Inclusive Practice

Inclusive Practice Inclusive practice in education moves us away from ‘integration' and ‘mainstreaming' of learners, which was mainly concerned with separating those with a disability or ‘special educational needs' until they had reached the required standard for mainstream education. Inclusion is about the learner's right to participate and the teacher/ institutions duty to accept the learner as an individual. Inclusion rejects the separation of learners with disabilities from learners without disabilities; instead it promotes equality and respect for their social, civil, human and educational rights.From what I can see there are few totally inclusive schools but those that are, restructure their curriculum so all can learn together without discrimination. Some key reports that have changed the face of education over the last decade and a half are: â€Å"Inclusive Learning† (1996) a report by John Tomlinson, was the result of a three-year enquiry into the ed ucational needs of and provision for adults with disabilities and/ or learning difficulties in England.It arose from the requirement of an Act of Parliament, in 1992 and states that; the new national funding council for further education should ‘have regard' for such students in all its work of funding, development and evaluation. ITSELF ? Learning for Teaching We believe that learning can only be fully effective if it is inclusive' ? Tomlinson 1996, case. Org. UK â€Å"Learning Works† the report of the Further Education Funding Council's committee on widening participation in Further Education Noun 1997), chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy of the Shaw. The Learning Age† (Feb. 1998), the government consultation paper on lifelong learning, and the formal response to the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education's report Higher Education in the Learning Society. Key points being; more assessable learning opportunities, removing barriers I. E. Financial, di sability, investing in 16 + learners and improve quality.The Wolf report March 2011) Key points being; motivate young people to take the most valuable vocational qualifications pre-16, introducing study programmer for post-16 to ensure they are gaining skills which will lead to progression into a variety of Jobs or further learning, especially those who haven't done so well in English and mathematics to continue to study those subjects. To ensure apprenticeships deliver the right skills for the workplace, restructuring of the Qualification, Credit Framework (SCOFF) and enabling FEE lecturers and professionals to teach in schools, ensuring young people are being taught by those best suited to do so. education. Gob. UK Unfortunately with the changes in political power come changes in legislation. This on low income. Although only EYE per week, this could mean the difference between being able to afford to go to college or not. With the increases in University charges and the prospect of post graduates being left with huge debts to pay, or being told by bob centers they are ‘over qualified ‘ so no Jobs for them, it seems as though there has been a u turn in all the progress that had been made in the last decade and a half.Only time will tell what impact this will have on students and how many will want or be able to continue with their studies and what divide may be caused between those who can and can't afford to do this. In recent years, with the poor economic climate, many businesses have collapsed making people redundant. Faced with life changing decisions of having to change their career path and learning new kills; as the competition for Jobs with the skills they have may be too great, some of these individuals haven't been in the education system for many years and are faced in some circumstances with a frightening prospect of starting all over again.If they have had bad experiences in the past this will magnify the fear tenfold. I believe the refore it is even more important that teachers have experience in different skills and occupations as more learners may need to go directly into the work force and acquire work based training, with the employer supporting their learning. These are all barriers that have an impact on inclusive practice in the classroom as I can often have a group of learners with ages ranging from eighteen to sixty plus, from various backgrounds and experience.On one occasion I had a group of fifteen learners consisting of school leavers with no experience, some with varying amounts of experience in residential homes and hospitals. Some were returning to work Mums and others who had previously worked in Jobs such as, shop and office workers. There was one who had been a registered manager of a care home but had been dad redundant, with no vacancies in his area of expertise he decided to become a care worker, only a few weeks before he had been managing a workforce of twenty care workers, seniors and administration staff.It can be extremely difficult to accommodate such a wide cross section of individuals and sometimes to bridge the generation gap. Nears Care has policies in place to give individuals equal opportunities in training and employment (see appendix 1) From the introductions at the beginning of the session to the final goodbyes at the end of training I ensure that very learner is shown to be valued by all, showing interest in their opinions and what they have to say, valuing also their own experiences, which they bring into the room for all to share.No matter what their age, race, religion, disability, sexuality, and gender maybe, it is their opinions, work and life experience which is important for everyone to share and learn from. On 1st October 2010, the main provisions of the Equality Act 2010 came into force. It is a major simplification of discrimination legislation that makes the law easier to understand and comply with and delivers significant benefits for bus iness, public dies and individuals.It provides a new legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and equality of opportunity for all; to update, simplify and strengthen the previous legislation; and to deliver a simple, modern and accessible framework of discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a will be brought in and likewise over the next year other provisions will be discussed and brought in; provisions relating to auxiliary aids in schools, to name one.The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDS) introduces the right for kissable students not to be discriminated against in education, training and any services provided wholly or mainly for students, and for those enrolled on courses provided by ‘responsible bodies', including further and higher education institutions and sixth form colleges. Education providers must also make ‘reasonable adjustments' to ensure that disabled students aren't discri minated against.Making reasonable adjustments could include; changes to practices or procedures, physical features, how learners are assessed and providing extra support and aids (such as peccaries teachers or equipment) The obligation for schools to provide extra support such as specialist teachers or equipment will be introduced at a later date – direct. Gob. UK 2011 1 have had many learners over the eight years I have been teaching, with many (SEEN) Dyslexia, color blindness, discalced (which I have learned about and identified during this course).I have had learners with sensory disabilities where I have had to make reasonable adjustments by restructure of the sessions, layout or materials and used others, from outside agencies to sign or give support one to one. For one learner, who was working towards their NV level 2 in care, I used a tape recording of accounts as she found it difficult to write reflective accounts due to having dyslexia.Sometime though it is difficult to make adjustments for one learner when it could be to the detriment of the rest of the class so it is not always possible to be completely inclusive, where possible I would try to meet their needs in a one to one session. Although I try to maintain inclusive practice within my sessions, it can be very difficult when talking about sensitive issues like abuse, some f the subject matter can cause distress to some individuals and so I ensure to warn them before the start of any subject that could cause distress or offense, that they may leave the room of ask to talk to me, or another in private.There are numerous legislations we are bound by in our work, some cover all individuals and industries and some are more specific to your chosen area. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Data Protection 1998, Human Rights Act 1998 are some of the acts that effect all of us and impact on our personal lives as well as at work. Some of the legislations that are pacific to my work and the area I t each are: Every Child Matters (2003), the title of three government paper leading to The Children's Act 2004. (ECMA) cover children and young adults up to 19 years old and 24 years old for those with disabilities.It was partly produced as a response to the death of Victoria Climb. The main aims of ECMA are; to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. We also take guidance from Children's Workforce Development Council. Safeguarding of Adults – (review of ‘No Secrets 2000' in 2008). Working with both of these vulnerable groups requires an enhanced CRAB (Criminal Records Bureau; a police check) to ensure the safety of the individual and the suitability of the worker, working with them.Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and Medicines Act 1968 & 1971; because our staff have the responsibility of assisting and administering medication. They also need to know how to safely assist with moving and positioning of an individual, the Manual this area. Everything that is done in care, health or mental health is regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (ICQ) formally (SIC). This is not an exhaustive list but does highlight some of the diverse and complex regulations that have to be taken into account when carrying out my role as a training and development manager.It is important to be aware and take into account all of the above when planning sessions to be inclusive to the learners. When training my learners to be care assistants I have to prepare them for many situations that could arise in their daily work, so I need to ensure they have basic literacy and innumeracy which is established prior to induction training, if they didn't have the right level of understanding this would create a huge barrier to their learning and would really be setting them up to fail.If they don't reach the minimum requirements then we can send them to a local college or Learn Direc t and on completion of literacy, innumeracy or both they can come back and try again. If a learner informs us if they have any special requirements when asked at interview (initial assessment) we will meet with them and see how we can meet those needs, whether it be sitting closer to the front of the class and larger print on all materials or a signer for sensory difficulties, eddying up and or smaller groups, one to one or extra sessions for those who find it hard to work in larger groups.Offering staggered start and finish times, changing break times and length of breaks for child care responsibilities, medical condition, nutritional or religious requirements. If there were learners with existing conditions from prior injuries, for example; a back condition, I would see if there was a more comfortable or adapted chair, if they needed to get up and walk around would be acceptable and maybe I would get all the learners to move around to different groups o as not to single that indiv idual out.Wherever possible I remind all learners that what they are learning are life skills and not Just a work skill, I encourage learning from real life and not Just scenario based. At the end of each session we ask all the learners to complete a feedback form asking; what they thought about the whole experience, what they got out of it, what they most enjoyed, what they didn't enjoy, how was the environment, refreshments and breaks, could anything be improved and any comments on the teacher.They are anonymous, I get to read them and I use hem to reflect on the session and make any improvements. I keep them on file with attendance registers for local authority and ICQ inspectors as evidence of training when they conduct inspections. Nears send random feedback forms to a percentage of learners that are collated by Quality Assurance for internal audits. The statistics of these are given at training and standardization meetings that are held regularly