In the Mood for Love Essay Example for Free

In the Mood for Love Essay The quote by the author Drucker is a prime example of how non-verbal communication is most of the time more important than the actual answer itself. Body language is an essential element of everyday interaction amongst people. Based on simple hand gestures or a flicker of a smile, one can instantly change the syntax or structural meaning of a sentence. This change could turn a negative sentence into a positive outcome. Throughout the history of cinema body language is a tool that is applied to every movie. Movies by their very nature started of as any elaborate ploy on body language. The silent film era relies on nonverbal communication that is accompanied by visual elements and implanting a specific score in order to suspend disbelief that the audience is sitting an in a dark room watching various shades of light and color onto a screen. The movie In the Mood for Love directed by Kar Wai Wong is a prime example of how the characterization and plot of a movie doesn’t need to revolve around the construction of dialogue between the protagonist and other characters in the movie. To start off I would like to say the cinematographer Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee did a great job in presenting a somewhat stale plot line into a visual masterpiece. There are many examples, of how the cinematography of this movie enables the audience to visualize the budding of a love that happened out of pain, spite, and loneliness. I would like to analyze the cinematography of a scene in order to bring more clarity to how body language is more important. The first scene I would like to examine is in the first act of the movie. Keep in mind during this scene there is no dialogue just a musical score. The faces of the two adulteresses remain obscured throughout the scene. Fade from black no picture in your minds eye the wife Su Li-Zhen is in her apartment with her husband while everyone is playing Mahjong. She takes the chair behind her husband and sits there. When she leaves for a brief instance to let another woman by which is the wife of Mr. Chow. Chow then proceeds to take his queue and exit the room looking troubled and deep in thought walks by and slightly grazes Mrs. Li-Zhen. Li-Zhen then goes to sit down next to her husband and puts her arm on his shoulder. This scene is jam-packed full of visual elements that make this scene very compelling and drives the movie forward with such palpable tension. First, the wife of Mr. Chow is dressed in a vibrant red dress that really pops out from all the dull whites and browns that are present in on the screen. This vibrancy of color and by the nature of all the skin that is revealed above her neck alludes to a characterization that is more sexual, more â€Å"desirable† in comparison to Mrs. Li-Zhen. She is wearing a dull white dressed that is cut in a more traditional and plain way. By the nature of the fabric and patterns on the dress it looks like she is blending in more than standing out. This direct comparison is between the mise en scene of the costuming foreshadows that the wife Mrs. Li-Zhen will become less desirable over time and this will present the problem of some kind of cheating. Also during this scene the very body language present between the two women towards Mr. Li-Zhen is very different. The wife of this man is sitting behind her husband she seems reluctant in showing her affections towards him. She doesn’t really act like they are together she only looks over his shoulder. The camera movement at this scene is very important when the wife walks into the room the camera pans out back to the doorway. Then, The adulteress wife walks from off the screen through the doorway. At this point the camera pans in. The woman in red then proceeds to walk in between the married couple sitting down, and drapes her arms across Mr. Chows back. Mrs. Li-Zhen gets up puts on an insincere smile and backs against the wall. The woman in red seems to push the faithful wife away. This scene is a metaphor down to a tee of what is happening to the Li-Zhen and Chows relationship. The initial distance between the first married couple shows that there is some discontent or rift between them. This body language is very subtle but its possible to see that they aren’t not entirely happy with each other. It’s not until she has her back against a wall and sees the discontent on Mr. Chow’s face do you really see the wife really warm up to her husband. The camera movement during this scene further supports my points on the relationship between the two couples. When the camera pans out it is signifying that even though Mrs. Li-Zhen is getting closer in reality she is quite distant from her husband. This distance is growing and impossible to reverse in this instance. This distance created by turning the shot from a medium, shot to a wide angle. Which sets up the next camera movement where Mrs. Chow comes from off the screen and the camera moves in and follows her as she makes her way towards MR. Li-Zhen. This shows that the there is a shift of desire going from the faithful wife to the new fling. This sexual shift is subtle but very evident once the adulteress pushes the faithful wife. The score during this scene is also