A specific insurance company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A specific insurance company - Research Paper Example For the year 2013 the company’s products/operations were divided as followed: In 2012 the company reported an additional 2% increase in revenues mainly due to increased sales of property/casualty premiums and higher return on investments. Although the company has reported improved revenue streams during the past few years, their growth has been mainly fueled by expected organic growth. The company growth strategy has been geared towards increasing insurance premiums sales by enhancing their independent agent network, improving sales support and organization and improving their online sales platform. Allstate has also been working to lean down operations through the sale of less profitable segments such as the sale of the Lincoln Benefit Life unit to Resolution Life in 2014 for $600 million (Hoovers). The purchase of their subsidiary Esurance in 2011 helped solidify Allstates online presence and improve their corporate image as an innovator. Allstates management has been working towards improving their profitability through careful risk management, maintaining their current levels of profitability in the auto segment as well as increasing returns in their homeowners insurance and annuity business segments. It is interesting that the majority of the insurance advertisements in cable TV, as well as online popular TV websites such as Hulu are about Esurance and Allstates brands. Allstates main rival is State Farm, a giant privately held company with currently the largest market share in the U.S. insurance market. State Farm is the top provider of casualty, property, life, health as well as auto insurance. The other main competitors for Allstate are Progressive (PGR) with a $19.86 billion in market capitalization and Farmers Group (Yahoo). To better gauge Allstate’s financial performance I will analyze some of the companys key financial ratios and how the compare with industry averages. From the

Indigenous Cultures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Indigenous Cultures - Research Paper Example That is why they are settled around Ometepec, Tlacoachistlahuaca, San Pedro and Xochistlahuaca (Wauchope 418). They are located around the slopes of the mountains that surround the municipalities on fertile land. The people are settled on over 2, 500km region near the coast parts of the borders and they total to over 45,000 people. At the same time, the indigenous group has a well-defined culture that constitute of nuclear and extended families, catholic religion and practice agriculture. In most cases, the male partners are patriarchal and control all systems of leadership in the society. It is a culture for the people of Amuzgo to respect gender roles in their communities. The boys take full responsibility of accompanying their fathers into the farms to gain agricultural knowledge. Given that agriculture is the basic resource of livelihood in the Southwest borders, the Amuzgo boys must gain basic knowledge. Also, 90 percent of the people practice catholic religion with the remaining 10 percent being Protestants (Vinding, 91). The Amuzgo people also have various tongues in their language based on the dialect and community of livelihood. This is based on the variation in the tongues used in naming various mythical origins. According text testing that were done in 1900s, the variation in language of the distinctive communities that reside around Southwest part of Mexico as Amuzgo people are the same. That is why it is most common in Guerrero and Oaxaca. In conclusion, it is evident that Amuzgo Indigenous people are diverse in their culture, language and character traits. This is based on the fact that they have different tongues but are able to intermingle in their agricultural activities. Also, they are located in different municipalities around Guerrero and Oaxaca borders but work towards a common goal of conserving their culture and

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients

Reducing Anxiety among Radiology Patients INTRODUCTION Background of the Study As the technologic complexity of radiologic procedures has grown, the emotional reactions of patients to imaging procedures have become more prominent, and interaction between patients and the staff of diagnostic radiology units has become more important 1. Like the smaller number of patients surveyed by Monics et al 2 after undergoing a variety of radiologic procedures at a teaching hospital, patients in this sample were more concerned with explanations of procedures and results, and with factors affecting their physical comfort, than with the competency of the staff or their own convenience. Patients awaiting therapeutic procedures commonly report anxiety 1, fears about the unknown, pain, possibility of further interventions, complications, destruction of body image, disruption of life plans, loss of control, disability, and loss of life 2. Most of the time, one might assume that diagnostic tests, which typically carry fewer risks than invasive therapeutic procedures, would create less distress. Diagnostic tests, however, inherently harbor uncertainty, which can be a potent stressor and has been linked to poor coping with health-related issues, as well as poor adaptation and recovery 4. Hence, the conduct of this study in this aspect will assess the level of distress in patients awaiting radiological procedure particularly in breast , transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound. The