Qantas Essay Example for Free

Qantas Essay Qantas Airways is an Australian based airline and is a subset of the Qantas Group. It is a public-listed company in the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange). The purpose of this research is to provide information of the Qantas Group focusing on its profitability, efficiency and liquidity for the last 3 years. This research paper also examines the financial analysis and provides other relevant information to support in the evaluation of the company. 1 Company Profile 1.1 History Qantas is the world’s second oldest airline. It was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920 and has been in continuous operation since that date. Qantas is Australia’s largest domestic and international airline and is recognised as one of the world’s leading long distance carriers. The name comes from the initial letters of the words in the original registered title – Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited. 1.2 Qantas Group Strategy Safety remains Qantas’ first operational priority and they are committed to maintaining the position as the leading Australian domestic carrier and one of the world’s premier sustainable long-haul airlines through the dual airline brands – Qantas and Jetstar. Qantas aim to maintain customer loyalty by delivering exceptional experiences through these dual brands, in conjunction with Qantas Frequent Flyer. The operating strategy is complimented with a prudent approach to capital management as they seek to deliver sustainable, long terms return to the shareholders. The Qantas Group strategic priorities are illustrated below. 4 1.3 Qantas Overview Qantas is Australia’s largest full service airline carrying 28 million passengers in 2011/2013 on 5,050 flights per week in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe. It is a founding member of the oneworld alliance. Qantas is a single integrated airlines providing airline transportation through its two Qantas brands – Qantas and QantasLink Main Markets Qantas’ main markets are domestic and international traffic to and from Australia. Qantas, a wholly-owned group of subsidiaries including QantasLink and Network Aviation, services 57 metropolitan and regional regular passenger transport destinations across Australia and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, as well as 19 dedicated fly-in-fly-out charter destinations. 2011/2012 Passenger Distribution Passenger Revenue Australia domestic 78% 51% International 22% 49% Customers Qantas carries business and leisure passengers Product Qantas offers passengers a premium network product on its extensive domestic and international network and through it oneworld membership, accessing 24 bilateral codeshare agreements (excluding Jetstar and Jetstar Asia with whom Qantas also has codeshare agreements), over 870 destination and 550 lounges. Passengers also have the opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points across its global network. Qantas is focused on both business and leisure travellers by offering a one or two class product on domestic routes and a two, three or four class product for international services. 5 1.4 Jetstar Overview Jetstar commences operations in May 2004. It is the Qantas Group’s low fares airline and the largest low cost carrier in the Asia Pacific region. Jetstar comprises of Jetstar Domestic, Jetstar International and holdings in Singapore-based Jetstar Asia, Vietnam-based Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan. In 2011/2012, its operations carried 18.7 million passengers to over  50 destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Asia Pacific. Jetstar also recently announced its intention to invest in a new airline, Jetstar Hong Kong, with China Eastern Airlines in 2013. Main Markets Jetstar’s main markets are domestic and international traffic to and from Australia. Pan-Asian expansion has strengthened through Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan. New Zealand operations encompass both trans-Tasman and domestic New Zealand markets. 2011/2012 Passenger Distribution Passenger Revenue Australia domestic 57% 51% International 43% 49% Customers Jetstar focused on providing consistently low fares to predominantly leisure travellers. Product Jetstar offers domestic and international passengers a value based product with the flexibility to select additional operations in relation to seating, entertainment, catering, baggage and premium seating on long haul. Jetstar’s continual focus on leading online technology has enabled more innovative ways to book, check-in and board. 6 1.5 Fleet Qantas Group operates fleets comprises of Boeing 737-800, A330-200, A380-800 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Bombardier Q400 and Boeing 717. Over the next 10 years, the Qantas Group has committed capital investment worth US$23 billion in more fuel efficient, next generation aircrafts such as A380-800, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320 neo. 1.6 Corporate and Social Responsibilities The Qantas Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 2008. It forms part of the Qantas Group’s commitment to operating in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. The Qantas Foundation focus on two key areas: ï‚ § Initiative that provide an immediate experience for those in need (Changing lives) ï‚ § Experiences and opportunities that empower the next generation of Australians to make a difference in community (Empowering change) To deliver this vision, the Qantas Group leverage off the diverse resources of the  Qantas Group – from their employees, diverse network of suppliers and partnerships, and the use of their own airline. Another initiative that the Qantas Group took on is aiming for a world class performance by protecting the environment for the generations. They aim to reduce their carbon footprint through several proven measures such as: ï‚ § Aircraft weight reduction initiatives ï‚ § Efficient ground power units in lieu of jet fuel driven auxiliary power units ï‚ § Using GPS-based navigation technology to improve operational efficiency ï‚ § Investing in a fuel efficient fleet such as Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 ï‚ § Facilitating a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia On ground, together with their partners, innovative projects and partnerships were set to achieve this goal. One example is the Clean Up Australia campaign; started since 1996, the Qantas Group have been a key corporate partner for the Clean Up Australia Foundation. Key Successes 1. Maintained a downward trend on electricity, water and waste-to-landfill consumption since 2006, despite operational growth. 