Pharm assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharm - Assignment Example This type of disorder results to hyperglycemia, a state where the body glucose level rises above normal. According to (Derrick, 2010) the past five years researches have been conducted on how to control hyperglycemia in T2DM. He argued, Pharmacotherapeutic agents that were previously used were proving to be inefficient e.g. Sulfonylurea. In the late 2009 a new pharmacotherapeutic agent, Bromocriptine mesylat was approved after a series of research to verify its efficiency. Example of drug that has Bromocriptine mesylat as active ingredient is Parlodel. Bromocriptine lowers the level of glucose concentration in the blood. Researchers had a thought the Pharmacotherapeutic agent uses a mechanism that resets the body’s circadian clock through enhancing dopaminergic. This agent’s dosage is unique from other T2DM dosages. For a start a T2DM patients are advised to take 0.8mg of the drug containing the agent with food once per day, taken along with food it will enhance bioavailability. The dosage should be taken during bedtime. The dose can be increased at a weekly interval. For instance, if a T2DM patient takes a dose of 0.8mg per day this week next he/she can increase it to 1.6mg per day. However, this can only be increased up to a limit of 4.8mg per day (â€Å"Bromocriptine mesylate†, 2009). Increasing the dose will increase the efficiency of the agent in controlling hyperglycemia. Precaution should be taken when using Pharmacotherapeutic agent. A T2DB patient, who is breastfeeding, should not use it because it suppresses lactation process. If you happen to experience uncontrolled high blood pressure, this agent is not advisable for you since this will make it to be inefficient. While using this agent you will experience some side-effects as a result of your body reacting to the introduction of a â€Å"foreign agent†. Some of the side-effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, vision, and chest

Impact of trade unions on firm performance Essay

Impact of trade unions on firm performance - Essay Example They use this power to reach a compromise with the employers (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). In spite of the outcome, the members of unions must adhere to the solution at which the two parties arrive. The history of trade or labor unions dates back to 1860’s when workers created labor unions that included a vast range of workers (Currie, 2001). However, the unions did not accomplish any notable achievements and they ended up closing their doors. Over time, worker's  approach to trade unions has changed drastically, and they have accomplished commendable results for their members. They have banded a lot of employees from various industries so as to enhance their experience in the workplace (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). The key function of these unions is to push for improved working conditions and reasonable wages for their members. The leaders hold negotiations with employers regarding issues such as wage increments, better benefits and working hours and more vacation time among oth ers. The decision that the union arrives at is binding for all its members. The leaders also hold regular meetings to handle complains, concerns and recommendations, as well as vote on key decisions before negotiating with employers. In the case where a trade union does not reach a decision with an employer, it may result in a strike (Currie, 2001). A strike is a decision that all members must respect. Trade unions include employees from a given industry such as the agriculture industry, or a specific agency such as local or state government. Furthermore, there are some minimum requirements that unions require from their members in order to get official membership. Some unions require their new members to pay a registration fee while other requires them to have certification in order to join. The unions may include both blue color employees and professional. Different unions vary in terms of the features and qualifications since they operate in different industries and have diverse memberships. In addition to their role in enhancing the conditions of employees, the unions also take part in political activism. During the formulation of legislations especially laws that touch on the lives of workers directly, they send their representatives to influence the outcome. Although the key objective of these unions is to push for improved wages and working conditions in the workplace, this objective also includes political activism. This paper discusses how trade unions impact on performance, as well as outline how employees can best handle trade unions. Impact of trade unions on performance The key goal of the unions is to ensure that their members have the best working conditions, reasonable wages, are not mistreated by employers and get vacations as necessary (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). However, the impact of trade unions does not only influence these factors. They affect other areas such as performance of employees among others. This can be either in a positive or a negative manner. Trade unions can either result in increased performance or decreased performance depending on the outcome. Increased performance The impact of a trade union can have positive effects on a firm’s performance. Among the key roles of a human resource manager is to motivate employees to perform in a better way. HR managers can motivate employees in a number of ways. These are better wages and working

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Example for Free

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Facing IT Managers Essay Cyber-security demands are ever increasing in the field of Information Technology with the globalization of the internet. Disruptions due to cyber-attacks are affecting the economy, costing companies billions of dollars each year in lost revenue. To counter this problem corporations are spending more and more on infrastructure and investing to secure the cyber security vulnerabilities which range anywhere from software to hardware to networks and people that use them. Due to the complexity of information systems that interact with each other and their counter parts, the requirement to meet specific cyber security compliances have become a challenging issues for security professionals worldwide. To help with these issues, security professionals have created different standards and frameworks over the years for addressing this growing concern of vulnerabilities within enterprise systems and the critical information they hold (â€Å"Critical Security Controls,† n.d.). Before we get into the details let first examine what exactly is a security vulnerability. By definition a security vulnerability can be flaws in hardware, software, networks or the employees that use them which in turn can allow hackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information system (â€Å"Common Cybersecurity,† 2011). To thoroughly discuss this topic in more detail I will first discuss Confidentiality as it is one of the three main goals of IT Security. Confidentiality is as simple as it sounds, limiting access to resources for only those that need it. Confidentiality vulnerabilities occur when hackers try to exploits some weakness or flaw  within information system and view information that they are not normally allowed to. In this case the confidentiality of the documents have been compromised. The second goal of IT security which can also be affected if security vulnerabilities are present is Integrity. Integrity by definition can mean many different things for different topics but for the IT world it solely relates to the trustworthiness of a document or resource. This means that the document or file has been unhindered or changed and is still in its original form. This is very important because if data has been hindered or changed it can cause substantial damage to corporations due to the possible wrong decisions being made like investments or unintended publications or even trouble with the law if tax audits are not adding up properly which would all result in a net loss. The last goal of IT security which can be compromised if security vulnerabilities exist is Availability of the information system. Availability refers to the idea that a resource is accessible by those that need it, whenever they need it. In my personal opinion I believe availability is probably the most important out of the three security goals. I say this simply because there are many mission critical applications out there that need to be online 24/7 and any downturn can result in catastrophic results. One prime example of this is the air traffic control towers at LAX; they were having problems with the system a few months back due to the U-2 spy plane flying over their airspace. This caused major panic which grounded taxied planes that were ready to take off and forced the manual tracking of planes already in air (Ahlers, 2014). Throughout this the paper I intend to report on the many different types of cyber-security vulnerabilities available and their effects. I will also describe in detail the vulnerability I feel is the most important facing IT managers today, its impact on organizations and the solution. As I stated before there are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there which can affect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of a resource. So the question still remains what exactly are t hese types of vulnerabilities? Especially since they range from software, hardware, networks and the people that use them. Firstly I