Operations Management - Toyota Lean Techniques-Problem Solving Case Coursework - 1

Operations Management - Toyota Lean Techniques-Problem Solving Case - Coursework Example Doug Friesen, is confronted by quality issues in the seat covers of the Toyota Camry production line. The following questions were posed with the hope of resolving this particular quality issues. The solutions provided herein in response to the questions follow the Toyota Production System. The following are the process by which the root cause of the problem will be determined. Get as many samples of seats that failed the quality standards. This is to determine the kind and type of quality issues that is occurring. Another task is to get the quality and production statistics to determine the percentage of error that is occurring and its frequency. Install quality check processes at strategic points in the manufacturing process to determine if the quality issues occur as a result of one of the processes along the production line. Check if the seat cover’s storage facility is in accordance with the recommended storage environment. Determine if the specification of seat covers is of the correct specification as provided for by the design. Check the quality assurance process during delivery of the seats covers if the actual seat specification is thoroughly checked against the actual delivery. The focus will be on the seat cover’s quality as they were delivered. Then in the handling, that would include the process by which their quality is checked against the specification when they were delivered. Their storage environment against what has been recommended. Checking the process by which they are being handled as they are transferred for use in the production line. If the error or deficiency is found to have been in the delivery, corrective measures shall be implemented. If the quality issue has been determined to be occurring even before the delivery of the materials intensive investigation shall be conducted at the vendor. Changes in the vendor strategy shall also be

Architecture and History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Architecture and History - Essay Example Thus, the San Francisco Public Library remains to be one of the best examples of modern day architecture, which is characteristic of the most artistic era, the Renaissanceperiod, through its basic features such as the columns, the arches, the symmetry etc. The San Francisco Public Library is basically a civic building, which means it was mainly built with the public in mind. Thus, rather than merely providing a place with â€Å"a stack, a counter and a table† that define ‘library’ for some people, Kelham went the extra mile and turned the area of above 375000 square feet into an architectural bliss (Allen â€Å"photo_2_12_†). The hard work that went behind its engineering are proven from the sheer beauty of the library both in terms of its exterior as well as interior design. The library is built in the civic center, which is located at the heart of the San Francisco City, and is thus easily accessible to the general public. As the building finds its roots in the Italian Renaissance, it becomes clear that it takes inspiration from ancient Roman and Greek architecture. Although much of the architecture and design of ancient civilizations was lost due to the perils of time, their ruins retained the basic features of designing and this is what shaped the renaissance architecture. The main features of buildings belonging to that period include symmetry, use of columns as well as arches and domes. These features can be primarily traced back to the Roman Coliseum, which was a theatre as well as a stadium all in one.It was a civic building, which mainly aimed at the entertainment of the ruler but at the same time, the public too. Thus, it may be also perceived as a commercial building too as the profit generated from the entry fees mainly goes to the ruler. However, as time passed by the public’s worship shifted from the ruler tothat of the gods and religious beliefs. It can be seen that the usage of the civic buildings changed from t hat of entertainment to religious purposes. Thus, later on these attributes became to be increasingly used in the construction of religious monuments. Through this transition in the usage of the buildings, it actually made the ancient architectural citation more significant as during that time it was religion that ruled the public. Therefore, the aforementioned characteristicswere seen to be widely present in the churches constructed in the Italian Renaissance period.These churches had arches representative through a centralized door as well as rows of windows. This same attribute is intrinsic to the San Francisco Public Library with its arched doorways and windows. However, the library has its own style in the sense that it also contains rectangular windows on the top floor. On the other hand, these features were also present in ancient Greek ruins of temples, which were needless to say, built for religious purposes. For example, the temples built in Athens and other such areas bas ically involved the use of columns and entablature that consisted of architrave, frieze and cornice. Additionally, columns, which were an important part of these religious buildings, were mainly of three types, namely, the Doric, Ionic and Tuscan. On analysis of the columns of the San Francisco Public Library, it becomes clear that the columns are of the Tuscan order as the columns are not fluted and are basically plain, and also due to the fact that they are built on a circular base rather than a rectangular one. Symmetry that was an important characteristic

