Advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM

Advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM The topic for the study is advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa. The sector taken for the study is petrochemical industries and the country chosen is UK. The papers scope of analysis extends to the current position of this industry and the challenges faced by it. The study has attempted to make an in depth discussion about the advantages of implementing quality concepts in petrochemical industry. The pros and cons entailing due to the implementation of TQM and ISO 9000 are also explained. Performance standard for each activity increases the overall performance of organizations in this sector. Therefore, it is essential for every organization to implement any of the quality concepts, so that it will enable it to manufacture and distribute quality products. Introduction: In this modern world, which fast changing, most of the organizations are coming up with new strategies to attract their customers. Nowadays, consumers have become totally aware of the quality of products and services delivered by the organizations. There was a wrong belief that the quality concerns only products but not service. But later the perspective has changed. managers perspectives on its possible effect on company performance are not positive product quality that will be improvised after the implementation (Costa 2004, p.1). The customers always demand good quality for the products and services for which they pay. Due to this, the use of quality concept has become an important criterion for both manufacturing and service industries across the world. Maintaining quality for the products and services is not an easy task for all organizations. Product and service quality is the central part of all the organization that leads to the accomplishment of the organizational goals and objectives. For sustaining quality within the organization, some quality concepts are required to be implemented. These concepts are implemented in the organization to boost the overall efficiency of the company in a qualitative manner. There are many quality concepts that can be implemented for this purpose. Among various quality concepts, the most important concepts are total quality management system and ISO 9000. Maintaining quality in the overall work progress has envisaged the petrochemical industries to emphasise more on quality of the products and services that they deliver. Quality management system is an important criteria that have to be given due consideration in the every operation of any business. The design and implementation of a quality management system will vary depending on the type, size and products of the organisation (ISO 9001:2000 quality management system n.d.). Quality management standards promote the adoption of a process approach when developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of a quality management system, to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer requirements (Quality management systems requirements for service quality by public service organization 2005, p.2). To recapitulate, the industries taken for the current study is petrochemical industry in UK. Due to the slowdown in the global market economy in the year 2009, there was a huge decline in the demand for the products manufactured by the petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry of today is an indispensable part of the manufacturing and consuming sectors, churning out products which include paint, plastic, rubber, detergents, dyes, fertilizers, textiles, and even solvents.  (Analyzing the global petrochemical industry, 2009, para.1). The top ten petrochemical industries in the world are as follows: BASF (Germany) Dow Chemical (USA) ExxonMobil Chemical (USA) LyondellBasell Industries (Netherlands) INEOS (UK) Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Saudi Arabia) Formosa Plastics Corporation (Taiwan) Sumitomo Chemical (Japan) DuPont (USA) Chevron Phillips (USA). (Baxter, 2009, para.7). As far as petrochemical industry in UK is concerned, maintaining quality is an important aspect. To achieve this objective in all spheres of work processes in petrochemical industry, various quality concepts have been implemented in these organizations. Among these the concept which has created an overall progress for this sector is the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO 9000. TQM is considered as a holistic and systematic approach that provides quality management for the petrochemical industry in United Kingdom. It is an integrated management philosophy which continuously focuses on improving the quality performance of the products, processes and services that are delivered by the organizations to meet the customers requirements and enhance customer satisfaction and there y retaining their loyalty towards the organization. TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, and production, customer service, etc.) to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. (Hashmi, 2009, para.4). ISO 9000 is a group of standards which is mainly implemented in an organization to improve the overall efficiency and to effectively enable the maintenance of quality management system within the organization. In the earlier days, this was meant for only those organizations which were engaged in international trade. ISO 9000 can help a company satisfy its customers, meet regulatory requirements and achieve continual improvement. (ISO 9000 and other standards, n.d., para.4).   ISO 9000 series is composed of ISO 9000:2005, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 9004:2008 and ISO 9004:2009. There is a specific ISO standard for every industry. ISO/TS 20091 is a specific quality management system which includes the requirements related to design, production, development, installing and delivering the services related to the products that are manufactured by the petrochemical industry. Current scenario of global Petrochemical industries: As the name suggests petrochemicals are certain chemicals which are obtained from cracking of petroleum feedstock. These petrochemicals are mainly used in manufacturing fields. Petrochemical industry is considered to be one of the fast growing sectors in the world. It not only plays a crucial role in meeting the daily needs of the common man, but also contributes significantly towards industrial and economic growth of the nation (Introduction 2008). The petrochemical industry of today is an indispensable part of the manufacturing and consuming sectors (Analyzing the global petrochemical industry 2009). Quality is defined by international standards ISO 8402 as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs (Mariojouls n.d., p.1). As far as petrochemical industries are concerned, quality plays a significant role in the overall functioning. Recession is precipitating a long-term decline in the British petrochemicals industry, with producers cutting and consolidating capacity in 2009, according to BMIs latest UK Petrochemicals Report (United Kingdom Petrochemicals report Q1 2010 2009). Petrochemical industry being fastest growing industry with an estimate nearly US$2.4 trillion, there is an absolute necessity within the business to ensure and sustain customer satisfaction. Despite of many challenges from environment protection standards and high rate in crude oil prices, it is still maintaining higher rate in overall manufacturing segment. As per industry reports the pharmaceutical segment contributes approximately 26% of the total industry output and approx. 