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What Wheels and Tyres Can You Use on Your Freelander?

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Because a Freelander is a 4×4 vehicle the type of wheels and tyres you use are very important to ensure you do no damage to the drive train.

Recommended Tyre Sizes

The recommended tyre sizes for a Freelander 1 (1998 – 2006) are:

  • 15 inch wheels: 195/80 R15
  • 16 inch wheels: 215/65 R16
  • 17 inch wheels: 235/55 R17
  • 18 inch wheels: 235/50 R18
  • 19 inch wheels: 245/45 R19
  • 20 inch wheels: 245/40 R20
  • 22 inch wheels: 295/30 R22

Although we don’t come across many Freelanders with 22 inch wheels!

For the Freelander 2 (2006 onwards) the recommended tyre sizes are:

  • 16 inch wheels: 215/75 R16
  • 17 inch wheels: 235/65 R17
  • 18 inch wheels: 235/60 R18
  • 19 inch wheels: 235/55 R19
  • 20 inch wheels: 275/40 R20
  • 22 inch wheels: 265/35 R22

What do the Tyre Size Numbers Mean?

Although many of us are quite used to ordering tyres by their numbers, and know they are important, we don’t all understand what they mean.

If we take the 16 inch wheels for a Freelander 1 the tyres should be:

215/65 R16

The first number, 215, is the width of the tyre in mm from side wall to side wall when it is not stressed and you are looking at it from the top. The technical name is the section width.

The second number, 65, is the ratio of the height of the tyre sidewall expressed as a percentage of the width. The technical name is the aspect ratio, or section height. In this case, 65% of 215 mm is 139.75 mm.

The R means the tyre is of a radial construction, this just means the cord plies are arranged at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, or radially (from the centre of the tire).

The next number, 16, is the diameter in inches of the rim of the wheel the tyre is designed to fit on. So in this case it is a tyre for a 16 inch wheel.

It is a bit strange that tyre sizes mix inches with mm, but that’s the way it is done!

When you look at the size printed on the tyre this number, e.g. 215/65 R16, will be followed by two numbers and a letter. The two numbers are the load index and the letter is the speed rating. The load index indicates how much weight the tyre can take (for a Freelander you need a minimum load index of 84 or 85, depending on the exact model of Freelander you have) and the speed rating refers to the speed you can travel at for 10 minutes continuously without the tyre breaking into pieces.

The speed ratings are:

  • Speed Symbol Max Speed Capability
  • MPH Km/h
  • L 120 75
  • M 130 81
  • N 140 87
  • P 150 95
  • Q 160 100
  • R 170 105
  • S 180 113
  • T 190 118
  • U 200 125
  • H 210 130
  • V 240 150
  • W 270 168
  • Y 300 186
  • Z 240+ 150+

Can You Use a Different Sized Tyre from the Recommended on Your Freelander?

Provided the overall circumference of the wheel with the tyre fitted is within plus or minus 2.5% of the recommended then you should not have any problems in fitting different tyre sizes to your Freelander (although the speedometer will be reading slightly inaccurately). The overall circumference is calculated from the overall diameter.

If the overall circumference is more than plus or minus 2.5% then you run the risk of damage to your drive train.

Taking the most common Freelander tyre sizes, here are some alternative sizes you could use:

195/80 R15 alternatives are:

  • 205/75 R15 (-0.87% difference in circumference)
  • 215/70 R15 (-1.70% difference in circumference)
  • 215/75 R15 (+1.47% difference in circumference)
  • 225/70 R15 (+0.32% difference in circumference)
  • 235/70 R15 (+2.34% difference in circumference)

215/65 R16 alternatives are:

  • 225/65 R16 (+1.76% difference in circumference)
  • 225/60 R16 (-1.44% difference in circumference)
  • 235/60 R16 (+0.28% difference in circumference)
  • 255/55 R16 (0% difference in circumference)

215/75 R16 alternatives are:

  • 225/70 R16 (-0.83% difference in circumference)
  • 225/75 R16 (+2.19% difference in circumference)
  • 235/65 R16 (-2.19% difference in circumference)
  • 235/70 R16 (+1.09% difference in circumference)
  • 255/65 R16 (+1.36% difference in circumference)

235/65 R17 alternatives are:

  • 245/65 R17 (+1.64% difference in circumference)
  • 255/60 R17 (0% difference in circumference)
  • 265/60 R17 (+1.64% difference in circumference)
  • 275/55 R17 (-1.52% difference in circumference)

Do remember that if there is a difference in the circumference then your speedometer reading will be slightly wrong.

You can check whether it is safe to replace your current tyres with any other size by using one of the tyre size calculators available, so if you would like to check for yourself then try this tyre calculator.

How Many Tyres Should You Replace on Your Freelander?

It is always recommended to replace all four tyres at the same time on your Freelander, with the same make, model and type, so as not to cause damage to the drive train.

The 4×4 system on the Freelander 1 is very sensitive to differences in the rolling radius of the tyres, and if these differ by more than 5mm you are risking damage to the drive train, particularly to the rear differential.

To check that your tyres are not winding up your viscous coupling unit (VCU) – the bulbous piece in the centre of the prop shaft running from the front to the back of your Freelander 1 – which is the hub of sending drive to the rear wheels, then drive your Freelander for about 5 – 10 miles, then get underneath and check the temperature of the VCU. BE CAREFUL, the VCU can get very hot! If the VCU is too hot to comfortably hold your hand on it then you have an issue with your tyres, and you should look to replacing them IMMEDIATELY – otherwise you are going to have a very big bill for drive train items.