Operations Management - Toyota Lean Techniques-Problem Solving Case Coursework - 1

Operations Management - Toyota Lean Techniques-Problem Solving Case - Coursework Example Doug Friesen, is confronted by quality issues in the seat covers of the Toyota Camry production line. The following questions were posed with the hope of resolving this particular quality issues. The solutions provided herein in response to the questions follow the Toyota Production System. The following are the process by which the root cause of the problem will be determined. Get as many samples of seats that failed the quality standards. This is to determine the kind and type of quality issues that is occurring. Another task is to get the quality and production statistics to determine the percentage of error that is occurring and its frequency. Install quality check processes at strategic points in the manufacturing process to determine if the quality issues occur as a result of one of the processes along the production line. Check if the seat cover’s storage facility is in accordance with the recommended storage environment. Determine if the specification of seat covers is of the correct specification as provided for by the design. Check the quality assurance process during delivery of the seats covers if the actual seat specification is thoroughly checked against the actual delivery. The focus will be on the seat cover’s quality as they were delivered. Then in the handling, that would include the process by which their quality is checked against the specification when they were delivered. Their storage environment against what has been recommended. Checking the process by which they are being handled as they are transferred for use in the production line. If the error or deficiency is found to have been in the delivery, corrective measures shall be implemented. If the quality issue has been determined to be occurring even before the delivery of the materials intensive investigation shall be conducted at the vendor. Changes in the vendor strategy shall also be

The Epitome of Public Service Essay Example for Free

The Epitome of Public Service Essay The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, as Sandra McElwaine puts it, has had her stint with the news media for looking a bit more refreshed, the pseudo-acronym for plastic surgery . Pelosi’s refreshed look tells the story of a firm character and a patriot’s dedicated service to a nation with no sign of giving up characterized by the absence of veins of strain on her magnificent face. The glamorous grandma, as it is obviously illustrated with her sharp present-eyes that would pierce anyone who poses opposition for the pro-Jew democrat is magnificent despite her age with her seamless features . Pelosi comes from a family with a strong tradition in public service. Thomas D’Alessandro, Jr. , Pelosi’s father, after representing the city of Baltimore in Maryland for five congressional terms, also went on to serve as its mayor for twelve years. Thomas D’Alessandro III, her brother, followed in her father’s footsteps as he served as the city’s mayor as well. She graduated from Washington’s Trinity College in 1962 and together with her husband Paul Pelosi, they have five children: Alexandra, Jacqueline, Christine, Nancy Corinne and Paul. Pelosi has represented the eighth district of California in the United States House of Representatives. The eighth district consists most of San Francisco City which includes Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf as well as many of the numerous neighborhoods adding up to San Francisco community’s vibrancy as well as prosperity. The current House Speaker has led campaigns for the increase of educational opportunities for young Americans as well as campaigns for the protection of employees. Additionally, Pelosi has been extremely vocal on legislations that promote health care, especially women’s health as well as the creation of a nationwide health-tracking-network that was aimed at assessing the connection between chronic diseases and environmental pollutants. Moreover Pelosi has also led efforts aimed at increasing