35-40% is dominated by the petrochemical segment (Global Scenario 2008). Commodity chemicals is said to be one of the largest segment in this industry with approximate turnover of $750 billion while fine chemicals constitute $500 billion. The major markets are widely spread all over the globe which include Japan, Western sides of Europe, North America and also Asia and Latin American countries. However, United States consumes almost one-fifth of the chemical production while Europe consumes only half of the sa id volume. In petrochemical industry the process of petrochemical production consists of two stages. In the first stage naphtha, produced by refining crude oil or natural gas is used as a feedstock and is cracked. Cracking (breaking of long chain of hydrocarbon molecule) produces olefins and aromatics. In stage two, these building blocks are polymerized (made to undergo chemical processes) to produce downstream petrochemical products (polymers, polyesters, fibre intermediaries and other industrial chemicals (Petrochemicals 2009). The nature of the petrochemical industry is cyclical. In case of petrochemical supply industries, Middle East region is considered to be very rich in oil fields and reserves and it has been developing newer complexes for petrochemicals. The huge capacity of these countries fulfills their domestic demand. In case of demand side it is Asia, particularly China that more and more demands are coming. These two factors changed the supply-demand scenario of global petrochemic al industries over the last two decades. The US petrochemical industry has remained volatile between up and down trends in the last few years and also present situation is no different. The US petrochemical industry has traveled through different phases in their life cycle from their initial phase till the present. The US petrochemical industry faces many slumps in their production because of high feedstock prices. The rising of feedstock prices has put the giant petrochemical industry of US on back foot over other main rivalries. Because of this investment reduced in the US petrochemical industry. This caused considerable unsteadiness in the market. The result was that US petrochemical was in a stagnated position and the future of the petrochemical industry in United States seems back. In the case of Middle East, petrochemical industries are accessing to cheap and copious feedstock and more overly they are producing larger quantities from their petrochemical industry. Besides large scale investment continues in the sector which results in favourable condition for Middle East countries. Apart from this, China being the country whose intake is quite large, the market is encouraging. Thus, Middle East did not worry about the market condition at all. Apart from this, rules, regulations and protocols present in this country are very simple which poses no problem in doing steady business. By 2015, it is said that Middle East countries will surpass the European countries in terms of ethylene capacity. The region is estimated to account for about 20% of world ethylene capacity, against 17% share of Europe (US petrochemical industry takes a backseat in global supply- demand 2003). Middle East is targeting China as their potential market where there is a huge demand for oil always exists. Middle East is expecting the demand of around nine percentages every year in China while comparing with other countries. Importance of TQM and ISO in petrochemical industries:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TQM and ISO 9000 are two very important topics in connection to quality of a product. The idea of TQM is based on a transformation from the management process based on outcomes to a management process based on the improvement of quality. ISO 9000 is very important in determining the quality of a product. TQM is concerned with making sure that the company does the right thing and ISO 9000 deals with whether all the things are done right in the company. Researches had shown that TQM and ISO 9000 concepts are used in most of the petrochemical industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TQM is important because it enhances the existing methods of business. It also improves the product and service quality which will be help in the existence of the product for a long time. TQM is now used not only in manufacturing activities but also it is used as a general management tool. Total quality management decides the level of quality of the things in the petrochemical industry. It determines the characteristics of a thing. The quality of the products in the industry will attract customers towards it. TQM is not only limited to product quality improvement but also widely cover aspects of quality in service sector too. TQM in India more than manufacturing, it is the service sector that took its time to recognize the importance of TQM (Managing quality in organization 2010). TQM is focused on improving the quality of products in the petrochemical industries. The companies can fully take actions to the customers hopes with the help of TQM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ISO 9000 standard determines the quality of a product.  Standards like  ISO  9000 are important for the success of any organization. Petrochemical organizations have recognized the importance of ISO 9000 certification for the growth of their business. The standard is important because of the benefit of it in marketing and sales, due to its value etc. ISO 9000 is important in the first instance because it gives organizations some guidance on how to manage for quality. Secondly, mechanisms exist by which an organization can be certified for conforming to ISO 9000 specifications (Rada 1994). Its characteristics are different from the other standards of engineering. In other words ISO 9000 is unique. These standards can help in the progress of the business processes of a company. It also helps to add value to the business. The sales of the industry can be increased by attaining ISO 9000 standards. It meets the requirements of the customer which leads to cust omer satisfaction. ISO 9000 helps the petrochemical industry to react to the needs of the customers in agreement with the standards and costs. The rules of ISO 9000 offer a complete model for the management of quality. It can make the petrochemical industries competitive. The motivation of the staffs can be improved with the help of ISO standards. It can encourage trade at the global level. It is also a method to add profits to the industry. The productivity of the industry is increased with the help of ISO 9000. The petrochemical industries can use it as a standard that will help to evaluate the effectiveness of its quality. A petrochemical industry with ISO 9000 can sell its products at an improved rate. It can claim that their products have been the outcome of a procedure that frequently examine for quality. ISO 9000 standard helps the petrochemical industries to attain the quality standards that are accepted all over the world.   Since the standard is accepted internationally, for the industries doing international business consider it as a reasonable option. It will also be a good option for customers who want products of international quality.  