will discuss the software vulnerabilities, more specifically in terms of web applications. This is because more than half of the current  computer security threats and vulnerabilities today affect web applications and that number is ever increasing. (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). When considering the programming language used to develop web applications you have PHP which is considered a weak language, on the other hand you have Java, C# and Visual Basic which are considered strong languages. It is important to note that the language used to develop the web applications is very important because although the different programming languages are similar overall, each one has different rules of how data is stored, retrieved, the execution methods, tables and so on. For example when I say how data is stored and retrieve, I am basically regarding to data types and data structures and how the programming language that is being used maps their values into type fields like strings for names, Int for numbers, or even Boolean for true and false statements. Overall though even if you are using a strong typed language like Java, it does not always guarantee itself free from defects because the language itself may not be the root cause of the vulnerability but possibly the implementation methods used or even insufficient testing (Fonseca, Seixas, Vieira, Madeira, 2014). Vulnerabilities in web applications invite XSS exploits and SQL injection which are the most common types. Below you can see in the image the evolution of reports caused by SQL injection and XSS exploits over the years. This next section we will discuss some more types of security vulnerabilities, more specifically vulnerabilities with regards to hardware. Many people assume that hardware vulnerabilities have the lowest security concern compared to other types of vulnerabilities like software, networks and people that use them simply because they can be stored up in secure environments. The truth is even hardware vulnerabilities can be easily susceptible to attacks. Hardware in general have a longer lifespan than software because simply with software you can upgrade it and install new patches/builds even after deployment. With hardware you once you purchase it, you are most likely going to keep it for a while. When it does become obsolete and ready to be disposed a lot of organizations make the simple mistake of not securely disposing the old hardware properly which in turn opens up the door for intruders. Old hardware have software programs installed on them and other things like IC transistors whi ch can help  hackers learn a lot more about the organization and help lead to future attacks (Bloom, Leontie, Narahari, Simha, 2012). The most recent example of hardware vulnerability which caused one of the biggest Cybersecurity breaches in history was most recently with Target. 40 million credit and debit cards with customer information was stolen simply because a malware was introduced to the point of sale system through a hardware encryption vulnerability (Russon, 2014). Although hardware vulnerabilities are not normally the root cause for majority of the exploits and breaches out there, it is always still good to follow best practices. Network vulnerabilities will be the next topic of discussion and my personal favorite. Vulnerabilities through network systems are very common especially with the all the resources available to hackers today. There are many open source software programs on the market which can help intruders learn critical information about an organization. Just to name a few of the most popular and commonly used ones include Nmap security scanner and Wireshark. Nmap security scanner was originally developed to be used for security and system administration purposes only, like mapping the network for vulnerabilities. Today it most commonly used for black hat hacking (Weston, 2013). Hackers use it to scan open unused ports and other vulnerabilities which in turn helps them gain unauthorized access to the network. Wireshark on the other hand is also similar to Nmap as it was originally developed for network analysis and troubleshooting. It allows administrators to view and capture all packet resources that passes through a particular interface. Over the years hackers have started using Wireshark to exploit unsecured networks and gain unauthorized access (Shaffer, 2009). Although scanning unused open ports and capturing packets are a great way for intruders to gain access to a network, the most popular method by far to breach a network is USB thumb devices. Most enterprise networks are very secure in the sense that they use a DMZ (De-militarized zone) and outside penetration becomes very difficult. In a de-militarized zone outside network traffic must go pass through two different firewalls to get to the intranet of the organization. The first firewall includes all the commonly used servers like FTP, SMTP and all other resources that can be accessible by the public. The second firewall has the actual intranet of the organization which includes all private resources (Rouse, 2007). Below is the diagram of a DMZ. So the question still remains, since most enterprise organizations use DMZ which in turn helps prevent port scanning or packet analyzing, why is USB thumb devices the most popular network vulnerability? (Markel, 2013) The answer is very simple â€Å"Social engineering†. We as human beings, through social conditioning do not stop and ask questions when were not familiar with someone, which in turn has become one of the major causes for the cybersecurity breaches that occur today. Just to give one example from my own personal experiences at work, each floor has an authentication swipe policy to gain entry. Every time I enter the office area, there are a few people with me and only one person in the group usually swipes his/her badge to open the door. This is a huge security vulnerability because anyone can just follow the group and gain access to the entire intranet of the organization. In my case in particular I work for United Airlines headquarters in Chicago at the Willis tower which is more than 100 stories high and the fact that the entire building is not ours alone, this becomes a huge security concern. While I have briefly explained the vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks and the people that use them, the question still remains, what is the most important security vulnerability facing IT managers today?. This answer to this questions differs person to person, and one must take into consideration the actual vulnerability, its threat source and the outcomes. A person with a small home business might only be concerned with denial of service attacks, since they may not have enough cash flow to properly secure their network. On the other hand an enterprise organization with large cash flow might have a different prospective and probably does not concern itself with denial of service attacks but instead is focuses on making sure all the systems are upda te using windows server update services. In my personal opinion though, you might have guessed it but it’s definitely us human beings because we have the tendency to fall victims and contribute to the successful security breaches that occur in today’s society. Mateti in his essay â€Å"TCP/IP Suite† stated that vulnerabilities occur because of human error. A study by Symantec and the Ponemon institute showed that 64 percent of data breaches in 2012 were resulted due to human mistakes (Olavsrud, 2013). Larry Ponemon the founder of security research at Ponemon Institute and chairman stated that â€Å"Eight  years of research on data breach costs has shown employees behavior to be one of the most pressing issues facing organizations today†, up by twenty two percent since the first survey† (Olvasrud, 2013). A prime example of this is when I stated earlier about how anyone can just enter my office area without swiping their card, just by simply following the group. This is a form of human erro r when employees are too intimidated to ask questions and request authorization from someone they believe does not work for the organization. The intruder can just walk in the front door pretending to be a salesperson, repairman or even a white collar businessman and may look like someone legitimate but in fact they are not. This intruder now has direct access to the intranet and can install malicious malware on to the computers to disrupt daily operations or even steal sensitive data like confidential project information, release dates, trade secrets and many more. A very good example of this is the Stuxnet worm which infect the Iranian nuclear facilities and caused a lot of damage internally which in turn delayed Iran’s nuclear development. All of the security measures that were put in place by Iran’s cyber defense team were circumvented simply by just one employee because the worm was introduced through an infected USB drive. This simply shows how the direct access from unauthorized users due to employee negligence can cause such tremendous damage and that all the perimeter defense become completely useles s. Another prime example of human errors was the RSA breach in 2011 where cybercriminals thought instead of just sending millions of phishing emails to different random mailboxes, let’s send personalized emails to specific employees. The employees at RSA thinking since it’s a personalized message its â€Å"safe† and clicked on the links unknowingly which in turn caused the malware to be downloaded on to the network. To counter this problem firstly IT managers need to properly train employees and give them specific guidelines to