Essay --

The PlayStation 3 is one of the world’s most sophisticated videogame consoles to date. The PlayStation 3 has some of the most complex hardware which works quickly and efficiently. It also has many accessories to make the gaming experience much more enjoyable for users. On top of all these great characteristics, the PS3 also has the PlayStation Network. With all these different functions, it is necessary for the PS3 to have such suitable hardware and technology. â€Å"The heart of the PS3 is the Cell Broadband Engine, developed jointly by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM (Wildstrom, 2006, p1)†. The PlayStation 3 has a Cell Processor which is essentially nine microprocessors on one chip. This allows the system to perform multiple operations at once. The graphics card, which provides some of the sharpest graphics, was made by Nvidia. There are two different versions of the PS3. One has a 60GB hard drive, WiFi capabilities, and the ability to read various flash ram cards. The other version has a 20GB drive, but does not have WiFi capabilities or the ability to read various flash ram cards. The 60GB PS3 is shiny black with a silver accent plate that protects the Blu-ray drive and the 20GB PS3 is clear black and has no silver plate. The PS3 has a built-in Blue-ray disc player which is High-Definition. It can play Blue-ray movies, PS3 games, CDs, and DVDs. The PS3 has many different types of accessories. Some of the most common accessories are the controllers and headsets. The Sixaxis Wireless Controller was the official wireless controller for the PlayStation 3 until the DualShock 3 became available. The DualShock 3 replaced the Sixaxis as the standard PS3 controller. It features the same functions and design as the Sixaxis, ... ...s and restrictions. An account holder for the Master Account must be 18-years-old or older. A Master Account must be made before a Sub Account can be made and there are additional requirements in order to complete registration for sub accounts for children under 13. A Master Account holder must be the Sub Account holder’s parent or legal guardian. The PlayStation 3 is one of the world’s most sophisticated videogame consoles to date. Not only does it have a great amount of hardware installed in it, but it also has many great accessories. These accessories include, but are not limited to, videogame controllers and headsets. On top of that, the PlayStation 3 has a PlayStation Network where users can play games online and access the multitudes of games located in the library. The PlayStation 3 enables users to meet and play with users from all across the world.

Time Compression :: essays research papers

Thousands of years ago, Man created (discovered?) gunpowder. Sixty years ago, he discovered the power of the atom. Twenty-five years ago, computers were primarily tools of universities, large corporations and government agencies. Now a Personal Computer is commonplace in homes; suburban kids have computers with capabilities 100 fold of their corporate ancestors. The Internet was in a similar state not 10 years ago. It has grown so fast that now the original framework is bursting at the seams, no longer able to handle the needs of the burgeoning â€Å"Internet Community†. Technology and the world around us is moving at a breakneck speed, and it’s getting faster every second. These are examples of a theory known as Time Compression. Time compression is a simple theory, and it is one that I am in love with, as it effects us all on a day-to-day basis. Think of time as a physical presence that is constantly moving. As a physical thing, it has mass, weight, volume, etc. The longer it’s been moving, the more momentum it gains, the faster it goes. Be it technology, moral philosophies or social situations, we are affected by time compression in all facets of our lives. As we speed through our post-modern lifestyles, the increasing speed is becoming more apparent. Every day of our lives, something is being created, improved upon and appraised as no longer being relevant, and scrapped for something newer, faster and better to replace it. Whether this is good or bad is not terribly relevant. Change is one of the few constants. Progress has been occurring before man had a word for it. It’s been moving along at an ever-increasing velocity before man was, by today’s evolutionary standards, classifiable as Man. Even with this apparent truth, some try to grind their heels into the dirt, slow it down just a bit. Sometimes it works out. Thoreau. Sometimes it doesn’t. Unabomber. But regardless of the outcome, both suffer from the same symptom, a sort of desperate escapism. If you disregard all the nobler qualities that have been stacked upon Thoreau, he was a simple man living in a complex world, desperately afraid and unable to cop to his bewildering environment.

Religious Symbolism in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essay

Religious Symbolism in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck portrays the movement of a family of migrant workers, the Joads, from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. Steinbeck's novel, though it is surprisingly lacking in surface-level symbolism, was "conceived [on] simultaneous levels of existence, ranging from socio-economic determinism to transcendent spirituality" (DeMott, xiii). One of the many levels on which this novel can be read is as a parallel to the stories of Christ and the Exodus (Louis Owens, John Steinbeck's Re-Vision of America, quoted in DeMott, xiii). Steinbeck intertwines allegories based on these two stories throughout his novel. Through these intertwined religious textures, and the destitution and depression that constitutes the greater part of the novel, Steinbeck conveys the message of the impending "death of religion" while at the same time establishing his novel as a sort of new gospel for the people. On the surface, one can read Steinbeck's novel in one of two ways: by reading the longer, even-numbered chapters, one gains a close understanding of the life of this particular family. But by reading the shorter, odd-numbered, "intercalary" chapters, which could almost constitute a short novel in and of themselves, one begins to comprehend the "epic sweep" of the exodus of multitudes of workers to California, the apparent promised land. Steinbeck intended to separate these two stories in the reader's mind, as we see in his journal kept while writing the book, published later as Working Days: I find that I am not very satisfied with the numbering of these chapters. It may be that they simply will be numbered with large nume... ...apes highlight the differences between the times in which the two stories were written, and the flaws of the culture in which Steinbeck wrote. The approach of looking at this epic as it relates to the Christian tradition sheds some new light on it, and in addition shows that Steinbeck truly meant this work to be remembered for all time.    Works Cited DeMott, Robert. "Introduction". The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992: vii-xliv. Levant, Howard. "The Fully Matured Art: The Grapes of Wrath". The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Survey. Columbia, Mo.: University of Missouri Press, 1983. New Revised Standard Version Bible. New York: American Bible Society, 1989. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Steinbeck, John. Working Days: The Journals of the Grapes of Wrath. Ed. Robert DeMott. New York: Viking, 1989.

