Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Objectives Of The Operations Of Housing And Facilities For...

document. Under LogCap III and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), KBR built and maintained the majority of U.S. military bases in Iraq. In terms of the value chain disaggregation, the focus of this paper will be on the maintenance of housing and facilities for U.S. military personnel in the Iraqi theater of operation. Value Chain Considerations In terms of LogCap III, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, KBR must disaggregate the value chain and focus on activities affecting cost, price, or both in relation to the services offered by competitive rivals (Porte, 1985). Wherever possible, KBR should focus on differentiation by providing value through a unique mix of services. For example, economies of scale, achieved through the value†¦show more content†¦Inbound logistics – Property and materials are the lifeline for the continuing operations of base camps. Tangible assets are considered to be property. Tangible property may include vehicles, tools, generators, sanitation, sleeping containers, coolers for food and many other items. Materials include consumables that are used to sustain day to day activities to complete the mission. Property and material must be accounted for throughout the materials life-cycle. Consequently, from the time a purchase order is generated through consumption of materials , or disposition for property, each items must be tracked through the approved system of record. 2. Operations – Operations is the nerve center for the base camp. The site manager oversees the operations of the base camp. The site manager coordinates KBR’s services with the Mayors Cell. In terms of OM, all service requests are initiated through the Service Desk controlled by operations. 3. Outbound logistics – In a war zone, outbound operations are an extremely important aspect of the mission. The timely delivery of property and materials, from outside vendors, may be challenging. As a result, when the need arises, base camps and forward operating bases (FOB’s) â€Å"borrow† materials from one another. Consequently, outbound logistics is fundamentally important to the success of the mission. Outbound logistic activities are initiated through aShow MoreRelatedFeb 2013Lesson 310 Facilities EngineeringIntroductionKey Element4482 Words   |  18 PagesFeb 2013 Lesson 3.10: Facilities Engineering Introduction Key Element of the DOD Acquisition Process Facilities Engineering is a key element of the DOD acquisition process. This discipline encompasses a variety of functions that focus on the life cycle design, construction, and maintenance of military installations, facilities, civil works projects, airfields, roadways, and ocean facilities. Providing and Maintaining Critical Infrastructure Facilities Engineering provides and maintains the criticalRead MoreNavy And Marine Corps Shore Confinement Facilities2007 Words   |  9 PagesNavy jargon refers to its correctional facilities as brigs regardless of size or classification. Currently the Navy and Marine Corps shore confinement facilities or brigs are classified at what is considered â€Å"levels†. At the base, Pre-trial Confinement Facilities (PFC) may be used as a matter of necessity for post-trial confinement for up to 30 days. Level I, is authorized for pre (awaiting court) post-trial (sentenced) confinement of members serving adjusted sentences not to exceed six monthsRead MoreDormitory Management System3808 Words   |  16 Pages1  Higher education * 1.1  Off campus residences * 1.2  United Kingdom * 1.3  Germany * 1.4  Spain * 1.5  Terminology * 1.6  Notable halls and complexes * 1.7  Hall governments * 1.8  Staffing * 2  United States military * 3  Sleeping dormitories * 4  Company dormitories * 5  Prisons * 6  Boarding schools * 7  Floating dormitories * 8  See also * 9  References * 10  External links Higher education[edit source  |  editbeta] Nido Spitalfields  in  LondonRead MoreArmy Regulation 190–5137102 Words   |  149 PagesArmy Regulation 190–51 Military Police Security of Unclassified Army Property (Sensitive and Nonsensitive) Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC 30 September 1993 UNCLASSIFIED SUMMARY of CHANGE AR 190–51 Security of Unclassified Army Property (Sensitive and Nonsensitive) This revision-- o Consolidates paragraphs 6 through 9, 11, 13, 15 through 17, and 19 of AR 190-18 into chapter 5 and AR 190-50 into chapter 4. o Consolidates all responsibilities, to include controlledRead MoreSSD2 Module 4 Notes Essay28478 Words   |  114 PagesKin group members internalize a corporate identity - the family is viewed as an extension of the self. Often large, pyramid-shaped kin groups - usually descendants of one man (or, rarely, woman) and their dependents - serve to organize political, military, economic, and religious activities. City vs Country People in the city