Conceptual Design Specification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Conceptual Design Specification - Essay Example It is also Canada's largest natural gas distributor, providing gas to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in Ontario. The primary functions of the design are the ability of the device to monitor and control energy consumption in an Ontario household and advise the user about the economical use of energy sources namely electricity and gas. Moreover, this wall-mounted device should also be safe, reliable and easy to use for a variety of users including the disabled and multiple ethnic groups. The proposed conceptual design is the knob controller that will perform all the functions and meet the objectives mentioned above. The design will be able to monitor the energy usage in real time and give consumers information on their usage and control of energy consumption. The user then can control the use of energy by setting limits in the system. It should also be able to shut on and off the power to any major location in the household. The design will also be able to collect and analyze data of energy consumed in the household. The design accommodates various ethnic groups and the people with visual and hearing problems. The interface is intended to be used in a high traffic area such as living room or kitchen in a household. This system will be linked to hardware providing connections with various appliances in the household. The system is for use by people above the age of 12 years. A detailed design report for this suggested solution will follow soon. During this process, more information will be gathered either through further research or directly from the client. We are also planning design a model to be tested by the client to ensure quality. 1. Problem Definition This section is based upon the client's statement and describes design objectives and requirements, establishes functions and identifies the constraints that the design must follow. Different environments that the design will work in have also been defined in this section. 1.1. Problem Statement The University of Toronto Engineering Strategies and Practice (ESP) design team has been asked by a consortium, a group of energy companies in Ontario (primarily Enbridge and Ontario Power Generation) to develop an interface that will monitor the use of energy in a household in Ontario. Owing to the escalating energy prices and growing awareness about economical use of non- renewable energy sources, there has been a rising demand for some type of monitoring system for efficient and optimal use of energy sources such as gas and electricity. In order to fulfill this potential need, Ontario group of energy companies is looking for a system that can provide the necessary monitoring and controlling functions. The interface should also be programmable so the user can specify whether or not to automatically turn off certain appliances within the household. The design should also be able to give advice to the user on how to save energy based on its ability to collect real time data on temperature, electricity and gas usage in the house. The design should have access to information such as community demand for electricity, gas usage and pricing. This interface system should be

Becoming an effective Leader Essay Example for Free

Becoming an effective Leader Essay Understand own ability to fulfil key responsibilities of the leadership role Leadership is the ability to pinpoint values or objectives which can be reached through encouragement and a cohesive effort through the gradual assistance to the members of the team. The objective can be reached through persistence and insistence in such a way that members are not irritated or discouraged. In a particular company the commercial Department has four branches the Sales team, Business Sales, Customer Experience and Marketing Teams. We will evaluate leadership roles incorporating different Leadership Styles and how they impact the Customer Experience Team and the Sales Team. The Customer Experience team evaluates the importance of understanding the client, empathising and providing solutions for their queries in a convenient time frame. The clients’ degree of satisfaction dictates the choice of decisions. The democratic approach shows and indicates that once the team members feel important because they are involved they do willingly provide a better service and once they come across some problem or some difficulty they are more prone to discuss it with their supervisor and in so doing they achieve client satisfaction in a quicker manner (Kurt Lewin, 1939). However when there is the autocratic approach which means the Leader has technically his own way, the other team members feel uneasy to approach him and because of this attitude the clients may suffer with the result that they will not be satisfied and they may therefore choose another company to the detriment of the said company(Kurt Lewin, 1939). When the Laissez-faire approach is used the client may be served in an extended time and not necessarily up to his expectations (Kurt Lewin, 1939). The bottom line in any company is the clients; the clients who come and go out of their own free will; however they can be encouraged or discouraged by comments or negative criticism of their friends and passers-by. One client can be the best advertisement for the whole company; however another client may destroy the company’s name, so it is imperative that each and every single client who comes to the outlet is given full prompt attention and excellent service. There is no point in serving well a large number of clients and deal carelessly with one or two. This attitude of finesse can be supervised by the managers who can judiciously direct the employees to persist in clientele diligence, having the full number of clients being served to the  best