Social Contract Theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay

Social Contract Theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke - Essay Example Thus, in a social contract to which they voluntarily consented, they created the state for the purpose of promoting and preserving their natural rights to life, liberty and property. It was John Locke who painted a picture of liberty of citizens and authority of government in tones which were far moderate than that of Thomas Hobbes. Men in a state of nature could make use of their perfect freedom for their own good, since they were reasonable men. To John Locke, men did not abuse their Liberty. They did not threaten the lives of their neighbors. He wrote: Though this is a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of license. The state of nature of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone; and reason, which is that law that teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent; no one has a right to harm another in his life, health, liberty of possessions. 1 Locke's social contract favored men quitting the state of nature to form themselves into a civil society. In this society men instituted the state where a social contract or covenant was formulated between citizens and government, a trustee which they could dismiss if it did not maintain the freedom and equality that men originally knew and enjoyed. In other words, when government no longer served the citizens' interests and welfare, it might be resisted or overthrown. Why, because government had violated its obligations under the social contract to the extent that it had broken it. What were these obligations The government as trustee had to protect and preserve people's rights, especially natural rights as explained above. Otherwise, the contractual agreement which was the basis of government's existence would be without substance and meaning. Locke asserted that men should retain their natural rights in civil society and that political powers or sovereignty should not be assigned to the monarch, but to the people's representatives in parliament who should be supreme. In Locke's view, the legislative power could never be arbitrary, since under the doctrine of popular sovereignty, the people had the supreme power to change, through peaceful election or revolution, their representatives in the parliament whenever such representatives acted contrary to the trust reposed in them. Locke's social contract puts in perspective the parliamentary democracy of limited government that many states have today, which stresses the protection and promotion of individual rights to life, liberty and property. Locke's reason for favoring a civil government to impose upon man some restrictions of government authority was that men after all were not impartial judges of their friends' shortcomings. He admitted that human frailties could lead to abuse of power. 2 Popular sovereignty is supreme authority of the state which resides in the people. This authority means that the people are the ultimate source of power and so they possess coercive power to control government through which they allow themselves to be governed. It was said that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. This view is embodied in Locke's theory of popular sovereignty in which the citizens have the vested right and power to choose their representat

Consumer law, warranties and conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consumer law, warranties and conditions - Essay Example The most suitable test to distinguish among two terms is that if the stipulation is such that its breach would be fatal to the rights of the aggrieved party, then such a stipulation is a condition and where it is not so, the stipulation is only a warranty (Marsh, 1999). In addition, an action for damages can also be brought by the plaintiff for non delivery of goods (Miller’s Machinery Co. Ltd. (1934) (ABA, 1997). In other words , a warranty is a stipulation collateral to the main purpose of the contract, the breach of which gives the aggrieved party a right to sue for damages only and not to void the contract (Whaley, 2009). It is also noteworthy that a breach of a condition may be treated as a breach of warranty but a breach of warranty is not a breach of a condition (Keichel, 2010) and (Mitchell, et. al. 2003). From this we can deduce that a condition forms the very basis of a contract but a warranty is only of secondary importance (Ghemawat, 2010). After the Sales of Good Act (SGA) 1979, the distinction between sale by description and sale of specific goods was removed. Now the seller is in much of a precarious position than it used to be under the operation of common law. The Unfair Contract Terms Act (UCTA) 1977, s.3, does not allow any seller to exclude liability in such a manner as Harry’s has attempted to do. From the events it turns out that Stubley Ltd. is a consumer in this case as their primary business is not buying cars for their directors and hence, this particular transaction will not be dealt with in the scope of business. Furthermore, under Section 12-15 of the Sales of Good Act there are seven implied terms in favor of the buyer and five of these have been ranked as conditions and two are regarded as warranties. The five statutory implied terms which are labeled as conditions are 1) title, 2) correspondence with description, 3) quality, 4) fitness for purpose and 5) correspondence

Zimbabwe Country Debt and Economic Performance