generally have much different ways of living and worldviews than people in the country. Adherence to rural customs may begin to slacken, groups of acquaintances and awarenessRead MoreEssay Paper84499 Words   |  338 PagesArmy Regulation 600–20 Personnel–General Army Command Policy Rapid Action Revision (RAR) Issue Date: 20 September 2012 Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC 18 March 2008 UNCLASSIFIED SUMMARY of CHANGE AR 600–20 Army Command Policy This rapid action revision, dated 20 September 2012-o Updates policy for the administration of unit command climate surveys: adds requirement for personnel equivalent to company level commanders; updates timelines to withinRead MoreSecurity Forces51988 Words   |  208 PagesMeasures Field Considerations Captives, Detainees, and Prisoners Field Operations Direction and Redirection of Forces Written Measurement #4 Individual Tactics and Techniques Map Reading Skills Land Navigation Convoys Urban Operations Ground Combat Skills PAGE 1 19 59 65 81 88 97 100 103 117 122 138 150 169 186 225 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK SFAC /TECH. TRNG. SG L3ABR3P031 0S1C UNIT 1 DEFENSE CONCEPTS OBJECTIVE 1a Identify the relationship of basic facts and state general principlesRead MoreAbstract: Strategic Contingency Planning23625 Words   |  95 PagesABSTRACT STRATEGIC CONTINGENCY PLANNING By Karen Scott-Martinet Fall 2006 The objective of this study was to develop a strategic contingency planning model to be used to fully incorporate emergency management and business continuity into organization structures. (For the purpose of this study, Emergency Management and Business Continuity were collectively referred to as â€Å"contingency planning.†) Presently, contingency planning is mainly done on an operational or tactical level. CurrentRead MoreTows Analysis8613 Words   |  35 Pagesfactors per se are not new; what is new is systematically identifying relationships between these factors and basing strategies on them. There is little doubt that strategic planning will gain greater prominence in the future. Any organization—whether military, product oriented, service-oriented or even governmental—to remain effective, must use a rational approach toward anticipating, responding to and even altering the future environment. Situational Analysis: A New Dimension in Strategic Planning Read MoreProject Management Proposal Essay14353 Words   |  58 Pagespreservation. We plan to create a commemorative park on the existing Pyramid site utilizing some of the original materials that cannot be reused at the new site. We will build a multi-purpose facility in the vicinity of the new Pyramid that we will turn over to the Egyptian government once the project is complete. This facility can be used as a conference center, tourist hub, visitor’s center, etc. With the assistance of the Egyptian Government, we will construct a railway and roadway to the new site. We will

Monday, December 16, 2019

Ancient Greek Mythology Essay Free Essays

Greek Mythology is a group of teachings and myths that were originated by the ancient Greeks, when they were trying to understand the origin of things in the sky and on earth. This myth was a big part of the religion of the Greeks. Hesiod offers the theogony, which tells of the dealings with the creation of the world, and the origin of the gods, titans, and giants. We will write a custom essay sample on Ancient Greek Mythology Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Athena, also called Athene, was a goddess of many things like wisdom, and courage. She was born to Zeus and Metis in Mount Olympus. She was fully grown and wearing armor from head to toe. Athena is said to be a pre-Hellenic goddess that was taken by the Greeks. Her story shows that the people were looking for closure over wisdom and war during this time. This myth seeks to explain some countless inventions. She has a major influence on today’s culture. For instance, her helmet is featured on the crest of West Point Academy, as well as represented the first branch of the United States Army just for women. Although there are many different stories of how Athena came to be, most known one is that Zeus swallowed Metis and Athena sprang from his head. Because she is the goddess of many things, Athena is featured on many modern crests, was praised by the Greeks in their time, and was supposedly the origin of many great inventions. Although classical Greek culture was during the period of the 4th and 5th centuries, ancient Greek culture and myths are tremendously influential in many aspects like, language, politic, educational system, philosophy, science, the arts, and the gods. For instance, our country is a democracy. Democracy is said to originate from Greece. Not only that, we use the gods and goddesses in our everyday life. Athena’s helmet is featured on the West Point Military Academy crest. Her head is represented on the first branch