around the country.At these me etings all trainers/teachers talk about their experiences what has worked for them and what hasn't, they talk about good and bad practice and anything new that has been developed. I have registered myself with groups such as ICQ, Community Care, Dignity, ICE, MacMillan, TEST, and elf and receive regular email keeping me up to date with anything new, I also watch documentaries pertaining to my work and attend training sessions to refresh and expand my knowledge.I spend a lot of time surfing the internet, research different things and am a member of the NW London Skills for Care sub-committee which also ensures I am up to date with legislative requirements and have an active part in the the privilege of helping the company achieve Investors in People (â€Å"P) over the last fifteen years and every three years to re-qualify for continual status. In both PIP and ICQ inspections' training has always been praised for its quality and support. Appendix 1 Some facts and achievements of Near s Care Ltd.The fact that Nears has been accredited by Investors in People (â€Å"P) since 1994 is one of the achievements of which we can all be most proud. During this period Nears has grown from 350 employees to over 13,000, PIP accreditation requires organizations to consistently operate in a way that develops employees and to actively engage with them to look for ways to improve the running of the company. It is also important that the organization is socially responsible and that people are committed to its' success.Nears may be a larger organization now but our commitment to staff development will never change. In 2011 you will see new efforts to increase our apprenticeships, support management development, launch our new Graduate programmer and continue to develop all our staff in Health and Safety. I would like to thank all staff for their individual contribution to our continuing success David Miles CEO EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY Nears Group PL and its subsidiaries are Equal O pportunities Employers.Our aim is to ensure that no Job applicant or employee receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, disability, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, marital status, sexuality, responsibility for defendants, religion, trade union activity and age (up to 65). Selection criteria and procedures are kept under review to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees will be given equality of opportunity within the company's service and will be encouraged to progress within the organization.To ensure that direct or indirect discrimination is not occurring, recruitment and other employment decisions are regularly monitored in conjunction with equal opportunities data concerning new and existing staff. The Nears Ethos is one of respect for people and we are fully committed to ensuring accessible services and opportunities to all. Our policies, procedures and w orking practices are designed to exceed government legislation and best practice in this area and to ensure that no discrimination either direct or indirect is tolerated throughout the group.We are all different. We look different, like different things, worship to different elisions and have different outlooks on life. Diversity is a term that values peoples' differences and supports the belief that these differences benefit a successful business or community. Committed to local employment. To the local contract, support economic and social regeneration, but also that our workforce reflects the community it serves. Staff who live locally and understand their communities help us to respond to and respect local culture.We recruit between 85% and 100% of local staff from the community To achieve this we ensure all vacancies are advertised on our website and with the local Job centre. When necessary we advertise in local newspapers and radio to maximize local awareness and interest. Ne ars support for local community projects also helps to make people aware of what we do and creates a positive impression of our business from prospective employees [pick] AGE POSITIVE Nears is very proud to be an Age Positive organization, an accreditation that we received in 2006.We are committed to promoting a diverse workforce and recognize the contribution more experienced employees offer to the business. We currently employ 31 people above the normal retirement age (2010). Case Studies Administrator 19 Years I Joined Nears North as an Office Junior in 2005 with basic office experience and an NV Level 2 qualification in Business Administration. In my role as Office Junior I worked closely with all the departments in Head Office and assisted the Office Manager with weekly payroll.Within a few months, I was given the opportunity to take responsibility for the processing of weekly payroll and promoted to Administrator in the finance department. I also achieved NV Level 3 in Busines s Administration and was awarded Apprentice of the Year 2005 by Recordable Training Association. Regional HER Advisor 58 Years â€Å"Prior to Joining Nears I worked for 34 years for an Electrical Engineering company in Newcastle. I started as a Commercial Apprentice and gained a BAA (Hon.) in Business Studies.I held various positions in HER starting as an assistant to the Personnel Officer and ending as a Regional HER Manager. In October 2004 1 took a voluntary redundancy package and decided to retire, but soon decided that I was far too young to retire. I knew that I had a lot to offer a new employer with over 30 years HER experience but the difficulty I then had was getting to the interview stage. Nears approach to recruitment for the Newcastle contract offered me a walk-in interview branches and was soon given two additional branches and the title of Regional HER Advisor.It's extremely exciting and challenging being part of a company growing so quickly and there is a very positi ve buzz about the place†. Joiner 63 years â€Å"I have always worked in construction but only Joined Nears in 2005. I consider my greatest achievement while working for the company has been coaching and supporting our trainees. The apprentices we employ have not all come through the usual channels and many have issues and difficult backgrounds. I aim to be patient and thoughtful, showing the apprentices how to do things the correct way! Inclusive Practice Inclusive Practice Inclusive practice in education moves us away from ‘integration' and ‘mainstreaming' of learners, which was mainly concerned with separating those with a disability or ‘special educational needs' until they had reached the required standard for mainstream education. Inclusion is about the learner's right to participate and the teacher/ institutions duty to accept the learner as an individual. Inclusion rejects the separation of learners with disabilities from learners without disabilities; instead it promotes equality and respect for their social, civil, human and educational rights.From what I can see there are few totally inclusive schools but those that are, restructure their curriculum so all can learn together without discrimination. Some key reports that have changed the face of education over the last decade and a half are: â€Å"Inclusive Learning† (1996) a report by John Tomlinson, was the result of a three-year enquiry into the ed ucational needs of and provision for adults with disabilities and/ or learning difficulties in England.It arose from the requirement of an Act of Parliament, in 1992 and states that; the new national funding council for further education should ‘have regard' for such students in all its work of funding, development and evaluation. ITSELF ? Learning for Teaching We believe that learning can only be fully effective if it is inclusive' ? Tomlinson 1996, case. Org. UK â€Å"Learning Works† the report of the Further Education Funding Council's committee on widening participation in Further Education Noun 1997), chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy of the Shaw. The Learning Age† (Feb. 1998), the government consultation paper on lifelong learning, and the formal response to the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education's report Higher Education in the Learning Society. Key points being; more assessable learning opportunities, removing barriers I. E. Financial, di sability, investing in 16 + learners and improve quality.The Wolf report March 2011) Key points being; motivate young people to take the most valuable vocational qualifications pre-16, introducing study programmer for post-16 to ensure they are gaining skills which will lead to progression into a variety of Jobs or further learning, especially those who haven't done so well in English and mathematics to continue to study those subjects. To ensure apprenticeships deliver the right skills for the workplace, restructuring of the Qualification, Credit Framework (SCOFF) and enabling FEE lecturers and professionals to teach in schools, ensuring young people are being taught by those best suited to do so. education. Gob. UK Unfortunately with the changes in political power come changes in legislation. This on low income. Although only EYE per week, this could mean the difference between being able to afford to go to college or not. With the increases in University charges and the prospect of post graduates being left with huge debts to pay, or being told by bob centers they are ‘over qualified ‘ so no Jobs for them, it seems as though there has been a u turn in all the progress that had been made in the last decade and a half.Only time will tell what impact this will have on students and how many will want or be able to continue with their studies and what divide may be caused between those who can and can't afford to do this. In recent years, with the poor economic climate, many businesses have collapsed making people redundant. Faced with life changing decisions of having to change their career path and learning new kills; as the competition for Jobs with the skills they have may be too great, some of these individuals haven't been in the education system for many years and are faced in some circumstances with a frightening prospect of starting all over again.If they have had bad experiences in the past this will magnify the fear tenfold. I believe the refore it is even more important that teachers have experience in different skills and occupations as more learners may need to go directly into the work force and acquire work based training, with the employer supporting their learning. These are all barriers that have an impact on inclusive practice in the classroom as I can often have a group of learners with ages ranging from eighteen to sixty plus, from various backgrounds and experience.On one occasion I had a group of fifteen learners consisting of school leavers with no experience, some with varying amounts of experience in residential homes and hospitals. Some were returning to work Mums and others who had previously worked in Jobs such as, shop and office workers. There was one who had been a registered manager of a care home but had been dad redundant, with no vacancies in his area of expertise he decided to become a care worker, only a few weeks before he had been managing a workforce of twenty care workers, seniors and administration staff.It can be extremely difficult to accommodate such a wide cross section of individuals and sometimes to bridge the generation gap. Nears Care has policies in place to give individuals equal opportunities in training and employment (see appendix 1) From the introductions at the beginning of the session to the final goodbyes at the end of training I ensure that very learner is shown to be valued by all, showing interest in their opinions and what they have to say, valuing also their own experiences, which they bring into the room for all to share.No matter what their age, race, religion, disability, sexuality, and gender maybe, it is their opinions, work and life experience which is important for everyone to share and learn from. On 1st October 2010, the main provisions of the Equality Act 2010 came into force. It is a major simplification of discrimination legislation that makes the law easier to understand and comply with and delivers significant benefits for bus iness, public dies and individuals.It provides a new legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and equality of opportunity for all; to update, simplify and strengthen the previous legislation; and to deliver a simple, modern and accessible framework of discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a will be brought in and likewise over the next year other provisions will be discussed and brought in; provisions