The Effects Of The Internet Essays - Internet, New Media

The Effects of the Internet Chances are, anyone who is reading this paper has at one time, at least surfed the net once. Broadcasting your views, questions, and information to millions of other people. The Internet has so many different features. It has chatrooms, which is a great place to meet new people. The Internet has several research sites available for school papers. The Internet can also become very addictive if you're not careful at the time you spend on it. The Internet has both negative and positive sides as to the effect it has on study habits. I personally have spent more hours then I can add up on the Internet. More then I care to even admit. I will take you back approximately three months ago. At this time I received a new computer at work. My first thought was what Internet provider will I use? I chose America On line. I had a hard time setting up my account but by the third day I was in cyber land. I was learning the ropes of the net, researching, looking at pictures, I cannot believe the pictures on the Internet. I sent everyone I know e-mails. I thought it was the best thing aside from cheesecake. The Internet has been very helpful when it comes to research on different subjects. I usually find very helpful information. I have also been lead to dead ends more then once. I have found so many different interesting things on the net, in fact I found my family tree, which was very surprising to run into. I have found a lot of different school Essay sites, I will never use these as it is unfair to the people who write the papers. I have found information on concerts and different events that are in Tampa and the surrounding areas. If I didn't have a life I would always have the net!There are chat rooms ah yes one of my favorite time passing activities. One boring, Williams-2 dull afternoon, while I was at work still very unfamiliar with my new computer. I started clicking around and looking in different files. Low and behold I found the chat file. I of course made sure my boss and everyone were out of the office. Click off to cyber chat I went. I ventured into the U.K chat area rooms called Transatlantic. It was great everyone welcomed me and gave me a cheesy cyber hug. I meet people all over the world and spoke to a few in the United States. I lost track of time and the next thing I knew it was five o'clock and time for me to go home. That day at work I didn't accomplish much at all. The next few weeks became worse. I became addicted to America On Line! What can I do? I thought to my self. I started skipping lunch, I started saying mum instead of mom arse instead of ass. This has had a large negative effect on my study habits. I am currently looking for a new job and hope to get one that does not have Internet Access available to employees. I will say I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Internet. I have limited my time on the net to a few hours during the day. I do not log onto the Internet at home or on the weekends. I still like to spend time in chat rooms as often as I can, I like to talk to people from Europe now. I am traveling to Europe in July and have had a lot of people give me advice. I am currently taking lunch at least three times a week now. I have yet to share my addiction with anyone I know well. My advice to people who use the Internet would be, use the net for what you need don't become one of me. Have fun but don't let the world of cyber take you over. If you already use the net and spend more time on the net then you do studying, you should really evaluate your situation.

