Manfucturing quality sys Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Manfucturing quality sys - Case Study Example The changes in the departments will bring about a positive impact and this will help the company in succeeding in the airline industry. By changing the supply routines and the supplier, material management will become easier. Enterprise Resource Planning is one among the best ways to integrate the departments in the company. This will help in decision making and further improvement of the company. Toon Air has been operating the airlines for many years. They have been successful in this field with no specific competitors. The recent development in the airline industry has led to a situation where many other airlines operate at a lower cost. This has affected the development and growth of Toon air. This has proved to be a great disadvantage. To overcome this situation Toon Air has to adopt new strategies and plan accordingly so that the current situation can be improved. This will enable the employees and the customers to have a problem free environment. The spare parts are procured regularly form some of the manufacturers. Any purchased material has to be stored in a warehouse and it has to be maintained properly, failing which may leads to unforeseen circumstances. These spares have been stored at a warehouse which is located at a distance of 30 miles from the airport. Purchasing is the major event in the management of supply of spares. The main problem is the delay in the supply of parts. Whenever a part is required they must be readily available to the users and engineers. There should not be any time delay as this in turn affects the flight timings. This will result in an unexpected loss to the company since the aircrafts are kept at the airport. They manage the situation temporarily by flying the substitute planes. This is not a permanent solution. This may prove to be a problem when several planes are idle at the airport. The spares are supplied to the maintenance engineers as and when needed. As the people in the purchase de partment do not have proper authority to decide and procure spares, this delays the process of purchase and supply of spares to the engineers. Toon Air purchases the spares from a reliable supplier. The cost of the spares is costly when compared to the other suppliers. They must select a different supplier who can supply the parts at a much lesser rate. This will be of more help to the company as this amount can be used for some other purpose. If the supplier is changed they can procure the spares immediately. (Hitomi, 1996).They must select the supplier who can deliver the spares immediately after the order is placed. This will reduce the delay in the supply of the parts. This in turn will reduce the idle time of the aircrafts. Since the spares are delivered immediately, the substitute planes can be used for any emergency situation alone. There has been a practice of engineers getting the spares directly from the suppliers. They make an order to the supplier and they get the spares delivered as and when they require. This may be of help only in certain cases. To avoid such a situation, the company must change to a different supplier so that the spares are procured whenever needed. The company must appoint some responsible person who can handle the purchase department in an efficient way. This will ensure that the department does not

Cyber attacks and digital terrorism

Cyber attacks and digital terrorism 1.a.Cyber Attack and Digital Terrorism Introduction There are various reasons why people initiate cyber attacks or execute digital terrorisms, whatever it is, the goal is to cause damage and destruction, with motivations that range from anything personal, political, economic or all. Below are list of few reasons why cyber attack and digital terrorism occurs: i.Personal Anger people who are psychologically angry at their organization, for whatever reason for example not being promoted for long time or no increment in the salaries or made redundant. The individual might plant viruses into the companys network or delete some of the important functions of a program which may create problem in the future. It can happen even a superior is pressurizing his subordinate. The subordinate may embed a virus in an e-mail attachment in a view to corrupt the superiors computer as revenge. This type of doings can be categorized as a personal digital terrorism. ii.Hired Service Occasionally individual can hired another individual (usually professionals intruders) to hack into someones computer network and steal important information or destroy the computer by wiping off all digital trails and the intruder is paid substantially. Even then the professional intruder can double-cross by inform the targeted company that the companys network infrastructure is at risk and he can solve the problem. This type of activity can be classified as a professional digital terrorism. iii.Ransom Money Sometime a person might need money desperately and nobody is there to help him, the banks also do not want to give a loan because of poor credit history, even family members do not have money to support him but this person may have special skills. He informs the bank that he have planted a logic bomb into their network which will activate at a certain time and will cause severe damage or even crash the banks networking system. He/she may ask for ransom money. Once the money is received, the de-activate code for the logic bomb will be send to the bank. This type of activity can be classified as a personal desperate digital terrorism. iv.Political War These is typically against There are some people who get politically angry because those in power do not agree with their views or wishes. They want to display their peoples power or dislike by conducting demonstrations etc. One way as a warning is planting logic bombs with a ransom note that says unless the demands are met then the logic bomb will go off. This is typical against governments or organization/union of governments like The G8, APEC Summit, World Economic Forum etc. This type of activity can be classified as a political group digital terrorism. v.Declared War There exist true terrorist organizations that have publicly declared their all out war against countries or organizations. They have named their sworn-out enemies. Conducting cyber attacks is one of their strategies to achieve their aims everything is possible in war. Each side will try to destroy or cripple each others war machineries and capabilities. For example: In the UN against Iraqi War, the whole radar system of Iraq was jammed by the US during the early phases of the war. All electronic and computer communications infrastructure of Iraq were crippled. This type of activity can be classified as an expected political digital war tactics and not really digital terrorism. 