Blue Dart Express Limited Management Essay

Blue Dart Express Limited Management Essay On a late summer afternoon in May 2012, Ketan Kulkarni, Vice President and Head of Blue Darts Marketing, Corporate Communication Sustainability division, was working on the proposed future plans of marketing strategy in his plush office in Blue Darts head office in Mumbai. He had  a meeting scheduled with Tulsi Mirchandaney, Managing Director and Accountable Manager for Blue Dart Aviation to discuss the companys plans to address the intense competition and growing challenges of the express industry. Looking outside through the clear windowpanes, Ketan thought about the Blue Darts remarkable journey. Blue Dart was the leading express company in India, engaged in door to door pick up and distribution of packages, documents, and shipments in India and overseas. In its first decade since its inception in 1983, Blue Dart became the dominant player in the courier industry and in the next decade it surpassed all the competition and became South Asias premier number one express company in air and integrated transportation, distribution and logistics. In India, Blue Dart was one of the very few companies providing an array of services in air express (both domestic and international through DHL), air freight, ground and charters. It was a one stop solution for any logistical requirement. Blue Dart enjoyed a 45.9% market share and gained a significant increase in both, volumes and value. In the ground segment, the company garnered a market share of 12.4%. Blue Dart not only offered secure and reliable delivery of consignments, but also managed to deliver impressively on the financial front with the help of its widespread infrastructure network and aggressive growth strategies. Rs.10 billion in annual revenues was a remarkable landmark for any logistics company. Blue Dart managed better, leaping over the 11-digit barrier to record Rs. 14.89 billion in top line during FY2011. The company was established with a vision to be the best and set the pace in the express air and integrated transportation and distribution industry, with a business and human conscience. Through high quality and professional service, and use of sophisticated technology, the company was committed to meet and exceed customer and stakeholder expectations profitably. With a dedicated air and ground network optimized by cutting-edge technology, Blue Darts core competence was in the business of superior express delivery services, maintaining reliability levels of 99.96%. A people-first company, Blue Dart continued to deliver value to its stakeholders through its people philosophy and corporate governance, based on distinctive customer service, business ethics, accountability and profitability. The marketing strategies were of utmost importance for any company to become and to remain a market leader. Tulsi Mirchandaney summed up the marketing strategy of Blue Dart in India and outside in just five words Care Customer Addition, Retention Empathy. However, against the backdrop of volatile economic scenario of 2011, global economic crisis, and companys declining profits in 2012, the company needed strong and aggressive marketing strategies to hold and further strengthen its market leadership position. Ketan came out of his reverie as thought of the future marketing strategies and wondered whether the will be enough to meet 2012s target, especially when the profits declined by around 20% in the first quarter of 2012. With a cup of strong coffee in one hand, he started thinking about how to make Blue Dart grow faster and which marketing plans the company should implement to handle the multiple challenges. Company History In November 1983, three young entrepreneurs, Clyde Cooper, Tushar Jani and Kushroo Dubash identified tremendous opportunities in Indias expanding exports market and came up with an idea of delivering small packages and samples. On that date, Blue Dart was established in a space of 200 square feet under a staircase, with a capital of Rs. 30,000. Grit, determination and hard work propelled the young company from sorting and delivering a few dozen packages outside Mumbai airport on that first night, to handling nearly 200,000 shipments each day. In a study conducted by Dhristi Strategic Research Services in 2007, Blue Dart emerged as one of the strongest brands in India with amongst the highest top of mind recall. In its early days, Blue Dart forged ties with Gelco Express International, UK to introduce an international air package express service from India and thus enhance the value offered to its customers. In 1993, foreseeing the potential in India, Blue Dart decided to shift focus from international to domestic service. It went on to become the first Indian courier company to conceptualise domestic on-board couriers with a guaranteed 10:30 am delivery to major metros. In 1994, the company went public with an IPO of 2.55 million shares. In the same year Blue Dart launched its multi-modal, premium package delivery service DartApexà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (Air Package Express) and COSMATIIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, an advanced tracking and ERP system that redefined the industry. In that year, too, Blue Dart Aviation, a 100% subsidiary of Blue Dart Express, was incorporated and became the first private company to receive government approval for the operation of cargo aircraft in the country. In 1995, Blue Dart Aviation acquired two B737 aircraft and developed SMART (Space Management Allocation Reservations and Tracking), the first cargo reservations systems in India. The following year, Blue Dart launched the first jet express airline and also became the first express company to receive an ISO: 9001 Certification. 1995 was also momentous because in that year Blue Dart crossed Rs. 100 crore (US$ 25 million) in turnover for the first time. 1997 witnessed the launch of domestic charter operations and the signing of interline agreements with international airlines for distribution of bonded cargo within Blue Darts network. Today, these have extended to 26 operators and include bonded warehousing and transhipment facilities. In 1998, the company developed Indias first Load and Trim software for its aircraft, reducing handling time by 80%. In 1999, Blue Dart moved to its state-of-the art administrative, technology and operations Super hub and Headquarters, the Blue Dart Centre, in Mumbai. In 2001, a third Boeing 737 was added to the Blue Dart fleet. A year later, Blue Dart entered into a sales alliance with global leader DHL Express Worldwide. Today, DHL owns 81.03% stake in the company. In 2002, Blue Dart was re-certified to the new global ISO 9001 2000 standards for Design, management and operations of countrywide express transportation and distribution service within the Indian subcontinent and to international destinations serviced through multinational express companies. Blue Dart was one of the few Indian companies to get this certification. Blue Dart signed a pioneering alliance with the DHL Worldwide Express, the leading international air express company. Blue Dart also crossed 1,00,000 shipments per day. The fourth