Cellular Manufacturing System

What is Lean? Running an operation lean means: Removal of waste of all kinds (e. g. time, motion, inventory, poor cost of quality, etc. ) An organization that stimulates productivity and quality An organization using value-added processes Low Quality = High Waste High Quality = Low Waste and Higher Value There are several ways to be Lean— TQM Six Sigma SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) PM/TPM (Preventive Maintenance/Total Preventive Maintenance) JIT (Just In Time) Continuous Improvement/Kaizen And Many More†¦CELLULAR MANUFACTURING: MANUFACTURING A Lean Manufacturing Concept Cellular Manufacturing One of these lean practices, cellular manufacturing, is based on a group of different processes located in close proximity to manufacture a group of similar products. The primary purpose of cellular manufacturing is to reduce cycle time and inventories to meet market response times. Some of the other benefits include: Space Reduction Quality Improvement Labor Cost Reduction Im proved Machine Utilization Where would you begin? First, you would define the cell you plan to create.Criteria required for defining the cell would be based on: Processes Required Part Numbers & Attributes (size, shape, raw materials required) Market segments/customers Degree of Automation By Jay P. Patel, Principle Consultant, Quality & Productivity Solutions, Inc. Copyright ©2000 by Jay Patel Cellular manufacturing is an application of the group technology concepts for factory reconfiguration and shop floor layout design. A part family can be parts similar in size or parts created using similar manufacturing steps.Typically, a cell is dedicated to a single part family. Cellular manufacturing does have some important human resource issues to consider: Operators must be trained properly to perform tasks including inspection and simple maintenance Cross functional training is critical since operators perform a variety of tasks and move between workstations and cells as the need ari ses Operators should be trained on Team Building Supervisors become Coaches. Cell teams require only guidance. Supervisors facilitate, assist nd guide the overall effort. Compensation issues: Cell employees usually receive the higher pay because they are better qualified to do multiple tasks. We recommend implementation of an incentive program that provides incentives on the basis of results and incremental improvements. Management may be concerned that there will be resistance from employees when the result is actually opposite. Typically, any initial resistance disappears once employees understand the win-win situation at hand.Cells need support from several functions including product engineering, material management, manufacturing engineering, QC/QA, maintenance and management. It is vital to implementation success that this support is committed, visible and consistent. Team Selection Most crucial to the implementation of cellular manufacturing is team selection. To help determi ne who is best to include in your team, identify the skills required for each step by creating a Process Map. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the roles you need filled.Once the skills are identified, determine the potential team members. Explain to potential members what the nature of the task is and get a feel for their interest. What will you look for in your team members? Understanding the importance of selecting the right team cannot be overemphasized. Both objective and technical criteria should be established, including skills in: teamwork interpersonal skills leadership skills change adaptation positive thinking Develop a checklist for selecting these members based on the needs of the cell.This can also be used in setting goals for those who wish to grow in their own skill sets. 2 From here you will need to do some negotiating. You will need to meet with affected Supervisors to discuss: Overall priority Current structure and plans Current authorities and relative po wer of team leaders Potential team members and the support they will need Negotiate to acquire members best suited for the team. Renegotiate as necessary with the help of management and a detailed implementation plan. Skill Matrices Match skills to tasks.Create a matrix to define who is best qualified to perform specific tasks. This will be the document used for contracting your team to the project: aiding in obtaining commitment as well as communicating responsibilities and expectations. Determine what training is needed and implement a training plan. Make sure communication lines are established, open and well used. The success of the program is contingent on the team dynamic and the goals set. Communication is key—learn to listen and help others to do the same. What are the communication channels and links? Who provides and who expects what?Can the team members accomplish the tasks assigned? Team Management Develop trust and provide the team a reason to be motivated. Learn to manage team morale and create a system to encourage teamwork. Make your team an example of how successful teams cause great things to happen. Start with a pilot cell—be sure the product family chosen has the most potential for success. Stockpile if possible to provide an alternate source during implementation. When changes are necessary, communicate the reason for these changes in order to gain acceptance