2. Reduced environment impact between 2005 and 2011: Reduced electricity consumption by 8% Reduced water consumption by 19% Reduced waste-to-landfill by 21% 3. Maintained a downward trend on jet fuel emission intensity 7 2. Key Strategies The Qantas Group has a broad portfolio and a clearly defined strategy with the following core goals: ï‚ § Build on the Groups domestic businesses through a clear focus on the customer ï‚ § Strengthened Jetstars presence across Asia to capture the full benefits of the regions low-cost leisure travel boom. ï‚ § Continue to expand Qantas Frequent Flyer by adding new partners and increasing ways for members to earn and spend points. Some of the changes seen were introducing a new tablet-based in-flight entertainment system called Q Streaming that received outstanding feedback from passengers. New order for 10 Fokker 100 aircraft were placed to extend Qantas reach into Western Australias mining centres as part of the Groups fly-in-fly-out strategy. Jetstars focus in the domestic market remained on building up  capacity on core leisure routes with modern fleet such as the A320 aircraft, adding almost 16,000 extra seats during the year. Qantas Group also expanded alliance with Am erican airlines, attracting consumers from the America regions. 8 2.1 SWOT Analysis on the Qantas Group STRENGTH Strong partnership with other alliance through its oneworld membership; accessing 24 bilateral codeshare agreements over 870 destination and 550 lounges. Passengers also have the opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer points across its global network which attracts consumer to choose the Qantas Airways over other airlines. Operate and fly in to many destinations such as Australia (Domestic), New Zealand, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Europe making Qantas Airways the ideal airline to consumers. WEAKNESS Qantas do not have many direct routes and depend heavily on its other airline partners. For example to get across to destinations such as Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, consumers have to transit at Dubai and change airlines to the Emirates to get to their final destination. This turns away consumers who prefer to fly in direct to the country. OPPORTUNITY Qantas subsidiary Jetstar announced its intention to invest in a new airline; Jetstar Hong Kong, in partnership with China Eastern Airlines this year. This expands the flying business into the Chinese market. THREAT The global fuel price increase affects the airline industry. With higher fuel prices, the airlines operating cost increases. To compensate, airline raise ticket prices to generate more revenue which in turn, turn away consumers and force them to look at other airline that provides competitive or even lower prices. Introduction of more low cost carriers from established airlines such as Scoot, a subsidiary airline of the Singapore Airline. 9 3. Ratios 3.1 Profitability Ratio (%) Profitability ratio is used to measure a company’s ability to generate revenue in relation to sales, assets and equity (i.e. often the sum of monies invested). It also shows how effective the company is being managed to stay profitable. Some commonly used profitability ratios include return on equity, return on investment, return on total assets, gross and net profit margins and return on capital employed. Profitability ratios provide investors guidance in their assessment of the company’s financial health and performance. For example, return on investment indicates whether the company is generating enough profits for its shareholders. Net profit margin declined by 0.52% in 2012 while an increase of 0.53% occurred in 2011 as seen in Table 1. It is slightly lower than the industry averages of 1.737% by 0.377%. The decline in net profit margin may be attributed to rising fuel costs, fall in freight, tours and travel revenue. In 2012, Qantas incurred restructuring costs of AUD376 million compared to nil in 2011, which is in relation to their initiative to reduce costs and improve business in the international segment. The other ratios such as Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity also declined to 2.12% and 3.38% respectively in 2012. Profitability Year/Ratio 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Return on total assets (ROA) 1.76% 2.28% 2.12% 2.630% Return on equity 2.88% 4.26% 3.38% 5.290% Net profit margin 1.35% 1.88% 1.36% 1.737% 10 3.2 Efficiency Efficiency ratios are used to show how well a company uses its assets and liabilities efficiently to be able to earn significant amount of profits. Examples of efficiency ratios include asset turnover, inventory turnover, receivables turnover and payables turnover. Qantas may be considered as efficient in utilizing its resources to generate revenue, with asset turnover showing an increase to 252 days in 2012 compared to 245 days in 2011. Generally the higher a company’s asset turnover, it means the assets have been used more efficiently. From table 2, the number of days taken for creditors to be paid fell to 45.41 days in 2011, however a modest increase of 1.45 days was experienced in 2012. Compared to industry averages, Qantas took a longer time to pay their creditors. On the other hand, number of days debtors took to pay was shortened by 2.09 days in 2012 while there was an improvement of 1.62 days in 2011. However the receivables turnover is a little higher at 19.83 days co mpared to industry averages of 18.45 days. Inventory turnover shows the frequency a company’s inventory is sold and replaced over a period. A high turnover indicates strong sales while a low turnover may imply poor sales and hence excess inventory. Inventory turnover fell to 9.39 days in 2012 compared to 9.72 days in 2011. However the ratio is higher than industry average of 8.52 days. Table 2 Efficiency Year/days 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Days payable 50.43 45.41 46.86 43.90 Days receivable 23.54 21.92 19.83 18.45 Days inventory 9.19 9.72 9.39 8.52 Asset turnover 234 245 252 284.70 11 3.3 Liquidity Liquidity ratio measures the company’s ability to pay its short term liabilities when due. It is calculated by dividing cash and other liquid assets by the short term borrowings and current liabilities. This will show the number of times the short term obligations are covered by the cash and liquid assets. The short term obligations are considered fully covered and the company is in good financial health if the value is greater than 1. The higher the liquidity ratio, the higher the capability the company possesses to meet its current liabilities. Examples of liquidity ratio include current ratio and quick ratio. Current ratio for Qantas was 0.90 in 2011 and 0.77 in 2012, near industry average of 0.81. In comparison to Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd whose current ratio is 0.65 in 2011 and 2012 (See table 4), Qantas appears more stable though the values of its current ratio are less than 1 for both years. Quick ratio also known as the acid-test ratio focuses on the most liquid as sets, leaving inventory out which may be hard to turn into cash in a timely manner. In the case of Qantas, the quick ratio was 0.71 in 2012, 0.14 drop from 0.85 in 2011, while industry average is 0.75. As compared to Virgin whose quick ratio was 0.61 in 2012, the