1.b. What are viruses, worms, Trojan horses, logic bombs and DOS attacks? Viruses A virus is a small piece of malicious code that attacks a computer program or file. A virus can attack a computer in different ways by attaching itself to other software programs or data files in order to be executed, usually without user knowledge or permission, which can cause clogging computer memory, destroy programs or data, reformat a computer hard disk or can cause a program to run improperly. Virus typically spreads from computer to computer when action such as sending an email attachment or copying an infected file(as we know companies are going online, so uses net is extensively in dealing ). As we know anti-virus softwares are designed to check computer system and drives for the presence of computer viruses. Antivirus programs databases are constantly being updated to combat and prevent such attacks. It is recommended Firms those uses net extensively in dealing with its branches, customers and suppliers, it is highly recommended to continually update their anti-virus softw are with recent virus signature files. Worms A worm is a type of virus that has the ability to multiply or copy itself from one machine to another, gradually over a network. The two key differences between a virus and a worm are the multiplying or copying effect and the spreading across to other computers whereas a virus may not multiply itself and may attack only just one computer. A Trojan horse This is a security-breaking program that is introduced into a computer and serves as a way for an impostor to re-enter the computer in the future. It may be hidden as something innocent such as a screen saver or a game. It can damage, delete, or destroy important files, essentially do anything it is programmed to do. The key thing here is not in the type of damage but in how it enters a computer i.e. by a deceptive way. A logic bomb This is a program that is introduced into a computer and set to take action at a certain time or when a specified event occurs. It can do anything it was programmed to do. A DOS (Denial of Service) attack These are action being implemented by invading a large number of computers on the network (usually internet) and instructing the computers to simultaneously send repeated messages to a target computer, thus either overloading the computers input buffer or jamming the communication lines into the computer so badly that legitimate users cannot obtain access to the targeted computer. The key terms here are jamming the target computer or computers so that those targeted computers can no longer provide services (i.e. users are denied of the services). Some people refer to DOS attacks as the Ping of Death or the Teardrop. Information and Identity theft in the digital world The word Theft is simply obtaining something (materials or non-materials) through illegal means.   So information theft is obtaining information illegally, for example, without the owners permission. Publicly published information is legally public and therefore, having such information by whatever means is never considered stealing or theft. Identity theft according to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is someone (somebody else) is appropriating your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. For example, an identity thief uses information about someone, such name, address, social security number, credit card number and/or other identifying information to impersonate you and obtain loans or purchase items under your credit. Information theft is simply about stealing information for whatever use the thief wants it for, whereas identity theft is the extension of information theft with the user wanting to impersonate you or be identified as you using that stolen identification information to be used for many things, good and mostly bad. A thief can use the stolen identification information for criminal activities including validating against computer software systems: the banks identification system (to steal your money in the bank), the credit card system (to use your credit card to buy things), the immigration system (to run out of the country) and many more. It all looks like it is actually you performing those activities and not the thief. A thief who is also a hacker can do more, for example, penetrate the records registry system (to hack and change your date of birth, your gender status, your parents names, etc), the police crime database system (to hack and say that you committed a crime which you never did), the university records system (to hack and change your grades from A to F, to change your major degrees etc ), the White House Security System (to visit and say hello to the most powerful man in the world), the FBI and CIA computer systems etc. Conclusion: Web application attacks are increasing drastically because there is a lack of knowledge in securing the applications, especially during the development and deployment stages of the applications. To control or avoid this menace, we must ensure that security is being implemented not only during the coding stage, but also the deployment stage. The operations of a Web application must be monitored by the administrator so any exploits can be detected earlier and damages can be minimized or avoided such as using an intrusion detection system to monitor and filter Web traffic. It is also recommended for all organizations to conduct a security audit assessment to ensure that an application is secured before it is published to the public.

