Nestle Essay Example for Free

Nestle Essay Nestle, one of the largest packaged food company has been unanimously declared a leader in its field. Founded and located in Vevey, Switzerland, it was established in 1905 and from then on it started its journey of delivering quality food products to consumers worldwide (About Nestle, 2008). Any firm, regardless of its size, national or multinational relies heavily on its purchasing department and supply management to add value to the firms operations. f a firm compromises on its purchasing standards it will suffer losses in its manufacturing process and ultimately in sales. For any manufacturing firm, purchasing and supply management are the first step which are directly linked to all consequent stages of the manufacturing process ,thereby it is extremely important to start of the entire process with an efficient and effective purchasing procedure so that it is reflected in the final product (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2009). The globalization of Nestle as well as the accelerating competition in the food sector emphasizes on the need for regular assessments of their purchasing strategies and supply management system. The purchasing system at Nestle functions as part of the supply chain management rather than an independent function and aims to achieve cost minimization and profit optimization (Swerdlick, Summer 2008). At Nestle there are a few basic purchasing objectives: †¢ Efficient and timely delivery of goods, materials and services. †¢ Continuous assessment of the performance and reliability of suppliers. †¢ Adding value to the company functions and contributing to the growth and profitability of the company. †¢ Availing benefits offered by suppliers and encouraging competition among suppliers which tends to create a healthy working environment (Swerdlick, Summer 2008). At Nestle there are two basic purchasing roles which take into consideration the strategic and operational activities taking place within the company: †¢ Strategic buyers along with the expert opinions of other professionals are responsible for performing market analysis, screening suppliers and selecting the most appropriate ones, negotiations and contract management. Amongst the many responsibilities the most important ones that strategic buyers are faced with is the safeguarding of quality standards, adding to product development and channelling supplier technology to add value to the company products. †¢ Operational buyers, on the other hand are responsible for the operational part of the purchasing process i.e. sending purchase orders, receiving delivery for them etc. these functions can be performed by any department in the organization which requires any goods or services (Czerwonka, Summer 2008). Planning and strategy determination are extremely crucial factors involved in the purchasing process, since they are the basic steps towards the achievement of growth and profitability objectives of the company. although the basic aim that is kept in mind while determining the strategy is cost minimization but at the same time equal importance is given to the issue of supplier commitment to work with Nestle. At the same time ,strategy determination also takes into account factors of business sector objectives and value addition opportunities. These objectives eventually form the basis of a sustainable and unique market advantage (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2008). The next step is then to come to an agreement with suppliers to impose few standardized specifications which would not only result in an efficient supply chain management but also lead to lower costs and greater price leverage (Weiss, Summer 2008). At Nestle it is strongly emphasized that purchasing is not just restricted to just one specific department rather it’s a cross functional team effort where everyone has a say in the operational activities of the purchasing process (The Keys to Success, Summer 2008). A good supplier selection is extremely important since in the long run it is the supplier who adds value to the company’s operations and contributes to its growth and success relative to its competitors. And it is for this reason that Nestle strongly believes in maintaining amiable relations with suppliers based on mutual trust and understanding. It believes that suppliers are a vital part of the company’s development process where they have a big role in identifying niche opportunities in the market, providing new product ideas and adding their innovativeness and creativity to the overall business operations. Therefore, Nestle has set a standard criteria based on which it selects the most ideal suppliers who will prove to be beneficial to both the companies (The Keys to Success (AN 32186182), Summer 2008). The criterion is: †¢ Level of innovativeness that the supplier believes in implementing in his company. †¢ Financial position and reputation in the market. †¢ Organizational structure and mode of operations in the company. †¢ Ability and willingness to adapt to the working practices and ethics followed by Nestle (About Nestle, 2008). Since Nestle is involved in food manufacturing, quality management is a crucial issue because