Free Essays on Dr. Politics

If you like government policy and hate pre-medical science, political science may be for you. I interviewed Professor Stephen Schmidt, also known as â€Å"Dr. Politics† and senior Katie Gilbert. Professor Schmidt teaches political science classes, specializing in Latin Studies and Internet courses. He also has a weekly radio show on WPOL, where his nickname â€Å"Dr. Politics† began. He has been doing the radio show for fifteen years as volunteer work. Katie began college wanting to work with government policy and public relations. She started her freshman year in political science. Unlike Professor Schmidt, Katie has learned to keep good study plans since she was a freshman. Professor Schmidt began his college career in pre-medical science. After two years of failing classes in science and math, he noticed that he got good grades in political science classes and other classes that intertwine political science. So after learning how to make a good balance between personal life and school, Professor Schmidt began to enjoy school and received passing grades. Professor Schmidt has been teaching at Iowa State University for thirty-two years. He has taught many classes from American Government and Law to Latino Studies to Internet classes. His future plans including learning oceans policies, which deals with things like pollution and coral reefs. This way he can tie some of his favorite hobbies like boating and scuba diving into his future classes. From the reputation that Professor Schmidt has created through his radio show he has been a major source for the media during election years. He has been on national radio talk shows and quoted in newspapers such as The New York Times. Usually weeks before the Iowa Caucuses, he has more than fifteen messages from the media to get back to during one day. I explained to both interviewees my future plans to work into running for public office. Katie told me that downfalls to public office... Free Essays on Dr. Politics Free Essays on Dr. Politics If you like government policy and hate pre-medical science, political science may be for you. I interviewed Professor Stephen Schmidt, also known as â€Å"Dr. Politics† and senior Katie Gilbert. Professor Schmidt teaches political science classes, specializing in Latin Studies and Internet courses. He also has a weekly radio show on WPOL, where his nickname â€Å"Dr. Politics† began. He has been doing the radio show for fifteen years as volunteer work. Katie began college wanting to work with government policy and public relations. She started her freshman year in political science. Unlike Professor Schmidt, Katie has learned to keep good study plans since she was a freshman. Professor Schmidt began his college career in pre-medical science. After two years of failing classes in science and math, he noticed that he got good grades in political science classes and other classes that intertwine political science. So after learning how to make a good balance between personal life and school, Professor Schmidt began to enjoy school and received passing grades. Professor Schmidt has been teaching at Iowa State University for thirty-two years. He has taught many classes from American Government and Law to Latino Studies to Internet classes. His future plans including learning oceans policies, which deals with things like pollution and coral reefs. This way he can tie some of his favorite hobbies like boating and scuba diving into his future classes. From the reputation that Professor Schmidt has created through his radio show he has been a major source for the media during election years. He has been on national radio talk shows and quoted in newspapers such as The New York Times. Usually weeks before the Iowa Caucuses, he has more than fifteen messages from the media to get back to during one day. I explained to both interviewees my future plans to work into running for public office. Katie told me that downfalls to public office...

