The Adoption Of Building Information Modeling - 3362 Words

1.0 Introduction It has been recognised that it is common to have much higher real construction costs than what was predicted at early design and plan phrase. Poor data and information management as one of the major reasons causes costoverruns has achieved $16 billion a year in US construction industry given by recent research carried out by US NIST (2004). The adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was then suggested and encouraged by many expertise which has been proved in many practical construction cases in the past that BIM would help to efficiently reduce the information costs throughout the construction process. In this paper the researcher will briefly introduce the background and development of BIM. The relationship between BIM adoption and project cost-saving in Architects, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry will also be analysed. Besides, this paper also aims to discuss the potential impacts of the use of BIM on total duration and project costs in construction industry. T his is carried out through analysing and evaluating the benefits and innovation of project process within BIM environment. Apart from that, challenges associated with BIM technology and barriers that prevent people from adopting BIM technology will be presented in the end. 2.0 The Origin of BIM With the development of computer technology and much less costs, the adaptability of BIM collaboration during the design process has been widely embraced by construction industry.Show MoreRelatedBuilding Information Modeling And Construction Industry1222 Words   |  5 PagesBuilding Information Modeling in Construction Industry Jyothirmai Chatrathi, chatr1j@cmich.edu BIS 625 Research in Information Systems College of Business Administration, Department of Business Information Systems Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858 USA Keywords: Information systems, construction industry, Building Information Modeling. Background: The development of technology is very rapid in many industries, but in the field of construction it is very slow andRead MoreBenefits Of Building Information Modeling Essay965 Words   |  4 Pages5. Benefits of Building information modeling in Cost Estimation The cost estimation is the crucial section in the construction industry and estimation of cost is done depending on the number of labor, material, and the time conditions. The cost estimation is a time taking process and it seeks the participation of entire cost estimator group. †¢ For estimating the cost, BIM produces rapid cost feedback throughout the lifecycle of the building. †¢ The model has the ability which enables the constructionRead MoreModern Building And Designing Practices10030 Words   |  41 PagesABSTRACT Objective Modern building and designing practices have come a long way away from traditional methodologies. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged onto the forefront as a critical technology in the contemporary building design practice and construction industry (Mandhar, Mandhar, 2013; Panuwatwanich, et. al, 2013; Abbasnejad, Moud, 2013; Arnett Quadrato, 2012). There are however, several gaps observed in its adoption due to gaps between the industry and academia. These gapsRead MoreThe Use Of Consulting Technique Within The Social Approach916 Words   |  4 Pagespoliticians to name a few use these methods. Within my research the common ground is that persuasion is in the moment and influence is invested pursuit. Influence diverts from behavior, and actions. Influences can conspirer through words and modeling. With the utilization of influence techniques, such as, social approach, rational approach and emotional approach. As an educational leader you should influence your staff and students to work at their best. When teachers are appreciated and trustedRead MoreIntegration Of Leed Indoor Environmental Quality Credits Into Bim Software2582 Words   |  11 PagesIntegration of LEED Indoor Environmental Quality Credits into BIM Software to Design Educational Buildings with Enhanced Quality Indoor Environment A Proposal by Kanishk Sharma Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas AM University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERRead MoreChallenges Of Using Bim For Fm1351 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrating multidisciplinary information in a single BIM model requires multiuser access to the BIM model.† (Azhar et al., 2012, p. 24) project team can overcome this challenge by implementing BIM project execution plan, which includes supporting technology infrastructure needed for BIM implementation in a certain project. Technology infrastructure includes which software will be used with the files format for information transferring and the exchange process of the information between different teamsRead MoreThe Concept Of Legacy Systems1515 Words   |  7 Pagesthough a solution in the short run, is that, in the long run, legacy systems will continue to accumulate. One of the best ways in which enterprise can make legacy systems agile and flexible is to have modern APIs attached to them. This will form the building blocks for a longer but smoother transition especially if the organization puts in place modern APIs (Krafzig, Banke, Slama, 2005). The APIs can then go through a slow transition to fit modern architecture or models. This can be done behind theRead MoreHealth Information Technology1521 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction: Office of National coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has funded this program to find breakthrough innovations in the field of Health Information Technology (IT). This research program was awarded $60 million and this program is divided into four focus areas. This program brings together researchers, healthcare providers, and other health IT sector stakeholders in order to transform the research products into practice. This program is designed to improve qualityRead MoreDesign Educational Buildings With Enhanced Quality Of Indoor Environment2179 Words   |  9 Pagescredits into BIM software to design educational buildings with enhanced quality of indoor environment Introduction Background According to the studies of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the level of pollutants inside the building can be two to five times higher than the outdoor levels and these pollutants are major cause of worry as majority of people invest their 90 percent of time in indoor activities (10). The educational buildings are heavily occupied most of the time as they provideRead MorePredictive Analysis Model1387 Words   |  6 Pagesnetwork can be modeled using different predictive modeling techniques. This paper listed different IoT data based predictive models and their comparison to understand the usage of model for the energy use of appliances. Specific prediction techniques include Multiple Linear Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine for regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting Machine (XGBM) are used for model building and to prediction. We have presented an evaluation

Complete Guide to Business Risk Management