lack of quality in food products is not only a risk to consumer health but is also a serious criminal offense in certain countries. To maintain quality standards, Nestle is highly dependent on its suppliers to assure Nestle of the delivery of top quality products and services. For this it is absolutely necessary for the suppliers to be aware of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s quality policy as well as its safety and quality control standards (Czerwonka, Summer 2008). To further ensure that quality standards are maintained, suppliers of raw materials and packaging materials undergo an audit process where the quality of goods and services provided by any given supplier are properly assessed and inspected (Margarella, Aug. 2003). Nestle requires from its supplier that defective and faulty goods are replaced or rectified within a reasonable time period. Each supplier that gets a chance to work with Nestle undergoes intense scrutiny before it gets an approval because Nestle cannot afford to compromise on its years of excellence in delivering hygienic, nutritional, safe and high quality food products to its consumers. To ensure that the competitive advantage of quality is maintained, Nestle evaluates the ethics and business conduct, competence, sustainable environmental practices and process controls before giving its final approval to any supplier. Purchasing is not just a one-time process rather it’s an on-going process for a huge company like Nestle which is generating revenue in millions (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). For this reason it has employed a computerized information system that maintains inventory management, list of suppliers, quality issues pertaining to certain goods or suppliers, variation in prices in the market, forecasted prices etc.This system allows for timely and better decision making since real time data comprehensive data is available at all times and also the management can be immediately informed of any discrepancies in the purchasing procedure or any unexpected problems that may arise (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2009). Nestle uses an internal web based tool (Purchasing intranet) which is extremely effective in communicating with the internal purchasing community about quantities being supplied, price variations or any such matters (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). In this age of information technology, Nestle has realized the importance of integrating technology into their day to day operations for better efficiency, cost benefits and enhancement in services to customers and it is for this reason that Nestle is also currently involved in e-procurement which has seemed to cut down on considerable costs for the company. Nestle is a strict disciplinary when it comes to following legal obligations and requirements. Purchasing is a business process which involves the entering into an agreement with a third party to purchase and facilitate the delivery of goods and services. For this reason it is extremely important to have written agreements where the terms are clearly defined and are precise thereby eliminating any chances of potential misunderstanding between both the parties   (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). Nestle feels that there is a strong link between efficient purchasing and supply management and the quality of personnel employed in the company (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). The professionalism, competence entrepreneurial qualities and pro-activeness are factors that need be there in the human resources to avail maximum benefits while procuring goods and services from suppliers (The Keys to Success (AN 32186182), Summer 2008). A motivated and dedicated purchasing team will provide and effective function and may represent a competitive advantage for the company. To avail this advantage the human resources at Nestle are trained, motivated and encouraged to create new challenges and expand knowledge while keeping in view the company objectives and policies.

Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Tennessee Williams Gl

Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie We all have illusions. We can hardly live without them. Most of the time they are harmless thoughts about things that are usually unattainable. An example would be when a person sees something that they want and then dreams of having it. Whenever someone holds an opinion based on what they think is true, or in some cases what should be true, rather than what actually is true, then that is an illusion. Illusions sometimes help people cope with painful situations, but in the end, illusions are only a false escape from reality. The characters in the book The Glass Menagerie are each affected by their own different illusions. Tom, Laura, and Amanda all survive because their illusions protect them from the painful facts of their lives. However, illusions can prove to be self-destructive as well as helpful. Do the characters’ illusions hurt them, or are they merely harmless aspects of their personalities? Tom, who is the main character and narrator, suffers from his illusions. Tom’s illusion helps him to escape from his own reality. He sees his job at the shoe warehouse as boring and insignificant. He would rather experience the endless possibilities that life holds. But Tom cannot escape his job, so he tries to escape by going to the movies and writing. When he goes to the movies, he expects to find adventure. Watching someone else’s adventures on the movie screen offers Tom a diversion from his boring existence. â€Å"Yes, movies! Look at them-All of those glamorous people-having adventures-hogging it gobbling the whole thing up! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving! Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them! / But I’m not patient. I don’t want to wait till then. I’m tired of the movies and I am about to move!† (p. 96) But since he has to come out of the dark theater and face life again, escape to the movies solves no problems in his life. The vicarious way of life that Tom creates by attending the movies is an illusion because it can never be a true substitute for his own life. Tom realizes in the paragraph above that he is only watching adventures rather than living them. He realizes, also, that movies are only momentary physiological escapes. He uses the movies as a... ...nt from what she wants. Amanda’s life is focused on her children’s happiness because she doesn’t want them to make the same mistakes that she did. This, however, is just an illusion because they will never be what she wants them to be. By trying harder to set them on the right path, she pushes herself even deeper into her illusion. â€Å"Go to the movies, go! Don’t think about us, a mother deserted, an unmarried sister who’s crippled and has no job! Don’t let anything interfere with your selfish pleasure! Just go, go, go-to the movies!†(p.136) By reliving her life, Amanda failed to realize that the personalities of her children were completely different from her own. As a result of her illusions, Amanda drove her son away and hurt herself and the others around her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If someone was to remove the illusion from the lives of the Wingfield family, which of them could survive the real world? Their illusions might be useful for a short time but the world would pass them by if they maintained an illusionary state. Illusions, therefore, are a destructive trait in the lives of the Wingfield family. Works Cited Williams, Tennessee. "The Glass Menagerie". New York: Random House, 2008.

Literature of the Western World Essay

Fray Luis De Leon’s use of the good shepherd motif in At the Ascension (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001) is a wholly unexpected one.   Hearing the phrase or title ‘the good shepherd’ clearly fills one with expectation that the word good in it means good of action.   In other words, a reader encountering this phrase would assume that the shepherd is good because of the work that he does.   For example, a shepherd who carefully rounds up his sheep would be a good shepherd, while one who loses his sheep would be a bad shepherd. This is in opposition to ‘good’ referring to a quality of character.   In this fashion, good is a description of what a person is, not what a person does.   This is apart from action.   It is this latter understanding that is what De Leon leaves us with.   He writes â€Å"Holy Shepherd, dost thou leave thy flock in this valley profound and obscure, to dwell with solitude and grieve, while piercing through the heavens pure, thou risest to immortality secure?† (p. 2217).   This is certainly not the typical use of the metaphor in religious literature. For a more conventional, religious interpretation of the shepherd, consider this oft quoted poem from Lope de Vega entitled The Good Shepherd (Walsh, 1920).   In it he writes, â€Å"Shepherd! Who with thine amorous sylvan song, hast broken the slumber that encompassed me, who mad’st thy crook from the accursed tree, on which thy powerful arms were stretched so long!   Lead me to mercy’s ever-flowing fountains; for thou my shepherd, guard and guide shall be.† This image from de Vega is in complete opposition to the use of the form by de Leon.   It represents, again, a more typical usage of shepherd in a religious context, and is used to demonstrate unconditional, usually sacrificial love for others, as in de Vega.   De Leon, though, turns that motif around, blaming the shepherd for not being all the things that our expectations demand. St. John of the Cross, in his poem I Entered Where I Did Not Know would seem, at least at first glance/first read, to be a substantial paradox.   Certainly to the secular reader, it must be such.   It is a poem that explores such seemingly contradictory thoughts such as, â€Å"Unknowing where I was, I learned unheard of things, but what I heard I cannot say, for I remained unknowing, all reason now transcended† (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001, p. 2220).    Using the words ‘learned’ and ‘unknowing’ in the same few lines does not just transcend reason, but transcends every expectation but contradiction.   This, as I stated, though, is the view of the secular reader.   The paradox is unraveled and the mystery revealed when read through the lens of the religious observer who is accustomed to this type of usage of the limitations of humanity.   