Ben Franklin and Robert Fulghum free essay sample

Although used n different context and In a slightly different way, they mean the same thing no matter who uses it. In Fulcrums aphorism he says, Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and paint and draw and sing and dance and play and work everyday some. Being simpler In his words yet not In his meaning makes this an Interesting aphorism. Also being a little more direct and straight to the point are Franklins words, Eat to live and not live to eat. In spite of the fact that Franklins deflation may seem simpler, they are in fact saying the same thing only wording it differently.Both aphorisms mean that one must balance themselves and that you must do everything in moderation and never to excess. Taking a slightly different approach, both men got there message across in an clear and precise manner. A metaphor can be described as a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that It does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. We will write a custom essay sample on Ben Franklin and Robert Fulghum or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the contrary, a literary term is one that can be described as very clear and one that expresses emphasis on a topic.Robert Fulcrum being a more metaphorical writer, rote his aphorisms In such a way that they seemed almost too simple to have a deeper meaning. However, that was quite the opposite. The aphorisms were meant to be that way: they were supposed to have a deeper meaning that wasnt available to someone looking at the surface writing. While, in great contrast, Benjamin Franklin wrote his aphorisms with such literal depth that it shone right through his work. Every aphorism of his has a meaning inside of a meaning. Neither of these styles were better, nor worse then the other, yet they both were productive ways of using aphorisms. Using both methods of credible writing, these two terrific men and writers are inspirational and influential in their examples of aphorisms. I personally, prefer Robert Fulcrums style of writing to, Benjamin Franklins. I Like looking Into a statement and pulling It apart to find out what It Is truly saying, and Fulcrums writing exemplifies that quality In his aphorisms. I respect both styles of aphorism usage, and I think that both, literally and metaphorically, are equally interesting and are how one views their life and how they view everyone elses life as well.