If you do only replace two tyres on your Freelander 1 then make sure the new tyres go on the rear (the same make, model and type as the front ones) AND check the temperature of the VCU, as above, to make sure it is not heating up. Never replace just one tyre on a Freelander.

A Little More Technical Detail on Freelander Tyres and Wheels

For those of you who like a little more technical detail on your Freelander tyres and wheels here is a bit more information.

For the Freelander 1:

  • PCD 5 x 114
  • Offset 35 to 45
  • Bore 64.1
  • Fittings N 12 x 1.5

For the Freelander 2:

  • PCD 5 x 108
  • Offset 35 to 50
  • Bore 63.4
  • Fittings N 14 x 1.5

If you do not understand what these mean, here is a brief explanation.

PCD is the Pitch Circle Diameter. This is the diameter, in mm, of a circle drawn through the wheels bolt holes. It also indicates the number of studs, or bolts, the wheel will have. So the Freelander 1 has 5 bolts and the diameter of a circle drawn through the bolt holes is 114 mm. The Freelander 2 has 5 bolts and a diameter of 108 mm.

The offset is where the wheel will sit in relation to the body line of the vehicle. Offset is usually stamped on the wheel and is measured in millimetres of et (et is the short form of the German word ‘Einpresstiefe’ which literally translates as insertion depth). The numbers are essentially the distance between the centre of the wheel and the hub.

The centre bore of a wheel is the centre which fits over the hub. The bore measurement is the diameter in mm of the centre bore.

The fittings are the wheel nuts and bolts required.

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Source by Sue L Maddock

Fix for Sticking Accelerator Pedal at Zero Cost

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This relates to a 2002 Buick LeSabre with a 3.8L engine, but the same general principles would apply to most any car with the same problem, I’d guess.

Occasionally, the accelerator would briefly resist moving when pressed. Then, when sufficient pressure was applied, it would break loose and operate normally. This seemed to be happening more frequently and the pressure required to break it loose became greater.

Time to look at it!

Step one was to remove the plastic shroud which covers the engine. This can easily be done by unscrewing the oil fill spout (the 3-inch extension onto which the oil filler cap fits) by unscrewing it a half turn and lifting it out. This exposed the fuel injector body and mechanism.

By manually working the sector pulley which was activated by the accelerator, I concluded that the butterfly was sticking in the closed position. But how to get at it was the problem!

I removed the rubber boot between the air box and the fuel injector body. But this revealed a “screen” which totally covered the intake!

That “screen” was held in by a “C” ring which I removed next. But the “screen” didn’t come out easily. It’s not a flat screen; it’s a honeycomb piece about 1/4 inch in thickness. It worked best to work it out a little all around the circumference and going around multiple times. I used a knife blade to pry it out, but next time I’d use a wire with a hook on the end to go in and pull it out from the inside.

    I think its purpose is two-fold:

  1. Create a laminar air flow into the chamber, and
  2. Serve as a “heat absorber” or flame suppressor in event of a backfire.

Once that was removed, I could see the butterfly and could pretty much confirm that was where the problem was. I cleaned it up around the circumference, but it still stuck. Then I squirted some AMSOIL MP (sort of like WD-40) into the butterfly shaft bushings.

That did the trick! No more sticking!

How long it will stay that way remains to be seen!

If it fails again, I’ll remove the throttle position sensor on the front of the injector body. That should expose one end of the butterfly shaft, and that was the end which gave the most trouble this time. (This requires a Torx wrench to remove.)

What was the cause? Truly, I don’t know. It acted like there was “old grease” in there which gummed up, but doubt that it was lubricated with grease. Maybe “sticky stuff” in the gasoline over 60k miles?

Copyright 2007 by Keith A. Williams

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Source by Keith A. Williams

Soft Key Performance Indicators Are "Mission-Critical" – This is the Way to Develop Them

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In this article we will work through a real example of an operational soft KPI that changed the relationship of a business with its customers. After reading it you will be able to apply a similar thought process to your own business.

Setting target levels of service.

The Business: Specialist auto component repair services. The business had a working KPI model in place.

The Customers: Auto repair firms dealing with consumers and their insurers.So

The service: Pick up of repair jobs, repair in a dedicated specialist facility, and return to the customer.

The symptom: Frequent enquiries and constant complaints about delivery date and time.

The real problem: Jobs queued in order of receipt, regardless of the complexity of the repair. Small simple jobs would wait because they were queued behind large complex jobs.

The first solution: Jobs scheduled to meet a specified day and time of return; complex jobs would be scheduled for a later time. The customer was advised of the return delivery run with the price quote before the job was started.

Did it work? Partially. There was no target level of service, and no measure of performance. It was not linked to the business marketing strategy.

Setting the target level of service: Ask the customers. A quick and dirty phone survey suggested that 48 hours was an acceptable lead-time, because the critical thing was their ability to tell the customer when the vehicle would be ready.

Performance target: An assessment of 2 month’s history showed that around 15% of jobs were complex and could not be reasonably completed in 48 hours. We guessed that 85% might be the right point.

Target Level of Service: 85% of jobs to be returned within 48 hours. This was a promise that no competitor could match.