company seems to be in a stronger position to meet its short term commitments. Table 3 Liquidity Year/Ratio 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Current ratio 0.93 0.90 0.77 0.81 Quick ratio 0.88 0.85 0.71 0.75 12 Table 4 Growth Profitability and Financial Ratios for Virgin Australia Holdings Limited Liquidity/Financial Health 2010-06 2011-06 2012-06 Current Ratio 0.76 0.65 0.65 Quick Ratio 0.75 0.62 0.61 Financial Leverage 4.15 4.15 4.3 Debt/Equity 2.3 3.21 3.96 Source: 2013 Morningstar, Inc. 13 3.4 Gearing Ratio Gearing ratio compares owners’ equity or capital to borrowings. Gearing is a measure of financial leverage showing the extent to which a company’s activities or operations are funded by owners’ funds against borrowed funds. A high gearing ratio indicates that a company is using debt to pay for its operations and may risk inability to meet repayments in an economic downturn. The situation could be made worse where rates move upwards suddenly. Lenders are generally concerned about excessively high gearing ratio that may put their loans at risk for non-repayment. Some examples of  gearing ratio are debt equity ratio and net interest cover. For Qantas, the gearing ratio increased to 111.21% in 2012 compared to 98.05% in 2011. This means the company used debt instead of equity to fund its continuing operations. However, this ratio is lower that industry average of 130.547%. Net interest cover ratio refers to the ease a company pays interest expenses on outstanding debt. The lower the ratio, the more the company is burdened by debt expense. The company’s ability to meet interest payments may be doubtful when the ratio is 1.5 or lower. In Qantas case, the net interest cover ratio dropped sharply to 1.54 in 2012 against 3.96 in 2011. This ratio of 1.54 is close to the threshold of 1.5 and is indicative that Qantas may face cash flow problems and inability to meet interest expenses should rates increase suddenly. Table 5 Gearing Year/days 2010 2011 2012 Industry averages Net Interest cover ratio 4.16 3.96 1.54 2.35 Gross Gearing (D/E) 95.600% 98.050% 111.210% 130.547% 14 3.5 Investment ratio A shareholder can analyse the financial information available to determine if the investment in a company is of value and quality. The price/earnings ratio is the best known investment valuation indicators and used widely by investment professionals and investors. Generally the stock with a high price earnings ratio indicates that investors expect higher earnings growth in the future. The price earnings ratio for Qantas was 12.23 in 2012, 15.90 in 2011 and 29.14 in 2010. A sharp decline of 13.24 was recorded in 2011 due to market confidence in this stock prior to 2011. However the industry average is 12.25 which may suggest that investors may be less likely to

Government control Essay Example for Free

Government control Essay There are many challenges that have to be faced by humanity in the twenty first century. Some of these challenges are major that have to be addressed immediately while there are some challenges that do not require immediate action. The stronger nations are somehow able to tackle some issues but still there are some issues that are difficult to handle. However, the smaller and the weaker countries that lack finances find it difficult to come up with solutions to these 21st century problems. Diversity and unity Diversity is one of the major issues that need attention as people are moving from their native countries to other countries where they find better opportunities. Diversity means differences in cultures, beliefs and habits that create a mixture of cultures. Here, the issue is to maintain harmony amongst the people belonging to different cultures and so it is essential to ensure that harmony does not collapse. Besides diversity, unity is also one major challenges that have to be worked upon and since one country has many different cultures residing in it, maintaining unity is indeed something difficult to achieve. Today, there is an influx of people who have become selfish and they have opted for individualistic approach that has further spoilt the society. Other problems that can be seen are communalism, regionalism and the increase in the rate of violence that is directly and indirectly affecting the value system of the world. Technological advancements Technological advancements have greatly affected the world and are serving as a major challenge. Since these advancements are taking place at a very fast pace, all the nations are trying hard to keep pace with this and for the weaker nations, this serves as a Herculean task to achieve the goals. The first and the foremost thing that has to be done to cure this is to spread literacy and to make everyone educated. It should not be the aim to get degrees and diplomas but the real essence of education should be understood as this will further lead the people to expand their knowledge, wisdom and to develop positive attitudes. However, it is not just important to educate the people but it is also essential to provide with opportunities to the people so that they can use their talents but this is also serving as a major challenge as many people remain unemployed despite of being educated. Industrialization As progress is taking place, industrialization is increasing rapidly and the natural resources are being consumed at a very high rate. Moreover, increase in pollution is also evident and this can bring adverse affects on the people and the environment especially if no action is taken to cure this problem. There are many other strategic challenges that will be faced in the 21st century and most them are caused due to the changes in styles of businesses that have now introduced. Previously, the marketers used to sell one product to the entire market but today, the customers have become more intelligent and savvy and they seek for customer value and since all the companies are battling against each other to grab the share of their piece of cake, it is hard to achieve targets easily as it was done previously. Market volatility has increased and rate at which organizational change is taking place is high and all these changes have a dramatic affect on the business strategies that are made and implemented. When the business needs are changing, it is also a must that there are changes occurring in the requirement of human input too. Employing the right workforce One of the strategic challenges being faced by the companies is the employment of the human resources. The management has to ensure that it employs the workforce that is not only efficient but effective too. However, there are some factors that affect the global instability and there is a huge global impact and people are entering in high numbers in the market that makes it hard for the social arrangement to sustain. Other than this, there is a very vast pool of human resources that are being wasted and this means that the human beings who are being employed are not able to work at their full potential