Revising Messages Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revising Messages - Assignment Example We assure you that we’ll make sure that our airline personnel become more careful next time. Kindly mail us back with a detailed list of items you lost by completing the following questionnaire, to enable us process your compensation. We apologize for making you wait for a long time; we had a lot of resumes to go through. We are however pleased to inform you that you made it to the final 10 candidates who have been shortlisted for an interview. The interview has been scheduled for June 15 at 3:00 p.m. Kindly inform us before the end of the workweek if you will be able to attend as this is our busy season. We use over a ton of paper every year out of which, much of it goes to waste creating more environmental waste. It is because of this that, beginning on Monday, white plastic bins will be placed outside the elevator on every floor to recycle the paper and minimize pollution. d. In today’s meeting, we were privileged to welcome Paul Eccelson, who reviewed the shopping cart function on our website and offered some great advice. Feel free to call for any inquiries concerning the new forms. c. Kindly call our hotline at 1-800-555-8765 to schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable mortgage specialists in your area, as well as ask more questions about mortgage rates, closing procedures or any other aspect of the mortgage process. Remember, we’re here to make the home-buying experience as painless as

Cause and effect on the Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision Essay

Cause and effect on the Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision - Essay Example The reasoning behind the Supreme Court decision on the Dred Scott Case is complex. The ultimate conclusion was that African Americans (Born abroad or in the USA) by nature of their heritage and race were not Citizens nor could they become Citizens and ultimately, were not protected by the Constitution. As such it was the case that slaves could not sue in court by nature of their citizenship rights, Moreover it was also decided that the American Congress didn’t have the ability to prohibit slavery and as such they could not be confiscated without some sort of due-process. The background of the case is stored. According to Watson.org (1998) Scott was a slave, born in Virginia around the turn of the 19th century and was owned by Dr. John Emerson (An Army doctor who frequently traveled). At some time during Emerson’s travels he brought Scott to several free-states for a period exceeding seven years. After the Death of Emerson, Scott claimed ill treatment by Emerson’s wife (Eliza) who denied his right to purchaser his freedom. Scot brought forward a case stating that he was free by virtue of his living in Free States and by his willingness to purchase his freedom. From the perspective of economic causes and effects of the Supreme Court decision on the Dred Scot case there are a number of factors at play. ... dollars were living in the USA around this time. This factor would weigh heavily on the decision makers. Ultimately as an effect, if the court ruling had gone another direction it would open the door to probably an endless supply of slaves bringing cases There were a number of social causes and effects pertaining to this court ruling. Even though there was a strong abolitionist movement it remained the case that blacks were regarded as beneath all whites. According to PBS (2011) it was the case that under the interpretation of the Constitution by Chief Justice Roger Taney (A slavery supporter) it was believed that blacks had no rights that white men were obliged to respect. Moreover because blacks had no rights and were as such beneath white men than blacks may be enslaved for the benefit of whites and can be treated as a piece of property. Building on this previous point, it was also argued that even though the Declaration of Independence stated that â€Å"All men are created equal † it was argued that the African race was never intended to be included as they had played no part in framing the declaration. As a result of this court decision, it is likely that this drove a greater wedge between abolitionists and slavery supporters insofar as the poorly argued rhetoric of this decision would have enraged most abolitionists. Moreover, the attempt by abolitionists to impose federal rulings on slavery supporters would have likely enraged this group as well. Without question, there were a number of political causes and effects that would have played a significant role in this court case and decision. Although it may seem like an over simplification, states that had abolished slavery were developing economies that could be described as being more

Essay on the Russian Revolution Essay Example for Free

Essay on the Russian Revolution Essay The Russo-Japanese War lasted from 1904 to 1905, and arose from both Japan and Russia’s desire for expansion and dominance in Korea and Manchuria. Russia suffered many great defeats in this war, against a nation that was considered inferior and was not one of the Great Powers. This humiliated the people of Russia, and caused them to lose confidence in Tsar Nicholas II, as well as causing great military, economic, and political problems for Russia. When the Russo-Japanese War erupted in 1904, Russia was not fully prepared to involve itself in a war. The Trans-Siberian Railway was not completed and would not be until 1905, so Russias army was not fully mobile. Russia’s inability efficiently mobilize caused them to lose battles to the Japanese and to eventually lose the war itself. The Russians were optimistic; as they were sure their vast superiority of numbers would easily defeat the tiny Japan, but this was not to be. Japan, with their advanced technology destroyed the Russian Army, armed with their primitive weapons as compared to the Asians. Huge military defeats were caused by the Russo-Japanese War, which highlighted the weakness of the military and caused national humiliation. Russia, all along had prided themselves on military excellence. An example of such a defeat was in January 1905 when the army had to surrender their Port Arthur naval base in Northern China, which they had possessed before the start of the war. Another example of a great failure of the military was at the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. The Russian Baltic fleet consisting of the 35 warships had sailed from northern Europe to the Far East, only to lose 25 warships in a defeat by the Japanese navy. The crushing of Russian’s military added impetus to the 1905 Revolution, as it made the people of Russia aware of the weakness of their military and ashamed to be Russian. They were losing to a nation very few had heard of and it was humiliating,  this caused the opposition to autocratic rule by the Tsar Nicholas II. The Russo-Japanese War brought about economic problems for Russia, and this therefore meant there was a significant lack of money to solve any other problems present Russia. The war, as all wars do, cost an extreme amount of money. As it resulted in failure no money could be gained from the invaded territories. Russia had already had economic problems, and its economy was still far behind that of other Great Powers. Russia needed more money to invest in the economy to enlarge it, to make it more comparable to other Great Powers. The backwardness of Russia compared to these other Great Powers was another source of national humiliation for the people of Russia. Furthermore, the lack of money meant that the government could do nothing about the living and working conditions in towns and cities, or the problems in the rural areas of Russia. Consequently, the economic problems brought about a dent in national pride and Russia’s being unable to solve any of its other problems due to financial constraints. Both the peasants and the landowners were suffering. People were starving Agriculture was very behind that of other countries, as under the Witte system nothing had been done to improve it. Therefore the land was not cultivated properly, and famines occurred quite regularly such as the one in 1902 as well as the one in 1905, even with all