relating to auxiliary aids in schools, to name one.The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDS) introduces the right for kissable students not to be discriminated against in education, training and any services provided wholly or mainly for students, and for those enrolled on courses provided by ‘responsible bodies', including further and higher education institutions and sixth form colleges. Education providers must also make ‘reasonable adjustments' to ensure that disabled students aren't discri minated against.Making reasonable adjustments could include; changes to practices or procedures, physical features, how learners are assessed and providing extra support and aids (such as peccaries teachers or equipment) The obligation for schools to provide extra support such as specialist teachers or equipment will be introduced at a later date – direct. Gob. UK 2011 1 have had many learners over the eight years I have been teaching, with many (SEEN) Dyslexia, color blindness, discalced (which I have learned about and identified during this course).I have had learners with sensory disabilities where I have had to make reasonable adjustments by restructure of the sessions, layout or materials and used others, from outside agencies to sign or give support one to one. For one learner, who was working towards their NV level 2 in care, I used a tape recording of accounts as she found it difficult to write reflective accounts due to having dyslexia.Sometime though it is difficult to make adjustments for one learner when it could be to the detriment of the rest of the class so it is not always possible to be completely inclusive, where possible I would try to meet their needs in a one to one session. Although I try to maintain inclusive practice within my sessions, it can be very difficult when talking about sensitive issues like abuse, some f the subject matter can cause distress to some individuals and so I ensure to warn them before the start of any subject that could cause distress or offense, that they may leave the room of ask to talk to me, or another in private.There are numerous legislations we are bound by in our work, some cover all individuals and industries and some are more specific to your chosen area. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Data Protection 1998, Human Rights Act 1998 are some of the acts that effect all of us and impact on our personal lives as well as at work. Some of the legislations that are pacific to my work and the area I t each are: Every Child Matters (2003), the title of three government paper leading to The Children's Act 2004. (ECMA) cover children and young adults up to 19 years old and 24 years old for those with disabilities.It was partly produced as a response to the death of Victoria Climb. The main aims of ECMA are; to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. We also take guidance from Children's Workforce Development Council. Safeguarding of Adults – (review of ‘No Secrets 2000' in 2008). Working with both of these vulnerable groups requires an enhanced CRAB (Criminal Records Bureau; a police check) to ensure the safety of the individual and the suitability of the worker, working with them.Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and Medicines Act 1968 & 1971; because our staff have the responsibility of assisting and administering medication. They also need to know how to safely assist with moving and positioning of an individual, the Manual this area. Everything that is done in care, health or mental health is regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (ICQ) formally (SIC). This is not an exhaustive list but does highlight some of the diverse and complex regulations that have to be taken into account when carrying out my role as a training and development manager.It is important to be aware and take into account all of the above when planning sessions to be inclusive to the learners. When training my learners to be care assistants I have to prepare them for many situations that could arise in their daily work, so I need to ensure they have basic literacy and innumeracy which is established prior to induction training, if they didn't have the right level of understanding this would create a huge barrier to their learning and would really be setting them up to fail.If they don't reach the minimum requirements then we can send them to a local college or Learn Direc t and on completion of literacy, innumeracy or both they can come back and try again. If a learner informs us if they have any special requirements when asked at interview (initial assessment) we will meet with them and see how we can meet those needs, whether it be sitting closer to the front of the class and larger print on all materials or a signer for sensory difficulties, eddying up and or smaller groups, one to one or extra sessions for those who find it hard to work in larger groups.Offering staggered start and finish times, changing break times and length of breaks for child care responsibilities, medical condition, nutritional or religious requirements. If there were learners with existing conditions from prior injuries, for example; a back condition, I would see if there was a more comfortable or adapted chair, if they needed to get up and walk around would be acceptable and maybe I would get all the learners to move around to different groups o as not to single that indiv idual out.Wherever possible I remind all learners that what they are learning are life skills and not Just a work skill, I encourage learning from real life and not Just scenario based. At the end of each session we ask all the learners to complete a feedback form asking; what they thought about the whole experience, what they got out of it, what they most enjoyed, what they didn't enjoy, how was the environment, refreshments and breaks, could anything be improved and any comments on the teacher.They are anonymous, I get to read them and I use hem to reflect on the session and make any improvements. I keep them on file with attendance registers for local authority and ICQ inspectors as evidence of training when they conduct inspections. Nears send random feedback forms to a percentage of learners that are collated by Quality Assurance for internal audits. The statistics of these are given at training and standardization meetings that are held regularly around the country.At these me etings all trainers/teachers talk about their experiences what has worked for them and what hasn't, they talk about good and bad practice and anything new that has been developed. I have registered myself with groups such as ICQ, Community Care, Dignity, ICE, MacMillan, TEST, and elf and receive regular email keeping me up to date with anything new, I also watch documentaries pertaining to my work and attend training sessions to refresh and expand my knowledge.I spend a lot of time surfing the internet, research different things and am a member of the NW London Skills for Care sub-committee which also ensures I am up to date with legislative requirements and have an active part in the the privilege of helping the company achieve Investors in People (â€Å"P) over the last fifteen years and every three years to re-qualify for continual status. In both PIP and ICQ inspections' training has always been praised for its quality and support. Appendix 1 Some facts and achievements of Near s Care Ltd.The fact that Nears has been accredited by Investors in People (â€Å"P) since 1994 is one of the achievements of which we can all be most proud. During this period Nears has grown from 350 employees to over 13,000, PIP accreditation requires organizations to consistently operate in a way that develops employees and to actively engage with them to look for ways to improve the running of the company. It is also important that the organization is socially responsible and that people are committed to its' success.Nears may be a larger organization now but our commitment to staff development will never change. In 2011 you will see new efforts to increase our apprenticeships, support management development, launch our new Graduate programmer and continue to develop all our staff in Health and Safety. I would like to thank all staff for their individual contribution to our continuing success David Miles CEO EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY Nears Group PL and its subsidiaries are Equal O pportunities Employers.Our aim is to ensure that no Job applicant or employee receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, race, disability, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, marital status, sexuality, responsibility for defendants, religion, trade union activity and age (up to 65). Selection criteria and procedures are kept under review to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees will be given equality of opportunity within the company's service and will be encouraged to progress within the organization.To ensure that direct or indirect discrimination is not occurring, recruitment and other employment decisions are regularly monitored in conjunction with equal opportunities data concerning new and existing staff. The Nears Ethos is one of respect for people and we are fully committed to ensuring accessible services and opportunities to all. Our policies, procedures and w orking practices are designed to exceed government legislation and best practice in this area and to ensure that no discrimination either direct or indirect is tolerated throughout the group.We are all different. We look different, like different things, worship to different elisions and have different outlooks on life. Diversity is a term that values peoples' differences and supports the belief that these differences benefit a successful business or community. Committed to local employment. To the local contract, support economic and social regeneration, but also that our workforce reflects the community it serves. Staff who live locally and understand their communities help us to respond to and respect local culture.We recruit between 85% and 100% of local staff from the community To achieve this we ensure all vacancies are advertised on our website and with the local Job centre. When necessary we advertise in local newspapers and radio to maximize local awareness and interest. Ne ars support for local community projects also helps to make people aware of what we do and creates a positive impression of our business from prospective employees [pick] AGE POSITIVE Nears is very proud to be an Age Positive organization, an accreditation that we received in 2006.We are committed to promoting a diverse workforce and recognize the contribution more experienced employees offer to the business. We currently employ 31 people above the normal retirement age (2010). Case Studies Administrator 19 Years I Joined Nears North as an Office Junior in 2005 with basic office experience and an NV Level 2 qualification in Business Administration. In my role as Office Junior I worked closely with all the departments in Head Office and assisted the Office Manager with weekly payroll.Within a few months, I was given the opportunity to take responsibility for the processing of weekly payroll and promoted to Administrator in the finance department. I also achieved NV Level 3 in Busines s Administration and was awarded Apprentice of the Year 2005 by Recordable Training Association. Regional HER Advisor 58 Years â€Å"Prior to Joining Nears I worked for 34 years for an Electrical Engineering company in Newcastle. I started as a Commercial Apprentice and gained a BAA (Hon.) in Business Studies.I held various positions in HER starting as an assistant to the Personnel Officer and ending as a Regional HER Manager. In October 2004 1 took a voluntary redundancy package and decided to retire, but soon decided that I was far too young to retire. I knew that I had a lot to offer a new employer with over 30 years HER experience but the difficulty I then had was getting to the interview stage. Nears approach to recruitment for the Newcastle contract offered me a walk-in interview branches and was soon given two additional branches and the title of Regional HER Advisor.It's extremely exciting and challenging being part of a company growing so quickly and there is a very positi ve buzz about the place†. Joiner 63 years â€Å"I have always worked in construction but only Joined Nears in 2005. I consider my greatest achievement while working for the company has been coaching and supporting our trainees. The apprentices we employ have not all come through the usual channels and many have issues and difficult backgrounds. I aim to be patient and thoughtful, showing the apprentices how to do things the correct way!