Bio Lab Report Crime Scene

On Saturday morning of the 24th of October, there was report by an employee of a homicide incident on 4011 N. Central Eave, Phoenix, AZ. University Center building on the 3rd floor of Arizona State University. The victim was describe as a 24 year old Caucasian female, by the name of Kelly; who works as a programs coordinator for Arizona State University. The victim was working late hours as usual on a Friday night, she was on her office cubical.The body was found laying on the floor in front of her desk chair, the body was facing up with three bullet wounds on her body; the action of the shots were one in right shoulder, right hip, and middle of the stomach. Observations found in the crime scene were the chair was knocked over, the victim was facing up instead of facing down. There were bullet holes in the wallboard as well as the cabinetry and biological stains of the victim. Information gathered about the victim she appeared to be talking to her mother while the incident happen, an d it was not unusual seen her work late at night.Also, there was some information about five suspects that might have been involve in the homicide. Licensee Scale S. Microbiology Professor, at the time of the murder he stated he was looking for money from students so he could buy another pint of beer, and was wearing blue t-shirt and jeans. Daffy Patrick D. Microbiology Lecturer, at the time of the murder he stated he was drinking at Hooters and was hearing a blue button down shirt and black pants.Olson John P. Biology Professor, at the time of the murder he stated he was at an all night Chinese buffet, and was wearing blue flannel shirt and Jeans. Hutchins Jason O. Chemistry Lecturer, at the time of the murder he was teaching Chemistry 101 lab, and was wearing a blue polo shirt and Jeans. Waffle Debra A. Lab Technician, at the time of the crime scene she stated she was preparing for Microbiology 206 lab, and she was wearing blue lab coat and khaki pants.The homicide case is under i nvestigation, once there has been examine the pieces of hair, fabric, and blood samples from the suspects, it will be determine who was the murder of the victim. Methods and Materials The investigation began by first collecting evidence from the crime scene and suspects. This includes fingerprints, hair and fiber samples, along with blood samples. Along with these, a bullet was found at the crime scene, which was added to the list of evidence. Fingerprint Testing To collect the fingerprints from both the suspects and the crime scene, the print lifting technique was used.This method included using a fingerprint wand and powder to dust the fingerprints on the object, and then putting adhesive tape over the latent prints to â€Å"lift† the fingerprints' image. The adhesive and fingerprint were then transferred to a backing card to be examined. To analyze the prints, a magnifying glass was used to determine if the prints pattern was an arch, loop or whorl. The fingerprints examin ed are a type of biological evidence. Fingerprints Suspect Arch Loop Whorl Daffy x HutchinsLicensee Olsen Waffle We then compared these fingerprint patterns with the fingerprint collected at the crime scene, which was a loop. Metallurgy Next, the bullet found at the crime scene was tested using metallurgy. The bullet was a type of physical evidence. To determine what type of metal the bullet was made of, the densities of the three standard metals in the tool kit had to be determined. To measure the metal's mass, an electronic scale was used while a water displacement was used to measure the volume. From these measurements, the density was calculated (D=MN).The mass, volume and density of the metals in the kit were lactated as follows: ; Aluminum o Mass = 8. 27 g Volume = 4 ml = 2. 07 vim Density = MN Copper Mass = 57. 1 g Volume = 7 ml Density = MN = 8. 16 g/ml o Mass = 37. 95 g o Volume = 4 ml o Density = 9. 49 g/ml As stated before, to find the volume for all the measurements, wat er displacement was used. By this, the change in the water level (measured in ml) in the graduated cylinder was measured before and after each metal was added to determine its volume.For the bullet, it was determined that: o Mass = 12. 9 g o Volume = 2 ml o Density = 6. 45 g/ml Because the bullet was silver, it was determined that it was not made of copper and u to the fact that density wasn't similar to aluminum, it is likely that the bullet was made of steel and maybe another metal. Fiber and Hair Testing The next pieces of evidence that were analyzed were hair and fiber. The hair samples are a type of biological evidence while the fibers are a type of physical evidence.For these samples, microscopy was used, which allowed the researchers to examine and identify the fine features of each. The tables below include the collected data. Hair Color Features Brown Short, smooth Blonde Short, split Black Short, wiry Evidence Fiber Texture Blue Woven, denim-like Pink Tight, cylinder-like Tulle Wispy, feather-like Tulle and wispy/feather By comparing the evidence found at the crime scene to the samples collected from the suspect, it narrowed the possible suspects down to Olsen and Waffle since both of their fibers were found at the crime scene.Blood Testing The last task was to examine the blood samples collected from the suspects to the blood found at the crime scene. The blood samples were a type of biological evidence, but chemical reactions were used to determine the blood type. â€Å"Anti-A Serum,† â€Å"Anti-B Serum† and an â€Å"Anti-Re Serum† were used to test what type of blood he samples were and if they had an Re D antigen. Three drops of each suspect's blood, along with the blood collected at the crime scene, were placed into three different wells of a clean blood typing plate.Three drops of each serum were added to the three different wells and then stirred until they either reacted or remained inactive to the serum. A way to tell if the blood reacts to the serum is if it results in agglutination, or clumping. The results are listed in the table below. Suspect Reagent ABA-Re Blood Type Anti-A Serum Anti-B Serum Anti-Re Serum A+ Because some of the blood tests didn't react with the serum, the researchers had to SE the blood type information provided in the suspect's profile and then determine how the blood would have reacted if the tests worked properly.Analysis: Fingerprint Testing: After analyzing the data from the crime scene and the suspect sheets provided some educated assumptions can be made as to the possible perpetrator. The prints found at the scene of the crime had a loop configuration. Considering Licensee has an arch configuration, and Hutchins has a whorl configuration, they were ruled out as potential suspects. The suspects who possessed prints similar to those found at the scene were as follows: Daffy, Olsen, and Waffle.