this the peasants were still required to provide food for the Russian Army at war. There were also political implications of the Russo-Japanese War. The war was fought in the very far eastern reaches of the country, far away from where the majority of the population lived, and hence they must have felt removed from it, especially as news was still slow to travel. There was therefore little public enthusiasm for the war. Many people felt there was little justification for it: public opinion was not on the side of the war. Moreover, the military was very ill-equipped for the war. This showed to the people of Russia the government’s failings, and caused people to turn away from the Tsar as a leader, and look elsewhere, such as to political groups who were prepared to take radical action to achieve their aims, the people had lost faith in the Tsar. Political groups such as the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks took advantage of the peasant discontent and tried to turn the peasants against the Czar and more towards radicalism and liberalism. On Sunday, 22nd January 1905, more than 200 000 workers, led by a priest of the church by the n ame of Father Gapon, took  part in a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg (later known as Petrograd, and then Leningrad). They proceeded to the Winter Palace to present a petition to the Tsar. The petition, written by Gapon, made clear the problems and opinions of the workers and called for improved working conditions, fairer wages, and a reduction in the working day to eight hours and medical benefits. Other demands included an end to the Russo-Japanese War and the introduction of universal suffrage. They also wanted a parliament, or a Duma, to represent their views. The unarmed demonstrators were shot at by the Tsars troops (The Imperial Guard). This is referred to as the â€Å"Bloody Sunday†. There were many outbursts after that. Troops mutinied, peasants rose up and there were strikes and riots emerged. In the October Manifesto which was drafted by Sergei Witte, who became Russias first prime minister, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to : (1) Grant to the population the inviolable right of free citizenship, based on the principles of freedom of person, conscience, speech, assembly, and union. (2 ) Without postponing the intended elections for the State Duma and insofar as possible †¦ to include in the participation of the work of the Duma those classes of the population that have been until now entirely deprived of the right to vote, and to extend in the future, by the newly created legislative way, the principles of the general right of election. (3) To establish as an unbreakable rule that without its confirmation by the State Duma, no law shall go into force and that the persons elected by the people shall have the opportunity for actual participation in supervising the legality of the acts of authorities appointed by it† A Duma was elected in 1906, dominated by the middle-class Kadet party, the Duma was supposed to be able to enact legislation that would bind even the Tsar but even this proved too radical in its demands for the Tsar. The Tsar was determined to preserve his autocracy even in the context of reform and he restricted the Dumas authority in many ways. The Tsar issued the Fundamental Laws. It stated in part that Tsars ministers could not be appointed by, and were not responsible to, the Duma, thus denying responsible government at the executive level. Furthermore, the Tsar had the power to dismiss the Duma and announce new elections whenever he wished. He also restricted the franchise to the property-owning classes. The Tsar never allowed the Duma to be anything more than an advisory committee. This idealized vision of the  Romanov monarchy blinded him to the actual state of his country. With a firm belief that his power to rule was granted by Divine Right, Nicholas assumed that the Russian people were devoted to him with unquestioning loyalty. This ironclad belief rendered Nicholas unwilling to allow the progressive reforms that might have alleviated the suffering of the Russian people. Tsar Nicholas II tried to deal with the pressures for change by increasing police powers; there was brutal suppression of dissent and the civil rights granted in 1905 gradually restricted. Witte resigned and was replaced in July by Stolypin, who combined ruthlessness in dealing with unrest with a thoughtful programme of agrarian reform which tried to remove the legacy of debt and land hunger and create a class of peasant farmers loyal to the regi me. Stolypin had fallen out with the Tsar even before he was assassinated in 1911, and after this Nicholass ministers were of limited ability. Even before the start of the First World War unrest was breaking out again, but the onset of war, and the rapidity and magnitude of Russian defeats, greatly weakened the political and economic structure of the country. Alexis, Tsar Nicholas IIs son suffered from haemophilia, where his blood was unable to clot after bleeding due to a lack of platelets in the blood. Rasputin claimed to be a holy monk from the remote wastelands of Siberia, and was able to use his supernatural healing powers to heal Alexis. Granted, Rasputin could ease some of Alexis pain, but most of what he did seemed a scam .The Tsarina (the Tsars wife) doted on her son and thus naturally treated the monk better, since Grigori Rasputin did what doctors couldn’t do, which was to help her son with his sickness and to help stop his pain. In 1911 Stolypin ordered Rasputin out of St. Petersburg, and the order was obeyed. Stolypins minister of religion, Lukyanov, on the reports of the police, ordered an investigation that produced abundant evidence of Rasputins scandalous deeds. From this time on, the Tsarina detested Prime Minister Stolypin. After Stolypin was assassinated, the Tsarina brought Rasputin back to St. Petersburg. Rasputin abused his authority and replaced many ministers with his own family and friends, regardless of whether the previous ministers were good. Some of his decision in the countrys administration were also foolish and led to many problems. This naturally led to people disliking Rasputin severely and thus blaming the Tsar for his trust in this incompetent person. In 1915 Tsar Nicholas II unwisely chose to take direct command of field operations, personally overseeing Russia’s main theatre of war, leaving his German wife, Tsarina Alexandra as regent in charge of affairs in the capital. Alexandra was very unpopular with the Russian people, who accused her of collaboration with the Germans. Alexandra had no experience of government and under the influence of Rasputin constantly appointed and re-appointed incompetent new ministers, which meant the government was never stable or efficient. This was particularly dangerous in a war of attrition, as neither the troops nor the civilian population were ever adequately supplied; the country was plunged into further state of crisis. By 1917 the regime was in a parlous state with revolutionary unrest spreading among the troops and workers, peasants seizing the large estates and (a decisive new factor compared with the events of 1905) signs of disunity and disaffection amongst the ruling à ©lite and police, first shown in the murder of Rasputin by conservative nobles on Dec. 31, 1916. When Nicholas II entered the First World War, his desire was to restore the prestige that Russia had lost during the Russo-Japanese war. Nicholas wanted to galvanize the diverse people in his empire under a single banner by directing military force at a common enemy, namely Germany and the Central Powers. A common assumption among his critics is that he believed that by doing so he could distract the people from the ongoing issues of poverty, inequality and poor working conditions that were sources of discontent. Instead of restoring Russia’s political and military standing, World War I lead to horrifying military casualties on the Russian side and undermined it further. By 1915 (during World War I), there were manifold signs that the economy was breaking down under the heightened strain of wartime demand and the Tsar’s mis-management of the country’s funds. Over fifteen million men joined the