Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in Service Industries Case Study - 1

Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in Service Industries - Case Study Example r that the Amazon.com Company is a verified technology leader; it has developed electronic commerce innovations such as personalization of shopping services and easy-to-use search and browse features (Anderson & Young, 2001). Shopping at Amazon.com is fast and safe, incorporating a simple ordering system, secure credit card transactions, and e-mail communication with customers and direct shipping internationally. The Internet is an increasingly significant global medium for online commerce. The Company’s headquarters are based in the Seattle, Washington. The Amazon.com firm successfully accomplished its initial civic offering in the mid-month of the year 1997 and its common stock is listed on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol AMZN. In many ways, Amazon.com is perhaps the company that is most closely tied with the E-Commerce phenomenon. The company has grown from a bookseller to a fundamental Wal-Mart of the website selling products as diverse such as Music compact discs, game applications, software and apparatus and hardware. The company has also grown at a steady rate with revenues rising from about one hundred million dollars in 1997 to three billion dollars in 2001 (Anderson & Young, 2001). However, the rise in revenue has led to a corresponding increase in operating losses making the company to run a great deficit. The company did make its first quarterly profit of five million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2001. Unfortunately, this was made to decline by vital cumulative losses. Great economists first defined the concept of Activity Based Activity in the late 19th century in that period. Originally, the ABC was focusing on the manufacturing industry where the technical upgrading and output upgrading had reduced the quantity of express labor and the material costs, though there was an increase in the percentage of indirect or overhead cost. In contrast to the traditional cost accounting system, the activity based cost systems originally