study will also provide effective protocol in the conduct of giving information to patients. Review of Related Literature Waiting room distress can impact patients and radiology resources by taxing â€Å"departmental resources in terms of appointment cancellations, patients’ lack of cooperation, extended room times, increased medication use, prolonged recovery and inability to complete imaging procedures well or at all, with adverse impact on both image quality and reimbursement,† wrote Nicole Flory, PhD, of the department of radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical-Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues 5. Attention to patient’s acute distress before and during procedures is important because distress may cause hemodynamic instability, procedural complications, and other adverse events 6. As mentioned by KrantzDS et al 7, stress and anxiety may cause adverse events through elevated levels of blood pressure, heart rate, coronary constriction, and stress hormones. Jangland et al 8 found that, among those patients who complained about care and increased anxiety, the most common complaints were insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient information, inadequate respect, and insufà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cient empathy. In the study of Nicole Flory, et al 5 they concluded that uncertainty of diagnosis can weigh heavily on the patient, and perceptions of what medical personnel may consider â€Å"minor† do not necessarily reflect the patient’s experience. Training medical personnel in how to communicate with these patients and to assuage their distress promises not only to relieve the patients’ distress but also to positively affect departmental resources. In our literature search, we identified no previous studies of topics related to anxiety reduction prior to radiologic procedure. Also, no particular studies were taken in comparative assessment of psychological distress in conjunction with imaging procedures using the standard verbal explanation against the audio visual presentation. This study therefore will take advantage of the availability of preprocedural surveys from prospective randomize control trials that will be performed in department of radiology with patients at various radiologic procedures using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Research questions What is the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with complimentary audio visual presentation? What is the level of anxiety and depression among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with additional audio visual presentation? Is there any differences between anxiety and depression rate in patients undergoing breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound using the adaptive verbal pre-procedural briefing versus with audio visual presentation?   Significance of the study In the current set-up of our department in radiology, at most three residents are assigned to ultrasound section, catering 60 patients per day with resident to patient ratio of 1:30 in an 8 hour-shift. This would only give the resident 8 minutes per patient to do his/her doctor-patient interaction. All patients under fasting, are the most priority causing all other patient to have a waiting time of about an hour or two for her/him to be served, and this where the patients for breast, scrotal and transvaginal falls. These procedures also give more anxiety and distress if not explained well by their respective doctors because of its very intimate approach. With this existing reality, having an audio-visual presentation as an additional tool of information might help alleviate patient’s anxiety and distress. This assessment is a first step in evaluating the adaptive verbal pre-procedural protocol in the radiology department with that of another additional audio-visual presentation, and the results of such an evaluation then can help guide specific interventions toward better outcomes. Objectives General objective This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the additional audio-visual briefing presentation versus the adapted pre-procedural verbal briefing only among patients referred for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound in Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City in reducing the level of anxiety/depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) model. Specifically, this study aims to determine the following: a. Demographic and clinical profile of patients who will underwent breast, scrotal, transvaginal ultrasound. b. To compare the effectiveness of adapted verbal pre-procedural briefing against with additional audio-visual presentation in decreasing the anxiety/depression level among patients referred for imaging study. c. To suggest recommendation to policy makers and professionals for adoption of creative ways to control or minimize this phenomena. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Setting: The study will be conducted at the Department of Radiological and Imaging Sciences waiting section at Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City. The study will be done over a period of three months (April to June 2014) Study Participants All patients referred to the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences facility at Southern Philippines Medical Center for breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound, that is qualified to join in the study. Below are the inclusion and the exclusion criteria for patients who are candidates for the study. Inclusion criteria Adult patients (18 – 65 years old) who will give their consent for the study. Understands English language Patients who do not meet any criteria for a mental health disorder using the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization Patient should have mild or moderate levels of anxiety at the start of the trial Ambulatory Conscious Exclusion criteria All patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal procedure that will not give their consent for the study and will not meet the inclusion criteria. Baseline Data Collection Consents for the research study will be obtained by the researcher between the ages of approximately 18 and 65 years of age. All consecutive patients who had completed their consent from April to July 2014 will be evaluated for study eligibility by the researcher. All patients who will participate will undergo Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT) of the World Health Organization to exclude patients having overt mental disorder and will be advised to seek professional help. A randomized selection of patients will be done wherein they are asked to blindly select which group they will fall by drawing lots. First group will undergo the usual verbal pre-procedural briefing while the second group will receive the additional audio-visual presentation. The researcher will ask consecutive eligible patients to participate in a study in which the level of anxiety and depression will be assessed prior to ultrasound procedure. Both groups will be handed identical stacks of psychological questionnaire: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(Appendix 1) under the supervision of the investigator. Patients will be at liberty with regard to the sequence in which they would fill out the questionnaires. Another identical stack of HADS questionnaires will be given to the participants after the end of the intervention still under the supervision of the investigator. Outcome Measures Socio-demographic questionnaires The demographic information includes age, gender, education and occupation. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS): The HADS is a screening tool for anxiety and depression in non-psychiatric clinical populations. The scale consists of 14 items (7 each for anxiety and depression). Each item is rated on a four point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very often). Responses are based on the relative frequency of symptoms over the preceding week. Possible scores range from 0 to 21 for each subscale. An analysis of scores on the two subscales supported the differentiation of each mood state into four ranges: ‘mild cases’ (scores 8-10), ‘moderate cases’ (scores 11-15), and ‘severe cases’ (scores 16 or higher). HADS was validated by group of researchers (Ingvar Bjelland, Alv A. Dahl, Tone Tangen Haug, Dag Neckelmann) from Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Section for Preventive Medicine and Department of Psychiatry of Norway using Cronbalch’s alpha. In their study, the sensitivity and specificity for HADS of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Hence the review confirmed the assumption that HADS is a questionnaire that performs well in screening for the separate dimensions of anxiety and depression and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in patients from nonpsychiatric hospital clinics9. Audio Visual Presentation: The video will run for 10 minutes and must answer the following questions of: a. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? b. WHY IS THE PROCEDURE NECESSARY? c. HOW IS THE PROCEDURE DONE? d. WHAT ARE THE RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE? The video will be in full English language. The video will be validated by a Mass Communication professor by issuing a certificate. The video will be presented to at least 10 randomized selected persons outside the DORIS personnel before the actual test will be done. At the end of the video they must able to answer the above questions. During the actual test, video will be presented in groups through television in a separate room. Data Handling and Analyses The data will be collected directly from the patients by using HADS Scale questionnaires in DORIS at SPMC. Detailed information about the study will be given to each participant using English language and consent to participate will be obtained. Over viewing of the questionnaire will be the first step, prior to data entry; this will be followed by designing an entry model using the computer Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS. The coded questionnaires will be entered into the computer by the researcher. Data cleaning will be done through checking out a random number of the questionnaires and through exploring descriptive statistics frequencies for all variables. All suspected or missed values will be checked by revising the available sheets. The researcher will use Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS to analyze the research questions by using Chi square, ANOVA, and t test to answer the objectives. Also, the researcher used descriptive statistics to explore frequencies of all variables. Statistically significant values are considered at P values is equal or less than 0.05. Sample Size Considerations The sample size that will be used in the study is the total summation of the patients who will undergo breast, transvaginal and scrotal ultrasound who will give their consent and within the inclusion criteria from April to July of 2014.