Caryl Phillips The Nature of Blood Essay -- Caryl Phillips Nature Blo

Caryl Phillips' The Nature of Blood On its most immediate level, Caryl Phillips’ The Nature of Blood narrates several stories of the Jewish Diaspora, using the familiar Shakespearean character Othello to provide a counterpoint to the others’ experiences of displacement. The Nature of Blood thus initially seems to fit awkwardly among texts by other West Indian authors who use the Caribbean as the setting of their work or incorporate West Indian characters into their work. Through his multi-stranded narrative, however, Phillips creates a geographical setting that mirrors the multi-regional influence of the Caribbean. The triangular space of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa shaped by the character’s stories parallels the historical and cultural exchange among Europe, North America, and Africa: the triangular trade which produced the African diaspora. Unlike people of African descent in mainland North America, those of Caribbean background have historically had a more fragmented allegiance to home, negotiating between African and European influences. Likewise, The Nature of Blood illustrates its characters’ discomfort in claiming one particular space as home and in maintaining ties to one space as they move to another. Each of the characters in The Nature of Blood illustrates the challenges that geography, culture, and memory pose to claiming a singular home. Moshe and Eva, both affected by the Holocaust, convey ambivalence as they seek literal geographical spaces in which to rebuild their lives. Malka’s relocation includes the additional obstacle of cultural and racial differences which mark her past home and prevent her from assimilation in her new space even as she attempts to leave her old one behind. And, Stephan ... ...of such futile negotiation between past and present, The Nature of Blood thus issues an admonishment against the shunning of hybridity. Although issues of geography, culture, and memory continue to burden the Caribbean, its embrace of hybridity places the region on the path to resolving its identity and mapping its destiny. Works Cited Danticat, Edwidge. The Dew Breaker. New York: Vintage, 2005. Ledent, Bà ©nà ©dicte. â€Å"A Fictional and Cultural Labyrinth: Caryl Phillips’s ‘The Nature of Blood.’† ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature 32:1 (January 2001). 185-195. Levy, Andrea. Small Island. New York: Picador, 2004. Marshall, Paule. The Chosen Place, The Timeless People. 1969. New York: Vintage, 1992. Phillips, Caryl. The Nature of Blood. New York: Vintage, 1998. Selvon, Samuel. The Lonely Londoners. 1956. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1983.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

A classroom that includes students diagnosed with ADHD needs to include effective intervention strategies. According to the American Psychiatric Association, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by pervasive and developmentally inappropriate difficulties with attention, impulsivity, and hyper activity. These students frequently have difficulties following classroom rules and can show aggression, they are also more likely to be rejected socially and have more difficulty getting along with other students. School-based services are usually needed as well as placement in a special education class. The implementation of behavioral strategies combined with the use of psychotropic medications can help achieve a favorable outcome and a greater chance of success. Children with ADHD have different behaviors that can prevent them from learning and those behaviors can range from being mildly disruptive to almost making it impossible for academic and social success. A variety of behavioral strategies can be implemented to accommodate each child's needs. These strategies should include some clear, simple expectations or rules that outline expected behaviors for all students. These rules should be posted and reviewed frequently as well as recognized and praised when they are being followed. When all students understand the expectations, they have a goal they can work towards. For some students having additional prompts can help them to maintain self control and achieve these goals. Academic tasks can seem overwhelming for some students and there are some ways to help these students complete their school work. One effective strategy is modifying the size of a task, breaking it into smaller assignments can help them achieve success. Gradually increasing the level of difficulty, and the time spent working on an academic activity might help some students learn self regulation. When they can complete a task they should be praised or rewarded. I currently work in a classroom where there are modifications made for several students depending on the subject being taught. One student becomes overwhelmed by math lessons and feels defeated before he even begins. His behavior reflects this when he becomes disruptive and refuses to even try. Several strategies have been implemented to help him and are currently being used with success. Presenting the work in smaller assignments has helped him feel less overwhelmed. First I make sure he understands the task and what the total assignment is, then it is broken into sections for him to choose from. By choosing the section he feels most comfortable to begin with helps promote a positive attitude toward the overall task. Combining this