Brian Martin, in Striking a Needle into Science Essay

Brian Martin, in Striking a Needle into Science stresses the role of partisanship, intervention made in the course of analyzing a case, its impact on the case study and how it affects the views and opinions of the readers. In particular, he made this point by presenting both sides of the controversy, without having to make the conclusion himself. Along this paper will be seen how he argues both for the rejection and acceptance of the theory proposed by Pascal and the supposed publication of the same. Martin utilizes the theory of Pascal in illustrating this point. Pascal made a vast research on the origin of HIV (both HIV 1 and HIV 2) and on the basis of the same and of his knowledge stated that the virus originated from the cultivation of the polio vaccine, particularly cultured through monkeys’ kidneys. The mass vaccination among Africans is said to have started this all and its spread all throughout the countries was made possible through different modes of transfer. The outcome of the said research however was not placed in publication; it was rejected by scientific societies for a reason. Scientific journals refused publication of any of Pascal’s researches and investigation for different reasons. It can be noted however that a few publicists entertained the thought of giving it a chance, considering that Pascal made a thorough investigation stressing his point clear, well supported by appropriate empirical evidence. Martin had been able to collect information both for and against the publication of the same. The point of the analyst in presenting the case is to convey both sides of the controversy; the controversy being the appropriateness of the non-publication of Pascal’s theory by science advocates. In so doing, he gathered evidence and justifications which support the non-publication thereof, obtaining evidence by interviews, written documents and the like of those who support the proposition. In the same way, he gathered pieces of evidence which support the view for the publication of the theory. This is an effective way of presenting a case study. It is to be noted that the analyst never emphasized his own opinion on the appropriateness of the non-publication or the publication of the same, instead, he presented with preciseness and absoluteness the ratiocination of the proponents of both sides, showing the least, if at all, any biases. While the analyst presents the theory supporting the respective claims of the proponents of both sides, he has a different purpose in making the paper. In the course of the discussion, he emphasizes though the relevance, importance and significance of being a non partisan and without intervention in making the paper. In making the case study, he utilizes the modes of interviews, correspondence, gathering of written evidence and documents and particularly makes use of social connections to obtain the necessary information supporting both propositions. In supporting his proposition on non-intervention and his being non-partisan, that is, by presenting both sides of the story, he stresses both the advantages and disadvantages of the controversy. Limiting or supporting one side of the controversy, let say, being a partisan in the course of the case study, Martin opined that this may lead to limited sources of information and thus the impossibility of obtaining a more learned opinion and unbiased statements. Moreover, along the course of the investigation, Martin implicitly stated that in order to satisfy the purpose for which the case study is written, the same must be open to all avenues of discussing the controversies and allowing further studies on the matter when proper. Before proceeding to the next topic, it is important to note at this point of the discussion, the difference on what the analyst wants to convey to the reading public in general, and what his point is. With respect to the public who reads or who will attempt to read his works, he has fulfilled the duty of presenting the controversy, that is, whether or not the theory of Pascal and everything that supports thereto, should be published. Both sides of the controversy are presented by resorting to the ratiocinations and justifications of the proponents of each side. On the other hand, by being the analyst, he presented a different mode of approaching the paper. Initially, he discusses the controversy that he wants to convey to the reading public. Thereafter, he discusses the relevance of obtaining information by resorting to all possible means of doing the same. He indeed, has access to different sources of information and avails of all these in coming up with the case study. His point may not have been understood in the point of view of the readers considering that the readers may understand it as emphasizing and supporting the theory of Pascal, however, his point as the analyst here is the emphasis of non-partisanship in able to present a case study that answers both sides of the controversy. Intertwined with the case study, Martin discusses the relevance and social implications of the controversy. Many science advocates have refused the publication on the theory of Pascal as to the origin of the HIV and how it spreads throughout the various countries in the world, on the other hand, a few of them have supported that indeed there is a need to effect the publication of the work. Among the relevance and social implications of is the medical awareness, health and security among peoples. True, and admittedly, there has been a call for the solution of HIV as a killer disease. By allowing a publication of such kind, taking account further on the qualifications of Pascal and the extensive research he has made on the issue, it opens the possibility of allowing an in-depth and more thorough investigation of the sources, causes of the killer disease to save lives of the people and provide sufficient remedy that is within reach of those afflicted and a mode of prevention to the rest of the world. In addition, Martin’s move of collating all pieces of evidence to support both propositions opens the gate for further scrutiny on the matter at hand. The dissemination of the existence of the theory of Pascal and the discussion made by Martin on it arouses the doubts and such other questions that my have relevance on the veracity of the issue. In this regard, science advocates are thus given the opportunity to refute such an extensive research made by Pascal. Consequently, more researches will be made, a more extensive one basing on more advanced technology and information towards the discovery and even the cure of HIV today. By publication, a researcher or scientist at that is given the opportunity to inform the public of the outcomes and status of current events and their implications on society. In the same way, the discussion on the case study made by Martin had opened the gates of scrutiny of reason to come in allowing a closer look on the veracity and truthfulness of what has been discussed by Pascal in his theory. In the manner of presenting the case study, the author is reflexive in discussing point by point his argument. He considers all possible points that may be argued by some who have opposing views on his discussion. In particularly, being aware that his attempt to explain to publish the theory of Pascal would receive both criticisms, appreciation and approval, by including it in the present case study, Martin presents the arguments of those who have rejected the idea of publication and likewise those who have approved the same. This is an attempt to counter in advance possible oppositions that advocates on the controversy may interpose. From the discussion, it can be seen his awareness to defend all at the same time the theory of Pascal, which is not only because of his superb qualifications on the matter at hand but also on the basis of the extensive research and knowledge of the author on the issue; and likewise the arguments for or against the publication. This did not however effectively foreclose the possibility of further investigation and research considering that every controversy particularly where social relevance is high is involved. In sum, the case study is both an attempt to publish what otherwise would not have allowed publication as in the case of the theory of Pascal; and at the same time an attempt to discuss the relevance of being able to obtain all information possible to stress the point. The case study is a combination of scientific investigation as a matter of substance and as a matter of procedure. Martin, as the analyst, stresses both points by ensuring a thorough discussion on the substantive aspect of the scientific proposition of Pascal and on the relevance of being able to gather information for or against the same. From the case study, it is observed that Martin had attained these two goals at the same time by the presentation of conflicting arguments on a single issue stressing at the same time the social relevance of HIV not only in a number of places in Africa but all throughout the world. In the point of view of the readers, the case study has a scientific relevance, that is, the discovery of the origin of HIV and the subsequent cure of the same (although recently, medical science experts have offered a cure of it). On the other hand, in the point of view of the analyst, the case study comes in two parts, that is, the presentation of the scientific relevance of the then medical controversy (which is currently already deemed curable) and the emphasis of being able to obtain all information possible to obtain such information. Being a non-partisan indeed allows access to both sides of a story, and as an analyst, Martin has just effectively done it!