The Third Bank of the River Essay -- Third Bank of the River

The Third Bank of the River      Ã‚  Ã‚   Confusion, embarrassment, and guilt can all be found throughout Joà £o Guimarà £es Rosa's short story "The Third Bank of the River." Rosa forces the reader to analyze his words and delve deeply into the hidden meanings behind them. Upon first glance, a story unfolds of a father who seemingly abandons his family and chooses to live out the remainder of his life rowing a small boat back and forth along a river. There are circumstances leading up to this behavior, which new insight to the author's psychological meaning.    The story develops through the narration of one of the children in the family. His recollection of the days which lead to his father's absence brings a clear image of the family structure he knew when he was a child. The narrator describes his father as "dutiful, orderly," and "straightforward"(200). He is quick to point out, however, who has the final say in the household: "It was mother, not father, who ruled the house" (200). When the father decides to order a boat, made specifically for him, the mother "carriedon plenty about it" (200). When the boat arrives, the father says goodbye to all, and the children expect their mother to carry on about this, but her reaction is mixed. The effectiveness of her orders to her husband, "If you go away, stay away. Don't ever come back," is weakened as she bites her lip and turns very pale. Her authority is reduced further when her son follows his father to the river, feeling "bold and exhilarated" because he risks the wrath of his mother and wins (200). The child feels so vindicated by his rebellious actions that he asks to accompany his father in the boat. However, his father gestures to him to return, and r... ...the son, the father is nothing, and without the father, the son is nothing.    A riverbank can be found where two worlds, earth and water, connect. Any river will have two banks, one on either side of the water. Rosa has created a character who has found a "third bank on the river," a third way to separate land from the sea. This bank belongs to an entirely different world. Rosa has found a way for the father to exist, yet not exist, within the family. He is connected to his family and weighs heavily upon their minds even though he is a part of an entirely different world. He has discovered this link by establishing a "third bank of the river."    Work Cited Rosa, Joà £o Gumarà £es. "The Third Bank of the River." Trans. William Grossman. Angles of Vision. Ed. Arthur W. Biddle and Toby Fulwiler.   New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. 200-203.

Energy Summary Essay

In this paper we explain some current environmental problems and how some people are looking for quick and temporary solutions without taking into consideration the environment. These solutions might be beneficial for the human existence in the present time or for a short period of time but the imminent destruction of the environment will be permanent due to the damage caused by the last generations, which are now seeing the consequences of the irresponsible way in which nature has been exploited. Today there are more laws, organizations, and measures to minimize or deny a holding that will favor some nations for a short time but forever destroy the environment without thinking about the next generations. In addition, we explain how United States is dealing with nuclear waste, the biggest threat to the environment; even small amounts can be extremely dangerous for the humanity. Here we will see how the location of these plants could be threatened by underground geography, and natural distastes as earthquakes. The arctic National Wildlife Refuge The arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to thousands of species of animals and plants that are exclusive to the area. This refuge was created to protect these species from human development and interests because of how fragile the ecosystem is in this area. â€Å"The organisms living here have adapted to their environment, but any additional stress has the potential to harm or even kill them. Thus, arctic organisms are particularly vulnerable to human activities† (Raven, P. , Berg, L. & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). The primary energy source in the area is crude oil. It has been said that the area contains enough oil to supply our nation’s needs for approximately a decade, which would temporarily reduce the nations need for dependence on foreign oil. The oil reserves that have been found in Alaska are some of the largest reserves that have been found in our nation, which helps continue to fuel the discussion for drilling to begin. The o ther argument for drilling is the need to reduce dependency on foreign oil. The economic impact that drilling these oil reserves would be huge, but it would be temporary. The money spent each year on foreign oil would be reduced and utilized for other needs of the nation, but once that oil is gone and used up the nation would be back in the same position it was currently facing. The stakeholders in this case are the animal and plant species native to the area, as well as the businessmen in the oil industry and the consumers. Advocates for conserving the area will stress for the need to keep the area untouched for the sake of the life forms there. The businessmen and the consumer will continue to advocate for the drilling of this land as long as fuel prices remain high, and as long as the nation’s dependence on foreign oil remains so substantial. There are numerous solutions that can be found to the oil problem, but none of them are cheap. Technology exists today for vehicles and businesses to run on natural gas, solar power, and even bio-diesel. These technologies are safer on the environment as well as safer for the health of the consumer. Big business leaders resist these technologies because it will cut into the profits they already make off of the oil industry. The Yucca Mountains The Yucca Mountains, which are located roughly 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas has been identified as a location to store nuclear waste by the US government (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). In 1954 the government made the decision to be responsible in the disposal of high level nuclear waste. The first of the actions taken by the US government involved storing nuclear waste in the salts beds near