with positive reinforcement and praise for staying on task and not disrupting others has been successful and this student's average grade has increased by 10% since the beginning of the school year. Reinforcement based strategies like a reward system can be a very helpful tool as a whole class strategy. The desired behavior and expectations need to be outlined as well as what the reward will be. These expectations need to be individual and realistic so that the student can see progress toward the goal. This strategy can be successful when used regularly and followed through. This is a strategy that I currently work with and it brings positive results. I work in a seventh grade ASD classroom where there are clear classroom goals as well as individual goals. The students earn â€Å"checks† for short term rewards like 15 minutes of IPad use or art time as well as a larger goal of â€Å"Friday Fun† which is a free period of social interaction with classmates where they can choose a game or activity to play for an entire period. The goals are individualized and can be increased as the student's ability grows. Having a long term goal also gives a student room to adjust their behavior and make up for times when behavior needed to be corrected. Not every student earns this reward all the time, but the teacher helps the students understand where they need improvement and how together they can work to achieve their goal for the next week. Both articles discuss the importance of the partnership between parents, teachers, and counselors. All parties should have a good understanding of the strategies used at home and in school. These strategies are the most successful when they are followed through by all. Open communication is very important and allows for an easier transition from school to home and home to school. For two students in my classroom we send home a â€Å"Have a Good Day Chart† which gives parents a look at their child's overall behaviors as well as their progress throughout the day. This helps us to see what time of day may be more challenging or if a particular subject causes unwanted behaviors. If the student is on medication it can track the time of day behaviors are occurring and can help when parents speak with their child's doctor. Intervention services are essential to helping a student succeed. These providers evaluate from a different perspective and can offer additional strategies for parents and teachers The way to achieve the best outcome is for all caregivers to develop a plan that includes strategies that are both proactive and reactive. Encouraging the desirable behaviors and addressing undesirable actions help to teach self regulation. Tracking and recording data show growth and improvements. This helps everyone identify the strategies that work and where changes are needed as the child grows. These strategies should be reviewed and discussed by everyone implementing them. This is especially important for children in middle school or high school where there are multiple teachers working with the students each day. Consistent and clear guidelines can help students with ADHD be successful and reach their full potential. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Wolraich and Baumgaertel in â€Å"The Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Based on the New DSM-IV Criteria† (1996) observe that ADHD is â€Å"the most common mental disorder in children† (p. 168). From a parent’s perspective, ADHD is a troubling disorder feared due to its adverse effects on the behavior of children. Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) further notes that the symptoms for the disorder â€Å"are usually well developed by school age† children and are also â€Å"most clearly and consistently observed in the school and classroom environment† (p.  170).For the parent, ADHD is a disorder that should be given strict consideration as it may greatly affect their child’s school performance and overall mental development. The article gives a detailed account of the history of ADHD, consistently citing earlier researches conducted in examining the disorder. The article also emphasizes the previous criteria in determining t he disorder. In essence, Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) argue that DSM-IV as a new criteria for the prevalence of ADHD.In their research, the authors obtained teachers who will fill-up a behavior rating scale for their students. Children from kindergarten to fifth grade in a middle Tennessee county participated in a second study under the same research. Moreover, the questionnaires used in the research consisted of a modified teacher rating scale in order to fit the DSM-IV. In the studies, a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was used. Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) found similarities among the studies and that ADHD is indeed a prevalent disorder among school children.With DSM-IV as the new criteria, the researchers confirm that the scope of ADHD is more prevalent than we may already know. From the perspective of the parent, it can hardly be denied that the behaviors of their children may reflect symptoms of ADHD in one way or another. By noting the research findings of Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996), parents may soon realize that their children may have ADHD or show symptoms of the disorder. It may cause a reason for alarm which can ultimately result to an increase in the efforts of parents to constantly monitor their children’s behavior both at home and in school.I have learned that ADHD is indeed a serious disorder because it is prevalent among children who, in their young age, are still on the verge of learning many things which are basic to one’s life. If that is the case, ADHD poses a threat on the younger generation of learners which should be a sufficient reason for the learning institutions and key officers to assess the school services being provided and to create measures which will address the symptoms of the disorder manifested by young learners with ADHD. Without doubt, my perspective towards ADHD and those who have it has changed.The prevalence of ADHD among children taught me that the disorder is not a si mple problem which has a ready-made solution. Because the disorder is primarily rooted in the human brain, one’s attitude towards children with ADHD should not be in a harsh way. Learning to treat children with the disorder with respect and understanding is a must. If the facts presented by Wolraich and Baumgaertel (1996) are not compelling enough, I cannot think of any other compelling force to make people rethink their attitudes towards people with ADHD.In case one may wonder, the research done by the authors of the article is a credible research primarily because the authors have accurately and objectively presented their findings with no regard to personal bias. More importantly, the authors have the authority and scholastic records to back-up their efforts in the research. For one, Mark Wolraich is the Child Development Center’s director as well as a Professor of Pediatrics in Vanderbilt University Medical Center.On the other hand, Anna Baumgaertel is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the same university. Apart from the thing that the authors have presented, there are still other things I would like to know. For instance, can ADHD last a lifetime? Inasmuch as ADHD can be acquired by children at a young age, does it also indicate that the disorder can be carried over to one’s adulthood or later years on life? Hyperactivity is one of the symptoms in determining if a person has the disorder.But it is certainly not the sole defining symptom in identifying traces of ADHD in a person’s behavior. If that is the case, then it is more than likely that grown-ups and the elderly may also manifest ADHD. Or is it? Another thing that I would like to know is whether ADHD can be directly cured by medicines or medical and surgical operations. Since the disorder has strong relation to a person’s brain, can doctors make use of brain surgery in order to ‘correct’ what seems to be a flaw in one’s brain and eventuall y relieve the person suffering from ADHD?Or can it be the case that continuous medication through pills or perhaps through injection of medicine in the form of fluids can result to an immediate and long-lasting cure for the disorder? Lastly, if ADHD is best manifested through the behavior of children, what can parents do in order to counter or at least lessen the possibility for children with the disorder to suddenly turn towards a hyperactive state?It seems much is yet to be explored about the nature of ADHD and those who suffer from it. For the moment, it is sufficient to know that the disorder is a serious problem and necessitates serious solutions for both parents, teachers and doctors. Reference Wolraich, M. & Baumgaertel, A. (1996). The Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Based on the New DSM-IV Criteria. Peabody Journal of Education, 71 (4), 168-186. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (abbreviated as ADHD) is a term that used to describe a range of behavior related problems leading to lower concentration and poor attention.   It is a problem which affects many people across all ages in the world.ADHD leads to development of many learning difficulties in children since they cannot pay full attention in class.  Ã‚   While some individuals may exhibit one condition alone, other may exhibit a wide range of conditions including impulsiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity, and many others.The severity of the condition depends on the range of symptoms that are exhibited by the child.   Apart from academic problems, children with ADHD also suffer from social problems and most of them have shown inability to socialize with their peers at home or at school. The condition is also known by other words like hyperkinetic due to the common factor of restlessness which is exhibited by children suffering from the condition.The conditio n can be categorized together with other neurobehavioral defects which affects a wide range of population.  Ã‚   However, ADHD is more prevalent in children although statistics shows that the condition affects close to 5% of the people in the world regardless of their age. The symptoms the conditions are more evident in children than in adults and are mainly noted in a close supervision set up like in schools.There is also gender variation in the prevalence of the condition and it has been diagnosed twice in males and females.   In some case, the disease has been shown to be chronic where more than 45% of individuals who are diagnosed with the condition in their early age progress with the symptoms late to their adulthood. As individuals grow, they develop coping mechanisms which decrease the prevalence of the symptoms of the condition in later adulthood.ADHD presents one of the greatest academic challenges that teachers have to deal with.   