very prominent during the entire movie. It is present every time we she a slight shift of the relationship status between the two couples. At first the music indicates that the physical, mental, and sexual attraction between the original couple is shifts towards a more negative outcome. During this scene the music is indicating that the once happy couples are now beginning to shift towards separation. The music cues as Mrs. Li-Zhen walks into the shot from off the screen. The tone and tempo of this piece directly correlates to the overall plot line of the film, and is key to this scene as well. The tone of the piece is a somber one; very little percussion is used in the score. There is a very prominent violin that is playing over other various strings. The tempo of this particular piece starts with slow staccato or â€Å"plucky strings† they start slow and there is able time between the notes to hears brief instance of silent. Then piece revs up to have a very mellow violin playing on top. The use of the tone in the piece reflects on the mood of the entire film and distress of the two that are faithful initially. The tempo of this piece shows that at first everything stress there is some kind of hidden element going on and then it quickens. The heartbreak comes, and now they have to live with it. As the movie progresses however the music becomes an indicator that new found couple having difficultly letting go, but they are making progress towards becoming whole again. When talking about this scene in particular the use of this music directly correlates to the action of what is going on in the scene. At the beginning of the piece the wife is walking into the room. This plucky string part signifies that there will be tension going on between Mrs. Li-Zhen and her husband. The violin is cued in as the camera movement stops and the adulteress wife walks onto the screen. The music is indicating that this woman spells trouble and she is bringing to the movie. Also, as the violin is playing the husband walks out of the room right after a brief pause between the violins solo. You hear a few plucks and silence of the violin at this instance. The silence of the violin signifies that he is not a problem but instead also in trouble from what is happening around him. He exits and the film cuts to the Li-Zhens being more affectionate, yet the sad music is still playing. This foreshadows that no matter what the relationship between these two couples is doomed even though the wife either remains ignorant or refuses to let go. At, which we find out later in the movie she tries to resist letting go the man she married because she cares so deeply for him. For example the original faithful protagonists are eating at a restaurant and both are trying to emulate the other’s old significant other. This movie very eloquently uses subtle metaphor through body language. The visual elements and the musical score help to strengthen the lack of dialogue in order to tell this story in a more compelling way. Body language is a necessary tool to understand in order to have a more in depth understanding of the characterization of the actors in well done films. Without strong body language is possible to sends confusing signals to everyone around you whether it be in the movies or in real life.

Are Zoos Necessary Essay -- Animals Wildlife Papers

Are Zoos Necessary As a child I can remember when I misbehaved the absolute worst punishment my parents could inflict: I would be banished to my bedroom, the length of time depending on the seriousness of the "crime." It seemed that every possible want and desire I had while being punished was related to an activity just outside the confines of that bedroom. The hours seemed like days and the time spent "locked" in my room was unbearable. When I look back on those "torturous" days of my childhood, I can't believe what the big deal was. If I hadn't been punished, most likely I probably would have spent my free time in my bedroom anyway. Who was I kidding, locked in a room with a TV set, all of my toys and comic books, who could possibly consider being confined to this "habitat" as punishment? While I wasn't "confined" for more than a day or two or put on display for other kids in the neighborhood to observe, I can see a resemblance to the animals that are locked up in their "rooms" at the zoo. While their rooms have most of the same things as their natural habitats, it is the thought that they do not get to leave after Mom or Dad has finally broken down and absolved them of their crime. This is their life for the foreseeable future. They haven't misbehaved and they certainly did nothing worthy of being punished for. What right do we have to exert our authority over other non-human species? Shouldn't animals be afforded the same basic rights as you and I? It is my belief that despite their professed concern for animals, zoos remain more "collections" of interesting "items" than actual havens or simulated habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals in captivity, bored, cramped, lonely and far from their n... ...undation 2000. Born Free Foundation < www.bornfree.org.uk > Brown JHS Virtual Zoo. March 1998. Clark County School District. < www.ccsd.net/schools/brown/zoo/index.html > Fritsch, Jane "Elephants in Captivity: A Dark Side," LA Times 5 Oct. 1998 McKenna, Virginia. Beyond the Bars, 1987 Peta Action Alerts. June 2000. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals www.peta-online.org Smith, Val & Kimberly. Personal Interview. 27 July 2000. World Wide Words. Ed. 2000. Michael B. Quinion. www.quinion.com Wise, Steven, Rattling the Cage : Toward Legal Rights For Animals. New York: Perseus, 2000. Zoo Animals To Go. June 2000. Mecury Center <www.mercurycenter.com> Zoocheck. June 2000. Zoocheck Canada < www.zoocheck.com > Zoo in the Wild Editrice del Vascello. 2000 Editrice de Vascello <http://www.naturalia.org/ZOO/welcome.html>