By using ISO 9000, industries can recognize the cause of the difficulties and hence discover a solution for it. A reliable supply chain can be produced using ISO 9000. The importance of TQM and ISO 9000 has encouraged the petrochemical industries to apply them in their business. Problem faced by Petrochemical industry: Quality plays a significant role in the development and success of any organization or product. UK is recognized as a core of the creation of petrochemical and other associated products of petrochemical. There is high demand for this product all over the world; so quality assurance and quality management are very important in petrochemical industry in order to exist in the global economy. There are many petrochemical industries in this country and millions of people are working in these industries. Even though this sector is the major source of economic growth, the industry is facing some problems regarding quality management and quality assurance. The main challenges faced by the petrochemical industry are the need to manage the commercial environment better and as a minimum to stop worsening the industrys inherent cyclicality the need for further restructuring in order to improve underlying performance and the need to improve relationships with the outside world because crucially these relationships increasingly will determine the scope for success in our industry (Grote, 2001, para.5). During the production process they are not fully utilizing the resources and they are not aware about the recycling of the waste products. The rate of manufacturing the petrochemical products is very high; so the wastage of resources is causing great loss of profit for them. The petrochemical industry like BP did not implement the latest technology and methods to improve the activities in the production procedure and to improve the performance of the workers. Due to lack of the latest technologies, they could not increase the quantity and quality of products and also could not provide the customers requirements properly. So, in order to overcome such problems, they introduced quality management techniques like TQM and ISO 9000 standard. The financial crisis for the past few years has affected the running of the petrochemical industries. Increase in the price of the resources decreased the production of these industries. Moreover as they are aware of recycling the waste resources there is vast wastage of the resources. The petrochemical products are used for a number of purposes therefore the lack of quality decreases the sale of their products. This has totally caused to the financial status of the petrochemical industries. The resources for the production of the petrochemicals products are not available in sufficient manner. The chemical plants are been abolished due to environmental contamination like pollution, smoke stacks etc. usage of the traditional methods in the production process decreased the quantity and quality of their products. It is taking more time for the production process as they are following the traditional methods. According to the invention of the latest technologies these organisations did n ot implemented the latest technologies in their business activities. Therefore they fail to reach with the other petrochemical industries in other nation. Proper training is not given to the employees to improve the performance of the employees moreover they are aware in handling the latest tools and techniques. The decrease in quantity of the petrochemical products does not accomplish the need of all the customers so this is affecting the whole reputation of these industries. Deficient in attaining the customer satisfaction of their products they are not able to compete with the petrochemical industries in other countries. For the achievement of success of any business there need a good relationship with the other countries in order to increase the sale of their product. But in the case of petrochemical industries this country is not keeping a good relationship with the outside world therefore the sale of their products has decreased. Implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: The petrochemical industries are those involved in the manufacturing of toxic chemicals and organic compounds which can affect the people when not maintained properly. Quality assessment and quality standard implementation should be done from the start up of production to the final despatch of the product for customer satisfaction and for the maintenance of quality system. The petrochemical industry should also comply with the requirements of occupational health and safety management systems which deal with the precautions on health and environmental factors. This is applicable to all chemical industries. Implementation model: (Implement- from quality to organisational excellence, n.d., p.1). The implementation of quality factors starts with the vision and mission of the company, the vision are the future view of the company; the mission are the goals in terms of quality products, customer satisfaction and the profit which they want to achieve. The statements should be clear and spontaneous. CSF/KPI: The critical factors for successful implementation are the building blocks for the success and those identified factors that affect in the implementation by analyzing of the past data and the modification to be done in implementing the new standards. They identify the key performance indicators like the employees, resources like plant and machinery, innovation etc. Encouraging new ideas and technology, discarding obsolete ones etc contribute to the success in the implementation; they monitor the performance and report the progress and the feedback for the organizations well being. Core process: The core business processes are the profit rearing segments of the business and they consist of suppliers, process and the customers. The quality implementations create a major impact on the core process and the competitive advantage when the implementation of the TQM is done in the business process. Defining of the business opportunity: Quality implementation is done mainly for increasing the reputation of the company. The company must be against the acceptance of any kind of compromise in the product quality which affects the company and its reputation in the market. To make the situation at an ease and conducting a review to identify the particular need and the specification of the customer and the company and the analyzing whether the required standard is met or not, this becomes the method for getting a better business opportunity. The ISO 9000: This is an important tool for the implementation of TQM. This is a general name given to the list of quality standards. The main aim of these quality standards is to provide the company with the standard products and to make the company a profit oriented and highly reputed. The brainstorming of the ideas is given a good place for the implementation. They help in several ideas generated by the people and the product analysis and the performing of the functions according to the effectiveness of the customer satisfaction and the major role in the quality assessment criteria and to enhance the company position, reputation and profitability. Decision making by the management and the implementation to be done by the different standards and the performance of them are monitored continuously, and the demerits in the performance are identified and continuous improvement is done by providing adequate training and development. ISO 9000 series is a quality management system that has to be maintained in an organization. This means what the organization does to fulfil: the customers quality requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives (ISO 9000 and ISO14000 2010). The idea of improvement in implementing TQM by the companies is to have the accreditation, proper dealing with the customer for the certification for the business and exports to be done to other countries and also to increase the position and profit of the company. Advantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: The ISO 9000 and TQM are two main subjects that are used to show the quality of an industry. Although