Outsourcing of Accounting Functions

Question: Describe about the Outsourcing of Accounting Functions. Answer: Introduction All across the world, the inclination toward finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) by organizations of all size and nature is rising. Companies are no longer focused on bringing services in house, rather they are now focused on optimization of supplier relationships and augmenting operational elasticity. In a perfect marketplace, all the transitions taking place in the outsourcing landscape would lead to substantial value creation for the users and enhanced profitability for both the service providers and the companies. However, not all the transitions will lead to the expected positive changes (Mclvor, 2005). The present paper attempts at understanding the nuances of outsourcing and analyzing its viability for the accounting firm. Outsourcing: An Overview In the simplest terms, outsourcing is when any process or operation that can be or would normally be conducted in-house by a companys workforce is sub-contracted to some other company for a considerable time. Such outsourced functions may either be performed off-site or on-site. In a literal connotation, outsourcing means use of external resources. It takes place when the implementation of processes, tasks and functions hitherto performed in-house is contracted to an external entity specializing in a particular domain based on long run collaboration (Vitasek, Ledyard and Manrodt, 2016). As per Quelin and Duhamels definition, outsourcing is the function of transferring a transaction which was earlier controlled internally to an outside vendor via a long-term contract (Adrian and Alexandru, 2012). As per this definition, strategic outsourcing has five characteristic elements: A close tie between the key success factor and outsourcing process of a company in a sector. The shifting of ownership of a company process earlier internalized, usually entailing a transfer of physical and human assets to the vendor. A global contract, intense and longer than a typical sub-contracting agreement. Service levels and obligations of both the parties defined in contractual terms. A long term binder between the two parties (Adrian and Alexandru, 2012). The FAO Industry The FAO marketplace is arriving at maturity with its growth narrowing down to -6%, as against the double digit increase some years back. Renewals now control a major share of the market activity which is yet another signal indicating maturity. The rate of contract termination fell in 2014, post a spike in 2013. SMEs and mid market companies are emerging as new customer segments. The contract scope is rising in respect of both geographies and processes being served Bhatnagar, Ranjan and Sinha, 2015Global sourcing is also on a hike due to rising pricing pressure from the purchasers. With a greater focus on outcome and output, hybrid pricing frameworks are playing a more significant part than they did earlier. The service vendors are also investing in process expertise and technology solutions to satisfy the evolving client expectations (Bhatnagar, Ranjan and Sinha, 2015). The main changes in the contractual features in the FAO industry are depicted through the following diagram: Figure 1: Main changes in contractual features (Source: Bhatnagar, Ranjan and Sinha, 2015) Benefits of Outsourcing Focus on core areas - It enables the company to concentrate on its value adding, core activities, without the disruption of having to perform support services. These support services may consume both managements financial resources as well as time, which could rather be spent on areas where the organization can use its competencies and resources to achieve competitive edge (Krell, 2007). Cost Savings - Normally the companies to which functions are outsourced specialize in such functions and hence, are going to reap economies of scale from the employment of expertise. There is a likelihood of additional savings in cost if the process is off-shored to a foreign firm functioning in a less costly labor area (Vagadia, 2011). Cost Reductions - As accounting processes are highly complex yet very important parts of a company, keeping a whole accounts department for the same entails budget draining hiring and training efforts. To prevent this, companies outsource either whole or part of their accounting activities to save up substantial operating costs. Quality Improvement - There could be instant improvement in quality if the finance and accounting functions are outsourced to a company having cutting edge expertise and where quality is cautiously outlined in a service level agreement (Valdez and Molyneux, 2015). Efficiency driven outcomes - FAO actually stimulates efficacy and enhanced business performance to any company. Owing to the highly competitive outsourcing market globally, outsourcing firms encounter the pressing need to espouse most recent technologies and customer satisfaction oriented strategies. In view of these situations, the client firms can look forward to efficiency driven outcomes for their projects, as the service providers cannot risk losing customers by providing low level services (Krell, 2007). Access to huge talent pool - If the accounting activities are