as they not employed in a productive manner. Moreover, more and more people are added to the entire human workforce each year because of which there is a high pressure on the institutions and on the resources. Wastage of resources The non-human resources that are available to the human beings are being wasted at a very high rate. Both the renewable and non-renewable resources are not being fully utilized and are exploited and if this continues, the people will not be left with anything in the future. The environment is having a very negative impact on it because of the human activities that are taking place. The technological explosions are one of the most dangerous as well as costly damage to the society. Other disruptions that are serving as 21st century challenges are air pollution, soil pollution as well as depletion and desertification. Besides this, deforestation and misuse of water are two other factors that are serving as great challenges and if they will not be controlled, this can lead to major problems in the future. Biospheric disruption is another major challenge that needs attention. Despite of the fact that these are unavoidable, we can at least lessen the destruction that can be caused by the natural disasters that includes the climatic, geological, meteorological and space-oriented disasters. Global warming and ozone loss are climatic, earthquakes and eruptions are geological, floods, storms and droughts are meteorological while asteroids are space-oriented. Human insecurity Human insecurity is also a major challenge and this also leading to global unrest due to the violence that is persisting in the world and inter-human combat is occurring due to the ethnic and religious differences. Moreover, hazardous frustration has to be reduced and since the weapons are being created, they are being used as well and since there is an increase in unemployment, terrorism is increasing in the society. People have to fulfill their basic needs without which survival is more than impossible because of which they are doing crime. Due to this, the crime rate is increasing and is leading to unrest in the society and also affecting world peace. The numbers of extremists are increasing day by day and drug dealers have also outnumbered because of which the youngsters are getting immune to drug usage and are doing crime. Medical challenges Countering the medical challenges also needs immediate action and there are two main trends that are causing increase in health concerns. Firstly, both the people and the things are moving and this has caused transfer of various kinds of diseases that the other people are getting from the humans and from the animals. Even the animals that have some kind of disease are a major threat of spreading diseases. Moreover, the animals that are consumed by the human beings are getting diseases such as bird fly and mad cow disease and if any animal suffering from any such disease is consumed by the human being, it will create serious problems for that individual. Secondly, people are using antibiotics at a very high rate and this has produced more resistant mutations. For this, tighter preventives and control measures are required to ensure human security. Rules and laws A global rule is lacking in the world and so it is serving as a challenge to the society as the world is lacking universal rules and these should be created so that global standards are formed. Today, the world has become a global village and for this it is essential for it to have some universal laws and regulations that must be followed by all the countries. However, the international law must keep pace with interdependence as well. Therefore, global rights must be developed and should also be accepted and implemented by the society. It is argued by some governments that human rights are based on the cultures but universally there should be one common ground or code on the basis of which a norm should be developed. Migration Compared to the previous years, the rate of migration has greatly increased and people are looking for more opportunities outside their home country. It has indeed become difficult to handle all these immigrations and to provide jobs to the people who are moving to the other countries such as United States, UK, Canada and Australia. There are refugees too, who are forced to move out of their own countries and these people have to be settled in other countries where they move. These people create problems when they move to other countries and this is resulting in increase in the global issues that have to be dealt on a global level only. Financial money transfers and trade It has also become difficult to maintain global financial checks and since the number of financial transfers is increasing day by day, the role the government plays and the government control is reduced. Moreover, it also threatens the stability of the currencies and so it is suggested to apply certain percentage of taxes on such transfers. International trade is also growing but it is creating new problems for which negotiation has to be done between the trading countries. Moreover, regulation and adjustment is also needed to keep things smooth. The World Trade Organization ensures that it deals with the rapidly growing trade in a proper manner; however there are still some challenges that have to be met. Trade of services is also growing and the world has to face chronic problems with agricultures and other issues such as problems related to international investment. Corruption has also increased at a major rate and this has also become a major challenge to the world trade. There are many economic agreements that are treated globally and they are becoming more and more complex with the increase in trade. Taxing of international trade has become an issue as well and negotiations have to be made to come up to a common stand. Conclusion Due to all the problems that are being faced by the human beings, the rate of global distress is accelerating day by day and this is leading to serious problems. People become frustrated and hopeless due to the current situation. Income divergence is also increasing between nations and this challenge must be addressed immediately. All the 21st century problems that have been talked about above are sociological, philosophical, economic, historical, and geological and they relate to the human activities in some or the other way. The goal of the human beings should always be to minimize the threat that they get from these challenges if they cannot fully be removed. Moreover, the people should be educated about these disasters and challenges and they should be told about the ways they can adopt to reduce any negative impact created by the human activities. Besides this, backup plans should be made to ensure that the destruction is dealt properly and results in least problems. Work Cited Ciulla, Joanne. B. The Working Life: The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work. 1st Edn. Crown Business / Times Books, 2000. Colwin, Laurie. Goodbye Without Leaving. Harper Perennial, 2000. Hochschild, Arlie. R. The Commercialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work. University of California Press, 2003. IMF. (2006). Meeting the Challenges of 21st Century Globalization: The Medium-Term Strategy of the IMF. June 4th, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www. imf. org/external/np/speeches/2006/090806. htm