fundamentally different TQM ensures organizations do the right thing, while ISO 9000 is about doing things right. (Exhibit: An introduction to ISO 9000 TQM, 1999, p.2). There are many advantages in implementing TQM as precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa in petrochemical industries. These two topics have got a good exposure and encouragement. The petrochemical industries find it very important to obtain them. This has grown popularity due to its advantages. The ISO 9000 is considered as a quality model. The implementation of TQM creates a competitive advantage. The implementation will also improve the participation and dedication of the employees in the petrochemical industry. The employees work as a team for the implementation activities and thus cooperation increases. The implementation of TQM and ISO 9000 helps provide quality to the customers. It helps in meeting the needs of the customers. Assessing the quality can be done by quality standards like ISO 9000. It determines whether the work is done in an efficient way or not. Total quality management can be implemented through ISO 9000. Implementing ISO 9000 as a precursor can be of advantage to the implementation of TQM, because it will help increase the profit and thereby keep their regular customers. ISO 9000 can be used as a tool to TQM in petrochemical industries. ISO 9000 will help the process of production when the quality management process is at the starting stage. ISO 9000 has nowadays become a need for the petrochemical industries because it helps to improve productivity. It helps in organizing the process of production. It also helps in improving the performance of the company. The advantages can be listed as follows; It improves the productivity of the organization from top to bottom. It is s systematic and well structured approach that can be used for enhancing customer satisfaction. It is an improvement method by which the deviations can be reduced. It helps in delivering the product and services t the required quality expected by the customer. It helps in reducing a higher level of wastages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Implementation of ISO 9000 offers a strong foundation for the efficient implementation of TQM. The implementing of ISO 9000 as a precursor of TQM helps to create an understanding of the requirements of the customers. It enhances the involvement of the employees in the TQM process. It increases the relationship with the suppliers. The profit of petrochemical can be increased by the implementing ISO 9000.  Ã‚   Disadvantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: In petrochemical industries, ISO 9000 and TQM are the integral components of the successful running of every organization. When a petrochemical industry is considered there exist a lot of difficulties regarding the implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa. Petrochemical industry plays a major role for the economic growth of a country. Nowadays petrochemical products are used for several purposes of our day to day life. While implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000, few problems arise in connection with customer satisfaction, because without the incorporation of TQM and ISO 9000 does not bring enough customer satisfaction. They consider that ISO 9000 certification is the main thing which shows the manufacturers ability to produce high quality products. Also implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO causes difficulties for entering into international market because ISO 9000 certification is an integral component of petrochemical industry to enter an interna tional market. In order to get ISO 9000 systematic planning is necessary and it will help bring faith from the part of the customer and also to produce good quality products. ISO 9000 certification is the major thing which is used to compete with the international markets. Also, implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 will cause difficulties to maintain quality improvement. So, it is better to follow ISO 9000 standards before TQM in every organization. But, there exist few disadvantages also for this type of implementation. In order to achieve maximum profit from a business, the major thing is to fulfil the needs of the customer and TQM approach gives more consideration to customer satisfaction. So, by implementing ISO 9000 first will cause few problems regarding customer satisfaction. Even there is quality in the products for the satisfaction of the customer ISO 9000 and TQM certification is essential. It is better to implement ISO 9000 before TQM because in the newest version of ISO 9000 it includes several features of TQM. Therefore the implementation of TQM before ISO 900 is really wastage of time and money. There are some problems regarding the implementation of the TQM as the precursor to ISO 9000 and some of that problems are Initially higher cost of production as more is recognized as rejects. Cost of training personnel, cost of implementing stages of feedback for employees (Voters 2010). The implementation of this TQM standard requires more cost because there need to bring total changes in the organization such as for the training of the employees, implementation of the latest technologies etc. it is difficult to alter the practice of the longtime workers to the TQM procedures and ISO 9000 procedures. while the organization are running smoothly with their existing functional procedures as the customers demands for the ISO 9000 and TQM standard certification the company owners are forced to change to these standard procedures. Even though an organization maintains quality in their products and excellent workers the customer does not agree the quality without the certification of these standards. The petrochemical products are used for several purposes so the certification of ISO 9000 and TQM for every product seems to be very difficult because sometimes the assurance of the quality of a product requires much more money than the money required for the manufacturing of that product. There are also some difficulties in implementation the ISO 9000 as the precursor. To finish the procedures of ISO 9000 registration it takes several months. The 1996 Quality Systems Update survey indicated that it took businesses an average of 15 months to move from the early stages of the process to passage of the final audit, and that processes of 18-20 mo nths or even longer were not that uncommon (ISO 9000 2010). It is really wastage of time and effort to the business owners moreover wastage of time to other employees in the organization. Frequently companies will have a customer who demands that they be ISO 9000 certified to continue doing business. NOW the company has the choice of losing a customer or implementing ISO 9000. Either way money is lost in the short term (Nurre, Gunaman De- Almeida 2000, p.5). Conclusion and Recommendations: The concepts of TQM and ISO play a significant role in improving the quality management system within an organization. It is evident that the adoption of these two concepts has enabled the petrochemical industries to overcome all the problems they were facing before their implementation. The challenges faced by the petrochemical industries can be solved effectively by implementing these concepts. The issues related to the product or service quality must be handled by the experts in the organization. The overall performance of this sector can be improved by framing a standard for each activity that are carried out in an organization, so that the deviations occurring in each activity can be identified easily and appropriate measures can be taken in time.

