Virtual Realitys Benefits and Usages in Concurrent Engineering

Introduction According to Giebels, concurrent engineering refers to the design of a product’s lifecycle through the use of design team, production tools and automated engineering (46). The concept of concurrent engineering emphasizes on the interdependence between equipment and people in the design and lifecycle of a product. Developing a unique product design requires a close coordination between human resource and machines.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Reality’s Benefits and Usages in Concurrent Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Phases of concurrent engineering In the manufacturing sector, firms have come to realize that people must work closely with the machines to help in reducing operational costs, and improving quality of the products (Micky 12). The figure below shows different phases of concurrent engineering. Figure 1: Phases of concurrent engineering Source (Sullivan , Erevelles, and Gwan 2) As shown in the figure above, the initial stage of concurrent engineering is the identification of the components of the design system. They include the machines and people who are expected to take part in the design of a given product. As Dickey says, the computers used must be relevant to the product that is to be designed (World 206). It must have the relevant software and capacity to come up with the exact features desired of the product. The people involved must know what they are looking for out of a produc. They must also know how to use the computers to come up with the designed which is desired.  The second step is the design itself. According to Turkle, this is one of the most complex stages of concurrent engineering (82). At this stage, the designers will try to come up with a product that is new in the market.Advertising Looking for essay on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that the computers used do not come up with the design of a product. They only aid in the process of developing the design. The designers must think of the right features of the product, including shape, size, color, and other designs of the product. It may take a long time to design an acceptable product that is acceptable in the market. The next step is the development of a prototype. In many cases, Condric says that a team of designers may not come up with a successful product in the first attempt (340). For instance, the first prototype may meet the primary needs of the target customers but may fail in other aspects. The team may be required to adjust the prototype till it meets the expectations of the targeted customers. The fourth step is the initial production where samples of the product are taken to the market to test its acceptability. If it is accepted, then the final stage will be to launch it (Holden 202). During the launch, the product is manufact ured in mass and distributed to different markets. Applications of Concurrent Engineering Concurrent engineering is applied in the manufacturing sector (Ylvisaker 15). The main advantage of this technology is that it helps manufacturers to design products which meet the expectations of the customers in the best way possible by including all the features that they desire using computers. It makes the manufacturing process simpler than when using traditional methods. The Platform Concurrent engineering is based on integration of computers and designers when developing new products (Lehdonvirta 62). These two components must work together to achieve success. Relationship of concurrent engineering and computer-aided designs The computer-aided design is a process of concurrent engineering. It falls under the second phase of design in concurrent engineering. Gaps of current concurrent manufacturing Gaps in the current concurrent engineering may need to be addressed to help enhance its app lication in designing products. Ylvisaker identifies one of the gaps as the inability of the designers to test their products in a virtual world (41). It forces them to produce a prototype to test the effectiveness of the product. Another gap is the limited knowledge of the current designers when it comes to using computers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Reality’s Benefits and Usages in Concurrent Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Computer-Aided Designs (CAD) Computer aided-designs have become very popular due to the advancement of information technology. Xu and Miro define computer-aided designs as â€Å"The use of information technology (IT) in the Design process† (544). As the name suggests, the designers rely on computers to generate product designs that meet the expectation of the stakeholders. Salmon says that the designer plays a central role in the entire process, from the initial stage of problem identification to the final stage of implementation (72). He/she acts as the driver with a clear vision of the final destination of the process. In many cases, the design process may involve many experts. Some experts may be specialized on the components and structure of the product while others may be specialized on shape and color. The use of computers makes it possible to come up with complex designs within a very short time (Salt, Atkins, and Blackall 84). Given the fact that the initial products will be developed in a virtual world, wastage is also eliminated. Features of computer-aided designs Computer-aided designs have