The Spanish Armada of the Anglo-Spanish War

The Spanish Armada of the Anglo-Spanish War The battles of the Spanish Armada were part of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War between  Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Philip II of Spain. The Spanish Armada was first sighted off The Lizard on July 19, 1588. Sporadic fighting occurred over the next two weeks with the largest English attack coming on August 8, 1588, off Gravelines, Flanders. After the battle, the English pursued the Armada until August 12, 1588, when both fleets were off the Firth of Forth. Commanders and Armies England Lord Charles Howard of EffinghamSir John HawkinsSir Francis Drake35 warships, 163 armed merchant vessels Spain Duke of Medina Sedonia22 galleons, 108 armed merchant vessels The Armada Forms Built on the orders of King Philip II of  Spain, the Armada was meant to sweep the seas around the British Isles and permit the Duke of Parma to cross the Channel with an army to invade  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹England. This endeavor was intended to subdue England, end English support for the Dutch resistance to Spanish rule, and to reverse the Protestant Reformation in England. Sailing from Lisbon on May 28, 1588, the Armada was commanded by the Duke of Medina Sedonia. A naval novice, Medina Sedonia was assigned to the fleet following the death of veteran commander Alvaro de Bazan a few months earlier. Due to the size of the fleet, the last ship did not clear port until May 30, 1588. Early Encounters As the Armada put to sea, the English fleet was gathered in Plymouth awaiting news of the Spanish. On July 19, 1855, the Spanish fleet was sighted off The Lizard at the western entrance to the English Channel. Putting to sea, the English fleet shadowed the Spanish fleet, while remaining upwind to retain the weather gage. Proceeding up the Channel, Medina Sedonia had the Armada form a tightly packed, crescent-shaped formation that would allow for the ships to mutually defend one another. Over the next week, the two fleets fought two skirmishes off Eddystone and Portland, in which the English explored the Armada’s strengths and weaknesses, but were unable to break its formation. Fireships Off the Isle of Wight, the English launched an all-out assault on the Armada, with Sir Francis Drake leading the largest contingent of attacking ships. While the English enjoyed initial success, Medina Sedonia was able to reinforce those parts of the fleet that were in danger and the Armada was able to maintain formation. Though the attack had failed to scatter the Armada, it prevented Medina Sedonia from using the Isle of Wight as an anchorage and forced the Spanish to continue up the Channel without any news of Parma’s readiness. On July 27, the Armada anchored at Calais, and attempted to contact Parma’s forces at nearby Dunkirk. At midnight on July 28, the English ignited eight fireships and sent them downwind towards the Armada. Afraid that the fireships would set the ships of the Armada on fire, many of the Spanish captains cut their anchor cables and scattered. Though only one Spanish ship was burned, the English had achieved their goal of breaking up Medina Sedon ia’s fleet. The Battle of Gravelines In the wake of the fireship attack, Medina Sedonia attempted to reform the Armada off Gravelines as the rising south-westerly wind prevented a return to Calais. As the Armada concentrated, Medina Sedonia received word from Parma that another six days were required to bring his troops to the coast for the crossing to England. On August 8, as the Spanish rode at anchor off Gravelines, the English returned in force. Sailing smaller, faster, and more maneuverable ships, the English utilized the weather gauge and long-range gunnery to pummel the Spanish. This approach worked to the English advantage as the preferred Spanish tactic called for one broadside and then an attempt to board. The Spanish were further hampered by a lack of gunnery training and correct ammunition for their guns. During the fighting at Gravelines, eleven Spanish ships were sunk or badly damaged, while the English escaped largely unscathed. Spanish Retreat On August 9, 1855, with his fleet damaged and the wind backing to the south, Medina Sedonia abandoned the invasion plan and charted a course for Spain. Leading the Armada north, he intended to circle around the British Isles and return home through the Atlantic. The English pursued the Armada as far north as the Firth of Forth before returning home. As the Armada reached the latitude of Ireland, it encountered a large hurricane. Hammered by the wind and sea, at least 24 ships were driven ashore on the Irish coast where many of the survivors were killed by Elizabeth’s troops. The storm, referred to as the Protestant Wind was seen as a sign that God supported the Reformation and many commemorative medals were struck with the inscription He Blew with His Winds, and They Were Scattered. Aftermath Impact Over the following weeks, 67 of Medina Sedonia’s ships straggled into port, many badly damaged with starving crews. In the course of the campaign, the Spanish lost approximately 50 ships and over 5,000 men, though most of the ships sunk were converted merchantmen and not ships from the Spanish Navy. The English suffered around 50-100 killed and around 400 wounded. Long considered one of England’s greatest victories, the defeat of the Armada temporarily ended the threat of invasion as well as aided in securing the English Reformation and allowed Elizabeth to continue supporting the Dutch in their struggle against the Spanish. The Anglo-Spanish War would continue until 1603, with the Spanish generally getting the better of the English, but never again attempting to mount an invasion of England. Elizabeth at Tilbury The campaign of the Spanish Armada provided Elizabeth with the opportunity to deliver what is considered one of the finest speeches of her long reign. On August 8, as her fleet was sailing into battle at Gravelines, Elizabeth addressed Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester’s troops at their camp on the Thames estuary at West Tilbury: I have come amongst you as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of battle to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and for my kingdom, and for my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too. And think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any Prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm!

IKEA Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IKEA Company - Essay Example The company had a trend of keeping culture; this was followed an upheld the through hiring young people who had never worked in any of the companies. In some other countries such as in the UK Company’s growth was reported to be slow (Haskel and Wolf). From opening branches in the foreign countries, the company acquired some valuable lessons that enabled its future expanding. So far the company has identified India to be its largest target market, and it is planning to invest billions of dollars by opening more stores.Basing focus on the concept and the business model of this company, it has a target with middle level global and also looking for prices for the design of their furniture and household items (Haskel and Wolf). The designation of the products is done to reflect on the global line that is vital and that they can be used as the trademark for the firm. Finding the right supplier for each item is a consideration that the company is devoted to winning competitive advant age over it, competitors. To be outstanding in the market, good relationship with the suppliers plays a vital role. Self-provision is an establishment that the IKEA Company has put into practice in the period of half century. Globally, the firm has become the most successful retail establishment in the world. The numerous foreign markets and the lessons that were learned have propelled its expansion from its failures. In the period of 1970s, the company had a competitive advantage over other firms that generated the same product.

