...COMPANY BACKGROUND: Science Technology Company was a leading manufacturer of computer-controlled automated test equipment (ATE) that was used to monitor and manage quality over the life cycle of electronic products. STC enjoys 31% market share : No.1 in the design and manufacture of testers and test software for printed circuit boards; No. 2 in semiconductors test and operation Other products include a system to test electronic products in the field; cads , models and simulations. STC is located in Minneaapolis, Minnesota with sales, service, network , offices and representatives across the US , North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. PROBLEM STATEMENT Was the company well-positioned to finance the rapid sales growth that was anticipated? WHERE IS STC NOW? The growth of the worldwide ATE market was tremendous between 1978 and 1984. The rapid growth of 28% per year was spurred by the rapid growth of electronic products, powered in part by technological breakthroughs in computers and miniaturization. GOAL OF THE COMPANY To be the recognized international leader in providing integrated quality management systems to manufacturers of electronic devices and equipment. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths • Extensive software • Right products and reliability • Excellent credit rating • Dominant share of the printed circuit board test market Weakness • Forecasting problem • Losing in competition ...
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...Science Technology Company - 1985 Advanced Financial Management Professor Clayton June 9, 2005 Chirayu Patel Dave Chen Ian Hoffman Tim Boyd Bill Watson of Science Technology Company (STC) should not discuss the current 5-year financing plan prepared by Harry Finson, the chief financial officer, at the forthcoming board meeting. The industry that STC is in has short product life cycle, rapid technology obsolescence and fast growth with increasing competition. In fact, STC's strategy to survive the competition is to maintain leadership in ATE segment and to further compete in the large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits segment by chasing market share and spreading high R&D cost over large sales. However, the large sales growth seems to be more difficult to obtain with the newly added competition. The industry that STC is in has short product life cycle, rapid technology obsolescence, and fast growth. STC's strategy will beat the competition by maintaining leadership in ATE segment and competing in the large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits segment by chasing market share and spreading high R&D cost over large sales volume. The growth of ATE segment is largely fueled by the growth of electronic products, but this success can be segment dependent. Although the ATE segment with 28% annual growth is exceptional, the success in the ATE segment cannot infer the same success in the VLSI segment. Despite the aid of ATE segment growth, the historical sales growth would still be approximately...
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...Science Technology Company Science Technology Company 1985 President: Bill Watson CFO: Harry Finson Questions: 1. Are the 5-year forecasts useful, given uneven growth in sales, inventories and receivables, and earnings in the past? 2. What will be the impact of a resurgence of inflation, fueled by massive budget deficits, on STC? 3. Can the company finance the rapid sales growth that is anticipated? STC • Leading manufacturer of automated test equipment (ATE) • 31% market share on testers for printed circuit boards • Second largest in semiconductor test operation • Objective: To be the recognized international leader in providing integrated quality management systems to manufacturers of electronic devices and equipment. • Strategies: o Heavy spending on research and development o Spread cost of R&D across a large number of sales o Aggressively pursue major segments of semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries in Europe, N. America, and the Pacific Factors that Increased Market Demand for ATE • Swift and dramatic technological breakthroughs (from 1975-1984) • High competition that required speed to move a design into manufacturing at low costs, which increased the demand for ATEs • Steady increase in labor rates that pushed electronics manufacturers to automate testing • In-house testing capacity made obsolete due to the increase in number and complexity of semiconductor components • Dramatic improvement in the testing technology and...
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...TECHNOLOGY BANE OR BOOM? The overt observation of some knowledgeable persons who passionately feel concerned for the welfare of humanity, in the wake of scientific strides and technological triumphs, laments that “technology creates more problems than it solves”. Their concern echoes the similar sentiments of thinkers like J.G.Ballard for whom, “technology dictates the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages or we remain mute”, and for Omar Bradley “our technology has already outstripped our ability to control it”. Despite these jarring notes, technology has acquired a halo that is almost impossible to shake off. Who can deny the robust role and range of technology that we experience in our every day life. If we care to look at the scintillating side of technology, we find space technology and its applications provide useful data for natural disaster monitoring, solving environment problems, improve telecommunications and provide other basic services. Through fax, e-Mail and the Internet, information technology has outstripped all barriers that time and space had placed in man’s search for instant information. Though electronic information is hard to control, yet the individual newsgatherer is visible and vulnerable. The latest in the success story is the likely boom that bio-technology promises to unfold in the years to come. Rightly, biotechnology is being seen by scientists and entrepreneurs alike as the next big thing with the potential...