of the United States Army that is for women. Hellenic polytheists worship the Greek gods, olympians, nature divinities, underworld deities, and heroes. Hellenic religion is any systems of beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks during the Hellenic period and the Roman Empire. Religion was very important to the Greeks because they believed that religion would make their lives better. This Hellenistic world was made after conquest that went from India to Egypt and took about 20 to complete after Alexander the Great’s death. (Hellenistic Culture) Athena was born to Zeus and Metis, at Mount Olympus, fully grown and wearing full armor from head to toe. Athena is said to be a pre-Hellenic goddess that was taken from Zeus by the Greeks. There are many different versions of how Athena came to be. Most say that Zeus and Metis conceived a baby girl. Before Metis gave birth, Mother Earth told Zeus that a child born to Metis would one day overthrow his throne. He became worried because that is the same thing he did to his own father. Zeus challenged her in a shapeshifting contest; she turned herself into a fly and taking the advice of Gaea and Uranus, Zeus swallowed her up. A few days later, he started to get dreadful headaches and asked his son, Hephaestus, to take an axe and crack his head open.(Temple) Some versions say that Palamon and Hermes helped Zeus give birth. Others regard her to be his daughter, but also as the daughter of Pallas, whom she killed later because he tried to desecrate her chastity. Another that was transplanted to Libya, says that she is the daughter of Poseidon and Tritonis. According to Athena, herodotus became enraged with her father and went to Zeus, who later stepped in as her father. These were regarded more as Hellenistic Myths (â€Å"Athene†) Athena was a goddess of many aspects like wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.She was the goddess of arts and crafts because of her spinning and weaving. She was the goddess of war and wisdom because she sprang from Zeus’s head and she was a ruthless warrior. She was very strategic and skilled during warfare. She is often portrayed as the companion of heroes is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour. (â€Å"Athene†) Athena was featured in many heroic stories. One being, when she assisted Odysseus in his adventures. Odysseus and Athena were similar. He was the Greek King of Ithaca just as she was a great goddess. They had some of the same qualities. They were both nondiscriminatory, and clever. When it came to helping Odysseus in the Trojan War, she was there. Other gods didn’t like that he was helping the Trojans. Most of all, she helped him on his way home, because he ran into many obstacles. He was imprisoned by Calypso then, when he escaped, he went sailing through storms, which later resulted in many shipwrecks. He then found himself in trouble with many other gods like, Poseidon and Polyphemus. Athena did not want to make the other gods angry, so she only offered Odysseus wisdom. When he returned safely to Ithaca, Athena helped him disguise as a beggar.(Temple) A less heroic story of Athena, is when she accidentally killed her friend, Pallas. As a young woman, Athena didn’t quite fit in on Mount Olympus. So she went out to find a friend, Pallas. Her new friend was the daughter of Triton, the sea god. The often practiced their combat skills with each other. On time they were doing their session when Pallas took a fatal blow from Athena. Feeling sorrowful, Athena put a statue of Pallas near Zeus’s throne Mount Olympus.(Temple) Athena has a major influence on today’s culture; her helmet is featured on many things of the United States. One being the West Point Academy crest. Her helmet represents her wisdom, while her sword represents a warrior. The seal of California also features her head. It symbolizes the goddess of wisdom overlooking the scene. (Seal of California) The US Women Army Corps shows her head as their insignia. Athena is said to be the origin of many things that make up Greek culture. She made the statue of Pallas that sits near Zeus’s throne. She helped many heros on adventures, like the one with Odysseus. She also has tremendous influence on modern culture. For instance, she is featured on the Seal of California, the U.S. Women’s Army Corp, and the West Point crest. Its is clear that Athena is relevant in both ancient times and modern day culture. She is, many times, the symbol of power, wisdom, and valor. This is what makes her so influential in the world. How to cite Ancient Greek Mythology Essay, Essays