investments in health as well as health related research whereupon she has secured financial support that doubled the National Institutes of Health’s budget . Together with the help of other representatives, Pelosi has prevailed against efforts aimed at reducing funding for international family planning programs. The creation of housing opportunities for individuals living with HIV/Aids ranks among Pelosi’s major legislative victories. Additionally, she has also been at the forefront of accelerating the development of an HIV vaccine as well as the expansion of access to Medicaid for individuals who have been infected by the deadly virus. Moreover, the speaker was also at the forefront in the house campaign that saw funding for Ryan White CARE Act increased. Other programs that have also seen her staunch support include the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative in addition to other critical programs to people infected with HIV/AIDS. Her passion for improved health services to the American public has also seen her successfully increase access to health insurance for disabled Americans by way of ensuring that they are continuously covered with a healthcare policy . Moreover Pelosi was also a vehement force in the passage of legislation that saw nonprofit organizations assisted in the creation of affordable housing. As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) for the longest continuous time of service in the history of the committee (ten years) which also include two years as a Ranking Democrat, she worked to guarantee military commanders as well as policymakers access to accurate and timely intelligence critical for directing diplomatic initiatives as well as success during combat and protection of American forces. Pelosi’s service to the Public has not been limited to American soil as she has also been vocal in meetings the world over with both American as well as foreign intelligence leaders. In this regard, Pelosi has called for increased attention to the danger that America and the international community is exposed to with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction including nuclear as well as biological threats . In a move that finalized her passion for public service, Pelosi led congressional reviews of American security and intelligence agencies whereupon she authored legislation aimed at creating an autonomous national commission to examine the federal government’s performance before, during as well as after the September 11 attacks. Pelosi’s virtue and humanity is resplendent and reflective in her advocacy for human rights around the world. This is especially evident with her brutal but intelligent fights for the improvement of human rights in China, especially in the context of her tying of America’s commerce with China to the communist state’s human rights record. The peak of her human rights stints with China has to be her efforts to free Tibetans. Just as the environment and the public are two symbiotic aspects inextricably bound, Pelosi’s service to the public is not complete without shades of environmental efforts . She secured the passage of a stipulation within the International Development and Finance Act of 1989. In this act, the World Bank as well as all regional multilateral development banks is required to assess likely environmental effects of all development projects they finance. Additionally, the said institutions are required to make these assessments available publicly. This Pelosi tool has evolved as a critical tool for foreign and indigenous non-governmental organizations in the world. Work Cited Page American Power. â€Å"Nancy Pelosi: Safe Environment a Basic Human Right. American Power. Gaffney, Mark, â€Å"Who is Nancy Pelosi? Bi-partisan consensus on Americas War in the Middle East† Common Dreams (2005). Garber, Kent (2010) â€Å"Pelosi Fights for More Low Income Subsides in Healthcare. † US News World Report. McElwaine, Sandra. â€Å"Who Did Nancy Pelosis New Face? † The Daily Beast. (2009). Rosenthal, Cindy Simon and Peters, Ronald M. , â€Å"Who is Nancy Pelosi? † PS: Political Science Politics, V. 41. (2008)