Customer Satisfaction of Hero Motocorp

PART 1 TOPICS * INDUSTRY OF AUTOMOBILE * HISTORY OF BIKE ————————————————- THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY PROFILE INTRODUCTION Industry Profile The market of two wheelers is very wide and because of technology, new products (two- wheeler) with new features are introduced day by day. The level of competition is also very high in two wheeler market. So, because of this competition the companies have to invest much more in research area for survival and success. The invention of the first two-wheeler is a much-discussable issue. â€Å"WHO invented the first motorcycle? this seems like a simple question, but the answer is quite complicated. Two-wheelers originated from the â€Å"safety† bicycle that is the bicycles with front and rear wheels of the same size with a pedal crank mechanism to drive the rear wheel. Those bicycles, in turn origin fr om high-wheel bicycles. The high-wheelers origin from an early type of pushbike, without pedals, propelled by the rider's feet pushing against the ground. These appeared around 1800, used iron-banded wagon wheels, and were called â€Å"bone-crushers,† both for their jarring ride, and their tendency to toss their riders The First MotorcycleWe are going to begin by looking at the first bikes. They didn’t work very well and they were not very fast but moved with being drawn by a horse or being pedalled. When you look at a motorcycle today, have you ever thought what the old bikes were like? Were they easy to ride? How fast did they go? Were they comfortable? To answer all these questions, we have got to go quite a long way back say about 100 years. The world was very different in those days and there must have been a feeling of great excitement.There was a great interest in science and engineering and almost every week, some fantastic new invention appeared. First there w ere gaslights and then electricity and new cures for many kinds of illnesses were always being announced this was period when people started thinking about how to travel quickly and safely. Before cars and bikes, the quickest mode of travelling was steam trains. And if there was a near to where you wanted to go then the next best thing was a stagecoach or paddle streamer. No one, except the very rich, could get from their own house to where they were going very quickly.Then in 1885, a German called Gottlieb Daimler made a small engine, which ran on a kind of petrol. It wasn’t a very good engine but it just worked. Daimler fitted the engine to a cycle type frame, which exactly had one wheel at the front and two wheels at the rear. In the following year, another German, Wilhelm Maybach rode the Daimler bike for a few meters- something which everyone thought was very brave. At last, a way of moving people directly from one place to another had been invented. Not everybody though t that this was a good idea.In England there was a law, which said that no vehicle powered by an engine could go faster than 4mph which is about as fast a s you walk. Many of the people were afraid and urged that the bike should be banned. But in 1896 an act was passed that bikes can travel 12mph speed-, which is considered to be a fantastic speed. At the same time, a French engineer called De Dion made the first real good engine for motorcycle and soon everyone was having a try at making complete machine. And this was the turning point where bike started getting its actual look many ideas poured in and were given shapes also.The Cardiovascular SystemThe British Bikes: Today we won’t see many British bikes on the road but most of the older bikes were make in Great Britain, which had its name and fame. Now we see very few of British Bikes. What went wrong? In 1900, bikes were not very good. They were hard to start, they had poor brakes and did not have much power but everyone thought they were marvellous. For the first time, person could have his own individual way of getting about. He had personal transport, which he could use the moment he wanted to. Above all else, these first motorcyclists felt the sense of freedom, which a bike gave them.The motorcycle manufacturers felt the same excitement. New designs appeared almost every day. Some were excellent and others silly but each factory learnt from others and bikes got better and better in just a few years. Then the First World War came in 1914, and the whole world changed. Bikes made in this first period, from 1885 until the end of 1914 are called veterans and the riders who are reliving how the first motorcyclists rode are still using many today. When the war came, the bikes went with the army. The fastest way to carry an urgent message was to send through a good rider on a bike.Here again a bike had a turning point and during this period bikes got opportunity to claim its stake in the market. It was considered to be best mode of travelling from remote area to urban and from plains to rough terrain. Where a horse rider could not think of moving, their bikes were able to do so. Moreover, a horse rider and horse would take rest after certain interval of travelling, the bikes did not require since it was machine. The History of the automobile actually began about 4,000 years ago when the first wheel was used for transportation in India.Several Italians recorded designs for wind-driven vehicles. The first was Guido da Vigevano in 1335. It was a windmill-type drive to gears and thus to wheels. Vaturio designed a similar vehicle that was also never built. Later Leonardo da Vinci designed clockwork-driven tricycle with tiller steering and a differential mechanism between the rear wheels. In the early 15th century, the Portuguese arrived in China and the interaction of two cultures led to a variety of new technologies, including the creation of a wheel that turned under its own power.By the 1600s, small steam-powered engine models were developed, but it was another century before a full-sized engine-powered vehicle was created. A Catholic priest named Father Ferdinan Verbiest is credited to have built a steam-powered vehicle for the Chinese Emperor Chien Lung in about 1678. There is no information about the vehicle, only the event. Since James Watt didn’t invent the steam engine until 1705, we can guess that this was possibly a model vehicle powered by a mechanism like Hero’s steam engine-a-spinning wheel with jets on the periphery.Although by the mid-15th century the idea of a self-propelled vehicle had been put into practice with the development of experimental vehicles powered by means of springs, clockworks, and the wind, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot of France is considered to have built the first true automobile in 1769. Designed by Cugnot and constructed by M. Brezin, it is also the first vehicle to move under its own power for which there is a record . Cugnot’s three-wheeled steam-powered vehicle carried four persons and was meant to move artillery pieces.It had a top speed of a little more than 3. 2 km/h (2 mph) and had to stop every 20 minutes to build up a fresh steam. Evans was the first American who obtained a patent for â€Å"a self-propelled carriage. † He, in fact, attempted to create a two-in-one combination of a steam wagon and a flat-bottomed boat, which didn’t receive any attention in those days. During the 1830’s, the steam vehicle had made great advances. But stiff competition from railway companies and crude legislations in Britain forced the poor steam vehicle gradually out of use on roads.Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, both Germans, share the credit of changing the transport habits of the world, for their efforts laid the foundation of the great motor industry, as we know it today. First, Carl Benz invented the petrol engine in 1885 and a year later Daimler made a car driven by motor of his own design and the rest is history. Daimler’s engine proved to be a great success mainly because of its less weight that could deliver 1000rpm and needed only very small and light vehicles to carry them.France too had joined the motoring scenario by 1890 when two Frenchmen Panhard and Levassor began producing vehicles powered by Daimler engine, and Daimler himself, possessed by the automobile spirit, went on adding new features to his engine. He built the first V-Twin engine with a glowing platinum tube to explode the cylinder gas-the very earliest form of sparking plug. Charles Duryea built a motor carriage in America with petrol engine in 1892, followed by Elwood Haynes in 1894, thus paving the way for motorcars in that country.For many years after the introduction of automobiles, three kinds of power sources were in common use: steam engines, gasoline or petrol engines, and electric motors. In 1900, over 2,300 automobiles were registered in New York, Boston, Massac husetts, and Chicago. Of these, 1,170 were steam cars, 800 were electric cars, and only 400 were gasoline cars. In ten years from the invention of the petrol engine, the motorcar had evolved itself into amazing designs and shapes. By 1898, there were 50 automobile-manufacturing companies in the United States, a number that rose to 241 by 1908.In that year, Henry Ford revolutionized the manufacture of automobiles with his assembly-line style of production and brought out the Model T, a car that was inexpensive, versatile, and easy to maintain. Herbert Austin and William Morris, two different carmakers, introduced mass production methods of assembly in the UK, thus paving the way for a revolution in the automobile industry. Austin Seven was the world’s first practical four-seater ‘baby car’ which brought the pleasures of motoring to many thousands of people who could not buy a larger, more expensive car.Even the ‘bull-nose’ Morris with front mounted en gine became the well-loved model and one of the most popular cars in the 1920s. Automobile manufacturers in the 1930s and 1940s refined and improved on the principles of Ford and other pioneers. Cars were generally large, and many were still extremely expensive and luxurious; many of the most collectible cars date from this time. The increased affluence of the United States after World War II led to the development of large, petrol-consuming vehicles, while most companies in Europe made smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.Edward Butler, an Englishman, built the first motor tricycle in 1884. The first gasoline-engine motorcycle to appear publicly was built by Gottlieb Daimler, of Bad Cannstatt, Germany, in 1885. Gottlieb Daimler, who later teamed up with Karl Benz to form the Daimler-Benz Corporation is credited with building the first motorcycle in 1885, one wheel in the front and one in the back, although it had a smaller spring-loaded outrigger wheel on each side. It was constructed mostly of wood, the wheels were of the iron-banded wooden-spokes wagon-type, and it definitely had a â€Å"bone-crusher† chassis!This two-wheeler was powered by a single-cylinder Otto-cycle engine, and may have had a spray-type carburetor. One of this type of machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern US in 1867. The first practical engines and motorcycles were designed by the French and Belgians, followed by British, German, Italian, and American makers. The popularity of the vehicle increased, especially after 1910. During World War FIRST the motorcycle was used by all branches of the armed forces in Europe, principally for dispatching. After the war it enjoyed a sport craze until the Great Depression began in 1929.After World War II motorcycles are being used for high-speed touring and sport competitions. During the 1950s with the help of Western Europe and parts of the United States, the development of a new type of vehicle that is light weighted motor cycle is become possible, later on it is known as moped. The first moped Originating in Germany as a 50-cubic-centimetre machine with simple controls and low initial cost, it was largely free of licensing and insurance regulations except in Great Britain. The more sophisticated motor scooter originated in Italy after World War II, led by manufacture of a 125-cubic-centimetre model.Even with strong competition from West Germany, France, Austria, and Britain, the Italian scooters maintained the leading position in the diminishing market India is the second largest manufacturer and producer of two-wheelers in the world. It stands next only to Japan and China in terms of the number of two-wheelers produced and domestic sales respectively. This distinction was achieved due to variety of reasons like restrictive policy followed by the Government of India towards the passenger car industry, rising demand for personal transport, inefficiency in the public transportation system etc.The India n two-wheeler industry made a small beginning in the early 50s when Automobile Products of India started manufacturing scooters in the country. In 1948, Bajaj Auto began trading in imported Vespa scooters and three-wheelers. Finally, in 1960, it set up a shop to manufacture them in technical collaboration with Piaggio of Italy. The agreement expired in 1971. In the initial stages, the scooter segment was dominated by Automobile Products of India (API), it was later overtaken by Bajaj Auto.Although various government and private enterprises entered the fray for scooters, the only new player that has lasted till today is LML. Under the regulated regime, foreign companies were not allowed to operate in India. It was a complete seller market with the waiting period for getting a scooter from Bajaj Auto being as high as 12 years. Because of government regulation, foreign companies were not allowed to operate in Indian market. It was a complete seller market with the waiting period for ge tting a scooter from Bajaj Auto being as high as 12 years.The first Japanese motorcycles were introduced in the early eighties. TVS Suzuki and HERO MOTOCORP brought in the first two-stroke and four-stroke engine motorcycles respectively. The industry had a smooth ride in the 50s, 60s and 70s when the Government prohibited new entries and strictly controlled capacity expansion. The industry saw a sudden growth in the 80s. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign competition in the mid-80s. And then the market leaders – Escorts and Enfield – were caught unaware by the attack of the 100cc bikes of the four Indo-Japanese joint ventures.With the new feature of fuel efficient low power bikes, demand swelled, resulting in HERO MOTOCORP – then the only producer of four stroke bikes (100cc category), gaining a top slot. The entry of Kinetic Honda in mid-eighties with a barometric scooter helped in providing ease of use to the scooter owners. This helped in inducing y oungsters and working women, towards buying scooters, who were earlier inclined towards moped purchases In 1990, the entire automobile industry saw a drastic fall in demand. This resulted in a decline of 15% in 1991 and 8% in 1992, resulting in a production loss of 0. mn vehicles. Excluding HERO MOTOCORP, all the major producers suffered from recession. HERO MOTOCORP showed a marginal decline in 1992. The reasons for recession in the sector were the constant rise in fuel prices, high input costs and reduced purchasing power due to significant rise in general price level and credit crisis in consumer financing. Factors like increased production in 1992, due to new entrants joined with the recession in the industry resulted in companies either reporting losses or a fall in profits. Competitors of Two-Wheelers industriesHonda| Bajaj| HERO MOTOCORP| Kandaa | Kinetic| LML | Royal Enfield| Suzuki| TVS| Yamaha| Activa| Wave Dtsi| Pleasure | Thunder 100| Kineticx| Crd 100 Sd| Std| Heat| Sco oty Pep| Crux S| Dio| CT 100| CD deluxe| | 4s| Freedom Topper | Machismo| Zeus| Star std| Libero G5| Eterno| Platina| Splendor plus ; pro | | Nova| Freedom prima| Electra| Access| Star city| Gladiator | Shine| Discover| Splendor NXG| | Striker| Beamer| Thunderbold| Sling shot| Victor Edge | Ray| Unicorn| Pulsar| Passion pro ; Xpro| | Blaze| | 500 Ex| GS 150| Victor Glx 125| R15| Stunner| Avenger| Super splendor| | | | | | Apache | FZ| Twister| | Achiever| | | | | | Wego| Fazer|Dream Yuga| | Karizma ; ZMR| | | | | | | RX 125| CBR| | CBZ| | | | | | | YBR| | | Extreme| | | | | | | | | | Hunk| | | | | | | | | | Impulse| | | | | | | | | | Igniter| | | | | | | | | | Maestro| | | | | | | | TWO WHEELERS PRODUCTION TREND| Category| 2007-08 | 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| 2011-12| Scooters| 937506| 848434| 935279| 987498| 1020013| Motorcycles| 2906323| 3876175| 4355168| 5193894| 6201214| Mopeds| 427498| 351612| 332294| 348437| 379574| Grand Total| 4271327| 5076221| 5622741| 6529829| 7600801| TWO WHEELERS DOMESTIC SALES TREND| Category| 2007-08 | 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| 2011-12| Scooters| 908268| 825648| 886295| 922428| 908159|Motorcycles| 2887194| 3647493| 4170445| 4964753| 5815417| Mopeds| 408263| 338985| 307509| 322584| 332741| Grand Total| 4203725| 4812126| 5364249| 6209765| 7056317| TWO WHEELERS EXPORTS TREND| Category| 2007-08 | 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| 2011-12| Scooters| 28332| 32566| 53687| 60699| 83873| Motorcycles| 56880| 123725| 187287| 277123| 386202| Mopeds| 18971| 23391| 24078| 28585| 43181| Grand Total| 104183| 179682| 265052| 366407| 513256| Source: www. autoindia. com/twowheeler 1. 1. 1 Growth of the Industry Today the growth rate of motorcycle industry is very high as compared to few years back. Two wheeler segment as a whole during the year 2004-05 grew by over 15%.This growth has been due to the Government's initiative on rural roads and better connectivity with major towns and cities, improved agricultural performance, upward trend of purchasing po wer in the hands of rural people. The northward trend of growth among two-wheelers is set to continue in the years ahead. Motorcycles Sales (Nos. ): 2007-08 | 2008-09| 2009-10| 2010-11| 2011-12| 2906323| 3876175| 4355168| 5193894| 6201214| Motorcycles account for nearly 80% of the total two wheeler sales in the country. This trend is set to continue as more and more models of two wheelers enter the market. The figures above show the sales of motor cycles over the years. ———————————————— HISTORY OF BIKE Throughout the centuries man has striven to expand his capabilities through the use of machines. His ever inventive mind has constantly devised ways to use tools to increase his abilities to explore the world around him, to go faster, deeper, higher and further than before. Coupled with his need to find new thrills, new adventures and new modes of transportation, the inventi on and refinement of the motorcycle seems an inevitable outcome. For me, the early years of the development of the motorcycle are especially fascinating as they hold of some of mans most bizarre experimental machinery.Before we get started on the history of the motorcycle itself, I feel a short review of it's predecessor, namely the bicycle, is in order, an invention without which the motor bicycle, as they were first called, may well have never come about. It would seem that Michelangelo conceived of the bicycle as early as the 14th century and his drawing shows a remarkable resemblance to the modern day bike. It had wheels of similar size and even pedals and a leather â€Å"chain†, albeit without any apparent means of steering. The first attempt at actually producing any sort of 2 wheeled conveyance fell on the shoulders of one Comte de Sivrac in the late 1791, though hardy a bicycle as we understand the meaning today. It was crude affair made entirely of wood with no pedal s, brakes or even steering.This early machine was referred to as a hobbyhorse and was considered nothing more than a curiosity or rich mans folly, an attitude that remained for a number of years, until the late 1800's. A person simply sat upon it and pushed it along with their feet in a sort of gliding walk. Then in 1869 some inventive person named William van Anden in New York added pedals directly to the front wheel, now at last we approach what can be called by modern terms, a bicycle. It also had free-wheeling pedals that allowed the wheel to turn while the pedals remained stationary and had a friction brake on the rear wheel operated by twisting one of the hand grips. Oddly enough these innovations did not appear on many other machines for quite some time. quickly became apparent however that the only way to increase speed or distance traveled per rotation of the pedals was to increase the size of the front wheel, leading to what became known as the High Wheeler. Unfortunately because of the high center of gravity and forward position of the rider, not only was some skill required to mount and dismount this contraption, but should the front wheel suddenly stop, the rider was thrown forward on his head, thus giving rise to the term â€Å"Taking a Header†. To overcome this difficulty, the small wheel was moved to the front giving rise to the High Wheeled â€Å"Safety† bicycle. Because of the difficulty in riding a high wheeler with the style of skirts worn by women at the turn of the century they were mostly confined to three wheelers specifically designed with them in mind.Now that we've looked at the precursor to the motorcycle lets turn our attention to the first motor bicycles. Curiously enough the first attempts to motorize a two wheeled vehicle were made before the high wheeler had been replaced by the modern safety bicycle, thus explaining why the first motor bicycles had a much larger front wheel, with one exception. In 1818 an attempt was made to fit a steam engine to a Drasiane hobbyhorse (see above) which had two similar sized wheels. This however, did not succeed in capturing a market, as can well be imagined when looking at the picture below of the Vocipedraisiavaporianna, and I therefore only mention it in passingThis curious contraction was supposedly built in 1818 and is shown in this French print under testing in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris on April 5 of that year, thou actually invented in Germany. This print is from the collection of the Science Museum in London. It was a Drasine hobby horse being powered by a steam turbine engine in both front and rear wheels. It would appear to be somewhat top heavy, and never made it into production, which is probably just as well! American, Sylvester Howard Roper (1823-1896) invented a two-cylinder, steam-engine motorcycle (powered by coal) in 1867. This can be considered the first motorcycle, if you allow your description of a motorcycle to include a steam eng ine. Howard Roper also invented a steam engine car.Gottlieb Daimler – First Gas Engine Motorcycle German, Gottlieb Daimler invented the first gas-engine motorcycle in 1885, which was an engine attached to a wooden bike. That marked the moment in history when the dual development of a viable gas-powered engine and the modern bicycle collided. Gottlieb Daimler used a new engine invented by engineer, Nicolas Otto. Otto invented the first â€Å"Four-Stroke Internal-Combustion Engine† in 1876. He called it the â€Å"Otto Cycle Engine† As soon as he completed his engine, Daimler (a former Otto employee) built it into a motorcycle. 