and understanding from your team.Be confident in implementation. Designing the Cell Cell design should be based on your project needs. Keep in mind the following when designing the cell: product life cycle continuous, flowing work through the cell proper allocation of resources for gauging and tooling aggressive update of equipment and processes cell development is evolutionary and always in a state of flux challenges in facility changes due to structure and age Involve your team and their knowledge in the construction of the cell.Understanding throughput is essential to cell development—do not underestimate the contribution and acceptance of the team once the concept is understood. Ultimately, the logistics and cell construction is only a small part of the battle. Creating a culture where a team can flourish is the hard part. This task requires a true leader. Can you meet the challenge? -JPP 3

Education and the Role of Philosophy

Education and, the Role of Philosophy In The Journey through American Education â€Å"Curriculum as a field of study has been characterized as elusive, fragmentary and confusing† (Ornstein and Hunkins, 2009, p. 1). According to Wikipedia, education is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual and is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.This report will journey through the history of education, its philosophies and the philosophers that helped shape and design it. Originally American schools were defined by religion. The foundation of education was based on religious study. The schools meaning in 1620 was to build a republic of God-fearing citizens. Women taught children to read the bible and to write the scriptures while the men and older boys were out in the fields working.With the women as nurturers teaching themselve s to read and write and then assuming that responsibility to nurture their children’s moral through the teachings of the scriptures led to the establishment of women as the backbone of American education which appears to still be the case of present times (History of American Education Primer, p. 27). In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Protestant ideological managers sought to create a moral and God-fearing society and their goals were: 1. Honor, fear, and obey God, 2. Honor, fear, and obey the father in the home and 3. Honor, fear, and obey the government.This philosophy of the Protestants was called Calvinism which is the belief that humans are born in sin and must purge this sin as children grow into adults (p. 10). The Massachusetts Law of 1642 which called for all parents to find someone to teach their children how to read the bible, write out scriptures, follow Protestant theology, and obey the laws of the land along with The Old Deluder Satan Law of 1647 which called for all towns of 50 households or more to appoint a teacher to teach reading and writing and all towns of 100 or more households to build a school and hire a schoolmaster were the first major laws of education (P. 0). As the colonies expanded, different forms of schooling philosophy developed but the Common Schools (schools that sought to bring together white children in a common school to perpetuate the goals of the dominant white culture) were still dominated by Protestant values of a moral, God-fearing society (p. 31). Over time the teaching of children began to include, along with reading, writing and ciphering, social skills such as knowledge, etiquette, and debate. Schools began to include topics to prepare children for employment and if one’s family could afford it, college (p. 16).As time passed, education grew to include many different instructions and philosophies to where we are today. With the extra teachings came many more philosophies. These different philosophies determine with teaching style, instruction, and school curriculum that will be used to include Axiology, Behaviorism, Epistemology, Existentialism, Ontology, Perennialism, Eclectic, Pragmatism and Reconstructionism. According to Pratt and Collins (2001), effective teaching may be classified as transmission, apprenticeship, developmental, nurturing, and social reform. To start, William Kritsonis (2005, p. 1) defines philosophy as the human being’s attempt to think most speculatively, reflectively, and systematically about the universe and the relationship to that universe. He writes that philosophy has no proof and is therefore without theorems and has not questions that can be answered with yes or no. The purpose of educational philosophy is to help develop the educator’s thinking capacity (p. 91). The three branches of philosophy are Metaphysics (Ontology) which deal with ultimate reality, Epistemology which deals with the nature of knowledge and Axiology which is the study of values.The major schools of philosophy are Idealism which are certain universal absolute concepts, Realism where work is governed by various laws, known or unknown, Pragmatism which is primarily an American philosophy of scientific analysis or learning through experience, and Existentialism which believes that students should control much of what goes on (p. 92). Philosophy has many definitions and is hard to define. The word itself comes from the Greek meaning â€Å"love of wisdom† and is the belief system that a person develops concerning existence, reality in the world, truth, ethics, honesty, thought processes, aesthetics, and