Biographical Analysis of the Crucible Essay

What lies deep down in the Crucible characters that not everyone can see? The former husband of Marilyn Monroe managed to keep one aspect of his life private from the media for over four decades. Was it because of shame, selfishness, or fear? The Crucible is based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Miller has read all about the Witch Trials, but has never really understood it until he read the book published by Charles W. Upham, the mayor of Salem at that time (â€Å"Why I Wrote The Crucible†). He knew right away that he had to write about that time period. Even though the play provides an accurate representation of the trials, the truth lies in Arthur Miller’s past history. Pursuing this further, Arthur Miller has hidden a life-long secret that recently has come out. When his son, Daniel was born, Miller was very happy, but immediately knew something was wrong. The doctors had diagnosed the baby with Down syndrome. He was the son of Miller’s third wife, Inge Morath. Miller said. â€Å"I’m going to have to put the baby away†, but Inge wanted to keep him (â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Missing Act†). Within days the baby was gone. They sent him to one of the Connecticut institutions for the mentally retarded. Inge went to see him every day, but Arthur never wanted to set eyes on him. Afterwards, nothing was mentioned of Daniel. He was cut out from Miller’s life. Was it because of selfishness, or fear that the world will know? His personal story seems to contradict his theme in The Crucible. Through the character Abigail Williams, we can see that people are willing to give up and abandon their connection with their own values in order to protect themselves. Just as Abigail hid the fact that she had an affair with John Proctor, Arthur Miller has hidden the fact that he also had a brief affair with Marilyn Monroe. Abigail William is the girl who leads this play into disaster. She is most responsible for the meeting in the woods and when Paris finds out, she tries to conceal it as fast as possible, because if she reveals that she has cast a spell on Elizabeth, it will reveal the affair she had with Elizabeth’s  husband, John Proctor. To protect herself from future punishment that may come, she starts to accuse others of witchcraft. By telling lies, that is how she manipulates the whole town into believing that she is innocent (Miller 114-115). Abigail is independent and she knows that nothing is out of her grasp. Once she finds herself attracted to Proctor, she won’t suppress her desires that she wants him. However many times she reviews her memories, the more she is sure that she is the ideal wife for John. The only thing in the way is Elizabeth. Declaring witchcraft among the majority will keep the secret out of reach. She uses this to create fear and intimidation among the townsmen people. The only reason her evil little plan is working is that the girls have got her back. She has threatened them with violence if they refuse to do as she says. â€Å"Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And that is all. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. †¦ And I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!† (Miller 20). In order to get Proctor, she must eliminate Elizabeth and choose her individuals she will accuse wisely. She thinks nothing of the fact that the individuals will be hanged based upon her accusation. When she sees her plan failing, she will react the same by not showing any signs of fear. She has condemned Proctor to hang and flees right away from the town, leaving all the action well behind. John Proctor is the protagonist of the play, while Abigail is the antagonist. One of his flaws is his temper. Proctor leads to shouting and even physical violence. There are occasions in the play where he threatens to whip his wife, servant, and even his ex-mistress, Abigail. He was the average good man, who owned a farm and was respected by everyone he knew. He had three children a good wife to raise a family with and all was well until Abigail came into his life. At first Abigail was the housekeeper, who has quietly come into the life of Proctor. He must have been tempted by her fiery personality, which he cannot resist. This affair only happened, because at that time Elizabeth was sick, which allowed Abigail to make her  first move. John may have also been attracted to Abigail’s personality shown in Act 1. She tells John that the witchcraft isn’t true and that the girls were just having a party with Tituba. â€Å"PROCTOR, his smile widening: Ah, you’re wick