The Realism In War English Literature Essay

The Realism In War English Literature Essay In times of war one must simply endure to survive; as a seemingly insignificant foot soldier discovers in Charles Harrisons novel, Generals Die in Bed. Through this character Harrison strips away any possible glorifications that were previously found in most stories of war. Charles Harrison presents the reality of war without attempting to romanticize the idea of grand battles. War, as depicted in Harrisons work, is an unadorned, hollow, and meaningless endeavor that nations have had the unfortunate habit of creating and recreating throughout history. Without this sense of safety, which previous works have accomplished by sugar coating war, Generals Die in Bed weaves together a representation of war that maximizes the full-blown power of a harsh reality. Harrison achieves a graphic portrayal of war through the novels form. More specifically, the clever use of structure, plot, characterization, language, and point of view allows Harrison to portray the stark contrast of the reality of war with the common perception of chivalry in battle. True to its anti-war reputation, the novel illustrates war in a dramatic and horrifying way. This is easily identified as the concept and purpose of war are continuously questioned. As the disapproval of war becomes a common theme, of Generals Die in Bed, many justifications behind these views become clear. Needless deaths and constant terror, as well as emotional suffering and trauma, become common factors that contribute to the distaste involved with war. Deaths and misery need no annotation; they simply are. These daily horrors only increase the damning nature towards war when they have no justifiable cause. As the question of why constantly crops up in the plot, the idea of a just war is heavily questioned. More simply, war makes no sense. The plot further enforces the incomprehensible aspects of war by avoiding the traditional eight point arch and adopting a sustained tension and conflict, without the obligatory resolution that is supposedly substantial. Harrisons novel does not employ this common convention; but creates a structure consisting of two main components: rest and action. The rest is represented by the moments and periods in which the protagonist, and his fellow soldiers, takes his time away from the front lines. The action, on the one hand, represents the trench times, bombardments and raids that the soldiers had to face and endure. This structural preference adds to the sense of immediacy and involvement that the reader experiences and allows the story of war to become more believable. In this way, Generals Die in Bed is debunking the romanticized notion that war is a duel and an extravagant battle. Even in war, there are periods of inaction. The dispatch; the months and weeks of being away from the trenches; the visit to London; and the benign conversations of soldiers all construct the varied pauses that punctuate the lives of the soldiers during the war. By including these inactive periods, Harrison is not making an attempt to portray the absence of conflict. In fact, Harrison achieves quite the opposite by means of including aspects of the war in every facet of life. For example, when the protagonist was vacationing in London, the conflict was not unfelt. Despite efforts to escape the war, vague traces of it follows him wherever he goes, like the sound of distant cannons. Even while trying to escape the ter rors of warfare, the protagonist is unable to let go of his current mindset. During his visit to the theater, for example, the unnamed soldier notices that the play and audience trivialize the war, and feel[s] they have no right to laugh at jokes about the war (107). Despite this, however, conflict does more than merely contribute to the sense that war is slowly consuming the lives around it. The conflict depicted in the novel works as an important event. By jumping from important event to important event, Harrison allows the protagonist to express his sense of confusion. Much like a lost soul, the soldier seems to wander through time. This effect, although not conventional, allows the reader to understand the effect that war can have on the mind, as well as contributes to the impression of a dazed soldier. In addition to this, the jumping of event also can contribute to a sense of befuddlement, suggesting that war cannot be understood, and lack of control. This lack of control can relate back to the inability to stop the damaging effects of war, but can also help portray the situation of the soldier: A soldiers life is not his own, but belongs to the hierarchy of war. This sense of being lost, and not belonging to ones self, is supported when Ha rrison does not give the novel a satisfactory and definitive resolution. Although the protagonist was sent home because of his leg injury, the reader knows that the conflict stays with him even after his separation from the war. The war bears eternal inner conflicts that an individual who had seen and borne the war will wrestle with throughout most of his life. This final portrayal of the damaging effects of war is, in truth, the turning point in Harrisons protagonist; making the young soldier a round character. Harrison depicts most of the characters as people who do not feel a glorified and heroic attachment to war. They are all practical and intent on staying alive during the course of the war. These characters are regular people who see the war as a terrifying nuisance and a needless disruption to their normal lives. The protagonist represents the qualities and features of all the other characters in the story, but shows signs of a struggling sense of self as well. Harrison tries to capture the realistic emotions and concerns of regular soldiers in his characterization of the male young protagonist. In the novel, the lead character holds no romantic notions about the war. He did not join the war out of patriotism or the need to feel heroic. He went there because he had to and was left with no choice. The first chapter of the novel sees the protagonist and all the other soldiers leaving Montreal with a heavy heart. They were well aware that their participation offered two possibilities: l ife or death. What makes Harrisons characters realistic is that the soldiers in the story are made to see the war for what it truly is. Their reactions to the war are honest because they have been exposed to the horrors of flying shrapnel and dead boys. What they see; hear; and