follow. Symantec has issued a press releases with the guidelines on how to properly secure sensitive data which includes information on how to train employees for these types of intrusions. Human error is not just limited to intimation or foolishness, it also expands too many different areas because after all it is us humans who manage the cyberspace, grant physical access to the terminals and systems that are connected to the internetwork. We setup the protocols used for communication, set the security policies and procedures,  code backend server software, create passwords used to access sensitive information, maintain updates on computers and so on (â€Å"Security 2011, † 2011 ). The human element matters very much possibly more than the software, hardware or the network systems especially when it comes to properly securing an internetwork from data breaches. The impact on the organization always depends on what type of business it is and what it is engaged in. For example if an organization is very popular and has bigger presence in the online commerce (Amazon and New Egg) compared to one that does not use the internet quiet often will be more concerned with web based attacks and vulnerabilities. The impact though regardless of the type of organization will always be tremendous. Once a breach occurs not only are you spending on recovering from its effects but you are also spending on beefing up your current security measures by installing new devices, hiring new employees so the same occurrence does not occur again (Hobson, 2008) Sometimes at the end of the day some of the cost are not even recoverable like sensitive data, trade secrets, personnel information or even customer information. Another major cost and headache that occurs once an organization becomes a victim of cybercrime is lawsuits. Many customers who feel that the organization could not protect their confidentiality will sue the corporation for millions of dollars which in turn can cause major loss. IT managers can do many things to help prevent breaches due to human errors. The first thing they can do is properly train the employees as stated above on a periodical basis and use current guidelines like Symantec to properly secure their intranet from any type of intrusion. IT managers can also establish a safe harbor in the sense that they can force employees to periodically change their passwords and establish rules so the password must be certain characters long and must include other types of characters besides just the typical alphanumerical ones. Employee negligence also due to bad habits like sending sensitive data over an unsecured email and IT managers must ensure that they continually educate their employees. There are many different types of security vulnerabilities out there in today’s world that are affecting organizations. In my personal opinion I believe human error is the one vulnerability that affects IT managers the most simply because we as humans make mistakes. It is in our nature and no matter how hard we try we will always be susceptible to deception either through social engineering tactics or clicking dangerous  links because it â€Å"looks safe† or even being negligent by not reporting something unusual. Employees need to realize that their actions can bring terrible consequences for both them and the organization as a whole. References Fonseca, J., Seixas, N., Viera, M., Madeira, H. (2014). Analysis of Field Data on Web Security Vulnerabilities. IEEE Transaction on Dependable Secure Computing, 11(2), 89-100 doi:10.1109/TDSC.2013.37 Russon, M. (2014, June 10). Forget Software Vulnerabilities, Hardware Security Must Improve Before Its Too Late. International Business Times RSS. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/forget-software-vulnerabilities-hardware-security-must-improve-before-its-too-late-1451912 Bloom, G., Leontie, E., Narahari, B., Simha, R. (2012, January 1). Hardware and Security: Vulnerabilities and Solutions. . Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~simha/research/HWSecBookChapter12.pdf Common Cyber Security Vulnerabilities in Industrial Control Systems. (2011, January 1). . Retrieved July 12, 2014, from https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DHS_Common_Cybersecurity_Vulnerabilities_ICS_2010.pdf Critical Security Controls. (n.d.). SANS Institute -. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.sans.org/critical-security-controls Ahlers, M. (2014, May 6). FAA computer vexed by U-2 spy plane over LA. CNN. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/05/us/california-ground-stop-spy-plane-computer/ Most Important Cybersecurity Vulnerability Facing It Managers. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/computer-science/most-important-cybersecurity-vulnerability-facing-it-managers-computer-science-essay.php Security 2011: Attack Of The Human Errors Network Computing. (2011, December 22).Network Computing. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.networkcomputing.com/networking/security-2011-attack-of-the-human-errors/d/d-id/1233294? Hobson, D. (2008, August 8). The real cost of a security breach. SC Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.scmagazine.com/the-real-cost-of-a-security-breach/article/113717/ Direct, M. (2013, December 20). Human error is the root cause of most data

Impact of Mobile Communications on Construction Industry

Impact of Mobile Communications on  Construction Industry 1. INTRODUCTION The total annual turnover of the building and construction industry in most economies around the world amounts to billions of dollars per annum, contributing approximately 10 per cent of GDP (Olomolaiye et al, 1998, quoted in Farin et al 2001). Although the Construction sector is pivotal in any economy as noted above, it is however an industry which is plagued by inefficiency which is caused by the lack of communication within organisations involved in the delivery of a project solution. According to Bowden and Thorpe (2002), 65% of contractor rework is attributed to insufficient, inappropriate and conflicting information on construction sites. The problem of communication on most construction sites are exacerbated because many operatives working in the field capture data manually (or maybe use a standalone handheld device) which is then physically transported to office. The information may then have to be manually keyed into the office computer system. This process is time consuming and requires extra workforce to re-enter data into the office computer. The introduction of Internet and communication technologies has seen the urgency in the expectations of people within the industry to have access to the latest information produced at any point in the project life. These expectations reflect the increasingly competitive pressure within the construction sector to deliver quicker and cheaper solutions. It also reflects the increased electronic awareness that internet use has cultured, realising a one-stop information on demand medium. The invention of handheld computing device enabled with a suitable wireless capability has proved a valuable innovation which reduces travel costs, increase operative efficiency, and speed data transfer. Data can easily be keyed on site and communicated wirelessly to the office computer. This information can further be uploaded on from the computer to the internet or extranet enabling faster and quicker process which reduces times. The use of project extranet solutions (a single project database shared by all project members: Client; Designer; Contractors; Suppliers) and document management systems is now common on large projects. Mobile communication technologies therefore can strategically be implemented to reduce cost and increase returns on investment. There are many applications of mobile communications in the construction industry. This report however focuses on the impact of mobile communication technologies in the construction industry. 2. Mobile Communication Mobile communication is a technology that eases communication by linking individuals or groups who are not physically present at the same location via wireless means. There are various software and hardware been used such as PDA, mobile phones, CAD application, data capture, project management etc. The mobile phone is still the king of mobile communication, and it has evolved to include smart features such as picture messaging, diary management, e-mail and web browsing. Likewise, many handheld computers (Personal Digital Assistants) are being produced with phone capabilities. For many individuals however, affordable smart phones have become feature rich enough to lure them away from their handheld computer, mainly because smart phones are more compact (Kinns and Babtie, 2005). As smart phones win over the personal computing device market, handheld computers are being developed more for the business computing market. Users in this market are more willing to sacrifice device size for increased computing power, and so devices such as the Tablet PC and Ultra Personal Computer (uPC) are being developed. Unlike most personal use, business use of mobile communication is concerned with the transfer of all forms of electronic data. Equally important is the way in which data and information is captured, and then managed to ensure it is readily available to other people/ devices when and where required. Improved cost effective mobile computing power will further reduce the office/ field divide. The uptake of integrated mobile communication computing devices and services has been significant. This growth in use will continue as smart phone devices gain more features, and handheld computers gain increased computing power. This is the belief of many leading players within the construction and telecom industries. Companies need to plan for this wireless future, and exploit the expected growth in their business strategies. 