Thr is tht Frnd

There is that friend

that is so much a part of you, that you feel alone just thinking about the thought of her not being there.

There is that friendship

that has so much that it is based on that nothing could ever dissolve or even threaten it.

There is that friend

with whom you share so much history that one fight or misunderstanding rolls off nearly instantaneously,
because one issue is so insignificant, and could never come close to shattering the bond.

There is that friendship

that cannot always be explained, but only understood and cherished by the two people that share it.

There is that friend

that mean so much to you, that you honestly believe you would stop studying for a final exam, break a date with your crush of five years, or risk being grounded just so you could be there to lend a shoulder to cry on, offer a hug, or spend three hours just sitting with her if that would make it at all better.

There is that friendship

that has lasted through ten years of your life, and is still growing.

There is that friend

who you can talk to about something that happened when you were eight years old, and she can relive that moment so vividly along with you..

There is that friend

that knows you as well as you know yourself, and finds it special that you know her just as well.

There is that friend

who can make you smile through your tears, or cry out of happiness.

There is that friend

who is always there for you, and just realizing that she would be there is more than enough to make it better.

There is that friend

who cares about clearing away your tears no less if you are crying over absolutely nothing or over something she may have done to hurt you.


I have one friend like that, and it is that friend that will always occupy a precious part of my heart.

Purpose of supply chain

Companies have started looking at obtaining quality products and materials at the lowest possible cost from various suppliers instead of taking ownership of their own source of supply. The critical in this is for the companies to optimize performance. Companies have come to realize that in dealing with another company in their chain of supply, both stand to benefit from the other’s performance.

A second reason for the existence of supply chain management lies in increased competition both nationally and internationally. The key objective is to achieve excellent customer service by having the right product at right time, while making use of the right channels.

The third reason is that companies have started to realize that by optimizing one department, optimum performance for the company as a whole may not be the end result. The conclusion that can be drawn is that it is necessary for the organization to look across the entire supply chain to see how one area may influence the rest.

The purpose of supply chain management is to optimize the overall performance of a company. Whether companies are operating on a national or global basis the competition is ever increasing and offering products at the lowest possible cost with the best possible customer service is a way to ensure market share. There needs to be sharing of information in order to achieve visibility of all activities across the supply chain and eventually obtain an optimized supply chain.

supply chain

A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm.

We classify the decisions for supply chain management into two broad categories -- strategic and operational. As the term implies, strategic decisions are made typically over a longer time horizon. These are closely linked to the corporate strategy (they sometimes {it are} the corporate strategy), and guide supply chain policies from a design perspective. On the other hand, operational decisions are short term, and focus on activities over a day-to-day basis. The effort in these types of decisions is to effectively and efficiently manage the product flow in the "strategically" planned supply chain.

There are four major decision areas in supply chain management:
1) Location
2) Production
3) Inventory
4) Transportation (distribution)
And there are both strategic and operational elements in each of these decision areas.

RFID Scenario

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is an emerging technology for tracking goods and assets at a distance using radio waves. The objects can be identified through an Electronic Product Code (EPC- containing an array of product information) captured with an RFID Tag.

All information on RFID tags can be scanned by RFID Reader at high speed, from a distance of several meters and out of direct line of site. RFID technology is primarily used to track objects in Supply Chain at SKU level using high frequency RFID readers. Basic components of RFID system include:-

• EPC Code ( unique number to identify a specific item)
• Tags ( these can be either sourced from vendors or printed locally using RFID stationery and printer)
• Data stored on Tags ( it can comprise of date of Mfg., Lot no., MRP etc.)
• Readers to identify the tags
• Software and hardware to support collection, management and use of the data

Market Drivers and Needs

• Regulatery requirements that require companies to accurately track product handling information
• Mandates issued by USFDA on implementation of RFID technology on Pharma Industry
• RFID is termed as a way to cut costs to remain competitive and succesful while simultaneously improving product and efficiency
• Hyper-markets expects to save labor cost by implementing RFID technology for billing purposes - bills for various SKUs can be generated automatically using the RFID readers.

Application across industry sectors

• Track individual item anywhere in the supply chain
• Arrest sales loss due to empty shelf
• Improvement on shelf availability
• Counterfeit detection
• Efficient and Fast product recalls
• Theft/Pilferage detection
• Asset and People tracking
• Baggage handling by airlines

Current Market Overview

International

• Hyper markets in US and Europe have started insisting that all supplies to their stores must be with RFID Tags ( Walmart, Metro etc.)
• Walmart has announced its top 100 suppliers must tag their deliveries from Jan'05
• USFDA has advised Pharma companies to implement RFID to fight counterfighting in a phased manner from 2005-2007
• Gillette and P&G have already started trials on using RFID application

Indian Scenario

• Ranbaxy is set to use RFID Tags on all export SKUs
• Dr. Reddy's & Pfizer are currently working towards implementation of RFID Tags in coordination with EAN India
• As per sources, a regulation to implement RFID technology across sectors expected to be in place by 2007

Cost

• Tags : Approx. cost of an RFID tag ranges between 20-40 cents. However, cost is arrived based on volume, the amount of data and the packaging requirement.
• Readers : RFID readers and antennas cost aprrox. US$3000/- depending upon the capacity.
• Printers : A good quality RFID tag printer costs approx. US$ 2000/-
• Softwares : Cost depends upon the customer requirements.

The above can be sourced locally as service providers are already available

True Friends

Friendship is a precious gift

that can't be bought or sold.

but its value is much greater

than a mountain made of gold.for gold is cold and lifeless

it can neither see nor hear.

and in the time of trouble

it is powerless to cheer.



it has no ears to listen

and no heart to understand.

it can not bring you comfort

or reach out a helping hand.



so when you ask god for a gift

be thankful if he sends

not diamonds,pearl or riches

but the love of real, true friends!!!

will walmart be succesful in india

walmart.. one of the biggest retailer companies in the world is now planning to come to india.tying up with bharti will they b succesful in providing the best of backend operations in india also which they are famous for.
will walmart be succesful in india.... this is one of the biggest questions whose ans. every company, every retailer, every student...in all every person is looking for.
there are already indian companies in operation in this sector like subhiksha, reliance fresh,birla's, biyani's are already there n they r tryin to come with new technology and new ideas n trying to tie up with other major companies in order to capturs as much market as they could. they are trying to develop new distribution channels to cut down costs and manage inventory more effeciently...
but with walmart working with concepts like RFID,ERP n many more....wldn't this thing give them an edge over the other's..
in my view... yes to some extent it would prove to be a point in there favour... but looking at the cost implications involved in it, road conditions in india where you cant expect walmart's big trucks to move like they do in US, customer base in india, involvment of government in a way or two..it would be a bid challenge for walmart to come in and establish themselves succesfully as they have done themselves in US market.
so it will remain as a mystery until and nless walmart start operatin in India.