feel, they reflect in the novel without pretense or pride. The horrific actions required for survival have humbled the soldiers, much like the thoughts of the protagonist after witnessing Brownies death. The soldiers felt no hate towards their enemies, but wished only to survive; they looked without resentment towards the woods. [They were] animated only by a biting hunger for safety. Safetyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (47) and the protagonist was not ashamed to admit that their immediate reaction was not pity, but the pressing need to survive and live. These harsh living conditions, allow the soldiers to view the war from an entirely new perspective. The characters, particularly the protagonist, develop acute perceptions of the truth due to intense experiences. This is generally caused by self-reflection after some sort of struggle, similar to the internal conflict that the nameless soldier experienced after killing the young German soldier with his bayonette. Due to this and other conflicts, the protagonist eventually came to the realization that the true enemies in the war were not the soldiers from the opposing camp, but the struggles and hardships they continued to face. More specifically, the lead character believes that the their enemies are- the lice, some of our officers, and death (36). The protagonist also concluded, along with his fellow soldiers, that while they are busy fighting the war; others are making a profit out the necessities and demands of war. Each soldier wish[es] the war was over, but believe me, theres plenty that dont (143). These perceptions reflect the characters understanding of wars true nature. From their perspective, the war is entirely cruel and without benefits. More specifically, to the soldier this business of military glory and arms means carrying parties, wiring fatigues, wet clothes, and cowering in a trench under shellfire (140). The characters in the novel are skilled in bringing down the narrative of war from its high and mighty perch, and pulling it onto the ground to reduce it to facts. Harrison simply reflects the ideals of his characters by his use of language. The novel is saturated with a language that is terse and to the point. Harrison does this on purpose in an endeavor to support and expound on the novels theme and intent. Conversations between comrades are never lengthy or pompous. While many would surmise that talks during war would tend to veer towards the philosophical, in truth, soldiers exchange few in depth conversations. Due of the tension-filled surroundings and the dire context they find themselves in, the soldiers often find the need to seek relief. Their conversations reflect this as they often daydream of food and clean sheets. In fact philosophy is almost never discussed between soldiers, and religion was only sought after in moments where one found himself close to death. During these moments the language used becomes more abrupt and jolting, adding to a sense of terror. The abrupt contains the apprehension, worries, and pain of the soldiers. Aware of this, Harrison employs disjointed, and almost monosyllabic, articulations and exchanges to create the sense of tension. The frugal use of language can give off a sense of dread, allowing readers to immerse or take part in the experience of the characters. When being bombarded in trenches, the world around them didnt burst into extravagant, superfluous trains on thought and emotion; the world erupted into chaos and fragments of clear thought. The sky is lit by hundreds of fancy fireworks like a night carnival. The air shrieks and catcalls. Still they come. I am terrified. I hug the earth, digging my fingers into every crevice, every hole. A blinding flash and an exploding howl a few feet in front of the trench. My bowels liquefy. (25). This effect causes a more direct focus on the basic emotions and instinct in a moment of severe stress. This lack of thought process gives the protagonist animal-like qualities and emphasizes the sense of immediacy and confusion for the reader: this highlights their connection to the protagonist and creates an emotional reaction in the reader that is closer to what one may experience in war.. However, short sentences are not the only way in which Harrison creates this effect. To depict the war in realistic and personal terms, Harrison adopts the first person point of view, using the pronouns I and We throughout the novel. The first person perspective makes the realities of war more pronounced and believable. The way in which he switches from the use of I and we can give the reader a more powerful reaction to the events in the book. During stressful times, as depicted in the excerpt above, the protagonist refers to himself as I to emphasize his survival instinct, and the action in the scene. In other words, the realism that Harrison aims at is conveyed effectively because the protagonist tells his story of war from his own vantage point. The events, feelings, and ideas contained in the novel take their basis on the narrator having participated in the war himself. . However, during periods of rest or contemplation, the protagonist uses the pronoun we to refer to himself and his comrades. The use of we enables the reader to realize that the war extends beyond the protagonist. In addition to this, the pronoun we promotes the reader to feel the unifying effects of war, ultimately creating a more realistic account of the war. It is not enough that Harrison employs a first person point of view; he chooses to depict the war from the perspective of the soldier. This is an imperative narrative strategy because it creates more trust between the reader and the protagonist, encouraging a sense of reliability. In his novel, Generals Die in Bed, Charles Harrison challenges all the glorifying and romantic notions people may have about war. Although his protagonist is not a hero, he is a realistic representation of the survivor. The war in which the soldiers see themselves holds no splendor, but it kills, traumatizes, and scars. This is the war that Harrison came to witness as a former soldier, and this is the image in which he hopes to leave his readers. Armed with this vivid experience, he makes no attempt to discolor the truths about war. In not aspects of his novel does Harrison shy from his realistic perception of war. In fact, the strategic method in which Harrison constructed his novel helps to convey his message to his readers: war holds no glory, it holds not meaning, and yet it is pursued.