Zimbabwe Country Debt and Economic Performance Overview The debate on the effect and direction of causality regarding debt on economic growth has attracted significant academic interest since the last quarter of the 20th century. This question has become more relevant in the context of the so-called Least Developed Countries (LDCs) whose economies typically contain oversized debt, exhibit stunted growth and have often defaulted on outstanding debt. This research sought to build on the existing body of literature and conditions in Zimbabwe over the past 20 years, with special reference on the period 1995 to 2008, and draw inferences on the role that debt played in Zimbabwes economic performance over the same period. This chapter sets the stage for the study through reviewing the background to the research study, outlining the problem statement, discussing research objectives and methods among other things. The framework introduced and described herein shall be expanded on application in the later stages of the research project and any necessary adjustments will be incorporated. The chapter, by outlining in advance the research expectations, forms the basis upon which the outcome and conclusions of the research shall be assessed. Background of Zimbabwes Debt Zimbabwe just like any other Less Developed Economies (LIC) has relied on both external and domestic finance to fund its developmental projects. External debt comprise foreign currency denominated liabilities owed to non-resident entities, in the form of both medium to long-term loans and short-term trade facilities, while domestic debt is debt owed to residents and is contracted mainly through issuing treasury bills and bonds as well as utilization of the overdraft window at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). The country has not been able to pay its external and domestic obligations for sometime against the background of progressive decline in export performance and the depletion of the foreign currency reserves. The meagre foreign currency resources available have been allocated towards critical social needs such as education and health delivery systems. Consequently, the countrys ability to settle obligations has been severely undermined culminating in accumulation of external payment arrears to US$4 487 million as at 31 December 2009. This represents a more than 60% increase over the 2000 figure of $2.75 billion. This coincides with a period when the economy had entered into a sustained phase of economic decline and hyperinflation. It is argued that debt overhang has been a stumbling block towards economic recovery initiatives of the country and has impacted negatively on the countrys international credit rating, a development which has been a major deterrent to potential foreign investment and credit inflows. The total debt has been growing from 1990 as shown in the graph hereunder: Fig. 1 Debt and GDP Trend for Zimbabwe Source: Data complied from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and The Ministry of Finance in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe has not been able to pay its debt obligations for nearly a decade from 1999 against the background of progressive decline in export performance and depletion of foreign currency reserves, due to restrictive measures imposed on the country. The total debt increased from $2.9 billion in 1990 to $6.9 billion in 2010 and the debt burden is a stumbling block towards economic recovery of the country and has impacted negatively on the countrys international credit rating, a development which has been a major deterrent to potential foreign investment and credit inflows. Against this backdrop, it is imperative that the country develop sustainable strategies to deal with the debt overhang problem. As at October 2010, the external debt stock was 118.4% of GDP, which is above international debt sustainability benchmark of 60%. Zimbabwe is in the process of drafting a cocktail of measures to expunge the debt obligations. A number of options which can be implemented to deal with the debt burden are, (a) Equity Anchored Debt Resolution which involves external new borrowing by the country to retire the totality or part of external debt, using identified public assets as collateral, (b) Brady plan where Zimbabwe can engage other nations who can guarantee its securitized debt, (c) Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Backed Debt Clearance Strategy which is a strategy designed to clear Zimbabwes debt and debt arrears without direct and immediate payment by Government of Zimbabwe, (d) Debt re-scheduling, and (e) Heavily Indebted Poor country (HIPC) Initiative which is a debt reduction strategy for heavily indebted poor countries pursuing IMF, and World Bank supported adjustment and reform programs. The debate on the debt resolution issues in Zimbabwe has been taking place in the absence of a proper analytical background or framework that captures the real dynamics behind the debt issue. This research contributes to this critical discourse in Zimbabwe through providing that analytical and objective framework. Problem Statement Growing public debt is a worldwide phenomenon and it has become a common feature of the fiscal sectors of most of economies. Poor debt management and a permanent growth of the debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio may result in negative macroeconomic performance, like crowding out of investment, financial system instability, inflationary pressures, exchange rate fluctuations and more importantly adverse effects on economic growth. In fact the theoretical literature has summarized the following channels through which external