1877 Daimler-Maybach, France This is reputed to be the first version of Mr. G. Daimler motor bicycle.This again is from a French site and the best translation I could come up with for the caption is quoted below. â€Å"IT had a limited autonomy, but accomplishes anyway traverses it Paris to German Saint (15 Km) to the speed of 15km/h. The t ricycles to vapor of Meek in 1877, 1881 The Parkyns-Bateman Steam Tricycle. England 1885 The Daimler, Europe 1892 The five cylinder Millet, France 1894 Hilderbrand and Wolfmuller, France 1898 Orient-Aster, USA 1903FN (Fabrique Nationale) 188 cc, 2 hp engine Harley Davidson Model 7, 1911 Harley Davidson Model 11J w sidecar, 1915 Indian Board racer, 1920 PART 2 TOPICS ABOUT COMPANY HERO MOTOCORP ————————————————- CORPORATION PROFILEHERO MOTOCORP two wheelers have been on Indian roads since 1984 when Hero Cycles Ltd. tied up with Honda Motor Company to start a joint venture. Today, HERO MOTOCORP is taken to be the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer. The HERO MOTOCORP story began with a simple vision – the vision of a mobile and an empowered India, powered by HERO MOTOCORP. This vision was driven by HERO MOTOCORP’s commitment to customer, quality and excell ence, and while doing so, maintains the highest standards of ethics and societal responsibilities. Twenty five years and 25 million two wheelers later, HERO MOTOCORP is closer to fulfilling this dream. This vision is the driving force behind everything that we do at HERO MOTOCORP.We understood that the fastest way to turn that dream into a reality is by remaining focused on that vision. Over the course of two and a half decades, and three successive joint venture agreements later, both partners have fine-tuned and perfected their roles as joint venture partners. What the two partners did was something quite basic. They simply stuck to their respective strengths. As one of the world's technology leaders in the automotive sector, Honda has been able to consistently provide technical know-how, design specifications and R&D innovations. This has lead to the development of world class, value for money motorcycles and scooters for the Indian market.Hero Group has taken on the singular and onerous responsibility of creating world-class manufacturing facilities with robust processes, building the supply chain, setting up an extensive distribution networks and providing insights into the mind of the Indian customer. Since both partners continue to focus on their respective strengths, they have been able to complement each other. In the process, HERO MOTOCORP is recognized today as one of the most successful joint ventures in the world. It is therefore no surprise that there are more HERO MOTOCORP bikes on this country's roads than the total population of some European countries put together! The company's meteoric growth in the two-wheeler market in India stems from an intrinsic ability to reach out and come closer to its customers, with every passing year.HERO MOTOCORP's bikes are sold and serviced through a network of over 3500 customer touch points, comprising a mix of dealers, service centers and stockiest located across rural and urban India. HERO MOTOCORP has bui lt two world-class manufacturing facilities at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana, and its third and most sophisticated plant at Haridwar has just completed a full year of operations. It is difficult to imagine that all this has happened in the span of just two and a half decades! The best is yet to come. During the year in review, HERO MOTOCORP powered its way in a market that, for all practical purposes, was feeling the full effects of the economic slowdown in India. With an economic recovery now clearly on the cards, HERO MOTOCORP is all set to ride into another summit.As Brijmohan Lall Munjal, the Chairman, HERO MOTOCORP Motors succinctly puts it, â€Å"We pioneered India's two wheeler industry, we've steered it through difficult times; now it is our responsibility to set the pace again. † ————————————————- HERO MOTOCORP MOTORS LTD HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. is a r esult of the joint venture between India's Hero Group and Japanese Honda Motors Company in the year 1983. This joint venture has not only created the world's single largest two wheeler company but also one of the most successful joint ventures worldwide. HERO MOTOCORP is globally known of being the most fuel-efficient and the largest CBZ selling Indian Motorcycle Company.This is a relationship so harmonious that HERO MOTOCORP has managed to achieve indigenization of over 95 percent, a Honda record worldwide. The company is committed to provide the customer with excellence. A rich background of producing high value products at reasonable prices led the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles to collaborate with the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. During 80s, HERO MOTOCORP became the first company in India to prove that it was possible to drive a vehicle without polluting the roads. They company possess three manufacturing units based at Dharuhera, Gurgaon and Haridwar are c apable to produce 4. 4 million units per year.They introduced new generation motorcycles that set industry benchmarks for fuel thrift and low emission. The unique features like fuel conservation, safety riding courses and mobile workshops helped the group reach in the interiors of the country. Well-entrenched in the domestic market, HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. turned its attention overseas, and exports have been steadily on the rise. The below chart shows the golden years in the history of HERO MOTOCORP :- 1985| CD-100| 1989| SLEEK| 1991| CD-100 SS| 1994| Splendor| 1997| Street| 1999| CBZ| 2001| PASSION| 2002| DAWN, AMBITION| 2003| CD-DAWN, SPLENDOR +, PASSION +, KARIZMA| 2005| SUPER-SPLENDOR,CD-DELUX, GLAMOUR, ACHIEVER|Year Event 1984 * He Company was incorporated on 19th January, at New Delhi. The Company Manufacture motor cycles up to 100 cc capacity. The Company was promoted by Hero Cycles (P) Ltd. (HCPL). * The Company entered into a technical-cum-financial collaboration agreemen t with Honda Motor Co. Ltd. , Japan (HML). As per this collaboration agreement, HML was to furnish complete technical information and know-how and trade secrets and other relevant data. * HERO MOTOCORP CD-100 is the first four stroke motorcycle to be introduced in India in 100cc range. 1985 1986 * 36, 00,000 rights equity shares issued at par in prop. 3:10. 990 * In the domestic market the Company was reported to have a market share of 46%. 1994 * The Company's production and turnover increased to 1, 83,490 motorcycles and Rs. 483. 85 crores respectively due to growth in demand for two wheelers and declining inflation. 1995 * A new Technical Collaboration Agreement has been signed with Honda Motor Co. Ltd. , Japan for the period up to the year 2004 which includes technology related to models of higher Engine displacement. 1997 * HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd (HHML) has set up a new motorcycle plant in Gurgaon, near Delhi for the manufacture of the Honda Super Cub 100 cc stepthro bike 199 8 Honda Motor Company Ltd of Japan (Honda) and Kinetic Honda Motor Ltd (KHML) have signed a five-year licence and technical assistance agreement under which KHML will continue to receive the technical knowhow, critical vehicle parts and access to Honda's markets even after the sale of Honda stake in KHML to Kinetic Engineering Ltd (KEL). * The Company changed the paradigm in two-wheelers by launching the most powerful and fast bike- CBZ (e) with a unique feature of Transient Power Fuel Control (TPEC) system. 1999 * Leading two-wheelers manufacturer Hero Motors has formed a joint venture with Briggs Stratton of US to develop and manufacture four-stroke engines for mopeds and scooters in India, a top company. 2000 HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. and Tata Finance Ltd. have signed a national tie-up agreement. The Company is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the country. * He Company was ranked as the 9th Highest Value Creator among 12 industry groups within the Bombay Stock Exchange top 100 companies over a five year period (1994-99). 2001 * HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. has launched a new 100cc motorcycle named `Passion'. 2002 * Becomes the world's largest two wheeler company by selling 1. 3 million vehicles in 2001 2003 * Launches its cheapest 100cc motorbike ‘CD Dawn' * Bikes production capacity at two of its manufacturing facilities to three lakh units Achieves milestone by producing five million bikes from its Dharuhera plant in Haryana * Launches its new 223-cc, 16. 8 BHP Karizma at Rs 79,000 * The company has bagged two Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) Awards. * HERO MOTOCORP Karizma bags BBC Bike of the Yr Award 2004 * HERO MOTOCORP unveils new version of Ambition * Hero Motors introduces ‘Sting' new 4-stroke bike 2005 * Two-wheeler major HERO MOTOCORP on October 5 announced launch of its first scooter ‘Pleasure' * HERO MOTOCORP rolls out 150-cc motorcycle Achiever 2006 * HERO MOTOCORP launches CBZ variant X-treme * HERO MOTOCORP announce d the launch of two new variants the new ‘Glamour' and * ‘Passion Plus' limited edition. 2009 HERO MOTOCORP motors launched new bike KARIZMA ZMR. Basic Organization Chart New Organization Chart ————————————————- BOARD OF DIRECTORS No. | Name of the Directors| Designation| 1| Mr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal| Chairman & Whole-timeDirector| 2| Mr. Pawan Munjal | Managing Director & CEO| 3| Mr. Toshiaki Nakagawa | Joint Managing Director| 4| Mr. Sumihisa Fukuda| Technical Director| 5| Mr. Om Prakash Munjal| Non-executive Director| 6| Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal| Non-executive Director| 7| Mr. Masahiro Takedagawa| Non-executive Director| 8| Mr. Satoshi Matsuzawa(Alternate Director to Mr. Takashi Nagai)| Non-executive Director| 9| Mr.Pradeep Dinodia | Non-executive ; Independent Director| 10| Gen. (Retd. ) V. P. Malik| Non-executive ; Independent Director| 11| Mr. Analjit Singh| Non-executive ; Independent Director| 12| Dr. Pritam Singh| Non-executive ; Independent Director| 13| Ms. Shobhana Bhartia| Non-executive ; Independent Director| 14. | Mr. Meleveetil Damodaran| Non-executive ; Independent Director| 15. | Mr. Ravi Nath| Non-executive ; Independent Director| ————————————————- PROFILE OF DIRECTORS | DR. BRIJMOHANLALL MUNJAL Mr. Munjal is the founder Director and Chairman of the Company and the $3. billion Hero Group. He is the Past President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and was a Member of the Board of the Country's Central Bank (Reserve Bank of India). In recognition of his contribution to industry, Mr. Munjal was conferred the Padma Bhushan Award by the Union Government. Mr. Munjal is currently on the board of the following Public Limited Companies:Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal is currently on the board of the following Public Limited companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp. Ltd. | Chairman and Whole-time Director| 2| Hero FinCorp Ltd. | Chairman| | Easy Bill Limited| Director| 4| Hero InvestCorp Limited| Director| 5| Munjal Showa Limited| Director| 6| Rockman Industries Ltd. | Director| 7| Shivam Autotech Limited| Director| 8| Survam Infrastructure Ltd. | Director| | | MR. PAWAN MUNJAL | Mr. Munjal is the Managing Director and CEO of the Company. He is responsible for growth and strategic planning for the entire Group. A graduate in Mechanical Engineering, Mr. Munjal has been instrumental in bringing about technological and managerial excellence in the Company's operations. He has been the Chairman of several Committees of CII.He is also on the board of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow and Indian School of Business. An avid golfer, Mr. Munjal is Past Chairman of the Asian PGA Tour Board of Directors and the Past President of Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI). Under his guidance, Hero MotoCorp launched the Hero Indian Sports Academy (HISA) in collaboration with Laure us Foundation to provide equal opportunities in sports to various communities and to reward talent in the country. |   | | | | | Mr. Munjal is currently on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Managing Director ; CEO| 2| Hero FinCorp Ltd. | Director| 3| Hero InvestCorp Limited| Director| | Hero Realty ; Infra Limited| Director| 5| Rockman Industries Limited| Director| MR. SUNIL KANT MUNJAL Mr. Munjal was appointed on the Board of Directors of the Company on August 25, 2006 as an Non Executive Director of the Company. After his graduation, he underwent training in the field of Mechanical Engineering. In the year 2011, he was appointed as the Jt. Managing Director of the Company effective August 17, 2011 for a period of 5 years. Mr. Munjal has also been the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He is also on the Board of Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and is the visiting faculty at various Business Schools and Corporate.His specialization is in Business Studies and Holistic Management Practices. Apart from the above he is a member of Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry, Consultative Group on Industry, Planning Commission, Government of India and SEBI Committee on Disclosures. He has made significant contributions to some of the National-level Economic and Labor reforms in India in the capacity of Chairman or as a member. |   | Mr. Munjal is currently on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Jt. Managing Director| 2| Hero Corporate Services Limited| Chairman| 3| Hero Management Service Limited| Chairman| 4| Shivam Autotech Limited| Chairman| | Arrow Infra Limited| Director| 6| DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited| Director| 7| Easy Bill Limited| Director| 8| Hero InvestCorp Limited| Director| 9| Hero Life Insurance Co. Limited| Director| 10| Hero Mind mine Institute Limited| Director| 11| Hero Realty & Infra Limited| Director| 12| Rockman Industries Ltd. | Director| 13| Satyam Auto Components Limited| Director| MR. SUMAN KANT MUNJAL Mr. Munjal was appointed as an Additional Director on the Board of the Company on July 29, 2010. Mr. Munjal is the Managing Director of Rockman Industries Ltd. , one of the leading suppliers of Aluminum Die Casting, Machined and Painted Assemblies to Hero MotoCorp Ltd. Mr.Munjal, a graduate in Commerce, possesses rich experience and expertise in business management and thus has been instrumental in elevating Rockman Industries Ltd. to its current status. Mr. Munjal is currently on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 2| Rockman Industries Limited| Managing Director| 3| Hero Corporate Service Limited| Director| 4| Hero InvestCorp Limited| Director| 5| Hero Steels Limited| Director| 6| Munjal Acme Packaging Systems Limited| Director| 7| Survam Infrastructure Ltd. | Director| MR. PAUL EDGERLEY Mr. Edgerley was appointed as an Additional Director on the Board of the Company on May 4, 2011 in the category of Non-Executive Director. Mr.Edgerley has been a Managing Director at Bain Capital since 1990, a private investment firm with over $65 billion in assets under their management, where he focuses on investment in the industrial and consumer product sectors. He is currently on the board of The Boston Celtics, Keystone Automotive, Steel Dynamics, Sensate Technologies, MEI Conlux, HD Supply and Hero Investments Pvt. Limited. Mr. Edgerley is also a member of the Dean Advisory Board at Harvard Business School, Kansas State University Foundation, The Shamrock Foundation, serves on the US Board of The Right to Play and New Profit, Inc. He is a certified working p ublic accountant. He was also awarded an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and a BS from Kansas State University. He brings with him enriched experience in the field of finance and administration. Mr.Edgerley is currently on the Board of the following company : No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| MR. PRADEEP DINODIA Mr. Dinodia was appointed as an Additional Director on the Board of the Company on March 31, 2001 in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Mr. Dinodia is a fellow member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a senior partner in the Delhi-based Chartered Accountancy firm M/s. S. R. Dinodia & Company. He has considerable experience in corporate affairs and allied legal and taxation matters. Mr. Dinodia is on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 2| Shriram Pistons & Rings Limited| Chairman| 3| DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited| Director| 4| DFM Foods Limited| Director| 5| Hero Corporate Services Limited| Director| 6| J. K. Lakshmi Cement Limited| Director| 7| Micrometric Grinding Technologies Limited| Director| 8| SPR International Auto Exports Limited| Director| 9| Ultima Finvest Limited| Director| GEN. (RETD. ) V. P. Malik Gen. Malik was appointed as an Additional Director on the Board of the Company on May 4, 2001 in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Gen. Malik retired as Chief of the Indian Army in September, 2000.During his distinguished military career, he received number of awards including the Ati Vishista Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Param Vishishta Seva Medal (PVSM) – the highest National award for distinguished services. Gen. Malik is on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Limited| Director| DR. PRITAM SINGH Dr. Singh was appointed as an Additional Director on the Bo ard of the Company on September 28, 2004. in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. He is author of seven academically reputed books and over 50 research papers. Dr. Pritam Singh is one of the pioneers of Management Education in India who has devoted his life to the development of Management Education in India and abroad. Dr.Singh received the Padam Shri Award in 2003 for his contributions to this field. Dr. Singh is also