How to Write About Poetry Essay

Poetry may be considered as a painting or sketch done in words rather than in ink or color. To write about poetry we must have an understanding of what the poet is trying to communicate. For this we need to place ourselves in the poets’ shoes and understands his sentiments and interpret his expressions accurately & correctly. To begin writing about poetry we need to consider roughly ten important points. First, consider the nature of the poem i.e. the flow of thoughts that form the poem. The flow needs to be mentioned when the basic elements of the poem are discussed. Second, are the identifications of the central character and the setting of the poem. In order to write about the two it becomes imperative to understand how the poet relates to both and how he uses them in his poem. Third, diction and imagery should be discussed, determining the impact they have on the reader. The description of the figures of speech; metaphors & simile, used in the poem is imperative as it provides a deeper understanding of the thoughts expressed. The tone of the poem should also be discussed as it tells one what to expect (humor, tragedy). Talking about the sound, rhyming, shape and symbolism is an indication of the extra touches used by the poet to make his poem a pretty read. Last but most important, a good description of the meaning, theme and idea is required as it puts forth a simplified yet effective image of the poem for the reader to understand.

For four years the guilt still haunted my Mum

As we sat down for dinner or ‘tea' as it has come to be called in our small two up-two down house, 174, Lonsdale Street, there was that same ominous feeling in the air that all too often filled me with dread and a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. That would set the tone for the remainder of the evening and most probably continue late on in to the night and early hours. The hunger that now eluded my whole body had earlier been forced to become a mind over matter issue as I struggled fruitlessly with my maths homework, but now, tea was ready. Unfortunately though, my hunger was no more satisfied even after I had ravenously finished off every last bite of my half – yes my whole half – of the gourmet dish of Heinz beans and sausage, so expertly cooked – or rather opened from the tin – by Paul. This was another tell-tale sign of what was to come in the next few hours. As per usual, the rather bland evening meal was complemented by certain happenings in our house that even I struggled to deal with as I maybe would have done in the past. By now, we had grown used to, and even begun to accept, the fact that Dad was no longer around to bring a sense of buoyancy and a friendly, smiling face to our home and our lives. Maths homework was left unfinished and certain D.I.Y jobs, such as the burst water pipe in the small dingy bathroom at the end of the landing, were left leaking. But we all understand that life must go on and we must stay strong – if not for our sake, for Mum's. This was something we had done very well since Dad left. Just the two of us, until she found Paul. As soon as we finished our tea, Mum set about busily clearing the table as I put the kettle on, offering Paul a drink and anxiously awaiting his most-probable violent reaction. Much to my disbelief, he simply just declined the drink, but left the kitchen hurriedly, in a similar fashion to the one in which he had entered, irritably mumbling something about Janet and how he had had to put up with this for too long now and how he is not putting up with it for much longer. With this, my thoughts and fears were confirmed and my heart pounded once again. It had been plainly obvious from the second I awoke that morning that they had been arguing the night before and it would once again be Mum who came out worse off. The atmosphere was tense all too often in our house. It was impossible to tell when things would boil over, but it was obvious that the tension was always at a light simmer, biding its time and appearing to await the perfect moment. It was for exactly this reason that I never invited any of my friends round to sleep or even to watch a film or for tea. The whole environment and aura is too aggressive, too heated for others to understand. In fact, everything that happens in our house with regards to this situation is kept to myself. Just as the kettle boiled my mind jolted back into reality and I poured water in to each of the three mugs. I heard the front door close with a bang and the letter box swung backwards and forwards, probably hanging off even more than it had before. â€Å"We shan't be seein' ‘im again tonight,† said Mum softly in her ever-calming voice. â€Å"He'll be back,† I replied tentatively. â€Å"Oh, he'll be back all right. Drunk as a skunk, no doubt.† She even said this in a subtle tone, as if she had seen it all before and was now finding the whole scenario increasingly monotonous. I decided that the best reply, was no reply. We sat in the lounge in silence. No sound apart from Matthew Kelly on Stars in their Eyes gaily welcoming some middle aged house-wife from Wales as Christina Aguilera. I glanced across at Mum, still glaring at the television intently, steel-eyed. She did not even look up, not a second thought. Nothing. Perhaps all recent happenings had hardened her to such petty behaviour†¦ When Gillian had finished her piece as Christina, I drained the remainder of my mug, said good-night to Mum and proceeded up the stairs that creaked more and more with each processional step higher, and to my bedroom. The only place of sanctity I could find. After having only a wash due to the broken shower, I wearily clambered into bed and took out my football magazine from my bedside drawer. The last thing I remembered before dozing off to sleep was groggily reading an article about the demise of Spain on the World stage. The lines upon lines of text slowly transformed into horizontal lines in my mind and became wood, lots of wood all lined up neatly, now vertical, forming walls. Fence panels. My eyes came into focus as I gazed around what slowly materialized into a beautiful open space, lined with borders and rockeries immediately before the mahogany slats, containing amazingly colourful trees, plants and grasses that thrived in the gorgeous weather. Now my mind caught up with my vision and I recognised the setting as our old house. It was peaceful. Perfect. Birds chirruped in the trees and a plethora of insects busily went about their duties. Bees buzzed in and out of open petals and buds all around the garden. Ladybirds landed gracefully on emerald green leaves and butterflies parading stunning spectrums of colour fluttered aimlessly in the gentle breeze. Beyond a finely pruned hedge towards the opposite end of the garden was a ray of light that glared brilliantly in my eyes. It drew me towards it with an almost hypnotic supremacy as I felt the heat of the beating sun on my neck. I stood over the pool and watched tiny insignificant creatures skate on the water's surface, backwards and forwards with no evident purpose. Gradually, large elegant petals floated down from an overhanging tree, landing on the surface of the water charmingly. One by one they came down in to the water. At first with grace, causing minuscule disturbances on the glistening mirror-like surface, but with each descent came a larger and more portentous landing until the pool was littered with petals that gave the water a mystical purple-red glow. At once – or so it seemed – the garden was silent. Insects and birds still seemed to buzz, sing and twitter contentedly in and around the garden, but no sound. Silence. I turned back to the pool to see its emptiness. No buds, no petals, not even a single solitary blade of grass. My eye lids opened with surprising ease to focus on the blankness of the familiar surroundings. Despite my disorientation, there were recognisable sounds from beyond my immediate surroundings. It took another moment for it to make sense. Mum? There was a loud, ear piercing smash, followed by a thud then an emotional cry of pain and torment! I was right. All my thoughts and fears were so damningly correct, but what could I do? Was I to go down? My mind wavered. Could I help her, or was it not worth it? Would it only worsen the situation? Could it only worsen the situation? It did on the previous occasion. Another loud scream later, followed by a familiar bang and it was over. He was home. Her haven. She whimpered in his arms, but he was oblivious. Immensely intoxicated by drink, he had fallen backwards onto the empty bottle on the table. Well, that was our version. Who would doubt it though? Her numerous breaks and bruises were plain for all to see. For four years the guilt still haunted my Mum. And Chloe, the result of that fateful night.