3. BENEFITS OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION With the introduction of laptops into the work environment as a substitute for personal computers, the potential of the mobile worker became evident(Bowden et al, 2005). 3.1. Reduction in construction time and capital cost of construction According to (Bowden et al., 2005) mobile technologies can help minimise time and cut capital cost in the construction industry. Generic benefits of the provision of mobile technologies to point of activity workers include: doing away with retyping/redrafting, minimizing travel time in order to retrieve information and cut travel time to view point of actions or activities. Further explanation of cost savings and time are touched on in each of the developments assisted by mobile technologies below. 3.2. Reduction in operation and maintenance costs Mobile technology can help reduce maintenance cost and operation by improving upon the efficiency of workers and as well gather and provide information throughout the life cycle of a building or structure. The following construction industries (Network Rails London, North East and East Anglia Region) are using a PDA, GPS and GIS system to perform earthworks checks; look at the integrity of their embankments and cuttings. Network Rail currently obtains data from the inspections team on a week to week basis instead of waiting till the end of a 4-month inspection. This allows Network Rail to proactively organise their workload systematically. Getting Data using GIS can easily be grouped by condition enabling the identification of all ‘poor’ earthworks, including their location (automatically recorded by the GPS). A maintenance team can then be instructed to rectify groups of faults in a single pass. Within 1 year Network Rail achieved benefits for the solution(Bowden, 2004) . GPRS connected to PDA has been implemented by Rosser and Russell for obtaining new developments in terms of information from their maintenance engineers and delivering work orders. This has caused a significant change in administration required to accomplish their maintenance operation (Gooding, 2004). According to (Gooding and Bowden, 2004) GPS trackers are been utilised by Biwater for the implementation of fleet management system. This has given them the opportunity to able to analyse and track the actual position of their maintenance crews. Time has reduced drastically since the nearest crew to an incident could be spot on and instructed. The improved planning and implementation has considerably reduced maintenance cost, mileage, and also the fuel costs of the fleet. 3.3. Reduction in defects There have been several changes in national initiative that challenge the construction industry to target zero defects in handover. An example, even though Egan(Egan, 1998)came up with target for United Kingdom construction industry as a 20% annual reduction in the number of defects on handover, Egan proposed that there is considerably number of evidence which suggests that within 5 years the aim of zero defects could be achieved across the construction industry. Egan again touched on how some clients in the United States and the United Kingdom have already attained zero defects on handover. Taylor Woodrow and Mace piloted digital pen and paper solution and PDA solution respectively in their project. Both results gave them the knack to gather data electronically at source in a standardized format, and later were stored in a central database. The following trends could be searched on the database; reoccurring fault, re-offending subcontractors and setbacks in correcting errors. The various trends could be outline proactively. An additional benefit of having a central system for defect management is that the costs of rectifying snags can begin to be understood and hence a more proactive approach to managing quality throughout the construction process should be adopted to avoid these costs(Sommerville et al, 2004). According to (Newton, 1998) a research conducted in Australia depicted that 65% of contractor-rework is attributed to inadequate, unsuitable or contradictory information. Tablet PC system linked to a central database via a wireless LAN was developed by 3.4. Reduction in accidents For workers to report near misses, Mobile technologies could provide a mechanism that would increase the number of near misses reported in the construction industry. Those areas which need improvement in terms of electronic data could be analysed and highlighted. According to (Kiser and Fosbroke, 1994) the most common fatal injury is falling from height. OSHA Fall-Safe programme in the USA came up with a tablet PC audit tool(Becker et al, 2001). The work concluded that contractor control of fall hazards were improved when the conduct of an audit and the reports were generated. Next to fall from height are workers being struck by a moving vehicle which accounted for 10 fatalities in the UK in 2003/2004. In the Oil and Gas industry work is been carried out on the application of virtual exclusion zones for oil platform cranes. Cameras mounted on a crane boom can compute the position of personnel in an area hence could provide audible alert for the crane driver and personnel who are in d anger. Although, some vehicles give audible alerts this caution is not directed specifically to the person in danger and can be overlooked and identified as surrounding noise. This virtual exclusion or information zone could be utilized in the construction industry providing warning around machinery such as piling rigs or cranes and to provide information when entering areas with specific safety requirements. A step further along the line towards improving health and safety on-site is the possibility of automated construction, eliminating the need for personnel to be in dangerous areas. An example application is presented by 3.5. Reduction in waste Construction and demolition (CD) debris constitutes the waste generated during construction, renovation, and demolition projects. CD waste commonly includes building materials and products such as concrete, asphalt, wood, glass, brick, metal, gypsum wallboard, roofing, insulation, doors, windows and frames, flooring, and furniture. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 136 million tons of building-related CD debris were generated in 1996 — the majority from demolition (48%) and renovation (44%). New construction generated only 8% of building-related CD debris(Fishbein, 1998). The first step in understanding and reducing wastage on-site is to know what materials and equipment have been delivered. Several construction suppliers are currently considering or piloting Mobile IT solutions to facilitate their goods delivery process, providing electronic goods received notes (GRNs) and proof of delivery. A commonly held view is that the weakest point of the supply chain in the construction industry is the site; paper gets delivered and then lost. It may not get filed properly and the people on-site have no real awareness of how all the documents in the supply chain are linked. Lost GRNs are a huge problem for both the contractor and the supplier. One supplier stated that out of 4.5 million tickets issued each year contractors asked them to replace 300,000 GRNs. A contractor stated that on a  £45M project  £133,000 of invoices was being queried on any one day; Chen et al, 2002). The benefits achieved in relation to waste reduction include: faster location of materials/equipment; certainty that only the correct materials are used, reducing costs associated with damaged items; reduction in lost or stolen items; easier maintenance of a materials tracking database. CPIC (Centre for Performance Improvement in Construction) has developed a toolkit for measuring performance on-site; CALIBRE 2000. Wastage in time, materials and energy are collected by construction â€Å"observers† using a PDA device, which is then synchronised with a central database. The PDA enables information to be collected in real-time and it is then available for analysis by the site team the next day. (Chen et al, 2002).According to (Chen et al, 2002)suggest the use of bar-codes to facilitate a crew-based incentive reward programme (IRP). The workers are rewarded according to the amounts and values of materials they saved from their operations. This resulted in a 10% saving of material wastage. In both of these examples the drawback is that collection of the data still requires manual intervention. (Li et al, 2005). This reduces the possibility of damage to materials from ingress of weather and movement of people, plant and equipment within temporary storage facilities. As stated above, the majority of CD waste is generated during demolition and renovation. RFID tagging provides the capability of attaching information permanently to building components, which in turn offers the opportunity to provide future owners with information about the make-up of each component. Items can then be easily identified for recycling or reuse; even those items that cannot currently be recycled may be recyclable in the future. This would eliminate some of the prohibitive costs associated with identifying and sorting materials, making recycling a more viable option. 