Omissions In A Ticket Issuing System

Omissions In A Ticket Issuing System The ticket issuing system does not offer many of the services to facilitate the purchase of tickets. A number of ambiguities and omissions have been found from the given scenario. The scenario given is not clear enough and looks like quite uncertain about the instructions to purchase a ticket. Even the payment procedures do not offer the user to choose the type of payment. The ambiguities and omissions found in the scenario are as follows: The system does not allow customers buy more than one ticket for the same destination at a time. It must prompt the user if the ticket can be purchased one at a time. Customer is more likely to input incorrect destinations and the system should allow user to cancel a request and purchase another ticket. After having input the destination the system will ask the customer to pay and would ask about which type of payment the user prefers. In this case, the system does not indicate as to how to respond if an invalid card is input. It must be able to respond and prompt the user if they try to put their card before selecting a destination. Do the customer need to press the start button if they wish to buy another ticket to a different destination. Or it allows customers with the choice of selecting other destinations between the stations where the machine is located. Ticket system is going to allow customers to input their destination through a touch screen or keyboard. The existing system does not allow the user to view the ticket prices. It is vital to publish the ticket prices accordingly, as customers need to know the amount that they will be charged. It does not show the train departure and arrival times, and whether the customer wishes to buy ticket for a specific train. It must allow customers to choose their seats. Finally, the system should prompt customer to print the receipt which includes the destination details and payment type. A receipt should have been issued to state whether the purchase has been made successfully. In the first paragraph, the system does not check for validation, such as when the user inserts their card, and the validity needs to be checked as to whether the payment could be made form that particular card. According to the second paragraph, when the user clicks on the start button, a menu of potential destinations pop up on the screen, along with a message asking the user to select a destination. Once a destination has been selected, users are prompted to input their credit card. However, the credit cards validity is checked and if the card is good, then user has ed to input a personal identifier as requested by the machine. The ticket is issued when the credit cards transaction has been validated successfully. In the second paragraph, the ticket system prompts the user with potential destinations whereas it could have provided with popular destinations. In such terminals popular destinations are normally displayed to help the user to select his destination quickly. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Usually an Underground or an Over ground cover any destinations which can be reached by interchanging and taking number of trains therefore the user should be able to purchase ticket in order to reach any destination. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It could have also provided the user with a choice to search from a list of A-Z of stations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As mentioned before that there should be two types of payment methods à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The validation procedure involves both: validating the card as to whether the card is still valid in terms of not cancelled by the issuer due to fraud lost/stolen reasons. The second type of validity is the PIN validity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ If both validations are successful then the issuer must authorise the payment in order to purchase the ticket. 2. Solutions identified To gain a clear and better understanding of the scenario, a more structured approach has been written as follows: User walks to a ticket machine and presses any button to activate a menu which displays a list of popular destinations accompanied by a message to select a destination. User can select their destination if listed in the popular destination; otherwise they can choose to search for their destination from a list of stations in the A-Z of stations. As user finds their desired destination they then can choose to have their preferred type of ticket, this can be such as: first/standard class ticket and/or return/single ticket. Once the destination and the type of ticket is selected the ticket machine prompts the user to make payment. There are two types of payments can be made, likely by card or cash. If the customer chooses to pay by cash, and it can be inserted into the machine in the form of notes or coins. If the exact amount is paid the ticket will be issued, if more than required is paid then the change will be given along with the ticket. If the customer chooses to pay by card as requested by the system, user can insert the card into the terminal. As the card is being inserted the validity of that card is checked with the issuer. Once the card is validated the user is then required to check the amount and enter the PIN in the terminal. The PIN is validated locally and upon correct entry of the PIN the ticket is issued along with the receipt and the cardholders account is charged accordingly with the correct amount. The aim of writing a structured approach gives a more clear understanding of the scenario and shows the events happen as a sequence. 3. User requirements definitions The User Requirement Specification specifies the requirements of the user taking the individual aspects into consideration in terms of ; the facility, equipment, and systems in terms of function, throughput, operability, and applicable standards, which are the functions to be carried out, the data on which the system will operate, and the operating environment. The user requirements for a system should describe the functional and non functional requirements so that they are understandable by system users without any technical knowledge. When we write the user requirement we should not write with technical forms, table or diagrams. We should write in simple language with simple table, forms and diagrams. 