Buying Cycle

The Buying Cycle refers to the key events and the processes in which the fashion buyer is involved in order to  buy a garment range for a retail or a mail order company. ? The length of the buying cycle varies from company to company. It usually takes a year between reviewing the current season’s sale and delivering the product into stores. Fashion Industry traditionally splits the year into two main seasons; * Spring/Summer- February- July Autumn * Winter- August  ± JanuaryThe competitive and constantly changing fashion business requires a more frequent introduction of merchandise, resulting in most stores introducing new ranges many times in between these two main seasons. The occurrence and the names of sub-seasons vary from company to company. Sub-Seasons Seasons| Approximate Durations (with Overlaps)| Spring Transition| mid Jan – Feb end| 6 weeks| Spring| Feb beg – Mar end| 8 weeks| Spring Promo| Apr beg – mid Apr| 2 weeks| Summer 1| mid Apr †“ May end| 6 weeks| Summer 2| mid May – mid July| 8 weeks|Summer Sale| mid July – Aug beg| 2 weeks| Autumn Transition| mid July – Aug end| 6 weeks| Autumn| Aug beg – Sept end| 8 weeks| Winter 1| Oct beg – mid Nov| 6 weeks| Winter Festive/Holiday| mid Oct – mid Nov| 3 weeks| Winter 2| mid Nov – Jan beg| 6 weeks| Winter Sale| Jan beg – mid Jan| 2 weeks| PHASES – Various ranges introduced within the season. TRANSITIONALS – Ranges which bridge the gap between one season and the next season. The Buying Cycle Review of current Season’s sales Budget Planning Comparative Shopping Directional Shopping Sourcing for product developmentRange planning Garment samples sourcing for range Pre Selection of garment samples Price negotiation with suppliers Final Range Selection Placing orders for ranges Pre production sampling & approvals Bulk garment manufacturing Delivery of products to the retailer Purchase by customer R eview of current season’s sales *In the current scenario buyer works simultaneously for three seasons with very challenging workload. Buyer handles three buying cycles which overlaps at one time – Review of sales of on going season, Range planning for the ext season & Pre production approvals for the coming seasons. Review of current Season’s sales This review often takes the form of presentations to the buying team and the design department team if the company has one with samples of garments from the range which was in stores last season and analysed. QC department may contribute to the meeting by commenting on any technical problems which may explain low sales figure, for instance colour or fit in production differing from the catalogue photograph of the garment.After sales review meeting, Buyer is armed with the knowledge of which styles the customer currently likes and dislikes and a framework of successes to build upon for the new season. So a rough idea o f a new range plan can start to be penciled in.? This whole exercise is further gets the flavor of current trends, PESTEL influence and affected by Next season’s forecasting. They may also be learnt from other buyer’s sales figures, so if a new fabric or colour has been trialed in another product, the buyer can decide whether or not to run it too. Budget PlanningMerchandisers usually plan budgets in conjunction with buyer. The framework of the budget is based largely on the last season’s performance as discussed at the range review. Comparative Shopping * Often referred as comp. shop. * Under taken at the beginning of each season and continues with once a month visit. * Buyers & Designers are involved. * Starts with the looking at current merchandise in the stores of competitors which sell comparable ranges. * Report will be produced with few sketches & information grid. * Analysis of missing important trends in own range. Directional Shopping Term used for trip s to gain inspiration for design concepts. * Trips depend upon the buyer’s product range & travel budget. * Buyer may visit designer RTW ranges to mass market ranges. * Makes note on key shapes, details, colors and fabric for reference. * Buyers usually have budget to buy samples which are referred as bought samples. * Designers may share responsibility of directional shopping with buyers. Sourcing for product development Garment samples are bought from different stores as during directional shopping which resemble the product range of the buyer or some new trend.Range Planning It is a stage where buyers define the detail of the range that is to be offered to the customer in terms of styling, fabric, design, suppliers and prices. Pre Selection Time after the Range planning stage at the Buyer’s end can be in form of the Line review/Range review meeting.? Garments samples featuring on the Range plan are presented. Participants are the Design, Marketing, Merchandising and QC teams. Range is reviewed vis a vis: * Styling, Colors, Price and Delivery. * Sourcing strategy regarding product and Supplier base. Period after Line/ Range reviewFinalization of the Styles , suppliers, prices for the Final Range.? Involves: * Informing suppliers regarding the styles which have been included in the final Range. * Change in styles if any. * Price re-negotiations. * Order Delivery dates re-negotiations. * Styles dropped. * Request for additional samples if required for the final range review meeting by the buyer. Final Order Placement After the Final Range Selection meeting, orders are placed with the suppliers in form of sending Purchase orders /Purchase sheets for each individual items selected to be on the range.These may be generated by the Merchandising department or by a separate Purchase department. Critical path/Time and Action Calendar for the buyer The key activities and the timelines associated with them, for processes like product development and produ ction of any item forms the critical path or the Time and Action calendar. By virtue of the T&A the various activities involved in the Product development/Production processes and the responsible party is fixed.

