Enterprise Resource Planning of Nike

Enterprise Resource Planning of Nike Nike was founded by Mr. Phil Knight and his past coach Bill Bowerman in 1964 and they started Blue Ribbon Sports. Knights first shoe was called Tiger and then began distribution of shoes. Blue Ribbon got great success in 1971 and Knight changes the company name Nike. In 1971 it introduced Nikes first brand line. Nike launched its product line in 1979. The new version of its Air shoe which was very successful and it was known as Air Jordan; introduced in 1985. Nike opened its first retail outlet in Portland, Oregon in 1990. In 1991 the company was very successful and its revenue reached USD $3 billion. Company began selling its products directly to customers from its website. Nike is the worlds leading sports and athletic shoes. Nike is the major manufacturer of sports equipment with $18.6 billion USD in the year of 2008. Nike has 30000 employees in worldwide. (Nikebiz:company overview, 2010) Nike Mission Statement To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world * If you have a body, you are an athlete. (nike, 2010) Introduction Nike had generated profits of $97.4 million and its profit dropped down by 50% in February 2001. Nike said that it was because of the failure of supply chain software produced by i2 technologies. Both companies blamed each other. This failure also effected Nikes reputation. The supply chain software was the first segment of NSC (Nike Supply Chain) project from SAP and also customer relationship management software from Siebel System. Analysts pointed out the fault of customization of the software and over demand forecasting. (Koah, 2004) Company successfully implemented (NSC) Nike Supply Chain project by 2004. The (NSC) Nike Supply Chain project is centralized planning moving and manufacturing. At last Nike got success in Implementing ERP and it became the desired approach for those who want to implement the ERP systems in their company. Christopher Koch (Editor of CIO Magazine) stated that If it was easy, everyone would just do it. In the late 1990, most companies avoided to adopt ERP because of the huge cost of ERP systems. (Koch, 2004) The lesson of Nikes failure and subsequent rebound lies in the fact that it had a sound business plan that was widely understood and accepted at every level of the company. Given that resiliency it afforded the company, in the end the i2 failure turned out to be just a speed bump. (Koah, 2004) Products Range Nike has wide range of sports equipment, running shoes, and jerseys and may other products as shown in figure 1. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) ERP entitles a companys information system which can bring more closely the companys departments and functions like human resources, finance and inventories. It also creates the link between customers and producers. Introduction of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Enterprise Resource Planning is the enterprise system tool which manages demand and supply. It has the ability to make link between customers and suppliers. ERP also provides the high degree of integration between purchasing, manufacturing, marketing, sales, logistics and marketing. ERP is the tool which can provide high level of customer services and productivity and also lower the cost. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) Enterprise Resource Planning is a company which increase it sales by 20% because of ERP. The vice president states that ERP has provided the key to becoming a truly global company. Design can be made with the accurate data and with the process that concretes demand and supply across border and oceans. This change is worth billion to us in sales worldwide. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) The Director of ERP For the first time ever, we have a good handle on our future requirements for components raw and materials. When our customer demand changes, weà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ourselves and our suppliersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬can manage changes to our schedules on a very coordinated and controlled basis. I dont see how any company can do effective supply chain management without ERP. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) Origin of the Term ERP The Enterprise Resource Planning ERP developed from Manufacture Resource Planning (MRP). The ERP was introduced by an analytical firm Garner. Enterprise Resource Planning has all the functions of an enterprise except organisation business or charter. Many organisations like IBM, Dell and HP Microsoft, Intel and many other organisations are now using ERP systems. The ERP systems are typically for large and more broadly based applications although it is also used in small and medium sized businesses. The ERP systems provide standardization, lower maintenance and it can store all data in one database. So, we can say that it has greater reporting capabilities. ERP includes other applications like Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Financials Resource