Question: Discuss about the Complete Guide to Business Risk Management. Answer: Introduction: Auditing is a strategic management approach that plays a key role in ensuring that a company is moving towards achieving its goals and objective as well as improving its performance standards. Auditing and assurance practices are outlined as the general and independent examination of statutory records, documents, asset, and books of accounts of a company to establish if the financial plan and also the non-financial disclosures square measure presenting a real and honest read of a company(Arens, et al., 2012). The main aim of conducting audit practices is to confirm that the book of accounts is correctly maintained as required by the international auditing and accounting bodies. The external audit activities are explained as the examination and securitizing the organization book, documents, and asset, this activity are normally carried out by the external auditor who is in charge of proving audit opinion which is relevant to the company operation. The findings of an auditor will determine the actions to be taken by the organization management while striving to improve their operations(Elder, et al., 2011). Clarke Johnson (CJI) is an organization that is projected to have provided excellence and brilliant services to Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH), and a result, Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) has projected to give Clarke Johnson (CJI) another year of business partnering. Despite the fact that the two companies have been partnering, Clarke Johnson (CJI) independence will be affected to some extent, this implies that there are some threats that affect the independence of the external auditor(Eilifsen, et al., 2013). Self-interest threat could be a fatal issue that affects the independence of an external auditor. This threat is perceived once the auditor is often providing audit services to only one client. Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) has re-engaged Clarke Johnson (CJI) Company to supply their service just like the previous year(Johnstone, 2000). The aspect of self-interest forces the auditor to accept an offer to provide audit services, this is the perception of not losing the client, and this will affect the independence of external auditor since the client will provide different opinion which affects the opinions of the auditor(Jackson, 2016). The issue relating to the referrals from the client affects the independence of the external auditor. According to the study, Clarke Johnson (CJI) Company is an organization that has been providing audit services to Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH); Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) could make many referrals to the auditor, and thus affecting the audit opinions of the Clarke Johnson (CJI) Company. The organizational management has a great impact on the audit opinions to be made by the auditor, the top management could influence this opinions since they will force the auditor to utilize the referrals made(Kachelmeier, et al., 2014). Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) and Clarke Johnson (CJI) Company have been partnering, the top management of the Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) could refer the accounting department to make some irrelevant changes to the books of accounts, these changes may affect the opinion to be given by the auditor(Knechel Salterio, 2016). Safeguards to threats that affects the independence of an auditor The threats that affect the independence of external auditors are outlined to influence the activities and the conclusion to be made by an auditor. Multiple referrals from the top management, self-interest and the familiarity and complacency are the examples threats derived from the case study(Bell, et al., 2001). When an external auditor is hindered, the audit opinion which is used during the drafting of the could be appropriate to the findings of the auditor the audit opinion forms the basis of the audit report. Self-interest is a critical threat which implies self-consideration of an individual, the top management may decide to provide ideas to the auditors, these ideas could affect the conclusions of the external auditor(Knechel Salterio, 2016). The Multiple referrals reflect those referrals that are made by departmental managers or the top managers of the organization, where these referrals comprise referring the auditor to use specific books of accounts or to use information f rom one of the organizational employees(William Jr, et al., 2016). Self-interest issues affecting the independence of an auditor implies impact of making referrals and suggestions to the auditor, some of the managers in an organization may have messed up with the company policies, assets and books of accounts so they are compelled to make suggestions to the auditors(Ricchiute, 2001). On the other hand, some of them may want praises from board of directors so they are forced to make suggestions to the auditors, and thus affecting the drafted report. Clarke Johnson Company is encouraged to reduce the interaction with the clients, they need to make opinion based on the immediate findings of the company operations. Multiple referrals from Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) has a direct impact to the audit opinion to be provided by Clarke Johnson Company. Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) has re-engaged Clarke Johnson Company to continue providing audit services, Chris is the top manager of Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH)(Gay Simnett, 2000). Chris could make suggestions and recommendation to the auditor, this affects the independence of the auditor. Clarke Johnson Company is required not to accept any suggestion or recommendation made by any member of the organization, auditor need to take caution of such issue so that they could provide appropriate audit opinion and report. Audit planning is an important area of auditing practices, it primarily conducted at the beginning of the auditing process to ensure that the appropriate attention is conducted to the important areas of the company(Jackson, 2016). The audit is the risk which implies the financial record of the enterprise are devoted to being materially incorrect although the audit report provided by the auditors states that the financial statements of the company are free of any misstatement. The primary purpose of encouraging the auditors to have audit planning to so enhance that the important areas and documents of the company are critically scrutinized, by conducting the audit planning the auditors are able to identify the potential audit problems that could affect the audit process(Knechel, 2007). Auditors are encouraged to ensure that they develop an audit plan and implement policies stated since it will allow them to expose their professionalism during the auditing process. During Audit planning, the Auditor is obligated to ensure that they are ready for audit planning risk that may affect their operations(Eilifsen, et al., 2001). Crampton and Hasaad is encouraged to develop the audit planning which will allow them to exhibit their professionalism during their auditing process. Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) is a multinational corporation that operates in the international market. It operates in China, Europe, and U.S market. Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) is about to conduct its 2015 annual general meetings the meeting will allow the provisions of 2015 financial reporting. Mining Supplies LTD (MSL), Crampton and Hasaad are encouraged to develop the audit plan that will give the exhaustive approach of audit timing, extent and strategies that will ensure that the audit work is completed. Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) is a company that performs its services outside its market, operating in an international market is bounded with allot of risk(Kachelmeier, et al., 2014). The international business affects the activities of multinational companies, the international business concepts are perceived to have the great impact on the auditing process. An organization that operates in an international market is encouraged to deliver their products and services in time, they are also mandated to implement the strategic chain management measure that will allow the company to operate easily in the international market(Eilifsen, et al., 2001). Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) is a company that operates its sales in the large market, Crampton and Hasaad Company on other hand is an audit company that provides its services to international companies including the Mining Supplies LTD (MSL). While mitigating the logical risk that affects the audit planning of an auditor, the companies are encouraged to implement on the supply chain mythologies, this will reduce the negative factors relating to political unrest and other fatal factors. However, the companies are encouraged to provide exclusive license which is guided by the substantial agreement between the two companies(Lyon Maher, 2005). Decline in product demand risk Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) is an international corporation that is involved in producing the engineering equipment to its clients, the company products are internationally recognized. Declining in producing the equipment affects the activities of the company; reduction of equipment produced will definitely affect the profitability making of the company. Demand risk implies the reduction in the demand for the product, the declining demand for the engineering equipment may be because of stiff competition and high pricing of the equipment(Arens, et al., 2012). While mitigating the risk associated with the products and demand risk, the company is encouraged to ensure that conducts market research in order to determine the aspects that affect their business operations. Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) and Crampton and Hasaad are the business organization that operates in international business market. The legal risk reflects the impacts of the regulations and rules that are drafted by the existing governments, the companies that operates their business activities above the existing rules and regulation are encouraged to observe the law of the land(Messier, 2014). Legal risk affect the operation of Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) and Crampton and Hasaad since they operate in different markets, rules and regulations in the different market keep own changing and thus affecting the business activities of an organization. For instance, both companies are perceived to work in US and Europe markets, U.S Common Laws provides some policies that need to be observed by the companies operating in that particular market, on the other hand, European Civil Laws provide regulatory measures to the companies operating in the European market(Eilifsen, et al., 2001). Financial risk is those factor that affects the financial operations of an organization. Companies that operates in the international market are faced with many risks including the financial risk. Crampton and Hasaad Company and Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) are operating companies they have diverse their business activities. The diversification of the business activities will bound the companies into financial risk, economic factor is the concepts, which affects the financial operation of an international company. For instance, the US dollar is a currency that is used in the international market, the down-turning of this currency affect the business activities of operating companies. The inherent risk are the risk that involves material misstatement in the financial records and asset document of the business company, the risk arises as a result of errors and emission made by the company accountings. The inherent risk is perceived to affect the organizations that operate in the international market, these companies involves themselves with the inherent risks when they failed to make relevant estimation as well as when they need to make complex transactions(Eilifsen, et al., 2001). The control audit risk implies the risks that relate to the material misstatement in the financial statement, this misstatement is arising due to failure to implement the control measures of the company. Crampton and Hasaad Company and Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) are encouraged to adequately advised to have the relevant internal control system that will prevent and detect the potential errors and frauds. The control risk are perceived to be high, especially when the business entity is not having the internal control measures(Jackson, 2016). The detection risk is that risk that arises when the auditor fails to detect the material misstatement in the financial records, and asset of the company. In order to operate with less limiting factors, Crampton and Hasaad Company is encouraged to apply the audit process measures this will allow the company to automatically detect material misstatements in the financial statements and asset documents of Mining Supplies LTD (MSL). While mitigating the detection risk, the audit firm is advised to increase the number of the sample transaction taken during the audit process(Sadgrove, 2016). References Arens, A. A., Elder, R. J. Mark, B., 2012. Auditing and assurance services: an integrated approach:. Boston: Prentice Hall.. Bell, T. B., Landsman, W. R. Shackelford, D. A., 2001. Auditors' perceived business risk and audit fees: Analysis and evidence.. Journal of Accounting research,, 39(1), pp. 35-43. Eilifsen, A., Messier, W. F., Glover, S. M. Praw, 2013. Auditing and assurance services.. s.l.:McGraw-Hill.. Eilifsen, A., Knechel, W. R. Wallage, P., 2001. Application of the business risk audit model: A field study. Accounting Horizons. s.l.:s.n. Elder, R. J., Beasley, M. S. Arens, A., 2011. Auditing and Assurance services. s.l.:Pearson Higher Ed.. Gay, G. E. Simnett, R., 2000. Auditing and assurance services in Australia.. Sydney: Mcgraw-hill. Jackson, R. A., 2016. Business at risk: keynote speakers for this year's IIA International Conference identify emerging risks facing organizations. Internal Auditor,. In: s.l.:s.n., pp. 40-46. Johnstone, K., 2000. Client-acceptance decisions: Simultaneous effects of client business risk, audit risk, auditor business risk, and risk adaptation. Auditing:. A Journal of Practice Theory, 19(1), pp. 1-25.. Kachelmeier, S. J., Majors, T. Williamson, M. G., 2014. Does Intent Modify Risk-Based Auditing?. The Accounting Review. s.l.:s.n. Knechel, W., 2007. The business risk audit: Origins, obstacles and opportunities.. In: s.l.:s.n., pp. 383-408. Knechel, W. R. Salterio, S. E., 2016. Auditing: assurance and risk. s.l.:Routledge. Lyon, J. D. Maher, M. W., 2005. The importance of business risk in setting audit fees: Evidence from cases of client misconduct.. Journal of Accounting Research, 43(1), pp. 133-151. Messier, w. f., 2014. An approach to learning risk-based auditing.. Journal of Accounting Education, 32(3), pp. 276-287. Ricchiute, D. N., 2001. Auditing and assurance services.. s.l.:South Western Educational Publishing.. Sadgrove, K., 2016. The complete guide to business risk management.. s.l.:Routledge. William Jr, M., Glover, S. Prawitt, D., 2016. Auditing and assurance services: A systematic approach.. s.l.:McGraw-Hill Education.