Harmful human activities on global warming Research Paper

Harmful human activities on global warming - Research Paper Example The history of global warming begins with growth and development of human race on earth. Besides, industrialization and unrestricted exploitation of natural resources (say, renewable and non-renewable) accelerated global warming. Today, the cyclic process of nature is partially or totally degraded by human activity. So, it is the global responsibility to conserve nature and to reduce the scope of further harmful human activities upon nature. Thesis statement: An investigative study to unveil the cause effect relationship between global warming and harmful human activates (Special references to the topics like using fossil fuels, deforestation and over population). I. General thoughts about Global warming The general thoughts about global warming are mainly based on the cause effect relationship between human activities and global warming. One cannot ignore the harmful effects of human activities upon nature because it is the main reason behind global warming or high increase in globa l temperature. Besides, global warming is not limited to the sphere of a single nation because all the nations are facing the after effects, regardless of richness or poverty. From a different angle of view, the far reaching consequences of global warming may transform the earth into a barren land, not suitable for human inhabitation. The responsibility of developed nations to take initiative in fighting against the after effects of this possible manmade disaster is crucial. The present discussions upon global warming do not help the human race to reduce the drastic effects of global warming because the developing and underdeveloped nations are not yet ready to consider the same as and utmost serious threat. In fact, the whole world is undergoing serous climate change and it is the responsibility of the global community to take apt remedial measures to reduce the drastic effects of global warming. As pointed out, the general thoughts on global warming leads to discussions, not remed ial measures to reduce its after effects. So, corrective actions can save the earth from drastic climate change and after effects of the same. The developed nations can play the most important role in reducing the harmful effects of global warming because the developing and underdeveloped nations are helpless to move forward without economic support. II. Harmful human activities Earlier, the human beings used to have harmonious relationship with nature. They considered that the natural resources are not to be over exploited because the same must be handed over to the future generations. But the renaissance spirit transformed the whole world and it paved the way for industrialization and mechanization. Then, the human beings began to exploit renewable and non-renewable resources on earth. Gradually, these human activities began to affect the ecological balance and it accelerated natural imbalance. So, one can easily identify that overexploitation of renewable and non-renewable resour ces without considering the rights of future generations lead to harmful effects. Some of the most important harmful human activities like using fossil fuels, deforestation and over population are discussed below. A. Using Fossil Fuels The indiscriminate exploitation and usage of fossil fuel leads to solar ice cap depletion, sea level rise, and increased rate of temperature. First of all, fossil fuel is not a renewable resource or it cannot be restored. The renewable resources