A Birthday - Imagery and Symbolism

The imagery used in the first stanza draws on familiar natural objects but can also be read at another level in the light of Rossetti’s knowledge of the Bible. In the second verse, the focus is on artificial objects hung, carved and worked by human hands. Various images in this verse demonstrate an awareness of traditional Christian art, as well as reflecting and celebrating human creativity. A singing bird To a ‘singing bird’ (line 1), vocal expression is as natural as breathing. By speaking of her ‘heart’ in these terms, the speaker indicates that her song forms a natural part of herself and is an overflow of her identity. The image of the singing bird is one which is often used in Romantic poetry. William Wordsworth emphasised the importance of expressing natural feelings when he argued that it was his intention to create a poetry which was a ‘spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’. (See Literary context gt; Romantic poetry). A watered shoot By having a ‘nest’ in a ‘watered shoot’ (line 2), the speaker suggests that the sustenance upon which she can live and rest has been provided: †¢The word shoot alludes to the first stages of growth of a plant as it emerges from the ground. By describing a shoot as ‘well watered’, the poem conveys ideas of lushness and fertility. However, rather than making a nest in a full grown tree, by making it in a shoot, the singing bird remains in a place of fragility, since it is easy to uproot or destroy a shoot †¢The idea of being watered has biblical connotations. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the believers in Jerusalem are encouraged by God’s promise that he will guide them and provide for their needs: The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs †¦ You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11 TNIV An apple tree The image of the ‘apple tree / Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit’ (lines 3-4) would be a familiar sight in an age more in touch with its agricultural roots than today †¢It recalls the imagery in Keats’ Ode to Autumn. This begins by describing fruit ripe and ready on apple trees: Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round he thatch-eves run; To bend with apples the mossd cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; †¢Mention of apples might also lead Rossetti’s readers to think of the accounts of the first humans in the Garden of Eden before the Fall where they lived in perfect peace with nature and one another. It is also likely that Rossetti is alluding to the biblical concept of the Tree of Life. The writer of the Old Testament book Proverbs, declares that those who ‘lay hold’ of this tree ‘will be blessed’ (Proverbs 3:18). Rainbow †¦ halcyon By speaking of her heart as a ‘rainbow shell / That paddles in a halcyon sea’ (lines 5-6), the speaker provides an image of exuberant colour drifting at ease in tranquil waters. †¢According to the Bible, the image of the rainbow refers to the fulfilment of God’s promises, when God helped Noah to escape the flood which wiped out the known world. He then set a rainbow in the sky as a promise that never again would such an event occur (Genesis 19:3) ? It is possible that the speaker perceives that God’s promises are being fulfilled in her life and wants to celebrate this †¢The term ‘halcyon’ comes from the Greek myth of a bird (possibly a kingfisher) which was said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea. According to ancient writers, it charmed the wind and waves so that the sea was especially calm during the period. For English readers, the phrase ‘halcyon days’ was associated with ideas of joy, prosperity and tranquillity ? The poem’s speaker uses the image of the halcyon sea to indicate the deep comfort and rest she has found. By ending the first verse with the declaration that her ‘heart is gladder than all these’ (line 7), the speaker indicates that descriptions of the natural world are incapable of fully expressing her exubera nt emotional state. Pathetic fallacy The speaker of A Birthday uses the technique of pathetic fallacy when she gives emotions to the ‘apple tree’ full of fruit and the ‘rainbow shell’. This is the treatment of inanimate objects, such as trees and houses, as if they had human feelings, thought or sensations. The term was invented by critic John Ruskin in 1856 when he wrote that the aim of the pathetic fallacy was ‘to signify any description of inanimate natural objects that ascribes to them human capabilities, sensations and emotions’. The Temple Rossetti draws on the imagery used in the Old Testament to discuss the Temple which symbolised God’s presence with his people. For the Jews in the Old Testament, the Temple was the place where they met with God. A Birthday mentions purple hangings, carved fruit and statues of animals, which all figure in the descriptions of Solomon’s Temple given in 1 Kings 6:14, 1 Kings 6:18, 1 Kings 6:29 and 2 Chronicles 3:14 and 2 Chronicles 3:16. More on the Temple: In the teachings of the early church, recounted in the New Testament, the idea of God’s Temple shifts in meaning. Christians generally understand this Temple to be a model of an individual’s heart, where God communicates with the human soul. This understanding comes from the New Testament teaching that every Christian believer is understood as a temple in which the Holy Spirit can dwell. A Dais The word ‘dais’ (line 9) indicates a raised platform. The speaker seems to envisage a structure built in celebration of the return of her love. The ‘silk and down’ from which it is made are materials of softness and luxury, as well as conveying lightness, which adds to the sense of uplifting that the poem conveys †¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœDais’ is also a word commonly associated with the raised part of a church upon which the altar and communion table are placed. Rossetti attended a high Anglican church (see Religious / philosophical context gt; Tractarianism) which emphasised the significance and symbolism of the structure of the church building and would have undoubtedly made use of a dais. Royalty and nobility The imagery of ‘vair’, ‘purple’, ‘gold’, ‘silver’ and ‘fleur-de-lys’ (line 10) is imagery traditionally associated with royalty and nobility †¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœvair’ is an expensive fur obtained from a variety of squirrel with a grey back and white belly. It was often used in the 13th and 14th centuries as a trimming or lining for garments and is associated with heraldry †¢The dye used to create purple tones was so expensive it was only available to the rich and therefore, became a colour associated with royalty †¢Precious metals are associated with crowns and other regalia †¢The fleur–de-lys is a heraldic symbol derived from the lily. It was often engraved on the armour of royalty. Birds Following the description of the singing bird in the first verse, the second alludes to representation of doves and peacocks on the dais. †¢Doves are used in the Bible to represent: ? Reconciliation and peace. This arises from the story of Noah, when a dove sent out from the Ark returns with an olive leaf in its beak, signifying that the storm / flood was over (Genesis 8:11) ? The Holy Spirit, as at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16) †¢The description of ‘peacocks with a hundred eyes’ (line 12) corresponds to a traditional and mythical understanding of the bird as a symbol of all-seeing God. Investigating imagery and symbolism †¢List the imagery the speaker uses throughout the poem ?Why do you think that she moves from describing the natural world to objects that have been man-made? †¢What ambiguous aspects are there in the imagery described? Do you think that the symbolism that is drawn upon adequately reflects the speaker’s joy? ?What images would you use to reflect a state of joy you were feeling? ?Do these images correspond to any in the poem? Themes Self-expression and the natural world A Birthday is concerned with natural and spontaneous expression through song or poetry, beginning with the image of the ‘singing bird’ (l. 1). Poetry provides a natural outlet for the speaker’s emotions. Memory and forgetfulness Memory is a sustaining force in this poem. In A Birthday, the speaker’s joy in the arrival in her love is bound up in the memory of what he means or has meant to her. This hints at the notion that identity is founded upon memory and that self-awareness is constructed by the remembrance of a former self. Earthly life and ‘life after life’ The images of new life in the natural world in A Birthday can be seen to allude to new life after death. Investigating themes †¢List all the allusions to the natural world that the poem makes ? How do these allusions correspond to the speaker’s emotional state? ?What do they reveal about the purpose of the poem? ?What do they reveal about the identity of the speaker?