ed aren’t y’! You’ll be clapped in the stocks before you’re twenty† (Miller 22). From this line we can conclude that Proctor is charmed by Abigail’s naughty tricks. The temper of John Proctor ties into the anger of Arthur Miller towards the McCarthy hearings. The Crucible relates to the McCarthy hearings, because Arthur Miller claimed to have written The Crucible to criticize the theme, while many people saw the resemblance between the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Hearings. Just like McCarthy, the people of Salem were not interested in facts; instead, they took their hatred towards the people of their community. Miller himself was brought to the House of Un-American Activities Committee and was falsely accused of Communism. (â€Å"Fear as Governance: Arthur Miller The Crucible as Contemporary Reflection†). For the first two acts we see John doing little effect to the play. However, when Act 3 comes into play, he is there to protect his wife. He has three weapons that he can use against the court. First is Abigail’s admission that there was no witchcraft, proof from Mary Warren that the girls were faking, and the fact that he had an affair with Abigail. All this declines in the favor of Abigail. He only ends up ruining his name and getting himself condemned for witchcraft. The only way to save him from being hanged is by admitting that he is with the Devil and that he justifies that he was a bad person anyway. Horror struck when asked to sign his name. By signing his name he believed he will be signing his soul away. Even though, he is so close to being free once again, he refuses to sign his name. He says, â€Å"I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs.† (Miller 144). At first we may believe that The Crucible is just a story about witch trials that took place in Salem, but by paying a greater attention to the  minor details we can understand that the book has another meaning to it. Every detail can be connected to Arthur’s personal life.

Examination of the need for and management of the supply chain - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2852 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? 1. Introduction to supply Chain Management What is a supply chain? What is supply chain management (SCM)? Importance of supply chain management, Overview of supply chain management, Decision phases in a supply chain, Process view of a supply chain, Nature and scope of supply chain management, Managing the supply chain, A model of supply chain management, What is logistics?, What is logistics management?, Logistical competency, Competitiveness and competitive advantage, Gaining competitive advantage through logistics, Integrated supply chains, Supply chain and competitive performance, Evolution of logistics toward supply chain management, Logistical activities, Objectives of logistics management, Role of logistics in (a) supply chain management, (b) the economy and (c) the organization, Logistics costs, Total cost concept, Evolution of supply chain management, Importance of logistics / supply chain management, Focus areas in supply chain management, A frame for structuring supply chain drivers, Change drivers, Review questio ns. A company can identify its supply chain by first selecting a particular product group or product family. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Examination of the need for and management of the supply chain" essay for you Create order Then it should trace the flow of materials and information from the final customer (end users) backward through the distribution system, to the manufacturer and then to the suppliers and the source of raw materials. This entire chain of activities and process is known as the supply chain for that product group. A large company will have several supply chains. In a multi-divisional company with many product groups, there could be many different supply chains. For example, large companies such as Procter and Gamble or General Electric may use 50 to 100 different supply chains to bring their products to the market. There has been a great deal of interest recently in industry and academic in the subject of supply chain management. A company can identify its supply chain by first selecting a particular group of product family. Then it should trace the flow of materials and information from the final customer (end users) backward through the distribution system, to the manufacturer a nd then to the suppliers and the source of raw materials. This entire chain of activities and process is referred to s the supply chain for that product group or product family. A large company will have several supply chains. In a multi-divisional company with many product groups, there could be many different supply chains. For example, companies such as General electric or Procter and Gamble may use 50 to 100 different supply chains to bring their products to the market. Exhibit 1.2 illustrates the stages of a detergent supply chain. 