Managing Information Technology Essay

Question #1: What would be your prioritized list of IT investments? Four IT investments need to be prioritized; 1. 2. 3. 4. Ecommerce & Web sales Aligning the various systems (legacy, SAP, ERP) together. Hire relationship managers Make IT a â€Å"partner† 1. After only 3 years, KL’s Web sales have reached $156M, equalizing its in store sales, and now represent 15% of total sales. This is very encouraging and exciting. KL needs to continue to invest in Ecommerce & Web sales in order to continue this great growth. Selling via the Internet should be a priority because it’s cheaper than your ordinary brick and mortar sales points, there is less overhead expense, and this market is growing exponentially. The company should work towards gaining the most market share possible developing an industry leading website, timely and dependable delivery, and customer service. Accomplishing the above means getting all the company sharing information and data more efficiently (see point #2). 2. KL has a complex IT infrastructure with various systems in use around the world. The result is a frustrated bunch of employees upset with the fact that communication data sharing is awful. To remedy this the company needs to invest more in training to get the whole company, including the USA, to use SAP as soon as possible. 3. Assign/hire relationship managers to improve information sharing, facilitate plans, priorities, communications, and relationships, and in turn get the whole system to work together. 4. To avoid such problems in the future, KL needs to make IT a â€Å"partner† in the decision making process. In other words, the company needs to better involve IT in company strategy and tactical planning. With the IT team, the company needs to develop and define an Enterprise Operating Model and Architecture that include business strategy, current IT assessment, IT strategy and IT plans. Question #2: Would your colleagues on the executive committee agree with your selection and prioritization? The above priorities should be well received because they solve or improve many of the frustrating employees around the company. This answer will look at each division (upper management, sales & marketing, order fulfillment and distribution, and ITS) and see why the four IT priorities should be well received by the executive committee. The KL upper management is on record stating that the company has IT challenges â€Å"†¦around coordinating the various, and at times conflicting, business priorities across the enterprise. We sure could use better IT tools for this as well as ready access to timely performance data.†, CEO Joseph Campbell. In addition, COO Jens McCreary stated that the company needs to improve global supply-chain management and leverage the expertise to outpace out competitors and cut our operating costs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Considering these quotes it’s safe to assume that the CEO and COO should be accepting of these four IT priorities because will want to see IT provide better services in order to reach their goals. The products, manufacturing and distribution divisions of the company want to see SAP standardized and compatible across the company in order to better share information. Priorities #2 and 3 should please this division. Sales & marketing hope to see inter-operating unit and communications and coordination issues to be resolved and they need real-time data. Priorities #1, 2 and 3 should encourage the sales and marketing team. The order fulfillment and distribution divisions need capabilities to forecast sales and manage our product and cash flows need to be more competitive. They want to be able to deliver in a J.I.T. basis (optimize effectiveness) and have data integration between the legacy systems, SAP, Oracle, etc. These issues should improve with priorities #2 and 3 and this making these priorities acceptable to this division. Finally, the information technology services (ITS) claim that not spending enough on IT (more spent on production and sales), and Web and ecommerce should be priority. Priorities 1 to 4 all favor the ITS team, and therefore should be well received.

Risk Management and Banking Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Management and Banking Crisis - Essay Example The Banks & Financial Institutions avail the benefits of higher interest rates by lending to Sub-Prime customers but expose the capital to higher risks. The Banks used a mechanism of distributing the risk of the lending to the investors outside the Banking system through a process called "Securitization" (A phenomenon that occurred in the booming Credit Derivative Market). This phenomenon occurred extensively in the US Sub-Prime Mortgage Market that helped the banks to increase the number of risky products but still reduce the liabilities on their balance sheets (apparently!!) because the money is flowing through so called "conduits" from investors to the borrowers. As per experts the primary drawbacks have been imperfections in the Credit Markets given poor valuation of assets acquired against the credit instruments thus resulting in uncertain asset valuation & high credit risk exposure. Even the rating agencies couldn't predict the Sub-Prime crisis through their valuations because the securitization process was too complex and the Bank's risk assessment was inadequate in screening the borrowers and informing the investors about the risks in the securitized products. The system became so huge that the root of the risks was completely covered by hyped data and analytics about the new credit instruments. [Schmitz, Michael. C and Forray, Susan J. pp28-30; Clerc, Laurent. 2008. pp1-4] In this paper, the process of Credit & Liquidity risk measurement by the Banks is presented with a discussion on how they have contributed to the overall Financial Crisis faced by the world. A brief on Credit and Liquidity Risk Management practiced by Banks Every bank has a native underwriting process to support the "Credit Approval System" for evaluation of credit risk resulting from a possible exposure when scrutinizing a loan application. As per Basel Capital Accord (Basel-II), the primary parameters that are assessed during scrutiny of a loan application are: Probability of Default (PD), Loss Given Default (LGD), Exposure at Default (EAD) and Maturity

Report of Marketing Campaign review-Vodafone New Zealand PXT service Essay

Report of Marketing Campaign review-Vodafone New Zealand PXT service - Essay Example Vodafone Group was established in the United Kingdom back in 1983. The company acquired its New Zealand business – previously known as BellSouth New Zealand in November 1998. At the time Vodafone Group made the purchase, BellSouth had a total of 138,000 customers. As of June 2006, Vodafone New Zealand had a customer base of 2.1 million customers that is composed of 55% share of the New Zealand mobile market.1 The competition in the New Zealand mobile market is very tight. For this reason, the company needs to constantly upgrade its system such as PXT messaging. In 2001, Vodafone New Zealand signed up a commercial agreement with Telecom New Zealand today in order to enable their customers to send sound enables photo and video messages between the two mobile networks.2, 3 Vodafone New Zealand introduces its free weekend use of PXT messaging as a marketing campaign between the periods of December 2003 until September 2004.4, 5 Vodafone PXT â„ ¢ uses this strategy with the attempt to boost the demand for multimedia messaging. Since January 2004, the PXT messaging across the Vodafone network has increased at a rate between 35 – 50% month-on-month despite the price of 75 cents per message.5 In line with the increase in the use of PXT messaging, the sales of more featured phones were also increasing. Vodafone used the GO-Race (Loo-Racer) as a unique way of launching the new PXT capable phones. This event was featured on 30 second TV commercial throughout New Zealand and Australia together with some print ads campaign. This campaign was successful in reaching for Vodafone’s target market. There is only one competitor in the New Zealand mobile industry – The Telecom NZ because of the high cost of infrastructure requirements. This also becomes a barrier to exit. Due to globalisation, it is still possible for International Telecommunications Company to penetrate the industry

New Opportunities for Women in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

New Opportunities for Women in Society - Essay Example Women have been awarded bachelors degrees for centuries, have the vote, and are not generally victimized in society. Women can now hold any position available to a man, take the same degree courses, and vote in the same elections as men, although there are still some inequalities present. This paper will look at the historical developments that have led to the status of women in society today, including the Seneca Falls convention and the provision of education for women. It will examine how these developments have led to new opportunities for women in the United States, so that now more women than ever have a career (Baker, 1984). It is these historical developments, amongst others, that have allowed women to move out of the domestic sphere and into the working world. 18th Century America and the Salem Witch Trials The situation for women in the late 17th and early 18th centuries is where the discussion of women in the United States will begin. Women at this time were expected to be confined to the domestic sphere and did not generally hold down jobs in the same way that men did. In some states, women did have the ability to vote but these rights were generally lost over the coming years, in some cases because married women did not legally have ownership of anything and therefore were not considered as individuals (Matthaei, 1982). They were expected to run the household, and did not have any educational qualifications (Evans, 1997). Families were also generally larger in this era than they are today, and women were expected to care for their children as part of their homely role. Further than this, childbirth was also far more dangerous and many women did not survive pregnancy because of the poor health provisions (Rosen, 1973). Women of the time were often taught to read for Bible reading purposes, but there was no desire to teach women how to write and there was no formal education for females (Matthaei, 1982). Women were also viewed as being under the cont rol of their father or their husband, or another male figure if these weren't applicable, often being traded for furthering the family status. These problems were further compounded by the fact that the highly Puritanical society in some areas saw females as being more prone to sin than men, casting a shadow over the role of women in society. It was this view that led to the events of the Salem Witch Trials, in which 13 women were hanged. It must be noted here that men were also victim of the accusations, but they were aimed primarily at women. This further highlights the status of women as inferior within the society, and provides a good starting point to show just how far women have moved from this original starting point and how much has been gained for women's rights. It is also interesting to note the role of women in the Revolutionary War. Women were not permitted to fight (although one, Deborah Samson, did fight by disguising herself as a man) but they were permitted to have roles as nurses and cooks, as well as other secondary roles (Segal, 1981). Women were not permitted into the army until much later, but it is interesting that they were allowed to participate in some activities, which would be unheard of in many other countries at the time. It was this Revolution that brought about the idea of Republican Motherhood, placing women in the role of correctly bringing up the children in order for society to