logic (Kritsonis, p. 8). In regards to education, philosophy is a way of examining ideas, proposals, and recommendations for learning and how best to use them in the educational setting and it is therefore, the application of ideas or idea systems to educational problems (p. 97). Educators study philosophy to help them attain a better unde rstanding of the best way to success. Educators use philosophy for the roles in which philosophy stands for which includes: to suggest alternative methods of thinking, to develop sensitivity to the logic and language we use in gathering solutions to problems (p. 97).Philosophy of education is the philosophical study of the purpose, nature, process and ideals of education (Siegel, 2003). As time has progressed so has the understanding of philosophy and its importance on education. The history of philosophy and education would not be complete without its â€Å"fore fathers† so to speak and the four primary philosophies of Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism and Existentialism. Idealism was the main philosophy of the thinkers of western civilizations during the last half of the 19th century and its believers believed that external reality must be understood through the medium of the human mind (Kritsonis, p. 03). They believed that when humans came into contact with whatever existed, the human mind functions to grasp the nature of reality and what is real.The three key words of idealism are growth, imitation, and maturity and by imitating a model of behavior, one matures and grows toward an ideal that contains the perfection of virtues (p. 103). It applies to any theory that views the world as being made up of mind, spirit, or reason. They believe that to learn is to distinguish among values because some values are a matter of personal preference while others are absolute regardless of time, place, and circumstance (p. 03). Plato is a major contributor of Idealism and is considered to be the first and foremost Idealist. He believed that proper education comes before law and there would be no need to dictate laws to humans of good breeding, for they will find out for themselves what regulations would be needed (p. 104). He believed that good breeding developed through a sound educational system that produces reasonable humans. The impact that Idealism has on educ ation is that its’ educational philosophy focus on who should be responsible for education, who should be taught, and what should be the curriculum (p. 109).To the Idealist, education is to assist in the development of the mind and self of the pupil and help in attaining the good life of the spirit. The curriculum must be based on the idea of the spiritual nature of humans and must draw on both sources of truth and right opinion for its subject matter. Its prime purpose is to teach student to think and to teach skills that develop conceptual ability (p. 109). The philosophy of Realism involves the act of truth being determined scientifically. It is based on absolute truth. It proclaims that objects of perception are objects and contain real existence outside the mind (Kritsonis, p. 12). Aristotle was a major contributor of Realism and he believed that a proper study of matter could lead to better and more distinct ideas. He felt that education was designed to preserve the sta bility of the state, to create good citizenship, and to prevent revolutions (p. 115). The impact Realism had on education was to present material to students so they could become acquainted with the subject matter as a pre-established block of material and the idea that successful learning consists of understanding that material (p. 118). The philosophy of Pragmatism is the result of action.Pragmatists believe that ideas become true in order to get into satisfactory relations with other parts of experience (kritsonis, p. 121). John Dewey was a major contributor of pragmatism. He was one of the most influential of all American philosophers and educators and was actively interested in the reform of education (p. 122). His philosophy of education emphasized many things including experiences, experimentation, and freedom. He believed the learner must interact with that which is learned if a productive educational experience was to be achieved (p. 122).Other pragmatic philosophers were J ean-Jacques Rousseau and Charles Darwin. The impact that pragmatism had on education is that the child’s own instincts and powers provide the material and starting point of all education and the educator’s knowledge of social conditions is necessary to interpret the child’s powers. The philosophy of Existentialism is a revolt against other traditional philosophies. Others attempt to grasp the ultimate nature of the world in abstract systems of thought; existentialists consider what it is like to be an individual human being living in the world (Kritsonis, p. 125).It is concerned with an individual’s willingness truly to commit to something with intensity (p. 127). A major contributor to Existentialism was Soren Kierkegaard who believed that a human’s essential self is developed in three stages: Aesthetic stage, ethical stage, and religious stage. He believed that individuals are confronted with choices in life that they alone can make and for which they must accept complete and full responsibility (p. 127). Existentialism impact on education was to stress unique experiences