on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Dish TV India Limited| Director| 2| Godrej Properties Limited| Director| 3| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 4| Parsvnath Developers Limited| Director| MR. M. DAMODARAN Mr. Damodaran has been appointed as an Additional Director i. e. June 16, 2008 in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Mr. Damodaran, aged 61 years was born on May 4, 1947 and belongs to the Indian Administrative Service, Manipur-Tripura Cadre. He had held various cov eted positions in Government / Public Sector and Regulatory Bodies.In the past he held the position of Joint Secretary (Banking Division) in the Ministry of Finance, Chairman Unit Trust of India. He headed the IDBI bank before being appointed as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the country's security market watchdog. He was also appointed as officer on special duty with the Reserve Bank of India dealing primarily with the restructuring of three identified weak public sector banks. Mr. Damodaran is currently on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 2| TVS Automobile Solutions Ltd| Chairman| 3| Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd. | Director| | Hindalco Industries Limited| Director| 5| ING Vyasya Bank Limited| Director| 6| L ; T Infrastructure Finance Co. Ltd. | Director| 7| RSB Transmissions (I) Limited| Director| 8| S Kumar’s Nationwide Limited| Director| 9 | Sobha Developers Limited| Director| 10| Tech Mahindra Limited| Director| 11| UltraTech Cement Limited| Director| MR. RAVI NATH Mr. Nath has been appointed as an Additional Director w. e. f. October 14, 2009 in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Mr. Nath, aged 64 years is an Advocate of Supreme Court of India. He is a Partner of one of the India's oldest legal firms Rajinder Narain & Co. He has done his B.Com (Honours), LLB, International and Competitive Laws from King's College, London, and PIL from Harvard. He did his apprentice from Sinclair Roche and Temperley, London. He brings with him rich and specialized experience in the field of Corporate and Commercial law, Asset Finance, Aviation and Cross Border issues of nearly 40 illustrious years. He has also been recognized several times by Euro money and others as a leading lawyer in the field of Mergers ; Acquisitions. He is listed in Who's Who and Legal 500. The Bar Association of India conferred its highest honour on him. Mr. Nath is also on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. Name of Company| Nature of Office| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 2| Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd. | Director| 3| Somany Ceramics Ltd. | Director| 4| Voith Paper Fabrics India Ltd. | Director| Dr. ANAND C. BURMAN Dr. Burman has been appointed as an Additional Director w. e. f. January 13, 2010 in the category of Non-Executive and Independent Director. Dr. Burman is an eminent Industrialist with particular interests in the areas of Research and Development in the Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as Biotechnology and Technology issues. Dr. Burman has Doctorate in the area of Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Kansas, USA.He is currently the Chairman of Dabur India Limited. He is also a member in the Council of Governors at Birkbeck College, University of London. Dr. Burman is also on the board of the following Public Limited Companies: No. | Name of Company| Nature of Offi ce| 1| Hero MotoCorp Ltd. | Director| 2| Althea Lifesciences Limited| Director| 3| Aviva Life Insurance Co. India Limited| Director| 4| Dabur India Limited| Director| 5| Dabur Pharmaceutical Limited| Director| 6| Ester Industries Limited| Director| 7| H&B Stores Limited| Director| 8| Hindustan Motors Limited| Director| ————————————————- PROMINENT AWARDS TO THE COMPANYYear| Awards & Recognitions| 2009| ET Awards for Corporate Excellence – HERO MOTOCORP is the winner of the â€Å"Company of the Year† award for 2008 – 09. | | 2008| NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award 2008 – HERO MOTOCORP Wins the Coveted â€Å"NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award 2008†³| TNS Voice of the Customer Awards:| * No. 1 executive motorcycle Splendor NXG * No. 1 standard motorcycle CD Deluxe * No. premium motorcycle CBZ Xtreme| | 2007| The NDTV Profit Car India & Bike India Awards 2007 in the following category:| * Overall â€Å"Bike of the Year† – CBZ X-treme * â€Å"Bike of the Year† – CBZ X-treme (up to 150 cc category) | | 006 | Adjudged 7th Top Indian Company by Wallstreet Journal Asia (Top Indian Two Wheeler Company). Best in its class awards for each category by TNS Total Customer Satisfaction Awards 2006:| * Splendor Plus (Executive) * CD Deluxe (Entry) * Pleasure (Gearless Scooters)| HERO MOTOCORP Splendor rated as India's most preferred two-wheeler brand at the Awaaz Consumer Awards 2006. | 2005 | Awaaz Consumer Awards 2005 – India's most preferred two-wheeler brand by CNBC in the ‘Automobiles' category. Bike Maker of the Year Award by Overdrive Magazine. | 2004 | Winner of the Review 200 – Asia's Leading Companies Award (3rd Rank amongst the top 10 Indian companies. | 2003 | Most Respected Company in Automobile Sector by Business World. | 2002| Ranked 4th in ‘Overall Best Manag ed Company' category, ranked 3rd in ‘Best Financial Management' and ‘Best Operational Efficiency' category, and ranked 6th in ‘Overall Best Investor Relations' category, by Asia money. | 2001 | Winner of the Review 200 – Asia’s Leading Companies Award (9th Rank amongst the top 10 Indian Companies). Winner of Three Leaves Award for showing Corporate Environment Responsibility in the Automobile Sector by Centre for Science ; Environment. | 1999 | National Productivity Award for the Best Productivity Award in the category of Automobile ; Tractor presented by Vice President of India. 1995 | The Analyst Award 1995 presented to HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. on being ranked 9th amongst the most investor rewarding companies in India. | 1995 | National Award for outstanding contribution to the Development of Indian Small Scale Industry (NSIC Award – Presented by President of India). | 1991 | Economic Times-Harvard Business School Award for Corporate Perform ance to HERO MOTOCORP Motors Ltd. | ————————————————- PRODUCT PROFILE product| Product name| Showroom price| | HERO MOTOCORP CD-Dawn STD(97. 20 cc) | Rs. 44,681| | HERO MOTOCORP HF-Deluxe SPOKEHF-Deluxe CASTHF-Deluxe SPOKE(SS)HF-Deluxe CAST(SS)(97. 20 cc) | Rs. 48,292Rs. 50,255Rs. 50,929Rs. 51,939| HERO MOTOCORP Splendor Plus SPOKESplendor Plus CASTSplendor Pro SPOKESplendor Pro CASTSplendor Pro SPOKE (SS)Splendor Pro CAST (SS)(97. 20 cc)| Rs. 53,061Rs. 54,183Rs. 54,071Rs. 55,192Rs. 56,315Rs. 57,438| | HERO MOTOCORP Splendor NXG CASTSplendor NXG SPOKE (SS)Splendor NXG CAST (SS)(100 cc)| Rs. 53,321Rs. 54,669Rs. 55,791| | HERO MOTOCORP Passion Pro DRK SPOKEPassion Pro DRK CASTPassion Pro SPOKE (SS)Passion Pro CAST (SS)Passion Pro DISK (SS)(97. 20 cc)| Rs. 55,418Rs. 56,540Rs. 57,661Rs. 58784Rs. 61,028| | HERO MOTOCORP Passion X-Pro CASTPassion X-Pro SPOKEPassion X-Pro CAST S. S. Passion X-Pro SPOKE S. S. Passion X-Pro CAST DISK S. S. | Rs. 58,166Rs. 57,044Rs. 60,411Rs. 9,289Rs 62,655| | HERO MOTOCORP Super Splendor S. S(124. 70 cc)| Rs. 61,495| | HERO MOTOCORP Glamour DRUM SS NEWGlamour CAST DISK (SS)Glamour FI DISK (SS)(125 cc)| Rs. 63,299Rs. 65,544Rs. 73,539| | HERO MOTOCORP Achiever CAST(150 cc)| Rs. 69,568| | HERO MOTOCORP CBZ Extreme REAR DRUMCBZ Extreme FR& RR DISK| Rs. 78,477Rs. 81,843| | HERO MOTOCORP Hunk CAST FR DISK (SS)Hunk CAST FR & RR DISK (SS)| Rs. 76,836Rs. 80,203| | HERO MOTOCORP Karizma BLACK WHEELKarizma-ZMR (FI-NEW)(225cc)| Rs. 92,205Rs. 1,14,500| | HERO MOTOCORP Igniter CAST (SS)HERO MOTOCORP Igniter DISK CAST (SS)| Rs. 67,423Rs. 69,568| | HERO MOTOCORP- ExtremeHERO MOTOCORP-Extreme FR & RR| Rs. 79,599Rs. 2,966| | HERO MOTOCORP Impulse| Rs. 81,538| | HERO MOTOCORP Maestro| Rs. 58,145| | HERO MOTOCORP Pleasure-NEW(102 cc)| Rs. 53,007| PART 3 TOPICS * REVIEW OF LITERATURE ——————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- REVIEW OF LITERATURE Literature review Preference or taste is a concept used in the social science particularly economics, it assumes a real or imagined â€Å"choice† between alternatives and the possibility of rank ordering of these alternatives based on happiness, satisfaction, gratification, enjoyment, utility they provide more generally. It can be seen as a source of motivation. Cognitive sciences individual preferences enable choice of objectives goals.Also more consumption of a normal goods is generally ( but not always ) assumed to be preferred to less consumption. Preference rank translation is a mathematical technique used by marketers to convert stated preferences in to purchase probabilities that is into an estimate of actual buying behavior. It takes survey data on consumers preferences and converts it in to actual purchase probability. One consumer would in general have different consumption behav iors or preference from another. He may spend money on computers and technical books while the other may spend on two-wheelers. Availability of this information on consumer preference will be of great value to a marketing company.A bank or a credit card company that can use this information to target different groups of consumer for improved response rate or profit. By the same to key information on conception preference of the residents in one specific region for improved profit. Therefore it is very important to have a tool that can help analysis consumers behavior and forecast the changes in purchase pattern and changes in purchase trend. According to tray Norcross, London, I believe very strongly that consumers have a right just because it is getting harder to reach consumers doesn’t mean that marketers should be more devious or more forceful in their attempts to reach us. In fact quite the opposite, many of us are happy to be contacted with relevant timely, meaningful of fers.But it’s going to be on our terms, no longer victims of aggressive marketing we want to participate in the process with trusted brands and partners. Come and hang out with me here on consumer preference and learn how as a consumer. You can have more control than you thought. How you can research people in an effective and respectful way. TOPICS CONCEPT OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PART 4 ————————————————- CONCEPT OF SATISFACTION Concept Customer satisfaction: Satisfaction is the consumer’s fulfilment response. It is a judgement that product or service feature, or product or service itself, provides a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfilment.Satisfaction is person’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from company’s product perceived performance in reaction to his/her expectation. Customer Satisfaction: Satisfaction: †Å"Satisfaction is a new way for customers and organization to work together to get answers, solve problems, and create new and better products ; services† CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey with a set of statements using a Likert Technique or scale. The customer is asked to evaluate each statement and in term of their perception and expectation of the performance of the organization being measured. Customer satisfaction measures the gap between customer experiences and expectations.If a customer’s experience of a product or dealer service exceeds his/her expectations, then the exceeded amount will equal satisfaction. And conversely, if the Customer’s experience falls short of expectation, the short fall will be equal dissatisfaction. Thus, customer satisfaction is the art of managing customer expectation and experience. Hence it can be seen that a two-wheeler has changed from a luxury item to a necessity. This indi cates that the present market condition is very good ; future of the indenting seems to be highly potential, hence many new entrants are entering the industry and making the competition even more enthusiastic. In this project report, we will find out the satisfaction level of the Hero MotoCorp Bikes owners in Surat city.The problem it is facing in the present market scenario. This project evaluates the various factors that keep the customer satisfied. It also evaluates the various factors that influence a customer to buy the bikes. While selecting a bikes, the various aspects that have to be given a thought with respect to Brand Image, Colour, Fuel efficiency, technology used, etc†¦ The extent to which a product perceived performance matches a buyer’s expectations. If the product’s performance falls short of expectations, the buyer is dissatisfied. If performance matches or exceeds expectations, the buyer is satisfied or delighted. Expectations shape customer perc eption of product / firm’s performance.Customer perceptions of the firm and its offer are shaped by: * Work of mouth publicity – like recommendations from friends , relatives, neighbours and peer group at work place. * Personal experience on the part of the customers. * Personal needs of individual customers. * External communication like the publicity of the firm in the media and its advertisement and other corporate communications. The study also finds the percentage of respondents who claim the dealership personnel attempted to influence their response to satisfaction surveys doubles to 12 percent when service is not up to par, when the work was not completed right the first time, or when the vehicle was not ready when promised. Clearly some dealer personnel are attempting to mitigate a problem they know they have. But the attempt is usually transparent, and comes off as disingenuous,† said Ivers. â€Å"Auto companies and dealers recognize the obvious benefit s of satisfying customers. Satisfied customers often bring repeat business and tell their acquaintances about the experience. While a few dealer personnel find creative ways to garner positive feedback, even when it’s undeserved, the reality is customer satisfaction is driven by truly satisfying customers, not trying to influence their satisfaction surveys. † A business term is a measure of how products and services supplied by a companmeet or surpass(better than) customer exprctation.When conducting a customer satisfaction survey, what you ask the customer is important. How, when and hoe often you ask these questions ars also important. However, the most important thing about conducting a customer satisfaction survey is what you do with the answer. Customer satisfaction will come acros the many situation where the organization need to evaluate customer perception of difference attributes of a product and his satisfaction there of. The customer satisfaction is very usef ul for the identifications of the customer requirements, establishment of products functional requirements , and also veryuseful for the concept of the product development. Customer satisfaction in 7 steps (4) encourage face to face dealings 2 respond to messages promptly and keep your clients informed. 3 be friendly and approachable 4 have a clerly defined customer service policy 5 attention to detail 6 anticipate your client’s needs and go out of your way to help themout 7 honour your promises So, customer satisfaction of a function of perceived performance and expectation. If the performance falls short of expectation, the customer is dissatisfied. If the performance matches the expectation, the customer is satisfied. If the performance exceeds expectation, the customer is highly satisfied or delighted. Tools for tracking and measuring customer satisfactionThere are four following tools for tracking and measuring customer satisfaction:- * Complaint and suggestion system. * Customer satisfaction survey. * Lost customer analysis. But among them customer satisfaction survey is suitable because responsive companies measure customer satisfaction direct by conduction periodic survey. CUSTOMER SERVICE: This is the most important department in a courier service. Customer service department should be very well trained and they should have good product knowledge. It is imperative that they treat each client as an important one. Problems are bound to occur due to circumstances beyond our control, but the customer service should be able to answer these clients and should not run away from the problems.At the branch level the operator or office assistant will have the dual responsibility of receiving collection calls as well as customer service calls. RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE * Helping customers in trouble * Working for customer satisfaction * Upholding the company’s image * Increasing the company’s business * Supporting and carrying o ut the company’s policy of service excellence * Being an important link between the management and the customer. FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT CUSTOMER CARE * A customer is the most important person to enter our place of business. * A customer is not dependent on us we are dependent on him. He pays our salary. A customer is a person who brings us his wants; it is our job, duty and privilege to handle him with promptness courtesy and consideration. * The company that cares for the customers does not have to be anxious about its profitability and growth. * A customer is not an interruption to our work. He is the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him. * Customers do not buy a product, unless they are useful, convenient, attractive, durable and reliable. * The employee who cares for the customer does not have to be anxious or worried about his job security and incomes. â€Å"STRANGER† is a Ã¢â‚¬Ë œfriend’ whom we have yet to meet.WHY CUSTOMERS QUIT * 1% due to death. * 3% move away * 5% form other friendships. * 9% for competitive reasons. * 14% because of product dissatisfaction. * 68% quit because of attitude of indifference towards customer service. WHAT DISPLACES THE CUSTOMER * Delay in responding. * Ignoring his presence. * Over charging without prior notice or explanation. * Untidy office. * Unmanned counter and telephone. * Show rules instead of being helpful. * Delaying refunds and dues. * Make him appear small, by not showing respect. PART 5 TOPICS PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION ————————————————- PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:As customers satisfaction is the key element for progress companies must give more priority to ever changing needs of the customer. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: * A well define problem is half solution of that problem. So it represent single most important step to be Identification of problem and definition of it. And that is this task is heart of research work. * Here in the research view, problem identification means either converting management problem in to research problem or converting marketing in to research proposal. * HERO MOTOCORP wants to know the customer satisfaction level of HERO MOTOCORP bike, why the customer of HERO MOTOCORP satisfied or dissatisfied with product. * To under take customer satisfaction level of HERO MOTOCORP at DHRU AUTOMOBILEES. ———————————————— OBJECTIVES OF STUDY Following are the major objective the research study .OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The present study has been conducted in order to * Know the customer awareness level of HERO MOTOCORP Company’s product range. * To make a satisfaction analysis of people on the performance, aesthetics, features, se rviceability and company image of HERO MOTOCORP Bikes they own. * To analyze the attitude and perception level of people towards the HERO MOTOCORP Bikes they own * To know the present consumer preference in the market. * To offer suggestion based on the findings. * To know the satisfaction level of customers. To find out which features attract to the customers. * To find out the factors which are important while purchasing HERO MOTOCORP products? * To track the factor affecting satisfaction level of customers and perception in view point of Customers ————————————————- LIMITATION OF STUDY Following are the major limitation the research study * Scope/area of study is restricted to only Surat city. * Time duration of study is duly 6 weeks. * Study considered only few samples of customers. * The information collected by interview can be biased to a little extent as they expres s them. ————————————————- SIGNIFICANCE The study is useful to know the customer satisfaction of HERO MOTOCORP bike. * The study is also too useful to know different criteria which are important for taking the decision about changes in various systems. * The report is useful to know the