unique features that make them relevant in the current manufacturing setting. According to Bordegoni and Rizzi, CAD uses digital sketching in a virtual world (49). This is completely different from what is the case when using traditional design tools. It makes it possible to come up with different sketches of a product within a sho rt time. The designer can experiment with different designs before identifying the one which is appropriate. Bartle says that CAD uses flexible modeling tools that fit in different contexts (117). In the past, designers had to use tools tailored to act in a given way. However, this changed with the invention of CAD. Designers now have the liberty to come up with distinctive products using different approaches. They can experiment with different methods before coming up with the right product. The use of computer-aided designs has brought about unprecedented realism in a virtual world of design (Grenfell and Idda 38). It facilitates visualization of design in a way that makes it appear as real as possible. One of the main challenges that were witnessed in the initial stages of using computers in the design processes was that the designs shown in the computers were slightly different from the actual designs of the product given as the prototype. The model helps the designers to view t he product in all angles before authorizing the production of the prototype. Other important features of CAD include accuracy, quality, and precision in product development (Ortiz-Catalan at al. 41). This technology emphasizes on precision when it comes to issues such as color, size, shape, weight, and other dimensions of a product. The precision helps in enhancing product quality. It also promotes standardization of the products delivered to customers.Advertising Looking for essay on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Usages of computer-aided designs Computer-aided design is majorly used in companies at the design stage of product development. It is a popular technology among large-scale manufacturers (Dittmer 145). This technology is also used by people practicing fine arts. Limitations of computer-aided designs The main limitation when it comes to using computer-aided designs is the need for special expertise. The designers must have the capacity to use complex computer programs to come up with products. In many cases, it may force a firm to spend more in training its designers on how to use new software. Virtual Reality (VR) Bilalis defines virtual reality as â€Å"Computer based, interactive, multi-sensory environment that occurs in real time† (3). This technology uses computer software and hardware to create an environment that appears to be in the real-world. Virtual reality is used in various fields, from communication to trade and manufacturing. Its ability to create a virtual envi ronment that appears to be real environment to the users is its most outstanding feature. Differences between CAD and VR Computer-aided designs and virtual reality technologies have one fundamental difference. A person using virtual reality will feel to be part of the virtual environment. It means that when one is using VR technology to design a product, he/she will be able to feel the product as it changes from one stage to the next (Savin-Baden at al. 56). The designer and the product under development will be in the same world. This is not the case with computer-aided designs where designer and the product are in different worlds till the stage where a prototype is produced. How VR can overcome limitations of CAD It was mentioned that sometimes the product seen in the computer when using CAD technology may have different features from the one produced because the product and the designer are in different world. This limitation is addressed using VR technology (Savin-Baden 55). Th e product seen in the virtual world will be the same as that which is finally produced. How VR can be a successful part of concurrent manufacturing Virtual reality can be successful part of concurrent manufacturing, especially in the design process (Dickey Teaching 110). It can help designers to come up with superior products in a virtual world that meets the expectation of customers. Works Cited Bartle, Richard. Designing virtual worlds. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing, 2004. Print. Bilalis, Nicos. Computer-Aided Design. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, 2000. Print. Bordegoni, Monica, and Caterina Rizzi. Innovation in Product Design from CAD to Virtual Prototyping. London: Springer, 2011. Print. Condric, Katherine. â€Å"Using Second Life as a training tool in an academic library.† The Reference Librarian 50.4 (2009): 333-345. Print. Dickey, Moses. â€Å"Teaching in 3D: Pedagogical affordances and constraints of 3D virtual worlds for synchronous distance learning.† D istance Education 24.1 (2003): 105-121. Print. —. â€Å"World of Warcraft and the impact of game culture and play in an undergraduate game design course.† Computers Education 56.1 (2011): 200-209. Print. Dittmer, Jones. â€Å"Immersive virtual worlds in university-level human geography courses.† International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education 19.2 (2010): 139-154. Print. Giebels, Mark. Eto Plan: a Concept for Concurrent Manufacturing, Planning and Control. Netherlands: Print Partners Ipskamp, 2000. Print. Grenfell, James, Warren Idda. â€Å"Virtual worlds to enhance student engagement.