Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Persuasive Memorandum Essay

Under Armor has set up itself as an exceptionally effective games wear brand, the explanation behind its prosperity is the way that items fabricated by U.A are planned with full comprehension of an athlete’s needs. The U.A’s marked store at Annapolis gives off an impression of being profoundly famous among sports fans as it offers them a special chance to encounter the whole scope of U.A’s items 2 The business partners at the Annapolis store are a profoundly educated group, and have an inside and out information on U.A’s broad product offering. By and by our business partners are exceptionally equipped for helping clients in picking the correct item for a proposed reason, anyway there is a need to retrain our business group so that notwithstanding tending to the clients planned reason, they can decide the clients state of being or body type and suggest an item that preferably suits the client. For what reason does U.A need to retrain its Sales Associates? No two people can ever be same so an item that suits one person’s body type may not really suite the others body type. For example when a client requests a couple running shoe, our business partners will be equipped for demonstrating them the total scope of running shoes, and afterward let the client take his pick. So as to ensure consumer loyalty it is fundamental to decide the clients foot type, regardless of whether he/she has a supinator, pronator or nonpartisan angled foot 3. This information will enable the deals to partner to suggest a shoe that is destined to give ideal fit and augment execution. Similarly different items, for example, inward wear need to affirm to the wearer’s state of being so as to guarantee an ideal fit and solace, henceforth a retraining program is required to build up these aptitudes among our business partners. Points of interest of the retraining program The retraining project will increase the value of the Under Armor brand, individuals will start to recognize the brand as one that really helps competitors in accomplishing prevalent execution. Consumer loyalty levels may increment, since when clients are given an item that suits both their need and their body type, there is rarely space for protests. The retraining project will make the business partner progressively certain and help them to expand their insight base, and get familiar with recently presented item classes, for example, footwear which was propelled in April 2006 4. The idea of giving significant level specialized help to purchasers will fill in as an expansion to the company’s U.S.P’s (Unique Selling Points), this may prompt increment in company’s retail deals. Significant Concerns identified with the retraining program An essential concern identified with the retraining program is that, it will impact the tasks over a few divisions. Amendment and up degree of the current item preparing project will require teamed up exertion from item plan division and the preparation office thus this may impact typical tasks of the item structure office, anyway the benefits of the retraining system will far exceed minor burdens that will be experienced during the time spent actualizing this thought. Worries about the preparation program hampering the store tasks can be dealt with by isolating the business partners into most extreme number of little groups, this will guarantee that adequate staff is accessible at the store while each cluster thusly experiences escalated item preparing. It is trusted that the retraining project will help in production of a profoundly talented deals power equipped for furnishing the clients with an exceptional shopping experience.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Loyalty Program Essay

We experience 7 methodology steps to structure a steadfastness program for Cabo San Viejo which are as per the following:  Before we propose a client prizes or dedication program, it is critical to comprehend what is the company’s long haul vision, For whom this program is to be executed I. e. who are the company’s best clients, what are their needs and desires, the explanations behind having such a program and the normal result. So the primary inquiry is: What is Cabo San Viejo’s long haul vision? Was the organization coordinating its exercises in generally accomplishment of this vision? The vision of the organization was to assist individuals with living more beneficial lives. At first there was a hole between the operational targets of causing individuals to get in shape by method of low calorie diet and the vision of getting individuals to live more advantageous lives by instilling manageable way of life ways. Be that as it may, this hole had been spanned yet the situating hole remained. Who were Cabo San Viejo’s focused on clients? Was there any hole among focused and genuine clients? On the off chance that we pass by the vision explanation, anyone needing to carry on with a superior and more advantageous life was Cabo San Viejo’s focused on clients. These could incorporate smokers, corpulent people, even stout kids, focused on couples or singles, obsessive worker experts, over worked top officials and directors and so on. Be that as it may, Cabo San Viejo was drawing in generally females (70%-80% of the visitors) with an expanding normal age throughout the years, the last normal being 57 in the year 2004. In this way, generally more established females were visiting the hotel who needed to entertain themselves and rest easy thinking about their body and