Discuss the key features of effective corporate decision making and Essay

Discuss the key features of effective corporate decision making and assess how well these are being applied in an organisation y - Essay Example ...................................... 5 Learning from mistakes................................................................................. 6 Cultural sensitivity........................................................................................ 7 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 9 References................................................................................................................ 10 Executive Summary Effective decision-making is based on several qualities. These qualities include: innovativeness, diversification, learning from mistakes, and cultural sensitivity. Innovativeness is based on the ability to come up with new products and to market these products successfully. Diversification is based on the ability of the company to market different products and not be concentrated on only one or a few products. Learning from mistakes is about making the adjustments a fter issues in application and decision making have been seen. Cultural sensitivity, on the other hand, is about considering the culture of the corporation and making decisions based on such culture. In relation to Apple Corporation, they were able to meet these elements when they established various innovations and were able to establish a diverse market. They also learned from their mistakes throughout the years and re-employed Steve Jobs to reinvigorate the company. As a result, they have risen among the ranks of the most profitable and powerful corporations in the world. Corporate Decision-making Introduction Successful and effective corporations have distinct qualities and decision-making processes which often help them occupy such positions of success. These features are often distinctive to each corporation, based on their goals, activities, marketing, as well as the qualities of their consumers. This essay shall evaluate literature in order to establish the key features of e ffective corporate decision-making and assess how well these are being applied in an organization I know well. It will first present several studies and literature on effective practices of corporations in their decision-making activities. It will then discuss the application of such practices to Apple Corporation. Lastly, a summary and conclusion will evaluate the different elements being discussed in this paper on corporate decision-making. This essay is being carried out in order to establish a clear and well supported assessment of corporate decision-making, including the qualities which make for successful practice. Body Innovativeness In the current age of high stakes competition among businesses, various strategies and features are apparent for corporations seeking and keeping success. One of the qualities seen among these successful corporations is that they are major innovators (Morris, Kuratko and Covin, 2010). Successful corporations are distinctly set apart because of th e innovations they seem to constantly introduce into the market. In a paper by Uotila et al. (2009), they discuss that in order for corporations to be successful, they need to balance exploration and exploitation activities. In effect, as they explore and establish various innovations, they also need to temper their impact on society and on the environment. Their power to introduce new products and to explore new activities is at the very forefront of their success, and their ability to minimize their impact on the environment and on society is also a required

Chapter 13 Factual Review Questions # 1, 3, 5, and 9 Assignment

Chapter 13 Factual Review Questions # 1, 3, 5, and 9 - Assignment Example The company, at large suffers from this and so does the worker. This situation is not beneficial for the company. People start Internal Politics for their personal gain. The motive can be promotion, ego, insecurity, ambition, power or even acceptance. The need to be promoted is always the prime reason for creating the internal politics. For example: there is an opening for a new managerial position and there are two candidates. Now, Candidate A is well known to be the optimum manager and Candidate B knows it. So he will start spreading rumors about the A candidate and it will reach the ears of the boss. In contrast, candidate A will spread some rumors about candidate B and makes sure that it reaches the ears of the Boss. In short both of these candidates will try to uproot the other to get the best job. They cannot be loyal to the organization as well because they will prefer their personal interest always. It can be risky for the growth of organization. The total quality is always affected by the internal politics. First of all, the productivity of the company is strongly decreased. The employees spend more time on politics than on their own work. The morale of the employees is always down. The backbiting, rumors and buck passing are the biggest hurdles in the success of companies. The competitive energy of the company is low. There are always many conflicts among different groups of people and this makes the situation very difficult. The loss of total quality will mean that the customer satisfaction level will be lower than usual and the company will bear several heavy losses. And the company will also lose it’s focus from the important factors that really matter. Internal Politics is bad but this does mean that it cannot be used for the benefit of the company. If a company sits idle for too long then it will soon die. A good company will always encourage conflict

Genaral relations of the judicial, executive and legislative body in Essay

Genaral relations of the judicial, executive and legislative body in British - Essay Example This is an exploration about judicial system and its machineries as well as an attempt to recognize and critic some gaps in this literature. British Judicial system The chapter pointed that UK has three court systems. These are in England and Wales; in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. These are independent institutions but the judges and its practitioners are appointed to the Court of Justice, Court of First Instance of the European Communities and to the European Court of Human Rights.2. Author emphasized that UK’s judicial system is not solely focused on civil and criminal adjudications since the parliament made some tribunals as special courts e.g. for election, labor cases, and patent courts. The structure and hierarchy of the court system in England and Wales was also detailed, being the High Court that also decides for cases requiring judicial review and question of laws, although following Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the court is now named as the Senior Courts of E ngland and Wales.3 The broad civil jurisdiction is under the jurisdiction of the country courts and of magistrates’ courts under Legal Services Act 1990.4 The criminal jurisdiction is likewise at the Court of First Instance where the magistrates does a summary trial while those in jury trial by the Crown Court following Courts Acts 1971 (p. 386). Appeals are done to Queen’s Bench Divisional Court of the High Court, to the Court if the High Court, or to the Court of Appeal of the Criminal Division.5 In Scotland, the civil cases are held by the Court of Session, with hierarchy of body to hear cases subject for appeal. Meanwhile, the High Court of Justiciary has jurisdiction on the criminal cases, either for trial or for appeal. The district courts are also mandated of summary criminal jurisdiction. House of Lords has jurisdiction over civil cases while devolution cases, and criminal matters, are heard in the Privy Council. In Northern Ireland, the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland has jurisdiction of all cases.6 The author affirmed that following rules and administrative polices, judiciary maintained its independence from UK’s legislative body, albeit some judicial matters are subject to policies formulated by the legislative body.7 Numerous laws have evolved the procedural processes within the House of the Lords through historic legislation of policies deemed significant in systematizing the procedural aspect of adjudicating cases. The House of the Lords however remained bereft of authority or jurisdiction over Scottish criminal cases.8 One is certain though that the House of the Lords has influential power in the legislation of policies through the â€Å"system of precedent† until its amended to free the system from the rigidity to avoid injustice and may hinder policy change.9 In 2010, UK developed its Supreme Court that would hear cases on appeals from the House of the Lords and the devolution of Privy Council’s juris diction. The SC mirrors the function of other organized civilization and maintains independence from the two other branches of the government whose luminaries are appointed in accordance to Constitutional Reform Act 2005 although the qualifications remained based on the Appellate

Industrial Revolution in Modern British History Essay

Industrial Revolution in Modern British History - Essay Example Hence, moving to towns to work in mills and factories was inevitable not forgetting that factory owners built houses for workers making them motivated. Many analysts regard industrial revolution as the most important event in modern British history because, many transformations that brought tremendous effects on social, economic as well as cultural activities of Britons took place during this period. Change in means of agriculture, mineral extraction, manufacturing of goods, means of transport, and technological advancements led to a major turning point of United Kingdom’s history since close to all daily aspects of life transformed in one way or the other. To begin with, due to improved models of attaining relevant targets of work, the average income of most people together with population commenced depicting unprecedented and sustained growth. It was during this time when most masses of ordinary people began exhibiting sustained change in terms of their living standards due to economic growth (Spievogel, 2010:432). Industrial revolution led to vast change of agricultural activities. Before, industrial revolution, farmers in the United Kingdom used to languish in dire poverty, headed solitary and nasty lives. However, their lives changed drastically when industrial revolution brought about use of farm machines such as threshers that led to advent agricultural production. In 1750, Britain became the leading agricultural producing country in the world due to improved technological advancements in agriculture and market and economic integration (Spievogel, 2010:288). With reference to agricultural development that occurred during industrial revolution, analysts consider industrial revolution as vital to most Britons today since those inventions are still useful and reliable up to date. Due to industrial revolution in Britain, scientists developed complex technologies that led to massive production of deadly weapons that British fighters used during the Sec ond World War. In addition, industrial revolution resulted to formation of very great armies equipped with airplanes, submarines, bombs, tanks, guns and many other armaments that Britain industrialist were producing in vast numbers (Foud, 2004:183). Furthermore, Britain was able to conquer more countries since it needed more colonies for extraction of raw materials, slaves, and market for her new manufactured products. Industrial revolution ensured sufficient supply of armaments during the war hence Britain was able to protect its interests due to impacts of advanced technology. Moreover, this epoch time of industrial revolution led Britain to total domination of the seas. This happened due to its strong military force making it possible and easier to gain total control of the oceanic transportation and trading activities. Through ocean trade, she could ferry her manufactured products, such as tea, tobacco, and sugar to different markets that boosted the economy of this country to a different level. Consequently, due to increasing demand for investments, the country’s national banking system ensured adequate supply of capital since it had surplus finances for use in commerce (Foud, 2004:209). Additionally, industrial revolution time in Britain will remain unique since inventions and innovations of all time occurred during this time. John Kay invented the flying shuttle a machine

International Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Management - Assignment Example The study reviews what globalization is. It depicts its various definitions, singles out its three types, and describes its constituents. The work examines how globalization influences the economies of nations. Special attention is paid to the impact of globalization in the USA, China, and India. The author explains the term global village which emerged in globalization times. It means integration of people, institutions into a shared objective. The USA, China, and India encourage their institutions to engage in foreign trade benefiting from the international commerce. At the same time the author describes negative opinions about globalization. Critics of globalization point a dim picture of this aspect. They claim that globalization erodes the sovereignty of states. The author shows why those views are invalid. Countries which have embraced the aspect of globalization are sovereign by all definitions. The work illustrates the opposite: China takes care of its domestic and foreign po licies without any interference from other countries. India is also a sovereign state, formulating and implementing its domestic policies without interference from other states, and, therefore, notion of globalization eroding the much valued state sovereignty is uncalled for. Countries which have not embraced globalization are suffering from the consequences. North Korea has closed its economy from liberalization resulting into poverty of its citizens and of the state.