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...Science and Technology is a double edge sword it cuts both ways depending on how it is used science and technology can make or destroy us. It is essential that we must know and understand its advantages and disadvantages. ADVANTAGES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Communication From hand-held computers to touch phones, technological advancements in the field of communication are endless. The means and the modes of communication are unlimited. Some of the benefits of technological advancements in the field of communication are: Speed : time is no longer a constraint in communication Clarity : With megapixel images and video, and high fidelity audio systems clarity in communication has become a never-before experience Proximity : technological advancements have made the world a smaller place to live in Dissemination : whether spreading information, broadcasting news, or sharing knowledge, technology has made it faster, easier, and smarter Education Technological advancements in the field of education are fast evolving. Today, e-learning is a familiar and popular term. Some of the benefits of technology in this field are: Personalized learning experience: Learners are able to take control and manage their own learning. They set their own goals, manage the process and content of learning, and communicate with peers. Immediate response: Most e-learning programs provide immediate feedbacks on learner assessments. Similarly there are features such as chat, discussion boards...
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...or foe? Although there is no debating over both the usefulness and convienency of modern technology as such, different studies show that when it comes to general happiness, modern technology is not a factor. And while we all welcome the breakthroughs constantly being made in medicine for example, modern technology’s effect on human relations is still questionable at best. I think it is becoming quite obvious that the privileges provided for us by today’s science and technology are corrupting our minds in terms of pure human emotions and honest communication. There are studies which show that the more time people spend communicating online, the less desire they have to communicate verbally. Handwritten letters for one have already been largely replaced with e-mails, people talk on the phone and via MSN and other social networking sites daily, without actually seeing each other face to face for months or even years. They might think that modern technology helps them stay acquainted but what it might really be doing is tearing them further apart. Different studies have shown that despite all of the modern technology that surrounds us, we as humans are not happier than we used to be. As a matter of fact, we are actually not even as happy as we used to be. According to studies, the happiest country in the world appears to be Bhutan, which has very little or rather no modern technology at all. This clearly shows that people do not need all the latest gadgets and devices to feel...
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...Environment Analysis HP is one of the largest companies in the world but despite its success and multinational reach, it is still subject to forces beyond its control. Hence, in order to properly defend its empire and plan for growth, management of HP have to understand the way the external world works, where it is progressing towards and how it all affects HP. Three broad and different categories form the external environment of HP and these are the general, industry and competitor environments. The more relevant and significant aspects of each will be delved into for the purposes of this analysis. General Environment The general environment affects HP’s operating landscape as well as the markets it competes in. Attempting to strategise without understanding these forces will be disastrous to HP. HP’s presence around the globe requires a multi-ethnic workforce and this exposes it to different value systems. If HP were to impose its successful Silicon Valley mindset on a subsidiary in a different continent, it might not be able to observe the same performance from employees. Even though there are signs of increased receptiveness to American culture from other countries, a drastic change to centuries of heritage cannot be expected. Moreover, as mentioned in the case, the HP-Compaq merger will also raise organisational culture issues and it will be a complicated process in optimising synergy in two geographically large companies. The origin of HP and its future lies in...
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...Window into Business Research (pp. 15-19). Wollongong, Australia: THEORI. http://eurekaconnection.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p-15-19-actor-network-theorytheori-ebook_finaljan2014-v3.pdf Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au Actor Network Theory Abstract Actor-Network Theory (ANT) emerged from science and technology studies, though it was inspired by grounded theory and semiotics. In the 1970s, Bruno Latour (a French anthropologist and social scientist) and Steve Woolgar (a British sociologist) undertook ethnographic field work at the Salk Institute in California. This research was inspired by grounded theory and Latour and Woolgar approached their study of work in the endocrinology laboratory as if they were anthropologists observing a hitherto unknown and strange set of practices. In other words, they did not fit their observations into any preconceived notions of scientific method, or how science 'should' be done. The resulting, highly influential book Laboratory Life: The Social Construction of Scientific Facts(1979, re-released in 1986 with additional commentary) gave a detailed account of the everyday activities of scientists. Latour and Woolgar highlighted the importance of material objects in the construction of scientific facts - rats, mice, machines, chemicals, traces of paper coming out of machines (raw data) and documents...