Shila Gonsalves Essays (458 words) - Asian People, Shila Amzah

Shila Gonsalves Professor: Friars 03/14/2016 The Story behind the Story" As sit here with my yearbook going through all of the pages and remembering all the fun and ugly times I've had, I am grateful to say I have experienced high school. High school was a love and hate relationship but I still had my fear share of fun. High school was place for us to learn somewhat of who are and our goals in life. Some people in my situation would be very unhappy in high school since I was on my way to finishing up high school in my country. I migrated from Guyana, South America when I was fifteen years of age. And at first I was very sad that I had left my friends behind to come to this big gigantic country USA and make new friends which I struggled with and mostly to start high school as a sophomore. It was a struggle because I felt I knew all the stuff I was being thought but anyways I still enjoyed my teachers they respected that I was from the other part of the world. But making friends was very hard for me I did not know what it was like to be a part of groups in the lunchrooms or after school. But I found my self in an art (ceramics) program that it allowed me to meet and mingle with people similar to me. I also joined the culinary team. I meet a lot of people who were impressed with my work and actually acknowledged that I existed. As I turn the pages I could see my self in two of the pages shockingly, a picture of Shila Gonsalves? Well I have to say I was a very well know cook at my school. Joining the culinary team was one of two greatest decisions I have made in high school. I was so happy to see my self-causing a barbeque fire at the football game fundraiser and everyone was just standing there enjoying my food and having fun with my tricks. This picture I was so surprised to see because I had no idea they took this. My team and I were well known for our cook offs, bake offs and most importantly cooking for our teachers monthly, providing t hem with a lunch once a month. My second picture I was being awarded a certificate for making the best ceramic pieces in Hudson County. These moments were very special to me because I thought I would have never fit in and be a part of my school. But I am grateful for every moment I had in high school, bad or good it made into the person I am today; a confident young lady.

Assael’s Matrix Essays

Assael’s Matrix Essays Assael’s Matrix Paper Assael’s Matrix Paper Assael’s Matrix Assael distinguished four types of consumer buying behaviour based on the degree of buyer involvement and the degree of differences among brands. The four types are named in the following table and described in the following paragraphs. TABLE 20: Four types of buying behaviour: Level of Significances Between |High Involvement |Low Involvement | |Brands | | | |Significant |Complex Buying Behaviour |Variety-seeking Buying Behaviour | |Few |Dissonance-reducing Buying Behaviour |Habitual Buying Behaviour | 1. Complex Buying Behaviour: Consumers go through complex buying behaviour when they are highly involved in a purchase and aware of significant differences among brands. Consumers are highly involved when the product is expensive, bought infrequently, risky and highly self-expressive. Typically the consumer does not know much about the product category and has much to learn. For example, a person buying a personal computer may not know what attribute to look for. Many of the product features like 16K memory disc storage, screen resolution carry no meaning to him or her. This buyer will pass through a learning process characterized by first developing beliefs about the product, then attitudes, and then making a thoughtful purchase choice. The marketer of a high-involvement product must understand the information-gathering and evaluation behaviour of high-involvement consumers. The marketer needs to develop strategies that assist the buyer in learning about the attributes of the product class, their relative importance, and the high standing of the companys brand on the more important attributes. The marketer needs to differentiate the brands features, use mainly print media and long copy to describe the brands benefits, and motivate store sales personnel and the buyers acquaintances to influence the final brand choice. 2. Dissonance-Reducing Buying Behaviour: Sometimes the consumer is highly, involved in a purchase but sees little difference in the brands. The high involvement is again based on the fact that the purchase is expensive, infrequent, and risky. In this case, the buyer will shop around to learn what is, available but will buy fairly quickly because brand differences are not pronounced. The buyer may respond primarily to a good price or to purchase convenience. After the purchase, the consumer might experience dissonance that stems from noticing certain disquieting features of the product or hearing favourable things about other brands. The consumer will be alert to information that might justify his or her decision. The consumer will first act, then acquire new beliefs and end up with a set of attitudes. Here marketing communications should aim to supply beliefs and evaluations that help the consumer feel good about his or her brand choice. 3. Habitual Buying Behaviour: Many products are bought under conditions of low consumer involvement and the absence of significant brand differences. Consider the purchase of salt. Consumers have little involvement in this product category. They go to the store and reach for the brand. If they keep reaching for the same brand, it is out of habit, not strong brand loyalty. There is good evidence that consumers have low involvement with most low-cost, frequently purchased products. Consumer behaviour in these cases does not pass through the normal belief/attitude/behaviour sequence. Consumers do not search extensively for information about the brands, evaluate their characteristics, and make a weighty decision on which brand to buy. Instead, they are passive recipients of information as they watch television or see print ads. Ad repetition creates brand familiarity rather than brand conviction. Consumers do not form a strong attitude towards a brand but select it because it is familiar. After purchase, they may not even evaluate the choice because they are not highly involved with the product. So the buying process is brand beliefs formed by passive learning, followed by purchase behaviour, which may be followed by evaluation. Marketers of low-involvement products with few brand differences find it effective to use price and sales promotions to stimulate product trial, since buyers are not highly committed to any brand. In advertising a low-involvement product, a number of things should be