Performance measure: We predicted that, if the target LOS was achieved, complaints and enquiries would drop to a low level. The complaints log showed that complaints dropped to zero inside 4 weeks of launching the new system and publicizing it to the customers.

The results: Market share increased dramatically as the auto repair industry adopted the new standard and the word got around that the service was reliable.

Internally, productivity rose due to better scheduling. Disruptive enquiries and demands for special treatment were virtually eliminated.

Operating profit increased.

Proof of the Soft KPI

On three occasions over the next 2 years, complaints rose in volume suddenly. A quick check of the level of service showed that it had dropped below 85%. Prompt corrective action restored the complaint incidence to its normal low level.

My conclusion: We were lucky that our first estimate of the desired level of service was correct. If the customers needed 90% then we would not have seen the desired reduction in complaints.

If the customers would have been happy with 75% we could have experimented with that and monitored complaints. If they rose we could move back to the 85% LOS, but we would have upset some customers unnecessarily, and put our goodwill at risk. Also 75% would have been achievable by some competitors, so there would be no competitive advantage.

The 85% LOS worked for everyone, so do not fiddle with a winning formula.

This is a classic “Soft KPI”.

Measuring it does not help you understand what is going on. Understanding what is going on does not help you find a solution without measurement. Both are necessary to make sound decisions.

Setting Soft KPIs

Look out for performance indicators that logically influence business performance but where the effects are distant in time and place from the cause, and where you cannot link into your KPI model using an algorithm.

An example is Labour Turnover. Everyone knows that this is very costly, and that high labour turnover has highly disruptive effects on business performance.

Is Labour turnover a KPI?

It cannot be a hard KPI because you can only estimate the effects on profitability with varying degrees of uncertainty. You cannot build it into your accounting system even though you can find some of the costs eventually buried somewhere in your accounts. The rest of the costs come from loss of something that drives a hard KPI, typically in the way loss of a customer drives a downturn in sales. The reason is that you cannot predict the cost of losing a single good employee, or the extra profit from losing a single bad employee.

It all depends, but on what?

You can correlate labour turnover with profitability, but only over an extensive time period. You cannot define a formula that links labour turnover with a hard KPI with any confidence.

Labour turnover may be a soft KPI but only in some businesses. In highly seasonal businesses dependent on casual labour the costs of recruiting and training casuals are high, can be factored into the budget and managed as a hard performance indicator.

Contrast that with the loss of a key sales person; the value of their knowledge of your business and your/their customers is always hard to estimate and expensive to replace.

So a soft KPI must satisfy some, perhaps all of the following criteria if it is to be useful.

* Clear correlation of the soft with a related hard KPI.

* A metric that enables performance against the soft KPI to be tracked.

* Clear links to either a driver KPI or a “consequence” KPI that can be tracked. Driver KPIs are leading indicators.

* The ability to estimate a threshold that may operate.

* Is it Mission Critical? Does it warn of a potentially fatal error.

Can you fit them into a KPI model?

Probably not. That does not mean that they are not “mission critical”. They must be tracked.

Product safety issues that drive product recalls are mission critical, as Toyota recently found to its great cost. I am sure that Toyota know what their hard product recall KPIs told them after the event but the soft KPIs that could have highlighted the cause of the problem were clearly missing

Threshold effects confuse the setting of Soft KPI targets.

Many cause and effect relationships in business are not a straight-line correlation. In some cases there is a threshold effect at work.

The problem of setting the right level of advertising spending is a good example. We know that in some markets advertising spend has to buy enough space to become visible to customers. Spending below that threshold level, wherever it is, does not increase sales, because below the threshold you are invisible. Above the threshold, results flow in,

In the same way, looking at our service example, setting the target LOS too low would achieve nothing by way of customer satisfaction. Hitting the right number worked like magic.

Places to look for Soft KPIs

Quality and service are essential functions, where mission critical soft KPIs can be found. As I have shown, threshold effects are common. Both hard and soft KPIs are useful in assessment of product and service quality and it is productive to link the two types of KPI.

Project management is similarly dependent on soft KPIs as well as hard measures. The predictive element of project forecasts are inevitably soft because it uses probability measures; critical, but only hard after the event.

In the sales and marketing field measures like customer satisfaction are confused by the challenge of finding reliable measures, and the correlations with hard measures are not as high as we would like. Market share numbers are usually dependent on surveys or industry statistics and these can be quite unreliable.

Employee morale and engagement are clearly important and difficult to measure reliably because the inherent errors associated with opinion surveys confound the results.

You should be alert to the need for leading indicators. These are the most useful, because they enable you to take corrective action before things go off the rail.

Sales forecasts, in fact all forecasts, are soft KPIs, despite being provided as hard numbers. They are KPIs but every forecast should have confidence limits around it so that you can assess its reliability. Forecasts are of course mission critical in most businesses.

Soft KPIs and your management process

Soft KPIs offer huge value to your management process so you should never ignore their existence. It is just that the differences between soft and hard KPIs mean you need a different approach to the way you develop them and the way you use them. If you follow the tips and the thinking process illustrated in the story you will be on the right track to identify your soft KPIs and put them to work.

Hard KPIs are easy to work with because they have one unchanging characteristic; they are mathematically linked to measurable changes in performance of the business.

Soft KPIs are a bit more difficult, because you can identify the reasons for their importance to your processes, but there is no algorithm to define the way they interact with business performance.