themselves. Additionally, their family unit pay was high. Contrasting this and the mid year visitors, the last gathering had less salary and was additionally similarly more youthful in populace. In this manner, we can interface the age, pay level and reasonableness. Generally more youthful individuals are less well off and hence find such excursions costly. Not just this, the impression of Cabo San Viejo first as a fat camp and afterward as a training camp was disheartening individuals to come there. Likewise, 67% of visitors came through verbal exchange showing that the above line showcasing was performing ineffectively. Crusades focusing on explicit gatherings of individuals demonstrating guilty pleasure in exercises of their advantage like climbing for youthful group, spa treatment for ladies, counsel for couples and so forth would probably draw out the differed wellbeing arrangements offered by Cabo San Viejo. What were the necessities of the visitors at Cabo San Viejo? Was there any hole in addressing the requirements or their desires? The individual needs of the clients shifted a considerable amount. To comprehend and take into account the necessities of the clients, the organization had proficiently prepared its booking staff who helped clients pick the proper bundle as per their objectives and destinations. The very certainty that 95% of the clients evaluated their experience as either generally excellent or exceptional shows that Cabo San Viejo was working effectively. Notwithstanding, if Cabo San Viejo was to focus on an all the more requesting and more youthful client base in future, it would need to surpass is present conveyance guarantee. The requirements have been met yet the desires for rehash clients have not been fulfilled some of whom have communicated their hatred for not being remunerated for their proceeded with patronization. Along these lines we have perceived: Perception of Cabo San Viejo as a training camp should have been changed. †¢Young clients should have been pulled in. As they had better standards and littler pockets, devotion program expected to concentrate on offer by methods for limits and so forth. †¢Older clients were generally wealthier and would not be searching for a worth arrangement like the more youthful clients. Cabo San Viejo had around 5000 recurrent clients every year which a sound figure is making up about 60% of the all out appearance figure. Around 3500 new visitors show up every time of which 32% returned to inside 5-6 years and 62% of rehash guests returned inside 5-6 years. The essential purpose behind not returning was the significant expenses. Here we emphasize that to draw in more recurrent clients, esteem must be advertised. For what reason does Cabo San Viejo need a client dependability program? †¢Retention: One of the essential purposes behind most dependability programs is o hold the steadfast clients by valuing them and the business they create for the organization by causing them to feel uncommon and great about their relationship with the organization. †¢Offer upgraded incentive: A dedication program which offers a worth arrangement to its clients who need it will get Cabo San Viejo more patronization. In any case, it is to be comprehended that not all clients require or expect esteem bargains. Upgraded Satisfaction: Recognition by method of dependability program causes a client to feel great and along these lines improves fulfillment which thusly prompts progressively positive informal. †¢Positive Word of Mouth: Around 60% of Cabo San Viejo’s clients brought in for request dependent on verbal. †¢Enhance picture as a responsive organization: Cabo San Viejo expressly urges clients to whine if unsatisfied. It is through such inputs that Cabo San Viejo must realize that clients anticipate such a program usage. At whatever point an organization requests and gets grievances, it is ideal to react or may prompt client disdain. Counter Competition: If not compensated for dedication, clients may change to different contenders. What amount is the ideal/anticipated effect? Having dissected this, we currently gauge the effect. The effect of a faithfulness program is normally steady and seen over some stretch of time. The normal increment in maintenance is state, 10%1 over a time of state, 5 years2. Likewise, individuals originating from reference is relied upon to increment throughout the years empowering the organization to cut promoting costs somewhere else. 1The expected maintenance rate is found either dependent on inward organization information or industry master exhortation.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Bilateral Cingulotomy Surgery for OCD and Depression

Bilateral Cingulotomy Surgery for OCD and Depression September 17, 2019  TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images More in Bipolar Disorder Treatment Medications Symptoms Diagnosis Bilateral cingulotomy is a type of brain surgery considered a last resort for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is also used to treat major depression and occasionally chronic pain for persons who havent found relief from any other form of therapy. This surgery targets two parts of the brain: The cingulate gyrus, which helps regulate emotions and painThe frontal lobes, whose functions include reasoning, impulse control, and judgment Surgical procedures in psychiatry are controversial, and most doctors will not perform a bilateral cingulotomy unless all other avenues of treatment have been exhausted. Many neurosurgeons, in fact, will require consent from both the patient and a