observed. The ad copy should stress only a few key points Visual symbols and Imagery are important because they can easily be remembered and associated with the brand. The ad campaigns should go for high repetition with short-duration messages. Television is more effective than print media because it is a low-involvement medium that is suitable for passive learning. Advertising planning should be based on classical conditioning theory where the buyer learns to identify a certain product by a symbol that is repeatedly attached to it. Marketers can try to convert the low-involvement product into one of higher involvement. The ways are: ? This can be accomplished by linking the product to some involving issue, as when Crest toothpaste is linked to avoiding cavities. The product can be linked to some involving personal situation, for instance, by advertising a coffee brand early in the morning when the consumer wants to shake oft sleepiness. ? The advertising might seek to trigger strong emotions related to personal values or ego defense. ? An important product feature might be added to a low-involvement product, such as by fortifying a plain drink wit h vitamins, These strategies at best raise consumer involvement from a low to a moderate level; they do not propel the consumer into highly involved buying behaviour. . Variety-Seeking Buying Behaviour: Some buying situations are characterised by low consumer involvement but significant brand differences. Here consumers are often observed to do a lot of brand switching. An example occurs in purchasing cookies. The consumer has some beliefs, chooses a brand of cookies without much evaluation, and evaluates it during consumption. But next time, the consumer may reach for another brand out of boredom or a wish for a different taste. Brand switching occurs for the sake of variety rather than dissatisfaction. The marketing strategy is different for the market leader and the minor brands in this product category. The market leader will try to encourage habitual buying behavior by dominating the shelf space, avoiding out-of-stock conditions, and sponsoring frequent reminder advertising. Challenger firms will encourage variety seeking by offering lower prices, deals, coupons, free samples and advertising that presents reasons for trying something new.

Joblessness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Joblessness - Essay Example Apart form the recession, dynamic changes like globalization and free trade has had a negative impact on the employment situation in the United States. Jobs have been outsourced at the cost of employment back home, leaving many people in a state of joblessness. This paper studies the impact of joblessness among the middle and upper aged population in the United States with reference to sociological perspectives. Middle aged joblessness results in financial and psychological stress, but has one advantage in the sense that such persons are better equipped to teach their children how to cope in the ‘new risk economy’. During the course of this research, four arguments will be discussed. The first one is that, the new risk economy is harsher on middle aged and older employees with regard to being jobless. The second is that, in times of recession in the economy, qualification, experience and age is given preference over youth and lack of experience. The third argument is that joblessness will lead to lower levels of commitment and will result in unemployed middle aged and older workers to become free agents. The fourth is that the life course of the jobless has changed drastically when shifting from the Fordist era to the new risk economy era. According to Goldsmith et al, unemployment has two adverse effects on the society, the economy, and the individual and their families. For them, â€Å"one is the output foregone that could have been produced if unemployed workers had been productively employed. The second is the psychological damage suffered by unemployed workers and their families† ( Goldsmith, Veum & Darity, 1996). Companies are now looking at minimizing costs in order to remain competitive, and one of the ways in which this is accomplished is through reduction in the number of employees. Increasing globalization coupled with

Monkey in the Mirror Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monkey in the Mirror Essays - Essay Example But there are several things that mark us as being different from many of these other animals. Some of them are purely physical – for instance we have bipedal motion that is absent in the rest of apes (Tattersall, 2002 p. 89). But we also have many metaphysical qualities that mark us as different from our ancestors, such as the creation of music, art and culture. There is no one single thing that can truly account for all the ways in which we are different, but there are a few pieces that had to come together. One of which is our brain, which is by far the largest brain compared to body mass of any animal in the history of the world (Tattersall, 2002, p. 151). This probably had to develop in conjunction with a lot of other developments to be useful – for instance, larger brains would not have been useful if we were not already prehensile apes who were adapted to living in trees, and could thus use our prehensile hands to create and use tools (Tattersall, 2002 p. 69). Bu t probably one of the single things that sets humans apart from other animals the most is the development of speech. A change in our voice box and brain simultaneously occurred at some point in the evolution of homo sapiens, which allowed humans to differentiate themselves from previous iterations of humanity (or pre-humanity), and begin to do things that are truly novel in the animal kingdom Tattersall, 2002). One of the things that makes language so important is that it augments our innate intelligence, so that instead of things that become created instantly dying out when the person who created them dies, they can pass on the teaching to succeeding generations. This creates culture, which is probably the one biggest things that separates humans from other primates and other animals. If Gould and Tattersall were to have a conversation with each other, they would probably come to cross roads. Gould tended to entirely

Understanding The Terms Of Semiconductor Devices Information Technology Essay