Carlsbad, New Mexico (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). At this time although the Yucca Mountains has been chosen as a location to store the waste, the actual disposal process has not yet started. There is discussion and observations of nuclear power and its impact on the environment. Nuclear waste is a result of nuclear power releasing amounts of ionizing radiation in the atmosphere. Looking at the current economics the supply of nuclear power is guessed to last 100+ years leading to the planning of waste disposal as long as it is used. Experiments show that the waste level is lower than other energy sources but has extreme concerns of risk from catastrophic accident which include water pollution and long term health issues when exposed. Take for example the Chernobyl Accident of 1986 where a plant explosion and fires released at up to 5% of the radioactive reactor core in to the atmosphere and downwind, (â€Å"Chernobyl Accident 1986†, 2012). As a result of the accident there were fatalities and injuries and now showing cases of illness due to exposure. With the governments interest in taking responsibility in the disposal of nuclear waste using the Yucca Mountains has convinced them that the location is the right place. But before it can be executed there is more testing and experiments that are being conducted. There is still much work to in order before execution of the disposal plan. The remote profile of the location makes for a good place. Billions of dollars have been spent by the government conducting feasibility of the area (Raven, P. , Berg, L. , & Hassenzahl, D. , 2010). There is a delay in the planning to use the mountains because there is an argument that regardless of the remoteness it is still near an area where earthquake and volcanic actions can still occur. Monitoring continues and the government over-see’s the expenses as part of their interest and responsibility to the environment. As researchers continue explore the study of nuclear power and its waste the limited resources remain around this topic. Carlsbad had offered to dispose some of the waste but the Yucca remains to be a target. With Nevada’s best interest at hand the delay to deposit the waste may have been an indirect positive benefit right now. As an alternative strategy the as Nevada and the government try to come to an agreement suggestions of alternatives should and must be discussed. Looking at a short term solution the nuclear waste maybe disposed in substitute locations. Another strategy to act in assistance to the concern might be to limit nuclear waste until other arrangements can be put in place by the government and participating businesses. The Three Gorge Dam The Three Gorge Dam, located on the Yangtze River (is the third largest river in the world) in China, is the world’s largest hydropower project. The dam supplies water to the hydroelectric plant. Advantages of the dam include helping control the downstream flooding and waterway navigation purposes. River navigation is the only means of long-distance, cost-effective transportation of freight. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam†, n. d. ). The Three Gorge Dam project has a great abundance of water currently available but the environmental impact is great. Environmental impact includes soil erosions, industrial water pollutants, loss of ecosystems, endangering species (biodiversity), disruption of local species habitat (fish migration) and siltation. (Min, n. d. ). Hundreds of factories, mines, and waste dumps were submerged creating industrial pollutants in the reservoir. Erosion from the downstream riverbanks causes landslides and changing ecosystems. Pristine and biologically diverse river basins are being used for the construction of hydropower. Another environmental concern is the actual weight of the reservoirs water increasing seismicity. Economical and ethical issues include the project funding, the relocation of more than 1. 2 million people (to more inland urban cities), agricultural shifts, and the flooding of numerous cities, villages, and towns. (â€Å"Three Gorges Dam, China†, 2009). Vital farmlands would be submerged (along with million dollar metal mines) and the lack of replenishing land will affect the countries agriculture prices. Additionally the reservoir would trap over 75% of the sedimentation (â€Å"natural fertilizer† for the downstream Delta). Relocating over one million people is an incredibly difficult task. The Chinese government is solely interested in this project to produce more efficient power for the country (generating 84 billion kilowatt/hour (kW/h) of hydroelectric power each year). That is equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants or large coal power plants. Given the severe air quality problems facing China and its current reliance on imported energy, this is a great advantage. Possible strategies for creating alternative energy sources are limited. Solar energy is a great way, but China does not have much ground space for solar systems. Conservation is weighed on both sides of the argument. To preserve the existing land, ecosystems, and waterways would be the best choice in conservation. But, hydroelectric power is cheaper than fossil fuel power. And since the dam in already in place, it is time to conserve for future species and their offspring. Ongoing studies of critically endangered species should be of primary concern. Also, conserving the rest of Chinas agricultural land is important, since a percentage was lost creating the dam. Conclusion Even though many countries around the word are looking for new sustainable energy solutions, trying very hard to minimize the impact on the environment, the leading energy companies are still not willing to make the necessary investments. These companies should receive the proper incentive and political support to start investing in our energy future. In the last few years the â€Å"go green† culture is getting stronger and is attracting more followers every single day. There are government programs incenting the purchase of energy efficient cars, home electronics or green homes. Only a hand full of countries are willing to see this problem as a priority and it will take more time and damage to the environment until the entire world will come to the same realization. Hopefully, in the near future clean and sustainable energy will be the norm and the damage to the environment will be stopped or at list minimized.