close family member before proceeding with the operation. Bilateral cingulotomy was first proposed as an alternative to the lobotomy in 1947 by American physiologist John Farquhar Fulton. Rationale for Bilateral Cingulotomy The cingulate gyrus serves a unique purpose in the brain, connecting experiences and sensations to either pleasant or unpleasant memory. Among other things, it induces an emotional response to pain and can connect that response to one or more of our senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound). The cingulate gyrus also completes the circuit to another part of the brain called the caudate nucleus, whose function it is to form habits. It is believed that by disrupting these circuits, the connection between painful emotion and habitual behavior will also be disrupted. How the Surgery Is Performed To perform a bilateral cingulotomy, an electrode or gamma knife (a targeted radiation device) is guided to the cingulate gyrus by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There, the surgeon will make a half-inch cut or burn to severe the circuit. Recovery from the operation takes around four days. Side effects are generally mild, with some experiencing headache, nausea, and vomiting in the days following the surgery. The surgery may also trigger seizures in some, although this typically happens in those with a previous history of seizures. Some people complain of apathy following surgery, while others will experience memory lapses. These are uncommon side effects, but potential risks that candidates of the surgery would need to consider. Effectiveness of Bilateral Cingulotomy While bilateral cingulotomy can offer an improvement to some living with OCD, it is by no means a cure-all. A 2016 review of clinical studies concluded that 41 percent of patients who had undergone a bilateral cingulotomy had responded to the procedure with 14 percent experiencing short-term side effects and five percent experiencing serious side effects. Bilateral cingulotomy appears to be least effective in persons with treatment-refractory OCD. Treatment-refractory OCD is diagnosed in persons who have achieved little if any response to at least two different selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs. It is also seen to be less useful in persons with more severe manifestations of the disorder, including OCD-related hoarding. Bilateral cingulotomy has also been used to treat people with chronic refractory pain (pain which cannot be treated by any known means). A systematic review of studies has shown that the procedure resulted in significant pain relief in more than 60 percent of patients for up to a year following surgery. Of these, more than half of these indicated that they no longer needed painkillers. While some studies have proposed bilateral cingulotomy for persons with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, studies have thus far been inconclusive. As such, it is currently not endorsed as a means of bipolar treatment.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Human Rights Code - 1228 Words

Facts This is an application filed under s. 34 of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H. 191 alleging discrimination in the workplace environment due to sex, including sexual harassment as a factor. In September of 2010, the respondent was working as a doctor’s assistant at a clinic in Toronto, where the applicant worked as a secretary. The applicant, upon the respondent’s request, stayed after work hours for training regarding re-ordering medicine. During this time, the respondent asked if he could check the applicant’s blood pressure, which she allowed, but after the respondent put his hand on her thigh, she immediately withdrew back and said no. The applicant continued on her training, but when she did not receive a response from the†¦show more content†¦7. (3)(a) of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c.H. 19 4. s. 10 of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c.H. 19 5. Janzen v. Platy Enterprises Ltd., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1252 6. Smith v. The Rover’s Rest, 2013 HRTO 700 Analysis Section 7.(2)2 of the Human Rights Code states that, â€Å"Every person who is an employee has a right to freedom from harassment in the workplace because of sex †¦ by his or her employer or agent of the employer or by another employee. Section 7.(3)(a)3 further goes on to state that every person has a right to be free from, a sexual solicitation †¦ where the person making the solicitation or advances knows or ought reasonably to know that it is unwelcome. In s. 104, â€Å"harassment† is defined as engaging in a course of †¦ conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known as unwelcome. The applicant, on numerous occasions, told the respondent to stop when he forced her to engage in sexual activity. The respondent ought to have known his behavior was unwelcome by the applicant repeatedly saying ‘no.’ This entails a violation of her human rights under the code.1 Janzen v. Platy Enterprises Ltd5 defines sexual harassment in the workplace as, â€Å"Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that detrimentally affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-related consequences for the victims of harassment.† Janzen5 further goes on to state that when sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, it is an abuse of both economic and sexual power. This type of behavior in

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Non-Linear Narrative Structures Have Deeply Influenced How...