Boeing Case Analysis Essay

William Boeing founded the Boeing Company in 1916 in Puget Sound, Washington. William had modest goals as a young Yale engineering graduate, first making it big in the timber industry. When the Wright bothers showed the world the idea of flight, William was intrigued. He then decided that it was time that he should enter into the field of aviation. Boeing and his friend Conrad Westervelt teamed up to create a more practical plane after witnessing the Wright brother’s creation and further advances. Their first plane was a twin-float seaplane, aptly named the B & W, after their initials. Boeing’s company had its big break when the United States joined World War II. His company became one of the main manufacturer’s for the military’s aircraft division. The Boeing Company continued to be a major military plane supplier and then went into the civilian aircraft division. Through these successes, Boeing grew into the company that it is today. The Boeing Company is one of the world’s largest aerospace firms. They are also the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. Boeing is divided into various business units which are: Commercial Airplanes, Military Aircraft and Missile Systems, Space and Communications, the Boeing Capital Corporation, Connexion by Boeing, Air Traffic Management, and Boeing Technology. Through these distinct business segments, Boeing operates in more than 70 countries and does business with over 140 countries. They operate approximately 14,000 aircraft, and nearly 75% of the world’s fleet use Boeing jetliners. The primary aircraft that Boeing sells are the 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, and the 777. The newest aircraft, the 7E7, is expected to be in service by 2008 and it will be the next generation of commercial aircraft. The industries that Boeing competes in are: aircraft, aircraft parts and equipment, guided missiles and space vehicles, aircraft engines and engine parts, space vehicle equipment, and computer integrated systems design. The SIC codes are 3721, 3728, 3761, 3724, 3769, and 7373 respectively. We will be focusing on the aircraft industry with SIC code 3721. The headquarters have recently moved from Puget Sound, Washington to Chicago, Illinois. They are now located at 100 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 60606. Boeing has branches across the world, but most of them lie in the United States. There are 30 facilities in the US, 3 in Australia, 2 in Canada, and they also have locations in England, Germany, China, and the United Arab Emirates. (See Figure 1 in appendix) Mission Statement When researching Boeing Company, we did not find a mission statement, but they do have core strategies, competencies, and values. These are: run healthy core businesses, leverage strengths into new products and services, open new frontiers, detailed customer knowledge and focus, large-scale system integration, lean enterprise, leadership, integrity, quality, customer satisfaction, people working together, a diverse and involved team, good corporate citizenship, and enhanced shareholder value. The mission statement that we created is as follows: Our mission at Boeing Company is to ensure customer satisfaction by delivering detailed customer knowledge and focus on airlines, space agencies, and the military. We will be a good corporate citizen, and maintain a leadership position in our businesses by preserving the highest quality available. We want to maintain and enhance shareholder value through running our Aircraft, Military, Space, and Technology segments with a diversified and involved team of employees who work together. And, through the use of breakthrough technologies and engineering, we will continue to be a world leader, which is important to our customers and business partners of the world. Components of Mission Statement The mission statement addresses customers with the statement: detailed customer knowledge and focus on airlines, space agencies, and the military.  This shows their commitment and focus upon what kinds of customers they will target. The mission addresses products and services with the statement: running our Aircraft, Military, Space, and Technology segments. This shows their commitment to the specific businesses. These are the main business segments in which Boeing competes. The market is addressed with: world leader, which is important to our customers and business partners of the world. This is the geographic area that Boeing serves, and that is the entire world. Technology is addressed with the statement: the use of breakthrough technologies and engineering. Boeing is renowned for its commitment to advanced technologies and engineering. This is an integral part of their mission statement. Boeing’s concern for survival, growth, and profitability is mentioned with: maintain and enhance shareholder value. These are the very words that every company should strive for. This is the overall focus of their operations. The mission statement addresses philosophy with: ensure customer satisfaction by delivering detailed customer knowledge and focus. Boeing’s philosophy is important because it gives a sense of belonging to customers. The self-concept component is addressed with the statement: maintaining a leadership position in our businesses and preserving the highest quality available. Again, Boeing is renowned for its leadership and engineering accomplishments. These are the basis for Boeing’s success. The statement that mentions public image is as follows: being a good corporate citizen. This is another of Boeing’s strengths. They continually support the local communities that they serve and are very active in volunteerism. The mission addresses the employee component with the statement: with a diversified and involved team of employees who work together. Boeing is very committed to their employees by having the very best and brightest individuals working for them. They also value their employees by offering various continuing education classes. External Analysis: Opportunities Economic The economy itself, has been improving since the terrorist attacks, and as such, air travel is increasing as well. This will allow the industry to begin easing back into pre-attack production levels for aircraft. Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental One opportunity available is with the development of highly efficient engines. This is a very large opportunity for the industry as the costs of fuel are rising and the available natural resources are continually being diminished. Also, the future of jet engines is being developed into non-combustion engines. The future of engines is in pulse, whereby the reaction takes place with a pulse, rather than continuously which provides greater efficiency. Political, legal, and government This opportunity exists with the ability of firms to merge to reduce costs. This has been a very popular method in the industry to facilitate growth and product development. Also, with more free trade agreements, the industry can obtain a cost advantage with new suppliers in other countries. Technological The entire industry has the ability to stream ahead by equipping planes with wireless internet access and new and improved guidance software. With up to  the minute information on weather and other pertinent information, the industry can better serve their customers. Competitive The industry is very competitive and with the recent mergers, the industry has time sensitive opportunities to take market share away from other companies. Thus, the other firms in the industry pose as opportunities for the firms in the industry to be on guard to take advantage of each other whenever possible. External Analysis: Threats Economic The terrorist attacks have caused airlines to delay the purchase of new aircraft, and they have also started to delay the retirement of aircraft. Also, with the decline in passenger travel post 9/11, the airlines are having trouble making enough money and they are shutting down routes. The shutting down of the routes has decreased the need for new aircraft. The industry has also been vulnerable to businesses cutting their air travel. Again, this is related to terrorism. A big business does not want to lose their top executives from hijackings. Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental The increase in the amount of telecommuting software has decreased the need for business travel. Also, because of the terrorist attacks, many people are using alternate means of travel. Political, legal, and governmental The industry is facing large, class action lawsuits from the terrorist attacks. Airlines and manufacturers have to set aside money for this and are thereby unable to fully focus on their businesses. Technological The biggest technological threat is falling behind the competition with technological advances. The industry has the ability to take advantage of the companies that lag behind in the implementation of new technology. Competitive As stated with the social, cultural, demographic, and environmental, the industry faces competition with telecommuting. They also face competition from the push for high-speed train lines. This alternate way of travel has seen success around the world, and there are plans for construction of these already in the works. With the lingering threat of more terrorism, many people are using buses to go from one place to another. Competitive Profile Matrix A competitive profile matrix identifies a firm’s major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firm’s strategic position. The ratings are as follows: 1 major weakness, 2 minor weaknesses, 3 minor strengths, and 4 major strengths. (Figure 2 in the appendix) By comparison Boeing Company, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin are very similar in their critical success factors. These are all aerospace companies competing in the global market. These three companies all compete for contracts with various airline companies and governments. In the Competitive Profile Matrix, the most critical success factor we chose was product quality with a weighted score of 0.25. Product quality is very important for these companies. Without good quality none of these companies would hold any ground competing with each other. In this, Boeing Company, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin all rated a 4 because they all have a great product quality. The second most critical success factor is market share. It is weighted score is 0.20. This is important because it shows how much of the market wants your business. We rated Boeing with a 4 because our company has a big part of the market and they are also well known like a household name. Airbus and Lockheed Martin we rated as a 3 because they are not too far behind us in this area. Price competitiveness, financial position, and customer loyalty are all tied with a weighted score of 0.15. Airbus comes in with the highest with a ranking of 4 in price competition. This is because Airbus has the lowest prices compared to Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are both rated a 3 with their prices being about the same. When it comes to financial position, Boeing is on top with a 4, while Airbus has a 3 and Lockheed Martin a 2 respectively. This is because Boeing is a very strong company that has been in business for years and continues to grow every year. Customer loyalty is also a critical success factor for these companies. Airbus and Lockheed Martin both rate a 3 while Boeing takes a backseat with a 2. From this we see that Boeing needs to be more loyal to their customers because Airbus and Lockheed Martin could have a chance taking over Boeing’s business. The final critical success factor is management. We weighted this with a score of 0.10. All three companies have a rating of 3. This means all three are in very good competition with each other when it comes to their management teams. Boeing, Airbus, and Lockheed Martin all have great management that will keep them all on top of their game and in good competition with one another. Boeing is in very good standing with their competitors having a total score of 3.45. Airbus is following Boeing closely behind though with a score of 3.40 which shows they are gaining momentum in the industry. Lockheed Martin is behind both their competitors with a total score of 3.10. In conclusion, Boeing Company is ahead of the competition and rises above their competitors. External Factor Evaluation An external factor evaluation matrix identifies the industry-wide opportunities and threats. Weights are assigned to the various opportunities and threats based on how well the subject company are responding to the threats and opportunities. The ratings are as follows: 1 = poor response, 2 = average response, 3 = above average response, and 4 = superior response. (Figure 3 in the appendix) The main opportunities that we identified were technological advances in aircrafts, new forms of alliances, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are still recovering from merger integration, economies are getting better, air travel increasing, new engine developments, and customers comfort. The threats that we identified were not staying up to date with current technological advances, decreasing defense spending, teleconferencing with high speed trains, airline aircraft needs decreasing, and terrorist attacks. The opportunities were weighted .05 for technological advances in aircrafts, .15 for new forms of alliances, .05 for Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are still recovering from merger integration, .05 for the economies are getting better, .05 for air travel increasing, .10 for the new engine developments, and .10 for customers comfort. The threats were weighted .05 for not staying up to date with current technological advances, .10 for the decreasing of defense spending, .10 for the teleconferencing and high speed trains, .05 for airline aircraft needs are decreasing, and terrorist attacks. The weights are representative of the importance the opportunities and threats represented to Boeing. They were determined by considering the impact that each one has on the industry and how well Boeing is conditioned to react to the situations presented. We felt that the most important factors were the new forms of alliances, and terrorist attacks. These two factors are paramount to the industry and all of its counterpart’s success. If these factors are not addressed by the industry then there is a chance that the industry might start declining in nature. We rated each of the opportunities based on how well Boeing has been  positioning itself in the market. Boeing’s technological advances in aircrafts had a major response because of its wireless internet access and new and improved guidance software; we rated this a 4. Also, Boeings response to customer comfort was rated a 4. This is because Boeing is responding very well to what the customers expect from them. This does include the comfort everyone wants. We felt that new forms of alliances, air travel increasing, and new engine developments all were above average; we rated these a 3. This is because the forms of alliances are very important. By having new forms of alliances this could help the company to become stronger. The importance of air travel is also very important to both the industry and to the company. Boeings response to this is above average because they are responding very well to the increase of air travel