2. Important of Supply chain Management Of late, supply chain management is gaining growing importance because of the following reasons : The total time for materials to travels through the entire supply chain can be quite long (say 6 months to one year or more). Since the materials spend so much time waiting in inventory at various stages in the supply chain, there is a great opportunity to reduce the total supply chain cycle time leading to a corresponding reduction in inventory, increased flexibility, reduced costs and better deliveries. Many companies have drastically improved their internal operations and now find it necessary to consider relations with external customers and suppliers in the supply chain to gain further improvements in their operations. Supply chain thinking is an application of systems thinking and provides a basis for understanding processes that cut across a companys internal department and processes that extend outside the company as well. The goals of supply chain management are to reduce uncertainty and risks in the supply chain, thereby positively affecting inventory levels, cycle time, processes and ultimately end-customer service levels. The focus is on system optimization. The design, planning and operation of a supply chain have a strong impact on overall profitability and success. Supply-chain management has become a hot competitive advantage as companies struggle to get the right stuff to the right place at the right time. All the Total quality Management, Just-in-Time system, Reengineering, Team work and Delighting the Customers depends on the relationships with suppliers and distributors who are part of the supply chain. Supply chain management includes transportation vendor, suppliers, distributors, banks, credit and cash transfers, bills payable and receivable, warehousing and inventory levels, order fulfillment and sharing customer, forecasting and production information. As firms strive to increase their competitiveness via produc t customisation, high quality, cost reductions and speed-to-market, they place added emphasis on supply chain management. Supply chain management builds a chain of suppliers that focus on both minimizing waste and maximizing value to the ultimate customer. The key to effective supply chain management is to make suppliers partners in the firms strategy to satisfy the ever-changing market place. 3. Supply Chains : A supply chain consists of all stages involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customers request. It not only includes the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers and customers themselves. Within a manufacturing organization, the supply chain includes functions such as new product development, marketing, operations, distribution, finance and customer service. A supply chain is dynamic and involves the constant flow of information, product and funds between different stages. Each stage of the supply chain performs different processes and interacts with other stages of the supply chain. The primary purpose of the existence of any supply chain is to satisfy customer needs; in the process of generating profits for itself. Supply chain activities begin with a customer order and end when a satisfied customer has paid for his or her purchase. It is not necessary that only one player is involved at each stage of the supply chain. A manufacturer may receive material from several suppliers and then supply to several distributors. Therefore, most supply chains are actually networks and may be called as supply networks or supply webs describe the structure of supply chains. A typical supply chain may involve the following stages: Customers Retailers Wholesalers / Distributors Manufacturers and Component / raw material suppliers. 3.1 Objective of a Supply Chain : The objectives are : To maximize the overall value generated. The value a supply chain generates is the difference between what final product is worth to the customer and the effort the supply chain expends in filling the customers request. To achieve maximum supply chain profitability. Supply chain profitability is the total profit to be shared across all supply chain stages. To reduce the supply chain costs to the minimum possible level. Supply chain management involves the management of flows between and among stages in a supply chain to maximize total profitability. 3.2 Decision Phases in a Supply Chain The three decision phases in a supply chain are : Supply chain strategy or design Supply chain planning and Supply chain operation These three phases are briefly described in the following section. Supply Chain Strategy or Design : The company decides how to structure the supply chain during this phase. The Chains configuration and the processes each stage will perform are decided. Strategic or long-range decisions made by companies include (i) The location and capacities of production and warehousing facilities, (ii) Products to be manufactured or stored at various locations, (iii) Modes of transportation to be made available along different shipping legs and (iv) Type of information system to be utilized. The companys strategic objectives must be supported by its supply chain configuration. For instance, a companys decisions regarding the location and capacity of its manufacturing facilities, warehouses and supply sources are all supply chain design or strategic de cisions. Since these decisions are made for the long term, they are very expensive to be changed in the short term. Hence companies need to take into account uncertainty in anticipated