Narrative in visual culture May 14th 2012 Vis Com 1st Year Non-linear narrative structures have deeply influenced how subjects are presented in visual culture. Joanne Duff DT545 Vis Com 1st Year Non-linear narrative structures have deeply influenced how subjects are presented in visual culture. The first movie I looked at was Irrà ©versible, a French movie written, directed and produced by Gasper Noà ©. Noà © employs a non-linear narrative to force the audience to think about the actions taken by those seeking vengeance before the reasons behind these actions are known. The movie is told in reverse order, beginning with the main character murdering the person he believed brutally attacked his girlfriend. The intention of this†¦show more content†¦Noà © places these scenes in the first half of the movie, to give us a different perspective on the characters and their lives. The film ends with scenes depicting Marcus and Alex happy together, which the viewer must watch while knowing exactly how things will end for them. We also learn that the man Marcus and Pierre murdered in the gay club wasn’t the man they were looking for, we realise that Le Tenia was standing beside this man, and stood transfixed as he watch them viciously beat the man they believed to be him. Alex is attacked by Le Tenia The attack in the club and the rape scene are so cruel and graphic that they are rendered almost unwatchable, which is how Noà © intended them to be. The violence is unglamorised and gritty; the rape scene is completely non-sexual and uncomfortably long. The non-linear narrative of Irrà ©versible is what makes the movie interesting, if the movie story was told in a linear way it wouldn’t create the same interest in the lives of the characters. We wouldn’t feel the same about happy characters whose lives are ruined as we would about something terrible happening to the characters and then to watch them living happily oblivious to the events that will ruin their lives. He presents us the events in an order which makes us think about the nature of these events in a different way. Andy and Joy Happiness begins in the middle of break up, where we meet Joy (Jane Adams) - the youngest of theShow MoreRelatedMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 PagesMaterials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. To George Blin, Profesor at the Collà ¨ge de France, whithout whom none of these pages would have been started. CONTENTS A Note on the Translation by Bertrand Augst, ix Preface, xi A Note on Terminology, xiii I Phenomenological Approaches to Film Chapter I. On the Impression of Reality in the Cinema, 3 Chapter 2. Notes Toward a Phenomenology of the Narrative, 16 II Problems of Film Semiotics Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. 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Intner, Susan S.Read MoreBackground Inditex, One of the Worlds Largest Fashion Distributors, Has Eight Major Sales Formats - Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home Y Kiddys Class- with 3.147 Stores in 70100262 Words   |  402 PagesAssociate Professor Thomas Lindhqvist and Associate Professor Hà ¥kan Rodhe The International Institute of Industrial Environmental Economics grants permission to reprint materials in this book provided that the reprint is for educational or other non-profit purposes and provided that the reprint contains a clear reference to the original material. Published in 2009 by IIIEE, Lund University, P.O. Box 196, S-221 00 LUND, Sweden, Tel: +46 – 46 222 02 00, Fax: +46 – 46 222 02 10, e-mail: iiiee@iiieeRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesrequest to 201-236-3290. 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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Open Work Space Research Essay Free Essays

The Study Recently in the work space, there seems to be a shift from this traditional cubicle style to a more open environment for the employees. This shift has me questioning why are innovative companies shifting towards this more open environment? It seems that these companies are looking not only for a change in scenery, but a change in the how there employees utilize the environment. During this study, I will use a variety of sources in order to understand a comma NYSE work space environment and other information pertaining the architectural design of a company. We will write a custom essay sample on Open Work Space Research Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now The questions especially want to explore are: How does the open workspace effect the collaboration between employees? How does this work space attempt to foster an environment for creativity and innovation? Informational Sources The sources have used ranged from a variety of places. The information I collected from Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group was a large group interview which was required for a summer class where we studied cultures of creativity in Detroit, Michigan. These two interviews took place on August 24, 2013. The large group interview also included a tour of both companies to actually see the working environment firsthand. Field notes were also taken to help record detailed descriptions of the environment at both companies. Another source used for this research included an online magazine called 991. . This magazine publishes research in a condensed and easy to understand format for the general public. It described research on how to build a collaborative work space. I read this to help better my understanding of what a collaborative work space might look like and what re some key components for a creative work space. Also watched a video created by Wall Street Journal on Google’s New York work space because, have never been there. Th is video allowed me to visually see the environment where Google employees work. Another source utilized was a prCICS completed from an article called Building Research and Information. It included research done in this area which helped me orient myself with prior research already completed on this topic. Previous Research Completed on Work Space Environment One research prCICS I looked at included the importance of collaboration in the work space. They looked at three behaviors that contribute to effective collaboration: â€Å"awareness, brief interaction, and collaboration (working together)† (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 2). This term awareness means to understand what is going on in the environment around you. You are able to process this through â€Å"spatial features that promote awareness† and organizational factors that allow you to see other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 4-5). They noted Some benefits to this ‘high awareness’ Were rapid information sharing and ability to recognize when other employees were struggling Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 6). However there are some concerns for ‘high awareness’ in a collaborative environment