Unlike normal children who are atte ntive in class, ADHD children exhibit a wide range of attention difficult which affects their academic performance.Therefore it is the duty of the teacher to come up with working strategies to help ADHD children to perform like the rest in class. There are various strategies that have already been proved quite effective in assisting ADHD children to improve their academic performance.  This paper will discuss ADHD in school going children. The paper will first have an overview of ADHD including its definition, pathopysiology, symptoms, and treatment. Then it will review the   social and academic difficulties that ADHD children goes through and finally it will review strategies that can be used by teachers to help students with ADHD to perform well in class.ADHDADHD was first recorded by Scottish physician Alexander Crinchton in 1798. Alexander described a condition resulting to mental restlessness which is very similar to the modern  Ã‚   diagnoses of ADHD.   However, ADHD w as recognized in 1902 by a British pediatrics George Fredrick.   Fredrick also defined a condition which was very similar to ADHD but he recognized it as an abnormal physical condition affecting children which as more evident in their studies (Cleave and Leslie, 2008).Extensive research on ADHD has shown that it can be caused by biological or environment factors and the combination of the two aggravates the symptoms of the condition.  Ã‚   According to Cleave and Leslie (2008), there are three biological factors which can predispose individual to develop the symptoms of the condition including;Child temperament   which   lead to   varied change in attitude and   personality Genetic factors   including inheritance of the condition   from parents   or close relatives Accidents leading to damage of the brain tissues which can be due to pre-birth problems or trauma which leads to hypotoxic damage of the brain Environmental causes have also been linked to development of the condition.   Environmental causes include a wide range of factors that compose the growth environment (Stern and Stern, 2002).There are wide ranges of environment factors which can predispose individuals to the development of the condition including the family stress, the style of parenting earlier difficulties faced in education, growth in  Ã‚   areas prone to negative behaviors like violence, peer influence, and many others. For example, research has shown that children who grow up with violent parents or alcoholic parents are prone to development of symptoms of the condition than others.In the United States ADHD has remained on of the most controversial social and medical issue.   Different stakeholders like medics, social workers, media, and others have all questioned the diagnoses criteria in ADHD with some arguing that the condition is over diagnosed by the present DSM-IV criteria.However this controversy in the diagnoses criteria stems from the systematic developme nt of the diagnoses tool keeping into consideration that ADHD cannot be diagnosed using clinical signs.

Iphone 5C price decision Essay

The fist factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is by considering costs. For instance, since Apple Inc. wants to maximize its profits through establishing new products, the price should be set at the point where marginal revenue equals to marginal cost. We know that iPhone 5C is in the perfectly competitive market, the company can reach its maximum profit at equilibrium at X* and P*. To determine the price, Apple Inc. needs to do the marginal analysis. According to profits (Ï€) equals to total revenues (TR) minus total costs (TC), which is Ï€=(P*X)-(fixed cost+variable costs per unit *X), X is the number of units sold by Apple Inc. Of course, manager needs to ask several departments and contractors to know the cost of their product and services. From online websites, I get to know that producing a 16Gbyte iPhone, total BOM and Manufacturing Cost is about $173.45, for a 32Gbyte iPhone 5C is approximately $182.85(which accounts only for hardware and manufacturing costs and does not include other expenses such as software, licensing, royalties or other expenditure)(Andrew, 2013). The manager can differentiating the fixed costs and variable costs based on cost behavior, and plug those numbers into the equation and get an equation between Ï€ and X. then differentiate the equation and set it to zero, the manager can get the number of units when profit maximizing. Finally, plug X into assuming demand function, the manager can get the price and make a decision. But, in the real world, it is not easy to implement the marginal analysis method. So, managers usually try to combine cost-based approaches and market-based approach to make a profit satisfying approach, for example full cost-plus target profits, variable costs-plus percentage markup can both assess to pricing decision. However, the common and basic factor for the methods is costs. The second factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is product line and competitors. Strategy analysis is the company needs to consider about the Competitors as well as the whole industry, and then assess to firm’s plan. We can figure out that the competitions in the smartphone market are quite intense, there are numerous competitors and are almost equal size, such as Samsung, Microsoft. So, Apple Inc. has to investigate