externalized to a supplier, the client company invariably gains access to a huge talent reservoir, useful and effective for their business to scale up. Small, medium sized and start up firms normally devise a cost efficient business strategy covering outsourcing of internal FA activities in order to get these processes streamlined (Murphy, 2011). There are several accounting firms in both Australia and UK that have outsourced their payroll functions, tax compliance, treasury and cash management, general ledger management reports, accounts receivables, tax planning, budgeting and forecasting and internal audit activities to save costs and focus on their core areas (Murphy, 2011). Potential shortcomings of Outsourcing Security Risk A companys accounting is, by its very nature, a highly critical and sensitive matter. When the company sends all its financial information, statements and records to an external vendor, it stands the risk of losing insider knowledge on one of the most important components of the company (Murphy, 2011). Difficult to reverse Once the company outsources its accounting functions and the internal know-how is moved out, it becomes really challenging to bring that function back in-house. This is especially pertinent during the time of contract renewal: the price hike may be greater than anticipated, but it can be hard to leave the vendor (Bruin, 2015). Less Control When the employees are managed in-house, the management has more power on how things function, from daily processes to training. While a vendor is likely to train its workforce as per the clients preferences, there is always likelihood that some important aspects may not be covered (Murphy, 2011). What must be outsourced? The decision to whether or not the company should outsource its accounting functions can be made easy by understanding what must be outsourced. Harmons Process Strategy Matrix presents helpful guidance regarding which functions can be outsourced safely, and which must be performed in-house (Koszewska, 2004). It makes use of two axes: Strategic significance of the process, and Dynamism/complexity of the function Figure 2: Process Strategy Matrix (Source: Koszewska, 2004) If the process is in the right hand pair of boxes, where its strategic importance is high, then in such cases outsourcing is not advisable. If the business function is strategically significant, it is probably a source of competitive edge. If this is outsourced then the organization would be letting out its most valuable secret (Koszewska, 2004). Summary To summarize, it can be stated that the use of FAO in spreading all across the world. Such outsourcing arrangements provide accounting firms the opportunities to considerably mitigate costs, access updated technology and improved skills and reap many other advantages. The buyer-supplier relationships and contractual agreements in the FAO market are also taking new forms, giving the client companies more leverage. Recommendations From the analysis of the function of outsourcing provided above, and in light of the weighted pros and cons, the accounting firm is advised to outsource its accounting and finance functions. However, there are some recommendations that the firm should follow before deciding on outsourcing the process. Firstly, it is important to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. It should compare and contrast the cost of keeping a finance division in-house, taking into consideration, expenses such as office space, training, equipment and software, salaries and benefits with the entire expense of hiring external vendor to accomplish the same objectives. All the costs pertaining to outsourcing should be clearly mentioned in the written agreement so that there is no likelihood of hidden costs. The more specific and detailed the consented expectations are, the higher the prospects of avoiding unforeseen costs in the future. When outsourcing the accounting functions, it is particularly crucial to unmistakably comprehend and consent on how any required data will be accessed, how often, who can access it and in what format. This would reduce the security risk associated with the process of outsourcing. If the vendor is situated offshore, then it is vital to comprehend how the different time zones, locations, languages and culture are addressed. It is recommended in such cases, that the accounting firm addresses external political or legal risks well ahead of time. Word Count - 1483 Communication Plan As outsourcing of accounting functions is recommended, the stakeholders will be informed about the change by holding a meeting in which they will be addressed about the benefits of outsourcing for the accounting firm. Subsequent to this, a detailed plan encompassing changes in work structure and resource allocation will be communicated to the stakeholders through both the meeting and an email. References Adrian, V. and Alexandru, D., 2012. Outsourcing: The Concept. Theoretical and Applied Economics. 19(6).pp.51-58. Bhatnagar, S., Ranjan, R. and Sinha, N., 2015. Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) Annual Report 2015 Generating Value through Innovation. Everest Group. Bruin, B., 2015. Ethics and the Global Financial Crisis. CUP. Koszewska, M., 2004. OUTSOURCING AS A MODERN MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. PROSPECTS FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROTECIVE CLOTHING MARKET. AUTEX Research Journal. 