First Cars Ltd Essay Example for Free

First Cars Ltd Essay Critical path analysis is a method that is used to plan out the many activities involved in a project to be able to find the most efficient way of complete it and how to complete it on time. From a research and development point of view, the decision to go ahead with this project relies solely on the critical path analysis provided by Amy Jones. In light of this, the operations director is rightly concerned about how valuable the data provided by the critical path analysis is. The arguments for and against seem to be balanced. Therefore, I present the most significant argument of how valuable a critical path analysis – which is how Amy’s data allows the business to be have a clear outline of when and where money is spent in the project. This means that the critical path analysis will help First Cars plc with their cash flow which would allow them subsequently to be able to plan out careful spending to ensure they are able to fund the project. This would allow them to under go an investment appraisal before starting the project as they also have specific dates in which each part of the development would be ready. This is vital because of First Cars plc’s limited financial reserves it would mean they would be able workout the payback period and the average rate of return which could mean they are able to work out expected profits for the coming year from the which would mean shareholders would feel happier with the business as they are able to see a clear direction in which the business is improving, but most importantly it will show if the project is viable as they will be able to know how quickly it will allow the business to generate cash quickly to ensure they do not face a poor cash flow situation which could see the business dipping into liquidation. Another potential benefit of using critical path analysis is that it allows such an important project to be planned thoroughly in order to make sure everything is completed properly and on time. This is important because the business has a very clear deadline to make (August 2010) any issues which could mean they are not reached on time would result in the business failing to reach this deadline. Amy makes it clear that it is important to enter this market early to ensure a strong competitive market position because this is so vital it allows the critical path analysis to be used constructively to ensure everyone keeps to the same deadlines, this is because the tasks on the critical path analysis are completed by various other departments meaning the business has a Matrix structure so therefore it is important to highlight how important it is to reach deadlines and a clear outline on what deadlines should be met and how long the project teams have to reach them because there could be confusion due to the overlapping authority which is held in a Matrix structure. On the other hand, there is evidence that makes the credibility of the critical path analysis doubted. The most important argument supporting this would be the accuracy of the information provided in the diagram. In the case study it says ‘information provided by Amy Jones’ because of this it is hard to determine if the numbers are correct. Whilst it is important to remember that this is a completely new venture and there are hardly any competitors there is relatively no previous data to be obtained from competitors, because of this Amy has no where to be able to validate her own data with which could be worrying to the Operations Director because these numbers could have been come up with in thin air with no chance in reality to be reached on time. This concern could stem from the fact that all the data comes from Amy, who is pushing this project extremely hard to get through in to production. As the business is relying on this proposal to put the business ‘back o n to the road of success’ having only a critical path analysis could be of none value at all to First Cars plc. Another argument doubting the value of critical path analysis in this proposal is that most of the activities to take place are not in Amy’s marketing division which could mean she could underestimate the time needed to complete other tasks resulting in the time needed to complete the project being set back by many weeks. Which could mean they do not reach their important deadline of August 2010 which could possibly mean that they have thrown the whole project down the drain; this is because it is extremely important for the business that they reach the deadline if they want to become a strong competitor in the given market. Not only could the project be in jeopardy but the whole of the business if any of the deadlines aren’t met because it would put them in a poor state regarding their cash flow. All in all, even though the argument seems to be relevantly balanced I believe there is a lot to loss on this project, a considerably amount more than what is at stake to be gained. The project is so unsafe for a business which is already struggling to survive. I think that First Car plc needs to hold fire and invest in a project which will guarantee to bring in profits and cash quickly rather than one that is extremely risky with no previous data to compare it on and one that entails extremely high costs – cars could be sitting around for days or even weeks in expensive city centres with staff having nothing to do, I suspect it could be a seasonal business in regards to when someone might want a car and what for. Due to the reasons above I believe that in this case the value of the critical path analysis is extremely poor and that other factors need to be taken in to consideration, I would have liked to have seen more supporting evidence of the payback figures.