Management (FRM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Human Resources Management (HRM). (Leon , 2008) Overview of ERP Many organisations choose to implement one part for ERP systems and stand-alone systems for the other ERP applications need to develop an external interface to the other ERP system. Because in an organisation one vendor choose to use human resource management system and the financial system choose another and integration between those systems. It is very common in midsized retailer and the retail sector will have a point of sale (POS) and financial application then they have a specialized application to handle other business requirements like logistics and merchandising. (Leon , 2008) The quality of ERP system is that it provides a single database which contains all the data for the software module also shown in figure 3: Manufacturing Supply Chain Management Financials Projects Human Resources Customer Relationship Management (Leon , 2008) Reasons for Buying ERP Software In these days when the business environment is increasingly complex and highly competitive then the organisations need the IT system which is highly competitive with time management. The organisations need the outstanding performance in their business by utilizing the time in the correct way. Enterprise system utilize the company time correctly. Enterprise Resource Planning is the planning in which the business resources like material, employees and customers moved from one state to another state. An ERP system maintains the data which connects with the business functions like manufacturing, supply chain, Management, finance, human resource, customer relationship management. (Leon , 2008) Reasons of ERP projects Failure Sometimes ERP projects fail if you do not implement them well. There are some of the reasons for the failure of ERP failure. The company selected the wrong software of ERP for the company. The training of employee is also very important and some organisations dont train well their employees. Some software is heavily customized and if these are not match with the companys IT infrastructure then there can be problem. If we do not implement the effective change management strategies then it can be the result of failure of the project. If the business merger leaves out the work in the process then it can be also a big loss.(Glenn, 2008) There are also some factors from where we can achieve the successful ERP projects by selecting the right software for the company. Give the right training to employees. For implementing the ERP we have to manage each approach and utilize the best practices for implementing ERP software. (Starinsky, 2001) I found some important realities about ERP are that there is no perfect ERP system exists. We cannot say that any ERP implementation is ever perfect. If two companies have the same ERP software but the implementation cannot be the same because every company has its own style of implementation. (Leon , 2008) SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply Chain Management is a network that is involved buying, making, moving, selling and distribution. (Hugos, 2006)

Business Meta-Ethics: an Analysis of Two Theories

Article Review? In the article â€Å"Business Meta-Ethics: An Analysis of two theories† written by â€Å"F. Neil Brandy and Craig P. Dunn† he has examined the two popular theories of ethics viz. traditional ethical theory (utilitarianism and deontological) and a recent model (consisting of utility, rights, justice). The writer differentiates and supports the traditional ethical theory by giving facts and practical examples. The writer starts the article by saying that presenting an ethical theory is impulsive. But, no doubt the theory of deontology and utilitarianism by Kant can’t be ignored.Many writers have added several other perspectives like egoism, virtue theory, theories of justice, rights, universalism, ethical relativism, ethics of caring etc. so, the writer says that the foundations of ethics are not secure. Humans are complex creatures and are hard to understand. No one theory will be able to prove it. Conversely, it would be quite interesting to under stand human behavior from different perspectives. After that the writer explains the human behavior by giving a very interesting example of automobile engine.He says that the engines have benefited by over and over refinement, but the fundamental design that came early (piston, turbine, electric etc. ) were not altered. Similarly, we need to make some fundamental decisions related to the basic understanding of a human behavior instead of hindering it. The main purpose of the writer is to focus and assess two dominant ethical theories for the managers. The first one is the â€Å"traditional ethical theory† viz. Kant’s theories of deontology and utilitarianism (DU) that have been considered competing but the recent research shows that they are complementing, not competing to each other.Kantian deontology and utilitarianism provides the ideals for decision making. The second one is the recent model of â€Å"utility-rights-justice