since September 11th. Also, the importance of new engine developments is above average because Boeings response to this is very high. They are on their way to provide different types of engines that are very efficient. Finally, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are still recovering from merger integration and economies are getting better we rated these each a 2. This is because Boeings response could have been way better then it actually was considering the top competitors are still recovering from merger integration, especially when the economies are getting better. The response to threats has been equally impressive. The threat of terrorist attacks has been very successful for Boeing. The fact Boeing is creating new and improved aircrafts, to help against terrorist attacks while in the air, is a major impact; we also rated this a 4. Not staying up to date with current technological advances and the threat of teleconferencing or high-speed trains was rated a 3. This is because Boeings response to each of these is above average. Being a threat to the industry does not necessarily make it a major weakness for Boeing. They are responding very well by keeping up with all the technological advances that the industry creates. Also, the response to other competitors is above average. Finally decreasing defense spending and airline aircraft needs decreasing were rated both a 2. We believed each of these responses were just plain average. Nothing seems to be changing for the spending but the airline aircraft needs are being implemented a little at a time . The final score, 3.05, that was obtained from the external factor evaluation matrix shows that Boeing is way above average when reacting to opportunities and threats. Internal Analysis: Strengths Management The biggest strength of Boeing is in its people. With more than 160,000 employees, Boeing has a vast number of highly skilled workers. This is enhanced by Boeings commitment to continuing education. They offer an on-site training program and encourage employees to constantly improve themselves. Boeing offers various courses intended to increase employee competency, productivity, and well-being. The main areas of study are: Industrial Skills, Certification, Engineering, Computing, Leadership, and Business Awareness. This employee enrichment program takes place in the Boeing Learning Centers. According to Boeing statistics, in any given 24 hour period, 336 employees will be taking one of 3200 courses being offered, 80 will be taking a class on their own time through the Boeing Learning Together Program, and there will be instructors teaching classes from more than 1600 on and off hour training courses. The Boeing Learning Together Program is considered to be one of the largest corporate tuition-reimbursement programs in the world. In 2002, 23000 employees earned degrees in 1500 concentrations tuition-free. The management of Boeing is also engaged in leading the company into lucrative contracts and partnerships that leverage the company on the business front. Be it the bidding of a contract, development of new technology, or delivery of equipment, the management of Boeing is there every step of the way. And, through its global scope, Boeing can hedge against practically any type of disruption imaginable. Another aspect of the Boeing Company is its corporate citizenship. Boeing is  very committed to the local areas where they are located. The consistently provide cash donations, in-kind services, and employee involvement whenever possible. Last year, Boeing employees volunteered 250,000 hours of their time to community causes, which is equivalent to $3.8 million in free labor. They also operate the world’s largest employee-owned charitable organization. In 2001, the total amount raised by the company and employees was an astounding $92.7 million. Marketing Perhaps the biggest strength for Boeing is simply its name. Boeing enjoys overwhelming success because of its brand name awareness. The marketing department set out on this goal more than 50 years ago, and Boeing’s success is a direct result of that campaign. Marketing for Boeing can be seen on magazines, television, the internet, and through word of mouth. They have also recently created a radio broadcast called â€Å"Forever New Frontiers† which is geared towards developing a positive image of Boeing. They have consistently garnered respect from many high profile trade and business magazines praising their commitment to the environment, employees, and business partners. Boeing also has a very successful marketing campaign when it comes to attracting employees. They are very open and are always looking for bright, energetic people to come and work for them. Because of the benefits associated with being employed at Boeing, attracting new employees is easy. This is one of the core concepts of the Boeing Company, and they promote this by stating, â€Å"the strength and competitive advantage of Boeing comes from its employees. Success can also be shown through the fact that nearly 75% of the world uses Boeing built airliners. Out of 10 Boeing aircrafts only 7 are exported overseas. This is not something that can be accomplished without a successful marketing campaign. The loyalty and brand recognition of Boeing is a very large part of their success. Finance/Accounting Boeing is one of the world’s largest suppliers of commercial aircraft, and as such, they are very well positioned in the aircraft industry. In 2002, they booked $28 billion in revenue from their aircraft division. This makes up nearly 53% of Boeing total revenues, with 47% coming from their other businesses. This breakdown has been one of Boeing’s strategies to diversify their operations. In 1993, the commercial aircraft segment made up 80% of their revenues. All together, Boeing booked 54.1 billion in revenue for 2002, which was a slight decrease from 2001. The Boeing Capital Company is a very valuable asset to the company. This is a service provided by Boeing to their business partners, which provides competitively priced financing options. Through creative financing option, thousands of customers can afford to purchase Boeing’s products and services. Handling purchasing, leasing, and many other financial aspects of their clients needs. Boeing also has a very large amount of account receivables. At the end of 2002, they had $104,173 billion in backlogs. This figure does not include any foreign government contracts, which is a significant amount for Boeing. Outside this figure, the foreign government backlog was $34.7 billion. Also, at the end of 2002, Boeing had cash and cash equivalents of $2,333 billion, and they had long term debt obligations of $28,565 billion. Boeing is a very strong company overall. The changes in accounting procedures resulted in a decreased net income from one year to the next. Even though net income was lower, it is still going to be strength because the accounting change was necessary. A major part of this accounting change happened when they chose to expense their stock options. This will probably become an SEC requirement in the near future, showing they are ahead of the game. (Figure 4 in the appendix) Production/Operations The production and operations department is a very large part of Boeing. These are the brain centers of the company. Through the use of a diversified product line and very talented employees, Boeing excels in their businesses. Using thousands of suppliers, manufacturing sites, and technology development centers, Boeing can distribute their products very efficiently. This enables Boeing to compete at the lowest cost and offer the best quality. It is stated that in 24 hours, they will make 4,650 shipments of spare parts to airlines, 15,000 suppliers