† The international journal of technology, knowledge and society 6.1 (2010): 25-40. Print. Holden, Mike. â€Å"Virtual environments for motor rehabilitation: review.† Cyberpsychol Behavior 8.3 (2005): 187–211. Print. Lehdonvirta, Vincent. â€Å"Virtual worlds don’t exist: Questioning the dichotomous approach in MMO studies.† T he International Journal of Computer Game Research 10.1 (2010): 34-89. Print. Ortiz-Catalan, Max, Sharon Nijenhuis, Kurt Ambrosch, Thamar Bovend, Sebastian Koenig, and Belinda Lange. Virtual Reality. Berlin: Springer, 2014. Print. Salmon, George. E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online. London: Routledge Falmer, 2004. Print. Salt, Ben, Clare Atkins, and Leigh Blackall. Engaging with Second Life: Real Education in a Virtual World. San Francisco: Wiley, 2008. Print. Savin-Baden, Maggi. A Practical Guide to Using Second Life in Higher Education. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Savin-Baden, Maggi, Katherine Wimpenny, Matt Mawer, Nicole Steils, Cathy Tombs, and Gamma Tombs. Reviewing Perspectives on Virtual Worlds: Learning Innovation Research Group. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill, 2012. Print. Sullivan, Laura, Winston Erevelles, and Lai Gwan. Implementing Concurrent Engineering through Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing – An NSF-Funded Project. New York: Cengage, 20 03. Print. Turkle, Sammy. The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2005. Print. Xu, Xun, and Duhovic Miro. â€Å"Computer-aided Concurrent Environment for Manufacturing Education.† International Journal of Engineering Education 20.4 (2004): 543-551. Print. Ylvisaker Micky. â€Å"Context-sensitive cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury: theory and practice.† Brain Impair 4.1 (2003): 1-16. Print. This essay on Virtual Reality’s Benefits and Usages in Concurrent Engineering was written and submitted by user Ali York to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Starbucks Coffee Company †MIS Review

Starbucks Coffee Company – MIS Review Free Online Research Papers Introduction The aim of this assignment is to produce a report about the Management Information System used within the organization of my choice. The organization I choose is Starbucks Coffee Company ltd, where I have been working for the last two years as a Shift Manager. The aim of this report is to identify two Management Information Systems used in Starbucks and how the MIS facilitate problem solving. This report describes hardware and software used to obtain, store and analyze data. The last part of the report includes possible weakness in the company’s system, how they could be resolved and what possible training could be provided to help staff to cope with new technologies. Report based on Management Information System A Management Information System (MIS) is a computer system designed to help managers to plan and direct business, with organizational operations, provide reports and access to company data. In different organizations can be found different types of systems that meet specific business requirements. There are four major types of systems: TPS (Transaction Processing System) is a basic business system that serves the organization’s operational level. DSS (Decision Support System) serves management level with data, analysis for making decisions. ESS (Executive Support System) provides communication that serves the organization’s strategic level. Management Information system serves mainly Middle Managers. Starbucks Coffee Company ltd uses a Management information system called IRIS. IRIS stands for Intelligent Restaurant Information System. This tool provides the Managers with the information needed to run a successful business. The IRIS System is made up of two components: 1. The Point of Sale System (POS) or front of house till system; in addition to regular register functions offers some functions to be accessed only by Store Manager(SM), Assistant Manager(ASM) and Shift Supervisor(SS), with the correct security level. 2. The Manager Work Station (MWS) or back of house computer system compiles and reports all store information to effectively manage all aspects of store business. It displays all the different functions available on the Information System (IRIS), some of which are only accessible by partners with the correct security which consists in typing the correct username and password. The Point of sale consists in two touch screen tills used by deployed partners that need to insert their username and specific password before to start. From the Point of sale, managers can access different manager’s functions menu, such as paid in and Paid Out, and Refund to customers. These manager functions are security measures for cash management and inventory control in the store. Paid in and paid out occurs when money is taken from the till to buy items necessary for the store operations and/or any kind of emergency. Other functions such as Cash Skim, Void transactions or refunds occur when money is given back due to complaints or customers are returning faulty merchandise. The point of sale is used also to record wastage. In conclusion, most Point of sale functions are related to customer service, sales, refunds, discounts, voids. By ringing items through the tills, data such as time, customer transaction, quantity of food and drinks sold, quantity of wasted items, are transferred to the Management Work Station where data are