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Project Management - Essay Example This fact clearly suggests that at the time of procurement, project managers did not clearly defined the exact needs of the project. Based on wrong assessment of the same, the system appeared to work on wrong footings as what was expected out of the system was not clearly delivered. It was therefore believed that the project failed because project managers failed to clearly anticipate the needs and solicit the correct vendors to implement the project. The vendors were probably either not as professionals as they should have been in developing the payroll processing system or the information to them was not correctly provided. This resulted into the cancellation of the project as well as it cost a lot of money to the organization because of the loose credit management as well as the wrong procurement polices because there was no clear strategy being developed by the project managers. (Washington Times, 2005) I believe that there were multiple issues involved in this project's failure. Initially it attracted the criticism of the employees working over there therefore at first stage, it failed to achieve the necessary acceptability within the organization. The issues were further complicated when the project managers failed to properly prepare the strategy for implementing effective contract as well as procurement management for the project. If project managers have given a good thought to the solicitation stage of procurement, it would have been lot better and the project would have been a success. 2) Department of Defense initiated a project in 2002 with the name of Personnel Management Key solution. The perceived objectives were to obtain efficiency in different functional areas such as organizational structures, personnel administration and leave, career management as well as work force planning etc. Many believed that it was a bigger project for a military organization however it started with lot of ambitions and hopes to accomplish something bigger for the organization which was termed as too administrative and bureaucratic in nature. The major reason for the failure of the project was cost overrun. Initially it was estimated that the total project cost would be $ 25 million in 2002 however as the project unfolded the cost rocketed to $70 million dollars forcing the project managers to abandon the project in the middle due to high cost variations and other factors which led to the cancellation of the project. However, a much deeper analysis of the issue would suggest that there were other factors which were directly responsible for the failure of the project. Initially it may be considered that the project managers have properly planned the procurement as well as contract management strategy however they were not. Though the whole details of the project are not available but the cost escalation suggests that the type of contract entered by the project managers may not have been adequately selected. It seems that the project managers may have selected actual cost reimbursement contracts where they became legally obliged to pay or reimburse all the costs to the vendors regardless of the need to assess that the cost overruns can also be caused because of the vendor's inability to provide the desired goods and services at the agreed contractual terms. If the project managers would have entered into a fixed pay contract, they could have