will provide parts to Boeing facilities, they will export $53 million of goods and services to customers worldwide, and Boeing satellites will provide one-third of the world’s satellite communication services. Boeing also uses its own proprietary software and satellite transmission service for managing production lines and equipment deliveries. In a 24-hour period, more than 8 million emails will circulate through the Boeing network. This will keep all stages of product development, construction, and delivery under a close eye. Since Boeing offers an internet-based purchasing platform, they can reach thousands of customers instantly. Another aspect of Boeing Company is with its implementation of special design and build process. Boeing essentially created its own form of manufacturing and assembly line in order to reduce turnover time and to increase employee productivity. Through the implementation of these practices, they have effectively reduced lead-time, cycle time, inventory, and defects. For the 717, these processes have cut the overall final assembly time in half. This has also been complimented through the direct investment in new technologies. Research and Development This is essentially the backbone to Boeing’s success. It is where all of Boeing’s greatest work is invented, tested, and implemented. Since this department is so important, they have it separated form the rest o f the company and named it Phantom Works. It is headquartered in St Louis, but it exists as a virtual department with 4500 employees working together at any given time on 500 projects. This department is constantly developing new products and technologies and is considered to be the most secret place of the company. The research and development budget is significant to the company as exemplified by Boeing’s commitment of $1.639 billion dollars. This is equal to 3% of 2002 sales, and is a needed expense for Boeing to continue to offer the very best in quality and performance. This amount covers the design, development, and testing of defense systems, new commercial aircraft, and space programs. Computer Information Systems The biggest impact of this area is in sales. Boeing is considered to be one of the top five internet sellers. Their statistics state that in 24 hours, they will sell more than $2 million of products over the internet. This is a very important factor to Boeing’s success. They have successfully developed a way for clients to securely purchase Boeing products. Because of its ability to receive financing from Boeing Capital, clients can make Boeing a one-stop source for all of their needs. Another strength of Boeing’s website is that it caters to all people. Retired employees, current employees, clients, and even children can go to the website and find all the information that they need. This is important because it shows that Boeing has a true commitment to its employees, clients, and everyone in between. The website gives employees and retiree the ability to check in their benefits and retirement accounts, while children can play games, and learn about the history of flight. Internal Analysis: Weaknesses Management The major weakness of Boeing’s management is in its format. They operate with a mechanistic management style. This means that they have a very hierarchical, ridged, and semi-autocratic way of dispersing orders down  through management. This style is a direct reflection of its military heritage. The problems of this management style lie in the fact that it does not promote the free flow of ideas. The orders are simply made at the top of the chain and dispersed downward through the rest of the company. This then causes problems when management tries to motivate and lead their employees. With the orders coming down from the top, the employees do not have the ability to provide input into the decisions. This causes friction between the employees and management and it does not work very well in the business world today. This type of management can and will lead to employees revolting, quitting, or striking. The free flow of information between management and the employees is integral to the company’s future success. Marketing We determined that the biggest marketing weakness for Boeing lies in its ultra secret business practices. This is good for research and development, as it will promote a competitive advantage, but when Boeing is marketing products, they need to be straight forward. This is also a direct result of their management style. Also, because of the nature of their work and products, they do need to be secretive, but their internal policies and procedures can be too secretive. One example of this lies with the marketing of a new military product. They marketed it as an answer to the military’s problem of transportation, but upon testing, found that the product was rife with mechanical problems. This was after the military had already ordered the product. Finance/Accounting Boeing has been hit with the brunt of the economic slowdown in its commercial aircraft division. With the state of the airlines in the balance, Boeing has seen its full year aircraft division’s profit significantly eroded. Because the United States is the main consumer of their aircraft, until the economy begins improving, and airlines see a pickup in travelers and profits, Boeing  will continue to see financial weakness from this division. They are projecting a 2 to 4 year decline in the profitability of this division. The ratio analysis shows the difficulties that Boeing has been experiencing from the economic downturn. Production/Operations The main production weakness stems from the management style. Because of the mechanistic management style, the first-line employees feel alienated. The vertical and horizontal communication typically associated with manufacturing firms is not present with Boeing employees. This leads to low morale among employees and low productivity. This is a significant problem for Boeing because it undermines their reputation. This aspect of the company also had to make significant alterations to its production line. Because of the terrorist attacks, they had to retool their assembly lines so that they could reduce their production. This also required the elimination of several positions. This is certainly not a positive practice for any company, but it was required for the continued success of the company. Research and Development We have determined the weakness in Boeing’s research and development as being a slow response time. We believe that Boeing has become lackadaisical in their commercial aircraft development. We feel this is true because of the astonishing surge of their main competitor. Boeing has always been then number one company in the aircraft industry and they essentially held a monopoly over the industry. Because of this, they did not respond fast enough to the threat of competitors. This is exemplified through the fact that its main competitor has shipped more aircraft than Boeing for three years in a row. This is a major problem because they are losing customers. While they are planning on rolling out  the most efficient aircraft named the 7E7, they do not expect to have it in service until 2008. This provides a huge advantage to competitors that have been working on similar projects. Computer Information Systems The weaknesses associated with their technology lies in their leadership abilities. Boeing has been a leader in the technology field of aircraft and aerospace; however, they have been slipping behind their competition. This is a very strong weakness, because a competitor has taken over in fly-by-wire avionics. This is a very integral part of flying an aircraft. This technology is what is used to determine routes, receive weather