St. John clearly is talking of two realms here, the physical (mortal) and the spiritual (eternal).   Knowledge that the self possesses, he is intimating through this poem, is only the knowledge of the physical world that we have.   In that area of understanding, we have our version of knowledge – what he calls ‘knowing’. However, when attempting to grasp the reality of the spiritual world, our knowledge that we possess about the physical world is absolutely useless to us.   Our very own reason (i.e. our mind) cannot even begin to understand what it sees of the spirit world.   It remains outside of our comprehension, and our ability to gain knowledge of.   Even when we stand in its presence, we are left unknowing. Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola’s poem beginning, â€Å"First I must confess, Don Juan,† is most certainly a serious, though clever, observation about appearance and truth.   It reads in a whimsical sort of fashion, and is almost too witty for its own good.   Because of its non subtle imagination, and condescending language, the poem is often misunderstood.   The reader is apt to rush to judgment.   Far from being just a playful conceit, however, it contains much deeper meaning. Lines such as, â€Å"†¦Dona Elvira’s pink and white, if truly seen, owe to her no more than what they cost to buy,† (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001, p. 2239) indicate such a lack of value of internal beauty (and perhaps external beauty, for that matter) within Dona Elvira that the reader almost must laugh at the pointed jest.   But this is serious.   Considering how Argensola treats this appearance of the lady, this is plain to see.   He attributes her with ‘false beauty’ and ‘deceit’, and then goes on to explain that he is swayed by it.   It is clear that he finds this trait of hers to be contrary to truth and is merely appearance. If the poet did not find these issues to be important, then he would have just stated the appearance of the deceit, and been done with it.   Since he adds commentary, however, by going on to talk about its influence on him (and presumably all men), a serious tone is affected.   It is similar, then, to Campion’s Amaryllis in I Care Not for These Ladies (Campion).   Campion declares of the country maid that her natural beauty disdains art and that her beauty is actually her own.   In other words, this is the same question that Argensola raises, the same test he puts to the woman in his poem.   Does she have internal beauty, that of truth without falsehood? This is the true beauty of internal integrity.   Or is she just a painted lady, who practices deceit with her very face?   These are serious questions about not only appearance, but also of truth, and both Argensola and Campion express the same judgment in the end.   These are not mere plays on words, but deeper exercises into human behavior. Sor Juana’s verses regarding men’s choices and their consequences shows her craft at its very best (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001).   As has been noted, it is the choice of her weapon – reason – that made her and still makes her one of the top anti-misogynists of all time.   Her lack of flowery wording and coy assumptions and directions lend to the power of her poems. She remains fully a poet, while also assuming a full role of sociologist.   Had she been purely focused on the direct attack, a non-rational set of accusations, her legacy would have been much different.   She knew and understood that the direct attack through poetry or other works of literature have been long derided as pure emotionalism, a weakness men attribute to women.   Therefore, Sor Juana did turn to logic and rationale.   Ironically, these have long been promoted by men to be men’s tools. Her use of paradoxes to dismiss men’s treatment of women is astounding and successful.   Her words are sharp.   She raises issues in a back and forth style, point for point, in which paradoxes are found, such as men stating that they will batter a woman down emotionally, but be upset when they show emotions. Or courting a woman and then declaring her to be open and lewd when she accepts.   These paradoxes are enough for anyone – feminist or non feminist – to be able to understand that, as Sor Juana would say, â€Å"For plain default of common sense, could any action be so queer as oneself to cloud the mirror, then complain that it’s not clear?† (p. 2263). Machiavellian behavior is that of cunning and duplicity.   This type of overt behavior is easily found in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001).   However, it is a tempered, double edged sword.   It is too easy, nearly tempting, to assign pro- and anti-Machiavellian behavior within the play specifically to separate characters. What is intriguing is the argument for and against within the same character.   Consider Prospero.   He is full of cunning and guile.   While outwardly extending a hand of friendship as Prince, he acts to destroy behind the scenes simultaneously.   He takes advantage of his mystical powers to control the situation from well beyond the reach of others.   