Left and right sided Basiler Stroke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Left and right sided Basiler Stroke - Essay Example The two vertebral arteries join forming one basilar artery, which supplies oxygen to the brain’s ‘vertebrobasilar territory’. If a stroke occurs in this region, it is known as a posterior stroke (Healthtree.com, 2010). It is also classified as ischemic stroke (stroke that occurs as a result as an obstruction of an artery to the brain). Different kinds of diseases cause it. Firstly, blood clots in the heart, which can result from heart valves’ abnormalities, heart attack or irregular heartbeat.  The second cause is thinning of the arteries at the head or neck, which is often caused by atherosclerosis. If the arteries turn out to be too narrow, blood cells may accumulate, forming blood clots, which can obstruct the artery where they are formed or can dislodge and be trapped in arteries nearer the brain.  Other probable causes include traumatic injury to the blood vessels of the neck, blood-clotting disorders or use of street drugs (Strokecenter.org, 2010) . Occasionally, strokes that occur in the basilar territory affect both hemispheres of the brain such that symptoms take place on both sides of the body.

Internal Conflict in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal Conflict in Germany - Essay Example The sudden increase in foreign population triggered aggressive reactions perpetrated particularly by factions of youthful males who opposed the idea. Practically, they must have envisioned the probability of multicultural divergence. Subsequently, conflict intensified between right-wing extremist and the migrants, and the right-wing-extremist and the destitute of the former West Germany (Ewald and Feltes, 2002). The negative impact of the aggressive acts of factions was boldly expressed in: first, the creation of a commission on immigration which is tasked to see to the appropriate immigration procedures and reduce further questions on clandestine entry, as well as additional unnecessary inflow; secondly, tourist would practically be staying away from areas where there are known clashes; third, prospective investors would not dare take the risk of pouring in money in areas where there is existing collision among antagonist groups; and fourth, a negative image of the country as a whole is projected internationally because of internal conflict (Ewald and Feltes, 2002). Looking at this situation objectively and intellectually, the antagonist must make a strong decision on whether they would like to keep living in a nation of turmoil and decay, or they would rather enjoy living in a community of an actively functioning economy.

Aaa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Aaa - Essay Example Scientific and technological developments are part of our evolution and they do not necessarily intervene. I also do not agree with Dean Burnett’s argument that the convenience brought by technology made us physically weak. For example, Dean Burnett’s argued in his article entitled â€Å"Human evolution: the next stages† that â€Å"An increasingly health-and-safety conscious world where people are prepared to sue for even the most trivial injury means the danger of forceful impact is reducing, and as such rigid and inflexible bones wont be as essential to humans†. It is implied in this argument that modern man is getting weaker because he is used to convenience that evolutionary consequence in order to adapt better to the environment such as having more cartilage to become stronger is not happening. I disagree with this statement because man is in fact getting stronger even without the added cartilages as he suggested. If only Burnett cared to watch sports events such as Olympics where records after records are being broken, he too may change his mind that we are now way stronger than before. Technology did not intervene with our physical development. It enhanced it with better formulation of supplements, better techniques in exercise and training and better understanding on how our body would function better. Taken together, it tremendously improved our evolutionary process that our improvement is become exponential compared to the gradual evolution of

Increasing Literacy and Reading Competency of a Four-Year Old Learner Assignment

Increasing Literacy and Reading Competency of a Four-Year Old Learner - Assignment Example appraisement, educational adjustment profile (EAP), specialist report, assessment - minimum 3 types, research literature - minimum 4). 2. Use positive language to highlight what the student can currently achieve. Do not use a deficit approach. Avoid comparisons with the norm. I am particularly interested in finding out about the student's interests, likes and dislikes and learning characteristics. What do you already know about what works for this student Melanie (pseudonym name) is a healthy four year-old girl, currently attending K1 in Modern Montessori International Group (MMI). Through the use of appraisement observation (Wood, 1992), it has been noted that when she is asked to read a selection and later on asked of what she has understood about it, she loses track of the entire reading subjecting her to forgetting even the simple words that she has already come across within the reading. Besides that, it could be noted too that even though she is asked with regards the meaning of the words that she was already given familiarity to while reading the material given to her, she has the hardest time remembering them during the first time of questioning. If closer observance is paid to the reading process of Melanie at home, it would likely lead to different end results, as per suggested by the Educational Adjustment Profile (Balasundarm, 1998). If one lets her read a line that includes very simple words that she already knows or has come across earlier, there is no reason why she could not finish the task. As for a fact, she will readily do the reading from the beginning of the text as required continuously up until the end of the reading piece. However relating the different meaning of the words in the reading becomes a hard matter for her to complete. Through the use of one-to-one assessment method (Steven, 2008), I, as the teacher of Melanie, was able to observe her different developments based from the number of practices and trainings that she has undergone such as phonics, reading comprehension and other word based programmes that are all aimed to help an individual verbally comprehend with written pieces of reading. Through a systematic process of gathering the data I was able to keep a record on how well my niece is making improvement based from the daily activities that I handle with her in a regular basis. I used both formal and informal assessments to ensure that the Melanie is making progress. This means that the assessment could happen during or even after classes (ASHA, 2009). Through this mandated procedure, I am sure to be able to help Melanie enhance her skills on understanding words and their context even after class allowing her to see things in a practical manner. As noted through the said observation I learned h ow my niece has become much patient and perseverant in accepting the lessons I present to her making her better acquainted with the lesson thus pushing her to develop further in her learning. Planning (350 words) 1. From what you know about the student, prepare an individualised education plan (IEP) for

To be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

To be Determined - Essay Example The kradin is the soul-name, which gives the person his/her spiritual identity whereas the cultural or physiological identity is known as Abusuakuw and Abatumm (Afuraka Afuraitkait). The belief surrounding the kradin however is more common in other cultures such as the Akan than amongst the Swahili. The Swahili group is one of Africa’s largest. It is derived from the Bantu group but was later heavily influenced by the Arab culture and language, and the Islamic religion. It actually comprises of a number of sub-ethnic groups of which there are many. The Swahili speaking region of East Africa comprises of the following countries in which Swahilis can be found in significant numbers: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. In addition, the region â€Å"also extends into southern Somalia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and parts of northern Mozambique and the Comoros Islands† (African Studies Center). The language (Ki-Swahili), a Bantu language, is spoken by the Swahili people but also functions as a widely used lingua franca. Thus, â€Å"it embraces diverse life styles, economic and aesthetic practices, religions and ideologies† (ibid) although our focus is on the ethnic Swahili group. The population numbers for the main five Swahili countries are given below based on figures provided by the Population Reference Bureau for mid-2008 and rounded to the nearest 100,000, Amongst these wider populations, the ethnic Swahilis live alongside other ethnic groups such as the Maasai, Mijikenda, and Turkana. Most et hnic Swahilis are Muslims. In the video ‘Rites of Passage’ by Mary Ann Watson and Suki Montgomery, Athnam Lali Omar describes the traditional naming ceremony in Swahili culture based on indications at Gede, a ruined village occupied between the twelth and seventeeth centuries. After birth, the baby was protected and kept in