4. System Requirements Specifications System requirements specification assist potential users to determine if the system specified meets their needs or how the system must be modified to meet their needs. The system requirements help to consider all of the requirements before design begin. Careful reviews of the requirements reveal omissions, misunderstanding and inconsistencies. System requirements specification should be correct, unambiguous, complete, consistent, verifiable, modifiable, and traceable, specify performance, and define detailed functionality of the system. A specification can be in form of a written document, a set of graphical model, a formal mathematical model, and a collection of usage scenarios, prototype, or any combination of these. However, a standard template should be developed and use for a specification, arguing that this leads to requirements that are presented in a consistent and therefore more understandable manner. The requirement engineer gives final work product produced which is known as specification. It acts as the foundation for subsequent software engineering activities. It describes all the related functions and the performance of a computer based system and the constrains that will govern its development. In the given scenario, we would consider all the omissions and ambiguities. First of all, the system did not provide all the functionality which usually a ticket issuing system should contain. It does not function as it should and does not provide the user with any choice such as to cancel a ticket and buy another one. At times, there are new users who wish to purchase rail ticket from the machine and this system does not guide and provide any kind of help. Function: Issuing Ticket Description: Issuing the ticket when the user select their desired tickets and make the correct money Inputs: Destination, child or Adult, Pay by card or cash Output: Their desired ticket to be issued with their payment receipt Require: Money, form of payment Pre- Condition: Ticket will be validating between the user current place and the selected destination, otherwise user will have to pay the penalty fare. 5. Actions performed in the ticket-issuing system 6. Non-functional requirements The non functional requirements define system properties and constrains for an example reliability, response time and storage requirement. Constraints are I/O device capability, system representation, extra. Process requirement may also be specified mandating a particular CASE system, programming language. This non functional requirement may be more critical than function requirements. If these are not met the system is useless and the non functional requirement can be classified as three type of requirement 6.1 Product requirement these requirement specify that the delivered product must behave in a particular way for example execution speed, and reliability The user interface for Library system shall be implemented as simple HTML without frames or Java applets 6.2. Organisational requirements which are a consequence of organisational policies and procedures example for these, process standard used, implementation requirements The system development process and deliverables defined in XYZCo-SP-Stan-95 6.3. External requirements these could be from factors which are external to the system and its development process example interoperability requirements, legislative requirements. The system shall not disclose any personal information about customer apart from their name and reference number to the operator of the system After we discussed with all above mentioned Non-functional requirements, therefore we considered the product requirements should be determined for especially this scenario which include reliability and response time and should be contrasted with functional requirements that specify specific behavior or functions. And the product requirements have some additional attributes which are Efficiency Enable the system to perform under different situation or circumstance Reliability This could be very useful for ATM or ticket issuing system Usability This would help the user to access the system without any trouble or inconvenience Performance This is almost relevant to reliability and check the system is able to work or not in the different environment Space Requirement This part of product requirement is very useful for the ticket issuing system when the system is busy or full occupied with user needs. So there it is need to be expanded or stabilized number of machine at the station 8. Requirements Validation Process requirements validation is an integral part of software engineering. The main activity is to check requirements needed and available to start any particular project. As a consequence of requirements engineering however, the work products produced need to undergo an assessement for quality during a validation sequence. The purpose of requirements validation is to examine the specification to ensure that all software requirements have been stated unambiguously, such as consistencies, omissions, and error detected and corrected and that work products conform to the standards established for the process, the project and the product The primary requirements validation mechanism is the formal technical review. The review team that validates requirements includes software engineers, customers, user and others stakeholders who examine the specification looking for errors in content or interception, area may be clarification required. The process of requirements needs to check for consistency and completeness. During this process errors and inconsistencies will be identified and reduces future error. Basically the system should have requirement validation checklist which would help to the system to identify the accurate information which Are requirement started clearly and Can they be misinterpreted? Is the source of the requirement identified e.g. a person, a regulation, or a document and the final stamen been examined by the primary source? Is the requirement bounded by any quantities terms? What other requirements match to this requirement? Does the requirement violate any system domain? Properties of requirements validation are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Validity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consistency à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Completeness In order to validate the ticket issuing system requirements all the above properties of the requirements validation must be met. And when the user pay by card the system should validate whether it is valid for making the particular payment and validate the pin no which has accepted or not therefore the validation must work out with final product it could be ticket or receipt 10. The impact on cash payment After having input the payment type which is cash, in this instance the customer may not have the exact amount to make the payment. If the user is making payment with a note, the machine should prompt the customer to take his change. However, the machine could also have displayed the amount to be charged and change to be given to the customer.