standard will ensure satisfaction, prosperity and Job happiness. The sales team knows that the company values should always be transparent namely Honesty, service, accountability and reliability. It stands to reason that the Autocratic Leader would involve himself or herself in checking each and every single move of any team member, however this could be suffocating even if they have no experience so there would be a time when the Democratic approach should be used carefully and there could come a time also when the Laissez-fair attitude could come into force, this can happen when the agents themselves grow accustomed to the service, know their clientele and are prompt to provide for the needs of those who come to be assisted (Kurt Lewin, 1939). When the Leader is astute enough to know the attitudes and the abilities of his team members he can know at what time the particular approach should be used. In this manner the optimum result will be achieved and the agents will be happy, therefore there will be more service; more input of the team, more clientele satisfaction and the company values would come into force regularly. It is obvious that clients suffer from different and swinging moods. It stands to reason that they will misread the attitude of the employees so it would be imperative that a cordial welcome is given, a listening ear is provided and explaining speech can make the client fully satisfied. This professional approach will definitely boost the sales and any sales offer being promoted at that particular time stands a better chance of being accepted because of the professional approach, thus sales will increase thanks to the proper attitude by employees. The expert manager knows his own feelings, his attitudes and his own negative emotions so when he is at work he knows how to harness them so that they do not get in the way but rather help him to promote the wellbeing of the team. When he talks to his team members and he provides a motivation for their work they are free to go forward enthusiastically to carry out what he puts forward as the need to succeed; that way they do succeed. They are satisfied and the other team members are willing to share the same team spirit so at the end of the day, when the work is finished the manager will know that thanks to his caring about his emotional intelligence which means keeping his anger in harness or his unhappiness at bay, could help him and others to  promote the company values of service for all clientele. When the members know that they have a bad day they feel that they will be understood and will receive sympathy, in not feeling threatened they can go about their work without committing errors because they are not under undue pressure because of their present mood. When they are in better spirits they will work harder to compensate for when they couldn’t. This they will do because they feel cared for and important in their company. â€Å"Daniel Goleman emotional intelligence†¦ (Allen Gregg, Mar 13, 2012)† Be able to evaluate own ability to lead others When during initial meetings the manager elicits the attention and the respect of all the employees, by explaining the objectives that should be reached within a time frame mainly selling a number of products within a set time frame and try to attract clients namely in the range of hundred a week. The manager appreciates the talents of the employees and tells them so specifically; â€Å"I know that you can succeed; I have full trust in all of you. However in case you need clarification or information or direction I am at your full disposal whenever you feel you want to contact me, all of you have been duly trained and I have been through your personal files and know that you can make it, so we can start as from today†. Frank two-way discussions between the manager and the employees will do away with any pent-up feelings and employees will relish the opportunity to provide their verbal contributions. This informal opportunity to disseminate and accumulate information will be the right forum to avail oneself of the entire information possible, do away with misinformation and disintegrate prejudices. Every week an analysis is carried out by the manager to check whether the objectives have been reached or whether new adjustments have to be made or maybe change the benchmark in so doing the manager has the ability to know where he stands for future reference and adapts the approaches for his personnel accordingly. When members in a company know their objectives and they are happy in their environment they can achieve much and so much more that the end result would be comfortable for everybody. However if they feel demotivated because they  feel not accepted in their environment and they feel that there is unfair competition between themselves, then they fall back on their objectives. One way in order to eliminate dissatisfaction is to meet them personally, let them vent their own ill feelings or unhappiness and then direct them tactfully in order to realise their unique importance in the company and their contribution, in doing so they will feel emotionally satisfied and they will start, continue and finish their work with great enthusiasm thus the end result will be satisfactory for all. If however they will feel the management has no time for them as employees or they have to follow blindly the directives that the management issues from time to time eventually they will get tired, this will be reflected in poor service towards the clients and then the customer care will reflect this haphazard attitude. If every employee feels that he or she is being treated fairly and given the fair share time of work and rest, then they will be duly motivated and there will be no dissatisfaction in their work. Another way to assist them in knowing that they are important is letting them know how others and themselves have done during the month