also. It can be distracting, noisy from employees talking, and create a loss of privacy for the workers (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 7). Another term discussed was ‘brief interactions’ which means unplanned and short discussions you have with other employees. This results in â€Å"spatial features that promote interaction† and organizational factors that allow you to run into other employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, pars. 9-10). Some benefits include improved information flow, increased learning, and increased development Of friendships (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 1). There are, however, some drawbacks which include a high potential for stress, an increase in distractions, and the potential for over communicating with employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 12). The other term discussed in the prCICS was collaboration. Collaboration in the work space can result in organizational f actors that allow employees to work in project rooms (Hangmen, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, ears. 18-19). Some benefits from these project rooms are quicker answers, access to other team members, and better project tracking (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 0). Despite these benefits, there are some concerns including the possibility for information overload, a shorter amount of time on certain tasks, and less privacy for employees (Hearing, Compromisers, Powell, and Loftiness, par. 21). Evaluating Google and Two Outside Innovative Companies Google is the company which typifies an open work space concept. However, I needed to use Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group in Detroit, Michigan because they were local and accessible. Both of these companies were much smaller than Google. However, there are innovative and utilize the open work space concept. Google is known for their web search engine and try to make information easily accessible to the users. The Google New York campus occupies an entire floor and parts of other floors in a building covering an entire â€Å"city block in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood† (Alter, par. 7). This campus has grown from around 2,000 employees to nearly 3,000 and hiring in the areas of media and advertising (Jordan). Due to the arrival of additional employees, the newly hired have had to move from floor to floor (Jordan). In this campus as opposed to Silicon Valley, it is less tech focused and gives the employees a more natural working environment (Jordan). Google’s competitive and innovative nature attracts many young employees to their company. Despite Google’s great benefits, there is still a high turnover rate, which means they have a limited amount of time with their employees. Kidders Studio is an innovative company which is a part Of the creative community in Detroit, Michigan. Since 1 959, Kidders Studio has earned a beatable name for solving problems with designs. They started off solving problems by designing logos for the automotive companies in Detroit. In 201 1, Kidders moved to their new location on Broadway Street near the Detroit Tigers Stadium. Their diverse team of 25 office employees design logos and websites for advertisements, but their goal is to create the extraordinary (Patrick). They started with 16 employees and are looking to expand to 35 employees. Some of their biggest clients are Dave and Buster’s, Detroit Tigers, and Andiron Restaurant. At Kramer Design Group in Detroit, they specialize in designing the interiors of buildings. There are about 18 to 28 people that work at the office, because there are only 28 desks available. When they work with their clients, they focus on creating a particular environment in order to invoke a certain feeling (Kramer). They strive for listening to the client. However, sometimes the client does not know what they want until you show it to them. This company provides swatches of materials to help visualize the production or prototype built. They are known for creating traditional architecture, hotels, and presidential lofts. They have completed such projects in Detroit like the Madison Building, Broodier Towers, and Whitney Building (Kramer). Kramer Design Group is starting to pick up some business throughout the state. Kramer Design Group and Kidders Studio Work Space Company ices are redesigning offices in order to get a more spacious working environment for their employees. This open work space is intended to foster creativity and innovation. Designing a place to enhance creativity takes a lot of work not only on the companies half, but on the architects half as well. It is important the architect works in collaboration with their client to create a specific environment. In this case, the architect needs to create an environment that is not only functional to the employees, but pleasing to the customer. Open office spaces seem to fuel this creativity through the collaboration of diverse groups of people, the flexibility of the work space, and the atmosphere of the room with numerous examples from Detroit, Machine’s Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. A key component to this creativity and innovation is allowing the mixture of diverse groups of people to work together in an open area. To define diverse, this word is meant to describe how individuals with various job titles and functions can ark cohesively together. Providing people an open environment encourages informal connections to be made and ideas to be bounced off one another (Patrick). For example, at Kidders Studio, their work place fosters an environment where colleagues can collaborate with each other (Patrick). The studio is set up with no doors on any of the offices, even the Coo’s office. Over the years, the company has developed this process to be successful. During their meetings, they encourage administrative workers, designers, marketers, and writers to brainstorm ideas for projects (Patrick). These brainstorming sessions involve everyone in the company to work on a project where titles mean nothing (Patrick). Sometimes, disagreement can be a bad thing. But it has become a useful tool because, it encourages ideas to be explored and defended by the creator (Patrick). The end result is a better thought out solution which provides the customer with an outstanding product. Creating flexibility in the work space seems to be another crucial element which allows this creativity and innovation to flourish. Kramer Design Group utilizes the portability and disability of the room to create an environment where creativity is maximized. The portable chairs in the lunch space allow the user to rearrange the space. The emphasis on designing a flexible work space allows people to freely converse amongst one another (Kramer). It also gives the workers an environment which allows easy access to coworkers (Kramer). Some of the offices have glass walls to give the illusion of a more open