model† (URJ). It opposes that there are three instead of two main requirements that completes the ethical business decision making namely, questions of utility, questions of rights and questions of justice. The writer intends to claim the precedence of traditional DU model. He proceeds by discussing three important points. First, that the URJ model can easily be simplified into the DU model. Second, he presents 3 practical cases to prove the superiority of DU model.Third, is the difference between universals and particulars. The writer explains the DU model first; he says that this model is often cited as dominant theory for application in business ethics. Other writers like Pastin (1986) say that this model is quite useful from a practical point of view. Pastin says that the two views â€Å"rule ethics† and â€Å"end-point ethics† are both included in his tool box for handling the hard problems of management. In 1985, Brady proposed a â€Å"Janus Headed† relationship of deontology and utilitaria nism are complementary and taken together, a reasonably comprehensive model of managerial decision making.In 1992, Cody and Lynn presented this idea in their book â€Å"honest Govt. † By saying that in real life, none of us is exclusively utilitarian or deontological. Our personal values reflect a mix of these view points, depending on issue. Sometimes we act solely as a matter of principle and sometimes we act practically utilitarian. Then the writer evaluates the URJ model. He says that this model attempted to act on the need to evaluate the political behavior in organizations. So, they made the 3 basic types of moral theories: utility, rights and justice. They urged that this model could be applied to political uses of power in organizations†.Two years later, Velasquez combined this model into his well-known book â€Å"Business ethics: Concept and Cases. Where he argued that the philosophy of Kant supplied â€Å"a more satisfied foundation for moral rights and he a dded a short discussion of categorical imperative with his claim. After introducing both the models, the writer gives the argument for the supremacy of DU model. Writer says that the URJ model abandons the deontological theory of Kant. It relies on the lesser known works The Metaphysical Elements of Justice (1797). Why did they cite Kant for his work on human rights but not cite him for his much important.And he says that the 3 basic kinds of moral theories; utilitarian, rights and justice seems imperfect. Writer says that the DU model encapsulates much of the URJ model. First, the issues of individual rights and duties are included under Kant’s deontological ethical theory. The DU model merges the rights and duties. Where one has rights, others have duties. Kant argues that the duties are strategically more important. Duties not only include duties to each other, but duties to family, community and environment. Certain duties are can’t be converted into someoneâ€℠¢s rights like paying taxes and towards environment.So, the idea of moral duty is more comprehensive than the individual right. DU model also encapsulates the justice prescription. URJ model says that the organizational rules must be clearly stated and consistently and impartially enforced. And the people must not be held responsible for the things they cannot control, if people are injured, the injuries must be compensated by those who are responsible for the injuries. The writer says that the same things are suggested by the existing theories and there is no need to for separate theories of justice.So, the URJ model is incomplete, as it neglects the historical deontological theory and it requires 3 categories, when only 2 are necessary. Now the writer illustrates by three short cases. 1. Political clout In this when there are to proposals that are equally at merit. So the dilemma is to be resolved procedurally. Now, on applicant applies pressure and succeeds in influencing the cho ice. For a utilitarian point of view, the decision makers did was wrong in the long term because it sets an example and it may encourage political behavior and risk the integrity of organization.A fair way would be to flip a coin. So the DU model gives a simple and appropriate analysis of case, without separate theories of justice. 2. Letter of recommendation Now a manager has to write a letter of recommendation for a problem employee. Now, he wants to be honest but it would be nice for a voluntary employee exit. If you look at it with a URJ model, utility would want a positive letter, because it would benefit the org. if we look at the rights, then the employee has the right to expect appraisal or not. In contrast to the DU model can do a better job, as the moral duty is to be honest. 