in the affective and what a student hears in class is more impressive than what the teachers say.The Philosophy of education in the United States has undergone a series of internal struggles over the past 25 years. Some of the struggle with philosophy in these modern times has been the issue of the curriculum of multicultural education. The multicultural movement defines the main purpose of curriculum as social improvement, particularly as it relates to peoples who have been marginalized on the bias of race, ethnicity, language, social class and other identities (English Teaching, page 122).Over time and through history philosophers have had to be adaptable to change and that change in American included a multicultural movement. This movement includes the philosophy of Reconstructionism which involves the attitude toward change and encourages individuals t o try to make life better which ultimately means every individual in all cultures (National Outlook, 2006). Philosophers of the future will have to find a way to inculcate mulitculturism into their ideas (Educational Administration Quarterly 1998, p. 236).Multiculturalism is described as focusing on how gender, race, sexual orientation, and class differences are inscribed in political and cultural practices (Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 2000). â€Å"Our schools are, in a sense, factories in which the raw products (children) are to be shaped and fashioned into products to meet the various demands of life. The specifications for manufacturing come from the demands of twentieth-century civilization and it is the business of the school to build its pupils according to the specifications laid down† (English Teaching, p. 25). We build our curriculum based off of past philosophers because of the beliefs our present curriculum decision makers may possess. Philo sophy is concerned with questions about the analysis of concepts and with questions about the grounds of knowledge, belief, actions and activities. The philosophy of education is then occupied with the analysis of such educational concepts as teaching, child-centeredness, inculcation of belief and curriculum.The main point of contrast between philosophy and education is the role of value judgments; values and ideals are embodied and expressed in the purposes of imparting knowledge, skills and attitudes (Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2001). In conclusion, the question remains unanswered, â€Å"Are our schools headed in the right direction with its curriculum? † From past philosophers to present we have had a continuous confusion take place which continues to make curriculum hard to define.References Adult Education Quarterly (1977). The Concept of Educational Need: An Analysis of Selected Literature. 16-127 American Education Through the Civil War (Chapter 2). Community College Journal of Research and Practice (2000). Student Experiences With Multicultural and Diversity Education. 531-546 English Teaching: Practice and Critique (2004). Critical Multicultural Curriculum and the Standards Movement. 122-138 Kritsonis, W (2005). Philosophies of Schooling. 82-159 Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research (2001). Some Notes on the Relevance of Philosophy to Education. 341-351 Siegel, H. (1988). Educating Reason: Rationality, Critical Thinking, and Education. 369-382 http://en. wikepedia. org

Promote Equality and Inclusion in Health, Social Care or Children’s and Young People’s Essay

Outcome 1 1. What is meant by: Diversity –our society is made up of people with a wide range of characteristics and backgrounds. This diversity contributes strength to a community but sadly it is often perceived as a problem. Equality – seeing each child as an individual will enable you to promote their right to have access to equality of opportunity and to be treated with equal concern so they are able to progress along the pathway development. Inclusion- to promote the positive aspects of diversity and to offer children equal chances in life, all settings for children would work towards inclusive. 2. What are the potential effects of discrimination? There are lots of different effects of discrimination for example children do not progress and experience success in their lives and the negative effects this has on their self-esteem may dampen their motivation levels. 3. How can inclusive practice promote equality and support diversity? Children’s right to have access to equality of opportunity. Promoting the positive aspects of diversity. Settings should always aim for inclusion, which promotes both equality and diversity. Outcome 2 1. How do legislation and codes of practice relating to equality, diversity and discrimination apply to own work role? For our setting to work in an inclusive way they would have to work with the legal framework to work with families in a respectful way. Laws alone cannot change prejudiced attitudes and assumptions or influence the way people think. Outcome 3 3. How could you challenge discrimination in a way that promotes change? Both children and adults can be the victim of prejudice or behaviour in discriminatory ways. Every setting should have strategies for dealing with any issue that is challenged. You should help both sides those who are subject to the discrimination and those who are the discriminator, this is a delicate matter and should be dealt with carefully.