aircraft joined the fleet in 2004 and Blue Dart became the first private operator in India to receive approval from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for undertaking heavy maintenance D-checks on its aircraft. Two B757 freighters the first in the Indian skies joined the Blue Dart fleet in 2006. In an effort to fortify its unique capability of offering the entire gamut of end-to end distribution solutions, Blue Dart launched its ground express service Dart Surface Line in September 2007 and inducted the third B757 freighter. In 2008 Blue Dart completed 25 years of facilitating trade and commerce. The land mark year also saw the launch of twenty-five new products and services to its customers. By 2011, Blue Darts infrastructure comprised a fleet of three Boeing 737 and four Boeing 757 freighters operating each night to the 7 main metros in India and offering a revenue payload of over 370 tonnes per night. It owned a flotilla of over 6,272 vehicles, 365 facilities including 7 aviation hubs and bonded warehouses, 56 domestic warehouses and 12 express hubs delivering excellence. [1] Current Operations Blue Dart offered express air and integrated transportation, distribution and logistics services and as part of the DHL Group accessed the largest and most comprehensive express and logistics network worldwide. It offered an entire spectrum of distribution services including international air express, freight forwarding, supply chain solutions and customs clearance. Blue Dart was the largest player in the domestic segment of documents and non-documents with 26 per cent market share in terms of tonnage. In terms of overall (domestic plus overseas) market share, it was the largest express company in India with a share of about 45.9 per cent. The company had a turnover of Rs 14.89 billion in 2011 and has had an annual growth rate of about 50 per cent while the industry growth rate has been hovering around 35 per cent. The company had showed a tremendous growth over the years (see Exhibit 1 and 2). The core function of Blue Dart was the physical transportation of a shipment from its origin to the destination which was performed by the operations department. The distribution system followed the hub-and-spoke concept, i.e., shipments picked up at a particular origin location were transported to the nearest hub, which in turn routed these shipments to the hub to which the destination location was attached. The destination hub routed the shipment to the specific destination location where the staff delivered the shipment to the consignee. (see Exhibit 3) Blue Dart offered secure and reliable delivery of consignments to more than 35,900 locations in India and to over 220 countries and territories worldwide through its integrated air support and ground network group company DHL Express. In 2011, Blue Dart operated through 1,342,677 sq. ft. of facilities and carried over 988.5 lacs domestic shipments and over 8 lacs international shipments weighing over 423,000 tonnes. Administratively, the company was organized into regional centers at six major cities namely, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Calcutta. Each regional center was responsible for a number of branch locations under which there were area locations. The company currently had around 7,800 employees. Each major branch had a team of operations personnel who managed the entire network, transportation and tracking of shipments. They also liaised with airline and transportation agencies and took care of scheduling out-bound couriers. Other responsibilities of the operations department included routing, sorting, security checking, fleet management, and customer billing. Commercial functions like finance and marketing were centralized at the head office in Mumbai. Its international out-bound gateways functioned at Dubai, Singapore, London, and Mumbai. The in-bound international gateway was at Mumbai which received packages from London, Frankfurt, Singapore, and Dubai. [1] -Company history was referenced from Blue Darts 19th annual report. The Express Industry Structure, Overview and Developments The express industry was a key enabler in facilitating trade and commerce because of the time-sensitive nature of most goods and the increasing demand for reliability, efficiency and speed. The Indian logistics industry was growing at a steady pace. The growth in this industry was largely driven by increase in trade, government policy reforms, increased spending on infrastructure, and the overall economic growth driven by the domestic consumption and growing affluence. The demand for express services was surging with each passing year and customer expectations had also risen tremendously. Today, the Indian express industry provided integrated, value-added, time-bound, door-to-door delivery of documents, parcels and merchandise. It supported industries such as electronics, telecommunication, IT, banking, retail, auto-components, textiles and apparels, gems and jewellery and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, with India recognized as an outsourcing destination, manufacturing sectors such as textiles, automobiles and pharmaceuticals were likely to witness increased activities in the medium to long term. In order to maintain competitiveness, companies operating in these industries were expected to outsource their logistics requirements to third-party logistics service providers and concentrate on their core-competency of manufacturing and marketing. Furthermore, the opening up of banking, insurance, telecom and retail sectors had increased the demand for value-added express services in India, as these were major user industries. The courier industry in India has expanded its horizon to provide a wider range of services. Whereas it started initially as a service provider for the document and samples demand of industry, it is now viewed as an important part of the supply chain for industries, which demand speed, reliability, security and just-in-time distribution. Though this market is still in its infancy in India, it is growing. Tulsi Mirchandaney, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Projects According to Anil Khanna, Managing Director, Blue Dart, the growth in the Indian economy and the overall economic scenario, fuelled primarily by domestic consumption, was promising. The Indian economy was poised to record growth between 7 and 8 per cent in the financial year 2012. The Indian organised Express Market (a part of the overall logistics market) was about 4500 crores2 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 17%2. This included organised Air Express and organised Ground Express which for 2011 were estimated at 2000 crores2 and 2500 crores2 respectively. This in itself was a strong indicator of the potential of the express industry. However, the logistics industry in India still remained largely unorganised and fragmented. The industry faced several challenges like high logistics costs, inadequate infrastructure, capacity constraints, low usage of technology, complex tax laws, over regulation, policy issues and lack of skilled manpower. The need for the highest levels of efficiencies still existed. Competitive Edge: Building IT for Business Agility Blue Darts Information Technology (IT) infrastructure remained one of its key differentiators and enabler to values. Blue Dart was always in the forefront of technology and its technology innovations played a key role in the companys premium positioning and in bringing global standards to the Indian customers doorstep. 