and domestic debts affects growth negatively namely; debt overhang, liquidity constraint, fiscal effect, productivity suppression and reduction in human capital accumulation. There are also certain social and political implications of unsustainable debt burden. Persistent and high public debt calls for a large piece of budgetary resources for debt servicing. Consequently, the government is forced to cut allocations for other public services and it faces serious di fficulties in executing its electoral manifesto, if it has. While the negative effects of public debt are well documented, there is no consensus on the optimum impact and the direction of causality. Countries with better economic performance may also better deal with the public debt phenomenon. In fact higher economic growth in turn increases a countrys creditworthiness and this may attract more capital inflows. If the capital inflow is long term or Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and the debt is applied towards enhancing the countrys productive capacity and capital accumulation, the impact of debt on economic growth will be positive. There have been several attempts to empirically assess the public debt-economic growth link, in the context of other antecedent variables mainly by using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). Most of the earlier empirical studies include a fairly standard set of domestic debt, policy and other exogenous explanatory variables and the majority found one or more debt variables to be significantly and negatively correlated with investment or growth (Krugman, 1988; Borensztein, 1990; Greene and Villanueva, 1991; Deshpande, 1997 and more recently Pattillo, Poisson, and Ricci, 2004). Among developing countries evidences supporting the debt overhang hypothesis features research from Iyoha (1996), Fosu (1999), Mbanga and Sikod (2001), Maureen (2001) and Clements, Bhattacharya, and Nguyen (2003). The rationale of this study was driven by the scant amount of research in developing nations investigating the link between public debt and growth taking into account the causality and endogeneity issues. Although there is a substantial literature on the impact of public debt on growth, relatively few studies have been conducted on a sample of developing economies exclusively and particularly for Africa, but the latter has remained one of the continents with the highest and worrying growing level of public debt. This research aims to analyze the impact of public debt on the economic growth of Zimbabwe over the period 1990-2000. This study is based on the small developing state, Zimbabwe, and it provide a good case study because as most low income countries, it has limited access to international capital markets and thus the impact of external debt and domestic debt on these economies can be different as compared to emerging market countries. Moreover external debt may have indirect effects through private and public investment through the debt overhang and crowding out effects. Further, one should also not ignore the indirect effects of debt accumulation and service through private investment (debt overhang) and public spending (crowding out). Thus given the possibility of endogeneity and important feedback effects, the research uses the dynamic time series analysis, namely a Vector Autoregressive framework. The motivation to use this framework is that it allows important insights on the role of public debt on, not only economic growth but ultimately on private and public investment as well. Statement of the Research Objectives To develop a pragmatic model to understand the relationship between national debt and economic performance To ascertain the relevance of debt in determining economic policy To establish critical benchmarks that developing countries can use to enhance bond markets. Key Research Questions What are the drivers for the level of debt in developing countries? What are the determinants of economic performance? What role do stocks, bonds and alternative asset classes play in resolving country debt? Are prescriptive models and or solutions on debt from developed economies workable for developing nations such as Zimbabwe? Hypothesis In undertaking this research, emphasis is to test the following hypothesis upon which the results of this study are based: Public debt has a negative influence on the economic performance of a country. Zimbabwes economic decline is attributed to heavy debt overhang. The alternative hypothesis of this study is as follows: Public debt does not have any influence in the economic performance of a country. Zimbabwes economic decline has no relationship with public debt. Definition of Terms Definitions form an integral part in the compilation of the research. The definition of terms given below, where used consistently in the entire research report. Public Debt this is defined as the total debt owed by the Central Government which include both domestic and external debt, Bloomsburg (2007). External Debt It refers to the part of a countrys debt that is owed to creditors who are not residents of the country, Bloomsburg (2007). In other words it refers to the obligations that are owed by residents to non-residents. Debt Service refers to the future debt repayments of both the principal and interest amount. Economic Performance refers to those issues dealing with the amount and value of money, wealth, debt, and investment, SDI (1996). It is the general outlook of the economy as measured by relevant economic indicators such as GDP/GDP per capita. Country Debt refers to total obligations