Abstract Expressionism

Melinda Alexander Abstract Expressionism In this essay, I will demonstrate a comparison of control and chaos in the painting methods between Jackson Pollock and Helen Fraternally. I consider both artists to operate at a type of controlled chaos. However, I find that Fraternally used more control in her painting method where she carefully applied colors to certain spaces. Pollock's painting is more a result of his actions than a specific thought as where to apply a certain color in an empty space. Jackson Pollock's drip-method is creative and original. No one before him had used this method of pouring and splattering paint.Artists normally brushed or pushed the color. His process was completely unique. He did not use an easel. The canvas was laid on the ground. Industrial paint, raw canvas, sticks, and other tools instead of brushes were all materials that make his art pieces so unique. Lavender Mist exhibits an energy that almost gives life to the painting. The colors contrast in a w ay that are bold but not overwhelming. The dark hue mixes with the light so that it is neither heavy nor airy. At 87 X 118 inches the scale is huge. Amongst the chaos there is an even distribution of pattern and colors throughout the pacing.This gives it unity, symmetry and balance. I think that is why I call it controlled chaos. He reminds me of sort of a maestro conducting an orchestra. Using his tools, paints and body the way a maestro would conduct a symphony. He is moving everywhere flinging paint around not knowing really what it will look like. The spontaneity and originality of his work is interesting and cool. Helen Freakishness's work with water color is also original. I think her action is more controlled than Pollock as she moves the color to fill certain spaces on the paper and she sketches some with charcoal.Chaos is demonstrated as well with her painting freely from nature or her memory of it. Like Pollock, she painted on the floor and at a large scale. Mountains and Sea gives a calm and soothing feel generally. The lines are implied with the shapes being organic and soft made from where the paint seeped into the weave. There is unity with some of the sketched lines suggesting a scene. Yet the shapes remain undefined. There is also unity and balance with the color hue of pale greens and blue giving a cool effect. The use of pale orange accent as a contrast warms up the picture Just enough to make it light and airy.This painting is nice. I found Pollock's methods and pieces more interesting. Overall, Jackson Pollock and Helen Fraternally used techniques including both chaos and control while creating their art pieces. Both artists worked freely being surprised with the end result not really knowing what they were creating while working. Both artists used techniques and tools that were original producing effects new to the art world during that time. Fraternally used more control or thought in that she moved color into certain spaces. I think she was also more controlled in that she painted from memory ND sketched some.