market conditions over the next few year before they make supply chain design decisions. Supply Chain Planning : In this phase, companies define a set of operating policies that govern short-term operations. The configuration of supply chain determined in the previous phase establishes constraints within which planning must be carried out. The planning phase starts with a forecast for the coming year of demand in different markets. Supply chain planning includes decisions regarding the following: Which market to be served from which locations. The planned build up of inventories. The subcontracting of manufacturing The replacement and inventory policies to be followed. Policies regarding back up locations in case of a stock out and The timing and size of marketing promotions. P lanning establishes parameters within which a supply chain will function over a specified period of time. However it must be ensured that planning decisions consider the uncertainty in demand, exchange rates and competition over the planning horizon. Supply Chain Operations : During this phase, companies make decisions for the time horizon (weekly or daily) regarding individual customer orders. At this stage. The supply chain configuration is fixed and the planning policies already defined. The supply chain operation aims at implementing the operating policies in the best possible manner. Various activities involved in this phase are : (i) Allocating individual orders to inventory or production, (ii) Setting dates for fulfilling orders, (iii) Generating pick lists at a warehouse, (iv) Allocating an order to a particular shipping mode or shipment, (v) Getting delivery schedules of trucks and (vi) Placing replenishment orders. Because operational decisions are made in the short ter m, there is often less uncertainty about demand information. The design, planning and operation of a supply chain strongly affect the overall profitability and success of a firm. 4. Process view of Supply Chain Two different ways to view the process performed in a supply chain are. 1. Cycle view 2. The push-pull view 1. Cycle View : According to this view the processes in a supply chain are divided into a series of cycles, each performed at the interface between two successive stages of a supply chain. All supply chain processes can be broken down into the following four process cycles : (a) Customer order cycle, (b) Replacement cycle, (c) Manufacturing cycle and (d) Procurement cycle. Each cycle occurs at the interface between two successive stages of the supply chain. Exhibit 1.3 illustrates the four cycles and five supply chain stages. The four process cycles in the supply chain are briefly discussed in the following section : (i) Customer Order Cycle : This occurs at the customer / retailer interface and include customer arrival, customer order entry, customer order fulfillments and customer order receiving. Customer arrival refers to the customers visiting the lo cation (Supermarket or retail store) where he or she has access to his or her choices and make a decision regarding what to buy, how much to buy and so on. Customer order entry refers to customers telling the retailer what products they want to buy and the retailer allocating those products to customers. Customer order fulfillment refers to process by which the customer order is filled and sent to the customer. Customer order receiving refers to process by which customer receives what he has ordered and takes ownership of the products ordered. (ii) Replenishment Cycle : This occurs at the retailer / distributor interface nd includes all processes involved in replenishing inventory f the retailer. The processes involved in the replenishment cycle include : Retail order trigger, Retailer order entry, Retail order fulfillment and Retailer order receiving. Retail order Trigger : As and when the retailer fills customer order, inventory is depleted which must be replenished to meet future demand. The retailer devises a replenishment or ordering policy which triggers an order on the distributor so as to maximize profitability by balancing product availability and cost. Retail Order Entry : The retailer places the order with the distributor or manufacturer. The purpose of the retail entry process is to ensure that an order is entered accurately and conveyed quickly to all supply chain processes affected by the order. Retail Order Fulfillment : This is a process by which retail order is filled by the distributor or manufacturer. The objective is to get the replenishment order to the retailer on time while minimizing costs. Retail Order Receiving : When the replenishment order arrives at a retailer, the retailer must receive it physically, update all inventory records and settle all product from distributor to the retailer as well as information and financial flows. This process helps to update inventories and displays quickly at the lowest possi ble cost. (iii) Manufacturing Cycle : This occurs at the distributor / manufacturer interface and includes all posses involved in replenishing distributor (or retailer) inventory. The process involved in the manufacturing cycle include (a) Order arrival from the distributor, retailer or customer (b) Production scheduling, (c) Manufacturing and shipping and (d) Receiving at the distributor, retailer or customer. (iv) Procurement Cycle : This occurs at the manufacturer / supplier interface and includes all process necessary to ensure that materials are available for carrying out manufacturing as per the schedule. The manufacturer orders components from suppliers to replenish inventories. Component orders are based on the production schedule. 