owned by the country to non-residents. Debt Sustainability The OECD Economic Surveys (2002) define debt sustainability as the ability of government to service its borrowings, both internal and external without resorting to rescheduling or accumulation of arrears. Thus, debt is sustainable when it can be serviced without resorting to exceptional financing or a major correction in the future balance of income and expenditure. Debt sustainability relates to the assessment of the level of debt that can be serviced without resorting to exceptional financing or a major correction in the future balance of income and expenditure. Research Design The type of research design adopted is both experimental and correlational in nature. The study will triangulate correlation and qualitative aspect to increase the degree of control over factors reviewed. The specific focus on Zimbabwe draws understanding of the study as a case study. Robson (2002:178) defines a case study as, a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between variables, in this instance, developing country debt and economic performance. The degree of control on factor variables in this research will clearly be moderate as the role of environmental influence and human perception will relatively be inconsistent. Secondary Research (Correlational Research). To assess the empirical relationship between the major variables, that is debt and economic growth, the research makes extensive use of econometric modeling. The modeling stage incorporates other variables, which although not underlying the core objective of the relationship being analysed, are considered relevant explanatory variables to the dependent variable. The causal effect among the variables is often indirect, has significant components of the feedback effect and exhibits elements of endogeneity. To account for this, the research uses dynamic time series analysis, namely a Vector Autoregressive framework. The motivation to use this framework is that it allows important insights on the role of public debt on, not only economic growth, but ultimately on private and public investment as well. Advance filtration of the modeling variables to enhance model purity and relevance is achieved through various forms of pre-modeling tests. The univariate properties of all data series are investigated to determine the degree to which they are integrated, provide valid statistical inference and avoid problems of spurious relationships. Both the augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) unit-roots tests will be employed for that purpose to show whether the variable are integrated of order 1 (I(1)) and thus stationary in difference. The time series characteristics of the data will be analysed by utilizing the statistical tools such as the R-squared, unit roots, the t-statistic, the probability value (p-value) and the Dubin Watson Statistic (DW statistic). Justification of the Vector Autoregressive Framework Public debt does not only affect growth a priori (that is in the expected negative effect on economic growth), but countries with better economic performance may also better deal with the external debt phenomenon. In fact higher economic growth in turn increases a countrys creditworthiness and this may attract more capital inflows. If the capital inflow is long term or Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the need to borrow may decrease. Moreover external debt may have indirect effects through private and public investment through the debt overhang and crowding out effects. In addition, one should also not ignore the indirect effects of debt accumulation and service through private investment (debt overhang) and public spending (crowding out). Thus given the possibility of endogeneity and important feedback effects, we use dynamic time series analysis, namely a Vector Autoregressive Framework, to analyse the hypothesized link. Such a framework will allow important insights on the role of public debt not only on economic growth but ultimately on private and public investment as well. Significance of the Study. The envisaged modelling framework will provide debt managers in Zimbabwe and the region with an objective and efficient tool to analyse and cope with vulnerabilities in their public debt portfolio. This awareness shall be enhanced by the post-modeling user test and analysis performed as part of this research. The research focuses on country specific factors and seeks to contribute to the development of econometric modelling in Zimbabwe and comparable countries in the region. The precision of policy making and public finance management in Zimbabwe is severely weakened by lack of quantitative insights into the workings of the economy. Over the years, little or no attempt has been made to scientifically assess the impact of the countrys runaway debt on such variables as economic growth, provision of social services and Foreign Direct Investment flows. This research represents an important step towards addressing this dearth of analytical insight. Chapter Conclusion The above chapter highlighted the core research problem, research objectives, research questions and the research hypothesis adopted to develop econometric model output for this paper. In the following chapters the researcher shall review as follows: Chapter 2: The literature review Chapter 3: The methodology Chapter 4: Findings and detailed analysis of the Zimbabwean market Chapter 5: Conclusions Chapter 6: Recommendations

Essay --