Genetic Algorithm Research Proposal

Genetic Algorithm Research Proposal System Optimization The main concern is to find the optimum value for each design parameter for each prediction period for a total simulation time of 12 hours. The simulation is performed on the selected system based on the optimization timeframe with an acceptable accuracy and the optimization process is applied for a prediction period of one. The value of a single design parameter and internal loads are fixed during a prediction period and may vary from one prediction period to another. Genetic Algorithm Modeling the liquid desiccant system with the CC/DV system is complex task with multi-variables involved, several equations are coupled and indirect relations between different parameters are present. Since several non-linear equations are solved, it is advised to use a revolutionary derivative free optimization tool that follows the direct search technique. The simplest optimization tool that could be used for the proposed case is the genetic algorithm optimization tool because it is derivative free, based on numerical analysis, and is somehow efficient if compared with other derivative based optimization schemes. Moreover, it fetches the global minimum of a specific function. Our choice of using a derivative free algorithm to solve the optimization problem is implemented by the evolutionary genetic algorithm. Genetic algorithms are adaptive methods which may be used to solve search and optimization problems, and are based on the genetic process of biological organisms. Genetic algorithms are growing more and more popular and extending from simple design optimization to online process control. The power of the genetic algorithm arises from its robustness, being acceptably good in finding the near optimum solution and being relatively quick [1]. An efficient optimization technique uses two techniques to find the optimal solution, exploration and exploitation, and this is what genetic algorithm does. The Genetic Algorithm terminology The algorithm starts by seeding a set of trial combinations of the variables to be optimized and calculating the numerical value of the objective function for each combination selected. This set is called the â€Å"Initial Population†. The set of numerical values calculated for the objective function from the first trial, is then evaluated according the â€Å"Fitness Criteria†. The fitness criteria can be defined as the condition for the objective function numerical value to be better convenient than its pears. Based on their fitness, some combinations in the previously seeded set are chosen to be â€Å"Parents†. Parents then undergo either â€Å"Crossover† or â€Å"Mutation† procedure to produce â€Å"Children†. Most fitted parents simply jump to the next generated population without any change; such parents are referred as â€Å"Elite†. The current population is replaced by children from the next population. Elite children are the individuals in the current generation with the best fitness values. These individuals automatically survive to the next generation. Crossover children are created by combining the vectors of a pair of parents. Mutation children are created by introducing random changes, or mutations, to a single parent. The algorithm stops when the â€Å"Tolerance† in the objective function values between two generations is less than a certain set error value, or when the maximum number of â€Å"Generations† is exceeded, or by any other defined â€Å"Stopping Criteria†. For the optimized control strategy used for the chilled ceiling, displacement ventilation system the variables of the chilled ceiling and displacement ventilation are varied; this variation leads to a minimal optimal cost that results in the minimum cost that could be attained in the system. Referring to the system figure and considering the optimal control strategy, the variables that may be used for cost optimization are: The desiccant temperature at the inlet of membrane(). The supply air temperature(). The supply air mass flow rate(). Equation Chapter 6 Section 3Each variable in the optimization routine has a lower and an upper bound. These bounds define the interval where the genetic algorithm searches for the optimal cost and are based on physical considerations. The bounds for the different variables according to ASHRAE’s recommendations are: The supply air temperature is considered to vary between 17 and 23  °C. The supply air mass flow rate is considered to vary between 0.08 and 0.26 kg/s. Optimization Constraints There are several non-linear constraints that are applicable to the system. These constraints are related to thermal comfort issues, condensation inside the room and physical constraints. The constraints may be redefined in the following list The Percent People Dissatisfied inside the occupied zone is less than 10%. This condition is required for the human thermal comfort. The closer the PPD is to zero, it is assumed that the occupants inside the room would be more comfortable noting that the smallest percent people dissatisfaction is 5%. The temperature gradient shall not be greater than 2.5 K/m or 2.5  °C/m. This condition is required so that there would not be any large gradients in the human body. Large gradients cause thermal discomfort for living beings. The stratification height inside the room is greater than 1 m. This condition is required so that the stratified air does not mix with the breathing zone. The relative humidity inside the occupied zone is greater than 56% and less than 76%. The fitness function: To be able to enhance the speed of the genetic algorithm, the electrical cost function and constraints are combined in a single cost function by using penalty functions, thus the fitness cost function may be written as: The coefficients , , , , and in the above function are the weight factors for their related penalty costs. The weight factors values are set according to the system parameter. For the current system,‘s are set to unity. electrical cost The objective function that is to be optimized is the total operational cost of the system; this cost may be divided into: The cost of running the chiller.     Ã‚   The cost of running the pump. The cost of running the fan. Note that in this work the cost is given in units of KW. Chiller Cost The chiller is the main energy consuming component in our system .The chiller cost is expressed in terms of the part load ratio. The part load ratio is defined as the ratio of the current load on the chiller divided by the design load that the chiller could handle. Mathematically, the part load ratio is found from the equation The coefficient of performance of the chiller is correlated to the load equation by using the following correlation: The cost of the chiller is calculated by using the following equation Fan cost The fan cost is directly related to the air mass flow rate by using the following equation: Pump cost The pump cost is related to the pump head, liquid desiccant mass flow rate, and the efficiency of the pump. The power of the pump is evaluated by multiplying the pressure difference by the volumetric flow rate and dividing the result by the pump efficiency; mathematically the pump cost equation may be written as Note that the pump cost is not included in the cost function, since the desiccant mass flow rate is costant. Therefore the total energy consumed can be expressed by the following equation: The Constraints Cost Functions The cost function for the constraints may be written such that they could be incorporated into the online cost function in a simple manner. These constraints are related to their respective threshold values such that when the constraints are violated, the fitness function would have a very large value. For the predicted person dissatisfied, the cost function The relative humidity cost function may be bounded from the upper side by using the relation The stratification height cost is bounded to be larger than 1m, thus the stratification height cost is The temperature gradient is to bounded to be less than 2.5 K/m, thus the temperature gradient cost function may be written as The exponential term helps to penalize the cost function when-ever the thermal comfort level of occupants in the room TH decreases below the minimum set value THmin. This will increase the value of the cost function dramatically and the set of variables at hand is rejected. The integration of the constraint terms within the objective function expression and the use of the exponential form to control the constraints’ cost were implemented by Keblawi et al. [13] and Hammoud et al. [4].