Understanding The Terms Of Semiconductor Devices Information Technology Essay Semiconductors are materials which have a conductivity between conductors generally metals and nonconductors or insulators (such as most ceramics). Semiconductors can be pure elements, such as silicon or germanium, or compounds such as gallium arsenide or cadmium selenide. In a process called doping, small amounts of impurities are added to pure semiconductors causing large changes in the conductivity of the material. Semiconductor devices now influence our lives on a daily basis. Although insulators and conductors are useful in their own right, semiconductors such as silicon and gallium arsenide have dramatically changed the way in which billions of people live. Their intermediate ability to conduct electricity at room temperature makes them very useful for electronic applications. For example, the modern computing industry was made possible by the ability of silicon transistors to act as fast on/off switches. 1.2 History: Fig 1: History of Semiconductor Part 2: Project Overview 2.1 Types of Semiconductors 2.1.1 Intrinsic Semiconductors An intrinsic semiconductor is one which is made up of a very pure semiconductor material. In more technical terminology it can stated that an intrinsic semiconductor is one where the number of holes is equal to the number of electrons in the conduction band. The forbidden energy gap in case of such semiconductors is very minute and even the energy available at room temperature is sufficient for the valence electrons to jump across to the conduction band. Another characteristic feature of an intrinsic semiconductor is that the Fermi level of such materials lies somewhere in between the valence band and the conduction band. This can be proved mathematically which is beyond the scope of discussion in this article. In case you are not familiar with the term Fermi level, it refers to that level of energy where the probability of finding an electron is 0.5 or half (remember probability is measured on a scale of 0 to 1). 2.1.2 Extrinsic Semiconductors These are semiconductors in which the pure state of the semiconductor material is deliberately diluted by adding very minute quantities of impurities. To be more specific, the impurities are known as dopants or doping agents. It must be kept in mind that the addition of such impurities is really very miniscule and a typical dopant could have a concentration of the order of 1 part in a hundred million parts or it is equivalent to 0.01 ppm. The materials chosen for doping are deliberately chosen in such a manner that either they have 5 electrons in their valence band, or they have just 3 electrons in their valence band. Accordingly such dopants are known as pentavalent or trivalent dopants respectively. The type of dopant also gives rise to two types of extrinsic semiconductors namely P-type and N-type semiconductors. A pentavalent dopant such as Antimony are known as donor impurities since they donate an extra electron in the crystal structure which is not required for covalent bonding purposes and is readily available to be shifted to the conduction band. This electron does not give rise to a corresponding hole in the valence band because it is already excess, therefore upon doping with such a material, the base material such as Germanium contains more electrons than holes, hence the nomenclature N-type intrinsic semiconductors. On the other hand when a trivalent dopant such as Boron is added to Germanium additional or extra holes get formed due to the exactly reverse process of what was described in the upper section. Hence this dopant which is also known as acceptor creates a P-type semiconductor. Hence electrons are the majority carriers (of current) in N-type while holes are minority carriers. The reverse is true of P-type semiconductors. Another difference is that whereas the Fermi level of intrinsic semiconductors is somewhere midway between the valence band and the conduction band, it shifts upwards in case of N-type while it drifts downward in case of P-type due to obvious reasons. 2.2 Semiconductor Device (Diode): A diode is the simplest possible semiconductor device, and is therefore an excellent beginning point if you want to understand how semiconductors work. In this article, youll learn what a semiconductor is, how doping works and how a diode can be created using semiconductors. But first, lets take a close look at silicon. Silicon is a very common element for example, it is the main element in sand and quartz. If you look silicon up in the periodic table, you will find that it sits next to aluminum, below carbon and above germanium. A diode is the simplest possible semiconductor device. A diode allows current to flow in one direction but not the other. You may have seen turnstiles at a stadium or a subway station that let people go through in only one direction. A diode is a one-way turnstile for electrons. When you put N-type and P-type silicon together as shown in this diagram, you get a very interesting phenomenon that gives a diode its unique properties. Fig 2: Diode Even though N-type silicon by itself is a conductor, and P-type silicon by itself is also a conductor, the combination shown in the diagram does not conduct any electricity. The negative electrons in the N-type silicon get attracted to the positive terminal of the battery. The positive holes in the P-type silicon get attracted to the negative terminal of the battery. No current flows across the junction because the holes and the electrons are each moving in the wrong direction. If you flip the battery around, the diode conducts electricity just fine. The free electrons in the N-type silicon are repelled by the negative terminal of the battery. The holes in the P-type silicon are repelled by the positive terminal. At the junction between the N-type and P-type silicon, holes and free electrons meet. The electrons fill the holes. Those holes and free electrons cease to exist, and new holes and electrons spring up to take their place. The effect is that current flows through the junction. Part 3: Analysis 3.1 Application and Research The building block of most semiconductor devices involves combining p-type and n-type regions into p-n junctions. Imagine bringing together two crystals where one is n-type and the other is p-type. A few of the electrons from the n-type flow toward the p-type material. At the point where the p-type and n-type meet (the interface) electrons from the n-side fill the holes on the p-side and a build-up of oppositely charged ions is generated, and thus a potential across the barrier forms. This build-up of charge is called the junction potential. The barrier prevents further migration of electrons and the net current is zero. If a voltage is applied to the p-n junction with the negative terminal connected to the n-region and the p-region is connected to the positive terminal, the electrons will flow toward the positive terminal, while the holes will flow toward the negative terminal. This is called forward bias and current flows. However, if the positive terminal is connected to the n-type and the negative connected to the p-type, a reverse bias forms and no current flows due to the build up of