3.Making an offer Suppose there is a position open at an org. and the supervisor responsible for it knows the exact person required for the job but the co. policies says to announce and publicize all openings, giving everyone a chance to apply. Should the manager open the chance or make an offer? Utility would say to make an offer but that will ignore company’s policy. So a deontological approach will recommend opening the search. So now, there’s no dilemma. But when we talk about the URJ model, then the dilemma will arise because of duty and utility conflict. After that the writer tells us about the status f universals and particulars in ethics. Deontological ethics thinks that all ethical prescriptions can be expressed as universal obligations. Rough examples include â€Å"do not kill’ and â€Å"always tell the truth†. Such principles try to observe the ways in which all humans can be alike. While, utilitarianism is a situational ethics. It requires that we attend to particularities of human living in case we fail to achieve good ends. In the conclusion the writer says that the advantages of DU model includes that it provides a genuine theory and l ays a secure foundation in the field of business ethics.The DU model has a relation to hold among the two variables of complement. Another advantage includes Kant’s universalizability. The writer has addressed the topic very nicely and has used a lot of references to prove and support his argument. But still I didn’t find the article very clear and it was confusing at times. The part of the article where he says that the moral duty is more strategic than individual right is not very persuasive. The writer didn’t end the 3 illustrations clearly. Otherwise, the writer explained the differences and advantages of DU model over URJ model very smoothly.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 15

8 months earlier†¦ Ella â€Å"You're not seriously going to climb up that tree, are you?† Micha frowns at me through the dark. He's dressed in a pair of sexy jeans that make his butt look good and his black t-shirt fits him perfectly. â€Å"You're gonna break your neck.† I rub my hands together and give him a devious look. â€Å"You know how much I love a challenge.† From behind him, the moon shines from the sky and his blonde hair nearly glows. â€Å"Yeah, but you're a little out of it right now and I don't think you should be climbing up any trees.† â€Å"I'll be fine.† I wave him off, pushing the sleeves of my leather jacket up. He always worries about me. I like that he does, but it doesn't mean I always listen to him. â€Å"Besides, if my dad catches me coming in, and he happens to be sober, I'm going to get chewed out for sneaking out and being drunk, especially because I was supposed to be on mom duty tonight.† Gripping a branch, I attempt to wedge my foot up in the tree. But it falls to the ground and I grunt with frustration. Micha laughs, shaking his head as he walks around behind me. â€Å"If you break your neck, pretty girl,† he says. â€Å"It's not my fault.† â€Å"You know your nickname for me is not fitting.† I grab the branch again. â€Å"You need to think of a new one.† He sweeps my hair to the side and puts his lips beside my ear. â€Å"It's completely fitting. You're the most beautiful girl I know, Ella May.† Through my foggy brain, I try to process what he's saying. â€Å"Are you trying to be funny?† He shakes his head. â€Å"I'm being completely serious. But there's no need to panic. I'm sure you'll forget all about it by the time morning rolls around.† I bob my head up and down. â€Å"You're probably right.† He laughs again and his warm breath tickles my ear, sending a shiver through my body. I almost turn around, rip open his shirt, and thrust my tongue into his mouth, but I don't want to ruin our friendship. He's all I have at the moment and I need him more than air. So I bottle my feelings up the best I can. He spreads his fingers across my waist where my shirt rides up, making the situation a little awkward. â€Å"Okay, on the count of three I'm going to boost you into the tree. Be Careful. One†¦ Two†¦ Three†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He lifts me up into the tree and I swing my legs up. The bark scratches at the back of my legs a little and the palms of Micha's hands cup my ass as he pushes me up the rest of the way. It makes me giggle. Once I'm up, he climbs up himself. His hands reunite with my waist and he assists me up the tree and into my window. I tumble through it and onto the floor with his quiet laughter surrounding me. â€Å"You're going to regret this in the morning,† he says with laughter in his voice. â€Å"You're going to have a headache from hell.† I kneel beside the window as he steps back out onto the branch. â€Å"Hey, Micha.† I crook my finger at him and he rolls his eyes, but tolerates me and returns to the windowsill. I throw my arms around his neck. â€Å"You're my hero. You know that?† I kiss his cheek. His skin is so soft. I start to move away when his head turns toward me and our lips connect briefly. When he pulls back, I can't read him at all. â€Å"Sweet dreams, pretty girl.† He grins and climbs back down the tree. My head becomes even foggier as I shut the window. Did he kiss me on purpose? I shake the thought away and wrestle my arms out of my jacket. The house is silent, except for the sound of flowing water coming from the bathroom. I head out into the hall, figuring my mom's left the bath running again. She does that sometimes when she's distracted. The door is locked, so I knock on it. â€Å"Mom, are you in there?