C.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy Essay -- Biography Biographies

C.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy â€Å"Good stories often introduce the marvelous or supernatural and nothing about Story has been so often misunderstood as this.† On Stories—C.S. Lewis The early decades of the last century saw the loss of credibility of fantasy literature among the academic elite who ruled it a popular genre with little to no scholarly merit. Little that had had the misfortune of being dubbed fantasy had escaped the blacklist cast upon the field. Many critics had also labeled the fantasy genre as largely clichà ©, full of shallow characters, and as having no value beyond being purely escapist entertainment. These generic labels, applied wholesale to fantastic literature, had pushed it off the radar until readers of Fantasy had become literary lepers, lurking in the corners of accepted literary societies. Recent big screen blockbusters such as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and its sequel, The Two Towers, as well as the two Harry Potter films have restored much attention to the oft-ignored genre. Despite the commercial success of the two fantastical franchises, however, Fantasy has not regained much standing within the academia, as scholars continue to neglect contemporary fantasy literature when choosing curricula and fail to give the genre its due while unwittingly including much that is fantastic in classical literature courses. Although these classics have been accepted, they have often been held either as the exception to the rule or have not been labeled as Fantasy at all. Further, the lack of Fantasy in the curricula of colleges across the country has become so egregious as to ignore modern literary giants such as George R.R. Martin who competes e... ...ery dissimilarities than any other story could because of its similarities. Lewis said, â€Å"The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity† (On Stories 90). â€Å"By putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality; we rediscover it. As long as the story lingers in our mind, the real things are more themselves.† Bibliography Lewis, C.S. An Experiment in Criticism. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press, 1961. Lewis, C.S. On Stories and Other Essays on Literature. Ed. Walter Hooper. New York. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich Publishers, 1966. Tolkien, J.R.R. â€Å"On Fairy-Stories.† Tree and Leaf. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965. Tolkien’s label â€Å"fairy-story† can be taken synonymously with fantasy literature.

Essay --

SoftPot Rotary Potentiometer: Rotary potentiometer is provided at knee joint of the exoskeleton. Whenever the patient is having intent to walk, the rotary potentiometer calculates the respective torque. In response to that a feedback signal is provided to the actuation system to exert equivalent force to interact with the input torque. The feedback system is designed so well that it updates the status of input torque in fraction of a second and as a result exoskeleton keeps working accordingly; and works well with frequent torque changes. Rotary potentiometer works on the principle of resistance change. It is provided with a very fine needle/flip which rotates over the resistive ring. More the angle of rotation more will be the value of resistance observed between the terminal and the rotating flip. It is the measured resistance that tells about the angle of rotation of the joint and torques produced. Therefore, whenever rotational movement is observed the value of resistance of the respective potentiometer is changed and the signal is fed to the controller to take proper action. This helps in maintaining the exoskeleton motion according to the suggested profile and keeping it in the right motion. The rotary potentiometer used in our proposed design is SoftPot rotary potentiometer which is a miniaturized product with slim and sleek design. It can easily be placed along the bearings of the rotary joints and gives output in terms of analog electrical signals which are proportional to the angle of rotation. This sensor is very thin and compact in design with a wide range of operational resistances. Range of resistance change may vary between 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms; also the response of this sensor is much linear; therefore, the positi... ...e with a frequency rate multiplied by the movement. When you rotate the gyroscope, you may notice a so called Coriolis acceleration. In fact, the gyroscope is a spinner, rotating around a vertical axis, fixed in a frame which can articulate around horizontal axis, attached to another frame rotating around the third axis. Thus, we can conclude: no matter how rotate a spinner, it always has an ability to remain in the upright position. The transmitters accepts the signal about the spinner's orientation towards the frames, and the processor defines how the frame must be located with respect to gravity. Regardless to the types of stabilization the system, it can be the power system stabilization (used in two-stage gyroscopes), the tracer system stabilization force (also on a two-level gyroscopes) and the indicator system stabilization (in three-stage gyroscopes). .