Helen Keller, Deaf and Blind Spokesperson and Activist

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880–June 1, 1968) was a groundbreaking exemplar and advocate for the blind and deaf communities. Blind and deaf from a nearly fatal illness at 19 months old, Helen Keller made a dramatic breakthrough at the age of 6 when she learned to communicate with the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Keller went on to live an illustrious public life, inspiring people with disabilities and fundraising, giving speeches, and writing as a humanitarian activist. Fast Facts: Helen Keller Known For:  Blind and deaf from infancy, Helen Keller is known for her emergence from isolation, with the help of her teacher Annie Sullivan, and for a career of public service and humanitarian activism.Born:  June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, AlabamaParents: Captain Arthur Keller and Kate Adams KellerDied:  June 1, 1968 in Easton ConnecticutEducation: Home tutoring with Annie Sullivan, Perkins Institute for the Blind, Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, studies with Sarah Fuller  at the  Horace Mann School for the Deaf, The Cambridge School for Young Ladies, Radcliffe College  of  Harvard UniversityPublished Works: The Story of My Life,  The World I Live In,  Out of the Dark, My Religion,  Light in My Darkness, Midstream: My Later LifeAwards and Honors:  Theodore Roosevelt  Distinguished Service Medal in 1936, Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, election to the Womens Hall of Fame in 1965, an honorary Academy Award in 1955 (as the inspiration for the documentary about her life), countless honorary degreesNotable Quote: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart. Early Childhood Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama to Captain Arthur Keller and Kate Adams Keller. Captain Keller was a cotton farmer and newspaper editor and had served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Kate Keller, 20 years his junior, had been born in the South, but had roots in Massachusetts and was related to founding father John Adams. Helen was a healthy child until she became seriously ill at 19 months. Stricken with an illness that her doctor called brain fever, Helen was not expected to survive. The crisis was over after several days, to the great relief of the Kellers. However, they soon learned that Helen had not emerged from the illness unscathed. She was left blind and deaf. Historians believe that Helen had contracted either scarlet fever or meningitis. The Wild Childhood Years Frustrated by her inability to express herself, Helen Keller frequently threw tantrums that included breaking dishes and even slapping and biting family members. When Helen, at age 6, tipped over the cradle holding her baby sister, Helens parents knew something had to be done. Well-meaning friends suggested that she be institutionalized, but Helens mother resisted that notion. Soon after the incident with the cradle, Kate Keller read a book by Charles Dickens about the education of Laura Bridgman. Laura was a deaf-blind girl who had been taught to communicate by the director of the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. For the first time, the Kellers felt hopeful that Helen could be helped as well. The Guidance of Alexander Graham Bell During a visit to a Baltimore eye doctor in 1886, the Kellers received the same verdict they had heard before. Nothing could be done to restore Helens eyesight. The doctor, however, advised the Kellers that Helen might benefit from a visit with the famous inventor Alexander Graham Bell in Washington, D.C. Bells mother and wife were deaf and he had devoted himself to improving life for the deaf, inventing several assistive devices for them. Bell and Helen Keller got along very well and would later develop a lifelong friendship. Bell suggested that the Kellers write to the director of the Perkins Institute for the Blind, where Laura Bridgman, now an adult, still resided. The director wrote the Kellers back, with the name of a teacher for Helen: Annie Sullivan. Annie Sullivan Arrives Helen Kellers new teacher had also lived through difficult times. Annie Sullivan had lost her mother to tuberculosis when she was 8. Unable to care for his children, her father sent Annie and her younger brother Jimmie to live in the poorhouse in 1876. They shared quarters with criminals, prostitutes, and the mentally ill. Young Jimmie died of a weak hip ailment only three months after their arrival, leaving Annie grief-stricken. Adding to her misery, Annie was gradually losing her vision to trachoma, an eye disease. Although not completely blind, Annie had very poor vision and would be plagued with eye problems for the rest of her life. When she was 14, Annie begged visiting officials to send her to school. She was lucky, for they agreed to take her out of the poorhouse and send her to the Perkins Institute. Annie had a lot of catching up to do. She learned to read and write, then later learned braille and the manual alphabet (a system of hand signs used by the deaf). After graduating first in her class, Annie was given the job that would determine the course of her life: teacher to Helen Keller. Without any formal training to teach a deaf-blind child, 20-year-old Annie Sullivan arrived at the Keller home on March 3, 1887. It was a day that Helen Keller later referred to as my souls birthday. A Battle of Wills Teacher and pupil were both very strong-willed and frequently clashed. One of the first of these battles revolved around Helens behavior at the dinner table, where she roamed freely and grabbed food from the plates of others. Dismissing the family from the room, Annie locked herself in with Helen. Hours of struggle ensued, during which Annie insisted Helen eat with a spoon and sit in her chair. In order to distance Helen from her parents, who gave in to her every demand, Annie proposed that she and Helen move out of the house temporarily. They spent about two weeks in the annex, a small house on the Keller property. Annie knew that if she could teach Helen self-control, Helen would be more receptive to learning. Helen fought Annie on every front, from getting dressed and eating to going to bed at night. Eventually, Helen resigned herself to the situation, becoming calmer and more cooperative. Now the teaching could begin. Annie constantly spelled words into Helens hand, using the manual alphabet to name the items she handed to Helen. Helen seemed intrigued but did not yet realize that what they were doing was more than a game. Helen Kellers Breakthrough On the morning of April 5, 1887, Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller were outside at the water pump, filling a mug with water. Annie pumped the water over Helens hand while repeatedly spelling â€Å"w-a-t-e-r† into her hand. Helen suddenly dropped the mug. As Annie later described it, a new light came into her face. She understood. All the way back to the house, Helen touched objects and Annie spelled their names into her hand. Before the day was over, Helen had learned 30 new words. It was just the beginning of a very long process, but a door had been opened for Helen. Annie also taught her how to write and how to read braille. By the end of that summer, Helen had learned more than 600 words.   