Signs of Worker's Compensation Fraud and Abuse Essay

Signs of Worker's Compensation Fraud and Abuse - Essay Example While the workers’ compensation system works in the best interest of employees, it is subject to abuse and/or fraudulent practices. Perpetrators of fraud, abuse, or both vary depending on the specific matter in question. This means that employees, employers, and legal experts among others can perpetrate workers’ compensation fraud and /or abuse for differentiated reasons, purposes, or motives (Green & Rowell, 2012). Fraud and/or abuse perpetrated by an employee entail the use of false information, practices, or procedures to obtain compensatory benefits that the employee is not entitled. Eligibility for such benefits is jeopardized, thus resulting in abuse or fraudulent activities that relate to worker’s compensation. When there is enough evidence that fraud and/or abuse in regard to workers’ compensation has occurred, it is important to establish the root cause, reason, purpose, or motive behind the activity. This would require that the perpetrator (the employee) be closely examined in order to ascertain the validity of the evidence available. Once this has been done, the response to worker’s compensation fraud and abuse should allow the perpetrator to explain why such a move was made (Rejda, 2011). This would allow the response team to establish the ground upon which fraud and abuse occurred. Responding to evidence of workers’ compensation fraud and abuse is strong when the baseline of such practices is understood (Green & Rowell, 2012). Once the evidence receives the aforementioned treatment, the next critical step seeks to determine contributory factors that provide loopholes in the system. This can take the form of determining the relationship between the stakeholders that verify and approve workers’ compensation. The idea here is to establish any cooperation and collaboration between fraudulent employees and parties in the compensation system.

'Explain and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Full Range Essay

'Explain and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Full Range Model' - Essay Example In transactional leadership, management-by-exception and contingent rewards are followed, where work and performance objectives are set and deviations are also allowed depending on the needs of the businesses. Contingent rewards are also provided as a measure of feedback over the performance of the organizational members. In transformational leadership, the dependency of the leaders is on consideration of the individuals, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, idealized influence (Gill 2006). The full range model considers all these models together in order to provide a business organization with the comprehensive model for effective leadership within organizations. However, the strengths and weaknesses of the full range model arise from the internal and external factors that influence the transactional and transformational leadership frameworks. The strengths of the full range model include the positive performances being reflected by organizational members oriented towards achieving success for the organization. The learning organizations concept has been improved more in the present times, thus transformational leadership can be significantly accepted by members. However, the weakness arises since the correlation of the transformational leadership with the transactional leadership that involved management by exception (Coad and Berry 1998). Another major strength associated with transformational leadership is that in the present times, interpersonal trust within organizations has gained significance and leaders are expected to play the major role in developing such trust for sustenance and effectiveness of the businesses. However the challenges of the leaders arise with the highly individualistic nature of the members where the trust needs to be earned (Gillespie and Mann 2004). Personality has been strongly associated with transformational leaders. It has been