CRITICAL DESCRIPTION OF LITERATURE CHOSEN INCLUDING RATIONALE FOR Lab Report

CRITICAL DESCRIPTION OF LITERATURE CHOSEN INCLUDING RATIONALE FOR CHOICE - Lab Report Example This article is a critical discussion and evaluation of this write-up dealing with the question, whether it is ethical for counsellors to have sexual relations with their ex-clients or not, as laid down by the statutory authority. In the write-up, the writer, Paul Wilkins talks about various psychological concepts and aspects like transference, love, power play, the importance of time and critically analysis if this clause is required and if it is ethical for counsellors to maintain sexual relations with their e x-clients. The rationale behind choosing this write-up, is to highlight the high rate of these occurrences and to critically appraise the clauses laid down. With the number of individuals approaching counsellors increasing by the day, such cases are being more commonly reported and are being accepted as a part of the set-up. The analysis of this write-up can help us come to a conclusion upon the ethical detailing of the clause. This can help implement better codes of ethics in our practical lives. ANALYSIS As already mentioned, the BAC, in its general annual meeting, upheld the clause that sexual relations between counsellors and their ex-clients is unethical and it must take place only after about twelve weeks after the completion of the sessions. A special clause was added that under certain circumstances, a special lifetime ban can also be imposed on such occurrences. This was a debatable issue, since it was not unanimously agreed upon, whether such a ban or such a clause is required. Was it really unethical for a counsellor to carry no sexual relations with his ex-client In order to form the best possible opinion, the writer, Paul Wilkins, has brought about numerous references and psychology-connected theories, besides quotes of eminent authorities. As an initiation, the writer talks about the psychological concept of transference and the relation it bears with the emotion of love. According to psychology, the relation between a counsellor and the client, is that of a student-mentor relationship, wherein the client looks up to the counsellor for guidance and understanding. This relation is called transference.Due to the presence of transference, love between the counsellor and the client, cannot be forged. According to Freud, sexual relations between counsellors and their patients are not possible. However, he is not very vocal about the post-counselling phase, when transference is reduced. The mentor-mentee relation disappears after a period of time and on the completion of this period, sexual relation can be called ethical, it appears! Therefore, this period of transference is impermanent and not an long-standing one. However, this is also criticised on various grounds, the

Teaching Reading to Students with Learning Disabilities Essay

Teaching Reading to Students with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example The development of effective reading strategies can have positive consequences for students with learning disabilities, yet many students do not learn to use strategies automatically. Finally, the implications for reading instruction for students with and without disabilities in inclusive settings are discussed. The ability to read is a critical component of school success. A strong correlation exists between poor reading ability and school failure, and students who do not learn how to read during their elementary years have difficulty navigating the school curriculum during middle and upper grades (Marston, Deno, Dongil, Diment, & Rogers, 2005). The National Center for Education Statistics reported that more than 75% of all fourth graders and eighth graders scored below the reading proficiency range on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). These numbers suggest that a large number of students with and without disabilities are not benefiting from current traditional reading curricula and instructional practices (Carnine, Silbert, & Kameenui, 2001; Simmons & Kameenui, 2000). Improving reading instruction is a top priority for both general and special education. These concerns are paramount for students with high-incide... Among the students with high-incidence disabilities, children classified with learning disabilities constitute the largest group of students receiving special education services. More than 2 million students in the United States are classified with a learning disability, a number that has increased dramatically since the late 1970s. In the past decade alone, the number of students classified with a learning disability increased 38%, and currently students identified with a learning disability represent 51% of all students with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). The 2001 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifically identified the general education setting as the most appropriate placement for all students, and about half of the students classified with a learning disability participate full time in a general education classroom. Full-time placement in the general education classroom is commonly called inclusion or inclusive education (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). In inclusion settings, students with disabilities may or may not receive additional support from a special education teacher. Some programs involve general and special education teacher collaboration, but in many cases the general education teacher is responsible for implementing all academic support services, curricular adaptations, and testing modifications (Schulte, Osborne, & Erchul, 2002). Moreover, most new standards-based reform initiatives require that students with learning disabilities meet minimum local and state competenc y requirements. Despite the extra responsibilities this places on teachers, many school districts continue to reshape the roles of

Project Team Selection Essay Example for Free

Project Team Selection Essay As a project manager you acquire a project team in most instances, therefore selecting the skills that each member on the team possess is not possible. You must make the most out of the team that you have been afforded and determine what skills you require to ensure project success. This paper will discuss the importance of team members and ways to utilize the skills on a project team successfully. Project Team Selection A project manager may have little to no influence on the selection of a project team, so it is important for a project manager to keep in mind team makeup can have a critical impact on everything from task execution to establishing team dynamics that will either energize or suck the life out of a project ( TheBigRocks. com, 2010). Excuting a project plan is only as effective as the project manager and its team. Wysocki (2012) suggests that when building and recruiting an effective team, you must consider the technical skills as well as the critical roles and chemistry that must exist between the project manager and the team. The knowledge and technical requirements needed to produce an effective project should be understood prior to seeking out individuals who possess the skills needed (Brown, Hyer 2010). Key stakeholders of the project should be represented to ensure there are no oversights or surprises in the project, so there should be a team member available to do so. The team should also have the ability to work together so Brown and Hyer (2010) suggests the diversity of views, expertise, perspectives and backgrounds can often develop better solutions faster than individuals working alone. Conflict resolution should be available to the team members so that if conflict arises, proper management can enhance team performance. As group size increases, communication, cohesiveness, and job satisfication may decline, while turnover, absenteeism and slacking may also increase (Brown and Hyer, 2010). It is important to consider the optimal team size for your project while ensuring the required skill sets are available. Brown and Hyer (2010) also suggests that it is important to ensure that each team member has enough time to devote to the project to ensure proper coordination of duties. Conclusion The right project team can make or break a project. The selection process must first identify all the roles needed for the project, then identify which roles, skills, bandwidth and authority must be addressed with a specific person, talent, effort level or skill to avoid putting the entire project at risk of failure (TheBigRocks.com, 2010).