the potential barrier. In other words, these devices must be placed in an electrical circuit with the correct polarity, or they will not function. This application of the p-n junction is used in many electronic devices. Figure 6 shows the formation of a potential at a p-n junction. Figure 7 shows the effect of forward and negative bias on the p-n junction. Figure 3: A p-n junction before and after the two materials are brought in contact. When the two materials are placed together, electrons from the n-side combine with the holes on the p-side. This results in a positive charge on the n-side of the junction and a negative charge accumulation on the p-side. This separation of charge creates a junction potential. Note: There are no electrons or holes at the junction, they have combined with each other. Figure 4: A p-n junction under forward and reverse bias. Notice that in forward bias, the barrier is lowered, while in reverse bias, the barrier is raised. Thought question: In each case in Figure 4, which side is connected to the positive terminal of the outside voltage source? Will electrons or holes carry current when the junction has this arrangement ? 3.1.1 Electronic Devices: There are many electronic devices that function using combinations of p-n junctions such as diodes, solar cells and transistors. In this section a brief explanation of each of these basic devices will be given. The diode is a p-n junction application that acts as a rectifier for converting alternating current to direct current. This is due to the ability of a diode to allow current flow in one direction but not in the other. Solar cells are p-n junction devices which use sunlight to create electrical energy. It is the energy of the sun`s photons that causes the electrons to be promoted into the conduction bands and carry the current. However, the current derived from the solar cell is small. It takes many solar cells to produce enough current to do a large scale job. If the energy output from solar cells could be increased, solar energy could be used for more than individual, isolated applications. Transistors are another application of the p-n junction. Transistors, unlike diodes, contain more than one p-n junction. Because of this, a transistor can be used in a circuit to amplify a small voltage or current into a larger one or function as an on-off switch. Transistors are of two main types: bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field effect transistors (FETs). Roughly 95% of all electronic systems utilize one or both of these types of devices. BJTs are composed of three layers of doped materials, either n-p-n or p-n-p in configuration. The BJT acts like a bump or dam in an open stream to control the amount of current let by; thus as the bump is lowered, more current can flow. In the BJT, the height of the bump is controlled by the base current in the semiconductor. The BJT was invented in 1948 by John Bardeen, Walter Brittain and William Shockley using germanium. BJTs remained the only important three terminal semiconductor devices for about a dozen years after their invention, and helped to launch the modern electronics era. Since the early 1960s the FET has been considered one of the most important devices in solid state technology. At present, many of the applications of BJTs have been taken over by metal-oxide semiconductor FETs (MOSFETs). MOSFETs were theorized for many years before they were able to be manufactured. The reason MOSFETs could not be made was that scientists had not yet developed techniques for growing high quality silicon dioxide (SiO2) on silicon. The FET functions more as a gate for controlling the flow of current (like a valve on a faucet). FETs are relatively simple to fabricate compared to BJTs, and they have proven to be extremely fast, reliable switches in miniaturized circuit components with much less power usage than BJTs. Most modern microprocessors are based on FET devicesfrom pentium chips in PCs to the CPUs of super computers. Transistors, diodes, and other electronic devices are combined in many different patterns to form todays integrated circuits. The integrated circuit (IC) has been the workhorse of the microelectronics era which began in the late 1950s. These chips, usually made of silicon, consist of combinations of four fundamental electrical regions. These regions contain resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors. Since 1971, Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) has allowed millions of such regions to be fabricated on a chip that is only one square centimeter. Not only are these circuit elements getting smaller, they are getting faster as well. For example todays typical desktop pentium-based computer can perform tens of millions of operations per second, whereas contemporary super computers are rated in gigaflops (billions of operations per second). Teraflop (trillions of operations per second) machines will be ready for production by the year 2000. 3.2 Semiconductors Applications Worldwide We mentioned just a few of the many different applications of semiconductor devices. The use of these devices has become so widespread that it would be impossible to list all their different applications. Instead, a broad coverage of their specific application is presented. Semiconductor devices are all around us. They can be found in just about every commercial product we touch, from the family car to the pocket calculator. Semiconductor devices are contained in television sets, portable radios, stereo equipment, and much more. Science and industry also rely heavily on semiconductor devices. Research laboratories use these devices in all sorts of electronic instruments to perform tests, measurements, and numerous other experimental tasks. Industrial control systems (such as those used to manufacture automobiles) and automatic telephone exchanges also use semiconductors. Even today heavy-duty versions of the solid-state rectifier diode are being use to convert large amounts of power for electric railroads. Of the many different applications for solid-state devices, space systems, computers, and data processing equipment are some of the largest consumers. The various types of modem military equipment are literally loaded with semiconductor devices. Many radars, communication, and airborne equipment are transistorized. Data display systems, data processing units, computers, and aircraft guidance-control assemblies are also good examples of electronic equipments that use semiconductor devices. All of the specific applications of semiconductor devices would make a long impressive list. The fact is, semiconductors are being used extensively in commercial products, industry, and the military. 