and try to explain to them that if there objective is not yet done in that particular instance it is because of some cause beyond their control in so realising and in so hearing they will feel emotionally stable, they won’t feel guilty and upset, they will give their full drive towards completing and achieving company directives. An intelligent leader knows that if all work is completed by himself it will either be carried out superficially or at the most carelessly because there is so much time that can be spent diligently on one job or several jobs. However if he realises that his personnel around him have certain abilities and that they can carry out his job instead he can explain to them in due time, give them reasons why they are being chosen because they are the best within the company, show them the ways and means, give them a time frame and then let them achieve results. Once you delegate and explain, you may be satisfied, however there is always the chance that the result may not be up to your personal standard because it could be that the person chosen may be very proficient but not meticulous as you are, so in that department you may feel let down. However there must be a choice should the work be carried out by myself with the possibility that the work is not carried out up to  standard or should it be delegated to team members who most probably are the best, but they may not achieve the hundred percent but the result may be satisfactory enough for the company and clientele. The manager explains in detail the talents and abilities of his employees thus showing them publicly that he is aware of their strong points. He is so comfortable in their capabilities that he will delegate to them tasks which he usually carries out himself. When regular seminars take place and employees are asked to give their ideas on how to run the company and improve its progress they will surely bring out powerful ideas which will transform the employees into thinkers and provide ample space so that the members will feel that they can propel the public venture from their own angle, particular point of view. So they will feel strong enough to perform with energy and zest. As a group, they will feel empowered because their knowledge will grow because they will feel that they are up to par with their leaders and feel proud to belong to this particular group. This approach will create a very warm work atmosphere which will definitely push or motivate the employees to give their best at all times even when the going is hard. They feel that the manager is so close to them that they can share and promote the mission statement. Setbacks are ideal opportunities for leaders and managers to review their decisions and approach in learning not to repeat such mistakes. Such flexibility helps the whole team to realise that is not important to worry about past failures but to re-direct their energy through new ventures in listening to fresh ideas, coming from different angles. The fact that the Manager keeps himself posted with different learnings and ideas can inject new power in his company. The ability to absorb new ideas and effect them can make the company an effective business venture and once the leader is open to the criticism and appreciation from his employees he has a consolidated commitment towards progress from all his team. In sharing full technical knowledge and trust, he is ensuring that the company will never be lax or indifferent. Thriving members of the company will push forward and accept ideas that will make the company client friendly. Employees who feel they fully belong to their place of wor k do not fall victim to sick leave abuse or absenteeism. Members who are supported by each other will feel motivated and happy in their working environment, satisfied workers will be  able to gain more profit for themselves and for the company, this happy atmosphere will keep the members healthy and so there will be less unhealthy tension, no bickering and full cooperation among themselves. A happy worker attracts clients, who in turn will bring along more clients so definitely more job satisfaction. The distinction of those workers who can carry out on top level is appreciated and increases motivation while the members who do their utmost but produce on a different level are acknowledged and they don’t feel left out but rather know that their dignity is respected. Tension is a very unhealthy attitude when the manager compares himself harshly to what he unrealistically expected from himself or others to do, he will feel upset and worried and invariably he will pass this tension onto his employees. If he realises that he can only do so much and that if his efforts are carried out in due manner then he has nothing to worry about no illnesses due to tension, rough approach due to attitude and no fear amongst his employees. If the manager treats himself fairly and expects from himself a performance which he can carry out then there is a stable character which influences the rest of the employees, knowing there is always flux in a company and that at times it may go forward at a very fast pace and at times it may go forward and at times it may regress. This is part of life which is accepted by mature managers, and the next day is considered a new day with the past feeling to be forgotten. Such an attitude provides a happy atmosphere were workers can leave their place of work to go home happy and will return to their work in good spirits. Being mature, the leader accepts that reality fluctuates and there is no standard progress so he may end up continuing leading the company till his age of pension, rather then come down along with other employees with a cerebral stroke! â€Å"What is Success? – It is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace† – (Paolo Coelho, 2013) References: Allen Gregg, Mar 13, 2012. Daniel Goleman emotional intelligence. [Video Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJ3FF1yFyc [Accessed11th January 2014] (KurtLewin,1939)[Online]Available at: [Accessed 11th January 2014] Coelho P., 2013. Manuscript of Accra. Hammersmith, London W6 8JB. HarperCollinsPublishers