updates, find their bearings, and receive information pertinent to flights in progress. Internal Factor Evaluation The internal factor evaluation is used to evaluate the major strengths and weaknesses of a company. There are weights assigned to strengths and weaknesses based on how the company responds to them. The ratings are: 1 = poor response, 2 = average response, 3 = above average response, and 4 = superior response. (Figure 5 in the appendix) The key strengths we identified were highly skilled workers, companies corporate citizens, name recognition, Phantom Works, internet sales, and Boeing’s web-site. Along with strengths, we also identified weaknesses of Boeing Company. The key weaknesses are mechanistic management style, ultra-secretive business practices, economic slowdown, production communications, slow response time, and technology. The strengths were weighted: .15 for highly skilled workers, .05 for companies corporate citizens, .10 for name recognition, .05 for Phantom Works, .10 for internet sales, and .05 for Boeing’s web-site. The weaknesses were also evaluated and weighted accordingly. The weaknesses weighted scores were .10 for mechanistic management style, .05 for ultra-secretive business  practices, .10 for economic slowdown, .05 for production communications, .05 for slow response time, and .15 for technology. These weights show the importance of the strengths and weaknesses of Boeing Company. These are determined by how important the quality is to Boeing and how much of an impact each has against other business competitors. We felt the most important factors were highly skilled workers and technology. These two factors are very important to Boeing’s structure and its well being as a company. If these two factors are not evaluated accordingly, this could put a damper on the company’s competitiveness. We rated the strengths and weaknesses based on how Boeing Company positions itself against its competitors. Its highly skilled workers, the company’s corporate citizenship, and name recognition have been successful strengths for Boeing and make the company what it is today. We rated all of these with a 4 because they have been such successful strengths. Phantom Works, internet sales, and Boeings web-site have also helped with the success of the company. We felt that these played a key role but we rated these a little lower with a 3. We thought the minor weaknesses of Boeing Company were ultra-secretive business practices, economic slowdown, production communications, and technology. Since these were only minor we rated them with a 2. We also rated some major weaknesses. These included mechanistic management style and slow response time, which we rated as a 1. By using these scores in the internal factor evaluation matrix, we came to a total score of Boeing Company being a 2.75, which is slightly above average. They are above the average company when it comes down to strengths and weaknesses and how they deal with them. Although Boeing needs to stay on top of their game, a slight trickle downward could result in trouble for their business. Existing and Potential Problems The three potential problems that we identified for Boeing are: reducing costs, travelers demanding point-to-point travel, and a lack of contracts. These are problems because Boeing is a major producer of aviation products and thus, these problems are directly related to their success. If they do not address these problems, they will have a difficult time maintaining their competitive edge and solvency. Costs have been a problem simply because of the economic downturn. Boeing is not making as much of a profit on their business, and they are maintaining their current staff, production, and various expenses. These are problems because they are having a negative effect on Boeing’s income. If they are earning less profit on their products, they simply cannot maintain current production and staff levels. Also, because of the rising costs associated with employee benefits, utilities, and specifically parts, Boeing has to be more aggressive in cost cutting. We believe that Boeing has not been as successful as they could be in eliminating specific costs associated with parts. Another problem that we identified for Boeing is in its response to customer demand with point-to-point flights. This is a newer development in the aviation world due to customers wanting less crowded, more direct flights. Point-to-point flights are simply direct paths to destinations. This eliminates the need for layovers and therefore, more security checkpoints, which have been increased drastically post 9/11. Customers have realized the importance of this procedure, but they also do not take kindly to the constant search and seizure procedures. Boeing has been developing aircraft to cater to this demand, but we believe that they could increase their exposure in a more efficient, timely matter. The final problem that we identified for Boeing is in its bidding process. Boeing has lost and has been losing very lucrative contracts from the United States government, airlines, and the armed forces. This poses a problem not only for income reasons, but also for the company’s perception. If they continually lose contracts, it may be seen in the consumer industry as very negative. Each contract that they lose will put more doubt into the minds of companies that do business with them. This also has a huge impact on their commitment to be an industry leader. Their competitors have an even greater advantage and motivation for securing contracts with Boeing’s business partners. We believe that Boeing needs to redefine itself in the market place in order to overcome this hurdle. Internal-External Matrix The internal-external matrix is also known as a portfolio matrix because it involves plotting organization divisions in a schematic diagram. It is based on two key dimensions: the internal factor evaluation total weighted score on the x-axis and the external factor evaluation total weighted scores on the y-axis. On the x-axis of the internal-external matrix, an internal factor evaluation total weighted score of 1.0 to 1.99 represents a weak internal position, a score of 2.0 to 2.99 is considered average, and a 3.0 to 4.0 is considered strong. Similarly, on the y-axis, an external factor evaluation total weighted score of 1.0 to 1.99 is considered low, a score of 2.0 to 2.99 is medium, and a score of 3.0 to 4.0 is high. The internal-external matrix is divided into three different regions. The first region is described as grow and build and can use intensive or integrative strategies. The second region is described as hold and maintain. This region can use market penetration and product development strategies. The third and final region is described as harvest or divest and this is where successful organizations are able to achieve portfolio of businesses. (This is figure 6 in the appendix) Boeing Company is part of the grow and build strategies and the three strategies appropriate for this are horizontal integration, backward integration, and market penetration. This is because the internal factor evaluation total weighted score is 2.75 and the external factor evaluation total weighted score is 2.75 causing it to fall into quadrant II. Alternative Strategies As determined by the IE Matrix, Boeing fits into the category of grow and build strategies. Thus, the three strategies that we have determined to be the best for Boeing are: backward integration, horizontal integration, and market penetration. We believe that Boeing can be successful with any or all of these strategies because they are in-line with the mission statement, they will fulfill their needs, and they will solve or reduce their exposure to the previously identified problems.