3.3 Power semiconductor devices for DC/DC converters As the performance of servers, notebook PCs and graphics cards increases, their power consumption grows as well. At the same time, the trend toward lower operating voltages for components such as CPUs, graphics processing units (GPUs), memory devices and ASICs results in increased current flow. This creates a need for DC/DC converters capable of handling low voltages and large currents. Renesas 12th-generation power MOSFETs, the RJK0210DPA, RJK0211DPA and RJK0212DPA are now available for service in DC/DC converters, which operate by having two power MOSFETs, one for control and the other for synchronous rectification, switching on and off alternately to convert the voltage.   For example the new RJK0210DPA MOSFET is used for control and the Renesas Electronics 11th generation RJK0208DPA device can be used for synchronous rectification. Refinements to the manufacturing process allow the new Renesas MOSFETs to achieve approximately 40 percent improvement in FOM (figure of merit; on-state resistance times gate charge) compared to the companys existing products, which contributes to reduction of the power loss during voltage conversion and thereby enables highly efficient DC/DC converter performance. Using the Renesas Virtual Power Lab MOSFET Design Tool lets you check out these and other MOSFETs without the hassle of waiting for device samples, then having to solder the parts down on test boards.   This tool lets engineers evaluate various solutions in a virtual real-time environment to facilitate the selection of optimum MOSFET combinations for synchronous buck-converter applications. Among its benefits: helping you find the right MOSFETs and interactively get help designing your sync buck converter application; analyzing performance, switching behavior and efficiency of your new buck converter design; evaluating MOSFET behavior under a variety of operating conditions using an interactive datasheet and downloading SPICE models. 3.4 Importance Of Semiconductor in Technologies: Due to their role in the fabrication of electronic devices, semiconductors are an important part of our lives. Imagine life without electronic devices. There would be no radios, no TVs, no computers, no video games, and poor medical diagnostic equipment. Although many electronic devices could be made using vacuum tube technology, the developments in semiconductor technology during the past 50 years have made electronic devices smaller, faster, and more reliable. If we think for a minute of all the encounters we have with electronic devices. How many of the following have we seen or used in the last twenty-four hours? Each has important components that have been manufactured with electronic materials. microwave oven, electronic balance, video games, radio, television, VCR, watch, CD player, stereo, computer, lights, air conditioner, calculator, telephone, musical greeting cards, diagnostic equipment, clock, refrigerator, car, security devices , stove Fig 5: Clockwise from top: A chip, an LED and a transistor are all made from semiconductor material   Source: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/solid-state1.jpg Semiconductors have had a monumental impact on our society. We find semiconductors at the heart of microprocessor chips as well as transistors. Anything thats computerized or uses radio waves depends on semiconductors. Today, most semiconductor chips and transistors are created with silicon. You may have heard expressions like Silicon Valley and the silicon economy, and thats why silicon is the heart of any electronic device. 3.5 Future Trends Since the late 1950s, the discovery and invention of new electronic semiconductor materials and the drastic reduction in the size of electronic devices has moved at a rapid pace. As a result, the speed of electronic devices (particularly integrated circuits) has grown exponentially over the same time period. Great strides have been made by companies such as Bell Laboratories, Intel, Western Electric, American Telephone and Telegraph, Motorola, Rockwell, and IBM. In 1975, Gordon Moore gave a famous talk at the International Electronic Devices Meeting (IEDM) in which he predicted a growth in microchip complexity of roughly a factor of two every year. In most areas of electron device production, his predictions have been met or exceeded. The push for smaller dimensions, which allow for increased functionality and faster devices, also creates problems of long term reliability and heat dissipation. New device designs, new materials, and lower voltages are being employed to make the next generation of devices. One extremely important area of semiconductor technology is the field of telecommunications. The new Information Super Highway requires technology which can transmit and receive information at high rates. One approach which is already being applied to this area is optoelectronics or the use of light to transmit information. Electrons are used to transfer information within computers, but most information sent over long distances uses light pulses traveling through fiber optic cables. The laser diodes which create these pulses and semiconductor receivers that detect the pulses are areas of intensive research. It is clear that semiconductor technology has and will continue to play a major role in the development of the information age. Part 4: Conclusion After the completion of the term paper on Importance Of Semiconductor discovery on Technology I got many new things to learn about. The term paper includes brief description on semiconductors, it also contains the types of Semiconductors and brief description of it. The term paper also gives the importance of Semiconductor in our day today life. It also explains the applications of semiconductor and its uses in some of the technologies. The term paper also gives future trends and research of semiconductor. Through this term paper I wanted to give the reader few ideas about what are semiconductors and about its importance. I have worked very hard on this project and wanted to build it in a very simple and lucid manner so that it could be easy for the reader to go through and understand the term paper. Hopefully, I think that you would have gained some knowledge on semiconductors and could have well understood it. I grant a sincere apologize if any mistake would have crept in my work. Part 5: References http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/electrical/articles/41694.aspx#ixzz145rf13AN http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/diode2.htm http://am.renesas.com/products/discrete/power_mos/vp/vp_landing.jsp http://matse1.matse.illinois.edu/sc/prin.html http://www.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm http://www.tpub.com/neets/book7/24a.htm http://www.gartner.com/it/products/research/asset_129174_2395.jsp