4(4). Krell, E., 2007. Outsourcing the Finance and Accounting Functions. [pdf]. Available through: https://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/tech_mag_outsourcing_the_finance_and_accounting_functions_oct07.pdf.pdf. [Accessed on 9th September 2016]. Mclvor, R., 2005. The Outsourcing Process: Strategies for Evaluation and Management. CUP. Murphy, C., 2011. The finance transformation the Outsourcing Perspective. [pdf]. Available through:https://www.in.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/Finance_Transformation__The_Outsourcing_Perspective.pdf. [Accessed on 9th September 2016]. Vagadia, B., 2011. Strategic Outsourcing: The Alchemy to Business Transformation in a Globally Converged World. Springer Science Business Media. Valdez, S. and Molyneux, P., 2015. An Introduction to Global Financial Markets. Palgrave Macmillan. Vitasek, K., Ledyard, M. and Manrodt, K., 2016. Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules That Will Transform Outsourcing. Springer.

Obesity in America free essay sample

Obesity in America is real and profoundly alarming when you look at the major impact it has on our communities. Major health concerns like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure cases are at an all time high. Specifically, the disparity between low-income urban inner cities in regards to obesity as compared to more upper class wealthier communities makes you take pause. This relates to my professional goals of going back into my community as an activist and organizer of issues related to my environment, like health and education. When you grow up in an area that has a specific way of life, sometimes even if you know you are making wrong decisions, it is hard to break the mold. It is important to not only point out people’s flaws but also provide solutions to their problems; however it appears that the solutions provided are now aiming at exploiting people’s health issues for capitalistic gain. We will write a custom essay sample on Obesity in America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Private sector companies appear to have implemented a plan to create a problem and provide a solution for capitalistic gain. America is a capitalistic society founded on the idea of profiting on the expense of others, obesity in America is no different, although major health concerns associate obesity related issues, government and private sector organizations exploit this major epidemic targeting low-income urban inner cities. Literary Review Introduction: Obesity in America is an epidemic that has caused much suffering to individuals as we have seen the rates significantly increase over the past two decades. Many of the factors pertaining to the causes are due majority to poor choices; however because of factors beyond the control of low income urban communities, like food oppression, food insecurity and lack of government oversight due to capitalistic gains, many situations are of people being victims of their environment. In June of last year the American Medical Association declared obesity a disease which opens the door for new profits on drugs like Belviq and medical pharmaceutical companies. â€Å"The American Medical Association has officially recognized obesity as a disease, a move that could induce physicians to pay more attention to the condition and spur more insurers to pay for treatments† (Pollack, 2013, par. 1). Instead of focusing on low-cost lifestyle changes that address the root cause, of obesity, this decision only aims to help benefit big business and drug companies who can now receive federal aid while continuing to ensure people are oppressed in food desserts with limited access to healthy food choices. Methodologies of Review: The research studies chosen for this literature review focused on the factors that limit or reduce the opportunities for low income communities to have access to nutritional food choices. The perception is that although federal aid is available however marketing strategies and low costs for unhealthy items make it difficult to make smart decisions. I wanted to also highlight the disparity between low-income, urban communities in comparison to upper income wealthy ones. The main databases were employed to search for relevant research studies. These databases included Ashford Online Library, Education Abstracts Full Text from the Princeton Online Journals, and Ebscohost Direct. In selecting literature to review, the author attempted to review research that was relatively current and no older than 10 years. Thus, the range of dates for the research studies was between 2004 and 2014, with the majority of studies chosen from 2006 to 2009. I have included in this literary review my three main sources for data and information although I have included many other research elements throughout my research paper. The keywords used in searching these databases and websites were: obesity, exploits, and food industry. This initial search yielded a total of twenty six articles in the Ashford Online Library. After including additional keywords (fast food earnings, food oppression, food insecurity, minorities and low income paired with initial keywords and searching the reference lists of those articles already found, an additional search yielded a plethora of articles to choose from , some of which were actual research studies and others that were descriptive articles or summaries. The three articles in this review are the ones I found most profoundly supported my main arguments in my thesis statement. The research used to support my arguments employed qualitative methods for obtaining data which was supported by statistical information, professional and educational sources and articles from scholarly sources (Freeman, A. (2007); Adler, N. E. , Stewart, J. (2009); Kumanyika, S. Grier, S. , (2006). Kumanyika, S. Grier, S. , (2006), looks at obesity from the perspective of the government’s role in the situation, or lack thereof a presence in combating situations where they know people are getting taken advantage of through heavy influence from lobbyist groups. Adler, N. E. , Stewart, J. (2009), looks at the situations surrounding lifestyle choices, for example the availability of low cost foods, access to quick processed items versus nutritious ones and the poor quality of areas in these coined phrase, food deserts. Freeman, A. (2007), looks at the corporations and governments angle at keeping this an ongoing epidemic and ways in which they exploit areas for capitalistic gain. Findings of the review: Written by Andrea Freeman entitled Fast Food: Oppression is another article that was used to supports my main argument. The author talks about how fast food has become a major source of nutrition in low income, urban neighborhoods. Ms. Freeman goes even further into this point describing how the popularity is mainly due to the fast food industry targeting this specific market, infiltrating schools, government subsidies and the federal food policy, which are all key factors in denying inner cities access to healthy food choices. The author describes this as food oppression. Food oppression is structured and targeted from institutionalized practices and policies of government and the fast food industry. â€Å"Government policies engendering food oppression range from providing public assistance insufficient to cover the cost of fresh food to collaboration with the fast food giants to ensure that their products dominate lunch-room counters and dinner tables. This state-sponsored racial inequality is obscured by the distinction between public and private spheres of action and is perpetuated by the myth of personal choice, even where a lack of options and resources severely limits the ability to exercise choice† (Freeman, 2007, p. 222). Ms. Freeman offers solutions to this issue starting with reforms at the federal level of government. She also calls on local community organizations to get involved and create awareness. Her main goal is to emphasize that food oppression is a form of institutionalized inequality that government and private organizations hide behind because of the appearance of choice and free will, which must be addressed and eradicated. Written by Adler and Stewart entitled, Reducing Obesity: Motivating Action While Not Blaming the Victim is another article that supports my argument. The authors look at how both the individual and the industry play a role in the obesity epidemic. Instead of just blaming people for bad choices they look at what factors surrounded that choice. For example, did they have access to nutritional items, are there recreational services available in the area, or the current job market. They describe this as behavioral justice, which is â€Å"To convey the principle that individuals are responsible for engaging in health-promoting behaviors but should be held accountable only when they have adequate resources to do so. This perspective maintains both individuals control and accountability for behaviors and societys responsibility to provide health-promoting environments† (Adler Stewart, 2009, p. 50). The author also goes into the point that obesity is more prevalent in socially disadvantaged groups of people. Specifically lower income and those individuals with lesser education. This article will help me defend my argument because you can tie in the fact that the obesity is targeted and structured in poorer urban areas. Written by Kumanyika and Grier entitled Targeting Interventions for Ethnic Minority and Low-Income Populations is another article that supports my main argument. The author talks about child hood obesity that is specifically focused on the extremely higher rate in minority and low income populations as compared to upper and middle class areas. Although a lot can be blamed on the individual with free will the author looks at other extenuating factors that influences bad decisions like economic stresses, reduced access to affordable healthful foods and opportunities for physical activity, overexposure to targeted advertising and marketing of energy-dense foods, and factors related to family ecologies. The author also looks at how counseling and mentoring parents in an environment that is setup for failure is highly pointless and contradictory. â€Å"Although reducing obesity prevalence among minority