takes a systems and leadership approach to quality. Concepts associated with his approach include: A. The System of Profound Knowledge B. The Plan–Do–Check–Act Cycle C. â€Å"Prevention by Process Improvement† D. The Chain Reaction for Quality Improvement E. Common Cause and Special Cause Variation F. The 14 Points; and G. The Deadly and Dreadful Diseases. Juran addresses quality–related goals and company–wide objectives, but more important to him is the deployment of goals throughout the organization. Strategic goals need to be deployed to all divisions and sections of the organization, and more specific goals need to be deployed to people so that they know what to do. Juran proposes a strategic and structured approach to achieve quality including: A. The Spiral of Progress in Quality B. The Breakthrough Sequence C. The Project–by–Project Approach D. The Juran Trilogy, and E. The principle of the Vital Few and Trivial Many. The two experts distinguish clearly between internal and external customers, and all support the practice of involving the suppliers in the quality effort. It is impossible to achieve quality when products or services provided by suppliers are inferior. These approaches also require the use of measurement and problem–solving techniques, but the emphasis on their use varies. Juran explained that measurement has to focus on the cost of quality. They use the reduction in cost as an indicator to meet customer requirements. Deming put more weight to the unknown costs (e. g. Impact from loosing a customer). He explained that measuring and meeting customer needs and expectations are major to implementing quality improvements. He emphasis more on quantitative methods and statistical methods rather than did his counterparts. Juran thought that Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ) is the sum of all costs that would disappear if there were no quality problems. Quality improvement does not come free. On the other hand Deming expressed that companies should look at the total cost of product or service provided by others , and not just the purchase price. Accepting the lowest bid does not guarantee the lowest total cost. Deming focused on product improvement and service conformance by reducing uncertainty and manufacturing processes however Juran focused on frequency as a controlling factor : Plan , Do , Study , Act . If we observe Juran’s and Deming’s philosophy in suppliers roles . Deming favors the practice of working with a single supplier, where feasible, to reduce variability of incoming materials. To maintain long–term contracts, suppliers will be more likely to improve their own processes to provide better products or services. Juran recognize some of the advantages of single suppliers, but they take a more conservative view and simply advocate reducing the number of suppliers. Crosby and Juran consider it important to have different suppliers for the same product when the product is a critical one. The difference lies mainly in perspective. Deming’s perspective is customer-driven, Juran’s is more engineering-driven. In the end we can say that Deming was a philosopher who desired to provide a new way to view the world. Juran was a practitioner who desired to teach people better management practices. Because of their different approaches, Deming’s work tends to appeal to theoretical-minded individuals, whereas Juran’s tends to appeal to the practical-minded. REFERENCES www. karlin. sdsmt. edu www. scribd. com www. qualitytimes. co. in www. curiouscat. net www. slideshare. net