Magic Johnson once stated, â€Å"You can’t get AIDS from a hug or a handshake or a meal with a friend.† AIDS and HIV is not something you can receive by touching someone’s outer skin. AIDS and HIV can only be transmitted when an infected persons; fluids meets with another person. AIDS and HIV is one of the most deadliest disease in the world that already has killed 1.6 million civilians. People need to understand the facts behind AIDS and HIV so people do not treat others who are infected like they are going to kill them. Everyone has possibility of contracting AIDS and HIV; it can change one’s world in a heart beat. 1 HIV/AIDS has become a pandemic virus because of how quickly it has spread throughout the entire world. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which means that it is a virus that attacks the immune system and it can only infect humans. HIV are like other viruses but there is an important difference, overtime your immune system can clear most viruses out of your body. HIV is different, the human immune system can’t get rid of it and scientist are still trying to figure out why our immune system can’t clear it. HIV hides in your body for long periods and it attacks a key part of our immune system, your CD4 cells or T cells. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell that circulate around our bodies, scanning for cellular abnormalities and infections (www.tcells.com). Which your body must have to fight the virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, which means that AIDS is the cause of a different virus, which is HIV. Over 2.5 million people are infec ted with HIV worldwide. HIV/AIDS can be so deadly to humans because of the viruses capability if attacking our immune system. When HIV replicates itself ... ...ns; it affects us all in every aspect of our lives. Thanks to the efforts made for research , and treatments have been made to control the virus. Most importantly, the HIV/AIDS virus cannot replicate violently in the immune system because of these treatments. I think humans hold the real key to cure, if they would think about there actions before they do them, then we can save a lot more lives from the virus and stop the spread of it. Sharing needles with infected individual is a way of acquiring the disease. If we do this the percentage of people with HIV/AIDS will decrease significantly. If we do the little things to help solve this big health issue, it might help find the cure. So it is important that information about this virus is being shard and education is being taught to people all over the world who are not familiar with the virus to help the spread of it.

A Critical Essay on Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” Analysis

How can a poem written more than fifty years ago manage to find a more contemporary reading, and inspire a healthy yet critical discussion between ‘classicists’ and ‘modernist’ readers or audiences?Such is the charm exhibited by the poem My Papa’s Waltz written by Theodore Roethke. Even before jumping straight to the discussion of the meat and matter, or the content of the poem itself, there is already so much to say about the poem if we are to judge its literary merit in terms of form.NARRATIVE STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE AND RHYMEThe poem is very easily understood and is presented in a clear chronological order, from the time the father comes home, up to the conclusion of the ‘waltz’ with the speaker in the poem off to bed (Roethke).     Because of a clear chronology of events, the poem is light, delightful, and yet, remains thought-provoking.The language used is also very light and appropriate, as it is seen that the speaker in the poem is a child and the addressee is the papa, or the father of the speaker (Roethke). Such easy vocabulary is appropriate for the speaker in the poem, thus creating a high level of believability in the reader and lending credibility to the speaker in the poem.We see clearly and immediately the distinction between the speaker and the addressee, and we can also create in our minds the right profile for both speaker and addressee in the poem. The rhyme scheme is A-B-A-B-C-D-C-D-E-F-E-F-G-H-G-H.There is a wonderful mix of masculine rhymes; like head-bed in lines 13 and 15 (Roethke), and dirt-shirt in lines 14 and 16 (Roethke); and feminine rhymes like dizzy-easy in lines 1 and 3 (Roethke), and knuckle-buckle in lines 10 and 12 (Roethke) in the poem. The few ‘sloppy’ rhymes found in the poem are also interesting since they can be, again, attributed to the fact that the speaker is a person of tender age.IMAGERY AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGEThe narrative structure of the poem is further b olstered by a clear and vivid rendering of images. The very first two lines – â€Å"The whiskey on your breath/Could make a small boy dizzy† (Roethke); – clearly and certainly presents a clear mental picture, where, not only the mind’s eye, but as well as other senses are able to participate: to be specific, in these lines, the sense of smell.Even the ‘mind’s ears’ are able to participate in the sensory experience of the poem as evidenced by lines 5 and 6 – â€Å"We romped until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf† (Roethke); where one could easily hear the racket that these pans sliding off kitchen shelves may have caused.This poem is simply a delight to the senses! The use of figurative language is superior as well. With lines 7 and 8 – â€Å"My mother's countenance/Could not unfrown itself† (Roethke), and the final lines – â€Å"Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt† (Roe thke) – are excellent and very inventive use of