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Comparative Financial Report on Vodafone Plc †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Financial Report on Vodafone Plc. Answer: Introduction This report covers a comparison of telecom companies Vodafone Plc, BT Group and Telecom Plus Plc. Financial comparative analysis has been conducted by analysing the share price behaviour, financial structure and cost of capital. Share price behaviour has been analysed by expected monthly returns, standard deviation, correlation with the index and forming portfolio combinations with FTSE 100 index. Systematic risk has been assessed by the help of beta and valuations have analysed by the calculating price to earnings ratio. Debt to equity ratio has been evaluated to analyse capital structure and CAPM has been used to find out cost of equity. In the end there is a view given on the expected future performances of the three stocks and advice for current shareholders to buy or sell stocks. Comparison of Companies The comparison of Vodafone Plc with BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus Plc has been performed on the basis of various parameters. For the purpose of comparison, monthly share price data for the period of March 2013 to Feb 2018 and financial data from last five annual reports of the companies have been taken. Analysis of Share Price Behaviour Share price of behaviour has been evaluated on the basis of various statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation and correlation. Expected Monthly Returns This measure tells us about the average holding period return of a stock for a month. This can be used to get an idea about how much an investor can expect to earn from a stock by holding it for a month. In terms of expected monthly returns Telecom Plus Plc has outperformed other two companies Expected monthly return of Vodafone Plc is 0.70%. On the other hand average monthly returns for BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus Plc are 0.19% and 1.11% respectively (Appendix 1). An investor of Vodafone Plc has not been rewarded in a same manner as that of Telecom Plus but is more satisfied than the one of BT Group Plc. Expected monthly return of a stock cannot be the only criteria for stock price analysis. This parameter has to be analysed in conjunction with other measures. Standard Deviation of Monthly Returns This statistical measure is used to analyse the risk associated with an investment. High returns always come at a cost. Returns of an investment must be evaluated along with the risk associated with it. Standard deviation of a parameter is equal to square root of variance. Variance is calculated by sum of squares of differences of returns from expected return. Standard deviation of monthly return can be used evaluate risk of the holding a stock for a month (Mullholand Jones, 2014). Out of three stocks, Telecom Plus Plc is most risky in terms of standard deviation of monthly returns, while BT Group Plc is least risky among the three. High risk associated Telecom Plus Plc has been rewarded by high average return. Standard deviation of monthly returns Vodafone Plc is 0.0591, while that of Telecom Plus Plc and BT Group are 0.0944 and 0.0572 respectively (Appendix 1). High risk investments may not always fetch high returns. During periods when fundamentals of a company or macroeconomic v ariables are not favourable, there is a high risk of holding a stock. In these conditions, high risk may result in low returns due to selling pressure in the market. For analysing risk and return together, it is better that return per unit risk is analysed. This will help in identifying whether additional risk has rewarded by equivalent amount of returns. This is done to by dividing expected monthly return by standard deviation. For Vodafone Plc, this measure comes out to be 0.1188 (Appendix 1). On the other hand, it is 0.0340 for BT Group Plc and 0.1174 for Telecom Plus Plc (Appendix 1). So considering risk and return together, Vodafone has been rewarded in a better way than other stocks. BT Group has performed the worst among the three. Correlation Correlation as a measure is used to analyse interrelationship between two financial instruments. Positive correlation is seen when two securities move in same direction, up or down. Negative correlation is associated with opposite movements of securities under consideration. Correlation measure can be used for diversification of a portfolio. Low correlation or negative correlation between the securities can be used to reduce the risk of a portfolio. In this report, correlation of three stocks has been calculated with respect FTSE 100 index. FTSE 100 index has been chosen as a substitute for the market. Telecom Plus Plc shows a positive correlation with index, while the Vodafone Plc and BT Group Plc show negative correlations. This shows that monthly stock price movement and returns of Telecom Plus Plc have been mostly in same direction as FTSE 100 index, while majority of movements of other two companies have been in opposite direction to the index. Correlation of Vodafone Plc with the index comes out to be - 0.2775, while it is -0.3843 and 0.0295 for BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus Plc (Appendix 1). All