army( due to conscription), which left an insufficient number of workers in the factories and on the farms. Conscription also stripped skilled workers from the cities and they had to be replaced with unskilled peasants. The result was widespread shortages of food and materials. Factory workers had to endure terrible working conditions, including twelve to fourteen hour days and low wages. Many riots  and strikes for better conditions and higher wages broke out. Although some factories agreed to the requests for higher wages, wartime inflation nullified the increase. Industrial workers went on strike and effectively paralyzed the railway and transportation networks. What few supplies were available could not be effectively transported. As goods became more and more scarce, prices skyrocketed. People were suffering, they began to turn to prostitution or crime( there was an increase in crime), people were begging, they were tearing down wooden fences to keep stoves heated for warmth. Also famine threatened many of the larger cities. The vast demand for factory production of war supplies and workers caused many more labor riots and strikes. In addition, because more factory workers were needed, peasants moved out of the country and into the cities, which soon became overpopulated, and living conditions rapidly grew worse. Furthermore, as more food was needed for the soldiers, the food supply behind the front grew scarce. Soldiers themselves, who were suffering from lack of equipment and protection from the elements, began to turn against the Tsar. This was mainly because as the war progressed, many of the officers who were loyal to the Tsar were killed and they were replaced with discontented conscripts from the major cities who were much less loyal to the Tsar. Russia’s first major battle was a disaster. In the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg, over 120, 000 Russian troops were killed, wounded or captured, while Germany suffered only 20,000 casualties. In 1915, things took a critical turn for the worse, when Germany shifted its focus of attack to the Eastern front. The superior German army destroyed the unequipped Russian forces. By the end of October 1916, Russia had lost between 1.6 and 1.8 million soldiers with an additional two million prisoners of war and one million missing. Soldiers went hungry and lacked shoes, ammunition and weapons. Rampant discontent lowered morale, only to be further undermined by a series of military defeats. The Tsar was blamed for all these crises and what little support he had left began to crumple. As this discontent grew, the State Duma issued a warning to Nicholas in November of 1916 stating that disaster would overtake the country unless a constitutional form of government was put in place. In typical fashion, Nicholas ignored them. The people were upset with the Tsar and his lack of care about his people. He was the reason they were suffering. The people were disgusted with his inept handing of the  country. Alexander Kerensky was a young and popular lawyer who gained a reputation for his work as a defense lawyer in a number of political trials of revolutionaries. Afterwards he gained a reputation for his work as a defence lawyer in a number of political trials of revolutionaries. He was elected to the Fourth Duma in 1912 as a member of the Trudoviks, a moderate labour party who were associated with the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. He was a brilliant orator and skilled parliamentary leader of the socialist opposition to the regime of the ruling Tsar, Nicholas II. When the February Revolution broke out in spring of 1917, Kerensky was one of its most prominent leaders: he was a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and was elected vice-chairman of the Petrograd Soviet. He simultaneously became the first Minister of Justice in the newly formed Provisional Government. Kerensky became the Minister of War and the dominant figure in the newly formed government and in July of that same year he became Prime Minister. However, as Prime Minister he made two major errors. He ensured that Russia stayed in a war that was detested in the country itself. The overwhelming bulk of the population wanted Russia to withdraw from the war. There must have been few families, especially among the poor, who had not experienced personal tragedy between 1914 and 1917. His second mistake was not to offer the peasants land. Lenin did just this and immediately got the support he and the Bolsheviks needed at the expense of Kerensky. Kerensky also invited the Mensheviks to take part in the administration. To undermine the support of the Bolsheviks, Kerensky ordered that elections should take place for a constituent assembly. The elections were to be held in January 1918. Lenin had called for such elections earlier in 1917, so he could not object to this. As Kerensky argued, it was simply an extension of the democratic process denied to the people by the Romanovs. However, all the evidence indicated that the Bolsheviks would have done less well than other groups including the Mensheviks. On September 1st 1917, Kerensky declared Russia a republic. Vladimir Lenin was exiled in neutral Switzerland, when he heard of the revolution he made arrangements with the German government for permission to travel back to Russia. German officials agreed, evidently assuming that Lenin’s activities might weaken Russia, or if the Bolsheviks  came to power, lead to Russia withdrawing from the war with Germany. He arrived in Petrograd in April 1917. Lenin demanded that the Provisional Government give â€Å"All Powers to the Soviets† in addition to the speedy conclusion of the war without annexation, the renunciation of all secret diplomatic agreements, the control of factories by workers and the immediate seizure of land by peasants. He convinced his Bolshevik supporters that the seizure of power by the Soviets would be the signal for a European-wide socialist revolution. To prepare for the seizure of power, his Bolshevik supporters set out to win support from the masses in the soviets. Vladimir Lenin was the architect and first head of the USSR, led the October Revolution, which was effectively a coup detat. Lenin justified his violent seizure of power from the Provisional Government as merely a transfer of authority to the soviets, the popular councils elected by workers and soldiers that sprang up everywhere after the fall of the tsar. Lenin declared the formation of a Soviet government, withdrew Russia from World War I, and invited the peasants to take charge of the land that had formerly belonged to the nobles, state, and church. At the same time, Lenins government quickly moved to shut down opposition political parties and to censor the press, introduced conscription for the Red Army, and requisitioned grain from the peasants in order to fight the bloody Russian Civil War of 1918–1920. In January 1918, Lenin closed down the Constituent Assembly after the Bolsheviks won only 24 percent of the popular vote. In 1918, Lenin renamed the Bolshevik Party as the Communist Party. Although Lenin was ruthless, he was also pragmatic. When his efforts to transform the Russian economy to a socialist model stalled, he introduced the New Economic Policy, where a measure of private enterprise was again permitted, a policy that continued for several years after his death. In 1918, Lenin narrowly survived an assassination attempt, but was severely wounded. When Lenin was badly injured in a failed assassination attempt on August 30, 1918, his government quickly responded with the September 5, 1918, announcement of a policy of Red Terror that would take the form of arrests, imprisonments, and murders. Trotsky was a Marxist and for a long time worked as an independent  revolutionary in Russia. Before 1914 he had attempted to bring about great cooperation between the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks but her failed. In 1917, after the March Revolution, he returned from exile in America. In July, he decided to join the Bolsheviks. Leon Trotsky was a Communist theorist, prolific writer, leader in the 1917 Russian Revolution, and the peoples commissar for foreign affairs under Lenin and then head of the Red Army as the peoples