In those ways, he is an easy to find villain.   Particularly, his sheer cunning and duplicitous grabs at power can be expressed as being Machiavellian. But what of the other side of things?   Is there a different aspect by which Prospero can be observed?   Is he to be excused?   And if so, don’t we have to dismiss the Machiavellian notion? It is true that the play opens with his exile.   It appears true that his exile was a wrong done to him by Alonso.   Therefore all of his actions and behaviors through the play could be seen as rightful revenge.   And if this is true, wouldn’t his character be forgiven, and his motivations just?   Finally, in this way, would not Prospero be seen, himself, as actually anti-Machiavellian because he is driven by rightful justice?   This is the interesting question.   It begs us to look deeper into characters before blindly agreeing with popular literary criticism. References Campion, T. I Care Not For These Ladies. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved May 27, 2010 < http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=181014> Walsh, T. (Ed.). (1920). Hispanic Anthology: Poems Translated from the Spanish by English and North American Poets. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Wilkie, B., & Hurt, J. (Ed.). (2001). Literature of the Western World vol.1: The Ancient World Through the Renaissance, 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

The Life Of Frederick Douglass And F. Scott Fitzgerald

What is the American dream? The American Dream to me would be a family, loyal husband, good paying job and most of all my health. But my perspective of the American Dream and other people/authors perspective could be viewed very differently. Frederick Douglass and F. Scott Fitzgerald both have very different views of their American Dream. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was published in 1995 by Frederick Douglass himself, his book walks through his life as a slave. Douglass was born in Maryland in 1818. He escaped slavery in 1838 and out of the 6,000 slave narratives he is the most well known. Douglass’s book was written to give us an inside look on slavery in a realistic manner and further support abolitionist. In Douglass’s book he goes into detail on some horrific events, he explained how life was living under the order of someone, wondering when you will be whipped again, and sometimes wondering if your even going to live another day. He was a witness t o many acts of torture, in the early part of his life he witnessed his aunt Hester getting caught by the master for seeing a man. The master stripped of all her cloths, tired her hands together, he then lead her too a stool with a hook above it made her stand on this stool and tired her hands to this hook. He then whipped her with cowskin till blood was dripping all over the floor. Douglass feared he was next. (4-5). In my opinion this was one aspect of Douglass’s American Dream, to be free of theseShow MoreRelatedHow Does Literature Shape American Culture?968 Words   |  4 Pagesitself into one of the most politically and technically advanced places in the world. The definition of American Literature is any literary work written in, or about The United States. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, The Narrative of the Life of Fredric Douglass and various other works of literature are all pieces of American literature that have helped shape American society. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the sixteen hundreds. Hester PrynneRead MoreFrederick Douglass- An American Slave547 Words   |  2 Pagesvariety of different ideas and concepts, they often times change the way that they think or go about daily life. For example, books like The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass gave people insight to what it was like to live a life of oppression, thus making people feel sympathetic for him. Society also reflects literature in that we see a lot of patterns repeated from books to everyday life. We see the reflection of The Scarlet Letter in society today by the way people still view adultery. InRead MoreFinal Exam Ap Us History Study Guide Essay2306 Words   |  10 Pages(1931) d. USSR (1947) e. Austria-Hungary (1914) Answer: _____ 5. Which of the following African-American leaders would have not backed the goals and tactics of the 1963 March on Washington? a. W.E.B. DuBois b. A. Philip Randolph c. Frederick Douglass d. Walter White e. Marcus Garvey Answer: _____ 6. Marriage and motherhood have always been the number-one career choice of the large majority of women. Are they still a viable career for the modern woman? Do they represent servitudeRead MoreThe Most Controversial American Presidents9333 Words   |  38 PagesGeorge Washington 4 I.1 Early life 4 I.2 Presidency 5 I.3 Retirement and death 6 Chapter II. Abraham Lincoln 7 II.1 Early life and education 7 II.2 Presidency and the Civil War 8 II.3 Assassination 13 Chapter III. J. F. Kennedy 15 III.1 Early life and education 15 III.2 Presidency 17 III.3 Assassination 19 Chapter IV. Richard Nixon 21 IV.1 Early life and education 21 IV.2 Presidency 22 IV.3 Death and funeral 23 Chapter V. Theodore Roosevelt 24 V.1 Early life and education 24 V.2 Presidency