2. Push / Pull View of Supply Chain Process : All process in the supply chain fall into one of two categories : (i) Push processes and (ii) Pull processes. In pull processes, execution is initiated in response to a customer order. In push processes, execution is in anticipation of customer order. At the time of execution of a pull process, demand is known with certainty whereas at the time of execution of a push process demand is not known but forecasted. A Push / Pull view of the supply chain is useful when considering strategic decision relating to supply chain design. This view facilities a more global consideration of supply chain processes as they relate to a customer order. Pull processes may be regarded as reactive processes because they react to customer demand. Push processes may be regarded as speculative processes because they respond to forecast (speculative) demand rather than actual demand. The Push / Pull boundary in a supply chain helps to separate, push processes from pull processes. For example, in a computer manufacturing company manufacturing personal computers the beginning of assembly process represents the push/pull boundary. All processes carried out prior to assembly are push processes and all processes carried out after and including assembly are pull processes because they are initiated in response to a customer order. 5. Managing The Supply Chain Because supply chain management deals with the complete cycle of materials as they flow from suppliers to production to warehousing to distribution to the customer, there are many opportunities to enhance value. Some of these opportunities are : (i) Postponement : Postponement means delaying any modification or customization to the product as long as possible in the production process. For example, Hewlett-Packard (HP) examined the supply chain for its printer itself and into its power cord. Because of this, HP modified the printer, its power cord, its packaging and its documentation so that only the power cord and documentation needed to be added at the final distribution point. This modification allowed the firm to manufacture and hold centralized inventories of the basic printer for shipment as demand changed only the unique power system and documentation to be held in each country. This understanding of the entire supply chain reduced both risk and investment in inventory. (ii) Channel Assembly : Channel assembly is a variation of postponement. It sends individual components and modules, rather than finished products to the distributor. The distributor then assembles, tests and ships the product to the customers. Channel assembly treats distributors more as manufacturing partners than as distributors. With this strategy, finished goods inventory is reduced because units are built to a shorter, more accurate forecast. Many personal computer manufactures such as Dell, IBM, HP and Compaq have successfully demonstrated the low-cost and rapid-response advantages of the channel assembly. (iii) Drop Shipping and Special Packaging : Drop shipping means the supplier will ship directly to the end consumer, rather than to the seller, saving both time and shipping costs. Other cost saving measures include the use of special packaging, labels and optimal placement of labels and bar codes on containers. (iv) Blanket Orders : A blanket order is a contract to purchase certain items from a vendor. It is not authorization to ship anyting. Shipment environment, there is typically one supplier for all units of a particular product. Payment is made to the units supplied by the supplier without a formal request by the supplier for payment. (v) Invoiceless Purchasing : Invoiceless purchasing is an extension of good purchaser supplier relations. In an invoiceless purchasing environment, there is typically one supplier for all units of a particular product. Payment is made to the units supplied by the supplier without a formal request by the supplier for payment. (vi) Electronic Ordering and Funds Transfer : Transactions between firms are increasingly done via electronic data interchange (EDI) which is a standardized data transmittal format for computerized communications between organizations. (vii) Stockless Purchasing : Stockless purchasing means that the suppliers maintain inventory that is delivered directly to the purchasers usin g department rather than to a store for stocking and using later. (viii) Standardization : Standardisation means reducing the number of varieties in materials and components as an aid to cost reduction. (ix) Other Techniques : Under the umbrella of supply-chain management, a variety of techniques are included. They are : establishing lines of credit for suppliers reducing the time money is in transit co-ordinating production and shipping schedules with suppliers and distributors, sharing market research information and making optimal use of warehouse space.