three stocks have low or negative correlation with index. Therefore, they can be individually combined in different proportions with the index to create a diversified portfolio. Portfolios with FTSE 100 Index Different securities can be combined in varying proportions to create portfolios. A stock can also be combined with an index. In this report, all three stocks under consideration have been combined individually with FTSE 100 Index for creating portfolios with different returns and risks. All these portfolios can be plotted on graph with standard deviation and return representing two axes. In this report, after combining Vodafone Plc, BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus individually with the index in different proportions, scatter plots have been constructed. For this purpose portfolio weight of each of the stock has been varied from 0% to 100% at differences of 1%. By doing this total 101 portfolios of have been created for each of the stock with the index. After plotting the graph, a minimum variance portfolio can be found out using solver function in excel. A minimum variance portfolio represents a portfolio, with weights of individual securities combined in such a way that it gives minimum variance out of all the portfolios. As it can be seen minimum variance portfolio of BT Group has the minimum standard deviation out of the three portfolios. On the other hand, return of minimum variance portfolio formed by combining Vodafone Plc with the index is the highest among three minimum variance portfolios for each of the stocks. All those portfolios which lie above the minimum variance portfolio compensate investor with additional return for given increase in the risk taken. These portfolios represent the efficient frontier. For 101 portfolios created for each of the stock with index, Vodafone Plc has 75 of them above the minimum variance portfolio, while Telecom Plus Plc and BT Group Plc have 92 and 28 portfolios. In this way we can say, Telecom Plus Plc can be combined in most number of effective ways with the index. Financial Structure and Cost of Capital Financial structure and cost of capital of a firm are important factors for determination of its performance. They can have a significant effect on earnings and margins of an organization. Cost of capital is a major consideration for both equity and debt holders. Systematic Risk Systematic risk represents market risk of a security and cannot be diversified away. Generally, macro-economic factors such as interest rates, currency movements and depression are the cause of systematic risk and it affects the entire market. Systematic risk of a stock with respect to market can be measured by a parameter called Beta (Lee Lee, 2010). Beta of 1 implies that price of security will move with the market. In this report, Beta has been calculated for all three stocks and FTSE 100 index has been chosen as benchmark index. Beta of Vodafone Plc with the market is -0.5535 (Appendix 1). On the other hand, beta of Telecom Plus and BT Group are 0.0939 and -0.7424 respectively (Appendix 1). Though negative betas are rare, but they help in reducing the overall risk of portfolio. So, it can be interpreted that movement of Vodafone Plc and BT Group Plc have been generally in opposite direction to FTSE 100 index. Though Telecom Plus has positive beta, but has less volatility than the market. BT Group is more volatile than Vodafone Plc in negative direction. Cost of Equity Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is the most common method for calculating the cost of equity. The return that an investor requires for owing a stock represents its cost of equity. CAPM makes use of risk free rate, market return and beta of stock for calculating cost of equity. Monthly Cost of Equity BT Group UK 10 year Gilt annual rate(Risk free rate) 1.51% Monthly rate risk free rate 0.125% Expected Monthly Return of FTSE 100 (Market) 0.32% Beta of BT Group Plc -0.7424 Monthly Cost of Equity -0.017% According to CAPM, monthly cost of equity of Vodafone Plc is 0.019%, while that of BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus Plc are -0.017% and 0.143%. Telecom Plus Plcs investors require higher amount of return than other two due to higher beta. On the other hand negative cost of equity of BT Group signifies negative returns and depleting asset value. So this implies the stock should not be worth investing. On the other hand, low cost of equity as a discounting factor for Vodafone as compared to Telecom Plus Plc will result in its higher valuation. Price to Earnings Ratio (PE) This measure is arrived by dividing market price of a share by its earnings per share. It can be used to compare valuation of a stock with peer companies, its own historical average or market valuation. In this report, price to earnings ratios of three companies have been calculated for years 2013 to 2017. Vodafones PE has been fluctuating, due large