When you find the soft KPIs that are meaningful to your customers, you can refocus your staff on the really important things, and transform your business.

Soft KPIs are business or sometimes industry specific so you may find a source like kpilibrary.com useful to prompt ideas.

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Source by Michael Taplin

Top 10 SUVS of 2012

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SUVs of the modern days have certainly changed the face of the modern automobile, resulting in a tremendous growth in production and sales of this all purpose vehicle. Its sturdy build, powerful engine and bold looks attract all kinds of customers, from rugged outdoorsmen to soccer moms! All the major automobile giants like the Chrysler Group, Volkswagen and Ford Motor Company have launched a number of models in the market covering all the different styles, colors and price ranges. Out of the more than 100 SUV models available in the 2012 model year, we have compiled a list of the top SUVs for 2012!

Dodge Durango: Featuring a 3600cc V6 engine is the mighty Dodge Durango. You will find amazing features like cruise control system, 6 speaker audio system, etc. This is a 7-seater vehicle, heavily equipped with impressive safety features.

Volkswagen Tiguan: Volkswagen launched the 2012 model of this compact 5-seater vehicle with a 2000cc engine, which delivers enough push to power the vehicle from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 8 seconds!

LandRover RangeRover Evoque: No ‘Top SUVs’ list is complete without Range Rover in it, which seems true here as well! The beast features a 2000cc 6 cylinder engine, and boasts a top speed of around 135 miles per hour! It maintains its traditional Range Rover regal look making it one of the most sought after vehicles in its home country of England, as well as around the world!

Volvo XC60: Volvo’s XC60 has always been a favourite among buyers and critics, and the 2012 model is also equally amazing! This SUV contains a powerful 6 cylinder 3200cc engine, which is balanced by Volvo’s classic safety features.

LincolnMKT: The Lincoln MKKT is the perfect SUV for those who need a huge car with powerful features. This is a 7-seater car, bold looking SUV with a 3500cc V6 engine. This is such a heavy and powerful car that some drivers have reported that the car feels like an airplane with road presence of a Sherman tank.

Audi Q5: Audi’s Q series has also made quite a mark on the 2012 SUV market. Its Q5 has apparently won international recognitions and accolades on many top 10 lists around in the internet. Whilst this vehicle was mainly designated for city driving, the powerful 2000cc turbocharged engine is capable enough to handle the most challenging driving environments.

Jeep Grand Cherokee: If a compact vehicle with unparalleled power is what you’re looking for, then your search is over. The insane 3600cc V6 engine featured with a 5-seater body is strong enough to intimidate the craziest of all speed freaks! Jeep has been manufacturing SUV since the Second World War and knows their craft very well. No SUV best list would be complete without mentioning the forefather of SUVs.

Lexus RH 450H: The Lexus RH 450H is a very beautiful looking 5-seater compact SUV. The engine features a 3500cc V6 engine putting the SUV in the higher power class. Driving this will make you feel like you have been blessed by a higher power – luxurious interiors, large space and phenomenal class puts this SUV into a class of its own. The Lexus is a favourite of many luxury car owners challenging a spectrum which traditionally has been dominated by giant German manufacturers including Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Chevrolet Traverse: Chevrolet has been known for its cool and modern designs for almost 50 years now. Building a cool bulky vehicle like an SUV is a challenge that a lof car makers have seemed to have abandoned. Well… Chevrolet have stayed true to their tradition in this challenging market with Chevrolet Traverse – a very stylish 7-seater SUV that comes with a strong 3600cc V6 engine – a formidable engine that can compete with any SUV on the road today.

Ford Explorer: Any 2012 SUV review would not be complete without a mention of a Ford car, and the Ford Explorer is a truly amazing car which rightly deserves a mention here. The huge 7-seater body is powered by a strong 3500cc V6 engine, and the car is perfect for all kinds of terrains! It combines a rugged looks with luxurious interiors, and contains all the technological features that are standard in all cars today. The price range is a little more reasonable than the other candidates on this list which makes this car a great buy!

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Source by Sarah Simmons

3 Major Reasons Why Marketing is Important

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Kotler and Armstrong define marketing as “the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customer in return.” This definition alone can explain why marketing is important, but let’s outline several reasons why marketing should be one of the small business owner’s main priorities.

1. Marketing builds value in your products and services for your customers.

Most salespeople want to know as little as possible to make the sale. Some sales staff needs technical specifications and things of that nature, but ultimately, the less they have to learn the better. This makes sense, because their goal is to make sales. Therefore, marketing has to step in and create value for your customer. If you can not create value for your customers, why will they buy from you? Sometimes they will buy from you once, but will they come back if there is no value?

Many times, business owners don’t capitalize on all the ways they can give value to their customers. They get lost in the production or product concept of marketing and end up with marketing myopia. Marketing myopia happens when a company pays more attention to the product/service than the value or benefits it offers to the customer. You can not let this happen to you. Pay attention to your customers and why they buy your products. People buy a Toyota Prius not only because it saves on gas, but because it makes them fell more eco-friendly.

2. Marketing helps build customer relationships.

Everyone put emphasis on the sales staff when it comes to sales. “If the sales team doesn’t work harder, we won’t increase sales,” but this is not necessarily true. It costs three times as much to obtain a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. This means you need to maintain the relationship with your current customers in order to lower marketing and sales costs and increase sales.