2 AT Kearney figures from Blue Darts 2011 Annual report Blue Dart became an important part of the supply chain of many companies by providing integrated services. Blue Darts in-house IT team constantly developed technology solutions over the past seventeen years. Such has been the ramifications of these offerings that more than 79% of Blue Darts regular customers used it actively. These Home grown innovations included COSMAT IIà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (the tracking and ERP system), TrackDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (monitoring shipment status), MailDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking shipments over e-mail), InternetDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (memory bank for shipments), PackTrackà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking software for medium and large customers), ShopTrackà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (tracking and CRM tool for e-business portals), ImageDartà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ (online download of proof of delivery challans/documents, to speed up the customers bill process, waybill issuance capability, customer directory, data upload and download of tracking information). The company also provideed econom ical packaging that facilitates customers sending documents at a price that includes door-to-door delivery service within India. These innovation solutions enabled the weaving of thoughtful information management to the logistics business. With this advanced technology support Blue Dart delivered door-to-door to over 13,000 locations in the country with an in-house team of experts to handle inter-state regulatory requirements. Quality levels were at 99.95% and were monitored daily. Blue Darts IT infrastructure strengthened both its business and marketing strategies. Blue Darts Marketing Strategies In 2011, a combination of new product launches and tactical shift in focus across sectors helped Blue Dart register growth in spite of an overall slowdown in the economy. For instance, in order to lessen the impact of the slowdown in client verticals such as automobile and realty, it consciously improved its focus on sectors such as health sciences and the spare parts segment of the auto sector. It also built on its exposure to high-growth segments such as e-commerce and SMEs and high-growth potential Tier-II and III cities in 2011. These put together helped the company grow its revenues and profits by about 34 per cent and 42 per cent by the end of quarter 3 in 2011. On various other fronts the company provided multitude marketing strategies. Product Offerings A combination of the right product mix helped Blue Dart build strong brand loyalty over the years. Blue Dart offered a range of products and services that could be customised to address individual requirements. Blue Darts core business was domestic door-to-door and integrated (air and ground) express distribution. Each product has been developed with a customer centric approach. The products were proficiently supported by cutting-edge technologies. Blue Dart offered express, air freight, ocean freight, supply chain solutions, customs clearance, project handling, freight forwarding, and charters through its synergies with the three DHL Business Units DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Exel Supply Chain. Air Express segment included Time Definite Solutions (Domestic Priority 1030, Domestic Priority 1200, Dart Apex 1200) and Day Definite Solutions (Domestic Priority, Dart Apex, Dart Surfaceline). Packaging Solutions included Express Pallet, Smart Box Ground Express, Time Definite Delivery, etc. The company also offered Cargo Solutions like Airport to Airport, Interline and Charters besides offering Festive Solutions and discounted Student Solutions. A recent addition to Blue Darts product portfolio was Import Express. It was the only service of its kind in India and offered door-to-door facility for importing shipments from over 200 countries. Services Blue Dart presented a range of services: Domestic Priority a fast reliable service for non-commercial documents and non-documents. Dart Apex supported reliable commercial distribution and supply chain requirements. Dart Surface line a reliable and secure surface option, and an airport to airport option included charter of aircraft for large volumes and urgent shipments. (See Exhibit 4) Blue Dart also offered some of the best services such as free computerized proof of delivery, real time tracking, regulatory clearance and free pick up from the location of the customer. The most used features were real time tracking and Money Back Guarantee (MBG) offered on specific shipments. The express services offered domestic priority for non-commercial domestic documents and small packages under 32 kilos. Freight services included domestic, early morning airport-to-airport deliveries to the seven metros in India. Charters also offered carriage of urgent and large volumes to eighteen airports in India and four international airports in the region. Solutions like Temperature Controlled Logistics (TCL), Dart Surfaceline Plus, Point to Point (P2P) and a host of value added services like Demand Draft on Delivery (DOD), Freight on Demand (FOD), Freight on Value (FOV), Cash on Delivery (COD) etc. represented tailor made services for specific industry requirements. Blue Dart was in the process of rolling out several sector-specific, innovative products and services in a phased manner, in line with specific needs and requirements of different industries like BFSI, Pharmaceuticals, IT, Consumer Durables, FMCG, Automotive, Retail, Textiles, Telecommunications etc.. These products provided the much-required flexibility to the shipper and consignee. Pricing Though Blue Darts offerings were known to be reliable, these were offered at a very high price compared to that offered by competitors. In India, where huge section is of middle class buyers, this pricing strategy was awkward. However, Blue Dart maintained the view that for customers, aspects like service quality, consistency, responsiveness and reliability were of paramount importance because these dimensions directly impact their business outcomes. Blue Dart held the view that when customers experience optimal service with Blue Dart, they do not mind paying a premium for these products. Connecting with Customers In such a competitive industry, Blue Dart tried to differentiate itself from its competitors by establishing its core focus on strengthening customer relationship and on making more effective use of the 4800 plus vehicles as mobile touch points. Blue Dart always made a conscious effort to create a bond with its customers. Perhaps, because of this, the brand became synonymous with value, quality, speed, efficiency, responsiveness and service