Why Am I Doing this Writing Assignment? :: Writing Assignment

"Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone's task is unique as his specific opportunity." -Viktor Frankl Done because I was told to do so, I think not. All assignments are done by people like me who care where they will be ten, twenty, even thirty years from now. Assignments are designed to further ones knowledge about a specific subject, and this one is pushing me to do better. This assignment is being done for three reasons: to pass the class so I will eventually graduate, when a job comes I will be prepared for writing and so I can write and speak better. First, and most importantly, I am taking this class so I can eventually graduate with the degree of my choice. You see, if I get a good grade on this, I will have a good grade in the class, which means I will be more likely to graduate. I am required to take 8-11 hours of college writing for a degree in engineering, which I will eventually finish at Walla Walla College. This essay is being done because when I look at the alternative, taking over the family business (carpentry), I don’t like it. Therefore I need to do this assignment, along with many others to complete my degree. Secondly, when it comes time to get a job I will have the necessary knowledge to complete my required writing assignments. As an engineer I will need to know how to write for many aspects of the job, such as typing a memo or writing a manuscript. I will have to show my skills in my resume in order to apply for the job. Also I will be able to type my presentation before I give it at the office. People in charge of hiring can tell how well educated the prospective employee is by the way they speak and write. Lastly, I will write and speak as though I was educated. I believe educated people speak differently, this assignment is actually serving a dual purpose, it’s getting me a grade in the class (whether it be good or bad) and helping me to write better. Id like to be the kind of person that can type an essay such as this in less than half an hour, but for now I will spend hours thinking about what to type.

Why I Think Malaysia Will Be The Best Place To Live In The Next Essay

(First prize winner in the STAR 25th anniversary essay competition (Category C - adults) Should a fairy godmother suddenly appear before me with a crystal ball, a magic wand and a world atlas, and give me the liberty to select the country I’d like to live in 25 years from now, without a second’s hesitation, I would point to that small nondescript, elongated peninsula straddling the equator called Malaysia. The reason is very simple. I firmly feel that 25 years hence, Malaysia would be one of the nicest - if not THE nicest - places to call â€Å"home†. Let us take a little journey down the corridors of time and cast a glance at the destiny of some of the nations of the world over the past five decades. There is war and famine in some, greed and suffering in others. Quite clearly, Malaysia has reason to stand proud among the countries of the world. There is plentiful sunshine and rainfall, while the soil is rich and the harvests plentiful. Even Mother Nature has seen fit to bless Malaysia by exempting her from its tantrums - there are no tsunamis and earthquakes, no floods and droughts, no hurricanes and typhoons. Consequently, there is no need to live in fear of nature’s sudden and unabated fury; no need to be constantly on the lookout for unexpected destruction and devastation Freed from the encumbrances of having to battle with the forces of nature, Malaysians are empowered to pursue lifestyles of their own liking. The economy is booming, jobs are for the taking... this is the senario today and there seems little reason to expect this scenario to change adversely within the next 25 years. In fact, with proper management and leadership, the outlook for Malaysia in the next 25 years may even improve. Just for starters, imagine coming home after a day's work to a spotlessly spick and span house filled with the tantalising aroma of rich coffee and roast chicken, all waiting to welcome one home... Which Malaysian housewife-cum-career lady has not dreamed of this before? And yet, this dream may well become a reality just 25 years from now - all because of the winds of technological change, which are sweeping through the country right now. Pping! Just press that little button on your wristwatch 30 minutes before you head home and it'd activate the gamut of... ...e government’s attempts to develop a caring society are most commendable. Twenty-five years hence, these efforts would have begun to bear fruit. Palliative and geriatric care has already made itself felt while halfway houses for abandoned babies and abused children are increasing by the day. The groundwork for inculcating the caring attitude among Malaysians has already been laid with the move towards developing caring schools. Traditional values like thrift, hard work, respect for the aged and filial piety are being upheld as exemplary values which can hold the fibre of Malaysian society together. The voices of people like Marina Mahathir calling for tolerance and understanding for those most in need of moral support are like beacons in the dark, lighting the way towards the creation of the highest of all societies - that with a conscience. Ultimately, the country, which would be best to live in, would be that which enjoys technological growth from without and strong moral and spiritual development from within. And it is exactly this factor which makes me firmly believe that Malaysia will be the best place to live in 25 years from now.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight What makes a man a hero? Where lies the line which when crossed changes a mortal man into a legend? Is it at the altar at Canterbury? in the Minotaur’s labyrinth? or is it an age or a time? Does a man become a hero when he transforms from a boy to an adult? or when he stops being a man and becomes a martyr? Where are the heroes of 1993? In whom do the children of this age believe? Like whom do they strive to be? Kennedy, Lennon, and even Superman are dead. World leaders are mockeries of real men, more like Pilates than Thomas Mores. Pop culture’s icons change daily. It is interesting that nearly 600 years ago someone was writing about heroism in a way that can be understood today. The poet of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells a tale in which a man is proven to be a hero through the seemingly un-heroic decisions made in the course of numerous tests. Sir Gawain is a hero for the 21st century. He is tried and trapped, he is inundated with opportunities to fail and yet he does not lose. More importantly though, in the end he learns an essential, inescapable fact about himself and human nature. What makes a man a hero? Just before he leaves Camelot in search for the Green Knight, Sir Gawain gives perhaps the best possible answer to this question: â€Å"In destinies sad or merry, True men can but try.