Properly planned and implemented marketing activities are the only real way to build customer relationships. These activities can include a lot of things: loyalty programs, thank-you cards, customer appreciation events, free gifts, and so on. Each company must find a unique way to set themselves apart from the competition while building a loyal and long-lasting relationship.

3. Marketing establishes a brand image.

When you use FedEx for shipping, you know what you are getting: fast delivery, flexible shipping options, and better service than other shippers. Are all of these things true? They may be, but their marketing activities established all of these. FedEx will have to live up to these expectations of their brand, but their marketing department set the customer up with this image.

You must use marketing to establish your brand. Customers need to know what to expect from your company based on your brand image. What kind of products and what types of service will you provide the customer? Let your marketing tell the story and establish your brand.

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Source by Nate Stockard

Ford Motor Company – Case Study

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Background (General Facts)

Ford Motors is one of three leading automotive manufacturing companies in the United States. Based in Michigan in 1903 by Henry ford and grew to reach revenue of $150 billion and more than 370,000 employees by 1996 [1]. In the 1970’s, the automobile market for the major auto makers – General Motors (GM), Ford, and Chrysler- was crunched by competition from foreign manufactures such as Toyota and Honda. In 1999, Ford acquired the Swedish Volvo model in an attempt to compete in the foreign market and expand to other regions. Furthermore, Ford launched a full organization re-engineering business process plan called “Ford 2000” aiming at reestablishing the company’s infrastructure. The process meant reduction in their Vehicle Centers (VCs) to only five covering the operations that spanned 200 countries. It also meant cutting redundancies and requiring Information Technology (IT) to be the driving force and the link between Ford centers worldwide.

In building Ford’s IT infrastructure, the company focused on implementing a setup that supported the TCP/IP communication protocol based on the U.S. department of Defense requirements. At those days, Ford internal network was meant to serve files transfer unlike most companies that used the network mainly for email communications. Throughout the 1990’s, Ford developed a cost effective Global Enterprise Network Integration (GENI) process to link all its locations compromising on the type of the connection and the cabling in favor of full coverage. During the same time, Ford started building its Web Farm, which was basically a set of hardware and software managed by a team for building Ford’s public website. The work started by publishing documents for technical references and moved to more advanced images from a live auto show. As a result, the website received 1 million visits a day in less than 2 years after its official launch. Throughout the end of the 90’s, Ford established its web services by increasing the amount of information published, building more intelligent and standard web application in 12 weeks period, purchasing more Netscape browsers for setup on its users’ machines, and creating a B2B server to allow the suppliers secured access to Ford’s Intranet.

In the path towards service cost reduction and bringing more business through the web, Ford worked closely with its competitors in the U.S. market GM and Chrysler to establish what came to be known as “Automotive Network Exchange” (ANX) certificate. The protocols aimed at providing a unified communications standard through the Internet to enable suppliers to provide common technology for all manufacturers. Moreover, Ford focused on making information on its web site more accessible and useful by deploying a team to manage the process of adding and updating information based on an analysis of how humans deal with information. One final aspect of Fords endeavor was to try to build a model through its infrastructure that benefited from the model implemented by Dell computers to improve their supply chain and delivery process. The direct model would not work well for automotives as it would with computers, as a result Ford worked on its retailing network remodeling and identifying what would eventually give it the extra edge in delivery time.

Enterprise Architecture Issues

  • Ford’s regional expansion to address the competition for market shares demanded cost management for the infrastructure upgrades
  • IT infrastructure places limitations on the type of application development based on the platforms
  • Easy access to information and prompt delivery of vital data to key individuals requires proper knowledge managementOrganizations reengineering and process remodeling is necessary when adapting new technologies to maintain the cost and increase efficiency
  • Supply chain errors and delays can severely affect the progress of the business and the market value of the corporation

Analysis

Infrastructure Upgrade

Since the inception of the Internet in the 1960’s, much effort has been made in standardizing how computers connect to it. In 1982, the International Organization for Standards (ISO) realized that during that period many ad hoc networking systems were already using the TCP/IP protocol for communications and thus adapted it as a standard in its model for the Internet network [2]. The main driver for IP convergence, at that period, was the growth in data traffic through wide area networks (WANs) established by local companies. Furthermore, in 1991, the Internet was open for commercial use, and that demanded a reduction in the total cost of operating the network to cope with 1 million Internet hosts that materialized in only 1-year time. Telecommunications companies like AT&T understood the potential and worked on standardizing the network offering voice services over IP networks that managed the separation between voice and data transmission [3].

At the same time, Ford had launched its plan to update its infrastructure, and seized the opportunity brought by the global movement of integrating the voice, fax transmission network with data transmission and expanded its WAN to include its offices in Europe and elsewhere. The financial benefits also came from the fact that Ford adapted the TCP/IP protocol from the beginning and made sure that all its technical infrastructure upgrades adhere to the standards. This made the transition of its system to the Internet as cost effective as it could be.

Web Technologies

Intranets employ the hypertext and multimedia technology used on the Internet. Prior to 1989, when Tim burners-Lee invented the Web [4], most applications used standard development languages such as C and C++ to create desktop applications that were proprietary and dependent on the platform. For example, applications running on a command-based operating system such as UNIX would not run under Windows, and those working for PCs might not work on Apple computers and vice versa [5]. The invention of HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) introduced a new model for applications that conform to the standards provided by a single program, the “Web Browser”. Unlike standard applications, the browser brought a unified interface that had a very fast learning curve. Users seem to require no additional training to work with web browsers. Furthermore, system administrators did not have to spend time installing upgrades on users’ machines, since the Intranet client/server architecture facilitated all the updates through the connection with the web server [6].