excellence. Blue Dart constantly rolled out promotions for its customers to keep them updated on our various offerings. Blue Dart successfully ran a loyalty programme Blue Points: Returns to provide customers value while making shipments through Blue Dart. As part of the its ONE-RETAIL focus, the company regularly ran a retail store promotion drive across the country. Company had a dedicated team of specialists who provided the expertise for customs as well as regulatory clearances at all States within the country, to support seamless service to the customer. Customers Growth Strategy Blue Darts strategy was to focus on existing customers to scale up existing relationship. There was also a special focus to select high potential clients by offering them a lot more than what Blue Dart has been traditionally offering them. This strategy was expected to not only lead to revenue enlargement, but also to give an army of loyal customers. Positioning Blue Darts positioned itself to offer a consistent, premium, standardized quality of service. Its competitive advantage was driven by its extensive and consummate domestic network which was linked by some of the most advanced communications systems. Blue Dart was focused on carrying packages as its prime business, rather than as a by-product of a passenger airline. Blue Dart also had a dedicated self-sustaining aviation system to support its services, with its own bonded warehouses, ground handling and maintenance capability. Blue Dart envisioned itself as a warehouse in the sky creating a niche segment in supply chains that demand critical deliveries, low inventories and reliable and timely distribution. Blue Dart was now strategically positioned as the market leader in the air express segment. It also had an aviation system with an in-house ground handling and maintenance capability with stringent security and quality norms. Blue Dart also invested extensively in technology for integration, data flow and customer software for greater customer convenience and efficiency. Promotion Blue Dart was not known to be aggressive advertiser, but as aggressive marketer. Blue Dart tried to focus on the total customer experience the brand tangibles such as the retail outlets (service counters), vehicles, signages, etc, as well as the intangibles at the customer contact point. The company emphasized that the personal touch was essential and thus has also strengthened the areas of customer care centres. Blue Darts promotion method was to create a strong emotional connect with customers, in order to achieve brand strength, saliency and equity. Even its TV commercials and print ads tried to connect emotionally with customers. Blue Darts prime communication vehicle was PR land direct mailers, with support from a large sales force across the country to directly engage the customer. New Areas for Business Growth and Expansion Blue Dart already had an aggressive market share plans which aimed to increase its market share both in air and ground express divisions. For this, Blue Dart would have to grow faster than the industry. Blue Dart already identified some growth levers. One of these was adding lot of new products. The company has been regularly introducing new products such as the latest Go Green carbon neutral service and it intends to continue. The other growth lever was the sectorial focus. There were certain sectors that do not get impacted by a slowdown sectors like health sciences and the spare parts segment of the auto sector. Demand for streamlined supply chains from the auto, pharma, hitech and retail sectors was expected to drive growth. Thus, Blue Dart was detecting opportunities and offering sector specific solutions, which had and would help in the overall growth strategy of the company. Third, Blue Dart was focussing on verticals which were high-growth verticals like e-commerce. The company also identified small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as another growth lever and efforts had been underway to tap this segment across industry verticals, aggressively. For a company, which has probably focussed more on our large customers, SMEs thus offered an tremendous opportunity. Finally, the company was looking at geographic expansion. It intended to reach out to those towns and cities where it currently did not have any presence. Also, prior to this, in smaller cities, the company was more focussed on the in-bound side. It then realised that a lot of these tier-II and tier-III cities had a lot of out-bound potential. These provided additional opportunity for business expansion. Blue Dart planned to continue to focus on transit time improvements, and strengthening channels to gain further market share. Looking ahead Blue Dart has been able to differentiate itself and achieved scalability due to its focus on technology right from the early stages of its business. It was reflected in the way the company moved its products, in a manner which was more cost-effective, more fuel-efficient and more environment friendly. However, Blue Dart Express net profit declined by 19.47% in the March 2012 quarter. Blue Dart faced the challenges of increase in fuel cost, inadequate infrastructure, and increasing competition. But of these the biggest challenges was Infrastructure of both air and surface. Space at airports, airside and city-side infrastructure were often inadequate. In addition, parking bays, air-side/city-side access and traffic congestion adversely impact costs as well as service quality. Air express companies were constrained by the sizes of the facilities at the airports, as they have remained the same while the loads have increased many folds. It was estimated that though 70% of the freight transportation in India was through roads, National Highways constitute merely 2% of the total road network in India. Fuel prices were also a concern. In an industry, where space was a highly perishable commodity, any disruption in services, due to either natural disasters or manufactured reasons, affects us adversely, as the days capacity inventory was lost forever. Ketan Kulkarni, Vice President and Head of Blue Darts Marketing, Corporate Communication Sustainability division In addition to above problems, Blue Dart also faced a tough competition from multiple courier service providers. (See Exhibit 5 and 6) Thus an aggressive business and marketing strategy was the need of the hour. How Blue Dart would rise to the occasion remained to be seen. With this thought, Ketan Kulkarni was wondering how Blue Dart can further differentiate itself and would remain a market leader in the coming years. Exhibit 1 Financial Summary of the last five years (Rupees in Lacs) (Source: Blue Darts 2011 Annual report) Particulars 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Particulars 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Income from Operations 80,872 97,446 90,523 1,14,741 1,48,960 Other Income 311 1,071 760 532 2,426 Total Income 81,183 98,517 91,283 1,15,273 1,51,386 Total Expenditure 68,083 84,935 80,150 99,324 1,31,338 Operating Profit 13,100 13,582 11,133 15,949 20,048 Interest (Expense) 40 50 55 1 0 Gross Profit 13,060 13,532 11,078 15,948 20,048 Depreciation 2,403 1,657 1,776 