Indian Automobile Industry Essay Example for Free

Indian Automobile Industry Essay A. Introduction The Automotive Industry in India is one of the larger markets in the world and had previously been one of the fastest growing globally, but is now seeing flat or negative growth rates. Indias passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the sixth largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.9 million units in 2011. According to recent reports, India overtook Brazil and became the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, grew 16 to 18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12. In 2009, India emerged as Asias fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.In 2010, India beat Thailand to become Asias third largest exporter of passenger cars. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second (after China) fastest growing automobile market in the world in that year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 4 million by 2015, no longer 5 million as previously projected. The majority of Indias car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster consisting of Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. Chennai, with the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo and PSA Peugeot Citroà «n is about to begin their operations by 2014. Chennai accounts for 60% of the countrys automotive exports. The western hub near Mumbai and Pune contributes to 33% of the market. The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat and Force Motors having assembly plants in the area. Nashik has a major base of Mahindra Mahindra with a SUV assembly unit and an Engine assembly unit. Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. The northern cluster around the National Capital Region contributes 32% of the Indian market. Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the countrys largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is based. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol and further planned for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat. Kolkata with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda and Bangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country. B. Major Players The Major Market Players C. Product Segmentation While there are multiple ways of segmenting this industry like based on price and engine size but the most prevalent and the official method is based on dimension. i.e. the length of the vehicle under consideration. A1 Segment Mini – Up to 3400mm (M800, Nano) A2 Segment Compact – 3401 to 4000mm (Alto, wagon r, Zen,i10,A-star,Swift,i20,palio,indica etc) A3 Segment – Midsize – 4001 to 4500mm (Manza, City, Sx4, Dzire, Logan, Accent, Fiesta, Verna etc) A4 Segment Executive – 4501 to 4700mm (Corolla, civic, C class, Cruze, Optra, Octavia etc) A5 Segment Premium – 4701 to 5000mm (Camry, E class, Accord, Sonata, Laura, Superb etc) A6 Segment – Luxury – Above 5000mm (Mercedes S class, 5 series etc) B1 Segment Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment CRV, Vitaraetc While it is easy for SIAM to segment the vehicles as per dimensions but for consumers, it becomes a tad difficult. This is primarily because of the widely varying / spread out prices of the vehicles. A 2 segment, as per the above criterion, will range between 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs. And A 3 will be between 4.5 to 9 lakhs. Such wide variation in prices has distorted the image of segments in the minds of consumers. Hence, for simplicity purposes, a different segmentation has cropped up. The details are as follows:- A Segment – Approximately below 3.5 lakhs Alto, Eon, Nano, Spark, 800 B 1 Segment – Hatchback largely below 6 lakhs – Wagon R, Indica, Beat, Santro, A Star, Micra, Estilo B 2 Segment – Hatchback majorly below 7.5 lakhs – Swift, I 10, I 20, Ritz, Figo, Polo, Liva, Vista, Jazz, Punto, Brio, Fabia, Pulse, Aveo UVA C 1 Segment – Sedan below 8 lakhs – Dzire, Indigo, Etios, Sunny, Fiesta Classic, Verito, Accent, Ambassador, Aveo C 2 Segment – Sedan below 9.5 lakhs – Linea, Manza, Verna, Rapid, Vento, City, SX 4, Verna New, Optra D 1 Segment Premium Sedan below 15 lakhs – Corolla, Civic, Cruze, Laura, Jetta, Fluence D 2 Segment – Luxury Sedan below 25 lakhs– Superb, Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata, Teana, Kizashi B1 Segment Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment CRV, Vitaraetc If we analyze the 1st Quarter of 2012-13, then total vehicle sales has been around 6.32 lakh units. The hatchback segments has totaled to 56% of the entire passenger car sales in India. This comes to 355857 units. This clearly shows the popularity of smaller cars in the Indian market. Alto continues to be the top selling brand with 17422 in July. It is followed by Swift (11421) and Wagon R (9582) – all Maruti brands. This is an indication of how well the Maruti team has understood the Indian market. i 10, I 20, Nano, Beat, Figo, Santro Polo are some of the high selling models in these segments and these models continue to clock more than 3000 units monthly. Nano has been a disappointment so far with huge expectations but it is showing some kind of resilience off late. As a segment, the Utility segment is showing the maximum growth. In fact, this segment has outclassed the other popular segments of A, B 1 B 2. With 128110 units under its hood in the 1st quarter, the segment is definitely making some good progress. Maruti’sErtiga, Mahindra’s XUV 500 Bolero has been instrumental in pushing the volumes of this segment. Innova and Omni too are raking in good numbers. What has been disappointing is the performance from the Tata Motors stable Venture, Safari and Sumo have been showing steady decline in the numbers per se but definitely possess huge potential to challenge the other models. Among the sedans, Maruti Dzire continues to lead the pack. With 11413 numbers in July, it is way ahead of its next model Verna (5300). The iconic models of City, Linea, SX4 have been showing consistent under growth and seriously calls for some introspection by their respective manufacturers. Vento Rapid also showed some slack but given the aggression of VW and Nissan, it wont be long before they start to pull in good numbers. Tata’s Indigo and Manza were on a slightly negative terrain all these months but somehow the trend has been reversed in July. 6816 for these 2 models augurs well for the company. D. Indian Automobile Industry : Barriers to Entry (and Exit) Barriers to entry (or, BTE) are anything that hinders the movement of firms into an industry. That is, BTE reduce or eliminate the entry of new businesses into an industry. Sometimes BTE can be almost insurmountable: no new firms can enter an industry. Other times BTE can slow down the entry of new firms: new firms appear but only slow. Very low BTE, however, means that new firms can enter the industry relatively rapidly. What can act as a BTE ? 1. Amount of capital The amount of capital required to enter the auto industry is in billions of dollars. So, very few outsiders can ever hope to enter the industry. This major financial requirement services as a significant barrier to entry for many industries. The auto manufacturing industry is considered to be highly capital and labor intensive. The major costs for producing and selling automobiles include: * Labor While machines and robots are playing a greater role in manufacturing vehicles, there are still substantial labor costs in designing and engineering automobiles * Advertising Each year automakers spend billions on print and broadcast advertising, furthermore, they spent large amounts of money on market research to anticipate consumer trends and preferences 2. Limited capacity of parts suppliers Existing parts suppliers have downsized their operations to the point that they do not have excess capacity. 3. Competition There are already significant numbers of well established competitors. 4.Government regulations The stringent regulations regarding safety, design, emission standards and fuel efficiency may sometimes act as a deterrent. 5. Patent protection laws This may prevent the use of certain innovations at low cost. 6. Marketing Marketing a new brand can be difficult and very expensive. 7. Economies of scale Economies of scale give large producers a significant cost advantage over small rivals. Where a firm has grown very large and significant economies of scale exist, they can have cost competitiveness. New entrants generally start small and therefore, have much higher unit production costs than the giant firms. These new, small entrants find it nearly impossible to survive against the large rival because they just can’t be price competitive given their much larger unit production costs. 8. Entry-deterring behavior A firm can protect itself from competition by deliberately acting in a way that convinces potential competitors not to enter the industry. Some firms spend huge amounts of money on advertising to keep new rivals from starting up business. Or, firms can act exceedingly aggressive if faced with new competition by perhaps starting a major price war every time a new competitor enters their market. Lawsuits against new rivals have been used to drive them out of business or to, at the very least, raise the cost of entering the business to very high levels. 9. Knowledge and Technology Ideas and Knowledge that provides competitive advantage over others when patented prevent others from using it and thus creates barrier to entry. For eg. TATA motors have great knowledge/ experience in the automobile industry and have renowned technological advantage because of the recent acquisition and mergers. 10. Product Differentiation and Cost Advantage The new product has to be different and attractive to be accepted by the customers. Attractiveness can be measured in the terms of the features, price etc. For an entrant to attain this, it requires lot of effort as compared to an established player. TATA Nano is an example where till now, no new entrant has entered as a competitor. Barriers to Exit: Obstacles or impediments that prevent a company from exiting a market. A company may decide to exit a market because it is unable to capture market share or turn a profit or for some other reason altogether. High barriers to exit might force it to continue competing in the market. The factors that may form a barrier to exit include: 1. High investment in non-transferable fixed assetsThis is particularly common for manufacturing companies that invest heavily in capital equipment which is specific to one task. 2. High redundancy costsIf a company has a large number of employees, employees with high salaries, or contracts with employees which stipulate high redundancy payments (layoff costs), then the firm may face significant cost if it wishes to leave the market. 3. Other closure costs. Contract contingencies with suppliers or buyers and any penalty costs incurred from cutting short tenancy agreements. 4. Potential upturn Firms may be influenced by the potential of an upturn in their market that may reverse their current financial situation. 5. Government policies In India, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 puts restrictions on employers in the matter of reducing excess staff by retrenchment, by closure of establishments and the retrenchment process involved lot of legalities and complex procedures. Also, any plans of retrenchment and reduction of staff and workforce are subjected to strong opposition by trade unions. E. Role of Non-Pricing Competition Non-price competition refers to firms competing with one another not in terms of reducing the price to attract consumers instead, in form of brand name, advertising, packaging, free home- delivery, free service, sponsorship deals and so on. These are the different forms of non-price competition. The main aim of non-price competition is product development. As products are differentiated in monopolistic competition, to prove and show how ones product is superior than others- colour, appearance, packaging, skill level etc. It is been done to create an inelastic demand for the product. Following parameters can be used for competition instead of reducing cost: Quality: If consumers must choose between two products of the same price but they can see that one is of a higher quality, they generally pick the product of higher quality. In this way, if a firm can figure out how to produce an item at a cost comparable to what its competitor charges but make it of higher quality, that firm may be able to steal the market from its competitor. Now in case of automobiles, within a given price range people generally don’t comprise with the quality aesthetics. For example : Recalls of vehicles sold. Recently, Honda Cars India Ltd recalled 42,672 units of second generation Honda City cars manufactured in 2007 and 2008 to replace their power window switch. HCIL carried out preventive part replacement of power window switch. The company is proactively replacing Power Window Switch which may malfunction in case water or any other liquid enters the driver side window. Honda Cars India is carrying out the part replacement as part of a global exercise by Honda Motor Company to ensure stringent quality standards for its products. However, a problem with this approach is that it may take some time for consumers to realize any difference in quality. Perception and Branding: In some cases, little possibility of quality differentiation exists between two products. However, the long-term sustainability