Since Ford established its Intranet, it was aiming at building web applications through the initial analysis of “Mosaic”, the early form of web browsers. The technical department at Ford used web languages to create the first web site in 1995. In 1996, the team started building applications making use of the unified “Netscape” browser that was deployed on all machines at the company, and working on a standard template to cut on the development life cycle. There was a substantial cut in training cost due to the user-friendly interface of web applications. Furthermore, the speed of development made vital applications available to different individuals across the company. For example, the B2B site allowed suppliers remote and secured access to various sections of Ford’s Intranet. In addition, the development team created an application as a virtual teardown on Ford’s website where Ford’s engineers could examine parts of competitors’ cars and evaluate any new technologies. The alternative would have been an actual trip to a physical location where Ford tears down cars to examine the parts.

Knowledge Management

While there are many definitions for knowledge, each company might adapt its own based on how it analysis data and information to acquire knowledge. The University of Kentucky, for example, defines knowledge as “a vital organization resource. It is the raw material, work-in process, and finished good of decision-making. Distinct types of knowledge used by decision makers include information, procedures, and heuristics, among others… ” [7].

Organizations go through different activities to manage the amount of information they collect to form the knowledge base of the company. Activities include creating databases of best practices and market intelligence analysis, gathering filtering and classifying data, incorporating knowledge into business applications used by employees, and developing focal points for facilitating knowledge flow and building skills [8].

Ford was excited about the traffic it was receiving on the Web site and everyone was publishing all the material they have on desk on the Intranet. Nevertheless, there was a growing concern about the usability and usefulness of the material people were adding. As a result, Ford created a “Knowledge Domain Team” to build complete information in nine areas that were identified as vital to the business. The process Ford took was based on surveys and specialists input in how people perceive information, and what is considered vital and what is distracting in the structure of Ford’s website. The aim behind the initiative was to reduce the time individuals spent in searching for information through proper indexing of the website content, and making sure that what was important could be accessed in due time, and what is trivial did not overwhelm the researcher with thousands of results.

Business Re-engineering

In the area of organization’s re-engineering process innovation is the set of activities that achieve substantial business improvements. Companies seeking to benefit from process innovation go through the regime of identifying the processes, the factors for change, developing the vision, understanding the current process, and building a prototype for the new organization. History shows that organizations who define their processes properly will not have problems managing the issues and developing the change factors [9]. When introducing technology, business redesign is necessary. The industrial fields have been using Information Technology to remodel processes, control production, and manage material for generations. However, it is only recently that companies recognized that the fusion of IT and business would go beyond automation to fundamentally reshaping how business processes are undertaken [10].

When foreign companies were allowed to compete in the U.S. market, Ford understood that to succeed in business in a competitive arena it needed to implement strategies that competitors find difficult to imitate [11]. As a result, Ford bought Sweden Volvo to enter the European market, and partially owned Mazda to have a competitive edge with Japanese cars1 [12]. To achieve that it re-engineered its production development activities and global corporate organization and processes for dramatic cost reduction. Furthermore, it understood that expansion requires collaboration and alignment, and thus planned to establish the IT infrastructure through a WAN that connected all the offices. In the process of innovation and re-engineering, Ford has set policies to manage the cost of establishing the network, built models for continuous implementation, and organized global meetings to align all parties with the process. Adding to that, when it came to managing the website, Ford facilitated an awareness campaign for all the branches to understand that Ford is using the web to collaborate and research and adapting information technology as a way to maximize its business value. The goal for Ford was to maintain its leadership in the market and to do that in the most efficient and cost effective method that is there.

Supply chain management

Supply chain management (SCM) is about coordinating between suppliers, manufactures, distributors, retailers, and customers [13]. The basic idea that SCM applications revolve around is providing information to all those who are involved in making decisions about the product or goods to manage delivery from the supplier to the consumer [14]. Studies show that reducing errors in supply chain distribution, increases revenue, enhances productivity, and reduces the order-to-fulfillment period [15].

Ford often compared its supply chain process to that of Dell’s, in an attempt to close the gaps in its own process and reach the level of success Dell has reached. The difference in the distribution model between Dell and Ford lies in the middle link of using retail shops. Since Ford cannot skip retail as a focal distribution point, it worked on establishing a network of retail shops that it owned. Ford made sure shops are not affecting each other in terms of sales, and gave them all a standard look and feel to establish itself in the consumer’s market as a prestigious cars sales retail company. Furthermore, extensive re-engineering initiatives were undertaken to enhance Ford external network by eliminating the correlation with smaller suppliers. In that way, Ford made sure that key suppliers have access to forecasting data from customers’ purchasing trends and production information to enable a faster order-to-delivery cycle. Ford vision was to create a model that allowed flexibility, predicable processes and delivered the product at the right time to the right consumer.

Conclusions

Ford is an example of how traditional organizations can mature to adapt what is current and maximizes the business value. The process that Ford went through necessitated the continuous support from management. In addition, it depended on alignment between those involved as a key for success. The correlation was not restricted to internal staff; it extended to cover competitors to reach mutual benefits, to work with suppliers to maintain similar grounds and adequate infrastructure, and to create training programs to educate all on the vision and organization’s objectives.