Investigate the resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

Investigate the resistance of a wire Essay If the wire is thinner then the electrons have less of a cross sectional area to bounce through, and the wires atoms slow down the free-electrons by impacting them. A similar scenario occurs if the wire is hot, as the wires atoms vibrate more and these reverberations also impact the free-electrons slowing them down. Resistance is clearly far less in the opposite situation to both of these scenarios. Other possible scenarios have been briefly mentioned in the Affecting Factors section. Repeated readings In this experiment I have decided that during the final experiment, I shall take repeat readings. I have decided this as during the preliminary investigation, I have noticed that several readings are easily anomalous. If I should combat any erratic figures during the final experiment I can rely on a second set of readings, therefore making the experiment more of a fair test. It is to this effect that I believe repeated readings necessary and I shall take two sets of reading for each voltage experimented on. Background information During the course of the academic year, I have conducted an experiment to prove Ohms law of resistance, voltage and current. This law associates all three of the aforementioned units in a simple equation: Voltage = Current x Resistance or V=IR This proved that as voltage and current increased, so did the resistance of the wire. This is one of the many ideas that I base my hypothesis of the experiment on. Prediction I predict that in my final experiment, as the voltage increases, so will the current. I believe this as voltage is said to be the pushing force or drive behind the current and so the higher the voltage is, the faster the flow of electrons in the wire. I also predict that higher than 8V the wire will burn. I believe this as whilst investigating my preliminary experiment, the wire burnt quickly on a voltage of 8V or thereabouts. I predict that the shorter the wire becomes, the higher the voltage and current of that wire, I believe this because the shorter the wire becomes, the lower the resistance becomes as the free electrons in the circuit would have far less atoms in the Constantan wire to impact against subsequently lowering the resistance. I also believe that the higher the voltage and lower the current, the higher the resistance will be, I have concluded this from ohms law. Also I predict that the higher the voltage and current on a short length of wire, the higher the possibility of mass temperature rise and therefore open flame. This would ruin the experiment so as I have said before I shall only be using voltages less than and including 6v. Final experiment During this section of the investigation, using newly discovered knowledge from my preliminary experiment I shall aim to collect a set of accurate results to match my hypothesis. Apparatus During this experiment I shall need: A digital ammeter A digital voltmeter A Constantan wire A power pack Sets of power leads 100cm ruler Crocodile clips Diagram Method The apparatus was set up as shown in the diagram. The Constantan wire was mounted onto the ruler, and attached by both selotape and crocodile clips (one at 0 on the ruler, the other one was moved up and down the scale in order to change the overall length of wire included in the circuit) The readings were taken from both the ammeter and the voltmeter in two sets for each voltage. The readings were taken at a constant variation of 10 cm from 100cm to 20 cm (I havent taken any readings less than 20 as in the preliminary this tended to burn the wire) I took readings in three different voltages namely 2volts, 4volts and 6volts. Results 2 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 39 1. 83 4. 69 90 0. 41 1. 76 4. 29 80 0. 45 1. 74 3. 86 70 0. 48 1. 69 3. 52 60 0. 56 1. 65 2. 95 50 0. 61 1. 50 2. 46 40 0. 73 1. 46 2. 00 30 0. 92 1. 36 1. 48 20 1. 22 1. 19 0. 98 Graph 2 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 37 1. 85 0. 20 90 0. 41 1. 81 0. 23 80 0. 45 1. 77 0. 25 70 0. 50 1. 72 0. 29 60 0. 60 1. 74 0. 34 50 0. 66 1. 63 0. 40 40 0. 78 1. 52 0. 51 30 0. 94 1. 38 0. 68 20 1. 27 1. 25 1. 02 Graph 4 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 78 3. 80 0. 21 90 0. 85 3. 72 0. 23 80 0. 94 3. 65 0. 26 70 1. 05 3. 57 0. 29 60 1. 18 3. 45 0. 34 50 1. 36 3. 33 0. 41 40 1. 60 3. 17 0. 50 30 1. 89 2. 76 0. 68 20 2. 75 2. 62 1. 05 Graph 4 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 0. 79 3. 84 0. 21 90 0. 86 3. 74 0. 23 80 0. 95 3. 68 0. 26 70 1. 07 3. 60 0. 30 60 1. 21 3. 50 0. 35 50 1. 38 3. 34 0. 41 40 1. 58 3. 06 0. 52 30 1. 94 2. 84 0. 68 20 2. 58 2. 67 0. 97 Graph 6 volts, first set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 1. 09 5. 29 0. 21 90 1. 19 5. 20 0. 23 80 1. 35 5. 15 0. 26 70 1. 50 5. 10 0. 29 60 1. 72 4. 96 0. 35 50 2. 00 4. 90 0. 41 40 2. 38 4. 61 0. 52 30 2. 83 4. 36 0. 65 20 3. 75 3. 70 1. 01 Graph 6 volts, second set Length of wire, cm Current, A Voltage, V Resistance, ? 100 1. 09 5. 26 0. 21 90 1. 20 5. 22 0. 23 80 1. 32 5. 13 0. 26 70 1. 49 5. 04 0. 30 60 1. 68 4. 91 0. 34 50 1. 95 4. 76 0. 41 40 2. 19 4. 30 0. 51 30 2. 70 3. 96 0. 68 20 3. 75 3. 80 0. 99 Graph Analysis From the graphs above, it is clear that the resistance between varying voltages are very similar. As the voltage and current have increased the resistance has increased, as I have previously stated in my prediction, therefore Constantan wire obeys ohms law of resistance. The increase in resistance is due to more and more energy being put into the wire. That is to say as the voltage or the driving factor behind the free electrons flowing around the circuit increases, this increase in resistance is caused by the free electrons being passed around the circuit at much higher speeds and therefore deflecting off of more atoms that have more heat energy than those in shorter lengths of constantan wire. These atoms are hotter because more free electrons are passing through these lengths of wire, and deflecting off of more atoms, passing their kinetic energy to these atoms as heat energy. This is what causes the wire to heat up, and sometimes melt. During taking these results I have noticed that there are several linking factors. These are mainly current and voltage, as stated in ohms law. Evaluation I believe that my experiment in all is accurate for a GCSE standard coursework piece, although in research physics I believe that this experiment would be highly inaccurate. I do not believe that any of my readings are abnormal. From my work mostly from the average set of results taken from all 6 sets, I can conclude that: * Resistance in a wire is equal to the voltage divided by the current of the circuit * With high voltages, the wire in the circuit heats up due to an increasing number of collisions of free electrons and atoms in the Constantan wire. * As a wire decreases in length, the resistance increase * As a wire increases in length, the resistance increases as does the voltage however the current decreases * Constantan wire obeys ohms law During the experiment I noticed several abnormalities however. If I had the power pack on for too long a period of time, the readings on both ammeter and voltmeter began to become more and more erratic. I believe this to be because the apparatus was not turned off, heat would have been building up in the Constantan wire so during the experiment I turned off the apparatus between readings. After I did this I noticed that this strange behaviour had stopped. I also realised that using a rule and crocodile clips was clearly not the greatest means of measuring the length of wire as the lengths would clearly have not been at all accurate, and that the likelihood of using the exact amount of wire in the circuit was far outweighed by that of not doing so. In the graph which I associated length of wire with resistance, it clearly showed a straight line through the origin (0,0). This line represents the phrase proportional to therefore I also conclude that length of wire is proportional to the resistance of the wire. Improvements My work in this final experiment is far improved from that of my preliminary although it could easily still be improved further. I would improve it further by using more accurate means of measuring the voltage and current of the circuit, I would use various types of wire, I would vary the temperature of the wire and I would vary the cross sectional area of the wire. In this experiment, although I only varied the length of the wire, unwittingly I also have changed the temperature of the wire, as it increases as any current is passed through it, and as the shorter the subject wire becomes the hotter it also becomes. I would strive to collect resistance readings that were the same throughout the experiment as mine varied slightly. Reliability I believe that my results are viable for a GCSE standard piece of coursework although a research physician would discard them. I believe that collecting answers to two decimal places is also accurate enough for this experiment and that the slight variations of resistance between repeats is so small that the results could be deemed accurate. Constant factors In this investigation I have strived to make sure that the following factors remained constant: * Cross sectional area * Temperature of wire * Type of wire In this investigation, the cross sectional area or CSA would be maintained throughout readings, as the wire was not swapped during the experiments. This reason also dictates that the type of wire is also a factor that was kept constant. As I have mentioned before the temperature of the wire would have varied throughout the experiment, and as I have mentioned in the preliminary section of this investigation that with voltages higher than 8v the wire began to burn. This deviation in the temperature may have been the deciding factor as to why my readings for resistance were only slightly different. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one? Search for