1,922 2,160 Profit Before Tax 10,657 11,875 9,302 14,026 17,888 Taxation 3,664 4,140 3,232 4,589 5,664 Profit After Tax 6,993 7,735 6,070 9,437 12,224 Equity 2,376 2,376 2,376 2,376 2,376 Reserves 29,354 36,811 42,605 51,765 63,438 Gross Fixed Assets 25,692 28,562 30,036 32,544 39,326 Net worth 31,730 39,188 44,981 54,141 65,814 Book Value 133.72 165.15 189.57 228.17 277.37 ROCE (In percentage) 37.13 33.63 22.24 28.3 29.83 Exhibit 2 Income and Profit trends from 2007 to 2011 Exhibit 3: Shipment Movement from Pick up to Destination Exhibit 4 Services by Blue Dart Domestic Priority 1030 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of shipments by air the next possible business day by 10:30 hours, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Domestic Priority 1200 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of shipments by air the next possible business day by 12:00 hours, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Dart Apex 1200 A guaranteed door-to-door time definite delivery of commercial shipments by Air that require regulatory clearances and specialized handling on the next possible business day by 12:00hrs, targeted at time-critical business-to-business needs. Dart Surfaceline Blue Darts premium ground express service provides economical, door-to-door ground distribution solutions. Smart Box A convenient door-to-door service for cargo in two sizes 10 kilos and 25 kilos, available on air and ground express modes Smart Truck An intelligent pick-up and delivery vehicle that combines a number of innovative technologies including a route planner. Exhibit 5 Competitors TNT Express: TNT Express is the key leader not only in the Indian market, but also in the international market in the sector of global express services. They ensure timely and safe delivery of parcels, freight and document

Nature is as Man Decrees :: Writing Technology Invention Essays

Nature is as Man Decrees I found this assignment far more difficult than I thought it would be at first glance. While thinking about it on the way home from class, I discarded one idea after another because technology had touched nearly everything I would think of. As Dennis Baron, author of From Pencils to Pixels wrote, once we are used to certain technologies â€Å"we come to think of them as natural rather than techEven thinking about going to a national park, the truth is that just by setting it aside as a "natural" state...makes it in essence, not natural because were it not for the decrees of humanity, it would be over run with fast food stores and gas stations. In fact, sadly, writing is in one sense both creative and destructive to nature. A tree is destroyed for the very paper we write on. The question arose, is there really any such thing as natural in the 21st Century or is that a word that no longer applies in its truest sense. That, of course, led to thoughts on just what is "natural." My insti nctive definition of natural is that it is not influenced or hampered or changed by humanity. So in some regards I think my initial conclusion is correct, that at least here in the Midwestern area of United States, finding something in nature that was not influenced in some way by technology or human interference might prove impossible. So the words that would end up being my project ran round and round in my head on the long ride home, â€Å"Nature is as man decrees, hedged by his technologies.† Later on while still pondering exactly what to do in order to "create" a writing technology, I ended up, most often coming back to..."Well, if I was a Native American in this area and I wished to write something...what would I use?" We tend to have the idea that the people native to the area didn't use technology and thus could offer suggestions on what is natural. Still, that brings to the forefront, what is technology, because in reality the natives did use technology, if a pencil is considered technology, as Dennis Baron in "From Pencils to Pixels" asserts it is. He defines technology as â€Å"a way of engineering materials in order to accomplish an end† (37). So in this regard, sewing, tomahawks, and all the other tools we think of as Native American are technologies even if we don't see them on the same level as a computer.

Aristotle & Socrates Essay

Philosophy comes from the Greek roots meaning â€Å"the love of wisdom. † Philosophers are persons who have a compelling need to pursue wisdom. Since the beginning of time, wise man and women have dedicated themselves to asking â€Å"Big Questions†. Depending on the questions, there are various areas of philosophy including metaphysics, epistemological, axiology, ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy, social philosophy, and logic. Homework Make a â€Å"Creative† representation of someone (fictional or real) you consider a wise person. Be prepared to present it in class and explain what characteristics make a person wise. Archetypes Archetypes are basic images that represent our conception of the essence of a certain kind of person†¦. usually considered to be shared by all of humanity throughout time. Philosophical archetypes are philosophers who express an original or influential point of view in a way that significantly affects subsequent philosophers and non-philosophers. Western philosophy has been dominated by males of European ancestry. Relativism- Relativism is the belief that knowledge is determined by specific qualities of the observer. In other words, absolute (universal) knowledge of the truth is impossible; â€Å"one opinion is as good as another†. Philosophy week 2 Pre- Socratic philosophy: Asian sages and the sage The Sage The sage is an archetypal fig. Who combines religious inspiration with a love of wisdom? Found in ancient Asia, they are the oldest philosophical archetypes, identifying happiness and teaching the good life. Asian cosmology is not based on empirical (numbers, data, statistics) or scientific evidence. It contends (argues) that everything is working  harmoniously, following the Tao (Force or flow of energy in life), or the â€Å"path† or the â€Å"way† There is no separation between heaven and earth, divine and human, but is working together; all is one reality containing yin and yang. Yin represents earth, weakness, darkness, negative, and destruction. Yang represents heaven, strength, light, positive and construction. One cannot live without the other, keeping the universe in balance. Think Lao-tzu Confucius Siddhartha Gautama The Sophists (Meaning Wise in Greek) First professional educators, Charged fee to teach. Argued that the difference between a good and bad argument is custom and individual preference, nothing is bad or good in nature. They argued for relativism, both cultural and individual. Journal 3 Read pages 59-60 Reflect upon ways you have been a victim of ethnocentrism. Reflect upon ways you are ethnocentric Reflect ways America is ethnocentric. Since 911. The Person Socrates (470-399 B. C. E) was the first major western philosopher. He wrote no philosophy and what we know of him comes chiefly from his pupils Plato and Xenophon. Socrates challenged the sophists doctrines of relativism and moral realism he often taught that beauty and goodness determined