of such an approach may be difficult because, as such brand advantages arise through consumer trends, consumer trends may also lead to their demise. We can take example of Hyundai’s Eon and Maruti’s Alto 800. Maruti being a well-known brand it was difficult for Hyundai Eon to compete with it. Hyundai India offers its Eon fleet within a price bracket of Rs. 2.8 to Rs. 3.8 lakhs in the country. Maruti Suzuki has pitched its Alto 800 models with a slightly humble pricing falling in the range starting from Rs. 2.4 lakhs that goes on till Rs. 3.6 lakhs in the Indian auto market. Sales Comparision between Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon Source: http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/car-nama/2012/07/13/alto-vs-eon-eight-months-on/ Product Design: In some cases, firms may compete by changing the design of their products to make them more appealing without significantly changing production costs or quality levels. Such a strategy can prove effective at stealing business from competitors, but it can also backfire, because it can cause the company to alienate its existing consumers, who may be knowingly choosing the existing design over other products with different designs specifically because it appeals to their tastes. Product Differentiation: Not all consumers are the same. By offering a range of similar products geared toward different market sectors, firms can expand their market base. However, such product differentiation can result in significantly higher overhead costs for production. For example every model has variants in following aspects: Fuel used (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG) Cost varients (low end to high end with addition of features like sunroof, airbags etc.) Model| Price (INR)| Mileage| Volkswagon Vento PetorlTrendline| 7,29,000| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Comfortline| 7,75,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Style Limited Edition| 8,10,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Trendline| 8,44,000| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline| 8,74,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Comfortline| 8,90,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Style Limited Edition| 9,25,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline AT| 9,74,805| 14.4| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Highline| 9,89,805| 20.54| Sales Structure: When two firms are competing with similar products, one may be able to enjoy more market share and a deeper level of penetration due to a more effective and aggressive sales structure. By engaging in direct sales, firms can appeal to prospective buyers who otherwise would not feel compelled to buy due to advertising or other kinds of marketing. Multilevel marketing is one way in which firms rapidly build their consumer base. However, by turning buyers into sellers as well, such schemes may require significantly higher prices. A typical supply chain in Indian Automobile Industry Source: ImaginMor, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs. They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. The increased usage of IT at different tiers of the supply chain is on the increase in all the companies in India. An important finding that emerged from the findings was that the integration of supply chain is being done at all the cities in the country i rrespective of the market share. F. Key Developments in Indian Auto Sector Major Developments Investments * Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd is expecting to sell over 60 per cent more units this year on the back of the launch of its upgraded small car Nissan Micra * Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) exported its first lot of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant in Chennai. * Mahindra USA, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (MM), will set up an assembly and distribution centre, expanding one of the four tractor facilities in North America, by January 2014 * The Japan-based automobile manufacturer Isuzu Motors local subsidiary Isuzu Motors India has entered into an agreement with Hindustan Motors (HM) for contract manufacturing of Isuzu SUVs and pickup trucks * A year after introducing the popular MINI range of cars in India, luxury car maker BMW has started local production of MINI Countryman at its facility in Chennai * New Holland Fiat India plans to invest Rs 1,100 crore (US$ 184.56 million) to set up a new green-field plant in Maharashtra and also to increase its tra ctor manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the next three years * Hero MotoCorp has bought a 49.2 per cent stake in its US-based technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for US$ 25 million. This is Hero MotoCorps first-ever equity purchase in an overseas company. Also, Hero MotoCorp has entered into the African continent with launch of its brand and products in Kenya, where it has also set up an assembly unit. The company has also partnered with Ryce East Africa to sell its two-wheelers in the country * Daimler is developing its Indian commercial vehicle operations as an export hub. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will export locally assembled trucks from the conglomerates Mitsubishi Fuso range in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. Government Initiatives The Government of India plans to introduce fuel-efficiency ratings for automobiles to encourage sale of cars that consume less petrol or diesel, as per Mr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Union Budget 2013-14 announced by Mr. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister, Government of India, in the Parliament on February 28, 2013, had a few add-ons for the industry. The analysis by Deloitte on the Union Budget highlighted the following: * The period of concession available for specified part of electric and hybrid vehicles till April 2013 has been extended upto March 31, 2015 * The basic customs duty (BCD) on imported luxury goods such as high-end motor vehicles, motor cycles, yachts and similar vessels was increased. The duty was raised from 75 percent to 100 percent on Cars / motor vehicles (irrespective of engine capacity) with CIF value more than US$ 40,000; from 60 percent to 75 percent on motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or more and on yachts and similar vessels from 10 percent to 25 percent * In addition, an increase in excise duty from 27 to 30 per cent has been allowed for SUVs with engine capacity exceeding 1,500 cc, while excise duty was decreased from 80 to 72 per cent, in case of SUVs registered solely for taxi purposes * An exemption from BCD on lithium ion automotive battery for manufacture of lithium ion battery packs for supply to manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles * The excise duty on chassis of diesel motor vehicles for transport of goods reduced from 14 per cent to 13 per cent Moreover, the Government of India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry through automatic route. The Government also plans to accelerate the supply of electric vehicles over the next eight years. It is expected that there will be a demand for 5-7 million electricity-operated vehicles by 2020. The contribution of automotive sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to double, reaching a turnover worth US$ 145 billion in 2016, with special focus on export of small cars, MUVs, two three wheelers and auto components, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016. Road Ahead Global and Indian manufacturers are focusing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains in the industry. Car makers are launching a slew of car models, mostly compact SUVs, in the coming months. The automobile body SIAM expects the launches to be able to brighten the market. Lastly, the vision of AMP 2006-2016 sees India, â€Å"to emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion; accounting for more than 10 per cent of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by 2016.† G. Major Challenges and Suggested Measures Challenges: 1. Strong decline in economic growth- * It affects the consumer buying behavior- Buyers driven by fear of job loss, moved aggressively to increase their rate of saving. At the same time, high cost and growing longevity of motor vehicles prompted buyers to postpone purchases that they might have otherwise made. * Freezing of credit markets meant cancelledorders, unpaid supplier invoices, and ‘temporarily’ shuttered plants. * High excise duty- 12 % for sub 4 meters cars and 24 % for over 4 meters cars. * High interest rates as well as difficulty to obtain loans for purchase. 2. Duplicate spare parts- Indian market has always suffered from duplicate products and cheap counterfeits. This puts pressure on OEMs to reduce the prices and compete with these cheaper counterfeits. According to the study conducted by market research agency nielson co with acma, 41 % of total spare parts belong to OEMs and OESes, 23 % belong to imported segment and 36 % are duplicate. 3. Lack of infrastructure- Lack of proper road infrastructure, resulting into heavy Traffic has become major concern in most of the cities in India. Parking problem, parking cost adds to it. Bad roads, Bad drivers on road further add to the problem. 4. Availability of skilled man-power- As per data published by NSDC(National Skill Development Corporation), automobile sector in India is going to face a shortfall of 35 million skilled manpower by 2022. Limited availability of skilled manpower is bound to pose a great challenge to the positive growth of the Indian automotive manufacturing industry. 5. High Ownership cost- Small car sales are likely to fall by a couple of percentage points in 2013-14 due to continued uncertainty over income growth, high fuel costs arising from a deprecating rupee and still relatively high inflation.Diesel cars will lose their sheen, particularly in the small car segment, due to the gradual deregulation of diesel prices and the expected fall in petrol prices. 6. IR related issues- The $73 billion automobile sector has witnessed abhorrent industrial unrest in the recent 5 years with disputes in Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Rico,Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, MRF, Apollo Tyres, Sona Koyo and Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd. Thissector, to generate double revenue needs a flexible workforce of 25 million with an amicableatmosphere to hire and fire workers to cope with the cyclical swings in demand for cars, trucksand bikes but the archaic labour laws governing employment of contract labour has fan thesetensions. This speculates the lack of efficient implementation machinery. Industrial unrestsaccompanying murders of the executives have also been committed in 2-3 instances recently,demonstrating the urging to address the issue by the social partners. 7. Global competition— Competition will only increase in the years to come, as more international players enter India and the pace of innovation accelerates. This would elevate both RD and selling and distribution costs, thereby impacting margins. Despite these headwinds, India would continue to remain an attractive market, as volumes across segments are projected to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 per cent. Suggested Measures India has a very low car penetration about 10 per 1000. This number is expected to become 382 by 2025, this means that there is plenty of room to each automobile giant to grow in Indian market without affecting the volume of other competitors. Few of the following suggested measures may have a bounce back effect on the Indian Automobile Industry; 1. Friendly government policies: Tax benefits for RD development and Skill related investments, subsidies for hybrid vehicles are the measures if taken can boost the Indian automobile sector. Similarly extension of 200 % weighted deduction of R D expense under income tax law andweighted deduction of 150 % for expenditure in skill development by industries seem to be positive steps towards the cause. 2. Healthy Industrial Relations through better contract worker policies: As in most of the developed countries thecontract workers are covered under the social security provisions and are paid at par with the permanent workers. Such transparent policies may definitely promote positive industrial relations and foster industrial growth. 3. Technology up gradation measures-Automobile industry is slowing down, but at the same time we are seeing long waiting periods for new launches, which means people are no longer going for same old trusty brands and models and want more value for their money. Which gives me hopes that if Auto makers focus on launching more new models and more global launches they will surely find customers. 4. Promoting Hybrid vehicles or better fuel efficiency—To counter the problems of high fuel prices, it’s the need of the hour to develop higher fuel efficient products and also the products running on alternative fuel to decrease the ownership cost. For this concession on import duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicles are necessary. Stringent laws and strict exercise to eliminate spurious auto-spare part business. 5. Ensuring easy loan availabilityThe industry should also approach the banks and NBFCs for better and easier loan availability to the car buyers. 100% finance and lower EMI with longer loan tenure will definitely help.