space (Kramer). One thing that stands out is there are few private offices. Private offices close workers off from the company and do not allow for ideas to be exchanged while the open spaces help stimulate creativity. In an open space, the atmosphere plays an important role in the minimization of creativity and innovation. Kramer Design Group’s office is designed with a level of sophistication and professionalism to illustrate their knowledge in the design field (Kramer). The minute you step into the office, it is meant to create a feeling bigger than meets the eye. There is wall to wall glass to give an expansive feeling to the area and it makes the ceiling appear taller (Kramer). In the hallway, there are columns spaced equal distances apart and a white strip on the carpet to give the illusion of a never ending hall (Kramer). Even the lighting plays into the comfortable ambiance of the room with their modern looking lights which use some incandescent lighting. Their office provides a creative, yet comfortable environment. It allows their employees to think freely in the office with the respect of their fellow colleagues. Google’s Innovative Design Google’s New York campus has a similar goal in their office design like Kidders Studio and Kramer Design Group. â€Å"All of the design is meant to encourage interaction between structurally separate teams† (Jordan). By implementing this open work space, it influences the way groups of Google’s collaborate. Google’s intention by using an open work space is to create an environment specifically for the interaction between the workers. A fun design plan Google’s architects implemented is the vertical ladder chutes between floors, because the elevators are never known to be on time. This vertical ladder chute promotes unplanned collaborations (Alter, par. 7). Another touch Google added was giving the employees a bag to place their laptop in while climbing up the ladder (Jordan). This bag helped Google’s minimize the chance of dropping their laptops. When workers causally intermingle, it encourages informal connections to be made among colleagues. Senior software engineer, Mike Labels moved from Google’s Silicon Valley to Google’s New York campus. At Google’s Silicon Valley, their offices are created as an individual place with their own unique perks and specific design, which help the worker relate to their environment Road). Since Labels has transferred to Google’s New York office, he feels that coming to work here you will not mistake you are in some room at an ordinary building; you will know you are at Google in New York (Jordan). It seems Google’s New York office has created their own city within their building. Even some of their conference rooms are designed as a New York apartment to create a close environment for colleagues to collaborate within. Directly outside these conference rooms, it is setup like city with a fire hydrant, subway grates on the floor, and a narrow hallway with a cityscape on the wall (Jordan). This use of schematics throughout areas of their building makes it seem like the real New York City outside of the building. Collaboration is a good thing, but too much can also be a bad thing sometimes. There are many places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the office area. These areas include a reflecting room, a library, a private hone booth, and more. The library is dotted with Victorian photos from Star Wars hanging on the walls (Jordan). There are also secret door bookcases leading to refection or reading rooms (Jordan). Throughout the library are many books to help employees on coding, programming and working with different types of computers (Jordan). One of the coolest features is the virtual wall of books where employees can download books to their phones (Jordan). Theses rooms are meant to give the workers a place to escape to when they get stressed at work. Google jobs can cause high stress because Of all the work demands. They can stop by the library and pick out a book or even download one from the virtual wall. By creating this comfortable environment, it gives the employees a place to relieve their stress. Regional facilities manager, Laura Gimped mentioned with groups growing in Google how proprieties and juxtaposition effect the workers interactions (loran). Laura understands generally information and ideas are shared with co-workers who are nearby. This is part of the reason that Google has positioned their offices no more than 150 feet away from food to enhance informal interactions between its employees. So at any office location there s a micro-kitchen, a restaurant, or cafeteria nearby. This place encourages fellow Google’s to go grab a bite to eat whenever and where ever they may be in the building (Jordan). Their set up enables employees to â€Å"bump into coworkers from different teams within the† work space (Alter, par. 8). She has taken into account the growth of the company with an eye towards this idea of casual collision in the work space (Jordan). This allows fellow Google’s to have the opportunity to discuss an idea with someone they normally do not work with (Jordan). Some of the greatest ideas are inspired from unexpected inventions between people. Findings Coming from an architectural background has enabled me to see rooms differently from other people. However, after this research, I was able to look at a room and see the choices and decisions the architect had to make in designing the room. For example, their placement of furniture, walls, doors and windows in a room plays a critical role in how the work space is used. The way an architect designs a room actually plays an important role for what the customer ultimately wants. Each of the companies I research ultimately had a similar goal through using the open work space concept. Kidder’s goals was to create the extraordinary through logos and design. Their office design fostered their employees to be creative. Kramer Design Group specialized in interior designing. Their open work space also did the same by providing their employees with a creative environment. Both of these places were designed, so the employees interacted regularly in order to get their ideas. Through my research even though did not actually visit, Google, the above examples helped me visualize what I could not see at Google. I have come to greater appreciate the open work space concept and its purpose at Google is to maximize its employees creativity. Through my research on open work spaces at Google, I have come to understand the choices the architects had to make while designing Google’s New York office. They choose to design the environment with many unique features to enhance the collaboration between employees. I have now come to see that through creating an open work space it results in good ideas from employees. Essentially, these good ideas are able to be obtained through creating these unexpected conversations and casual collisions. This new understanding can help