and low-income children will not be possible without also improving their social and economic environments, clearly tremendous opportunities exist for targeted policies and interventions† (Kumanyika Grier, 2006, par. 26). The first step in solving the issue is attacking the food industry market that exploits this group with extensive policy reform. Specifically, the author talks about the protection from the invisible hand of the free market. This article helped support my main topic by reinforcing the issue that there is a problem in the urban and low-income communities that need to be addressed and to continue to highlight the fact the food industry is exploiting a specific target market for financial gain. Discussions and Implications: By grouping these sources as the main philosophy or framework for my research paper I was able to clearly make a connection between exploits for capitalistic gain and targets on lower income communities from government entities and major corporations. If continued, the number although already alarming will continue to grow and pockets will continue to expand on the casualties of the average American citizens who are only striving to make ends meet. Awareness for social change is there and people are more conscientious about the food choices they are making but it is not enough to tip the scales. I feel the awareness created now is only playing into the profit scheme of creating the problem and providing the solutions. Real change will only come from a community effort that includes all social classes. Until we approach this in this manner and not keep assuming we only need to be concerned with ourselves, then this problem will continue to skyrocket out of control. Government policy is the real way to make change because we can get rid of some of the outside influences that will be discussed during the research portion of this paper. Academic Knowledge heavily impacts all the social elements and institutions of both local and global communities. Social or socioeconomic factors including, neighborhoods, income, education, race/ethnicity, and social cohesion all play a major role in the obesity epidemic. A well informed community through academic knowledge is the best form to combat some of the major issues associated with the substandard socioeconomic elements surrounding obesity. A cross-sectional US study conducted of 20,745 adolescent participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health concluded that, â€Å"After adjustment for socioeconomic status, age, and race/ethnicity, persons living in rural working class, exurban, and mixed race/ ethnicity urban neighborhoods were more likely to be overweight (RRs 5 1. 4, 1. 3, and 1. 3, respectively) than were persons living in new suburban neighborhoods† (Epidemiologic Review, 2007, p. 135). Individuals equipped with academic knowledge like the statistics referenced can see how the situations surrounding there low socio-economic status are not all self inflicted, and come up with better ways to work together to solve the issues. The same phenomenological framework would apply on a global scale as well, because the same social and institutional factors surrounding obesity would remain the same. It’s not a new phenomenon that business and government organizations love profiting on the expense of others. Going back in American history, you look at the early settlements with the Indians and the African slave revolution. It is surprising that it has taken this long to figure out how to take advantage of people hating who they are in a system that is designed to make them feel like they should never feel good about themselves. Constant commercials of women in bikini’s and wash board abs that were not created from normal diet and exercise, trick people into thinking they could achieve that without a drastic lifestyle change that is almost impossible to maintain. Brad Pitt described his training for the movie Troy as extremely painful and something he never wanted to experience again. He worked out 8 hours a day, ate only 800 calories, on top of dehydrating his body to get rid of water weight. The end result was amazing, ripped washboard abs, but the progress was so unrealistic for the average American citizen. Private and government organizations exploit this notion of quick and fad diets creating a perpetual cycle where people use diet pills, fad diets, buy unnecessary exercise equipment that collects dust, lose the weight and gain it back and go right back into trying to find something else that works. â€Å"In the US, the diet industry is a multibillion dollar industry. Theres about a 5% success rate for diets – thats diets and lifestyle changes and anything else you want to call the intentional pursuit of weight loss† (Kirby, 2012, par. 2). At a five percent success rate companies know that as long as people continue to hate themselves and their

How reliable is reliable enoug essays