Savant Syndrome Essay -- Health, Diseases, Splinter Skills,

Savant Syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person with a severe mental handicap has extraordinary abilities in a certain area, such as memorization, mathematics, or the playing of instruments. The first known case of savant syndrome was documented in a German scientific journal, Gnothi Sauton, in 1783. This article described the case of a man named Jedediah Buxton, who was talented in memorization and mathematics (Treffert 2009). Ever since this first account of Savant Syndrome was recorded, scientists and physicians alike have tried to understand this unusual disorder. The most well known case of Savant Syndrome is the fictional character; however, Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 movie Rain Man, was inspired by a real person. The now fifty-seven year old has memorized over six-thousand books and has an encyclopedic knowledge of over fourteen subjects, including geography, history, literature, and sports. He can name all the US area codes and the zip codes of major US cities, has memorized the maps in the front of the telephone books and can tell you exactly how to get from one city to another has calendar-calculating abilities and is a rather advanced musician (Treffert 2009). This man, however, cannot comprehend simple tasks and cannot even dress himself. One of the earliest reports of Savant Syndrome is that of the amazing calculating ability of Thomas Fuller. Thomas â€Å"who could comprehend scarcely anything, either theoretical or practical, more complex than counting† was asked how many seconds a man who wa s seventy years, seventeen days, and twelve hours old and replied the correct number of 2210500800 in less than ninety seconds. He even accounted for the seventeen leap year... ...hat causes autism by labeling autism a â€Å"signal-processing† disorder with information reduction through compression (Fabricius 2010). Basically, compression is where the brain takes an image and remembers the basics of the image but not the fine details. Fabricius explained Savant Syndrome using the compression theory: that normal people work with a compressed image while Savants retain one hundred percent of the original details. This is known as the â€Å"Savant Hypothesis (Fabricius 2010).† For cognitively normal individuals, fine details are often lost in a process known as â€Å"prototyping.† When a cognitively normal individual sees an image, unimportant details-like, in Fabricius’ example, an embedded triangle- are lost. To the autistic Savant, those details stand out, and the Savant has trouble seeing the big picture. Below is the example from Fabricius’ work:

Costco Wholesale Essay

1. Executive Summary Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal in Seatle Washington with a vision & mission â€Å"to continually provide members with quality of goods and services at the lowest possible price control inventory.† Part of their strategy include direct buying relationship that ensures an efficient & strong SC management, high standard staffing plans, high quality products at lower prices and assessable to members who are considered more loyal. Efforts are made to develop strategic options in line with these strategies while focusing on the supply chain parameters that span from order placement to receipt of goods at the warehouse and made available to customers in the warehouse shop floor using the most cost effective processes in order to ensure they support the mission of the company. By assessing Costco’s external opportunities and threats as well as the internal strengths and weaknesses (using SWOT & Porter’s Five Forces analysis), one can infer they are doing well within their industry. More options were generated to increase sales and awareness of the retail warehouses. The report concludes with recommendations for Costco to sustain it’s market edge and advance by expanding into the European & Asian markets more as their presence is still very weak in these regions as well as add other services & goods to their already existing list. 2. Introduction Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 within the retail industry is the largest warehouse club in the world based on sales volume. A major wholesale business offering three levels of membership and the largest wholesale club operator in the US with membership/warehouse locations spread across Asia, Europe, North & South America with headquarters based in Washington, US. Their main competitors operating membership warehouses include Sam’s Club & BJ’s wholesale club. Jim Sinegal, the founder defines the company vision as â€Å"giving the best to the customer at the best value possible†. Here best value (in quality of goods & services offered) at low prices are the driving force. Costco backs up it’s products with a return policy within a time frame of average 90 days, a highly endearing attraction to it’s members. The business model focuses on low prices & volume purchase in order to achieve profit at low margin with stores offering discounts on an average of 4,000 products out of which roughly a thousand are ‘treasure hunt’ referring to goods that are scarcely available for purchase always. Volume purchase from few vendors yielding further reduction in price and lowers cost in marketing. With low prices, quality goods in limited selection based on forecast lead to quick turnover in inventory. The high volume purchase and efficient network distribution yield efficiency in operations for Costco. With a stipulated membership fee, Costco warehouses are designed to help small to medium size businesses reduce purchasing costs as well as serving large families with the goods packaged in bulk ranging from alcoholic beverages, electronics, fresh food/produce, household & office supplies, pharmaceuticals & tires. Also available are special memberships with services like car & home insuranc e, mortgage and real estate services, and packages for travels. 3.Purpose and Main Areas Of the Research (Concepts & Techniques) Analyzing the supply chain operations at Costco wholesales, in line with the business focus while limiting to it’s supply chain operations strategy for maintaining a competitive edge as it relates to SC operations (from sourcing to arrival on pallets and or display at their various warehouses racks), their challenges and options for improvement will be the focus of this report. The following issues will form questions that will give a frame for this report: †¢ What are the key issues facing Costco in line with (efficient) Supply Chain Operations? †¢ What would be options to compete with these issues?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Which options best suits the business focus and would yield better growth financially? The sections thereafter will consider trying to answer the questions above by applying SWOT analysis (see appendix 1) and Porter’s five forces framework (see appendix 2). Areas needing improvement will be obvious from such, options that would generate better performance after localizing issues peculiar to Costco. These would ultimately lead to clear recommendations for Costco’s improvement. Due to inaccessibility of authentic and current data for successive years on sales, further analysis could not be carried out to compare Costco for accurate sales assessment in the last three years or compare with the other two leading club wholesalers (Sam’s & BJs). Identifying, analyzing key parameters with Supply chain operations processes at Costco and suggest areas of possible improvement. Inventory Management: Since good are moved straight to the selling floor and inventory is not held by Costco but managed by vendors, inventory & labor cost of handling is avoided. In their meat & grocery section for instance, they focus on low-price & high volume strategies hence, Costco carry very limited amounts of grocery & perishables whereas Wal-Mart is known to have weakness in the area of perishables (Petrak, 2006) Partnership/Collaboration with suppliers: Costco has buying relationships with many producers of national brands and are supplied directly from suppliers routing to the warehouses of docking points that serve as distribution points. Partnership market is an attribute of Costco, for instance by partnering with American Express to create a Costco-AMEX credit card, discounts & cash cards as offered to customers while Costco markets Amex cards, thereby helping them to acquire more customers. Distribution Strategies/Transportation: The redesign of product packages to fit into pallets and thereby maximize space has led to reduction of trucks used to transport goods. Cross-docking of goods by delivering directly to Costco stores while some are kept in the distribution centers saves a lot of time & cost along the SC. Utilization of buzzers for truck drives at delivery points to indicate when trucks have been unloaded can save time as against the truck driver’s physical movement within the warehouse is a time saver. Their warehouses are not situated on prime locations hence cost is saved from unnecessary high property cost; again, they own over 80% of the warehouses. Green Logistics: Costco Kirkland signature has launched eco friendly cleaning products. It maximizes the use of solar power in it’s warehouses, it’s delivery trucks are better packaged to allow maximization of space so as to reduce fleets of transportation and hence environmental pollution. Energy is better conserved with timed lighting and construction of warehouses that can maximize skylight during the day. Food