variations in EPS. In 2017 PE was 707.86 , while in 2015 it was 901.94 (Appendix 3). High PE represents a high valuation. High PE may mean overvaluation or investors have already discounted the rise in price. High PE of 2015 and negative EPS of 2016 led to fall in price, resulted in low PE in 2017. According to (Yahoo finance, 2018) current forward PE is 2011.50, which represents high valuation and risk in investment over 2017. BT Groups PE was 1506.66 in 2017 and earnings were also low as compared to previous years that resulted in investment risk (Appendix 4), so price stock continuous fell after that. Increase in PE from 2013 to 2014 of Telecom Plus Plc led to fall in price of the stock next year as earnings remained stable. In 2017, Telecom Pluss earnings per share increased considerably, resulting in low PE and low valuations. But majority of EPS of 2017 was because of discontinued operations, which may not result in low risk of investment. As a result share price did not increase considerably over the next year. Capital Structure Capital Structure of company can be analysed by evaluating combination of debt and equity sources of finances. It can also be analysed by assessing working capital or liquidity parameters. In this report we have calculated debt to equity ratio and current ratio of all three companies over last five years. Debt to equity ratio has been calculated by dividing sum of long term borrowings and payables by equity. Debt to equity ratio of Vodafone Plc is 0.49187 and has increased from previous years. On the other hand BT Group Plc has been maintaining a high debt to equity ratio since 2015 as compared to previous years. It was 10.8849 in 2015, 0.60858 in 2016 and 1.36521 in 2017 (Appendix 5). High debt to equity ratio results in high interest expense, high risk and reduced valuation. Telecom Plus has had very low or zero debt to equity ratios over years. With zero long term debt in 2017, that resulted in all earnings being transferred to equity holders, less risk and less leverage but no ta x shield. Cost capital is also high for less debt companies because of equity is costlier than debt. But less debt more often than not results in good market valuations. Vodafone Plcs cost of capital will be balanced by the presence equity and debt. Debt helps in reducing the cost of capital and right amount of equity ratio helps in minimizing risk. This is a positive signal for investors. As far as liquidity conditions are concerned Telecom Plus Plc has had the best current ratios over the years as compared to others. Conclusion This report presents a comparison of Vodafone Plc with BT Group Plc and Telecom Plus Plc on the basis of financial performance. For the purpose of comparison, share price behaviour, systematic risk and capital structure have been evaluated. Stock of Vodafone Plc has given better returns than the stock of BT Group Plc, but it has underperformed the Telecom Plus Plc in average monthly returns. Analysis on the basis of returns per unit risk, Vodafone has also performed better as compared to others. Underperformance in 2016 was one-off and earnings have rebounded. Vodafone with massive operations across the world and has now more than 100 million 4G customers. Vodafone is also set to become the largest operator in second largest market of world India by merger with Idea cellular. There has been 61% growth in data traffic in Europe and AMAP region (Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific). Data traffic in India has also increased 5 five times. Future performance of the company looks positive for present and prospective shareholders (Vodafone, 2018). On the other hand there are corporate governance issues with BT group regarding a recent fraud in Italian unit. Telecom Plus Plc has also performed well and financial performance in future looks good. However it has a smaller market share as compared to Vodafone. Vodafone is clearly ahead of Telecom Plus in terms of scale of operations and pricing power. Despite current high valuations, it is concluded that current shareholders may buy few more shares of Vodafone Plc because of bright future prospects. High valuations may represent market may be already factoring increased earnings. They should not invest in other two companies. References Lee, J. Lee C. F. (2010) Handbook of quantitative finance and risk management. New York: Springer Science Business Media. Mullholand, H. Jones, C. R. ( 2014) Fundamentals of statistics. London: Butterworth-Heinemann. Vodafone (2018) Trading update for the quarter ended 31 December 2017 [online]. Available from https://www.vodafone.com/content/dam/vodafone/investors/financial_results_feeds/ims_quarter_31dec2017/Q3-17-18-Trading-Update-FINAL.pdf [Accessed 05 February 2018]. Yahoo finance (2018) Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) [online]. Available from https://in.finance.yahoo.com/quote/vod.l?ltr=1 [Accessed 05 February 2018].