How reliable is reliable enoug essays In the question at hand, the competing interests that affect the decisions being made are need, feasibility, and ethical standards. As far as need goes, if the market is operating on a system that is less safe and is not having any major problems, the need is not as great as it would be if there were a large demand for increases in safety standards. While there is always a need for safety, this need is only necessary to the extent that the product operates in a safe and reliable manner. If lives are being put at risk the extra error protection bit would be necessary, however it does not seem to put lives in immediate danger, therefore in unnecessary. It would hardly be a feasible decision to add the additional error detection bit from an economic standpoint due to the fact that apparently the cost will outweigh the benefits. This is a cost to both the manufacturer and the consumer, which would lead to high prices and in turn lessen their production and sales possibilities. It has been proven time and time again that in a competitive commercial market, peace of mind is not weighed more heavily than cost when it comes to purchasing and investments. Finally ethical standards must come into play any time you are dealing with the public health and safety. While it would be highly unethical to decrease safety specifications for the sake of cutbacks, as long as the product maintains a safety level that is at or above the current standard, it is an entirely ethical decision to dismiss the option of the extra bit. While the maker of an embedded system has a responsibility to make as safe of a system as possible, they also have a responsibility to make an affordable product. The buying public will be the major deciding factor in how safe a product can and will be. When safety sells, manufacturers will be much more inclined to produce a more expensive yet safe product. The purchasing public is the most widely eff...

How to Write a Presentation about Health Economics

How to Write a Presentation about Health Economics One of the simplest assignments your instructor may task you with is creating a presentation. If the subject you are creating it for is as interesting as health economics, you will definitely have fun in the process. However, there are two things you need to know in order for your presentation to be truly effective: Our set of selected facts and topics for creating a good presentation on health economics. The following lines will give you a quick idea of both so that you write your own quickly. An Outline for Presentations If your instructor does not provide you with an outline of their own, consider the following to get a good grade. Introduction Your introduction should entail a greeting to your audience as well as an overview of what you are going to cover. It should cover the following four aspects: Attention-getter Statement of Your Central Idea Importance of the Topic Main Points You Will Cover Body The body of your presentation is where you will discuss the topic in detail. Therefore, you need to have main points as well as supporting arguments. Here is what each slide (or set of slides per point) should be structured like. Main Point 1: Begin with a declarative sentence about the first idea for your topic Supporting Point: Include evidence to support your main point. Sub-Supporting Point: Further add support to ensure more credibility. You should have at least two of these. You can have up to three main and supporting points if needed, but try to focus on two to give the subject justice. Conclusion The conclusion will restate your main point as well as concluding statements. You need to wrap up neatly using the points below for guidance. Summary of main points Restatement of the central idea Closing statement related to the introduction Tips for Writing a Good Health Economics Presentation In addition to the outline above, you need to keep in mind the following tips for your instructor to give you a good grade. Focus On One Topic While you might think that you can impress your instructor by talking about various topics, your presentation will be disoriented and unimpressive. Though you can come up with sub-topics for your current topic, make sure the content does not spill all over the entire concept of health economics. Ensure Equally Timed Slides There is no magical number for the amount of slides you can use for your presentation. Instead of worrying about this aspect, make sure to give each slide equal amount of time. The audience will not lose interest when they see a uniform flow between the slides. Also make sure to cover the content on each slide in a timely manner to avoid seeming too rushed. Opt for Balanced Content You need to divide your research into balanced slides so that the audience does not get overwhelmed. If you have two bullet points on one slide and 15 on the other, your presentation may seem too rushed. If you are going to add graphs or diagrams in the presentation, make sure that there is not much text in the slide next to the diagram. Keep Your Slides Sweet and Simple Animations and transitional graphics are a hit and miss. While they may attract some people, others may hate them. Less text, organized content, no animations, and a simple presentation is your safest bet as they appear more professional. Keep these tips in mind and your presentation about health economics will definitely be a breeze. If you need help coming up with a topic, check out our 10 facts on health economics for a presentation or the 20 topics on health economics for a presentation.