commissar of army and navy affairs. He was also elected as the President of Petrograd Soviet. Joseph Stalin was a Bolshevik leader who became prominent only after Lenin’s return to Petrograd in April 1917. Although Stalin was very much a secondary figure during the October Revolution, he did gain Lenin’s attention as a useful ally. Stalin had a very important, yet secretive job. He was to provide disguises and safe houses and to arrange safe passage out of Petrograd to Finland, with guides and bodyguards, for Lenin, had the revolution not worked out as planned. Following the October coup, Lenin gave him a position in the government as commissar of nationalities. As Stalin was a member of an ethnic minority as he was from the central Asian region of Georgia, not Russia. Lenin felt he would be an effective ambassador of sorts to the many ethnic minorities within the former Russian Empire. After the revolution, Stalin became increasingly powerful and eventually succeeded Lenin as leader of the Soviet Union upon Lenin’s death in 1924. Kerensky Provisional Government fell On October 25-26, 1917when Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik supporters overthrew it in the October Revolution (coup d etat). There are many reasons as to why the provisional government fell. The Provisional Government fell because they insisted to continue fighting in the First World War, although things were going so badly. Millions of soldiers were dead and injured, also the soldiers lacked proper equipment and weapons to fight effectively, and they also had little to no training in war tactics. Also the failure of the Brusilov offensive is an important factor. The Provisional Government also did not solve the economic problems that Russia was facing. There were stills strikes and riots. Shortages continued and the people saw now improvement. By this time there was subsequent unpopularity of Alexander Kerensky who the most prominent person off the Provisional Government (War Minister and Prime Minister). Also in October with the crisis building, the Bolsheviks saw the opportunity to seize important institutions in Petrograd  such as banks and railways. The Russian Civil War, which broke out in 1918 shortly after the revolution, brought death and suffering to millions of people regardless of their political orientation. The war was fought mainly between the Red Amy (Reds), consisting of radical communist and revolutionaries, and the Whites consisting of: the monarchist, conservatives, liberals and moderate socialist who opposed the drastic restructuring championed by the Bolsheviks. The Whites has backing from nations such as the UK, France, USA and Japan. Also during the Civil War, Nestor Makhno led a Ukrainian anarchist movement which generally cooperated with the Bolsheviks. However, a Bolshevik force under Mikkhail Frunze destroyed the Makhnovist movement, when the Makhnovists refused to merge into the Red Army. In addition the so-called â€Å"Green Army† (nationalist and anarchist played a secondary role in the war, mainly in Ukraine.

Enterprise Resource Planning System for Insurance Sector

Enterprise Resource Planning System for Insurance Sector The Indian Insurance industry is a flourishing one which has several national and international players who compete for excellence. With several reforms and policy regulations, the Indian insurance sector has witnessed tremendous growth in the recent past. India having around 17% of the worlds population is a largely untapped market. Nearly 80% of the Indian population being without a life, health and non life insurance, a growing number of insurance companies are now emerging in the Indian insurance sector. With the opening up of the economy, several international leaders in the insurance sector are trying to venture into the India insurance industry. The growth in the insurance industry directly impacts the reinsurance industry. Reinsurance providers are basically companies that provide insurance cover to insurance companies so as to cover their risk. With the growth in the amount of insurance products sold by the insurance companies their risk component goes on increasing. So as to cover this risk, companies resort to reinsurance. Thus the reinsurance market is all growing at a rapid pace. The growth of the Reinsurance industry in India is coupled with a number of challenges. Challenges faced by the reinsurance industry include shrinking margins, increasing competition etc. In order to meet the challenges, reinsurance companies across the globe have begun leveraging heavily on their information and communication technologies. Reinsurance firms are using enterprise management solutions to increase productivity, save on expenses, to obtain higher customer satisfaction, thereby resulting into customer retention and to improve sales performance. General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) is the sole reinsurance company in the domestic reinsurance market in India with more than three decades of experience in the Re-Insurance business. GIC is headquartered in Mumbai. In India, GIC provide reinsurance to the direct insurance company as it is the sole reinsurer in the market of domestic reinsurance. It is one of the leaders in the facultative placements and domestic companies treaty programmes. OBJECTIVES FOR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM The key objectives for initiating ERP implementation were as follows: So as to retain leadership position in the national (Indian) reinsurance market. The intention of emerging as the leader of reinsurance in the Afro Asian markets. To obtain an integrated view of all business transactions. MAJOR BUSINESS CHALLENGES FACED BY GIC RE Customer-Centricity The change in focus of the organization to being customer-centricity created a number of issues for the company. It became important to have optimal knowledge of all the customer segments. Customized products and services were required to designed to meet the needs of each of the identified customer segments. It became important to adopt cross selling of products and services as an important growth strategy. It also became important to provide any time and any place reachability to the customers. Competition The growing number of players in the market created an environment of intense competition In order to sustain such levels of competition it became imperative for the company to adopt new strategies and identify means of securing a competitive advantage over its competitors. Globalization Expansion of company operations across multiple geographical locations also made it necessary for GIC Re to identify means of effective monitoring and control. Expansion also increased the level of competition by adding new competitors from the new geographical locations. Product Commoditization The increase in competition was impacting the companys profit margins. It became absolutely necessary for the company to distinguish its brand from competitors. Lower customer loyalty and increasing price sensitivity were also measure threats to GIC Re. Consolidation It was important to bring about a consolidation across the organization so as to deliver a clear value to its customers. Compliance Expansion of operations across multiple geographical locations made its imperative to comply with multi-national regulations. MAJOR IT CHALLENGES FACED BY GIC RE Data Quality Data maintained by the organization was fragmented by the line of business, the branches, the different geographical locations etc. It was important to consolidate this data and provide high quality of product and operations related data. Process Integration It was important to standardize and streamline cross functional processes and develop and integrated workflow. The company was suffering from value leakage due to non integration of systems. Legacy IT Systems The legacy system used by the company did not reflect the change in focus from being a contract centric to customer centric insurance provider. Reduction of Operation Complexity The company used a number of applications to manage the daily activities. As a result, a number of interfaces had to be monitored and managed which proved to be very difficult. It thus became important to reduce the number of interfaces