The Detrimental Effects of Global Warming Essay examples -- Expository

The Detrimental Effects of Global Warming The morning sun begins to shed its light on the city below. Turning off the alarm, James removes his Dexcron SleepInhaler 4000 to breathe in what little oxygen he can. Feeling light-headed, he quickly dresses into the day’s apparel consisting of a climate controlled, blue bio-suit and an oxygen tank. Today marks the first day of the month so he turns his calendar as he walks towards the door. He closes the door wondering what caused the world to be this way. All he can remember is that the temperature has been rising since he was born and the hottest day on record, 122 degrees in Cleveland, was recorded last week. Exposing himself to the outdoor elements, he waits for the public shuttle in the sweltering early morning heat of September 1, 2036. The issue of global warming is a very complex one. While it revolves around pollution and other factors, the basic principle stems from the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural process resulting from various atmospheric components like water vapor and carbon dioxide trapping the Sun’s energy in the lower atmosphere (Gille). This trapped energy causes the Earth’s temperature to rise. Without this process, the global temperature would be a frigid 10 degrees below zero (Salmon). Some scientists believe that human industrialization is increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing the global temperature to rise. The resulting theory is global warming. Yes, the possible results of global warming should be a concern of the global community and burning fossil fuels cannot be beneficial, but nature is to blame, not human negligence. People who believe in the theory of global warming have justi... ...ohn C. â€Å"Greenhouse Effect.† World Book. 1994. â€Å"Global Warming ‘Consensus’ Claim Doesn’t Hold Water.† National Center for Public Policy Research. 8 Feb. 1998. 4 Dec. 2002 . Gore, Al. â€Å"Immediate Measures Should Be Taken to Combat Global Warming.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997. Jastrow, Robert. â€Å"The Magnitude of Global Warming Will Not Be Extreme.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997. â€Å"New Science on Global Warming.† Natural Resources Defense Council. 27 Sep. 2002. 5 Dec. 2002 . Salmon, Jeffrey. â€Å"Global Warming Does Not Pose A Serious Threat.† Bender, David, Ed. Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. New York: Greenhaven, 1997.

A Class Divided: the Effect of Discrimination in One Life Essay

The most interesting part of A Class Divided is when the students were tested on their knowledge on the days of when they had to wear the collar and when they had it off. The test scores were higher when the collars were removed. It is amazing that discrimination can mentally affect someone academically. Discrimination is a powerful weapon that can harm anyone, no matter where you are in the social class. My opinion on the video is that no matter what race or ethnic group you are, there is always a way that discrimination can affect you. I believe that although minority groups are more vulnerable to discrimination, the dominant group has a flaw in which can be discriminated by other races or ethnic groups. The most common discrimination occurs to African American people, just because of skin color. Discrimination among Asian people occurs because most people would think that all Asian people are Chinese. It is also known as a stereotype that Asian people’s eye sizes are small, which is not in every case at all. Another stereotype is that all Asian families own either a restaurant or a convenience store. Although there are a few Asian families that do own a business, most families do not have the benefit of owning one of their own. Japanese people were being harshly discriminated during World War II because of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Asian people, however, did not receive as much discrimination as an African American person or a woman. African Americans were discriminated since the beginning of civilization, starting out as slaves to a more dominant group. In the United States of America, African Americans earned their freedom after the civil war, but were still discriminated harshly. Jim Crow laws were placed to limit the freedom of African Americans. Eventually, civil rights movements occurred with Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the movement. Women were also discriminated harshly in the past. Women were considered as property of their husband. Human rights of women were very few, or none at all. Women were always at home cooking, cleaning, or taking care of the children. Women were not able to fully get their rights until they were able to receive their political rights. Different countries in the world granted women’s suffrage at different times. New Zealand was the first country to grant women their suffrage rights in 1893, while the United States granted women their voting rights in 1920. Right now, illegal immigrants from Mexico are being discriminated because they are working for low wages. Many United States citizens are outraged at the fact that their jobs are being replaced by illegal immigrants. Also, people from the Middle East are being discriminated for the actions of the terrorist group that Osama Bin Laden found, Al Qaeda. Even though most people from the Middle East are innocent, the terrifying horrors of 9/11 scarred their lives in the world. If everyone participated in Jane Elliot’s experiment on discrimination, the world would become many steps closer to world peace.