companies understand ways to obtain ideas from their employees. Through creating this type of environment similar to Google, companies will be able to design an environment to maximize the productivity of workers. Conclusion Google is known as the gold standard for innovation and creativity. Their architects have used the open work space to help them achieve this goal. Through the design of the open work space, Google’s from different teams or backgrounds bump into each other casually throughout the day. The intent is for these Google’s to discuss an idea with someone they may not work with daily. This chance interaction may be the catalyst for a new and creative idea. This new open work space approach is intended to inspire its employees and support creativity where new ideas can be developed and new discoveries made. Further Questions If another research paper was completed, it may be interesting to see how other innovative companies like Apple, Paxar, and Twitter are set up in regards to their work space design. It would be interesting to see how these companies layout their work space, because there could be similar correlations to how their employee’s collaborate like Google. In order to answer this question, you would need to look at the interactions between the errors of the company. Since work spaces are always being remodeled by companies, it would be interesting to track innovative companies over the next five year to see how their work space changed over time. It would be ideal to interview employees throughout the change of the work space to see how it has effected them. It may be interesting to also speak to the management to determine whether there were more ideas generated in the newer work space than in the current type work space. This could help understand the reason behind why companies design a creative environment for their workers. How to cite Open Work Space Research Essay, Essays

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Software Engineering Group Project Individual Report free essay sample

In around the middle period of the development process, I made a prototype that could achieve basic but the most important functionality of the system based on the initial design idea. The prototype is a single web page with a slippy map which can display a polyline on the map as a route and a route information table when given the start place and destination. Though the graphical user interface was really simple and ugly, it at least provided the possibility that the design of the system was feasible. In fact, the final routing system of the project was just built on the rationale of the prototype but with the extension of multi-functionalities. In the final routing system, I made it possible for user to click on the map and get the place instead of to type in the literal name. In addition, the routing system can identify the postcode as an input. The routing system also provides three types of routes which gives more choices for user. Apart from improving of the functionalities of the routing system, I also took part in the designing and programming of the wiki system which is another functionality of the project. The wiki system relies on the utility of the MYSQL database. We reached the concept of the â€Å"big society† in the problem specification by allowing users to update the information in the database. When added into the system, latest information will be reflected immediately on the map. For instance, a user adds a new supermarket which was newly constructed in one area. A shopping cart marker will appear on the map as long as the user refreshes the page. As the coder in the group, it was natural for me to take responsibility for integrating the whole system. It was decided that a web-based application would be the most feasible method of implementation, which had the advantages of easier accessibility and maintenance. After getting the GUI design from my teammates, I integrated the java scripts which contain the functionalities of the system to the web pages and launched them to the UNIX machine so as to make it available to the public. As the website was setup under my UNIX account, I also took the obligation of system maintenance. Whenever the system came across problems, I should detect them and then amend the system. In addition to coding, I also made contribution to our group documentations. In the interim report and final report, I wrote the contents that related to code aspects as the programmer always knew what the code did. Reflection on the Project Throughout the project, our group has managed to achieve a number of successes. The most successful aspect is that the main functionality described in the problem specification has been achieved and the system has been complete in use. The route-planner is able to compute a route for the user when given a starting point and destination and through the use of the map it is able to provide extra information, such as the location of nearby bicycle-park facilities. Besides, the wiki system allows users to add and update the data used by the route planner, which has been successful to build on the community-based aspect of existing systems. From the perspective of project management, our group experienced a good-working relationship and has held regular meetings with the supervisor. Every member devoted into the project warmly and actively. We divided the whole project into two sub-groups. Two of us took responsibility for design and documentation while the other two were to programming and testing. Though we had clear roles, discussion and comments were frequently put forward among the team. We have shared a message board in order to keep in good contact with each other and stay up-to-date with the progress of other group-members. A public repository was also share by the group so as to ensure that everyone got the latest version of codes and documentations in ime. As with every system development process, we encountered a number of difficulties throughout the project, most of which have been overcome. At the early stage, we were extremely confused about what we were expected for this system. According to our research on the existing systems, there are mature systems and technology for cycle routes planning. Whether to create our own independent cycle-route planner or to integrate with an existing system was a considerable issue. After learning the documentations of released systems, we found it complicated and time-consuming. Meanwhile, our supervisor suggested that integrated system might be a relatively feasible direction for this project since some open source systems and websites are available for free use. Finally, we made up our mind to design an integrated routing system with the scope of our University and its surroundings based on other open source system. Secondly, as we were going to build our system on the basis of CycleStreets’s routing engine, an API key from them is necessary to have access to their routing engine. We