Responses to Wk1AJ and AC Analyze the advan and disadv argee or Essay

Responses to Wk1AJ and AC Analyze the advan and disadv argee or disagree and why - Essay Example Public corporations in the United States are mandated by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to publish financial statements at least once a year. Most public companies release interim financial statements every trimester. The double taxation that occurs in corporations is a disadvantage of the corporate business structure. Another con associated with corporations is greater governmental regulations and interventions. DQ2 I agree with you that one of the advantages of the corporate business structure is that it facilitates the process of raising capital. Corporations can become public firms and sell its common stocks in the open market. When a company becomes public its stocks are initially sold through a process known as an initial public offering (Investorwords). Another mechanism that can be used by public corporations to raise cash is to sell commercial paper in the form of bonds. A bond is a $1000 face value financial instrument that allows a company to obtain loans in $100 0 units from different investors. The interest paid by bond is known as the coupon rate. If a company does not pay dividends during a fiscal period the double taxation effect does not take place. Another hybrid instrument that can be used by corporations to raise capital is preferred stocks. Work Cited Page Investorwords.com. 201. â€Å"IPO.† 10 July 2011.

Explain How Helicopters Fly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explain How Helicopters Fly - Essay Example Its flight features allow movement in all direction: upwards, downwards, sideways, forward as well as in reverse direction. This flexibility allows the helicopter to be flown in small and congested areas where it is not possible to land the airplanes. Since it can fly in any direction, it has a lot of parameters to take care of while flying. Therefore, the pilot needs to be very skilled and capable and must give full attention while flying. Helicopters not only move in all three dimensions but can also rotate and hover at one point in air. These features, although, make it a unique mode of transport, also make it a very complex machine to understand as well as to pilot. The main parts of helicopter are: ïÆ'Ëœ Main Rotor – The vertically mounted rotor in center ïÆ'Ëœ Fuselage – The main body of helicopter ïÆ'Ëœ Transmission system – Speed control mechanism of rotors ïÆ'Ëœ Tail boom – Rear portion on which the tail rotor is mounted ïÆ'Ëœ Tail rotor – Small horizontal axis rotor at the rear ïÆ'Ëœ Engine – Main engine used to spin the shaft To understand the flight of a helicopter, we can begin from the simple vertically up and down motion. For a helicopter to move upwards, it needs wings that have air moving on its surface in one direction. In case of an airplane, the wings are fixed and the whole plane moves forward for the air to move on the surface of wings and generate lift. However, in case of helicopter we keep it on the same spot. Instead, the wings are rotated to generate the desired lift effect. Wings are shaped in such a manner that they deflect the air downwards and as a reaction, the helicopter is lifted. This shape of the wings is called airfoil. Two or more wings are mounted on a shaft and the shaft is made to rotate thereby, giving a continuous motion to the wings. This rotating wings and shaft are collectively called the main rotor. The main rotor is the most important part of any helicopter. It not only generates the lift force required for the helicopter to fly but also provides for the lateral moveme nt, spinning and changing the altitude. The rotor has to be very strong as it supports all the forces on the helicopter and its weight. The wings have a swivel mechanism at the point where they connect to the rotor. This swivel functionality allows for changing the angle of blades, which changes the path of air. To affect lift, the angle of blades needs to be altered with respect to the oncoming wind. This is known as the angle of attack. The angle alteration mechanism for all wings is collectively called the hub. A device known as the swash plate assembly makes the adjustment of the angles of the rotor blades. The swash plate assembly has two plates, fixed swash plate and a rotating swash plate. The swash plate assembly has two main functions: Firstly, it changes the angle of all the blades simultaneously. It increases the overall lift, thereby gaining or losing altitude. Secondly, the swash plate can change the angle of individual blades while revolving. This gives the flexibility to a helicopter to move in any direction. This alteration of angle, called pitch, is carried out by means of the pitch control rods, which control the function of rotating swash pl

Capacity Planning Essay Example for Free