and bring about standardization across the interfaces. EXPECTATIONS FROM ERP Reduction in overall cost through improved efficiency and increased productivity Drive business innovation To a give a competitive advantage to the company over its competitors Driver for business growth Improve overall customer experience and satisfaction Ensure regulatory compliance Support global operations Create new revenue streams for the company Ensure growth of existing revenue streams CHOICE OF SAP The major factors contributing to the choice of SAP are as follows: Integrated Enterprise platform for transacting GICs business The company required a platform that would integrate all the processes and procedures across the enterprise. The system was required to standardize all processes and streamline set of processes across the organization rather than streamlining large number of procedures. The company expected the have an enterprise wide visibility of business operations. SAP Reinsurance solution being used by Global Industry leaders Munich Re and Hannover Re One of the major contributing factors to choosing SAP was the companys biggest competitor and the global industry leader Munich Re and Hannover Re had implement SAP Reinsurance system. Adoption of the global best practices By 2005, SAP Insurance had almost all insurance service providers running it. SAP had in the past implemented both the insurance and reinsurance packages for multiple clients. This enabled SAP to gain an understanding of the global best practices in the prevalent in the industry. GIC Re hoped to reap the benefits of this knowledge in their own implement of SAP Reinsurance. Most companies who had previously implemented ERP had strong positive experience with SAP for their insurance portfolio ERP IMPLEMENTATION START DATE Early 2005 ERP GO LIVE DATE February 2006 SAP VERSION SAP R/3 Version 4.7 GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE Offices in India, London and Dubai SAP MODULES IMPLEMENTED SAP FS-RI Reinsurance SAP FS-RI is an insurance solution that enables reinsurance firms, direct insurers and brokers to achieve a reinsurance process that is completely integrated and streamlined. SAP FS-CD Collections / Disbursements SAP FS-CD is a solution designed for insurance service providers to standardize and streamline their billing and disbursement activities for their policyholders and agency holders. SAP IM-IC (CFM) Investment Management SAP IM-IC (CFM) module provides useful tools for reporting of WBS which are in progress, PO commitments and assets that have been capitalized. SAP FI-CO Finance The SAP FI-CO module can be viewed as the core of the integrated SAP system as it deals with the monetary impacts on business and other modules of SAP. SAP HR Human Resources SAP HR is the largest module implemented It deals with the management of human resources and human capital SAP BIW Business Intelligence SAP BIW is the business intelligence module that provides analytical, reporting and data warehousing solution IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES First SAP Reinsurance (FS-RI) implementation outside Europe. First SAP FS-CD Implementation in India. First SAP IM-IC implementation in India in an Insurance/Reinsurance environment. One of the few Active Reinsurers in the world using SAP FS-RI Legacy data Migration Customisation of Reinsurance Module (FS-RI) Risk Manager in FS-RI (Facultative Business) had not yet been implemented even in Europe IMPLEMENTATION HIGHLIGHTS Opportunity to critically re-look the companys business processes and practices and incorporate changes wherever required. Elimination of data inconsistency by correcting, validating and cleansing legacy data. Opportunity to streamline the organisation by adopting the global best practices in the industry BUSINESS BENEFITS Tight integration between underwriting and technical Accounting processes thereby providing better business focus. Integrated processes eliminating almost all redundancies and inter-departmental reconciliations. Increased automation reduced manual intervention and improved data quality. Improved reserving process (tracking the development of outstanding loss reserves). FINANCIAL STRATEGIC BENEFITS SAP allowed visibility of all assets Standardized evaluation of all assets were achieved Daily updates to the investment portfolio enable the company to achieve integrated investment management Effective real time risk analysis TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP 95 % of the companys requirements were met by th standard solution offered by SAP and minimal customization was required OPERATIONAL BENEFITS The operation benefits as evaluated by the company after two years of implementation are as follows: KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI) IMPACT Time to measure performance -70% Time to plan for new projects and activities -30% Time to performance market risk analysis -80% Efforts to map sources of risk -80% Reporting Flexibility +90% Quality of Reports +80% Quality of Portfolio evaluation +90% Quality of transaction mapping +90% FUTURE PLANS Up gradation from SAP R/3 Version 4.7 to SAP ECC 6.0 platform Connecting offices in Moscow, Malaysia and South Africa to the upgraded ERP network General Insurance Corporation of India has derived significant benefits from implementation of SAP Reinsurance. From this case it is evident that SAP has the potential of being a measure source of improved efficiency and competitive advantage for insurance service providers. APPENDIX [1] Monitor Performance: Executive Dashboard [2] CEO Dashboard [3] Sales Dashboard

Essay --

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Hemigrapsus sanguineus Hemigrapsus sanguineus (de Haan, 1835), commonly known as the Asian shore crab, is a brachyuran crab, and is a native species along the western North Pacific coast (Brousseau et al., 2001). Its square and broad carapace has three spines on each side and there finely striated ridge exist under the eye and lateral margin. Its usual size is 30 mm wide but maximum size reported can reach up to 43.9 mm carapace width (CW) (McDermott, 1998). Its color varies from purple, red, green, orange-brown, with the presence of bands along its legs and red spots on the cheliped claws (Poore,2004). Males are characterized by the presence of distinctive fleshy, bulb-like structure at the cheliped base of the dactylus the shape of the flap on the underbelly in males is quite phallic, triangular and pointed. The females are recognized thru the roundness, wider and more oval flap of abdomen morphology. Easily opened flap of female crabs only implies that they are capable of mating. (Poore,2004). The local scope of this crab species is the region of Asia-Pacific (McDermott, 1998). It was observed that this species has penetrated parts of the Europe and North America, specifically France, Netherlands, and Croatia and is now classified to be an invasive species (McDermott, 1991). It is considered invasive because it is capable of reaching high densities and can initiate negative impacts on several small juveniles of native species (Lohrer and Whitlatch, 2002a,b). Asian shore crabs are considered as opportunistic omnivores (McDermott, 1998). They consume a varied kind of plant and animal resources in the field and also when they are in captivity. These resources would include algae, salt marsh grass, a... ...rtional relationship, which implies that the wet weight could give a length estimate of the species’ carapace. Several physico-chemical factors affect the growth and development of crustaceans. Environmental stress in coastline waters is usually caused by organic waste disposal which then results in low amount of important crustaceans harvested in fisheries and can also influence the biodiversity of decapod crabs. The physico-chemical parameters are crucial ecological factors, as they directly affect oxygen consumption, metabolism, growth, moulting, hormones and survival of crustaceans (Varadharajan D et al., 2013). The salinity is one of the main factors that alter the distribution of organisms, and this is likely to affect the decapods crab distribution and production as well. The alkaline pH was observed to be related with increased number of crab species.