figurative language, not to mention it being far from clichà ©.The poem is a brilliant gem of literature that exhibits mastery, not only of poetic form, but as well as content. Speaking of content, this is exactly what has been subject of heated debates and lively discussion regarding the theme or the reading of the poem.DUALITY OF READINGThe poem presents a multilayered theme, capable of multiple readings. This conflict of reading and interpretation of the poems thematic or symbolic meaning stems from a difference in reader response to the poem.Most ‘classicists’ view the poem as an innocent and nostalgic retelling of a ‘bonding time’ between a doting father and a beloved son/child. On the other end of the spectrum are the ‘modernists’ interpretation of the poem as one which speaks of child abuse by physical punishment of a drunk father.The classicists argue that a reading of a poem shoul d also take into consideration the era or period at the time of the poem’s writing. They argue that the poem should not only be read and appreciated or criticized by using intrinsic information within the poem, but also extrinsic factors, such as the reference to line 1’s whiskey breath (Roethke), and lines 7 and 8’s mother’s countenance (Roethke).The modernists are in the view that this is not an enjoyable scenario for a child when such a dance is considered ‘not easy’ (Roethke) in line 4, as well as a ‘hung to death’(Roethke) in line3. Furthermore, violence is suggested by the hand holding on to the persona’s wrist in line 9, which is described as batter in one knuckle in line 10. There is also a strong suggestion of violence by the scrapping of the right ear in a buckle at every misstep (Roethke) in lines 11 and 12. Delivering the final nail to the coffin of the argument are the final lines 15 and 16’s waltzing o ff to bed still clinging to the abusive father’s shirt (Roethke), which shows reluctance and forcible tucking in of the speaker to the bed.I identify with the modernists in the reading and interpretation of this poem. I see violence and abuse in the poem, but to debate on such matters would be to entirely miss the point. The point here is that, this work is a marvelous piece of literature because it has the timeless quality of a classic, as well as a multi-faceted and multi-layered interpretation.After all, a good poem should impart a significant human experience, and it should draw from the reader, empathy, and a participation of the senses. Whether this is a nostalgic recall of good times between father and child or a violent episode of child abuse, the fact remains that the poem succeeds both in form and substance or content, and transcends time, is of essence. Its allowing for multiple readings is only a testament to the sterling qualities of this timeless classic.

DEP GARD Case Study Essay

When reviewing the Supply Chain design for DEP/GARD, there are various stages which add value, and some which fail to add value. Looking at figure 1. below, you will see the diagram outlining the supply chain value stream enabling DEP to delivery product to GARD. Areas which fail to add value, and have the potential to erode DEP’s ability to remain a valued supplier for GARD include the following: 1. Failure to utilize LEAN manufacturing principles causing DEP to carry excess inventory: Inventory shortages which caused shutdowns leading to DEP to abandon LEAN principals look to be primarily driven by a lack of structured supplier management. Suppliers of key raw materials were selected based solely on price, with DEP neglecting the critical service component of their supplier’s delivery capabilities. This lack of consistent and reliable delivery required DEP to carry excess safety stock, increasing their inventory carrying costs, and reducing the ability to produce on a JIT basis. 2. Manual order receipt and handling process: Orders are placed via fax and phone to the marketing and sales department, at which time orders are manually entered into the order information system. Lost faxes, order entry personnel entering an order incorrectly, or even being distracted by another priority leading to failure to enter the order at all; these are all potential failures by not having a more up to date, automated ordering processes with their customers. 3. Inconsistent timeline to complete pick, pack, and ship process at the distribution warehouse: There is a three day variation in the time it takes for an order to leave the warehouse once it is received from manufacturing. Without additional details, I cannot comment on the cause for this long time fence, however from a high level overview, I’m using the assumption that the warehouse follows generally a similar process to perform their tasks to enable final shipment, thus a 3 day variation in the time it takes to complete these tasks seem to degrade value. 