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...How many of us would happily make do without a fully equipped modern kitchen – even if it sometimes beats like a transplanted artificial heart at the centre of an artisan cottage stripped back to its original organic floorboards and fireplace? Some might take this present-day dependence as testament to the irresistible appeal of American domestic technology, an appeal that guaranteed its spread during the second half of the 20th century. If any find this story plausible, they would do well to study this handsomely produced and well-illustrated edited collection on the attempted transfer of the American ‘modern kitchen’ to Europe during the early Cold War period of the 20th century. At the outset, editors Oldenziel and Zachmann position themselves at the cutting edge of the historiography of technology. Following Langdon Winner’s classic lead (1), they see politics as embodied in the modern kitchen, helping to bolster traditional women’s roles at time of challenge by feminism and other historical forces. Rebutting any presumed unilinear account of the transatlantic diffusion of this particular set of innovations, they define the modern kitchen as a culturally and ideologically laden technological artefact in its own right – one moreover that needs to be set within an array of large technological systems: electrical grids, gas networks, water systems and the integrated food and transport chain. They insist that a ‘host of social actors’ shape all these technological components:...
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...NATIONAL SCIENCE CLUB MONTH 2015 NATIONAL SCIENCE CLUBS SUMMIT September 5-6, 2015 STUDENT FACILITATOR’S HANDBOOK I. Event Description September is considered the National Science Club Month (NSCM) under Presidential Proclamation No. 264. During the NSCM, the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs (PSYSC) conducts activities that encourage the youth to actively participate in the science clubbing movement. Through these activities, PSYSC aims to provide a venue for the interaction of science clubs and to recognize excellence through workshops and friendly competitions. The three (3) main events that will kick-off this year’s NSCM are the National Science Clubs Summit (Summit), PSYSC Science Olympiad (PSO), and I Teach Science Seminar (ITSS). The National Science Clubs Summit (SUMMIT) is a one and a half-day gathering of high school science club affiliates, conducted simultaneously in different regions. The event is an opportunity for the different science clubs to learn from lectures, workshops, and plenary session. The SUMMIT brings the camp experience closer to our affiliates who are not able to attend the National Youth Science Technology and Environment Summer Camp (NYSTESC). Exciting trademark activities of SUMMIT include Sub-camp Quiz Competition and fun-filled Science workshops. SUMMIT also offers the chance to experience MathSciAKA, an event which provides set of interactive workshops. Date: September 5-6, 2015 ...
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...Man has worked hard to improve technology consistently to do various tasks fast and effectively. Many nations have succeeded in building great infrastructure and achieve stupendous progress due to developing of advanced technology before the other nations. Today, every nation strives to get the latest technology for the benefit of its citizens. Technological progress is vital in the fields of business, education as well as health care. Technological advancement has helped to introduce many positive changes in the educational sector. New methods of learning and teaching have made the process simple and more interesting. Computer technology in schools and colleges has helped explain subjects properly and in detail and this has reflected in the overall performance of the students. The Internet technology has been a revolution for the educational sector as it is an ocean of information. Students can search for the concepts which they learn in the books on the Internet and find out more information on the same. This will increase the depth of their knowledge. Distance learning programs have become possible only because of the Internet. Students who cannot attend colleges due to financial reasons or sue to traveling problems can sit at home and study using the online learning methods. Many examinations these days are conducted online which has helped bring in more transparency in the scoring system and complete the tests quickly. The slide shows meant especially for students, are...