Annie Sullivan sent regular reports on Helen Kellers progress to the director of the Perkins Institute. On a visit to the Perkins Institute in 1888, Helen met other blind children for the first time. She returned to Perkins the following year and stayed for several months of study. High School Years Helen Keller dreamed of attending college and was determined to get into Radcliffe, a womens university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. However, she would first need to complete high school. Helen attended a high school for the deaf in New York City, then later transferred to a school in Cambridge. She had her tuition and living expenses paid for by wealthy benefactors. Keeping up with school work challenged both Helen and Annie. Copies of books in braille were rarely available, requiring that Annie read the books, then spell them into Helens hand. Helen would then type out notes using her braille typewriter. It was a grueling process. Helen withdrew from the school after two years, completing her studies with a private tutor. She gained admission to Radcliffe in 1900, making her the first deaf-blind person to attend college. Life as a Coed College was somewhat disappointing for Helen Keller. She was unable to form friendships both because of her limitations and the fact that she lived off campus, which further isolated her. The rigorous routine continued, in which Annie worked at least as much as Helen. As a result, Annie suffered severe eyestrain. Helen found the courses very difficult and struggled to keep up with her workload. Although she detested math, Helen did enjoy English classes and received praise for her writing. Before long, she would be doing plenty of writing. Editors from Ladies Home Journal offered Helen $3,000, an enormous sum at the time, to write a series of articles about her life. Overwhelmed by the task of writing the articles, Helen admitted she needed help. Friends introduced her to John Macy, an editor and English teacher at Harvard. Macy quickly learned the manual alphabet and began to work with Helen on editing her work. Certain that Helens articles could successfully be turned into a book, Macy negotiated a deal with a publisher and The Story of My Life was published in 1903 when Helen was only 22 years old. Helen graduated from Radcliffe with honors in June 1904. Annie Sullivan Marries John Macy John Macy remained friends with Helen and Annie after the books publication. He found himself falling in love with Annie Sullivan, although she was 11 years his senior. Annie had feelings for him as well, but wouldnt accept his proposal until he assured her that Helen would always have a place in their home. They were married in May 1905 and the trio moved into a farmhouse in Massachusetts. The pleasant farmhouse was reminiscent of the home Helen had grown up in. Macy arranged a system of ropes out in the yard so that Helen could safely take walks by herself. Soon, Helen was at work on her second memoir, The World I Live In, with John Macy as her editor. By all accounts, although Helen and Macy were close in age and spent a lot of time together, they were never more than friends. An active member of the Socialist Party, John Macy encouraged Helen to read books on socialist and communist theory. Helen joined the Socialist Party in 1909 and she also supported the womens suffrage movement. Helens third book, a series of essays defending her political views, did poorly. Worried about their dwindling funds, Helen and Annie decided to go on a lecture tour. Helen and Annie Go on the Road Helen had taken speaking lessons over the years and had made some progress, but only those closest to her could understand her speech. Annie would need to interpret Helens speech for the audience. Another concern was Helens appearance. She was very attractive and always well dressed, but her eyes were obviously abnormal. Unbeknownst to the public, Helen had her eyes surgically removed and replaced by prosthetic ones prior to the start of the tour in 1913. Prior to this, Annie made certain that the photographs were always taken of Helens right profile because her left eye protruded and was obviously blind, whereas Helen appeared almost normal on the right side. The tour appearances consisted of a well-scripted routine. Annie spoke about her years with Helen and then Helen spoke, only to have Annie interpret what she had said. At the end, they took questions from the audience. The tour was successful, but exhausting for Annie. After taking a break, they went back on tour two more times. Annies marriage suffered from the strain as well. She and John Macy separated permanently in 1914. Helen and Annie hired a new assistant, Polly Thomson, in 1915, in an effort to relieve Annie of some of her duties. Helen Finds Love In 1916, the women hired Peter Fagan as a secretary to accompany them on their tour while Polly was out of town. After the tour, Annie became seriously ill and was diagnosed with tuberculosis. While Polly took Annie to a rest home in Lake Placid, plans were made for Helen to join her mother and sister Mildred in Alabama. For a brief time, Helen and Peter were alone together at the farmhouse, where Peter confessed his love for Helen and asked her to marry him. The couple tried to keep their plans a secret, but when they traveled to Boston to obtain a marriage license, the press obtained a copy of the license and published a story about Helens engagement. Kate Keller was furious and brought Helen back to Alabama with her. Although Helen was 36 years old at the time, her family was very protective of her and disapproved of any romantic relationship. Several times, Peter attempted to reunite with Helen, but her family would not let him near her. At one point, Mildreds husband threatened Peter with a gun if he did not get off his property. Helen and Peter were never together again. Later in life, Helen described the relationship as her little island of joy surrounded by dark waters. The World of Showbiz Annie recovered from her illness, which had been misdiagnosed as tuberculosis, and returned home. With their financial difficulties mounting, Helen, Annie, and Polly sold their house and moved to Forest Hills, New York in 1917. Helen received an offer to star in a film about her life, which she readily accepted. The 1920 movie, Deliverance, was absurdly melodramatic and did poorly at the box office. In dire need of a steady income, Helen and Annie, now 40 and 54 respectively, next turned to vaudeville. They reprised their act from the lecture tour, but this time they did it in glitzy costumes and full stage makeup, alongside various dancers and comedians. Helen enjoyed the theater, but Annie found it vulgar. The money, however, was very good and they stayed in vaudeville until 1924. American Foundation for the Blind That same year, Helen became involved with an organization that would employ her for much of the rest of her life. The newly-formed American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) sought a spokesperson and Helen seemed the perfect candidate. Helen Keller drew crowds whenever she spoke in public and became very successful at raising money for the organization. Helen also convinced Congress to approve more funding for books printed in braille. Taking time off from her duties