Capacity Planning Essay Computer capacity planning and its impact on the performance of the individuals is an important research topic in the current day scenario . Living in a competitive world makes it compulsory for everyone ( Individuals , firms etc . ) to deliver their best in the shortest period of time by optimally utilizing their resources . The above mentioned scenario is in direct proportion to an increase in the performance of the individual or the firm . This paper presents a report on how computer capacity planning can have a ositive impact on the performance of an institution like TUI , which uses technology as its medium of imparting knowledge to students coming from a variety of background, Nationality, ethnic race etc. It studies how capacity planning can enhance the existing functional efficiency of the institution and the performance of the educating staff as well as the students . TUI is an organization which acts as a platform for teachers lecturers and students from a wide range of colleges institutions and nationality. It concerns itself with an infinite number of issues related with the colleges and institutions, their management , their programmes , plans , achievements , their student quality etc . The list is non-exhaustive. For an institution like this, which caters to such a wide variety of educational demands and issues , the need for computer capacity evaluation is a necessity , especially when the medium used is e-learning . Computer capacity planning will help TUI spread its reach to all the student population of the world and all others who can benefit from the services provided by the institution . It will help them to effectively implement their plans while saving on cost at the same time . Computer Capacity planning is an important aspect of computer networking; proper Planning ensures a healthy network that can grow to meet future needs of the institution. Computer capacity planning will include capacity management and capacity control . Capacity management will ensure an increase in the total system output and responsiveness , whereas , capacity control will ensure non-wastage of the additional energy gained with capacity management . It will avoid delays in any of the university’s future planning , use of new applications , new methods of teaching etc . It will also help the university officials to forecast the future situations which the institutions would be likely to face . Capacity evaluation is basically an act of evaluating the available resources of the concerned institution and the most optimal way of utilizing it . Capacity planning needs to be a part of the infrastructure of the institution and act as a medium of benefit for the professors and the students . The system provides with an intelligent interface to communicate. Capacity planning will add volumes to the existing efficiency of the technical planning running the institute . It will act as a facilitator , analyst , decision-maker and an important performer of the institution . Looking at it from the administrative point of view it helps them to organize their work better and also catalogue it in a more organized format . The quicker the computer applications works the faster the work can be done in terms of the number of persons reached per minute . The computer capacity evaluation becomes more relevant in the words of TUI University President Professor Yoram Neumann, Ph. D. â€Å"TUI is one of the countrys (worlds) leading Internet Universities. † Thus making it necessary for the institution to provide its members with high quality computer services . Computer capacity evaluation will help TUI achieve its main goal of providing e-learning opportunity to all their students on a wide scale , at all levels of study . It will act like a performance enhancer for the administration in reference to the services provided by them thus enabling them to deliver their best to the students in a shorter period of time . It will help them to avoid wastage of the existing resources which otherwise could be reached-out to a million students , help them in meeting their plans within time instead of constantly changing their way of doing their work . A methodical approach can be used by the administration to do their work . Over a period of time the process would prove to be significantly productive and also constantly improving the ways of doing things . Planning will also provide security to the whole setup thus acting as an initiative for an enhanced performance . This will also help the administrators to work more creatively , use new methods of teaching students and evaluating their performance . As a result with an increase in the performance of the administrator the performance of the students will also improve positively . From the students point of view since education will be imparted in an e-learning format the quality demanded by them will be very high . Maintaining a high bandwidth will enable the students to save their time , which can be more fruitfully utilized . High bandwidth will also enable the university to register a larger number of student Enrollment both nationally and internationally . Capacity evaluation will permit the students to increase their performance on any given activity drastically . Thus any activity running solely on any kind of technology must have that technology operating at its best . Computer capacity planning if used in TUI will act as a major contributor to the enhanced performances of both the university officials and the students as well and an increased performance will lead to a more contributive output which over a period of time can result in positive international impact considering TUI’s international reach .