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech Delivered by the Bride Families and friends. This has been a terrific day for Bob and I and we are both thrilled you could all be here. I wanted to say a few words in response to my Dad and thank a few people for all their support. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to make these thanks – its amazing how much advice and how many books there are out there for Groom and Best Man’s speeches but there is not a lot out there to help the bride. So having failed to find any sensible advice in print, I thought I would ask around to the family and friends for some advice on what to say this evening. I didn’t get much advice about the speech but they gave me some useful snippets to use. Sarah found out that Bob and I will share our wedding day and anniversary with a very famous Royal – 2 very famous Royals in fact – the Queen obviously as I believe she is having some sort of celebration herself this weekend. The other Royal is the late King Edward who abdicated to be mar ried to the love of his life – Mrs Simpson. Now I expect that Bob and I in time will be more like â€Å"The Simpsons† than Edward and Mrs but I trust we can be as happy as that couple were. I have some thanks to make. Firstly Paula – thanks for the â€Å"hairdo† and busting a gut to get here on time to have a trial run. Ben – thanks for taking photos for our guest book and thank you all for posing and signing it. Sarah – you made your dress, you looked after me on my hen night (I’ll forgive you for buying me that Tia Maria and get you back some time). You have been the perfect Best Woman and a great friend for may years now. You have always been around for me through thick and thin and it was a privilege to be your bridesmaid last year. I have to thank your new husband Ian too for marrying you – it has been fantastic fun planning weddings together and thanks for all your top tips and ideas – many of which you can see we have stolen! Simon – perhaps I should reserve my thanks to you until after your Best Man’s speech! Thanks for being such a good mate to Bob for so long and for brushing up so well today.

First World War Sources Questions

The sources 8,9 and 10 can all be used as evidence about the role of generals in the First World War. However, the reliability of the sources can be questioned. Source 8 is in the form of a novel. This could mean, as the source is not entirely genuine, that some of the information is exaggerated. Another reason why this source may not be correct is the date that it was written. By 1989 many of the memories and much of the information has become distorted or ‘hazy'. This could mean that, again, the information in the source is not wholly correct. Source 9 is a soldiers song from the war. This kind of song is usually extremely biased, as it often shows the true feelings of the soldiers who wrote and sang it. Also it maybe exaggerated and may not indicate actual information, affecting how reliable it is as evidence. However, songs and poems can give us an accurate representation of soldiers feelings about the subject. This is due to the fact that, although letters and the like are censored for content considered to be delicate or critical, songs and poems are not usually censored. This is strengthened by the fact that it agrees with sources 2 and 3, which are soldiers views of Haig. In addition, this song is primary information and the views will not have been changed over time. However, it does not agree with source 12, by Marshall Foch, who worked with Haig, and says he was â€Å"wise, loyal and energetic†, contradicting evidence from the song about how Haig did not actually contribute to the war effort. Source 10 is written as a poem. It was written during the war by a soldier who fought in the war, and therefore would be accurate and unchanged. However the soldier, Siegfried Sassoon, was injured in the Battle of Arras, and therefore would have bitter feelings, and would possibly even feel vengeful of the leadership of the army. Sassoon also protested against the war after speaking to two pacifists and was sent to a wartime mental institute to recover from shellshock, to cover up the protest, instead of the usual punishment for that kind of thing. This source was also written after the major battles of 1916 and 1917, when the attitude towards General Haig had changed somewhat, because of the mass fatalities and casualty numbers. Source 9 says that Haig â€Å"boasts and skites†. This indicates that Haig is arrogant and boastful, a suggestion which is mirrored in sources 2 and 3 which criticise Haig's leadership, and source 8, when the clearing of the dead from the battlefield at night is likened to â€Å"clearing the table ready for the Generals next game of soldiers†. This is seen as an everyday thing which does not require much thought. This also suggests that Haig was childish and incompetent, as a game of soldiers is associated with childhood games. The suggestion of incompetence is confirmed by source 10: â€Å"he did for them both by his plan of attack†. This agrees with sources 2 and 3 where Haig is called a â€Å"butcher†. However, this is again disputed by source 12, but also by source 13, which shows Haig to be thoughtful and wise. Source 11, also, says that it was due to Haig's â€Å"grim determination† and â€Å"organisational ability† that the war was won. Source 4 agrees with this by saying he felt â€Å"quite sad† about the deaths of the men. However, this suggests that he is unfit to lead the army as he cannot plan an efficient attack which minimises the numbers of casualties. As these sources tend to agree on these subjects, it suggests that the sources are more reliable. Source 9 says that Haig was â€Å"safely in the rear†, which is consolidated by source 3, which says that he lived â€Å"50 kilometres behind the line†. This also suggests that the source is more reliable as it is backed up by other sources. 6. (a) Sources 11, 12 and 13 all complement Haig as being a very worthy leader of the British army. Source 11 begins by saying how David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister did not have a lot of faith in Haig's ability, and that he removed the Generals command. This shows that other people did not believe that Haig was a good general. However, source 11 goes on to say that Haig worked with the Allied commander, Foch. The source says that it was due to Haig's â€Å"organisational ability† and â€Å"grim determination† that the German army was eventually defeated. This shows that Haig had the skills required to be a good general, and that he had the ability to lead the British army. Source 12 describes Haig's policy as being â€Å"wise, loyal and energetic†. This means that the Allied Commander believed fully in the General. This shows that Haig was intelligent and that he was devoted to his country. Source 13, by Haig himself, highlights qualities in Haig. He says â€Å"I think this is a mistake, because it is merely laying up trouble for the future†. This shows that he is looking to the future, and using foresight. This agrees with the previous source, which said that Haig was â€Å"wise†. He also demonstrates intelligence by saying he doubts whether Germany are â€Å"sufficiently low yet†. He is also demonstrating humanitarianism by saying that he thinks that punishing Germany is a â€Å"mistake†. This evidence all shows that Haig is a wise, worthy leader. 