Censorship - We Must Not Restrict Speech

We can not restrict racial discrimination of speech, and gender discrimination and homosexual aversion are developed in university campuses throughout the country. Correspondingly, many universities adopt policies that restrict prejudice problems by limiting speech. Many administrators believe that alternatives to this restriction are educational opportunities to enable paranoia and deprive them of their goals. The university's ability to eliminate prejudice within campus is not ultimately an ability to punish racists, but rather by deep efforts on equality and educational principles. Carol: In my opinion, John Stuart Miller's most powerful argument about freedom of speech is that, when restricting speech, it must decide which government authorities have the right to consider. It may not be a government agency that you trust that you review. Companies are easily censored. There is also a website onlinecensorship.org, another team called EFF and Visualizing Impact that seeks to track the occurrence of this situation. The straight line is very clear. If you are a very strong person, you let others leave the platform. If you are a man without power, you will not do so When talking about censorship in the United States, we often talk about how people accept results. People in our country do not actually restrict their speech in a meaningful way. They have countless ways to convey their message. They have not been imprisoned in most cases. There are defects. Do Neo Nazi's disgusting messages meet the community standards of social media sites? In fact, most social media sites claim that they prohibit dislikes that they dislikes under their terms of use. In fact, their implementation of these standards is questionable. Over the years many women and minorities have shared posts that enable discrimination by racial discrimination and gender by social media. Censorship is suppression of freedom of expression and is usually based on freedom of speech that harms or harm th e public. Expression may be restricted because it is judged to be obscene, blasphemic, non-patriotic, agitative or immoral. The term review usually applies to government restrictions on freedom of expression in public places, such as laws restricting the display of Nazi flags, government officials closing the display of public art. However, efforts to restrict freedom of expression are not review in the government's sense, but may also arise from private organizations best known as non-governmental issues. For example, a publisher may cancel a contract for a book. Theater creator opponents can advertise and boycott the financial supporters of the movie. Freedom of speech, censorship, problems other than government, review of voluntary restrictions, self-censorship Censorship - We Must Not Restrict Speech We can not restrict racial discrimination of speech, and gender discrimination and homosexual aversion are developed in university campuses throughout the country. Correspondingly, many universities adopt policies that restrict prejudice problems by limiting speech. Many administrators believe that alternatives to this restriction are educational opportunities to enable paranoia and deprive them of their goals. The university's ability to eliminate prejudice within campus is not ultimately an ability to punish racists, but rather by deep efforts on equality and educational principles. Carol: In my opinion, John Stuart Miller's most powerful argument about freedom of speech is that, when restricting speech, it must decide which government authorities have the right to consider. It may not be a government agency that you trust that you review. Companies are easily censored. There is also a website onlinecensorship.org, another team called EFF and Visualizing Impact that seeks to track the occurrence of this situation. The straight line is very clear. If you are a very strong person, you let others leave the platform. If you are a man without power, you will not do so When talking about censorship in the United States, we often talk about how people accept results. People in our country do not actually restrict their speech in a meaningful way. They have countless ways to convey their message. They have not been imprisoned in most cases. There are defects. Do Neo Nazi's disgusting messages meet the community standards of social media sites? In fact, most social media sites claim that they prohibit dislikes that they dislikes under their terms of use. In fact, their implementation of these standards is questionable. Over the years many women and minorities have shared posts that enable discrimination by racial discrimination and gender by social media. Censorship is suppression of freedom of expression and is usually based on freedom of speech that harms or harm th e public. Expression may be restricted because it is judged to be obscene, blasphemic, non-patriotic, agitative or immoral. The term review usually applies to government restrictions on freedom of expression in public places, such as laws restricting the display of Nazi flags, government officials closing the display of public art. However, efforts to restrict freedom of expression are not review in the government's sense, but may also arise from private organizations best known as non-governmental issues. For example, a publisher may cancel a contract for a book. Theater creator opponents can advertise and boycott the financial supporters of the movie. Freedom of speech, censorship, problems other than government, review of voluntary restrictions, self-censorship