Hormones and Behaviors

Duncan Hormones play an important role in bodily functions of the living human as well as mental functions that allow us to create, write, act, or in general be productive humans. When any of our hormones or the glands that produce them are not in sync or producing properly, we may not be able to think at all, or we may be so emotionally dysfunctional that we become nonproductive. Thus hormones may have a tremendous effect on our human behavior.Our endocrine system is made up of any glands that secrete chemicals directly into our bloodstream or lymph system. These chemical are called hormones, which are carried through the body, having an effect both on internal activities and visible behavior (Icon, Mutterer, 2012). Hormones are like transmitters, activating other cells in the body. Melatonin is one such hormone that is released by the pineal gland in response to daily variations in light. The Pineal gland is a well developed light sensitive organ once considered useless, an unneces sary leftover of evolution, that we now know regulates body withy's and sleep cycles.Melatonin levels may have a great deal to do with our sleeping patterns as levels in the bloodstream rise at dusk, peak around midnight, and fall again as morning approaches. Thus according to our brain, it is bedtime when melatonin levels rise and get up time when those levels decrease. This is a natural response accordingly to our environment, thus melatonin is the hormone that regulates our natural sleep patterns according to the sun coming up and the sun going down.This is one element in support of how related not only mind and body ay be, but also its relation to our planet or living environment. Other hormones affecting human behavior is a set called corrections, which have the Job of regulating salt balance in the body. When there is a deficiency of certain corrections, a powerful craving for salt can be evoked. Corrections play an important role in helping our body adjust to stress, they are also a secondary source of sex hormones. Corrections are produced by the adrenal glands, located under the back of the rib cage, on the kidneys.It is the outer â€Å"bark† of the adrenal glands that produce the set of corrections. An over secretion of corrections can cause woman to grow a beard, or premature puberty. One androgen, or male hormone, is testosterone, which is secreted in small supply by the adrenal gland however, for males, most testosterone comes from the testes. This particular sex hormone can regulate sexual potency, breast growth, voice changes, heart problems, liver damage, stunted growth, Just to name a few, when off balance one way or the other.