3.6. Increase in productivity Productivity is defined as the ratio of the amount of work produced to the resources used in its production. Productivity is increased if it takes fewer resources to do the same amount of work, or the same number of resources can achieve more. The drive for improved productivity in the construction industry has come with the recognition that productivity is inextricably linked to international competitiveness(Teicholz, 2004). Several of the national construction change initiatives promote the use of information technology as a tool to increase productivity, through automating tasks and enhancing collaboration. Task automation provides the following productivity enhancements: delivery of required information e.g. method statements; production of reports e.g. daily progress reports; alerts e.g. notification of safety hazard; data collation, reduces number of administration staff required. One area where significant losses in productivity occur is downtime on-site due to unforeseen problems. The opportunity for mobile technologies to provide immediate access, from the point of activity, to the personnel which may be able to resolve the problem has been an ongoing subject of research(Ballard and Howell, 1994). The Last Planner system has been set up to facilitate this method of planning and its toolset includes: collaborative programming; look-ahead meeting; weekly work plan meeting. The premise is that better planning improves productivity by reducing delays, getting the work done in the best constructability sequence, matching manpower to available work, and coordinating multiple interdependent activities 3.7. Increase in predictability The construction industry is noted for its delays in project delivery and over budget(Bourn, 2001). This is engineered by the following reasons methods of procurement, communication issues and culture. This section of the industry could be transformed by using mobile technology to provide precise real-time progress and cost information as the project progresses. In the above sections it can be observed that communication enhancement from one phase to the other became possible and in some situations have been achieved by most of the construction industries. The following Mobile applications are already in use progress reporting, timesheet, materials management and plant utilisation. This should now pave a way for most construction industries to compare and contrast planned programmes or budget and use this information in future projects. 4. CURRENT USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION. 4.1 Software and Hardware Innovations in Mobile Communications 4.1.1 Software Mobile CAD applications: Mobile devices equipped with CAD applications used by Construction personnel can mark-up, view, create and edit 2D/3D AutoCAD compatible designs at any place at anytime on construction site. CAD application may contact engineers, drafters and designers etc. who needs supports of designs and drawings in the construction site. Majority of mobile CAD applications are compatible with well-known mobile devices that run Windows mobile and Windows CE operating systems (COMIT, 2003). In order to communicate drawing files with desktop PCs, mobile CAD applications can connect and swap data with PCs by using ActiveSync for Windows OS or HotSync for Palm OS. The following are some of the CAD applications been used PocketCAD, PowerCAD and ZipCAD. Data capture applications: Bar code scanning, wireless sensors network and data capture are the three various types of data capture application used on sites. One of the mobile data capture system known as SHERPA enable users to collect real time piling work data by using mobile computers through a wireless local area network (WLAN) (Ward et al., 2003). Mobile construction chain supply(M-ConSCM) also named as bar- code enabled PDA, has been developed to create convenience and improve information flow in the construction supply chain environment through the integration of bar code scanner and PDA combined (Tserng and Dzeng, 2005). A new innovation has come into play i.e. Wireless sensor network that consists of various devices capable of a cooperative sensing task and is compared with the concept of ubiquitous computing. A mass concrete curing management system (CMS) has been developed to investigate the possibility of applying wireless sensor network to on-site data collection proces ses (Lee and Kang, 2006). This system can allow the collection, transfer, and delivery of the recorded curing temperature data automatically in real time in a wireless sensor network environment. Project management applications: Applications in the project administration area provide users with the capabilities of project and programme management such as construction activity review, activity monitoring and updating, progress management, risk management, Microsoft Project file view and update, and material and equipment management, through their on-hand mobile computers. Available commercial applications include Primavera Mobile Management, CYtools, and OnSite FDM. 4.1.2 Hardware Palmtops / PDA – Personal Digital Assistance PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), sometimes known as a Palmtop, is a mobile computer that allows you to store, access, and organize information. More sophisticated PDAs can run word processing, spreadsheet and industry specific applications and also provide e-mail and internet process. Some models now offer the functionality of a mobile phone and a PDA in a single unit. These units use either a Palm or Microsoft Windows Pocket PC operating system. In general, the more functions offered on the device, the shorter the battery life. Currently, there are no rugged devices available in this category, since they could be seen as more akin to a non-rugged mobile phone. Many of these devices use an electronic pen (called a stylus) rather than a keyboard for input. This is associated with special operating systems that support handwriting recognition so that users can write on the screen or on a tablet instead of typing on a keyboard. Hand-held Computers A hand-held computer offers the main functionality of a laptop in a smaller package. They feature a full QWERTY style keyboard and a landscape display. Typically, they run on a Windows-based operating system, like a desktop PC. Because they have a keyboard, this type of device is probably best suited where it can be used on a stable base, for example in a pick-up truck. Although the Windows CE OS is more demanding on battery life and memory, many of the devices will compensate for this by providing more memory space and larger capacity batteries as standard. 4.2 Health and Safety One of the most hazardous industries to work in the is the construction industry; it is noted that 3.6 per 100,000 workers in the United Kingdom encounter fatal injury, associating with 70 people, depicts an unfavourably average of 0.81 in the industry(Mckerman, 2001). 4.2.1 Case Study (Health and Safety-Skanka) The civil engineering division of Skanska known as Skanska Tekra Oya in Finland is currently using SMS/WAP and MMM based system which propels them to collect data electronically by using the supervisor’s phone. It then passes problem notifications on to the subcontractors who then respond with via SMS when problem is resolved. Issues which took days to complete could be dealt with in few hours and since then accidents have decreased drastically with the use of the system. The gathered data are stored on a central database facilitating the classification of trends to be automated. Continual non application can be emphasized and a more positive approach of doing away with their reoccurrence can be established, such as training preventative measures put in place e.g. warning signs placed at dangerous areas and barriers around overhead electricity cables. In addition, subcontractors who are time and again causing safety issues and are reluctant in putting an end to them can be dea lt with properly. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health came up with a mobile system that replicates MVR safety method for civil engineers and is used in most construction industry in Finland. Coming up with a single tool and comparing across construction sites will smooth the progress of improvement hence reduce. The â€Å"Accident Triangle†(Heinrich et al, 1980)illustrates that fatal injuries are just the tip of the iceberg (Fig 1). Theory states that â€Å"if you reduce the number of near misses, this in turn will reduce the number of fatalities†. The records show near misses is performing badly. The reason could be the number of times they occur and the amount of paperwork that has to be completed and recorded. 5. Emerging Trends and innovation The core reason of mobile in the built environment is its mobility. Mobile phones (speech and text messages), cameras in cell phones, GPRS are the commonly used within the construction industry. In terms of logistics, quality control and control of equipment, RFID reader is applied. Additional use of RFID is the access right control, emerging in janitorial services; access rights controls and mobile access managements with very short-range wireless point-to-point interconnection technology. This technology is likely to become common in mobile phones, and in fact such kinds of phones are been in use in the industry offering intuitive and user-friendly touched based communication. The interactions that exit between the two devices are reasonable in terms of price and also low immunity to eavesdropping. According to (Tolman et al., 2006b) the new messaging and communication systems been used gives current method and possibilities to communicate and manage with embedded sensors networks in a buildings with general terminal equipments through local or global information networks. During the past decade the port of services has been rated as one of the most powerful trends in information technology. Services offered by web can be thought as environment where services are delivered in a formal way and this formal are interpreted by client side browsers. With the nature of all browsers been able to use all services it is of no importance to install locally specific software to use a specific service. Web paradigm is gradually taking place in mobile devices but there have been several impediments that slow down the trend. In technology mobile browsers are not in the same level as compared with that of desktop browsers and top of that since the web has been design with more resources, the of resources in mobile devices are limited hence makes it a problem. That indicates that mobile devices that use web pages should be designed for them. Web paradigm is a natural fit to mobile devices as distributing software to mobile devices is cumbersome and leads to difficult maintenance problems. 