Obesity: Logic and Marion Nestle

â€Å"Obesity: Who is Responsible for Our Weight? † In the essay, â€Å"Obesity: Who Is Responsible for Our Weight? † Radley Balko explains his argument on obesity; we are responsible for what we eat. Overall, the strengths were clear and persuading in this essay. One strength in his essay was his main point, we are responsible for our own weight. He explains that we are in control of what we consume, and the government should not be responsible for that. This engages the reader to think, should we really blame the government, or is ourselves to blame. This main point validates all his reasoning.Another strength is his ability to explain why government intervention is irrelevant to obesity. For example, he mentions that Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown is conducting to have a Fat Tax on high calorie food, where food restaurants must list their fat, calories, etc. on each meal. And instead they should be promoting personal-sense awareness. Overall this essay had more weaknesses than strengths. Though his side of the argument is completely true, his reasoning weren’t clearly detailed. For example, Radley Balko only targeted the government’s intervention on obesity.But what should have followed that is the food industry businesses that allow this, not just the government. Not only did he lack detail, but also he didn’t consider the point of genetics. Some Americans do not become obese by choice, but by genetics. Those who are affected by genetics may be very conscience of what they eat, but it still does no justice because of their genes. This weakened his essay. Another weakness is that he focuses too much on the government’s intervention on obesity; instead he should have listed more reasons to why obesity is a personal problem.Taken as a whole, the essay was very short, and took a while to get to the point. â€Å"Are You Responsible for Your Own Weight? † I found this to be a very strong, interesting argumentative essay by Kelly Brownell and Marion Nestle. One strength relates to the fulfillment on attention grabbing in their opening sentence. Brownell and Nestle reminds us that the food industry is like any other business: they must grow. This makes a valid point, and grabs the readers attentions which leads to wanting to read more.Mentioning the counter-argument that obesity is a personal responsibility is also a strength. This tells the reader that she is understanding to the opposing argument, while making hers very clear. Another strength is the fact that gives several examples why personal responsibility isn’t to blame which includes; obesity is growing year after year, it’s human biology for humans to be attracted to good food with high calories, the default approach of promotion of eating better and exercising more has failed for multiple years, and how personal responsibility is a trap.Not only did they have multiple examples, they had clear reasoning for each example, which proves they thought out their argument on obesity. Although this was a very strong, convincing essay, there were a couple of weaknesses. The first weakness is the unawareness of government’s real role in business. In America, our policy towards business relies strictly on the concept of Laissez Faire. Laissez Faire means allowing industry to be free from state intervention, especially restrictions in the form of tariffs and government monopolies.This is a very known concept to many Americans, and this weakens her argument. Another weakness is Brownell and Nestle mentioning they’re attentive to personal responsibility, but didn’t clearly give any reasoning to that. Overall, they essay was very well structured and barely had any weaknesses. The essay â€Å"Are You Responsible for Your Own Weight? † gives a more persuading argument. First of all this essay was clearly structured, which made it easier to read. The first essay was not as easy to read, and not as structured.Brownell and Nestle listed their reasoning, which made their points clear reassuring no confusion. Where as to Balko, there were barely any explained points in his essay, which made it hard to follow. Also, Brownell and Nestle are much more persuasive. They provided clear explained examples of why we are not the only ones responsible for obesity while Balko had little to none examples of why we are responsible. Altogether, Marion Nestle and Kelly Brownell provided a more effective argument on obesity and whose responsible for it than Radley Balko.