by utility (If it serves a purpose) His Teachings Socrates is most famous for his style of philosophical inquiry known as the Socratic Method or dialectic. Education is supposed to draw knowledge out of you instead of riding with you like an empty vessel. Among his teachings, his most persistent command was know you. Believing an unexamined life was not worth living, he saw himself as a kind of â€Å"Physician of the soul. † He believed that the real person is not the body, but the physics-mind-soul. Journal 5 Read the trial and death of Socrates on pages 110-115 How does death and his art of dying relate to his teachings History Plato was a member of the Athenian aristocracy and Socrates’s most favorite and important student Athenian democracy was irrational mob rule. Founded famous academy to educate wise rulers In Plato’s metaphysics, the highest level of reality consists of timeless â€Å"essences† called forms. Platonic forms are independently existing, noncapital â€Å"some-things† Plato divided reality into to two world’s dualism. The highest level of reality is eternal and changeless being. The other is the evolving physical world, known as the coming According to Plato the sophists could not discover truth because they were preoccupied with the world of ever changing perceptions and customs. For Plato the chief distinction between knowledge and opinion is that knowledge is fixed, absolute and eternally true. Whereas opinion is unanchored and changeable. According to plait opinion lives in the realm of becoming truth and knowledge are found on the level of being. The Divided line 133-135. The simile of the sun 135-137 The Allegory of the cvae137-139 The divided line A+B= World of Forms (Being, Knowledgeable) C+D= Physical world (Becoming Opinion) Metaphysics | Epistemology(study of knowledge) | Higher Forms(Example: the good) | A: Understanding | Lower Forms(Example: Form human) | B: Reasoning | Sensible Objects (Example: Mother Teresa) | C. Perception | Images(Example: Mother Teresa’s Photograph) | D. Imagination | Simile of the sun Plato compared the absolute form of the good to the sun; the good makes the existence of everything else possible. The good cannot t be observed by the five senses and can be known only by pure thought or intelligence. It is the source of both the value and the existence of all other forms. Allegory of the cave In the allegory for the cave, Plato categorized three levels of awareness by referring to three distinct levels of reality: two levels of becoming and one ultimate level of being. Lowest Level: No imagination or perception Informed level: Wider range of basic understanding. Awakening Highest level: Soul has no need for perception or interpretation. The Republic (Socrates book for perfect utopia) Plato agreed that there is a reciprocal relationship between the individual and the kind of society in which he or she lives. The ideal state, for Plato, meets three basic characteristics 1) Nourishing needs, 2) Protection needs 3) Ordering needs These needs are best met by three classes: Workers, Warriors, Guardians or Philosopher – Kings. The republic contrasts two views of morality. The instrumental theory of morality asserts that right and wrong must be determined by the consequences our actions produce. The functionalist theory of morality holds that right and wrong can only be understood in terms of the way they affect our overall functioning as human beings. According to Plato, the just state functions fully; the unjust state is dysfunctional, only when all classes of people are virtuous according to their natures is the state whole, healthy, balanced and just. In order to be a just human being, balanced. Virtuous. – temperance, courage, wisdom, justice(essence and balance of the soul) Plato thought the worst kind of Gov. was a tyranny. And democracy was a tyranny. Democracy makes little tyrants out of everybody. Journal 6 According to Plato’s philosophy, please answer these questions: Carefully explain the relationship of the individual to the state in Plato’s Republic. Why is the relationship significant? What does Plato see as the most unjust type of person and state? Do you agree? Explain. Explain the origin and nature of democracy according to plan. Aristotle The person Aristotle was Plato’s most illustrious student and went on to be the personal tutor of Alexander the great. He eventually created his own school called the lyceum. In contrast to Plato, Aristotle introduced the idea of naturalistic or scientific knowledge gained from collecting facts and usual factual info to make the world a better place. Aristotle was a naturalist. Naturalism if the belief that reality consists of the natural world and that the universe is ordered. Everything follows discoverable laws of nature. His Philosophy Aristotle believed that form and matter can be intellectually separated but cannot live independently in reality. The form of something is called its essence. Matter is the common physical material stuff but it has no distinct characteristics without a form. Aristotelian form is that which is in matter and makes thing is what that is. So, individual things are â€Å"formed matter. † Aristotle argued that complete understanding of a thing required identifying its â€Å"four causes. † 1st cause: Material cause, the material thing is made of Cause: formal cause. The form the thing takes cause: Efficient cause, the triggering motion that begins the thing Cause: Final cause, the Telis, or the ultimate purpose for which the thing exists. In living things, Aristotle called the final cause, Entelechy, meaning having its purpose within. He believed every living thing had an â€Å"inner urge† or a drive to become its unique self. He believed nature was ordered and guided internally. Journal 7 Consider the quotes on page 153. Please write a few paragraphs for each one describing what they mean to you and how they relate to you. For Aristotle, psyche or soul is the form of the body. Soul is entelechy. Like every other instance of form and matter, for Aristotle the soul can’t be separated from the body and its body and it’s impossible to affect the body without also affecting the soul or to affect the soul without affecting the body. Aristotle taught that humans had a hierarchy of three kinds of souls, each higher level containing the aspects of the lower levels: 1st level: Lowest soul called vegetative or Nutritive, responsibility for absorption 2nd Level: the sentient or sensitive soul, registers all info regarding form of other things. 