6. (b) There is an important reason why the views expressed in sources 11, 12 and 13 are different to those expressed in sources 8, 9 and 10. This is because the writers of these sources have entirely different perspectives of the war. In sources 8, 9 and 10, the writers all have very narrow perspectives of the war. Source 8 is written from a soldiers point of view. This means all the soldier would see and think about would be his own trench, the bad conditions, and the amount of people dying around him. He would also see horrific diseases, such as trench foot, knee deep mud and rats. Therefore, from this, the soldier may blame the commanders, as they are seen as living â€Å"50 kilometres behind the line†, (source 3), in relative luxury. Sources 9 and 10 would also have this attitude as they are also written by, or about soldiers. Sources 11, 12 and 13 are all written by socially higher, higher ranking people, or, in the case of source 11, an historian with a wider perspective and hindsight. These people have a different view to that of the soldiers in that they weigh up land gained against the number of casualties. From this point of view, the General would not seem as bad as from the perspective of the soldiers, who only see terrible conditions and men being killed around them, as in, for example, the battle of the Somme, where conditions were terrible, and huge amounts of men were dying. The General also had a political agenda, and had other things to think about other than conditions of trenches and the things that concerned the men. All the writers of these sources are from similar social classes, and would probably ‘stick together'. This may provide another explanation for the attitude taken. In source 11, it mentions that David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister at the time, did not have as much faith in Haig as, for example, Foch. Lloyd George did not bestow this confidence on Haig because of the heavy losses at Passchendaele. Therefore, it could be said that Lloyd George is agreeing with the like of the writers of sources 8, 9 and 10, and supporting their ideas. This is also suggesting that Haig executed wrong decisions, and his leadership should be questioned, in accordance with the soldiers views. 7. There are a number of factors which could make it seem that the allied victories of 1918 were gained â€Å"against overwhelming odds†. To begin with, the Bolshevik revolution in Russia meant that Russia left the war, causing an influx of German soldiers leaving the Russian front line, and arriving at the Western front. This would mean, that if the battles were won, they would have been won against overwhelming odds due to the sheer numbers of troops on the Western front line. In addition to this, Turkey was also repelling troops away from its fronts, adding to the problems and odds of British victory. The Battle of the Somme was seen as one of the worst battles during World War One. Thousands of men were killed on the first day alone. However, there was very little land gained from the battle. The reason that the offensive was such a failure was that the artillery fire which was supposed to destroy all German forces and bunkers failed. As this failed, as soon as the artillery barrage ceased, the Allied troops went to the German strongholds where they expected there to be little or no resistance. However, the German machine gun posts had been set up, and the men were killed by the hundred. Also, the barbed wire, which was supposedly cut very well, was cut in scarce places, so that the machine gunners merely had to point at a single place and fire. This meant that casualty numbers were enormous. However, the British army learnt many lessons from this battle and were, it is said, transformed into professionals from this battle. Thus, battles such as the Battle of Cambrai, in 1918, were won easily and effectively with low numbers of casualties. Therefore, the battles could be seen to have been won against overwhelming odds. However, there was a bad effect on morale due to the losses of the Battle of the Somme, and also due to battles such as Ypres and Passchendaele. This can be seen from sources 2,3,8 and 9. Source 2 says that Haig was known as the â€Å"butcher† around 1917, which would be just after the major battles. Source 3 â€Å"I don't think he knew what a trench was like†, while source 8 says the General was playing a â€Å"game of soldiers, and source 9- â€Å"the men who really did the job are dead and in their grave†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The soldiers are all are very bitter and angry towards Haig and the leadership. This was because weapons were not integrated into tactics properly (like the tank at the Battle of the Somme), the tactics were poor, and bad decisions were made on the part of the Generals, such as where to fire the artillery at the Somme. Therefore this shows that the battles that were won in 1918 were won against overwhelming odds due to low morale, bad tactics, and ba dly integrated weapons. There were other problems with British tactics. One was that the British leader's mentality was that of offensive warfare, they had an ‘attacking mentality'. This meant that they did not believe in defence, and because the Germans used the machine gun so effectively, there were huge odds against the British troops gaining any ground at all. Also, the British did not properly utilise the machine gun to its full capacity, and therefore were not as defensively capable as the Germans. As a result of this, the German Ludendorff offensive, operation Michael, very nearly succeeded, with the allies only just managing to hold their line. The allies learnt important lessons from this, and were much more defensive. Tanks were also a failure in their trial run, as sources 6 and 7 support. Source 6 says that â€Å"twenty-eight broke down†¦ and the remaining thirty-two scurried into the mud†. Overall, much of the new British weaponry was not properly blended with the tactics. Thi s meant that it was very unlikely that any land could be gained. There are, however, reasons which make it seem that the battles were not so difficult, and that the odds were easy. One important factor which supports this is that America joined the war. By doing this they brought with them money, expertise, and overall, more troops. This boosted morale, and the numbers of troops on all fronts was increased. There were other major factors which possibly helped the allies to win victories. The German troops were hit by Spanish Influenza, causing them to lose many men before they even got to the fronts. This reduced the numbers of opposing troops, and so allowed the allies easier victories. In addition to this, Italy left Germany's side, and, as a result, Germany had less troops, and the allies had more. This hindered Germany, and coupled with the loss of troops through Spanish ‘Flu, caused a large problem. Another problem for the German's was the submarine blockade by the allies, which meant that they were running low on supplies, and were struggling to keep going on the supplies they had. Although the Tank was used poorly in the Somme, it was greatly improved, and used to it's full potential in the Battle of Cambrai in 1918. This gave the allies a huge advantage, and weakened the odds against victory. This is backed by historian Gary Sheffield- â€Å"the British army is an effective fighting machine†. In source 7, it justifies Haig's use of Tanks because of the need to break the stalemate on the western front. In addition there is the need for an actual trial run to test the tanks on the battlefield. – John Terraine also says that the Allied leaders deserve more credit than they were given. This can be justified and refuted by a number of points. Firstly, the allied leaders were criticised for using bad tactics, and