6. Challenges of mobile Technology in the construction industry Though the above benefits of mobile technology shows a headway for most construction industry in using mobile technology there are several challenges faced by the industry that needs to be addressed. 6.1. Hardware for Mobile Technology Handheld computers, lightweight and compact laptops have come into extensive use over the past few years; other devices like wearable computers are also making great impact as well. Where improvement has been sluggish the integration ofmobilehardware seams to bridge a user’s desktop, activities whilemobile, and the Internet. There are four basic issues that complicate implementation and design (Satyanarayanan, 1996). In relation to static element mobile elements are resource-poor in terms of weight, size and power. Due to the transmission of data through open space mobile communication are vulnerable to security violation. In addition, wireless connectivity is very unpredictable in reliability and performance. Finally,mobile elements must rely on limited energy sources. It is important to note that these issues are not artifacts of current technology but are intrinsic to mobility. Collectively, they complicate the design ofmobile technologysystems. As a result, even though imp ortant research progress has been conducted, the implementation and design of mobile computing systems still remain a problem. 6.2. Location-Sensing One of the most widely used location-sensing today is the Global Positioning System (GPS). Using time-of-flight information derived from radio signals broadcast by a group of satellites in earth orbit. GPS makes it possible for a relatively cheap receiver (on the order of $100 today) to deduct latitude, longitude, and altitude to an accuracy of a few meters (Hightower and Borriello, 2001). The U.S. Department of Defence maintained the expensive satellite infrastructure, but with the investment been made many civilian benefits from it. Without a doubt, the past few years there has been a real sudden increase of GPS-based services for the consumer market. Although GPS is certainly important its location mechanism is not universally applicable. It cannot function indoors, particularly in places where there are steel-framed buildings and for many applications its resolution of a few meters is not adequate. GPS requires coordinates relative to specific objects whereas some applications (e .g., guidance systems for robotic equipment) use an absolute coordinate system. Further, the specific mechanism required for GPS impose cost, energy use requirements and weight that are difficult formobilehardware. Consequently, the following mechanism for tracking location (e.g., active badges, e911, and Cricket) considerably varies in their capabilities and infrastructure requirement. System costs vary as well, reflecting different trade-offs among device portability, device expense, and infrastructure needs. For applications involvingmobileobjects, orientation sensing (determining the direction an object faces) is also important, and this continues to be an active area of research. 6.3. Wireless Communications There has been a tremendous growth in the deployment of wireless communication technologies in the past decade. Although there has been considerable increase in data communication technologies, the most recognised one is voice communication (cell phones) which has been the primary driver. With many vendors offering hardware that supports the IEEE 802.11, wireless LAN technologies is now widely embraced in the construction industry (Williams, 2000). Although Bluetooth offers no bandwidth advantage as compared with 802.11, its standard has been backed by a number of hardware and software vendors and it is cheap to produce and frugal in power demand (Haartsen, 2000). The lowest-cost wireless technology in the market is the Infrared wireless communication this is due to the fact that it is primarily used in TV remote controls. IrDA supports handheld computers, laptops and other peripherals devices like printer been used today. Infrared wireless communication must be by line of sight, wit h range limited to a few feet. It is also affected adversely by high levels of ambient light, such as prevail outdoors during daylight hours. Greenhalgh claim that WI-FI network do perform well in open space when on construction site, due to the fact that when projects starts, getting wireless signals is easy but at a stage when they are boxed there seems to be interferences (COMIT, 2003). It is difficult to foresee what new wireless technologies will emerge in the future. Power consumption clearly will be an important factor for untethered devices, such asmobile computers, PDAs, and Smart Dust. In addition, it is clear that advances will be constrained by trade-offs among four factors: frequency, bandwidth, range, and density of wired infrastructure. Devices operating at a higher frequency could have greater bandwidth but would require major advances in high-frequency very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design. Advances also will be constrained by policy decisions on frequency usage (spectrum allocation) by the Federal Communications Commission. Range is fundamentally related to transmission power, but generating high pow er at high frequency always has been a difficult technical challenge. This is not a short-term annoyance but a core, long-term requirement of successful system architectures 6.4. Privacy and Trust Mobile computing and distributed system have been experiencing problems when it comes to privacy and this is greatly complicated by pervasive computing. Smart spaces, surrogates imonitor and location tracking are mechanisms used on a continuous basis. As a users keep on depending on this pervasive computing systems, they get more knowledge about the behaviour pattern, habits and the movement. Utilising this information becomes vital to successful proactivity and self-tuning. In addition, unless information used is strictly controlled, they will be unsafe from targeted spam to blackmail. Indeed, the constant loss of confidentiality will discourage users from using computing system. Greater dependence on mobile communications on site means that users should have confidence in that infrastructure to a considerable extent. On the other hand, the infrastructure has to be confident enough to authorise and identify users credential before responding to request. It is very challenging to cre ate this mutual trust in a manner that is minimally intrusive and thus preserves invisibility. Privacy and trust are likely to be enduring problems in Mobile communication technology in the construction industry. 7. Conclusion The current usage of mobile communication in the construction industry brings many change improvements wished for within the industry by enabling point of activity workers to participate in the electronic flow of information using mobile technologies. Although this is not the only solution to the problems to be addressed, it does offer the potential of significant impact in reducing construction time and cost, defects, accidents, waste

Essay for Shakespeares Sonnet 73 -- essays research papers

Anthony Tseng Gloomy, dejected, depressed: These are the emotional elements that William Shakespeare implemented into the speaker of Sonnet 73. An understanding that time doesn’t last forever and we all will age with the current of time. Thus he has accepted his fate, but wants us the readers to feel what he feels and see what he sees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each year more time passes by. Each year we age a little more. A year also dies out, and then comes a new year. An endless cycle of life and death. Represented each year by trees with yellow leaves. This is how the speaker has aged. Aged so much that â€Å"few do hang.† Those leaves are the very strands of life a person has in this world. It’s why people hold so dearly to the people they love, so they won’t lose them. But there’s always the last fork in the road, and that is death. No matter how strong a person is or determined, death will bring one’s downfall. He will be shaken to death by the strong cold wind. How cold it is to die old while the person you love is young. How he must die before someone he loves. It's a feeling of hopelessness, but a feeling that is dispelled by the â€Å"sweet birds† songs. Songs sang by his lover. Conversations that bring the essence of life back into him. What more can one have, than fo r a person that cares.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without friends and family, solitude will blow the â€Å"dim light,† final gasp for life. Just like the sun setting in the west, an end to the term of life....