buy custom Business Modeling essay

buy custom Business Modeling essay Simulation is the artificial representation of a practical exercise or a system. It entails testing the viability and feasibility of a process using a model before actual implementation, in order to understand real-life situations and conceptualize the whole operation from the starting to the ending points of the process, as well as the intended outcome of the process.Simulation occasionally necessitates that a process model be formulated before the actual simulation and the model is intended to denote the real physical features and activities of the practical process. Modelling encompasses the establishment of an abstract illustration of reality. The functions of modelling and simulation are to help the involved persons analyze and comprehend the perceived phenomena, test the hypotheses and theories held about the possibility of the intended exercise, assists in the forecast of systems behaviour when subjected to different situations and scenarios that can either be the existing conditions and simulated practice carried out to support decision-making. Modelling and simulation are also to enable discoveries of new functioning methods and data phenomena that are supported by distinctive abilities of computer experiments. 1.1Literature Review This paper focuses on the simulation and modelling involving a registration process comprising 1000 students who are expected to register in different societies during Societies Day. Students are expected to sign up in at least one of the five available societies within 8 hours. The societies include Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society. Currently, the society preference profile of the distribution of the students signing up is as follows: Film Society 28%, Football Society 34%, Water-sports Society 28%, Information Society 5% and Extreme Ironing Society taking 5%. This, therefore, means that there will be more students queuing up to sign up in football, film and water sports societies respectively than those projected to sign up in Information and Extreme Ironing societies. Consequently, it is important for the society manager to note that there is a need for more volunteers to ensure that the students do not line up f or long before they are registered in their societies of choice. This simulation and modelling seeks to experiment and identify the best model of registering students if: (1) a single queue is used for all the students with one volunteer hired to carry out the registration; (2) if separate registration points are set for different societies with multiple volunteers in each station. By the end of this simulation and modelling, the society manager will be in a position to tell the best method to use and how many people are required to serve students signing up in each of the societies. This article presents background material on simulation, its relation to modelling, the technology of simulation, and some practical applications in simulation model development. It also looks into how useful simulation modelling is in resource planning for process. 2. Model Development Simulation Data Simulation Run 1 day (8 hours) Number of Students 1000 Inter-Arrival Time (fixed) 0.40 Society Preference Profile Film Society 28% Football Society 34% Water Sports Society 28% Information Society 5% Extreme Ironing Society 5% Time to Register (min) Film Society 9 Football Society 15 Water Sports Society 11 Information Society 14 Extreme Ironing Society 20 2.1 Model I: One Queue for All Societies Overview This is where the manager opts to use one volunteer sitting in one working station and one queue to register all the 1000 students. The volunteer will hold all the forms required to register for all the societies, and will be choosing the right form to use depending on the client at the desk. This means that the registration officer will be shifting from one type of registration form to the next, and this is likely to take much time between each client other than high possibility of making errors. Depending on the simulation data and the number of hours set for the exercise, it is clear that a day will end without the 340 students meant to join a football society finishing signing up. The process will be like the model shown below. 2.2 Model II: Single Queue for Each Society Overview In this model, the registration manager will separate the societies by having five registration points, each covering a specific society. For example, there will be five tables in this process where Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society will have a table, each without mixing the students. Every table will contain only the relevant forms for signing up, which may in turn improve efficiency and the turnaround time to utilize the limited registration time available. It is possible for the registration volunteers to take only the planned time per client. Depending on the preference profile, this model will consider hiring two volunteers to handle registration for the students intended to sign up for the football society. This will make their registration be complete in four hours instead of eight, if done by a single person, and it will ensure that the whole process of signing up is finished in less than eight hours. The mod el below outlines the process. 3. Discussion Considering the two models, Model I will consume much time to sign up all the students than Model II. It means that not all students will be registered within the eight hours allocated for the process. This is due to the higher number of students willing to sign up for a football society, each taking 15 minutes and consequently translating to 8 hours 30 minutes to finish the registration. This is above the time limit given. This means that two students will be signed up the following day, if such an arrangement is made, despite them standing in line for the whole day. Similarly, there are high chances of making errors during the registration process by either forms mixing up or the volunteer signing up students in societies other than their choice. 