for not caring about men's lives. However, if the leadership was so terrible, why were the generals not replaced? Also, the generals were given rewards at the end of the war, and this may not have happened if the leaders were as bad as is said. The leaders were seen as terrible because of the nature of the job they did. Whatever they did, men would die, and Haig saw this. Also, the Generals were under tight scrutiny, and what they did was being seen for the first time, so naturally people were shocked. However, Haig could not have been sacked due to the huge amount of public scrutiny. If he was sacked, there would be an outcry that the army was being led by an incapable leader, and this would lead to lower morale, and men would stop joining up. Haig was also good friends with the King and was in a high up social position. Therefore it would be hard to sack him. There was also no-one to replace him that was seen to be well enough qualified. However, if Haig just took for granted that whatever he did, men would die, then possibly he would not try to prevent this. Haig's plan was â€Å"to kill more Germans than they could kill British†. These are terrible tactics to employ, but that was the way he was taught to look at it. Also, there was no evidence that British losses were any higher than those of the other countries. Therefore there is evidence for and against the argument of whether the generals have been given enough credit. One of the major criticisms displayed in the sources written by soldiers is that Haig lived so far behind the line. Source 3 says â€Å"he lived almost 50 kilometres behind the line†. However, there was no need for him to live close to the line. He was required to have a wide perspective of all the fronts and living close to the front line would not allow this. He also thought that he needed to distance himself from his officers, so as to inspire confidence. However, the criticism against this is that as a result of this, he had â€Å"no idea of what he was sending men into†, says Laffin, a reliable historian. This would affect his judgement, and it could be said that he did not care about his men if he did not even know where he was sending them. This is backed by source 3 which says â€Å"I don't think he knew what a trench was like†. It is also backed by source 4, which says I feel quite sad at times when I see them march past me†, and source 10: â€Å"When we met him last week on our way to the line†. This shows that he is not very sad about the fact that these men will probably die. Also, it agrees with the fact that he lives a long way behind the line. A point which backs Haig's tactics is that Haig was taught to lead the way he lead. At school, Haig was taught to attack, and not defend, thus it can be understood why he did not properly know how to use weapons like the machine gun. Also, he was using the 1900 cavalry training manual, considered to be standard military doctrine, which concentrates a lot on horses and cavalry, rather than new, more modern techniques. This is strengthened by sources 6 and 7, which say that he hoped to use the tanks he had to â€Å"give him the edge†. However, he should possibly have made the effort to change the ways he commanded the army, in line with the modern advances in weaponry. Also, although Haig was taught to always attack, and that defence was cowardly, tactics change, and he possibly should have adapted to counter the changes. Haig was taught to compare the land gained to the men lost. He was also taught to not be bothered by large numbers of deaths so long as it was justifiable. A possible reason for this is that he believed very strongly in the presence of God at his side. Although rather optimistic, he believed that God would see him through and help him to win the battle. He also believed that men that died on the battlefield for their country went merely to â€Å"a different room†, and that because they had died patriotically that they would be greatly honoured in death. Haig was seen to be a good commander who motivated his officers, although one of his main failings was that he did not correct mistakes, he merely stood back and let them continue, a failing that is very significant when training officers. Haig said that it was not his job to direct the army, that that was the job of his subordinates, and that he just trains and prepares the army. However, if he does not correct mistakes, then he cannot be training the army very well. Haig was heavily criticised for the mass fatalities at the battle of Passchendaele. Many men died there, and Haig lost a lot of credibility from the failure. Objectives were not met either, although there could be an explanation for Haig's failure here and at the Somme and Ypres. Haig's Chief of Intelligence continued to tell him that the German's were on the brink of defeat, and that one more wave of men would finish them. This was not always entirely true, although Haig had no evidence to suggest otherwise. Therefore, the fact that tactics were repeatedly bad, and that many men lost their lives could be explained. However, Haig repeatedly went against the advice of his second-in-command, and the government, especially about the Somme. He was advised about which areas of the Somme to bomb, and he also was advised to call off the Somme offensive. It was said that it was not even realistically possible to gain any land from the Somme campaign anyway. This could, however, be explained by the feed of wrong intelligence mentioned earlier. There was a wide perception that the war would be â€Å"over by Christmas†. The Generals had to try and make this a reality, if not by Christmas, then as soon as possible after. This is shown in source 7, â€Å"I shall use what I have got, as I cannot wait any longer for them†. Therefore another reason can be offered to justify why the Generals sent in as many men as possible and bad tactics were repeated. Haig was removed temporarily and replaced by the French commander, Foch, who Haig collaborated well with. Haig was removed by Lloyd George, the British prime minister, who had very little experience of the war and had only visited the front line once, to see the son of a fellow politician in a field hospital. Therefore he could not really have made the decision of whether Haig should have been removed of not. Foch said Haig was â€Å"wise, loyal, and energetic†. Therefore the commander who Haig was replaced by says that he was a worthy commander, meaning that surely he is. There are many arguments for and against whether the victories of 1918 were won against overwhelming odds. However, from all the evidence, and the sources, the verdict can be reached that they were not. This conclusion is reached mainly because of all the hindrances upon the German army, coupled with the changing of sides by Italy, and the joining of the United States of America. All these things added together meant that although the battles of 1918 were difficult, they were not gained against â€Å"overwhelming odds†. The British army had had time to prepare, and was ready for the battles. There are also discussions about whether the Allied leaders really deserve more credit than they have already had. Again, from all the sources and evidence, the conclusion can be made that they do not deserve more credit. This is due to the fact that Haig's tactics were dated, he did not integrate new weaponry he was given, and he did not care enough for the men's lives that he sent into battle. Although he was given exaggerated information, and he could not have been sacked for various reasons, as Laffin said, â€Å"Haig did not win, he was there at the finish†.