4. Twice-a-week delivery options for customers within 200 miles of DEP: This appears to show a lack of flexibility on the part of DEP in terms of delivery capabilities to local customers. Assuming a Tuesday and Thursday delivery schedule, and order that is ready to ship late Thursday (possibly missing the fleet truck leaving the warehouse), now will not ship until Tuesday the following week, adding three business days to the total performance cycle to the order. Stages which are value added: 1. Same day movement of produced finished goods to warehouse 2. Utilization of DEP fleet trucks to make deliveries to short distance customers Figure 1. Upon reviewing the primary suppliers of polymer feedstock for DEP, specifically the suppliers awarded with 60% of the volume, I am able to calculate a maximum performance cycle of 25 days to deliver product to GARD. Assuming inventory is NOT available for some reason requiring an order from polymer suppliers, the longest lead time to receive polymer is 9 days from the 60% suppliers. To receive, process, and produce the material for the customer order, you then add 8 days, as this is the longest production cycle time. Orders are sent to the warehouse, prepared for shipping, and another 6 days may elapse before the order is actually shipped. Using the assumption that GARD is within the 200 mile radius, the longest time that delivery may take place based on twice a week deliveries is 2 days. This gives us a total of 25 days. Vice versa, when looking at the minimum performance cycle for this total supply chain, I calculated a 10 day cycle. DEP has abandoned LEAN principles and stores 7 days’ worth of inventory on hand at all times. Based on this, my assumption is that inventory is immediately available to begin production of the customer order. DEP has a minimum production time of 6 days from receipt and processing of the order to completed production. Material is immediately moved to the warehouse and prepared for shipment. This process takes a minimum of 3 days to complete and ship the order. Similar to my assumption used in calculation of the maximum performance cycle, I assume GARD is within the 200 mile radius. I’m also using the assumption that DEP can make deliveries on the day an order is processed and ready for shipment, provided the order is prepared in sufficient time, thus giving a 1 day shipping time in a best case scenario. This calculates to a 10 day minimum performance cycle. Looking at the total supply chain, it is possible to improve the consistency of the performance cycle; however, due to the fact that the production process from order receipt to finished product takes 3-6 days, the minimum performance cycle could not be improved. By simply switching to primary use of the 25% and  15% polymer suppliers, there would be opportunity to receive several of the raw materials in as low as 2 days, however if DEP were to shift back to a JIT process, this would simply add two days to the overall current minimum performance cycle (currently, inventory is already on hand), instead of improving the cycle time. For products E and F, the minimum lead time is 4 days, still negating opportunity for improvement. Automated ordering systems (online, vendor managed inventory, etc) would allow for a more consistent process and reduce opportunities for manual failure on the part of DEP, to theoretically narrow the gap from the current 3-6 days to produce finished product from the time of order placement. Similarly, shifting to a delivery cycle of daily shipments for customers within 200 miles would also reduce variability in delivery times. If I were Tom Lippet in this scenario, there are several changes I would make, some of which I have touched on previously. Current inventory strategies may not be the most optimal in terms of cost, however Tom’s concern is of service to GARD, as pricing is already in line with market competitors. Based on this and due to the variability in supply time consistency from polymer raw material suppliers, I would not make any changes to inventory strategies. However, due to the variability in the time it takes to produce product from the time of order, as well as the variability in the time it takes to process an order for shipment at the warehouse, I would work with supply chain leadership to request a detailed value stream map of the entire internal supply chain process, to highlight the key areas causing such variability and work to implement improvement strategies to shorten these times on a consistent basis. In terms of shipping, I again would work with supply chain leadership to analyze the cost-benefit impact of either moving to ta daily delivery route with the DEP truck fleet, or look at the opportunity to supplement utilizing common carriers where DEP trucks are unable to delivery in the shortest time window possible. In order to â€Å"sell† Richard Binish on DEP’s capabilities to deliver consistently within the service level criteria now required by GARD, I would highlight critical improvements being implemented by DEP to better align capabilities with Richards service requirements from key suppliers. Obviously, price is a common qualifying criteria component, and I would need to ensure that these improvements made within DEP’s supply design did not raise costs to the point of eroding  margin or requiring a price increase to the level of pricing ourselves out of the GARD business. Product quality is also critical, but we already know that DEP product is in line with competitors in terms of quality, thus making it somewhat of a â€Å"commodity† product. Price and service will be the critical components. I will need to visually show demonstrated improvement in delivery service since these improvements were implemented as compared to historical service to GARD. Assuming that these improvements were successful, there theoretically should be a much higher demonstrated performance level within a tighter service window. In closing, Supply Chain management plays a critical role in the overall commercial success of a business. Setting proper service expectations and maintaining levels within that range is critical to maintaining share with key customers. Analyzing gaps in those performance expectations from a customer against actual capabilities, and actively working to close the gaps should be an ongoing process.