can send a query string directly from the URL as a standard GET request to access route information using this API key. However, obtaining a CycleStreets API was not a simple a process for us as two members of the group had applied and neither had received a response. Fortunately, with the help of our supervisor our application was eventually accepted. We suspect that CycleStreets are reluctant to allow students to use their API. The third issue is about the wiki system which we did not find a perfect solution for in the initial design. According to our requirements specification, users are able to update information held on the system once they are logged in. However, our initial design does not implement this wiki part of the system. There are three main reasons behind this; firstly, we have a problem in obtaining whether or not the user is valid i. e. whether or not they attend the University of Nottingham. Secondly, since the base layer of our map uses the OpenStreetMap API, it means that no changes can be made to the map from our side of the system – users must instead edit data on the OpenStreetMap webpage. Finally, we created a database backend to solve this problem and allowed users to edit data which can be shown on the map. Another technical problem was geo-coding. In order to use the CycleStreets API, the system is required to ive as parameters to the query call the longitude and latitude of the starting point and destination of the route to calculate. This posed a problem because it is required for users to be able to enter place names using natural language and not geographical co-ordinates. After some research by the group, it was found that a process known as geo-coding could be used in order to translate a place name into its corresponding co-ordinates. Initially it was intended for the system to use the Yahoo PlaceFinder API, which is something an API key was applied for. The group were successful in obtaining an API key, however on using the system it was discovered that it does not provide geographical co-ordinates to a high enough accuracy for use within the system. This high accuracy is required since the system is only providing routing for a relatively small area. It was then decided to look at the Google Geocoding API, and it was found that this provides geographical co-ordinates to a much higher-degree of accuracy and so it was decided that this is what will be used to do the geo-coding for the system. During the project development process, we suffered the loss of a group member. This came as a huge shock to the whole group. With our project team decreasing from five to four members, it has meant that remaining members have had to take on greater responsibility and an increased work load. In dealing with this problem, we have had to scrap the original assignment of tasks within the group and redistribute them to ensure that all areas of the project are covered. This has meant that we have all had to take on tasks that had been partially done by people who have now left the group. Because of the time limitation, there were a number of design requirements that we did not cover in the project. We did not integrate the useful information of the university to the system as mentioned in the requirement. For example, mark the examination room on the map. Meanwhile, we omitted the log in system which should be connected to the school log in database which can be the future extension of the system. Learning from Project From running the project throughout the year, I have gained a number of experiences on the perspectives of both social relationships and computer science skills. It is of great difficulties for an individual person to complete a group project. Team working, therefore, is the core and highest requirement for everyone in the group. â€Å"Divide and Conquer† strategy was successfully applied to our group work. For example, the project was divided into different parts which then were assigned to members according to their specialized area. With respect to our system, it was divided into three parts: the website GUI, routing system and wiki system. As I thought I was interested in the routing system and also prepared for using JavaScript, I picked the second task. After each task was finished, we carried out the conquer stage. Three parts were integrated together by some interfaces and finally worked as one system. During the project development processes, communication was of considerable importance. Since team members come from different countries with different culture background, we definitely differ in the thoughts. Communication brought all ideas together and made the system consistent. As a non-native speaker, I cannot express myself as smoothly as my teammates. The group project gave the opportunity for me to improve my spoken English and melt into the western thoughts. As a computer science project, a lot of computer technologies were involved in the development process. After running the project, I have read a large quantity of software documentations, some of which have been applied to our project. For example, the Google map API provides highly customized map which can be embedded into the website. Since our system need to display the routes to the user, a map is necessary. When reading the documentation of Google map API, I found it quite suitable for our project. Not only can it draw lines and markers on the map, but also can be covered by other map layers. With respect to our system, we need a cycle map layer especially for the use of cycle routes. Another lesson that I learned from the system development is different system integration. According to our problem specification and time limitation for the project, it was decided that we should develop an integrated system oriented to the students in the University of Nottingham. Our design strategy then was to use existing routing system and bespoke it. In order to integrate the routing system with the map, I coded a JavaScript that can translate information from routing system into array data and then hese data can be used to draw the routes on the map. Conclusion After participating in the one-year group project, I have retained large quantities of experiences on conducting a complex software project which is a firm foundation for the final year personal project. Meanwhile, during the project, my knowledge of computer science has been enriched since I have learned hundreds of documentations of different software and techniques. Finally, my communication skill has been improved as well as the ability of socializing with strange people. Form Complete one copy of this form for each member of your G52GRP group except yourself. Enclose all completed form as an appendix with your Individual Report. Rate the group member in question by ticking or marking with an â€Å"x† exactly one box for each evaluation aspect in the table below. Give a brief written justification for each assigned rating in the space provided below the table.