the cost leadership and the unique producers in order to make a competitive price in the smartphone market. The website take the example of Moto X, which has 18 kinds of colors and the functions are really similar to iPhone 5C (Darren, 2013). The price of Moto X is $599, so the manager should decide a lower price than it to gain a competitive advantage. In particular, the competition is not just from the external market, we know that Apple Inc. promoted iPhone 5C as well as iPhone 5S at the same time. To iPhone 5C, the manager needs to consider about the plastic case, which is $42 less than the metal case cost of iPhone5S (Ben, 2013). So manager should also compare the 5C’s price to 5S. It is an important thing to keep secret of the product’s price before they coming out. The manager of Apple Inc. can survey the expected price of the public, or conduct some historical sample tests before making the final price decision. The third factor that important in the pricing decision of iPhone 5C is the manager should estimate the demand. Assume that we are suffering a financial crisis, most people don’t have extra money to pay for new electronic devices. They have already owned iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S and do not want to pay for another similar product. Then the manager should decrease the price of iPhone 5C to fit for people’s expectation of low pricing, using the profit margin per unit to trade for higher quantities. As I mentioned above, the estimation of demand function is also important in the marginal analysis. In order to estimate the demand, the manager should also make market survey to analyze the targeted customers. According to Pew Internet’s report, Teens and Technology 2013, 37% of U.S. teenagers now own a smartphone (which compares to 23% in 2011). And the increases of U.S. wireless carriers’ family data plans, intensive the parents to buy smartphones for their kids (Jason, 2013). Because the iPhone5C is colorful, has proper functions and easy to control, it must a first-choice for kid’s cellphone. Aimed at attracting teenagers group, the Apple Inc. manager should make the price to a certain level. What’s more, we also have to consider whether buyers are sensitive to price. In economics, we call it price elasticity of demand, which means the percentage change in the numbers of units sod to the percentage change in the price of the product. Assume most people are price sensitive, if the price of iphone5C is much higher than they expected, they will not buy it, which decreases demand a lot. So, listen to the public opinions on price is quite important. Before iphone5C facing to the public, a lot of individuals forecast that the selling price should be low enough to satisfy the low-end customers needs. Somebody was kidding that iPhone 5C is iPhone for China or iPhone for cheap. Apple Inc. wants to occupy more market percentage in developing countries, so they advertised that to make a colorful low-end smartphone. However, the price of iPhone 5C is not as low as we expected. The data shows after releasing the iPhone for 72 hours, both in China, Australia, U.S., the sales of iPhone 5S is almost 4 times compare to iPhone 5C. Especially, the graph says in the â€Å"target† country China, where the 5s is outselling the 5c five to one (Christopher, 2013). So I think the price of iPhone 5C is not reasonable. There are several reasons to explain iPhone 5C price is not appropriate. Firstly, compare to iPhone 5S, people claim 5C just looks an iPhone 5 with a candy-colored plastic shell. According to a report published by UBS, the same memory for 16 Gigabyte iPhone, 5S costs $213 in materials, whereas a 5C costs $156IPhone 5S has metal shell, Touch ID fingerprint scanner, more advanced A7 chipset, Motion Coprocessor and True tone flash for camera. The different price due to plastic case of $42 and finger print sensor of $7. However, the price of iPhone 5C is only $100 less than iPhone 5S. The UBS also estimates the gross margins of iPhone 5S is 45-55% and for iPhone 5S is 48-54% (Ben, 2013). As a rational consumer, I will buy iPhone 5S instead of iPhone 5C, since 5S has much more functions, which is not at a so much higher price. Secondly, the factors of competitor also have huge effects. Samsung is the key part for apple to make its â€Å"retina display† screen, as well as apple use Sony’s sensor in its camera. We know that Samsung and Sony are competitors. Apple Inc. is hiring, relying and paying them. But if someday, Samsung or Sony stop providing essential parts to apple, what will happen? I think Apple Inc. has to produce all manufacturing parts by themselves under a big amount of fixed cost, which will have a big effect on Apple’s price decision. Thirdly, the price of iPhone 5C is not as low as rumored. It brings the question to us, who exactly is Apple targeting? We know that Samsung has galaxy series, which with large-screen and liked by fashion people and developing markets. In china, there are a lot of really cheap phones under 1000RMB, those phones have varieties function and beautiful looking. So when Apple Inc. can really open the market to low-end customers? The price decision and targeting customer is not clear and accurate. I am kind of thinking there must be some sailing strategy when apple promoted 5C and 5S at the same time, with a huge cost performance in my opinion. Maybe Apple Inc. just wants to stimulate the sales of 5S, after people comparing these two products.