4. Reflection: How Useful is Simulation Modelling for Resource Planning Process Simulation is a tool that is used to manage change by identifying the possible challenges that can be experienced in an actual process, and is a way of accelerating change, owing to the fact that all the foreseen limitations and barriers are addressed before implementation.Simulation has the ability to clarify the reasons why one model is chosen but not the other. For example, in this case, it provides reasons for why model II is preferred to model I, and shows how the answer was arrived at through the calculation of the time spent on each student, dividing by the number of hours allocated. This method led to the determination of the number of volunteers needed to efficiently fulfill the task. Simulation also helps in tracing the process and the intended outcomes, as well as enabling the society manager to generate clarifications for the decisions made. Simulation is an element of a business rule that drives operations of a business, system or process. It provides a solution to both on-line and off-line on-going management problems by making decisions that help in forecasting the impact of the change. Formalizing and experimenting with the models make the automation of system and business regulations more widespread. In the design of new business rules, simulation gives a chance to confirm that processes will be implemented as designed. Simulation permits effective utilization of organizational advancement programs, such as the use of Six Sigma. The activities of defining, measuring, analysing, improving, and controlling depend on the solemn participation of all the parties involved to ensure that quality is achieved.The last three elements that entail analysis, improvement and control are concerned with the identification of causes of the system, developing new procedures and practices to run the process, and setting controls mechanisms in place that ensure high quality is maintained.Equally, simulation plays a significant role in minimizing the risk of change by managing change. Benefits of Simulation and Modelling Simulation and modelling in this case is beneficial for control of the signing up process, for it ensures that all students line up to have an orderly exercise. It also helps in compressing time,by ensuring that less time is consumed in the process, such as in the case with registering football society members when registration time was reduced from 8 hours to 4 hours. If this simulation modelling had not been put in place, the society manager would have been engaged in a tiring and incomplete exercise. Or he would have had to hire more registration officers than was initially required. It also helps in experimentation where sensitive analysis is made based on the outcomes of the two processes, and leads to a guided decision on which model is the best. Modelling offer training to the members involved, since it helps the concerned parties to conceptualise the actual process before implementation. Apart from the benefits, simulation also allows the society manager to learn and investigate the practice by using a system that offers a more insightful experience. It helps the manager notice how results change with the change of the system, and gives deep understanding of the link between the key areas of the process, which in this case is an accurate, timely and cost-effective exercise.Investigation of the viability and practicability of the process is also done before actual implementation, thus enabling the manager to train the six volunteers to be conversant with the flow of registration process. This makes them be mentally prepared to the long hours they are expected to work. Disadvantages of Simulation and Modelling Simulation and modelling also has its limitations that include consumption of time and money to formulate models and experiment. These models took several hours that could have been utilized in other areas. Costly expertise is another limitation, since the six staff members to carry out the signing up procedure are hired, and this requires analysis of the simulation data to be able to come up with the best process.The models imitate interactions of events of demand, planning of service measures, planning for the supply of human resources needed in the process, attrition of resources, and execution of service orders to appraise business performance. The models approximate serviceability, quality, costs, and benefits of the societies to the students.Similarly, the models are employed in evaluating efficacy of several analyses, resource management and policies, which allow for integration of the components of the framework. Simulation Modelling for Resource Planning for Process Improvement Supply Planning of Resources The simulation analysis of the queuing period and the signing up process led to the decision being made on human resource allocation. The aim of the experiment was to condense the amount of time students will take for signing up, as well as improve general service delivery. For the registration in the societies, the simulation and modelling allowed the manager to realise that six volunteers were needed to efficiently register the 1000 students, and two more volunteers were needed to handle students registering for the football society. This was due to the analysis forecasting that one registration officer would take more than a day to finish the process, unlike in other societies where it could be finished within the allocated 8 hours.The group was, therefore, allocated two officers to efficiently finish the work and improve the quality of the process. The responsibility of supply planning is to carry out Resource Capacity Planning (RCP) that ensures that there are no shortages or su rpluses in the allocation of resources. Demand Planning of Service Engagements Demand planning creates estimated demand by assigning a type to a service product line, depending on the time allocation and the size of demand. In this case, the society preferences profile forecast high demand for the football, film and water sports societies, thus leading to the planning for higher allocation of human resource and other materials, such as work stations and stationery for the registration of a football society as a product line. This forecasting could be a result of the past demand patterns or projected business growth and commitment opportunities. Conclusion Simulation and modelling involves artificial imitation of a real life process through experimentation. This is a very important exercise that allows the involved parties to forecast and test the practicability of the system or the process before the actual implementationSimulation and modelling in this case concerns a registration process that comprises 1000 students who are expected to register in different societies during Societies Day. Students are expected to sign up in at least one of the five available societies within 8 hours which include Film Society, Football Society, Water Sports Society, Information Society and Extreme Ironing Society. Two models will be utilized whereby the society manager uses one queue and one volunteer, and another model whereby each society uses separate queues. This process is beneficial for control, time compressing, training and resource planning, as well as allocation for process improvements. Buy custom Business Modeling essay