Martial Arts :: essays research papers

Martial Arts To follow is my report on martial arts in Asia. This a very interesting subject, and a very good report. It will describe martial arts and some types of martial arts. It will also say where they originated from. The term "martial arts" is a general term used to describe general types of fighting. Most martial arts practised today came from China, Japan, and Korea. There are hundreds of types of martial arts, each divided into specific styles or systems. Technically, martial arts fall into two categories: percussive, and non-percussive. In percussive martial arts such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Kung-Fu, people strike with their hands, feed, elbows, and head. This type of martial arts is very aggressive. On the other hand, in non-percussive martial arts, such as Judo, involve throwing, locking, and neutralising the opponent. They are far less aggressive. Kung-Fu is an interesting type of martial art, the origins of which are unknown. Some historians believe it started as early as 1500 BC There are two major types of Japanese martial arts. They are Bujitsu, and Budo. The bujitsu martial art is a relatively new one. It emphasises combat and willingness to face death as a matter of honour. Budo, which was started during the late 1800's, focuses on developing moral and aesthetic developments. Karate-do and Judo are forms of Budo. People who learn budo learn it to use it only as a last resort. Another martial art that developed in Japan is ninjitsu, which means "the art of stealing in!" People who practice ninjitsu are called ninjas. Ninjitsu was developed in the late 1200's.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Many poets and story writers write their stories based upon events and aspects of their life. They do this because it is so relatable and easy to write about because there is some truth in the words. Edgar Allan Poe is said to be one of these because his stories actually relate to his tragic, love stricken life. He is known to lead an overall depressing life that was full of loss and grief of loved ones. So because of this, Poe suffered most of his life. But although he had many misfortunes, he resorted to his passion of poetry to help him. Poe wrote many stories and poems that both reflected and represented his life. Stories such as Annabel Lee strongly show this as it is about the death of a loved women. Edgar Allan Poe was a mysterious man that accomplished many feats and went on to become one of the world’s most famous poets, although he also had a devastating life. On January 19th, 1809, Edgar Poe was born in Boston (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). He began his tragic life at a young age of three years old when his mother died and father left him (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Then as an orphan, young Edgar was adopted by his uncle, a tobacco merchant, John Allan, and his wife Frances (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). After years of school, Poe was admitted to the University of Virginia at only sixteen, but stayed for only one semester because of lack of financial aid from Allan (Giordano). Angry with Allan, Poe decided to enlist into the army as a private (Giordano). There, he published his first book in 1827, â€Å"Tamerlane and Other Poems,† and his career as a writer spiraled outward from there (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Poe continued to write and publish small books, earned little money, and did what he could to get noticed. He soon had another book published and by this point, he had a great fan base and was considered a celebrity in Baltimore (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). His readers felt his work was so unique and sometimes even asked for autographs from Poe. From this publicity, he was earning good money. But the good fortune didn’t last long and he was soon at the poverty level again and moved back and forth from New York to Virginia, submitting stories to and working for different magazines, getting small amounts of money here and there. Then, in 1841, while working for Grahams Magazine (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† NNBD), Poe wrote the first ever detective story, a murder mystery. It was titled â€Å"The Murders in the Rue Morgue† (Giordano). The public had never seen this kind of story so it immediately became famous and Edgar’s fame rose even higher. Poe had created a whole new topic in literature and some agree that this was his greatest contribution to world literature. In the next several years, Poe lost his wife Virginia but continued writing novels and stories in his grief (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Gale). This is said to be a basis for inspirations for his stories such as Annabel Lee and others (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). He once said â€Å"The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world. † (LeVert 12). When not further loved, Poe tried to commit suicide in Boston (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† NNBD). In this state of depression, Poe wrote the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† using his favorite theme, the grief a man feels when he loses women (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Poe died on the October 7th due to complications related to a brain lesion (Giordano). This was the end of the tragic life of poet Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe led an influential but very rough life. He was usually in need of money despite his fame, but wrote a total of 30 books alongside starting a whole new genre of writing. This author/poet wrote some of the best stories and poems and although he wasn’t so lucky in the events of his life, he will always be remembered as a great influence on American Literature. One of the stories Poe wrote relating to the â€Å"death of a beautiful women† was Annabel Lee wrote in 1849, approximately 5 months before his death. This makes sense because throughout his life, Poe had lost many women to death in his life including his mother and his only wife Virginia, who died two years prior to the poem being written (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). There has been debate on who this tragic story is about but most believe that is was truly written for Virginia, who he had married when she was 13 years old and died in 1847 (Giordano). This is supported by the fact that Virginia was Edgar’s only marriage, and the only one of his girlfriends that had died (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Also, in the poem, the narrator says that he fell in love with â€Å"Annabel Lee† when they were children and he did make her his wife (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). The famous poem is about, again, the death of a beautiful woman named Annabel Lee and the eternal love after death he fells for her. The narrator says that â€Å"even winged seraphs of heaven coveted her and me† meaning that even the angels in heaven were jealous of the love he and Annabel shared (Giordano). Like Poe’s love for Virginia, the narrator expresses great loss and sadness when she dies, losing his one true love. As also implied in the poem, he sits by her grave at night just to be near his loved one. This shows the divine love he had for â€Å"Annabel Lee† (Giordano). Annabel Lee is a prose poem written in the first person and was first published in Sartain’s Union Magazine. As it was so close to his date of death, it was his very last completed poem (â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† Wikipedia). Edgar Allan Poe had a great impact in the poetry and the overall literature world. He was a very mysterious man who lived a tough life and went through several struggles including death of loved ones. But from these losses and hardships came the inspiration for incredible poems like â€Å"Annabel Lee†. He wrote some of the world’s best poems, short stories, and novels and in doing so introduced the first detective story to America. The inspiring work he produced will be read and cherished forever.