† I call out. Water swishes from inside and I realize the carpet beneath my feet is sloshy. I sober up real quick, and rush to my closet to grab a hanger. Stretching it out, I shove the end into the lock of the bathroom. It clicks and I push the door open. The scream that leaves my mouth could shatter the world's happiness into a thousand pieces. But the silence that follows it is enough to dissolve it completely. Micha â€Å"What are you so happy about tonight?† my mom questions when I walk into the house. â€Å"I'm as happy as I always am.† I join her at the kitchen table and steal a cookie from a plate. She takes off her glasses and rubs the sides of her nose. There's a calculator, a checkbook, and a whole lot of bills stacked in front of her. â€Å"No, I haven't seen you smile like this in a while.† â€Å"I just had a really good night.† I take out my wallet and hand my mom a couple of twenties and a hundred dollar bill. â€Å"Here, this is what I got for working a weekend at the shop.† My mom shakes her head and tosses the money in my direction. â€Å"Micha Scott, I'm not going to take my son's money.† I throw it on top of the bills and push away from the table. â€Å"Yes, you are. I want to help out.† â€Å"Micha I – â€Å" â€Å"Stop arguing and take it young lady,† I warn with humor in my tone. She sighs, defeated, and collects the money. â€Å"You're a good son. Do you know that?† â€Å"Only because I was taught to be.† I head for my room, but hear a scream from outside. I backtrack into the kitchen. â€Å"Did you just hear that?† My mom's eyes are wide as she stares at the back door. â€Å"I think it came from the Daniel's house.† A billion different scenarios rush through my head as I run outside, hop the fence, and burst into her house. â€Å"Ella!† It's quiet, except for water running upstairs. I dash up the staircase, skipping steps. â€Å"Ella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My body chills like ice. Ella is standing in the doorway and her mom is in the bathtub filled with red water that's spilling out all over the floor. â€Å"Ella, what happened?† She flinches and then turns to me. Her pupils have taken over her eyes and the look on her face will haunt me for the rest of my life. â€Å"I think she killed herself,† she says numbly and holds out her hands, which are smudged with blood. â€Å"I checked her pulse and she doesn't have one.† I take out my cell phone and call 911. When I hang up, Ella collapses into my arms and stays there, unmoving until the ambulance shows up. She doesn't cry – she barely breathes and it nearly kills me because I can't do anything to help her.

The Spiritual Worldview By Sigmund Freud - 1462 Words

The Spiritual Worldview Whether people choose to be a believer in God or an unbeliever, their original worldviews tend to stem from the views of their family members. These worldviews are typically developed throughout early childhood and are based on the premise of wanting to be accepted by someone (typically family), this is classified as having extrinsic faith . However, as children grow up, they often begin to express their individuality and question their worldviews. This is a demonstration of intrinsic faith, which Sigmund Freud and C.S Lewis exemplify. Sigmund Freud and C.S Lewis are famous theologians who’s writings share a common parallelism, but did not share the same ideas for the existence of God. Lewis stands behind the spiritual worldview and claims that one will only be truly happy once they have developed a relationship with God. On the other hand, Freud believes in the materialistic worldview, that the world is made up of what can be seen and that religion was only created to give pe ople wishful thinking. However, Lewis ultimately makes the strongest argument for his worldview and effectively shows his audience the profound relationship that is made between humans and God. First of all, Lewis at one point in time was an atheist, so it is clear why he would have an explanation as to why the atheistic worldview is incorrect. One of the strongest arguments that Lewis makes for his spiritual worldview is a concept that countless amount of unbelievers do notShow MoreRelatedThe Boy Who Never Grew Up Essay2156 Words   |  9 PagesThe Boy Who Never Grew Up John C.W. Young California Baptist University â€Æ' Abstract Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is used to explore Peter Pan and his inability to take his place in a responsible world. 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Religion as Belief in Spiritual Beings Over a hundred years ago Charles Henning was examining religion with what we would recognize as a modern anthropological methodology and attitude, and in his paper ‘On the Origins of Religion’ he lists the late 19th century natty ideas and terms in the study of religion and its functions. Henning cites E.B. Tylor as seeing the individual fundamental element of religion as the belief in spiritual beings (Henning 1898:374): By requiring