3rd Level: Highest Soul found in humans only, called rational soul, and includes the other two plus the capabilities for analysis, understanding relationships and decision-making. According to Aristotle the good is that which all things aim. It is their entelechy Eudemonia which often translated to happiness means being really alive rather than just existing. According to Aristotle happiness requires activity good habits and practical wisdom. Aristotelian moderation is based on the concept of wisdom hitting the mark between too much and not enough Virtue consists of hitting the mark or the mean but vice consist of being off by too much (excess) or too little (Deficiency) Journal 8 Read pages 172-176 Explain the importance of hitting the mark and character to Aristotle’s concept of happiness What is the principle of meaning? Philosophy study guide Academy- Alexander the Great An Unexamined Life Aristotelian Forms Aristotle’s Hierarchy of souls Aristotle’s Idea of a Good life Aristotle’s Teacher Entelechy Hitting the mark Lyceum Naturalism Plato’s 3 classes of people Plato’s feelings toward democracy Democracy Plato’s four cardinal virtues Plato’s teacher Platonic Forms Simile of the sun Socrates Death sentence Temperance The republic Three levels of human souls Tyranny journal 1 Wisdom | Knowledge | Theoretical Knowledge | Practical Knowledge | Belief | Mere Belief | Willed Ignorance | Definition and Examplesjournal 2 Write how each of the eight paths are relevant in today’s world journal 4 · Socrates’ â€Å"electric shock† effect on Athens resulted in death, however it gave him a place in history as a great thinker wise sage. From pages 87-95, read each quote in the margins · Please write the quote that shocks you and Reflect upon its meaning to you. Absolute truth is â€Å"Truth† with a capital T. What do we know so far? Modern Philosophy(How do you know that it’s true? ) After Christianity began to grow, most Europeans turned to god as the ultimate source of wisdom and the church as the ultimate authority. However, by the 17th century scientific ad advancements and the decline of the authority of a single church began the era of modern philosophy. It was a shift from metaphysics to epistemology. Rene Descartes(1596-1650) is the father of philosophy. He came up with rationalism. Dcccd. edu> then go to student services, then libraries. 3 ears of Western Philosophy- 1 Classical, what is truth? essentialism; Modern- How do you know it’s true? Rationalism; Rationalism is the epistemological position in which reason is said to be the primary source of all knowledge. Rationalist believe in the coherence theory of truth: that new or unclear ideas should be evaluated in terms of rational or logical consistency and in relation to already established truth. Rationalism says that abstract reasoning can produce absolutely certain truths about reality and that some truths can be discovered without observation, experiment or experience. These truths are innate ideas or a priori ideas. A priori can be known without experience or experiment but Posteriori ideas are derived from experience and experiment. However he arrived at the cogito, ergo sum, latin for â€Å"I think, therefore I am. † This, along with a satisfactory belief in god, stood as his undoubtable truth. Journal 9 Please do the philosophical queries(Green Boxes) on pgs. 252 and 253 Jeremy Bentham- resurrected hedonism, in direct response to the conservative ruling class in Britain. The result he created the â€Å"greatest happiness† principle also known as the Principle of Utility, that states we should always act to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Benthams hedonic calculus was a crude method of reducing stress to simple calculation of units of pleasure versus units of pain. Psychological hedonism- pain and pleasure determine what we shall do Ethical hedonism- pain and pleasure point to what we ought to do. Bentham extended the ethical reach of the pleasure principle beyond the human community to any creature with the capacity to suffer. He argued that insisting that animals lack moral worth was akin to racism. John stuart mill He believed that there is an empirical basis supporting his claim that refined pleasures to crude ones. Mill disagreed with Bentham that all motives are egotistic and based his more refined philosophy in the social feelings of all people for unity with each other. Mill believed in the possibility of altruism, the capacity to promote wellbeing of others, he argued that the lack of altruistic feelings and ignorance of the higher pleasures were products of poor education and harsh conditions, not quality of human nature. According to mill, the selfishness and lack of mental cultivation are the chief causes of unhappiness, and can be cured with a proper education and legislation.

Accounting Paper “Tour Agency”

Accounting Paper â€Å"Tour Agency† A The London City Hopper is a new tour agency that has been launched with the sole purpose of improving the cost of tour travels in the city of London. Bearing in mind that Olympics will be held in this city in a few days, it is important to market London to the rest of the world as a suitable place for investments and tourism. One of the ways in which this can be achieved is through the creation of cheaper costs of travel so that tourist and domestic consumers can be in a position to move around the city easily. One thing that is important to understand is the average cost for a tour travel in London is about  £26.00. It is important to realize that lower prices attract more customers (Tirole, 1988, p.111). At this price, fewer members of the public and the visiting population would be willing to use tour agencies during their travels to London. Therefore, one of the key reasons why we have decided to launch the London City Hoppers is based on the fact that the costs offered by t he current tour agencies are high. London City Hoppers intends to make tour travels affordable so as to be able to accommodate people from all walks of life in the travel industry. Secondly, it is important to note that most of the tour agencies that are currently in operation with London, do not offer the same level of comfort as the one that this new tour agency is going to offer. Many of the tour buses that are used by many companies within London are a bit crowded. One of the key objectives that our management at London City Hoppers aims at fulfilling is the idea of increasing how the comfort of our customers. Customers enjoy being comfortable in any given service that they are getting. Martinez writes that customers actually become more comfortable when they realize that some services are more comforting that others (Martinez, 2008, p.114). This means that our tour agency will give customers the chance to compare our services to those offered by other companies. Unlike some of the agencies that use big buses that are sometimes uncomfortable to travel in, London City Hoppers aim at providing a 25-seater travel buses. This reduced capacity of the carrying capacity of our travel buses is aimed at increasing the quality of service. With a smaller carrying capacity, the needs of our customers are met at an individual level. Kensing explains that businesses that explore an extra function of meeting the needs of consumers at an individual level are able to win the hearts and minds of those consumers. Consumer tastes and preferences are sometimes shaped by the proper execution of this function (Kensing, 2004, p.241). London City Hoppers is therefore one of the best travels because most travel agencies are concerned with the net profits that they generate from their customers at not the level of satisfaction that their customers obtain in the long run. Kurtz writes that many business entities around the world are interested in only the profit that they generate. These businesses do not care