stored, analysed and produced in form of reports, graphic, charts or diagrams. The Manager Work Station can be accessed in the office where there is a computer connected to the intranet, a private communication channel for employees to access the organization network that resembles the internet. To access the system it is required to sign in with a password and the partners ID. The system recognises security level and allows accessing the function assigned to the security level. The normal partners can just access the time punching option, which is that function that record staff punches in and out for breaks and shift. A start of day and end of day is run into the system on a daily base. Shift managers can access cash management functions that are used to count tills, modify or correct transactions and to prepare daily bank deposit. A menu of available reports is available on a report menu. The Store manager can access these reports to track sales, find out customer transactions within different hours range, to check sale by product category, to record wastage, to carry a financial audit. All this information is relevant for Store Managers to identify business requirements and customer needs, to identify peak time in the store, to increase or amend product ordering, to control wastage and track stock and decide whether is necessary to cut labour. Managers can access staff information and personal details in the work station, they can insert new partners, terminate partners, maintain employee records, track employee‘s training and process payroll. The payroll process transfers information to the support centre in order to pay partners. Store Manager and the shift supervisors can use the IRIS System to process electronic ordering for food, stationery, packaging. The IRIS System can also use e-mail set up for communicating with London Support centre and other stores within the district and others. The Fundamental functions of the role of managers are five: Planning is possibly the most important managerial function. Planning is the process of setting goals and deciding the best approach to achieve them. Careful planning reduces uncertainty, focuses attention on goals, eliminate wasteful effort and ensure appropriate control system. Organization is the way that aims and objective are turned into reality. Communication is the exchange of information so that the message communicated is understood by everyone involved. Decision and problem solving. Problem will always arise but from managers it is required to have the ability to solve problems before they become crisis. Controlling is the managerial function that monitors the performance of systems to check that what is supposed to happen is happening or going to happen. Control can be done in different ways; with financial checks, comprehensive reporting and communication systems, technological system and regular reporting. The presence of a Management Information System in Organizations of different nature, facilitate the role and the functions of different managerial level In STARBUCKS the Iris system provides a number of reports that can be used to help to manage store profitability These reports can be viewed on the computer monitor or can be printed for review or archive. Store Managers can use the Management information System to prepare short term budget to plan long term profit and prepare proper forecasts. The Iris system helps the managers to identify customer needs trough accurate reports, so to implement sales and marketing strategy and to plan production based on actual demand. The Iris system can be also accessed to check and monitor inventory. Hardware components of the computer system used in Starbucks There are two types of modem: The speed touch cable modem and the ISDN (integrated services digital network) modem. The speed touch cable modem and the ISDN connect the store computer system to the STARBUCKS retail network. The Retail Network is the communication access between the store and the internet. This allows the management work station to send and receive large quantities of data and information. There is a wireless internet provided by T-mobile, which allows customers to connect to the wireless network. There are two pieces of equipment; the Cisco Router and the Cisco Wireless access point. Connected to the computer system there is a Printer used to print reports of any nature, and a cash scale which counts Cash in a faster way and more accurately, mainly it is used to count the tills and at the end of this process all data are sended to the system. At the Point of sale there are two small printers where all receipts come out, and two (chip and pin) credit and debit card machines. To protect retailers, a new security system has been designed for cards which will use a smart chip. When customers pay using one of these cards, rather then signing a confidential security number (PIN) is entered. Recommendations about training staff and limitation of the computer system used Starbucks invest a lot on training people, many books are provided to partners, shift supervisor and store managers, where useful information can be found such as how to use the point of sale and the management work station, and the different functions. Different level of information are given depending the different position covered in the organization; while in one side partners learn how use the point of sale and the register functions, in the other side store managers