Ford technical progress came at a time where the Internet was yet to reach its full potential. The introduction of Fiber-optic cables in the late 90’s and the substantial increase in bandwidth would have helped Ford and cut on the cost in endured connecting its own offices. Furthermore, the ISP services that provided hosting servers were limited to only few players, which explained why Ford preferred to manage its own web server and maintain the overhead of the 24 hours uptime and backup.

From this case study, I understood the level of commitment large firms have to maintaining their position in the market. These companies know the revolving nature of business in the sense of how easy it is to fall back if they did not keep up with the change. The Ford process also shows the need for quick and resourceful thinking when faced with situations that might seem to be unfavorable. The way Ford ventured into the foreign market by acquiring local manufacturers was a strategic decision that did not only enabled Ford to merge with different technologies, but it also saved it the additional cost of establishing production centers in Japan and Europe.

Recommendations

  • Maintaining leadership in the market requires innovative organizations willing to reengineer to succeed.
  • IT fusion with the business means restructuring and remodeling to understand the role IT would play to meet the business objectives
  • Planning and modeling is vital when coordinating work with large teams.
  • Constructing websites is not about content; it is about understanding what adds value and how humans interact with information.
  • Knowledge management is a plan that companies need to develop as part of their initial business process modeling
  • It is not wrong for large firms to try to adapt to successful processes implemented by other firms.

References

  1. Robert D. Austin and Mark Cotteleer,”Ford Motor Co.: Maximizing the Business Value of Web Technologies.” Harvard Business Publishing. July 10, 1997. harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=WDARNHINBSYKSAKRGWCB5VQBKE0YOISW?id=198006 (accessed July 30, 2008).
  2. Computer History Museum, Internet History 80’s. 2006. computerhistory.org/internet_history/internet_history_80s.shtml (accessed July 30, 2008).
  3. Darren Wilksch and Peter Shoubridge, “IP Convergence in Global Telecommunications.” Defense Science & Technology Organization. March 2001. http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2400/DSTO-TR-1046.pdf (accessed July 30, 2008).
  4. Computer History Museum, Internet History 80’s.
  5. H. Joseph Wen, “From client/server to intranet.” Information Management & Computer Security (MCB UP Ltd) 6, no. 1 (1998): 15-20.
  6. R. Boutaba, K. El Guemioui, and P. Dini, “An outlook on intranet management.” Communications Magazine (IEEE), October 1997: 92-99.
  7. Joseph M. Firestone, Enterprise Information Portals and Knowledge Management (OXFORD: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 169.
  8. David J. Skyrme, “Knowledge management solutions – the IT contribution.” ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin (ACM) 19, no. 1 (April 1998): 34 – 39, 34.
  9. Thomas H. Davenport, Process Innovation: Reengineering Work Through Information Technology (Watertown,MA: Harvard Business Press, 1993), 28.
  10. Thomas H. Davenport “The New Industrial Engineering: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign.” Sloan Management Review 31, no. 4 (Summer 1990): 11-28, 12
  11. Gary M. Erickson, Robert Jacobson, and Johny K. Johansson, “Competition for market share in the presence of strategic invisible assets: The US automobile market, 1971-1981.” International Journal of Research in Marketing (Elsevier Science) 9, no. 1 (March 1992): 23-37, 23.
  12. Austin and Cotteleer, “Ford Motor ” , 2.
  13. Henk A. Akkermans, et al. “The impact of ERP on supply chain management: Exploratory findings from a European Delphi study.” European Journal of Operational Research 146 (2003): 284-301, 286
  14. Thomas H. Davenport and Jeffrey D. Brooks, “Enterprise systems and the supply chain.” Journal of Enterprise Information Management 17, no. 1 (2004): 8-19, 9.
  15. Kevin B. Hendricks, Vinod R. Singhal, and Jeff K. Stratman. “The impact of enterprise systems on corporate performance:A study of ERP, SCM, and CRM system implementations.” Journal of Operations Management 25, no. 1 (January 2007): 65-82.

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Source by Sally Ahmed

Vehicle Choices For a Handyman Business

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Nothing wastes more time than running back and forth to the store to get one more item. It is far more efficient for you if you carry most of the tools you are going to need with you at all times. In a sense, as a handyman on the go, you are going to need to have a small traveling hardware store with you.

That means you are going to need some storage space. Most handymen get by with a truck that has a cap or a “topper”. If gives them the storage space of an SUV, but they do not have to change vehicles if they already have a reliable truck. Of course, if you have the budget to get a new (or good used) vehicle, then some alternatives come up. Vans are a proven vehicle for service people of all kinds. They have more room than a pickup truck with a cap, which lets you actually walk into your little traveling hardware store.

If you can not afford a new (or used) cap for your truck, or you do not even have a truck right now, do not despair. If you are just getting started you can certainly get by with whatever room is in the passenger seat and the back seat. The most important thing is to have whatever you are driving look clean and well cared for. The old “pride of ownership” will go a long way here. Your customers might get a little suspicious if you were driving a brand new top-of-the-line vehicle anyway, so make the most of the fact that a used but clean truck or car makes you look honest.

In terms of color for your ride, white vehicles look a bit more like standard service vehicles. That does not mean you need to re-paint whatever you are driving now, but when the time comes to upgrade, go with white for the professionalism points.