Australian Vocational Education and Training Essay -- Australian Educa

This essay discusses on the Australian vocational education and training (VET) as a formal learning system that is intended for out-of-school youth who are past secondary education. It explores the drivers that shape the economic, social and political contexts in which VET was established like human capital theory, changing nature of work, globalisation, lifelong learning and the learning society. The paper analyses and evaluates the VET strands and mode of delivery and argues that VET is a good channel for out-of-school youth to be mainstreamed to the job industry but the mode of delivery is not sustainable. The experiences of VET practitioners interviewed and the researches on disengaged learners and reasons of early leavers were used to support the argument. It also explains the impact of VET had on my institution and the implication on my teaching practice using the concepts of reflexive modernisation, globalisation and lifelong learning. The formal education system in the Australia is divided into three levels: (i) basic education which is handled by the Department of Education (DepEd), (ii) technical/vocational which is handled by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and (iii) higher education which is handled by Commission on Higher Education (CHED). In addition, there is a preschool level and a non-formal component that provides basic literacy and livelihood skills to out-of-school youth and adults who have either not attended school at all or who dropped out of school early. Basic education, which usually starts at age six, is divided into 7 years of primary schooling and 5 years of secondary schooling. TESDA provides pre-employment preparation in middle-level technician and craft skills. At the... ...ok of readings. And, this time I made use of NCVER which is indeed a very good resource for teachers of adult education. Lastly, I conferred with my mentor as regards to this assignment because she is directly involved with VET and interviewed VET practitioners for me. The part of my assignment I consider the weakest would be the implications of VET in my teaching practice because I know I need to substantiate my explanation on the identified implication however perhaps because I am not directly involved with VET I cannot really reflect on how I should view my teaching practice. On the other hand, the part of my assignment that I consider the strongest are the three arguments I discussed against VET mode of delivery because I was able to back up my arguments with researches, concepts and experiences of VET practitioners to stress my point.