† Tests and decisions are as numerous in any man’s life as are the beats of his heart. The consequences he incurs follow him forever; he is judged by them and they affect his entire existence. Gawain’s statement is not merely profound sentiment, useful even today as a measure of a man’s mettle. It is also, coming as early as it does in Part II of the poem, a harbinger of how Gawain’s tale may end. It tells a reader that Gawain means to do his level best in his grand endeavor and if in but one small way he should fail, do not persecute him until considering how a different man may have fared. Gawain, similar to most of the characters in the tale, is tested on several occasions. In the poem, as in real life, judgment should not be passed on a man’s single decisions individually, but only by observing how he has chosen to live his life. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Essays Papers Sir Gawain and the Green Knight What makes a man a hero? Where lies the line which when crossed changes a mortal man into a legend? Is it at the altar at Canterbury? in the Minotaur’s labyrinth? or is it an age or a time? Does a man become a hero when he transforms from a boy to an adult? or when he stops being a man and becomes a martyr? Where are the heroes of 1993? In whom do the children of this age believe? Like whom do they strive to be? Kennedy, Lennon, and even Superman are dead. World leaders are mockeries of real men, more like Pilates than Thomas Mores. Pop culture’s icons change daily. It is interesting that nearly 600 years ago someone was writing about heroism in a way that can be understood today. The poet of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells a tale in which a man is proven to be a hero through the seemingly un-heroic decisions made in the course of numerous tests. Sir Gawain is a hero for the 21st century. He is tried and trapped, he is inundated with opportunities to fail and yet he does not lose. More importantly though, in the end he learns an essential, inescapable fact about himself and human nature. What makes a man a hero? Just before he leaves Camelot in search for the Green Knight, Sir Gawain gives perhaps the best possible answer to this question: â€Å"In destinies sad or merry, True men can but try.† Tests and decisions are as numerous in any man’s life as are the beats of his heart. The consequences he incurs follow him forever; he is judged by them and they affect his entire existence. Gawain’s statement is not merely profound sentiment, useful even today as a measure of a man’s mettle. It is also, coming as early as it does in Part II of the poem, a harbinger of how Gawain’s tale may end. It tells a reader that Gawain means to do his level best in his grand endeavor and if in but one small way he should fail, do not persecute him until considering how a different man may have fared. Gawain, similar to most of the characters in the tale, is tested on several occasions. In the poem, as in real life, judgment should not be passed on a man’s single decisions individually, but only by observing how he has chosen to live his life.

Recruiting or Retaining

CASE: WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT aâ‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" RECRUITING OR RETAINING? G. K Electronics Ltd. , is a pioneering and internationally reputed firm in the Electronics industry. It is one of the largest firms in the country. It attracted employees from internationally reputed institutes and industries by offering high salaries, perks etc. It has advertised for the position of an Electronics Engineer recently. Nearly 150 candidates working in various electronics firms applied for the job. Mr.Sashidhar, an Electronics Engineering Graduate from IIT with 5 years working experience in a small electronics firm was selected from among the 130 candidates who took tests and interview. The interview board recommended an enhancement in his salary by Rs. 500 per month more than his present salary at his request. Mr. Sashidhar was very happy to achieve this and he was congratulated by a number of people including his previous employer for his brilliant interview performance and good luck. Mr. Sashidha r joined G. K. Electronics Ltd. on 21st January, 1996 with a great enthusiasm. He also found his job to be quite comfortable and challenging one and he felt it was highly prestigious to work with this company during the formative years of his career. He found his superiors as well as subordinates to be friendly and cooperative. But this climate did not live long. After one year of his service, he slowly learnt about a number of unpleasant stories about the company, management, the superior-subordinate relations, rate of employee turnover, especially at higher level.But he decided to stay on as he promised several things to the management in the interview. He wanted to please and change the attitude of management through diligent performance, firm commitment and dedication. He started maximizing his contributions and management got the impression that Mr. Sashidhar has settled down and will remain in the company. After sometime, the superiors started riding over Mr. Sashidhar. He was overloaded with multifarious jobs. His freedom in deciding and executing was cut down to size.He was ill-treated on a number of occasions before his subordinates. His colleagues also started assigning their responsibilities to Mr. Sashidhar. Consequently there were imbalances in his family life, social life and organization life. But he seemed to be calm and contented. Management felt that Mr. Sashidhar had the potential to hear with many more organization responsibilities. It was quite surprising to the General Manager to see the resignation letter of Mr. Sashidhar along with a check equivalent to a monthaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s salary one fine morning on 18th January, 1998.The General Manager failed to convince Mr. Sashidhar to withdraw his resignation. The General Manager relieved him on 25th January, 1998. The General Manager wanted to appoint a committee to go into the matter immediately, but dropped the idea later. The inference from the above is very clear. The management had no str ategy of retaining capable employees by giving them proper treatment and responsibilities. They also have not laid out any HR policy of defining area of responsibility for executives or staff.It appears any body in the firm can pass any work to their colleagues and even management is also not bothered about over loading a capable person willing to undertake challenging tasks with responsibility. If the above defects can be corrected by the management and senior managers they can retain capable managers or executives and the manpower turnover may come down and the companyaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s reputation with regards to human resources will go up. The firm can attract more and more capable personnel.