Another major consideration for your vehicle is fuel efficiency. Expect to be driving over 1000 miles a month. If fuel prices jack up again, even a little bit, that could seriously cut into your profits. You can, of course, raise your rates a bit, trim your service area or start charging an “out of town” fuel fee, but all of that just masks the problem. According to the government fuel economy site, the most efficient standard size trucks are the Chevrolet Silverado 15 Hybrid wheel drive and the GMC Sierra 15 Hybrid 2 wheel drive. For small pickup trucks, the Ford Ranger 2 wheel drive and the Toyota Tacoma 2 wheel drive win. For cargo vans, the Chevrolet Express 1500 2 wheel drive and the GMC Savanna 1500 2 wheel drive get the top fuel efficiency prizes.

For what its worth, I own a predecessor of the Toyota Tacoma, but mine is 4 wheel drive. It is approaching 200,000 miles and still runs beautifully, even when there is half a ton of cinder block in the back. My first vehicle was a GMC Suburban, and though I was not too focused on how well it ran and its utility as a work vehicle, the old, wise men at the rural New Hampshire coffee shops always seemed to approve of it, saying, “Now that’s a Vehicle”. It is sad to have to note that four wheel drive does not make for good fuel efficiency, but anyone who has driven a four wheel knows how quickly the power from those extra two wheels drains the gas tank. That said, depending on where you live, having a four wheel drive may be the difference between getting to the job or not getting to the job.

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Source by Pamella Neely

5 Fuel Efficiency Tips for Driving a Turbo Diesel Car

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Tips for driving efficiently:

1. Turn off your electrics.

Having any electrics in the car running while you’re driving have an effect on fuel efficiency. Even little things like having the defroster on, the radio playing, and charging phones can make a difference. Air conditioning takes a lot more fuel than you might think, so turn that and your posh seat warmers off if you don’t need them.

2. Avoid frequent stops.

Remember, your turbo diesel isn’t like a hybrid Toyota Prius where it’s beneficial to stop often to recharge the electric battery. Braking requires you to build up your speed again, making you stress the engine more, which leads to less fuel economy. Traffic jams and frequent stops can kill your fuel efficiency, so in some situations, driving by a less direct or slower route with less traffic on it might be a better choice if you want to save money at the pump.

3. Drive at efficient speeds.

Try to use the highway as much as possible. Your car has an efficiency “sweet spot” that depends on the vehicle you’re driving, but mostly you can only get your best efficiency while on the highway. Going too fast or too slow can lead to inefficient driving. Also, avoid driving in the right lane as much as possible, because you’ll be tempted to drive at faster-than-efficient speeds, unless staying in the slow lane is causing you to brake too frequently.

4. Pay attention to gear changes.

If you drive a manual transmission car, you should try to always be in the highest gear possible and be careful to not switch gears at high revs. You don’t really need the power you get from lower gears unless you’re passing someone. Most people miss an efficient gear change by a couple hundred RPMs each gear change, which can add up over periods of time to a lot of lost fuel. If you have an automatic transmission, you should use cruise control as much as possible because the computers in your car are much more diligent about keeping your RPMs in check than you are.

5. Make sure your glow plug is ready.

If you turn on the car while your glow plug light is still on in your dash, it can waste fuel, and if you do this frequently, it adds up.

The more fuel you save using these techniques means you don’t have to consume as much fuel or spit out as much CO2 as a petrol car will. Diesels, when used as designed, get much better mileage than petrol cars and give off less CO2 emissions. The Ford Focus TDCi only gives off 120g/km of CO2 and there are some cars that give off even less g/km of CO2. The more diesels, the more polar bears, it seems. So if you’re looking to save money at the pump and do some good for the planet as a whole while still having a great driving experience, look no further than a turbo diesel!

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Source by Hugh McInnes

How the Top 13 Companies Use PR

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#1 Apple

Product placements in many moves and TV shows with the stars using their products. For example, a great shot of JUST THE IPHONE and nothing else in the Sex in the City Movie. My favorite? I am Legend!

#2 Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffet, the most successful investor in the world apologizes to his stockholders for making mistakes in the bad economy.

#3 Toyota Motors

They sponsored Top Chef Chicago in 2008. Not only did they have commercials every other second but every shopping trip was in a Rav 4

#4 Google

Becoming a verb and being used in a movie with Jennifer Lopez in Maid in America, Google was written into the script!

#5 Johnson & Johnson

Not only do they have a you tube channel, they also have multiple Facebook pages for the different segments of their market.

#6 Proctor and Gamble

Took Movie product placements to Books! Cathy’s book, Persius book authors agreed to have character use certain make up products!

#7 Fed Ex

Movie product placement abounds! Bowfinger, Runaway Bride and of course their super commercial called Cast Away!

#8 Southwest Airlines

Lots of papers are written on them because of their service.

#9 General Electric

Top Chef is heavy with their appliances.

#10 Microsoft

Bollywood has been the beneficiary of their product placements.

#11 Wal-Mart Stores

Product placements on shows like Dame Chocolate and others.

#12 Coca-Cola

Obama was seen drinking a Coke during the campaign. With giant cups placed on the desks in American Idol, In a children’s book about dinosaurs, there is a coke bottle on every page, The Democratic convention, Madea goes to Jail and the Olympics make them product placement champs.

#13 Walt Disney

The View from Walt Disney Studios and Marley and ME…need I say more?

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Source by Letitia Wright