products are packaged in recyclable and more environmentally friendly materials. Customers are paid to recycle their old electronics at the green sight. Information Technology: This retailer prides itself in it’s connection of all warehouses to the headquarters in Washington. By using the EFIM which provides real time information, manages control systems and inventory management system. The ECR is used to achieve profitability, improvement in efficiency, logistics, procurement and overall cost control. Kumar (2008) records that approximately $6 billion in a year is lost in the USA by supermarkets due to out of stock products among 25 top retailers as a result of inefficiency in their logistics. Vertical Integration: Costco practices a partial vertical integration with it’s cross-dock distribution. By gaining control of either its inputs or its outputs or both in sourcing directly from suppliers they have more control over innovation & delivery of those services. Cost is also reduced which is ultimately transferred to customers. Further optimization of operational performance through SC operations options that can sustain a competitive edge and improve customer satisfaction through service improvement and cost reduction. 4. Description Of The Separate Areas 4.1Description of The SC Operations Performance & Improvement. The measurement of SC performance can be based on profit, customer service or sales maximization (Chow, 1994). While the traditional method majorly measured product costs, identification of costs related to customer service is key. Elimination of various extraneous costs like plastic shopping bags, fewer shop floor staff, limited product variety & brands on shelf and also slowing down on capital expenditure like expansion, Costco has been able to focus on improving buying power for achieving greater output. Since inventory rates are quickly turned over, payments to suppliers is fast tracked hence they are able to benefit from discounted early payments. Cost is involved in sourcing products from suppliers, shipment to depots & warehouses, distribution to warehouses & storage in inventory. By considering the concept of avoidable cost (possibly considering packaging & storage), efforts can be made to improve on SC performance by implementing better SC integration program. Partnering with more suppliers and or service providers for better flow of operations as well as building keener competition can enhance better efficiency leading to more profit in the long run. More side business services can be added at Costco like money order and cash transfers to attract more customers and make Costco a one stop store. Aside from email messages being sent to existing members on promotions, greater awareness can create a more organized means to lure more customers on the expanding array of products & services such that new & more revenue streams are attained. 4.2 Issues Affecting Supply Chain and Possible Solutions Analysis of SC at Costco using SWOT analysis (appendix 1) reveals Costco is doing really well. Growth opportunities exist for business by entering the European & Asian markets as these have not been exploited. From present methods of operations, the high staff salary and low margins maintenance amongst other issues need to be looked into for future prospects. The aging and close exit of the CEO along with growing competition and other threats in intended foreign markets such as political and religious wars, foreign exchange & bank issues are threats to consider. In dealing with these issues, it will be important to assess briefly lead time management, product handling, transportation, quality, inventory as well as possible process solutions. Where possible, promotions should be done to enhance more sales though with the low prices and already highlighted low margin & high employee, this may eat into the profitability but if well planned can create more publicity for the company which can yield quick inventory turnover. Since low overhead & tight operation is the practice, better savings can be passed on to customers in form of promotion or otherwise. Exploration of overseas market is still a strong force and will yield greater profit considering the existing reputation Costco has and understudying how business is executed in such regions. Development of more private labels on wider product range and increased focus on customer loyalty programs are worth considering as well. It is advisable the board of management put in place a business plan before the exit/retirement of the CEO. Porter’s Five Forces analysis (see appendix 2) could identify an overall attractive industry, with the following power and threat situation: The buyer power was determined to have a positive potential impact on Costco business as it portray that buyers have the requisite level of expendable incomes to provide effective demand for goods & services. In a similar manner, low threat of new entrants and substitute products portray an attractive industry whereas moderate internal rivalry and supplier power have a positive impact on Costco operations as it kept the company alert and devoid of complacency. 4.3 Analyzing The Contribution Of SCOM to Competitive Business Performance To further highlight the role of SCOM in enhancing business performance and maintaining a competitive edge, a few activities like volume purchasing, efficient packaging & distribution, supplier integration & customer integration have contributed to give a close picture of Costco capabilities and business level performance with each activity having unique benefits and detriments. Again, constant review of SCM practices may further help management in Costco to further match demand with SC requirements like efficient, lean SC (Cook et al , 2011). Their Network design, JIT resource planning distribution, optimization of transport & replenishment policies have impacted positively and should be subject to constant review for sustaining a competitive edge. 5. Conclusion Finally, it is believed that some useful contributions are being developed to improve supply chain and it’s operation in line with the objective of Costco in delivering quality at lowest cost to customers on time with the aim of sustaining a more competitive advantage. Some useful SC options have been suggested above which support these objectives. While the ultimate goal remains to sustainably increase market share by achieving more qualitative growth and at the same time expand on the earning base through exploitation of the European market and already existing markets, Mascarehas et al (2004) adds that â€Å"competitive advantage must be won again and again† in other words, giving the current ever changing business world we live in, customer tastes and priorities are changing hence the need for Costco to be better positioned in order to respond always to it’s members needs while expanding on new fronts.