Disguise in Shakespeares Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night Essays

Disguise in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disguise is a device Shakespeare employs frequently in both Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night. It allows a disguised character like the Duke of Vienna to glean information that would otherwise go unknown, and a character like Viola to take advantage of potentially beneficial situations. It gives these characters access to worlds that might otherwise be denied; for the Duke, he can now "haunt assemblies / Where youth and cost a witless bravery keeps" (1.4.9-10). For Viola, she might "serve the duke" (1.2.51) and thus hopefully keep company with Olivia, who also lost a brother. Disguise is especially appropriate in the worlds that exist in the two plays: they are characterized by excess and inversion of proper order. In Measure for Measure, the Duke leaves his kingdom unexpectedly in the hands of a deputy; the inversion is continued by the unprecedented harsh enforcement of the law, something that hasn't been done in fourteen years. In Twelfth Night, the title itself suggests a last hurrah, the end of the carnival, and Viola personifies this last wildness by taking on a role opposite in gender to her natural one: she plays a man.    Michael Margan in "Laughter and Elizabethan Society" glosses Mikhail Bakhtin, saying that the laughter of carnival is "an ambivalent laughter, simultaneously celebrating and mocking, sympathizing and deriding" (34). Laughter, comedy, and a world turned upside-down characterize Twelfth Night, Or What You Will, and allow Viola to successfully don her "masculine usurped attire" (5.1.248) and win Olivia's hear... ... city. Donning a disguise to suit the moment does not change the person, however adaptable and convenient it may be to achieve certain ends. The Duke of Vienna tells Isabella that though he removes his friar's robe he is "not changing heart with habit" (5.1.381), and Viola laments that "My state is desperate for my master's love" (2.2.37). Just as carnival and misrule only have a limited reign, so their disguises only alter Viola and Vienna temporarily. Works Cited Margan, Michael. "Laughter and Elizabethan Society," in Contexts of Comedy. Wells, Stanley, and Gary Taylor, eds. "Measure for Measure". William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1998. Wells, Stanley, and Gary Taylor, eds. "Twelfth Night, or What You Will". William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1998.

Are Harry Potter Harmful for Children

Are Harry Potter Books Harmful for Children? As far as I'm concerned, the Harry Potter series are quite suitable for children to read. As we all know, this set of books is written about a boy who is a wizard, and he fights with the devil for the justice, during the process it also show us how to treat our real friends and our family.Some parents and censors consider this book harmful for children to read and try to ban it, because of the manipulation, lying, violence, witchcraft (which they think is against god) and rebellion in Harry Potter books are unfit for children to read, for they will imitate the same thing and learn something adults don't want them to acquire that early. But I have to say it is just a book, in today's world if a child wants to know these things, all he need is just to go online and google it, so if they want to protect their children, why don't they ban the Internet?If you think that because there is witchcraft and devils in the novels which supports satan a nd defies God, I have to say that you are definitely wrong. If you have ever read this set of books, you'll find out that it's just the background and a part of this novel. The witchcraft is just the background which the author set to entertain readers. , because this field is very attracting and can satisfy children's curiosity. And it also keeps children's minds open. This world is nothing like the real world, so they can imagine lots of things which can develop their imagination and creation. When J. K.Rolling wrote about this darkness part, she also mentioned the right part. And it is a tale of good triumphing over evil. I think we can't see this series from just one perspective. We can't deny it for the author writes about the darkness and the devil then forget that from all perspectives, what she real emphasize and want readers to learn is the braveness, the justice, the friendship, the love, and the family. It taught our children, even adults how to become an upright person. For example, when Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron play â€Å"chess†, for the friendship and the justice Ron sacrifice himself to save Harry.In this real world, many adults can't do the same thing when they meet with difficulties. If we banned this book, what about Snow White? It i also filled with wicked, blackness things. Instead, we taught our children the correct and proper way by telling Snow White when they are very little. Therefore, why can't we treat the Harry Potter series the same way or even kinder. It is also a tale for children to learn the world by means of using the metaphor, changing the scene to the magic world. The dark part is not the point, but the love, the moral part that hit the nail on the head.If parents really worried about the darkness part, he/she can read the book for children while explain these for children instead of banning it. Although the censors think that their efforts are benefiting children, in the long run it is destroying them. We are d estroying our children's imagination. We put them in the same frame we set up for them. We decide which kind of books they read, which friend of children they make friends with, which kind of games they play, etc. If all these matters had to be approved and set up by adults, each child would be a mindless, characterless character.There would be no unique qualities to distinguish one from another, all children being of the same mold. If our children grew up with out creativity or imagination and only knew what was approved, this world would become numbing, vapid and meaningless. The Harry Potter series is encouraging the growth of a child’s imagination, allowing our children to grow into fully functioning, creative adults. As for the religious part, they say the book encourages witchcraft. I think they are too mean, too extreme. There are lots of fairy tale and legend for children about witchcraft or magic.We can't ban and criticize all these things. It is the same with Harry Potter. Just because Harry Potter is so popular and attractive to children, so they afraid the witchcraft will take the place of god, and they try to ban it. They say it's harmful for children actually on behalf of their own interest, not really for the children's sake. In conclusion, the Harry Potter books are not harmful for children. On contrary, it will enhance children's moral standard and imagination. Therefore, we should really recommend our children to read it.