Information Systems Security Survey Essay Example for Free

Information Systems Security Survey Essay The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is an institution that was built back in the 19th century. UNMC’s mission is to improve the health of Nebraska through premier educational programs, innovative research, the highest quality patient care, and outreach to underserved populations (UNMC, 2004). As an institution with key interest to privacy of its students, staff and subordinate staff, UNMC has adopted various policy guidelines to ensure information security system. The Information Security Management Plan (ISMP) describes its safeguards to protect confidential information. These safeguards are meant among another reason to: Ensure the confidentiality of data Ensure the integrity of data Ensure the availability of data Protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of the information UNMC has adopted information security industry best practices to implement its information security system (UNMC, 2014). They have become so effective that during 2011, a Hitrust Gap assessment was performed, and no significant gaps were found within its security program. The worksheet below outlines how these programs have been rolled out by different offices in the university. Worksheet: Information Security Program Survey Security Area Responsible Party / Office of Primary Responsibility Known Vulnerabilities / Risks Countermeasures / Risk Mitigation Strategy Acquisition (systems/services) Information Security Office Breach of the confidentiality clause All service providers must undergo an evaluation process to verify they are qualified. Contracts have a confidentiality clause whose breach terminates the contract. Asset management System Administrator Poor asset management Proper policies and procedure in place  to ensure effective asset management. Evaluation to ascertain the qualifications of asset managers. Audit and accountability Information Security Office Dishonest employees disclosing confidential information to third parties Every application contains a log that must be maintained to meet regulatory requirement. There is Information security Incident Response plan to handle any notable strange events. Authentication and authorization System Administrator Covered data may be transferred to third parties without authorization Employees are provided with user name and password to access the data. Employees are trained on developing a secure password. There are control policies in place governing access to this information. Business continuity Information Security Office Non-coordination and miscommunication between employees All employees are supposed to keep contact information of co-workers and supervisors to seek for help in case of any emergency. Compliance management Compliance Officer the Information Security Officer Employees failure to comply with the set guidelines, policies and procedure There is a compliance form that is filled before a major project is undertaken by the enterprise. The form is to ensure that no new risk is introduced to the enterprise. Configuration control System Administrator Compromised system security Every configuration must have a password. Each password must have at least ten characters. The password must be encrypted at all times. Data System Administrator Data may be intercepted during transmission Database with security keys is available to authorized employees only. Access to classified data is allowed to limited employees. Information security plan ensures security of covered data. Hardware System Administrator Destruction of hardware in disaster Only employees with technical know-how of operating hardware are allowed to use them. The hardware are encrypted for security purposes. Hardware backup system. Identity management Information Security Office Unauthorized covered data and information transfer through third parties Identity Management Program (IDM) outlines procedure for issuing credentials based on the NIST guidance. Checks are done on employees prior to their employment. Incident management Command Centre Incident Response Team Physical loss of data in a disaster An Incident Reporting and Response Plan is in place to report and respond to any  identified risk. Availability of a well-trained incident response team. Command Centre is established to manage emergency. Maintenance procedures Change Advisory Board (CAB) Existing patches within the security system A release process is in place to ensure that the changes do not affect non-primary system. Patching policies for workstations to ensure security. Media protection and destruction Information Security Office Unauthorized access covered data as well as information Data storage policies define how data stored in the media is to be protected. Data is only stored in a secured data centre or encrypted medium. Network System Administrator Unauthorized access to the network Network traffic is controlled by Cisco enterprise-class firewall where inbound connects are only allowed to DMZ. Internal trusted network is provided via an encrypted VPN tunnel. Technical perimeter is established to bar direct access from the internet to the Internal Trusted Area. Planning Information Security Office Poor planning that compromise management of the security system Contingency plan is in place to handle any eventuality. Employees are encouraged to store data on network file servers for backup. All backups are surely stored and marked for easy identification during emergencies. Personnel System Administrator Loss of data integrity Employees are only employed after exhibiting minimum security requirement. Information Security Addendum are to be signed for confidentiality purposes. An insider who ensures that all legal requirements are followed before access is granted must accompany outsiders accessing information. Physical environment System Administrator Physical safety of the environment may be compromised through attacks and burglary No unauthorized personal is allowed within the data centre premises. The data centers are controlled by keycard access. Policy Information Security Plan Coordinator Policies may be misinterpreted by the employee The University’s security policy is enshrined in the Privacy, Confidentiality and Security of Patient Proprietary Information Policy and the Computer Use and Electronic Information Security Policy. The two policies require that authorized people can only access this information. The policies are reviewed every two years to make them in tandem with the prevailing circumstances. Operations The Information Security Officer and the Infrastructure Team  Failure for operations to comply with the system security policy An operation must fill a compliance Checklist or a Security Risk Assessment form for review to verify that no new risk is introduced to the enterprise. Outsourcing System Administrator Unauthorized disclosure of security information by third parties Outsourced vendors must comply with UNMC Policy No. 8009, Contract Policy. Vendors accessing classified student information must sign the GLB Act contract addendum. Risk assessments Information Custodian Poor method of risk assessment that may downplay the actual impact of a risk Security assessment I conducted annually. All applications must meet the organizations security policies and procedure. Software System Administrator Software may be infected with a virus Software should not be installed unless the user trusts it. Vendor update and patches must be installed unless directed otherwise. Software license must be retained to get technical assistance. Training System Administrators and Information Custodians Misuse of security system Loss of data integrity Employees are trained on information security system before they are employed. System administrators and information custodians are annually trained on Specific Information Security Policy and Procedure. References UNMC. (March 2014) Strategic Plan 2010-2013. Retrieved from http://www.unmc.edu/wwwdocs/strategic-plan_06-10_v3-brochure1.pdf United States Government Accountability Office. (February 2010). ELECTRONIC PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE: Health Care Entities Reported Disclosure Practices and Effects on Quality of Care. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10361.pdf UNMC. (February 9, 2004). Information Security Plan. Retrieved from http://www.unmc.edu/its/docs/UNMCInformationSecurityPlan-Sept2010.pdf