at the AFB in 1927, Helen began work on another memoir, Midstream, which she completed with the help of an editor. Losing Teacher and Polly Annie Sullivans health deteriorated over several years time. She became completely blind and could no longer travel, leaving both women entirely reliant on Polly. Annie Sullivan died in October 1936 at the age of 70. Helen was devastated to have lost the woman whom she had known only as Teacher, and who had given so much to her. After the funeral, Helen and Polly took a trip to Scotland to visit Pollys family. Returning home to a life without Annie was difficult for Helen. Life was made easier when Helen learned that she would be taken care of financially for life by the AFB, which built a new home for her in Connecticut. Helen continued her travels around the world through the 1940s and 1950s accompanied by Polly, but the women, now in their 70s, began to tire of travel. In 1957, Polly suffered a severe stroke. She survived, but had brain damage and could no longer function as Helens assistant. Two caretakers were hired to come and live with Helen and Polly. In 1960, after spending 46 years of her life with Helen, Polly Thomson died. Later Years Helen Keller settled into a quieter life, enjoying visits from friends and her daily martini before dinner. In 1960, she was intrigued to learn of a new play on Broadway that told the dramatic story of her early days with Annie Sullivan. The Miracle Worker was a smash hit and was made into an equally popular movie in 1962. Death Strong and healthy all of her life, Helen became frail in her 80s. She suffered a stroke in 1961 and developed diabetes. On June 1, 1968, Helen Keller died in her home at the age of 87 following a heart attack. Her funeral service, held at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., was attended by 1,200 mourners. Legacy Helen Keller was a groundbreaker in her personal and public lives. Becoming a writer and lecturer with Annie while blind and deaf was an enormous accomplishment. Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind individual to earn a college degree. She was an advocate for communities of people with disabilities in many ways, raising awareness through her lecture circuits and books and raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind. Her political work included helping to found the American Civil Liberties Union and advocacy for increased funding for braille books and for womens suffrage. She met with every U.S. president from  Grover Cleveland to Lyndon Johnson. While she was still alive, in 1964, Helen received the highest honor awarded to a U.S. citizen, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Lyndon Johnson. Helen Keller remains a source of inspiration to all people for her enormous courage overcoming the obstacles of being both deaf and blind and for her ensuing life of humanitarian selfless service. Sources: Herrmann, Dorothy. Helen Keller: A Life. University of Chicago Press, 1998. Keller, Helen. Midstream: My Later Life. Nabu Press, 2011.

Famous Quotations About Dragons

Dragons are among the most fierce and monstrous of creatures in literature and legend. They appear in stories and myths from around the world. People of all ages love these literary monsters. Even when writers arent including real dragons in their stories they reference them for symbolic meaning, usually about people overcoming fantastic odds. Here Are a Few Quotes About Dragons A poet can write about a man slaying a dragon, but not about a man pushing a button that releases a bomb.— W. H. AudenAbove us, outlined against the brilliant sky, dragons crowded every available perching space on the Rim. And the sun made a gold of every one of them.― Anne McCaffrey, Nerilkas StoryBut it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of EarthseaCome not between the dragon, and his wrath.- William Shakespeare, King LearFairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.― Neil Gaiman, CoralineFairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragons intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.― G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Tr iflesHe had only heard of dragons, and although he had never seen one, he was sure they existed.― Dee Marie, Sons of Avalon: Merlins ProphecyHe who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if you gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you.— Friedrich NietzscheHere be dragons to be slain, here be rich rewards to gain; / If we perish in the seeking, why, how small a thing is death!― Dorothy L. Sayers, Catholic Tales and Christian SongsHow should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young PoetI believe in everything until its disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, d ragons. It all exists, even if its in your mind. Whos to say that dreams and nightmares arent as real as the here and now?― John LennonI desired dragons with a profound desire. Of course, I in my timid body did not wish to have them in the neighborhood. But the world that contained even the imagination of FÃ ¡fnir was richer and more beautiful, at whatever the cost of peril.― J.R.R. TolkienI do not care what comes after; I have seen the dragons on the wind of morning.― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest ShoreIf you have ever seen a dragon in a pinch, you will realize that this was only poetical exaggeration applied to any hobbit, even to Old Tooks great-granduncle Bullroarer, who was so huge (for a hobbit) that he could ride a horse. He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfibuls head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in thi s way, the battle was won and the game of Golf was invented at the same moment.― J.R.R. Tolkien, The HobbitImagine a land where people are afraid of dragons. It is a reasonable fear: dragons possess a number of qualities that make being afraid of them a very commendable response. Things like their terrible size, their ability to spout fire, or to crack boulders into splinters with their massive talons. In fact, the only terrifying quality that dragons do not possess is that of existence.― David Whiteland, Book of PagesNever laugh at live dragons.― J.R.R. TolkienNoble dragons dont have friends. The nearest they can get to the idea is an enemy who is still alive.― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!O to be a dragon, a symbol of the power of Heaven - of silkworm size or immense; at times invisible.— Marianne Moore, O To Be A DragonSleeping on a dragons hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderSpeak politely to an enraged dragon.― J.R.R. TolkienThey say dragons never truly die. No matter how many times you kill them.― S.G. Rogers, Jon Hansen and the Dragon Clan of YdenTrue Dragons are among the Universes most perfect beings. This is a useful bit of information. Squirrel it away like a nugget of Fafnirs gold; take it out and burnish it now and then as we proceed.― Shawn MacKenzieYou cant map a sense of humor. Anyway, what is a fantasy map but a space beyond which There Be Dragons? On the Discworld, we know that There Be Dragons Everywhere. They might not all have scales and forked tongues, but they Be Here all right, grinning and jostling and trying to sell you souvenirs.― Terry Pratchett, The Color of Magic