Development of Parallel Parking System

Development of Parallel Parking System Executive Summary Introduction/Background Traditionally development of microprocessor based control systems involved the following steps. The control algorithm was designed by a systems or a control engineer. The algorithm would then be coded in programming languages like assembly, C or C++ which would be implemented on a microprocessor based hardware the controller. The problem with this method was the verification of the algorithm would be possible only once the whole system was developed. Any errors in design would prove extremely costly. Also in converting control logic specification into software there is a high probability of translation errors that would lead to erroneous results. mModel Based Design is a software methodology which addresses these issues and is gaining a lot of popularity currently in the industry. The scope of this project is to apply the Model Based Design methodology to develop a control algorithm that eases the parallel parking of a car problem for a novice driver. Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to develop a parallel parking system using Model Based Design. The objectives are to understand the parallel parking problem and methods to solve it, steps involved in Model Based Design and explore the possibility of implementation of a parallel parking algorithm on a Lego Mindstorms Robotics Kit. Acheivements A fuzzy logic based parallel parking algorithm was successfully simulated. Model Based Design concepts were explored and implemented in the design. Programs developed in Simulink were successfully tested on the Lego Mindstorms KIT using Real Time Workshop Embedded Coder, EC Robot Toolbox, nxtOSEK and other associated tools. Conclusions/Recommendations The parallel parking strategy implemented did show good results. However, real life scenarios may be different than the one discussed. For example, the controller depends on wall following. This implies there has to be 3 sides closed in a gap for the parking controller to work. The development of the algorithm was with the intent of being able to execute it on a Lego Mindstorms Kit. However, there were some issues regarding this. The main being lack of a floating point unit on the NXT Brick. Though it is possible to execute floating point programs on the NXT, it causes severe performance issues. The controller developed used the fuzzy logic blockset which inherently uses a lot of floating point variables. One method to overcome this draw back could be developing a fixed point version of the fuzzy logic blockset. Other parking strategies involving classical control could be experimented with Lego Mindstorms. Complex tasks like path planning could be executed on a computer communicating with the NXT via Bluetooth and the control tasks could be implemented on the NXT using fixed point math. Introduction Problem Description The parallel parking manoeuvre of a car has been a topic of academic and industry interest. The car or a car-like mobile robot hence referred to as CLMR has inherently a constraint known as a nonholonomic constraint. This is problem can be summarised as follows (Pushkin Kachroo and Patricia Mellodge, 2004.). If a system has restrictions on its velocity, but those restrictions does not cause restrictions in its positioning the systems is said to be nonholonomically constrained. Viewed in another way, the systems local movement is restricted, but its global movement is not. Mathematically, this means that the velocity constraints cannot be integrated. For e.g. during a parallel parking manoeuvre, when a driver arrives next to a parking space, he cannot simply slide his car sideways into the spot. The car is not capable of sliding sideways and this is the velocity restriction. However by moving the car backward and forward and turning the wheels the car can be moved into the parking space. Ignoring the restrictions caused by the external objects the car can be located at any position with any orientation, despite the lack of sideways movement (Pushkin Kachroo and Patricia Mellodge, 2004.). The challenge in this project is to not only address the parallel parking problem but also to develop it using advanced software design techniques involving Model Based Design Literature Survey The parallel parking problem can be viewed as a subtask of robot motion planning and control. There is has been considerable research in this area. De Luca et al (1998) classifies all robot motion tasks into 3 subtasks as follows. Point-to-point motion: The robot must reach a desired goal configuration starting from a given initial configuration. Path following: The robot must reach and follow a geometric path in the Cartesian space starting from a given initial configuration (on or off the path). Trajectory tracking: The robot must reach and follow a trajectory in the Cartesian space (i.e., a geometric path with an associated timing law) starting from a given initial configuration (on or off the trajectory) A parallel parking problem can then considered as a point to point motion task or a path following task and a feedback control law if proposed for the same. (Dongbing and Huosheng 2000) have developed more advanced control strategies involving Generalized Predictive Control and Neural Networks based predictive control. Fuzzy Logic based controllers have also been used to solve the parallel parking problem. Shih-Jie and Tzuu-Hseng (2002) proposes a rule base based on the distance of the CLMR edges to the parking spot. Kuang-Yow et al (1999) proposes a fuzzy sliding mode controller to solve the parallel parking problem. Holve and Protzel (1996) suggest another fuzzy logic based controller and a parking algorithm based on human experience. It involves finding an appropriate space for parking, stopping at the right place, executing the parking procedure and to do so without colliding with any obstacles. Summary The classical control methods discussed above are generally more complex compared to other ones. Most of them rely on trajectory generation and then a control algorithm for trajectory tracking or path following. The success of the algorithm in a real time implementation also depends upon the accuracy of the positioning systems which increases the complexity and the hardware cost of this method. While the fuzzy logic based controllers are more intuitive and easier to design the performance is suboptimal compared to the classical controllers. But they are more robust to sensor uncertainties (Holve, R. Protzel, P. 1996). The goal of this project is to develop a parallel parking algorithm suitable for implementation on a Lego Mindstorms robotics kit. Being able to solve the parallel parking problem and take this design rapidly from concept to implementation is the motivation behind this project. Parallel Parking of a Car like Mobile Robot (CLMR) Introduction The following chapter discusses the kinematics model of a CLMR and investigates a feasible parking strategy using a fuzzy logic based controller. Kinematic Model of a CLMR The kinematic model of a CLMR is as shown (Shih-Jie and Tzuu-Hseng 2002).The model assumes that the car wheels are in contact with the ground at all time i.e. no slip exists. : is a mid point on the rear axle of the car : is mid point on the line joining the front wheels : is the angle between the X axis with respect to the vehicle frame : is the steering angle with respect to the vehicle frame : is the distance between the front and rear axle The non-holonomic constraint equation is given by (2.1) The equation of the rear wheel is given by (2.2) (2.3) (2.4) The relationship between the rear and the front wheels are given by And (2.5) (2.6) The above equations are useful while finding the future positions of the CLMR. The physical layout of the CLMR is a three wheeled one. A three wheel robot and a four wheeled one have the same non- holonomic constraint. A three wheeled robot is chosen here for simplicity. The sensor positions are chosen with the assumption that the parking position is always going to be to the right of the vehicle. 4 ultrasonic sensors are used. 2 sensors (s2 and s1) are placed on the right front and rear edge and the other 2 (s3 and s0) are placed at the front and rear sides of the car as shown in the Fig 2.2. The position of sensors s1 and s2 with respect toand described by the following equations. S1 (2.7) S2 (2.8) The position of the sensors is used to determine the distance of the CLMR from an obstacle during simulation. Parking Strategy The parking strategy is developed intuitively as a human driver would do. The assumption is that a parking spot is somewhere to the right side of the vehicle to be parked (Holve and Protzel,1996). The vehicle would be moving parallel to the line of cars. The algorithm is as follows. Search for an obstacle free area on the right side of the car. The distance should be greater than the minimum distance required to park the car. This could be set at twice the length of the car. Once a sufficiently large parking spot is found, the car is reversed into the gap using a wall following algorithm. This algorithm aligns the car as parallel as possible in the gap without colliding with the rear wall. The car is then driven forward to align itself in the centre of the gap. Steps 2 and 3 can be repeated until the desired position is reached Wall Following Controller (Shih-Jie and Tzuu-Hseng , 2002) The heart of the parking strategy is a wall following controller. Shih-Jie and Tzuu-Hseng (2002) proposes a fuzzy logic scheme as follows. The variables shown in the figure represents the following d1 distance between the rear end of the CLMR and the wall d2 distance between the front end of the CLMR and the wall Dist is the desired distance between the wall and the CLMR The objective of the controller is get d1 equal to d2 which is the desired distance from the wall Dist . The scheme suggested is a 2 input one output scheme which controls the steering angle of the CLMR. Since the CLMR in this project is a three wheeled one the turning is done by varying the speeds of each wheel. The input variables to this control scheme are as follows if the CLMR is moving forward . Input1 = d2 Dist (2.9) Input 2 = d2 d1 (2.10) and if the CLMR is moving backward Input1 = d1 Dist (2.11) Input 2 = d1 d2 The output of the controller is the amount by which the CLMR needs to turn in a given direction. The fuzzy membership functions for Input1, Input2 and Steer are shown below The membership functions are equally divided triangular membership functions. The Rule Base for the wall following is shown in the table below. It is based on sliding mode control (Li et al, 2000) The rules can be an represented linguistically as If (Input1 is Positive Big) and (Input2 is Negative Big) then (steer is Zero) If (Input1 is Positive Big) and (Input2 is Negative Small) then (steer is Positive Small) and so on 25. If (Input1 is Negative Big) and (Input2 is Positive Big) then (steer is Zero) The defuzzication method used here is centre of gravity which is good for fine control The final fuzzy logic entire controller can be summarized as follows Summary With the kinematic equations of the CLMR and the equations describing the sensor positions, a model can be constructed. With the parking strategies and a fuzzy logic controller now developed we shall discuss an efficient methodology in taking these designs into implementation. Model Based Design Methodology Overview The advances in microprocessor technology in the early 70s brought about a change in the way control systems were developed. From electrical relays built into ladder like networks and programmable logic controllers , controllers were being developed around a computer built with adequate hardware and software. Traditionally most of these control software development was based on paper designs and manual programming followed by verification activities such as code inspections and a unit/integration test (Guido Sandmann and Richard Thompson 2008). Many of these activities lack tool automation, and are very time consuming. Thus they are error prone and time consuming. Lack of tool chain integration provides another opportunity for errors to be injected into the software that are often detected late and at high costs to the development process and so involve manual interaction. Model Based Design is software design methodology used to address these issues. The steps involved are in MBD ,some of the commercially available tools and the tool chain choices for this project are discussed below Model Based Design Process The Model Based Design process can be divided into the following steps (NI Developer Zone, 2006). System Definition System definition involves the design process of a particular problem in consideration. It is mostly a conceptual design where in the problem and solutions are analyzed. Modelling Simulation The step implies that the analyzed design is simulated using a graphical based simulation tool. MATLAB-SIMULINK, ASCET-MD etc are some examples of modelling tools. Designs here can be easily changed verified and re designed if necessary. Rapid Prototyping If the hardware of production controller is not available during the design phase a generalized hardware controller maybe used to test some of the simulations. This is the rapid prototyping phase. Targeting Targeting refers to getting the software code executing on the production hardware. This stage involves the use of auto coders tools that generate C code directly of graphical models, cross compilers and other tool chains that facilitate this. Hardware in the loop Testing Hardware in the Loop testing is used while developing control strategies for plant models like engines. It provides real time simulation of a real world plant model. System Testing This is the last step in the design process wherein the controller is tested on the real plant. Summary Of the stages in Model Based Design discussed above, only the most relevant one will be applied to this project. Beginning with system definition, modelling simulation proceeding to targeting and finally onto system testing will be the stages followed in this project. MATLAB/SIMULINK, Stateflow, Virtual Reality Toolbox, Fuzzy Logic Blockset would be the tools used for modelling and simulation while Real Time Workshop Embedded Coder would be used during targeting. A detailed list of other tools will be dealt in the next chapter. Introduction Lego Mindstorms NXT is a robotics kit which consists of mechanical building blocks and electronic sensors. The highlight of this kit is the programmable brick called the NXT. The NXT is a 32bit ARM7 based microcontroller which allows motors and electronic sensors to be easily interfaced .Users can also run custom programs written via a GUI based programming language. The language provided by Lego, though very simple and intuitive to use does not exploit the true potential of NXT. Over the years, advanced users of the Lego Mindstorms have been successful in creating custom tools that apply every imaginable concept of embedded systems. The following chapter discuss some of these software tools and hardware details relevant to this project. The most important part of this is to be able to design , simulate and test the robot using MATLAB Simulink. Ultrasonic Sensor The Lego Ultrasonic Sensor is shown below. It is mainly used for distance measurement. It has a range of 255 cm and is accurate to about +/- 3cm One of the tasks of Model Based Design is to be able to program the NXT from Matlab Simulink environment. The tools required to automate this process are discussed below John Hansens Enhanced Firmware Firmware in embedded systems term is referred to the basic software that is initially run on a hardware device. It performs basics factions like initialization of devices , integrity checks on memory and so on similar to BIOS on a standard PC. The NXT brick , out of the box , has a standard firmware installed. This is designed to be used with the software provided. In order to write programs in C and realize the true potential of the NXT, a custom firmware has been written by John Hansen. This allows the NXT to be programmed by either using the provided software or by programming in C and using other tools which will be explained later. The NeXTTool The NeXTTool is a program that allows communication between the host PC and the NXT brick. It can do various tasks, but most importantly it is used to download custom programs onto the NXT. The nxtOSEK nxtOSEK (previously known as LEJOS OSEK) is an open source real time operating system for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. It contains device drivers from leJOS NXJ, an open source program that allows users to write Java programs on the NXT and a real time operating system source know as a TOPPERS OSEK. C or C++ can be used to write custom programs and compiled with the nxtOSEK using the GCC tool chain (Takashi Chikamasa, 2008) The Embedded Coder Robot NXT Blockset is one of the key elements in applying Model Based Design Techniques to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. These blocks are custom Simulink blocks used in the controller side and serve as inputs and outputs to the real world. A word of caution. Custom blocks especially hardware related blocks behave different behaviour in simulation and code generation . For e.g. an ultrasonic sensor block will not directly give sensor readings. The behaviour of the ultrasonic sensor will have to be separately emulated. During code generation process, a function call to the ultrasonic device is placed where the block is used. This ensures the program using the block gets the value directly from the sensor. The details of the blocks used for this project are discussed below There are two blocks that have to be for an ultrasonic sensor blocks consist of two blocks. The Ultrasonic Sensor Interface block and the Ultrasonic Sensor Read block. Servo Motor Blocks Fig 4.5 Servo Motor Blocks The working of the Servo Motor is similar to the ultrasonic block as explained above. The details of the block are given below. Data Type int32 Dimension [1 1] Data Range 0 to 255 [cm], -1 (the sensor is not ready for measurement) Port ID S1/S2/S3/S4 Summary Tools concerning with the implementation of a Matlab Simulink design on a Lego Mindstorms NXT were explored here. However the most important of all is to simulate a working design. The next chapter discusses the implementation of the parallel parking strategy and the simulation results. Parallel Parking Simulation An integral part of Model Based Design is being able to simulate and get the desired results before implementation. The following chapter discusses the results of the controller developed in Chapter 2. For verification of the controller a Simulink model developed by Takashi Chikamasa, (2006) was used. The model was of a 3 wheeled robot with the motor dynamics included. A 3-D environment was provided using the Virtual Reality Toolbox. The environment however has been changed to suit the parallel parking problem. Parallel Parking Strategy The controller algorithm was developed in Simulink using Stateflow and the Fuzzy Logic Toolbox. A 2-D plot of the trajectory path traversed by the CLMR is shown below. Conclusion and Recommendations The parallel parking strategy implemented did show good results. However, real life scenarios may be very different. For example, the controller depends on wall following. This implies there has to be 3 sides closed in a gap for the parking controller to work. The development of the algorithm was with the intent of being able to execute it on a Lego Mindstorms Kit. However, there were some issues regarding this. The main being lack of a floating point unit on the NXT Brick. Though it is possible to execute floating point programs on the NXT, it causes severe performance issues. The controller developed used the fuzzy logic blockset which inherently uses a lot of floating point variables. One method to overcome this draw back could be developing a fixed point version of the fuzzy logic blockset. Other parking strategies involving classical control could be experimented with Lego Mindstorms. Complex tasks like path planning could be executed on a computer communicating with the NXT via Bluetooth and the control tasks could be implemented on the NXT using fixed point math. However, with Model Based Design, being able to write programs in Simulink, simulate it and be able to execute this on the Lego Mindstorms opens a whole new dimension of what can be done ; limited only by our creativity! Bibliography C., Ho, C., Lin, S. Li, T. (2005). 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