The Media: Creating Controversy to Make a Quick Buck :: Race and the Media Essays

It seems that the world likes controversy because it is everywhere; on television, online, and in the newspaper. In this technology era, we can’t to get away from controversy, due to easy access on our smartphones, tablets, and lab tops. Controversy can be found in many situations in our lives and found in many subjects in the media, for example sex, religion, politics and a lot of time when it comes to race. The first topic discussed will be what is controversy? Next, is controversy need in the media? Then, why is controversy used in the media and is it necessary? As well as should controversial content be removed from the media and would removing controversy content make a difference in any way to the audience. This essay will also discuss how media presents different sides of the issue and how the media affects public opinion on the Travon Martin murder in Florida. Discussing these topics will also help us understand how to decipher controversy, in the way of does contr oversy help resolve or exacerbate controversial situations in the media. Controversy is a lengthy public disagreement or debate over many conflicting opinions. In the media there is no shortage of controversy. It seems that all controversy are over the following topics, politics, religion, sex, economics, finances, culture and race (P. Ferreira, 2013). I would not say controversy is needed in American or even the world. However America and even the entire world were built on controversy (Davenport, 2012). Since we all do not share the same opinions in every aspect or major topics in the world, because of this controversy is created sometimes voluntary and involuntary. What the media does is bring all opinions from within America and around the world to a large group of people, which in turns creates controversy out in the open to the public. Controversy is need in the world, because without it we would not know or learn all other aspects to a specific topic. For example, the crime in America is higher than other countries in the world. Some people would say that it is due to the exorbitant gun-ownership in America (Davenport, 2012). However other people’s opinions say it is not guns that kill people it is people that kill people, and other say it is the people that locate guns illegally that commit most of the killing in America.

A Critical Analysis of the Procurement Policy for a Local Government

Executive Summary This paper analyses the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how such changes are comparable to the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Important parameters of the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council are discussed, such as category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency. These dimensions are compared to the principles and objectives listed in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. In addition, the paper provides recommendations to improve procurement practices available at Leeds City Council. Eventually, a tender specification sheet is provided to invite bids from private players to run the woodhouse car park in front of the University. Key performance indicators to evaluate tenders are included. Introduction Leeds City Council has made certain changes to its procurement strategy recently. The council emphasised specific elements indicating the importance placed on ensuring high quality procurement services. Such elements refer to category management, whole lifecycle approach, skills and capacity of procurement professionals, and openness and transparency (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). These dimensions are similar to the principles and objectives set in Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and how they compare to Staffordshire County Council’s procurement strategy. Leeds City Council’s Procurement Strategy Compared to the Procurement Strategy of Staffordshire County Council Leeds City Council demonstrates a primary objective to improve outcomes and value for money obtained from a wide range of goods and services it purchases. Therefore, the council’s procurement strategy is based on essential principles to include whole lifecycle approach, accountability to the public, openness and transparency (Hawkins et al. 2011). The strategy indicates the council’s concerns to rely on expertise in the field as well as utilise relevant examples of adequate practices maintained at local and national levels. The common expectation presented with the enforcement of the council’s new strategy is to realise its full potential within two years. The council extensively supports not only its ambitions but also the ambitions of its partners in the process of delivering quality outcomes for service users (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). A relevant part of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy is the adoption of a category managem ent approach, where procurement professionals tend to group together related purchasing. Such approach is entirely focused on exploring variances in buying needs and provider offerings (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). In this way, the council is concerned with maintaining high quality of services along with savings. Similarly, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council presents diverse orientation in terms of proper identification of the goods and services purchased by activity and function. Staffordshire County Council also states the importance of achieving value for money. Another recent change to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is associated with the adoption of a whole lifecycle approach. It is essential to point out that such approach starts from ongoing evaluation of buying needs as well as analysing different options. In fact, the mentioned approach receives optimal application through careful preparation and procurement (Niezen and Weller 2006). Mobilising the council’s resources is a significant priority to the professionals responsible for the implementation of the procurement strategy. Such principle corresponds to Staffordshire County Council’s strategy of relying on the voice of all people of Staffordshire on specific issues that matter to them (Staffordshire County Council 2014). This shows a strong sense of collaboration with residents and communities in order to identify proper solutions to any emerging problems. Staffordshire County Council places importance on leading and influencing as well as sharing knowl edge with representatives from the public sector in Staffordshire (Kennekae 2012). Early engagement is crucial in maintaining savings and improvements that further reflect in transformational changes in the council’s procurement strategy. The whole lifecycle approach adopted by Leeds City Council regarding its procurement strategy assumes that service delivery should not be compromised. Other significant dimensions of this approach relate to contact management and exit which contribute to achieving extensive value for many. In addition, the recent changes observed in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council and that of Staffordshire County Council reflect the importance of the skills and capacity of procurement professionals. They are mostly responsible for ensuring the maintenance of a relevant procurement process based on supporting the council’s business continuity needs (Niezen and Weller 2006). The latter is extensively manifested in the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Procurement professionals structure arrangements with key providers in an attempt to manage the risks pertaining to the process of supplying goods and services. Thus, professionals in the respective field are expected to set high quality processes through cross-functional strategic activities that are evident in both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council (Loppacher et al. 2006). Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy considers the significance of employing common principles a nd rules which are properly designed to correspond to the needs of all included categories. Emphasis is on reflecting the needs of the specific service areas along with stakeholder needs. This recent change in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is in line with ensuring quality outcomes (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Such procurement strategy is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council due to the process of aligning delivery of goods and services with the corporate needs identified by Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). The respective council utilises the expertise of procurement professionals to ensure social values outcomes as well as sufficient savings achieved through a balanced scorecard used for procurement. The focus on the skills and capacity of procurement professionals is among the improved areas of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy. Having skilled and experienced staff is important in delivering high quality outcomes to local communities. Moreover, Leeds City Council manifests its responsibility to support the development and training of procurement professionals in order to maintain high standards across the profession (Loppacher et al. 2006). There is a solid sense of accountability evident in the practice of each procurement professional working at Leeds City Council. In comparison, Staffordshire County Council emphasises the capacity of its procurement staff in terms of providing legal training packages. This indicates an ongoing process of developing the knowledge and expertise of all professionals involved in the procurement practice (Arora et al. 2007). In this way, procurement professionals can work together with other experts in the field to implement the spe cific objectives listed in the procurement strategy of both Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council. One of the observable recent changes in the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is that the central procurement function is projected to serve as a flexible source of excellence and thus is accountable for providing a substantial source of expertise. Procurement professionals working in Leeds City Council and Staffordshire County Council are extensively trained to demonstrate ownership and accountability to the public in their respective communities (Kennekae 2012). Elements of structured governance and assurance make Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy rather effective. However, the procurement strategy of Staffordshire County Council is oriented towards indicating a ‘customer of choice’ model of delivering services. This implies that procurement professionals working in Staffordshire County Council are responsible for the creation of greater visibility of the council’s requirements for goods, services and provider performance (Staffordshire C ounty Council 2014). Therefore, professionals are determined to ensure proper communications and organising skills that help them in the establishment and implementation of linkage. Similarly, procurement professionals in Leeds City Council are devoted to research good practice documents and toolkits while trying to reinforce their skills and capacity. Furthermore, the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council is comparable to the one of Staffordshire County Council in the aspect of openness and transparency. Both councils indicate an ambition of being open and transparent which reflects in providing visible contracts as well as constantly updated management information (Kim and Netessine 2012). Leeds City Council places importance on presenting clear and accessible tender processes and documentation. Openness and transparency ensure the formation of a positive relationship between the council and its procurement partners. Likewise, such aspects are closely linked with instilling confidence in the public regarding the adopted procurement approach (McLean 2008). In comparison, the procurement strategy implemented by Staffordshire County Council indicates its staff’s commitment to ensure compliance and probity which may be associated with the principles of openness and transparency manifested by Leeds City Council. Recommendations The recent changes to the procurement strategy of Leeds City Council indicate that the respective council’s approach is comparable to the strategy of Staffordshire County Council. Yet certain recommendations are listed below to achieve further improvements in Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy: Procurement professionals should work on creating an inclusive procurement strategy in which smaller providers are presented with an opportunity to participate (McLean 2008); The council should constantly research and update its available procurement tools to guarantee competitively established standards in the field; The council should consider the removal of unnecessary restrictions which would allow the institution to evaluate suppliers in an objective manner rather than focus on limiting business criteria such as revenue (Loppacher et al. 2006); Professionals need to demonstrate sensitivity to financing issues to include established payment policies; It is fundamental to indicate potential hidden costs in terms of providing clear information on the actual insurance, liability as well as regulatory requirements; this practice would allow innovative suppliers to compete (Hawkins et al. 2011) Conclusion The paper indicated an analysis of Leeds City Council’s procurement strategy with special focus on its recent changes and how they are comparable to the procurement strategy outlined by Staffordshire County Council (Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy 2013). Thus, significant aspects of both procurement strategies have been discussed in order to identify the focus of procurement professionals working in the two councils. Certain aspects of the two procurement strategies were found similar especially with regards to category management and lifecycle approach. Moreover, the efforts of procurement professionals are equally important to the work of either Leeds City Council or Staffordshire County Council (Staffordshire County Council 2014). In this way, the paper ensured adequate arguments about the effectiveness of the procurement strategies adopted by these institutions. Tender Specification Sheet Leeds City Council is seeking tenders from various private providers for the maintenance and operation of the woodhouse car park in front of the University. The intention is that the car park will operate as a proper public amenity. There are certain standards of services that will be followed. The respective parking services are set at prices identified at proper market levels. Prices are competitive in order to encourage visitor parking regarding close distance to local businesses. Discouraging the practice of day-long parking is essential for the maintenance of the woodhouse car park. The park will be open 24 hours a day, seven days/ week. Personal security will be ensured to customers and visitors. They need to feel secure in the identified car park area. The integration of area security is a priority to the Council. All tenderers are invited to submit their applications by providing the following documentation: -Financial Proposal for a period of 3 years; -Details on the percentage of the turnover expected to be paid annually to the Council; -Evidence indicating previous experience in the area of car park projects; -Providing details of the resources available to complete the project; In order to evaluate the bids from the private players, it is important to provide a set of key performance indicators that will be consistently used (Iyer and Pazgal 2008). The first performance indicator is that the selected tender should provide the best value for money at reasonable cost. This may result from balancing cost and quality. Another key performance indicator that will be used to assess the bids is that of prequalification. Such indicator is implemented to make sure that only those who meet specific criteria will be considered for inclusion to bid (Loppacher et al. 2006). In addition, prequalification is associated with responses to a set of questions provided by the Council. Major questions should include elements of quality, capacity to supply and financial competence. The indicator of open and flexible communication is fundamental as no private player should be given preference. Even though meetings with tenderers who have placed their bids may be necessary at a cer tain point, they should take place solely for clarifying specific aspects regarding the tender (Hawkins et al. 2011). It is important to use recognised channels of communication in order to avoid confusion of private players or any misunderstanding of presented information. References Arora, P., Garg, A. K. and Vaidya, S. C. (2007), ‘Efficacy of Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility and Procurement Strategy’, South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 14(1) pp105-119 Hawkins, T., Gravier, M. and Powley, E. (2011), ‘Public versus Private Sector Procurement Ethics and Strategy: What Each Sector Can Learn from the Other’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 103(4) pp567-586 Iyer, G. and Pazgal, A. (2008), ‘Procurement Bidding with Restrictions’, Quantitative Marketing & Economics, Vol. 6(2) pp177-204 Kennekae, L. (2012), ‘Procurement Strategies to Serve the Public Good,’ International Trade Forum, 2 pp11-111 Kim, S. H. and Netessine, S. (2011), ‘Collaborative Cost Reduction and Component Procurement under Information Asymmetry’, INSEAD Working Papers Collections, 33 pp1-40 Leeds City Council Procurement Strategy (2013), Leeds City Council [Online]. Available at: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Procurement%20Strategy%20V1.0%20PUBLISH%2030.09.2013.pdf [Accessed: 29 April 2014]. Loppacher, J. S., Luchi, R., Cagliano, R. and Spina, G. (2006), ‘Global Sourcing and Procurement Strategy: A Model of Interrelated Decisions’, Supply Chain Forum: International Journal, Vol. 7(1) pp34-46 McLean, S. (2008), ‘Choice in Government Software Procurement: A Winning Strategy’, Journal of Public Procurement, Vol.8(1) pp70-97 Niezen, C. and Weller, W. (2006), ‘Procurement as Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 84(9) pp22-24 Staffordshire County Council (2014), Staffordshire Procurement [Online]. Available at: https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement/homepage.aspx [Accessed: 29 April 2014].