Children Need For Play, Not Compete, By Jessica Statsky

In â€Å"Children Need to Play, Not Compete,† Jessica Statsky argues that younger children should not be involved in overly competitive sports. Statsky wrote that organized competitive sports were to the disadvantage of children both physically and psychologically. In youth athletics, some parents and coaches put their own dreams in front of their children s’ well-being by stressing winning. Statsky concludes â€Å"all organized sports activities† to be remade as a more enjoyable game regardless of each athlete’s ability and athleticism. The author states many issues that kids have when they are forced to play a sport just to win or that they don’t enjoy. Some kids just don t enjoy sports, but their parents force it on them. Certain organized sports programs promote winning over physical skills and self-esteem. Statsky brings up valid points that early childhood shouldn’t involve intense physical competition, which is associated with the risk of injury to the body and mind. Youth sports are continuing to be shifted into adult standards, by promoting victory while risking injury. Kids do not have the same physical capabilities of professional athletes on television, yet some parents insist that their kids continue playing extremely harmful sports at a violent level of play. Young athletes should not put constant strain on developing bones and muscles. For example, in baseball, a twelve-year-old trying to throw a curveball puts constant strain on the elbow’s ligaments, and may causeShow MoreRelated Ineffective Argument in Jessica Statskys Essay, Children need to Play, Not Compete966 Words   |  4 PagesJessica Statsky, in her essay, â€Å"Children need to Play, Not Compete† attempts to refute the common belief that organized sports are good for children. She sees organized sports not as healthy pass-times for children, but as onerous tasks that children do not truly enjoy. She also notes that not only are organized sports not enjoyable f or children, they may cause irreparable harm to the children, both emotionally and physically. In her thesis statement, Statsky states, â€Å"When overzealous parentsRead MoreEssay on Children Need to Play, Not Compete - Critique836 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Children Need to Play, Not Compete†, by Jessica Statsky: A Critique What makes Jessika Statsky’s â€Å"Children Need to Play, Not Compete† an effective piece in the arguments on whether the competitive sports may harm children both physically and psychologically, is her use of clear thesis statement and a full forecast of the reasons she offers to justify her position. Statsky carefully picks her key terms, such as by sports, for example, she means to describe both contact and non-contact sports thatRead MoreChildren Need to Play Not Compete Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pagesquoted that â€Å"Happiness is success† (1). Looking at it from the teenagers’ perspective of happiness, play to them means happiness and happiness means success. Accordingly there is vast distinction between one accomplishing his goal to be happy, and to accomplish happily. In the essay â€Å"Children Needs to play not compete† Jessica Statsky talked on some of health, physical and psychological reasons children should not be allowed to indulge in competitive games or sports. She appealed to the parents andRead MoreYouth Readiness Of Youth Sports1183 Words   |  5 Pagesideals attached to the picturesque image of the nuclear family have evolved considerably over time but with one exception, youth sports. Youth sports is a staple in nearly every American’s childhood as highlighted in â€Å"Children Need to Play, Not Compete† by Jessica Statsky. Statsky makes two contentions in favor of this argument. One, the participants of youth sports are not physically and psychologically ready and two, that the mentality of win or lose is more harmful than helpful during the formative