Pepsi Story

Founded in 1893, Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is a product of the firm â€Å"PepsiCo. † It the sass and sass it was the leading soft drink company in the market. From then to now a lot has changed in terms of market scenario as well as product development. The current market scenario comprises of two main market leaders in the soft drink industry, namely, Pepsi and Coca-Cola (Coke). In addition to these other competitors include Thumbs up, Lima, etc. Pepsi faces heavy competition in the Indian market that is so diverse in terms of cultures, traditions, tastes and references.Narrowing the research to the city of Pun specifically, within India, it can be noticed that the consumer preference is more for Pepsi or Coke over the others. Since Pun is largely a student hub, it contains a lot of the younger generation population. Thus with the research conducted through this study, Pepsi will be able to study how it could get an upper hand over its competitors in the potential and booming market of Pun in terms of brand awareness and consumer preference. Need of the Study The need of the study conducted is highlighted below Will help with competitor analysis.Will help the company to get an idea about consumer tastes and preference. Will help the company get an upper hand over its competitors. Will help the company to gain market dominance. Will ensure brand loyalty. As it can be studied trot the above graph which is based on the responses received from the target market of this study, Coke and Pepsi have a neck to neck competition with Coke leading as compared to the other companies including Pepsi. Thus the main need of this study is for Pepsi to analyze ways in which it could replace Coke to e the market dominator in Pun.It must focus on the branding, pricing and packaging parameters mainly in order to improve or introduce newer products into the market and that is exactly the kind of information this study would provide the firm with. Scope of the Stu dy Scope of the study includes- Parameters such as competitor analysis, branding and packaging analysis. It focuses on carbonated soft drinks. Does not include water and alcoholic beverages. Limited to the city of Pun. Research conducted of behalf of Pepsi. Includes bottled as well as can soft drinks.Limited to age group of about fifteen to forty five years. Included . Methods of Data Collection There are two methods of data collection- 1. Primary 2. Secondary Primary Both males and females Data was collected through the use of questionnaire. First hand information was made available by distributing questionnaires to 50 people in the target market. Secondary It refers to collection of data that already exists and is within reach of everyone else as well. For the purpose of this study secondary data methods such as the internet and various articles were used. Statistical Tools UBar Graph Pie Charts Questionnaire Company Profile Pepsi is a product of the company PepsiCo that is an Ame rican multinational company that has its base in New York. It was founded in 1965, after the merger of Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito Lay. The CEO of the firm is a dynamic Indian lady named Indri Garnishment's Annoy, who has held her position since 2006. PepsiCo owns various firms, namely- Frito Lay Tropical Quaker Oats Storage Various products introduced include Diet Pepsi Lipton Ice Tea 7 up Mountain Dew Miranda Lays Doris These are a few products amongst many others.