and shift managers receive a more accurate training how to use the management work station and the related functions. The management information resources used by STARBUCKS’ partners are really accurate and detailed; I would rather suggest investing in new technologies such as new monitors, wireless system, printers etc. The chip and pin machine sometimes result being a bit slow, and when doing some credit or debit card transactions the point of sale freezes and the same issue occurs when doing transaction with STARBUCKS card or when trying to upload cards. The issue has been minimised a lot during the last few months. The support centre and the help desk from USA have been working on the issue, this apparently has been happening because for the STARBUCKS system in UK, this of uploading cards is still something new and lots of work has been done by the management information enterprise to make it a faster and more efficient system. At the moment the best way to minimise the issue is to reboot the tills and the chip and pin machine before every shift and/ or before each partner sign in for a till. Store Managers and Shift Supervisors have been trained on which procedures to follow when rebooting the system; my recommendation is to involve partners to learn how to react when this kind of issues may happen and to follow same procedures when rebooting the system without having to rely on their Shift Supervisors. When considering training to be given to store managers and shift managers; it would be helpful to involve them in a more practical training session where it can be explained how to solve small technological issues or troubleshooting instead of panicking when it occurs or call the help desk in USA, which some time it may take longer than just to fix the problem, such as what do in case the system does n t accept partner ID, if the cask scale is not working, etc. Conclusion The use of management information system in the organizations has had a deep impact on the way to conduct daily business; the different functions that can be found on the system facilitate and simplify the role of managers within the companies. Numerous companies have also developed websites to promote their image online. Also the way the Travel Tourism Industry conduct its business has changed the last decades or so. These changes are due to the major inroad made by electronic distribution. Several types of system are used in the Travel Industry. Travel agencies use agency system that handles office management accountancy, reservations and administration. In business travel is popular the global distribution system or computer reservation system that help the role of travel agent, in fact their service result being more efficient and faster. The only limitation is that technologies need to be updated regularly and every company should invest in training their staff how to cope with new technologies. Bibliography Notes of Chris Skipp Operation manual from Starbucks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_information_systems answers.com/topic/management-information-system#after_ad1 www.starbuck.co.uk Research Papers on Starbucks Coffee Company - MIS ReviewThe Project Managment Office SystemRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaResearch Process Part OneMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Sociology - write an essay about the main theoretical perspectives

Sociology - write an about the main theoretical perspectives. Compare and contrast the explanations offered by the different theoretical perspectives with regard to the family - Essay Example Similarly sociology can be studied from a majority/minority perspective wherein the issues and problems faced by minority communities are given special attention. Ultimately, all these approaches have one thing in common, namely, the identification of pressing social problems and devising of ways to alleviate them. While these conceptual analyses are usually applied to large groups of people such as the inhabitants of cities, counties and states, the family could be considered the fundamental unit of society. Hence a good understanding of these interpersonal human interactions at the level of the family is essential for grasping the broader picture. The rest of this essay will delve further into various prominent theoretical perspectives with regard to the family. â€Å"Simply put, a theory is an explanation of a fact pattern. Social scientists generally do not develop theories to explain individual cases or incidents. Rather, theories are developed to explain how and why certain things happen, particularly when those things happen repeatedly. For example, scientists and therapists realized that a lot of couples who get divorced exhibit certain patterns of destructive conflict. Scientific theories serve a number of useful functions. Perhaps the most basic function of a theory is to explain how and why a phenomenon occurs or operates. A related function of theories is to predict when a phenomenon might or might not happen.† (Segrin, 2005) Hence, from the above definition of a sociological theory one can see its importance in resolving family issues and alleviating interpersonal conflict between family members. An important theory relating to the institution of family is called the Family Systems theory which was derived from the broader General Systems Theory (GST), â€Å"which is a theoretical perspective developed for explaining how elements of a