about the quality of services and products that they give to their customers (Kurtz, 2008, p.34). Our tour agency would not like to emulate such cultu re. Quality service for our clients is our priority. In addition, our tour agency is open to suggestion in case our customers are not contented with our services. Rodger writes that allowing customers to give feedback on the quality of services that they get builds a cohesive relationship between the consumer and the service provider (Rogers, 2011, p.49). We are open to any recommendations that would help us serve our customers in the best way possible. Customers can post their feedbacks on our website www.londoncityhoppers.com on the section entitled customer reviews. This allows us to be able to know some of the areas that need to be improved so as to meet the diverse needs of our customers. It is also important to realize that our management does not only expect our customers to give positive feedback. We invite negative comments that are based on constructive criticism because we believe that improvements cannot be realized until there is a well defined communication between the management and the consumer base. Doran writes that negative feedback does not ruin a company but it is in fact a gift that allows any given company to look at it services from the dimension of another person and be able to make the necessary adjustments (Doran, 2008, p.63). London City Hoppers tour agency would also like to bring to your attention that our management is characterized by a high trained work force. We believe that employing a highly qualified staff minimizes the likelihood of errors in our service delivery. Pettinger writes that â€Å"High qualified workers are positive and committed† (Pettinger, 1998, p.55). This is because these workers are more flexible owning to the fact that they can be able to work in a range of different sections of a given business unit. High qualified and trained workers also builds the confidence of our customers in that a work force that is well trained is always equipped in meeting the needs of our customers which should be met with a lot of caution and keenness so as to protect the popularity of our company. Brown explains that the fact that high qualified workers possess knowledge allows them to be confident in what they are doing. This minimizes the level of staff turnover because fewer conflicts ex ist between the work force and the supervisors (Brown, 2005, p.436). With a highly qualified workforce, the safety of our customers is assured. Appendix A: Table showing the prices of key travel agencies in London (Hop on-Hop off tours). Selling Prices for our tickets at London City Hoppers Based on the table above it is clear that the average cost of a tour travel in London is about 20 Euros. Our new travel agency intends to create a flat rate of about 15 sterling pounds for adults and a flat rate of 10 sterling pounds for the child population. The initial capital that has been invested in the start of this company is about 18million sterling pounds. This capital has been used in the purchase of new vehicles to be able to meet the domestic demand within London City. This capital has also been used in the setting up if the necessary infrastructure to enhance the commencement of our operations. Projected estimate of the per Unit cost statement Items Rs (Amount in Sterling Pound) Purchase of Vehicles 6,000,000 Wages 2,000,000 Direct expenses incurred by company 1,000,000 Construction of Consumer stores/stations 3,000,000 Vehicle Maintenance 1,000,000 Salary of management team 1,500,000 Mitigation strategies and Damage protection 2,000,000 Insurance 1,000,000 Other expenses 5,000,000 Four Month Budget Statement showing the projected Budget for 4 months Item Projected Amount Direct purchase of vehicles 6,000,000 Wages of direct labor offered 2,000,000 Direct Expenses incurred by company 1,000,000 Prime cost 9,000,000 Construction of consumer stores 3,000,000 Vehicle maintenance 1,000,000 Salary of Management team 1,500,000 Damage protection Insurance 3,000,000 Other expenses 500,000 18,000,000 Sensitivity analysis Target Profit Sensitivity analysis Target Profit Any Business has to ends, either making profit or being unable to handle the competition posed by other related industries in the market. As we launch the London City Hoppers we are alert that we are likely to face competition from other more established companies. However, in order to handle this competition effectively, we have decided to use three strategies First of all, our tickets are going to be cheaper compared to many well established tour agencies. Cheaper prices are likely to attract more customers bearing in mind that discounts is an incentive in the market today. Second, we intend to buy newer models of vehicles so as to make sure that our customers are more comfortable compared to using older vehicles provided by other older companies. Finally, we intend to employ more domestic workers who are highly trained so as to improve the lives of our local population while at the same time we try to make profits. Because the starting capital is already available, the risk of fa ilure is at a minimum and therefore there is no sensitive issue that stands in the way of beginning the operations of the London City Hoppers C Recommendations for the Tour Agency and Conclusion One recommendation that I would give to the newly launches tour agency is that accountability and transparency is key if any business unit is going to succeed. Therefore, in order for the tour agency to be in a position to generate maximum profits, better supervision and monitoring of the company’s operations are required. McDaniel writes that better supervision increases the standards of the quality of service which in the wrong run improves business outcome (McDaniel, 2008, p.186). This would necessitate the posting of highly trained supervisors in every branch of this tour agency who would do the auditing of daily transaction so as to reduce cases of corruption within the business unit. Improving environmental sustainability London City Hoppers tour agency will be involved in community service and in efforts to preserve the environment. This would involve donations to environmental societies so that efforts of environmental restoration at the local level can continue to be executed. Shastri explains that despite the fact that many businesses are established with the aim of making profit, they have social and environmental responsibilities that they have to fulfill. This is because nature has to be constantly protected because failure to do so not only hurts the locals occupying a given area but also the business enterprise itself (Shastri, 2010, p.63).The management team of this tour agency is also looking at the possibility of purchasing a few electric cars so as to minimize the level of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. Reflection on Assignment By undertaking this assignment, I have realized that for any given company to successfully venture into the market, proper planning and budgeting is required. This is necessary so as to avoid large amounts of losses that would have been prevented in the first place.