: Supply Chain Management Is Primarily of Interest to Manufacturing Firms

Overview Supply chains are networks of organisations, information, technologies, activities and resources involved in the movement and conversion of physical goods or services from suppliers to end consumers. These different organisations are interlinked by physical, information and monetary flows. Organisations create value by transforming raw products into finished goods or repositioning of resources thru space and time, which is based on networks of supply chains. Both ways, it involves the movement and conversion of physical goods and information throughout supply chains across the world.Therefore organisations and supply chains are closely interlinked in the creation of value for its customers. Manufacturing firms produce goods for use or sale using labour, machines, technology and other materials usually on a large scale. Processing of materials into products takes place in a factory or manufacturing plant where the organisation’s labour and machines work in unison to tr ansform raw material into a usable product, or using many components and process it into a finished product for the end consumer, just like how a baker is able to transform flour to bread thru labour, skill, machinery and tools.Supply chain management for manufacturing firms To achieve economies of scale, manufacturing firms needs to produce their products on a large scale. Generally the higher the production output of the firm, the lower the unit cost of their product will be. Besides output volume, the speed of production will determine the lead time from manufacture to delivery. High productivity will enable manufacturing firms to achieve shorter production cycles which equates to better competitiveness in their respective markets.Capacity management will determine how efficient the manufacturer will be in producing its goods. Over capacity will result in increased wastage and costs while under capacity will see the firm lose certain profits that it should gain. Thus manufacturer s needs to carefully consider the type and amount of capacity needed for its production when doing its supply chain planning. The timing of capacity changes also needs to be taken into consideration to achieve maximum efficenty given that demands of their products varies with seasonal changes.The ability to react to market demand changes quickly will determine manufacturers flexibility in keeping up with these demands. Manufacturers needs facilities to produce, whether warehouses to store its raw materials or finished goods, or manufacturing plants to produce their products. Services facilities are needed by certain manufacturing industries such as consumer electronics to cater for returns. Distribution centres also determine the efficenty of production distribution and un-nesessary inventory holding will result in higher holding cost.Such facilities require large investments and are integral of the manufacturer’s supply chain strategy and thus proper planning is needed when making these decisions regardong the size, location which affect the overall operations. How manufacturers run their productions also determine how successful will they be in terms of productivity and quality levels. Different types of equipment and processes also affect the cost and output of the manufacturing plant.Information systems that flow both upstream and downstream affects the forecasting, planning, inventory and production levels, they must be robust to ensure the manufacturing firm is able to react accordingly to changing demands and variations. In addition to their internal environment, manufacturing firms needs to consider procurement as an integral part of their supply chain strategy, supplier selection will affect the cost and how the manufacturer will run its production and ultimately affects the whole supply chain. Transportation systems as part of the supply chain plays an equally important role for manufacturing firm’s success.To reduce inventory holding l evels many manufacturing firms are running on a lean basis where they practice Just-In-Time delivery to meet production schedules. Transportation networks to customers have to be equally efficient to reduce lead time in accordance to lean manufacturing. Many manufacturing firms leverage supply chains to achieve competitive advantages in their markets. the case study on Procter & Gamble (Bozarth & Handfield, 2006: Pg 91-92) is a good example of how a manufacturing firm leverages on their supply chain to improve on their effectiveness and lowering cost.Procter & Gamble used to operate under five different business sectors according to different product lines such as paper goods and healthcare products in the mid 1990s. Originally this makes good sense to Procter & Gamble to better manage its’ diverse business. However for the retailers and customers of Procter & Gamble who is purchasing with all the different five entities, it also meant different order processing, invoicing an d deliveries when at the core the five entities are all under the same company.For Procter & Gamble it also a logistical nightmare as they faced issues with high volume of orders which resulted in errors, inefficient deliveries with many trucks delivering to the same customer with less than truckload full and inefficient invoicing by the different entities to the same customer. After Procter & Gamble redesigned the information and physical flows across their five entities, their customers only need to deal with one entity for all its product range and logistical process.The end result is a win-win situation where Procter & Gamble increased its profitability through cost savings and increased customer satisfaction. Their customers also gained with the efficient processes and they are also able to enjoy volume discounts from consolidated orders across their product range. Summary In order to excel, manufacturers might need to produce high variations of products, produce in large volum es to meet economies of scale, be flexible enough to meet the volatile markets demands and run a lean and efficient supply chain to save costs and reduce wastages.In view of such, supply chain management to manufacturing firms are of utmost importance if they wish to compete in today’s ferociously competitive markets. Besides making and selling a product, manufacturing firms need to manage and leverage on supply chain strategically in order to gain competitive advantages. As a result of globalisation and rapid technological changes, manufacturing firms needs to constantly focus on supply chain management to align their internal operations with their external environments.