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...Success and Failure of Technological Process BMAN61001 Innovation and the Knowledge Economy ID: 9523474 1 Introduction Garud and Karnøe (2003) stated that agency in technology entrepreneurship is distributed and embedded across different kinds of actors in the networks. The aggregation of inputs from various actors (both human and nonhuman) through multiple technological paths creates a momentum that result in technological change. The study compared wind turbine industry in Denmark and U.S. with the notion of “Bricolage” versus “Breakthrough”. The aim of this essay is to examine ways in which actors engage in different levels in shaping technological path. The Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) offers a deeper understanding on a relationship among technology and society and how social factors can influence technological development, whereas the Actor Network Theory (ANT) can help to identify problems and errors in the mechanism that result in a failure of innovation. The paper falls into three main sections. First it describes SCOT and its limitation, using the historical development of bicycle to illustrate. Then, ANT is discussed together with its failure. Thereafter, the SCOT and ANT theories can help to analyze the errors in U.S wind turbine case study and limitation of the paper in Hendry and Harborne’s view. Finally, this essay concludes the main findings and future research suggestions. 10 Reference: AWEA (2014). New analysis: U.S. is world’s number...
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...CSR Activities in Electronic Industry Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………...………2 1. Introduction……………………………………………………2 2. CSR activities of Sony, Dell and Apple……………………….3 1. Employees………………………………………...…...……4 2. Environment ………………………………………………..5 3. Consumers…………………………………………………..6 3. Evaluation on CSR activities………………………………….6 3.1 Employees………………………………………………...6 3.2 Environment……………………………………...………7 3.3 Consumers ……………………………………………….8 4. Conclusion…………………………………………………….8 References…………………………………………………………….9 Executive Summary Recent years, encouraged by cultural and economic globalization, the world market is growing rapidly. With the market becoming increasingly mature and rational, corporations not only pay attention to profit and business opportunities, but also the obligation and responsibility to employees, environment and customers. Therefore, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become more and more popular among enterprises and markets. Thus, it is important to study the way CSR initiative depicts what corporations have to do in order to shoulder the responsibility for their employees, environment as well as consumers and CSR’s influence on various economic behaviors. This report analyses the CSR activities of Sony, Dell and Apple which are three electronic corporations. Specifically, it focuses on the effect on their employees, environment and consumers. The first part will mainly introduce their CSR initiatives and...
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...needed. We frequently use emoticons, slang words etc while casual writing which sometimes can annoy reader or the message is not clear. Technical writing has advantage over it that the message is concise, understandable, and time saving. In casual writing there may be grammatical mistakes which lead to misunderstanding as compared to technical writing. But in my opinion writing casually is more easy and fun. You can write whatever you want to without tension of maintaining the structure and format of writing. An example of both is: Technical writing: This is to inform you that your book has been rejected by our publishing company as it was not up to the required standard. In case you would like us to reconsider it, we would suggest that you go over it and make some necessary changes. Casual Writing: You know that book I wrote? Well, the publishing company rejected it. They thought it was awful. But hey, I did the best I could, and I think it was great. I’m not gonna...
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...Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani Work-Integrated Learning Programmes Division Second Semester 2013-2014 Assignment No. 1 Course No. : MM ZG 523 Course Title : PROJECT MANAGEMENT Nature of Assignment : Take Home Weightage : 5% 1. Is project management designed to transfer power from line managers to the project manager? Explain the context of a project driven and a non-project driven organization? 2. Draw the organization structure of your organization and focus on the organization culture that exists in your organization. Suppose your company has decided to set up a new manufacturing unit of low capacity at another location, what organizational structure form will it prefer? 3. Study the Case 3.1 given in the Text Book (T1) on Page 108-110 and answer the FOUR questions that follow at the end of this case study. 4. The sales of a certain product during a fourteen year period have been as follows: Period Sales Period 1 2000 8 2 2200 9 3 2100 10 4 2300 11 5 2500 12 6 3200 13 7 3600 14 Find the least square regression line for the data given. Sales 4000 3900 4000 4200 4300 4900 5300 5. Sulabh International is evaluating a project whose expected cash flows are as follows: Year Cash Flow in Rupees 0 (1000,000) 1 100,000 2 200,000 3 300,000 4 600,000 5 300,000 a. What is the NPV of the project, if the discount rate is 14% for the entire period...
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