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Global warming - Essay Example Consequently, the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere increases and thickens the ozone layer which in turn prevents the infrared radiation from escaping the earth’s atmosphere. This in turn results to warmer temperatures around the world. To make his presentation believable, Al Gore used statistical data. For instance, he mentioned about the top ten hottest years ever measured which occurred in the last fourteen years as of 2005 with the hottest of all in the said year. This shows the relentless increase in atmospheric temperature which is affecting the world. Moreover, Gore also compares photographs of glaciers in the past and in more recent times to impress in the minds of the listeners what he is trying to point out. He notes that the glaciers in Kilimanjaro, Glacier National Park, Columbia Glacier in Alaska, the Italian Alps and the Rhone Glacier in Switzerland are evidences of the results of global warming. The once majestic glaciers that attracted many scientists and tourists alike have all been decreased to nothing and more glaciers on the North Pole are at the brink of extinction as well. The effects of the aforementioned consequences of global warming are floods and droughts. This is due to increased precipitation and relocation of precipitation. For instance, in Africa alone, more droughts have worsened because of lack of rain while other places would have strong rains that are actually unusual. Moreover, it is not only sea water that evaporates and cause increased precipitation that in turn cause floods but the heat of the sun also sucks moisture from the soil which leads to droughts. In addition, the melting of the glaciers and Arctic ice caps are predicted to someday cause major floods in low areas and this should cause alarm today. This is explained by the result of studies that show that when the rays of the sun hit the ice caps, they are reflected back to the atmosphere just like in a mirror. On the other hand, when the rays of the sun hit the sea water; they are absorbed and therefore make the water warmer. As a result, the ice near the water melts and increases the volume of sea water. With the data presented by Gore which have obviously been carefully studied and are scientifically based, I strongly agree with all his arguments. The presentation does not just appeal to common sense but it also demands responsibility and accountability from listeners appealing to their moral senses. Indeed, global warming is not just a political issue but it also is an ethical issue which presents itself as the responsibility of every individual regardless of age, gender, political affiliations or beliefs. On another angle, on a more personal perspective, environmentalist Bill McKibben suggests that global warming is caused by people’s desires to have more. Economically, it is a good thing for individuals to want to succeed because it affects the nation’s economic stability. However, the want to have more things a ctually is increasing the carbon dioxide that is polluting the atmosphere. For instance, as more people are able to afford to buy more cars and appliances, more carbon dioxide is emitted from these machines. Moreover, with the fast-paced lifestyles of people wanting to earn more money, they are forced to eat processed foods which encourage more manufacturing processes that contribute to air pollution. Therefore, McKibben suggests people to live simpler

Stokers company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Stokers company - Essay Example The furniture brand is a trusted brand in UK. Stokers Fine Furniture is coming up with new strategies to capture the potential untapped market, especially the style conscious families. The brand falls in the category of expensive and traditional product brand. Situation analysis and clearly defined objectives The market for fine furniture in the United Kingdom is rising strongly due to the effect of the country recovering from property market affects. The housing market industry is in a buoyant mode with increased demand for home furniture and furnishing. The store sales as well as the online sales of this industry have accelerated. The market has been highly influenced by the advent of the internet. The customers are more oriented towards electronic commerce due to their preference of buying from the home without having to go to the stores. The future of the UK furniture industry is showing positive trends. Consumers are likely to renew their homes much more frequently than before, therefore surging up the demand for stylish furniture. Earlier home wares like furniture and carpets were kept for a long time, but now the trend shows that they are replaced within a few years (Forbes, 2012). A SWOT analysis is conducted for the company to assess the internal and the external factors affecting the business. Since the business can control the internal factors, it may gain competitive advantage by improving upon its strengths and weaknesses. By transforming the weaknesses into strength, the company can also take up opportunities and offset the threats. Strengths: Strong brand name, cost and competitive advantage over other players in the market are core strengths of the company. Sufficient resources are available within the business for creating and maintaining a dynamic website and an extensive database system. The company can provide strong customer service from their team dedicated towards the digital marketing strategies. Weaknesses: Implementation of technology in the corporate culture, the business runs in a seasonal pattern. Opportunities: Digital marketing is the keyword for ensuring more success. It is an inexpensive marketing model aimed to capture a potential untapped market. Use of innovative technologies is another opportunity for the business. Threats: Competitors are also implementing the digital marketing strategy, expensive software upgrades resulting from pending security laws. There is stiff competition for the SCF market. The main competitors of Stokers fine furnishing are Sofa.com, Sofa and Stuff, Next, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer. The macro environmental analysis for the business is done through the PESTEL Analysis. Political: The corporate and consumer taxes regulation by the authorities highly impact the company’s income after tax. In UK, taxation is done as 30% of the profits for the businesses operating there. Since the company is more dependent on local suppliers than imported goods, therefore the trade barri ers and tariffs have negligible impact on the business. Economic: