Financing SME Essay

The definition of Small & Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) varies from country to country. The classification can be based on the firm’s assets, number of employees, or annual turnover along with the loan amount. Central Bank of Sri Lanka defines SMEs as enterprises with less than Rs. 600 million turnover per annum and with a maximum exposure of Rs. 200 million mainly to be classified as a SME for Basel II Capital adequacy calculation and utilization of funds accumulated in the Investment Fund Account in Banks. Whatever the definition, and regardless of the size of the economy, the growth of SMEs throughout the region is crucial to growth of respective economies. Because, SMEs play a critical and important role in providing job opportunities, enhancing the quality of human resources, maximizing the use of local resources, saving foreign exchange, nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship, fostering creativity and opening up new business opportunities etc. Most corporate organizations in Sri Lanka or elsewhere are the establishments started as SMEs in its early stages. Classic examples from our own country may be Nawaloka Group, Access International, Softlogic Group of companies. In most literature, it is mentioned that access to financing has been recognized as a major impediment for many SMEs and its growth, whereas corporate business entities have the advantage over the SMEs in doing so primarily as a result of their formalization. However, according to Juliet Mckee and Kimball Dietrich (2003), most common problems for SMEs are the lack of access to market information and technology, the low quality of human resources and the lack of access to capital. Despite efforts by financial institutions and public-sector bodies to close funding gaps, SMEs continue to experience difficulty in obtaining risk capital. These funding gaps relate to firm size, risk, knowledge, and flexibility. The development literature focus a good deal of attention on issues faced by SMEs in accessing finance. Traditionally, the focus is on obstacles created by financial institutions, mainly by commercial banks or on imperfections in the broader institutional environment. However, SMEs also make decisions about financing and display attitudes that have an important bearing on financing decisions. Therefore, constraints may also appear on the â€Å"demand side† of the financing market. Objective of this article is to discuss the key challenges and issues for bankers pertaining to SME lending, of which, part of them are inherent in SMEs and for others bankers are responsible. 1. Issues of SMEs 1. 1 Lack of financial literacy or weak financial literacy In the literature, lack of financial literacy is designated as informational asymmetries where SMEs typically posses privileged information on their business that cannot be easily accessed or cannot be accessed at all by lenders or outsiders. Reasons for this may vary and also have different perspectives. SMEs are mainly driven by entrepreneurs who have nurtured in their own ways to prospective SMEs. As a result of hard ways of development, they either had no time to devote further education or do not believe in learning. This is evident from the credit applications that are submitted to banks for financing. This eventually leads to low levels of financial literacy among entrepreneurs. Financial literacy is the ability to understand how money works in the world: how someone manages to earn or make it, how that person manages it, how he/she invests it (turn it into more) and how that person donates it to help others. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resource. Though many SME owners are sound in developing business models and working out the profitability of products and services, understanding about the macro picture of the SME’s overall financial standing in terms of profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flows is week. As a result, they sometimes opt to resort to outsiders or merely depend on themselves in preparation of financial information which may or may not reflect the actual picture of the SMEs. Because of this impediment, banks have no choice, but to depend on collateral for SME financing. At the backdrop cash flow lending is encouraged, financial institutions are struggling to project the SMEs’ sustainable bankability. This is recognized as the main obstacle for banks and financial institutions in financing SMEs. One of the options to counter this impediment is the concept of â€Å"Para accountant†. A Para accountant is an external consultant who uses finance, economics, risk management and technology skills to help organizations prepare and report financial and tax statements according to accounting principles and regulatory requirements. A Para accountant also may review a firm’s internal controls, processes and procedures to ensure that such controls are adequate. A Para accountant may work on a client’s site or remotely. They are not necessarily qualified accountants, however, might be an option. Bankers’ prime objective in this endeavor is to develop reliable sources of information so that they could project the sustainable cash flows of the business. With this objective banks could train their credit appraisal officers as Para Accountants, who will interacts with prospective SMEs and develop a set of financial information while strengthening the banking relationship over a period of time. 1. 2 Entrepreneurs’ knowledge about building a prospective banking relationship A banking relationship is about much more than just selecting a bank to handle a company’s bank accounts. If the relationship is managed well, it can help a company to thrive. SMEs that use more than one bank will need to manage multiple banking relationships. A company will first have a business account (or several) at a retail bank (or banks) for all day-to-day financial transactions. Whether it is retail, SME or corporate, the banks should have a team of business banking advisers on hand, to advise and guide a company. It’s important to ensure continuity— banks usually offer a contact with a designated person and in turn expect to deal with the same person or persons from the company. A good banking relationship depends not only on personal rapport, but also by having a solid understanding of the company and its financial needs. Over time, a banking adviser should build up a good understanding of the company’s preferred ways of doing business and incorporate that into how their banking requirements are handled. There are many advantages having a sound banking relationship for SMEs. The bank is more likely to offer loans and other lines of credit, potentially at preferential rates of interest, if the bank advisers feel there is a good relationship with the company. The bank’s advice can be tailored for the company’s needs and personal style, rather than given generically. In times of crisis, a company having its bank’s support will be crucial. Even if a company is a text-book case of insolvency, strong personal rapport with a company representative means that the bank is more likely to offer leeway if it knows that directors are doing their utmost to keep the company going. Failure to develop a strong relationship, however, means that the SME is likely to miss out on good advice and, crucially, support in times of difficulty. However, unfortunately, many SMEs are not on the right track to understand the importance of having a good banking relationship. Given that no sound financial information are available, at least, SMEs should try to maintain a healthy customer relationship with the financial institution to entice financial needs, especially in difficult periods. It is both Bankers’ and SMEs’ responsibility of developing a prospective banking relationship over a period of time without compromising risk capital. More than the credit facilities, credit plus would be reasonably appropriate to start such a relationship and then move into advanced levels of relationships along with credit facilities. 1. 3 Financial discipline of entrepreneurs As Henry Ford correctly cited, â€Å"Wealth does not come accidently. You have to plan for it. † One’s discipline explains the right behavior and ability to take decisions without emotions. Hence, financial discipline is all about right financial decisions. In order to be financially discipline one should understand concepts of accounting and financial management in SME business. Accounting in general is all about record keeping and developing summary financial reports. Most commonly available financial reports or information are the profit and loss account, balance sheet and the cash flow statement. Unless SMEs keep records of their daily activities, it is difficult to develop financial statements with regard to their businesses. With no financial statements, SMEs will always struggle in making financial decisions. More often, there is no clear distinction between the business finance and the finances of the proprietor. Therefore, it is critical that the lender examines carefully borrower’s all commitments, i. e. , those related directly to the business and those associated with the proprietor’s private life and assets. Lack of Business Planning is a result of weak financial indiscipline in SMEs where investment decisions, working capital decisions, even pricing decisions are based on the entrepreneurs’ values than on facts. The lack of proper financial discipline results in incorrect business decisions, which hampers the sustainability of the SMEs. MacRobert (2002), in his SME manual explains why SME borrowers are different to commercial and corporate borrowers. One of the common reasons is unskilled/ untrained principals. Many SME principals in the Asia-Pacific region are self-starters, often with limited formal education, and minimal training in business management skills. That is not to say that they are incompetent, but that they often lack the capacity to research information on ways to strengthen their businesses, and, indeed, to be aware that such resources even exists. Role of the bankers in this regard is to educate the importance of financial discipline through strong banking relationships. Bankers are one of the key sources, to get SMEs to believe in financial discipline. Bank officers should take the initiatives in this endeavor to educate the SME owners. Role of the Government is also a key imperative in developing required conducive environment through institutional and policy frameworks. Some universities in Sri Lanka have already started dedicated departments to teach courses related entrepreneurship. (Example: University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Colombo) and It is important to note that Business studies is part of the GCE A/L curriculum. Recent budget proposals in 2011, 2012 and 2013 has given enough support to encourage SMEs and SME financing and one of the very useful proposals was to direct government banks to set up dedicated SME Branches not only to facilitate SMEs with easy access to finance, but also to educate SME owners and to guide and direct them to right places and people. However, strengthening the institutional framework to develop business development support services is also an imperative. 2. Issues with Banks SMEs are not only critical to the economy, but also to the banks’ profitability. Most diversified banks maintain a substantial percentage of exposure to the SMEs as a strategic investment given the diversity within the SME portfolio itself. It is always profitable, but need to properly evaluate and closely monitor the delinquencies to avoid any credit risks. It is a perception as well as a fact sometimes, that SMEs are always highly risky as explained by many banks. It may be due to several factors including, non availability of financial information, no tax returns, no collateral, one man show, highly sensitive to economic conditions, no proper organizational structure, and many more. These are reasons given to avoid or very conservative underwriting of SME credit proposals. As a result of these reasons, credit policies of financial institutions are based on stringent credit guidelines. 2. Institutional framework with hindering process issues In the case of many developing countries, the above mentioned obstacles to SME financing are exacerbated by institutional and process factors. Most developing countries are still highly concentrated and have uncompetitive banking sectors. This reinforces the tendency to adopt conservative lending policies. Credit policies which mainly cover the credit risk and market risk, endorse a processes which covers many elements to secure exposure, while satisfying the regulator’s requirements. This eventually results in a value driven Credit culture in financial institutions. According to MacDonald and Timothy (2006), management’s credit policy determines how much risk the bank will take and in what form. A bank’s credit culture refers to the fundamental principles that drive lending activity and how management analyzes risk. There can be large differences in their lending philosophy. The three potentially different credit cultures are: values driven, current profit driven, and market share driven. The institutional framework is reflected through the credit policy in this part of the world, the tendency is to inculcate a value driven credit culture, which has the following attributes: Focus is on credit quality with strong risk management systems and controls Primary emphasis is on bank’s soundness and stability and a consistent market presence Underwriting is conservative and significant loan concentrations are not allowed. Typical outcome is lower current profits from loans with fewer loan losses It is evident with lower non- performing ratios prevailing in banks justifies that credit risk is covered with loan risk mitigation factors and discourage granting venture capital to SMEs. Eventually, SMEs need to resort to acceptable securities which hinders them from easy access to finance from financial institutions. 2. 2 Collateral syndrome (Risk avert) Strong value driven credit cultures in financial institutions always tighten the belts in covering credit risk. Unless the financial institutions develop competencies in cash flow based lending, credit officers have no choice but to cover themselves with collateral in risky SME lending. Competencies itself will not drive the business unless the risky lending is rewarded with challenging business targets. Security based lending propositions are gradually becoming unhealthy for economies as it discourages strategically important investment decisions. Government of Sri Lanka recently enacted legislations to ease the pressure on SMEs through amendment of Parate execution where normal civil procedure of debt recovery should be applied for loans below Rs. five million with security of property mortgages. 2. 3 Weak competency in building cash flow based lending propositions Strong value based credit policies encourage security oriented lending and creates knowledge gaps in credit officers. Security oriented lending does not require strict cash flow projections and credit evaluations. Developing cash flow projections is an art and requires overall knowledge about the industry, technology, external factors (external climate) and specific firms (internal climate) along with econometrics modeling to analyze the cash flows. When it comes to large projects, knowledge in project appraisals and risk analysis will help the credit officers to get exposed to project financing. At the backdrop of investor confidence and developing businesses in emerging economies, venturing into risky business propositions is in the agenda of the banking and financial intuitions. Financing SMEs are risky but at the same time profitable, so indeed banks need to develop how best they could mitigate the risk of these ventures. One of the options is to gradually develop a culture of SME financing with confidence through development of competencies in their credit officers. Competency development not only addresses econometric techniques of analyzing and evaluating the credit proposals, but also industry knowledge and exposure, experiences of sick industries and business units, world politics and world economics, knowledge in emerging markets and technologies, behaviors and issues of labor, understanding the entrepreneurship etc. Conclusion Many of the literature examine the issues of financing SMEs world over. However, there are key issues not only from the SMEs point of view, but also from the financial institutions and, government’s point of views. No one can expect the SMEs to nurture in best practices all by themselves. In this regard, the role of financial intuitions is greater, when it comes to inculcate and nurture SMEs in the right directions. The issues for SME financing discussed above are the keys, but there are many others which needs further discussions.

Intro of Sefam Pvt. Ltd.

| | | | | | | | | | VISON TO BE A PREMIEM BRAND FOR PRET AS WELL AS DESIGNER WEAR LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY AND TO BE TREND SETTING MARKET LEADER BY PROVIDING TO OUR CUSTOMERS ELEGANT AND SOPHISTICATED ATTIRE WITHOUR COMPROMISING ON QUALITY.MISSION HISTORY Sefam was established in 1985 with the launch of its first brand ‘Bareeze'. Bareeze's singular mission, and at time Sefam's was to create beautiful, desirable fabrics equal to the best in the world, yet made in Pakistan. Prior to Bareeze's entry into the market, amazingly, the concept of a locally made quality fashion product did not exist. All the best markets only sold and foreign fabric and foreign goods. Opening the first store in shadman market, Lahore in 1985, Bareeze sought to change this perception.The first collection sold out in a matter of days and very soon the store had garnered the image of being a store which sells quality imported fabric claiming it to be local. Soon after, another Bareeze store was opened and then another and another. Currently, Bareeze sells from and operates 57 stores nationwide and another 10 globally. Bareeze has the distinction of being the first Pakistani chain store as well as the first Pakistani brand to go abroad (Dubai in 1995). Sefam has since broadened its vision from qua lity, desireable fabrics to quality desireable clothing for all categories of consumer.Currently sefam operates 5 brands and a total of 321 points of sale 107 location to this, sefam's brands also sell exclusively at another 10 locations worldwide. Sefams brands are: Bareeze Leisure Club Minnie Minors Chinyere Home Expressions Kayseria SERINA DYEING AND FINISHING By 1999, there was already an undeniable need for a reliable dyeing and finishing source to cater to internal processing requirements of the group. Previous experiences in the local outsourcing market had proven to be difficult with high rejection rates and unreliable delivery times.Hence Sarena was commissioned in March 2001, as a subs idiary of the Sefam Group of Industries. Since the time of inception, the factory has undergone expansion every year of its existence and now stands at 6 times its original capacity, with a heavy presence in the export market and state-of-the-art machinery. Sarena has had to work hard to make a mark in the export market. We owe our success to constant change and modernization and consistent quality. The group has invested heavily in machinery, technology and manpower to bring the process under control.Sarena boasts some of the most well-renowned brand names in textile machinery such as  Monforts, Bruckner, Babcock, Lafer, Goller, Benninger, Parex  and many more. Our dyes and chemicals are imported from only the most respected global companies such as  Dye Star, Ciba, ICI, BASF, Clariant  etc. Alongside we have spared no expense in conformance accreditations and staff training. Sarena is  ISO  and  OkoTexCertified. In addition our in-house laboratory is underway to beco ming the first private laboratory in Pakistan to achieve the  ISO 17025, which signifies conformance, reliability and standardization in all our testing procedures.We believe, that in today's world, it is important to be competitive not only on the basis of pricing, quality   and service but also in R. Accordingly we invest heavily on development in weaves, finishes and constructions, and have a fresh batch of new developments offered to our foreign clientele every month. This adds to our existing portfolio consisting of successfully tested finishes such as micro-sanding, fire-retardant,   mildew-resistance, anti-bacterial, wrinkle-resistance, pre/post cure, Teflon, soil repellency etc.We feel that it is out of all of the above, which spring from our thorough commitment to quality, that we still retain today our very first accounts. We invite you to come and share our quality experience. ALI EMBROIDERY MILLS (PVT. )LTD Hamedi Embroidery Mills (Pvt. ) Ltd. was established in 19 72 to do schiffli embroidery work for the local whole-sale market that was mainly catering for the low end of the textiles segment. From the beginning, Hamedi enjoyed a good reputation for its fair dealings and commitment.With the result that it had already doubled its capacity by 1978. However, in the next two to three years the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran revolution affected the embroidery industry of Pakistan so adversely that a majority of the businesses went bankrupt, and the government was forced to declare embroidery Sick Industry of Pakistan. It was at this juncture that Hamedi changed its focus from the low end of the market and concentrated on making the best possible quality of embroidery for the premium urban consumer of Pakistan.The machines as well as the business culture were ‘overhauled' with this new end in mind, and in 1985 Hamedi's sister concern, Sefam (Pvt. ) Limited, launched the new high quality product from the city of Lahore. The produ ct was well received and soon the embroidery production capacity needed enhancement. Hamedi grew rapidly by acquiring some existing embroidery facilities as well as adding machines to its original setup. It was also the first in Pakistan to import the state of the art computerized schiffli machines and designing systems from Saurer Stick Systems of Switzerland.It was then decided by the management that the the different embroidery companies be merged into one company by the name of Ali Embroidery Mills (Pvt. ) Limited. In the relentless pursuit of quality and innovation, a number of Ali Embroidery's staff were sent to Switzerland to receive training in new designing methods, machine operating procedures, and quality control techniques. At the same time, many qualified experts from Korea and Switzerland are routinely engaged to come and do hands-on training of Ali's technicians and designers at our premises.Consequently, Ali Embroidery Mills has the most well trained embroidery staff in Pakistan. This human resource combined with the many state of the art computerized machines, and designing and sampling systems has ensured that the quality of Ali's product is by far the best in the country. . Today Ali has 30 schiffli machines, and is the largest manufacturer of embroidered fabric in Pakistan. More important than the number of machines is the fact that Ali has more goodwill than all the local competitors combined. This has been a result of Ali's philosophy of fair dealings with everyone including suppliers, employees and clients.We believe that quality begins in-house when we decide to make a positive impact in the lives of all the different groups of people that will come in contact with our business. Along with this ideology, our focus on continuous innovation in products and procedures has made sure that we are always able to stay abreast of the competition OUR BRANDS BAREEZE With over three decades of commitment to quality, Bareeze is today, a recognized b rand for quality products in the domestic and international markets. It is owned by sefam (Pvt. ) Ltd. a sister concern of Sarena Industries and Ali Embroidery Mills (Pvt) Ltd. The Bareeze range includes crisp cottons, luxurious silks, sheer organza, chic chiffons and an ever-developing range of inovative products. Textile embroidery is an art-rooted tradition. Hand-done embroidery from the sub-continent was always considered a quintessence of quality, reflecting an exclusive fashion option. Bareeze is proud to be the modern day perfection of transforming traditional sub-continent hand embroidery into exclusive Bareeze fashion fabrics. Each Design – a MasterpieceTaking as much pride in our products as the traditional artisan, we ensure that Bareeze fabrics are superbly fashioned, exquisitely detailed and carefully finished, so that each design is a masterpiece. Excellence – a Bareeze Hallmark The use of only the best materials and unflinching resolve not to compromise on quality, coupled with the use of the best swiss textile machinery enables us to produce embroidered fabrics which compare favorably with the best in the world. We have more than 50 outlets nationwide, and already well established setups in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Delhi and London.Bareeze Brands There is something for everyone at all Bareeze Stores. Our resolve to excellence and decades of experience with success has enabled us to extend our product range and provide our clientele with a varied and extremely creative collection of Ready-to-Wear, Pret and Home Textile collections covering all age groups. Bareeze is a trendsetter in the mainstream fashion industry CHINYERE Chinyere is a brand synonymous with sophistication & style. The Chinyere success story began in 1999 that has now evolved into the country's most popular and accessible fashion brand.Chinyere garments are designed in-step with global fashions and in keeping with our tradition. Catering to women as well as men, today Chinyere has displays at all Bareeze outlets and is manufacturing †¢ Casual Wear †¢ Formal Wear †¢ Couture †¢ Mens Wear †¢ Sleep Wear †¢ Abayas †¢ Accessories †¢ Jewellery for the local and the international markets. MINNIE MINORS Minnie Minors is a specialty kids brand selling high-quality apparel and accessories for children under the Boys, Girls, Infants, Party Line, Toys n Tales and Accessories categories. Minnie Minor’s history begins in 1998, making it one of the oldest kids brand in its field.The appeal of the Minnie Minors is so high since its inception due to its versatile designing, high quality manufacturing, high-quality merchandise and modern retail for children ages newborn to five. Sub Brands Today Minnie Minor’s brands include Minitoes and MOM2B. Minitoes Minitoes kid's footwear is available in a range of sandals, booties, joggers, canvas casuals, long shoes. Each season Minitoes expands its extensive collec tion by adding new styles and collections. These change each season and some are only available in limited edition while others may be around for seasons to come.Check out what’s new this season. From easy on-easy off designs to the low profile, lightweight outsoles. Your kids will love the look, you’ll appreciate the supportive footbed and roomy construction and you’ll both flip for the super fun patterns. MOM2B Pregnant women want to feel pretty, attractive and comfortable in clothes that fit their style, their taste and their budget. Whether you are a pregnant woman or lady in plus size, MOM2B will allow you to discover the best clothes to wear during pregnancy whatever the size of your belly! Here’s an innovative range of apparel for expectant mothers. An irresistible ariety of styles that is trendy, traditional and sophisticated all at the same time fulfilling all of mom’s social and mood requirements. For her comfort Mom2B also offers customi zed accessories like stretch lowers and a variety of stretch-to-comfort materials giving a natural support and lift to the tummy. . Minnie Minors Outlets Minnie Minors Outlets offers what our customers know and love about us: unique quality and style—at all outlets. There are 59 Minnie Minors Outlet stores open at premier locations nationwide with the international corporate existence at London, Manchester, Dubai and Norway.HOME EXPRESSIONS Bareeze started Home Expessions in 1999. A commitment. Home Expression ranges offer you the luxury of designed bed/ bath/table accessories. Our linen Range Is produced using the best quality cottons and polyester -cottons,dyed with speacil skill,to ensure color fastness. The 100% percale fabric used is among the finest in world . Bed linen range is combine with the distinctive embroidery designsand colors. Cotton range offers applique range which is of   more luxury and parint range which is of daily use . The bed spreads are hand -made and the embellishmaent is â€Å"Zardozi†work.This involves Working on pure velvets ,silks organzas ,jamawars and net with the finest material avaiable . this range offers bed spreads. dulais. cushions ,rugs ,photo albums fancy trunks  and table accessories . Upcomming attraction for the coustomer is leather range which includes cushions ,rugs ,table accessories . Choosing the right kind of bedding means you are half way there to get good night sleep. you will find bed linen in a color and quality you love . KAYSERIA After bringing a revolution in embroidery, Sefam Pvt. Ltd. now launches another brand Kayseria – Magic in print.Welcome to the unique world of Kayseria, where every design is a masterpiece. Kayseria brings you a very special selection of pure silks and cottons in form of exclusive prints, complemented by beautiful and intricate embroideries and embellishments, to create a stunning array of fabrics, colour and designs. The designs crafted at Kayseria are t rendy yet traditional, encompassing the richness of our ethnicity and culture. If you want to pamper yourself, indulge in someone you love, or just feel special, take yourself to nearest Kayseria store. Kayseria gives you real designer clothes at affordable prices.LEISURE CLUB â€Å"Once upon a time, in a land of 180 million people, where locally made high quality, trendy clothing was not available, a compassionate and quality obsessed brand by the name of Leisure Club stepped forward to fill in the void. And so, on April 18th, 1997, hardcoded with the values of compassion, quality, integrity, and ingenuity, Leisure embarked on its mission. After 14 years of unparalleled excellence, Leisure Club has evolved into Pakistan’s no. 1 family fashion destination, featuring 3 premium sub-brands: Club X, LC Boutique, and LC Kids.Club X provides trendy urban street wear for young adults, LC boutique offers elegant eastern wear for the entire family, and LC Kids gives cool clothing opt ions for kids†. MOM2B Here’s an innovative range of apparel for expectant mothers. An irresistable variety of styles that are trendy, traditional and sophisticated all at the same time fulfilling all of mom’s social and mood requirements. For her comfort Mom2B also offers customised accessories like stretch lowers and a variety of stretch-to-comfort materials giving a natuaral support and lift to the tummy.Casual Wear Extra Support Accessories CAREER ARTICLE AND ADVICES Life at Sefam: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide employment to everyone regardless of their colour, race & gender. We believe our employees as our greatest asset and do not compromise on the potential and standard of our workforce. Our Philosophy: Continuous Learning Maintain High Standards Creativity and Innovative We are growing continuously and ensure our employees to share our growth with us and generate new quality standards for our competitors to reach. What we look for:While hiring, we look for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are creative and are ready to take initiative. What make our company the best employer is the healthy environment which we provide by allowing the staff to experiment and touch the new horizons. Career Development: Continuous development is our philosophy and we believe that every employee needs some kind of training or guidance to perform better. For this purpose we arrange annual and bi annual training programs in order to groom our work force. We also sponsor small courses for employees learning. How to Apply:To apply follow the steps given below: Look for the opportunity of your interest in the current vacancy List by clicking Current Openings Tab. Click   Details to view the job description. Click Apply for the application Form. If you don’t see an opportunity of your interest, click on the Apply Online Tab. Fill the Online Form and after completing it click Submit Hardwork Has No Substitute But It Should B e Focused And Followed By Tolerance, Forbearance And Fortitude, Highlights Ms. Neegam Qayyum, Executive HR, Sefam (Pvt) Ltd. Q. 1. What makes your company an attractive employer for the job seekers? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  Despite of the fact that the current market situation for employment is not very favorable, even in such conditions, Sefam (Pvt) Ltd continuous to grow and hire new staff. Sefam (Pvt) Ltd is a growing organization which has one of the largest retail chain networks nationwide. We have a diversified workforce working at all levels. We experience low turnover rate and the best thing is the location of our head office which is in the centre of Lahore and proves to be convenient for the employees. Q. 2. What is your strategy on work-life balance and how do you achieve this balance yourself? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  Sefam provides a very comfortable environment which helps our employees to balance their personal and professional life. Facilities like leaves, short leaves and t ime policy helps us to manage our work-life balance. We have relaxed and helpful environment which keeps employees motivated and enables them to manage their regular activities. In my views, the best way of achieving balance between professional and personal life is to prioritize the tasks according to their importance in our lives. Just set up your priorities and I am sure that there are very less chances of being left behind. Q. 3.Do you believe that Pakistani universities are creating an effective talent pool and what is your company’s strategy to attract the best talent in Pakistan? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  We can not say that our universities are not producing talents but there is lot more which needs to be done. Most of the graduates, after passing out of the universities, are not aware of their own skills and abilities due to which the candidates get confused in choosing an appropriate career. The lack of exposure of practical life which creates a greater challenge to fin d a job in such a competitive environment is another area to be taken good care of.The institutions need to bring out the confidence and help the graduate’s identity their skills and talent. They should be given the appropriate exposure of the market which will set them out to find an appropriate career. Career Counseling should be provided to all students on individual basis. Q. 4. Due to rough economic situation and soaring price rise, how does your company deal with keeping itself cost effective and attractive for job seekers? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  The economic situation has been very rough from the last couple of years and has affected every enterprise.However, even in such conditions Sefam has never stopped hiring and hasn’t gone for any sort of layoffs as yet. Sefam’s continuous growth has kept the spirits high. Sefam does not compromise on quality of our staff and products. We are working on more effective recruitment ways to keep our hiring costs low and retain our valuable employees. Q. 5. What are, in your views, the basic principles of success in a professional life? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I believe in: â€Å"Work , Work and Work† as said by our Quaid. Hard work has no substitute but it should be focused and followed by tolerance, forbearance and fortitude. Be open to learn new lessons, even if they contradict the lessons you learned yesterday†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   -Ellen De Generes Q. 6. How would you rate the success and importance of  online recruitment  firms such as ROZEE. PK? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  Online recruitment firms have made recruitment a lot easier, reliable and cost effective. However, it still needs to flourish and create maximum awareness in Pakistan. As the economic conditions get stable and new opportunities hit the market, online recruitment will be the most reliable one. ROZEE. PK has definitely made a mark in Pakistani job market and it has set up the trend of online recruitment in Pakistan.Q. 7. How has ROZEE. PK helped your firm regarding recruitment i. e. Have you tried any recruitment tools provided by ROZEE. PK e. g. Job Fairs/Job Postings/CV Search? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  We have been using various tools provided by ROZEE. PK and have also participated in their different Job Fairs. It has been very useful and effective in certain areas. It not only provides us with a good pool of candidates but also markets our company’s actual name in the market (We are known by the name of Bareez’e which is one of our famous brands). ROZEE.PK has always been helpful to make a pool of candidates which makes it easy to select best out of them Q. 8. What is the scope of Human Resource Management in Pakistan? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  As far as my limited experience is concerned, I believe that human resource is the ‘humane’ part of organization. It is the only department which is sensitive to life, emotions, and feelings. HRM still has a long way to go in Pakistan. I am sure that time will come when every firm and institution will invest in such a department. The future of HR is bright along with a tough competition among candidates. Q. 9. Tell us about your educational life?Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I earned my bachelor’s degree from Kinnard College in sciences and started working with The City School. Later on I realized that I need to develop myself and the career which suited my skills and abilities was, as me and my Mentor came up with , was HRM. After completing my Masters Degree in HRM from Punjab University, I worked wih Strategic Systems International for some time and later joined Sefam (Pvt) Ltd. I focused on creating and bringing new ideas to life. I have been lucky enough that Sefam provided me the opportunity to start things from scratch enabling me to learn the practical ways of the field.I have been an average student and always worked on expressing things in my own definitions rather than learning by rote. I always used to re ad, understand, and express in my own words. Even in examinations I hardly used extra sheets. My focus has always been on practical part of the studies. Q. 10. What is your formula of success in life? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I don’t believe there can be a formula for success but what has always worked for me is prioritizing things both, personal and professional, followed by hardwork, persistence and the utmost important blessings, of Almighty Allah.Q. 11. What are the biggest turn-offs in an interview of a job applicant? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  The biggest turn-offs of a job applicant as I have experience are: †¢ The candidates who are not sure of the area they want to work in †¢ Candidates who ask the salary package first rather than position and job description. †¢ Candidates who are not confident in their mother language and to overcome their deficiency they keep on speaking incorrect English language. Q. 12. What do you look for in a candidate during a hiring interview session? Name 4 key things? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  The key factors I look for in a candidate are: †¢ Loyalty factor †¢ Optimistic approach towards career †¢ Relevant qualification and experience for passion to contribute Q. 13. Any good advice you want to give for the job seekers who want to enter and/ or prosper in the professional field? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I would rather suggest that job seekers should be aware of their inborn talent and creative skills before entering the Field and find a job matching their interest and set of skills. So that when they enter the practical life they sharpen up their skills rather than getting confused about their own abilities. Intro of Sefam Pvt. Ltd. | | | | | | | | | | VISON TO BE A PREMIEM BRAND FOR PRET AS WELL AS DESIGNER WEAR LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY AND TO BE TREND SETTING MARKET LEADER BY PROVIDING TO OUR CUSTOMERS ELEGANT AND SOPHISTICATED ATTIRE WITHOUR COMPROMISING ON QUALITY.MISSION HISTORY Sefam was established in 1985 with the launch of its first brand ‘Bareeze'. Bareeze's singular mission, and at time Sefam's was to create beautiful, desirable fabrics equal to the best in the world, yet made in Pakistan. Prior to Bareeze's entry into the market, amazingly, the concept of a locally made quality fashion product did not exist. All the best markets only sold and foreign fabric and foreign goods. Opening the first store in shadman market, Lahore in 1985, Bareeze sought to change this perception.The first collection sold out in a matter of days and very soon the store had garnered the image of being a store which sells quality imported fabric claiming it to be local. Soon after, another Bareeze store was opened and then another and another. Currently, Bareeze sells from and operates 57 stores nationwide and another 10 globally. Bareeze has the distinction of being the first Pakistani chain store as well as the first Pakistani brand to go abroad (Dubai in 1995). Sefam has since broadened its vision from qua lity, desireable fabrics to quality desireable clothing for all categories of consumer.Currently sefam operates 5 brands and a total of 321 points of sale 107 location to this, sefam's brands also sell exclusively at another 10 locations worldwide. Sefams brands are: Bareeze Leisure Club Minnie Minors Chinyere Home Expressions Kayseria SERINA DYEING AND FINISHING By 1999, there was already an undeniable need for a reliable dyeing and finishing source to cater to internal processing requirements of the group. Previous experiences in the local outsourcing market had proven to be difficult with high rejection rates and unreliable delivery times.Hence Sarena was commissioned in March 2001, as a subs idiary of the Sefam Group of Industries. Since the time of inception, the factory has undergone expansion every year of its existence and now stands at 6 times its original capacity, with a heavy presence in the export market and state-of-the-art machinery. Sarena has had to work hard to make a mark in the export market. We owe our success to constant change and modernization and consistent quality. The group has invested heavily in machinery, technology and manpower to bring the process under control.Sarena boasts some of the most well-renowned brand names in textile machinery such as  Monforts, Bruckner, Babcock, Lafer, Goller, Benninger, Parex  and many more. Our dyes and chemicals are imported from only the most respected global companies such as  Dye Star, Ciba, ICI, BASF, Clariant  etc. Alongside we have spared no expense in conformance accreditations and staff training. Sarena is  ISO  and  OkoTexCertified. In addition our in-house laboratory is underway to beco ming the first private laboratory in Pakistan to achieve the  ISO 17025, which signifies conformance, reliability and standardization in all our testing procedures.We believe, that in today's world, it is important to be competitive not only on the basis of pricing, quality   and service but also in R. Accordingly we invest heavily on development in weaves, finishes and constructions, and have a fresh batch of new developments offered to our foreign clientele every month. This adds to our existing portfolio consisting of successfully tested finishes such as micro-sanding, fire-retardant,   mildew-resistance, anti-bacterial, wrinkle-resistance, pre/post cure, Teflon, soil repellency etc.We feel that it is out of all of the above, which spring from our thorough commitment to quality, that we still retain today our very first accounts. We invite you to come and share our quality experience. ALI EMBROIDERY MILLS (PVT. )LTD Hamedi Embroidery Mills (Pvt. ) Ltd. was established in 19 72 to do schiffli embroidery work for the local whole-sale market that was mainly catering for the low end of the textiles segment. From the beginning, Hamedi enjoyed a good reputation for its fair dealings and commitment.With the result that it had already doubled its capacity by 1978. However, in the next two to three years the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the Iran revolution affected the embroidery industry of Pakistan so adversely that a majority of the businesses went bankrupt, and the government was forced to declare embroidery Sick Industry of Pakistan. It was at this juncture that Hamedi changed its focus from the low end of the market and concentrated on making the best possible quality of embroidery for the premium urban consumer of Pakistan.The machines as well as the business culture were ‘overhauled' with this new end in mind, and in 1985 Hamedi's sister concern, Sefam (Pvt. ) Limited, launched the new high quality product from the city of Lahore. The produ ct was well received and soon the embroidery production capacity needed enhancement. Hamedi grew rapidly by acquiring some existing embroidery facilities as well as adding machines to its original setup. It was also the first in Pakistan to import the state of the art computerized schiffli machines and designing systems from Saurer Stick Systems of Switzerland.It was then decided by the management that the the different embroidery companies be merged into one company by the name of Ali Embroidery Mills (Pvt. ) Limited. In the relentless pursuit of quality and innovation, a number of Ali Embroidery's staff were sent to Switzerland to receive training in new designing methods, machine operating procedures, and quality control techniques. At the same time, many qualified experts from Korea and Switzerland are routinely engaged to come and do hands-on training of Ali's technicians and designers at our premises.Consequently, Ali Embroidery Mills has the most well trained embroidery staff in Pakistan. This human resource combined with the many state of the art computerized machines, and designing and sampling systems has ensured that the quality of Ali's product is by far the best in the country. . Today Ali has 30 schiffli machines, and is the largest manufacturer of embroidered fabric in Pakistan. More important than the number of machines is the fact that Ali has more goodwill than all the local competitors combined. This has been a result of Ali's philosophy of fair dealings with everyone including suppliers, employees and clients.We believe that quality begins in-house when we decide to make a positive impact in the lives of all the different groups of people that will come in contact with our business. Along with this ideology, our focus on continuous innovation in products and procedures has made sure that we are always able to stay abreast of the competition OUR BRANDS BAREEZE With over three decades of commitment to quality, Bareeze is today, a recognized b rand for quality products in the domestic and international markets. It is owned by sefam (Pvt. ) Ltd. a sister concern of Sarena Industries and Ali Embroidery Mills (Pvt) Ltd. The Bareeze range includes crisp cottons, luxurious silks, sheer organza, chic chiffons and an ever-developing range of inovative products. Textile embroidery is an art-rooted tradition. Hand-done embroidery from the sub-continent was always considered a quintessence of quality, reflecting an exclusive fashion option. Bareeze is proud to be the modern day perfection of transforming traditional sub-continent hand embroidery into exclusive Bareeze fashion fabrics. Each Design – a MasterpieceTaking as much pride in our products as the traditional artisan, we ensure that Bareeze fabrics are superbly fashioned, exquisitely detailed and carefully finished, so that each design is a masterpiece. Excellence – a Bareeze Hallmark The use of only the best materials and unflinching resolve not to compromise on quality, coupled with the use of the best swiss textile machinery enables us to produce embroidered fabrics which compare favorably with the best in the world. We have more than 50 outlets nationwide, and already well established setups in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Delhi and London.Bareeze Brands There is something for everyone at all Bareeze Stores. Our resolve to excellence and decades of experience with success has enabled us to extend our product range and provide our clientele with a varied and extremely creative collection of Ready-to-Wear, Pret and Home Textile collections covering all age groups. Bareeze is a trendsetter in the mainstream fashion industry CHINYERE Chinyere is a brand synonymous with sophistication & style. The Chinyere success story began in 1999 that has now evolved into the country's most popular and accessible fashion brand.Chinyere garments are designed in-step with global fashions and in keeping with our tradition. Catering to women as well as men, today Chinyere has displays at all Bareeze outlets and is manufacturing †¢ Casual Wear †¢ Formal Wear †¢ Couture †¢ Mens Wear †¢ Sleep Wear †¢ Abayas †¢ Accessories †¢ Jewellery for the local and the international markets. MINNIE MINORS Minnie Minors is a specialty kids brand selling high-quality apparel and accessories for children under the Boys, Girls, Infants, Party Line, Toys n Tales and Accessories categories. Minnie Minor’s history begins in 1998, making it one of the oldest kids brand in its field.The appeal of the Minnie Minors is so high since its inception due to its versatile designing, high quality manufacturing, high-quality merchandise and modern retail for children ages newborn to five. Sub Brands Today Minnie Minor’s brands include Minitoes and MOM2B. Minitoes Minitoes kid's footwear is available in a range of sandals, booties, joggers, canvas casuals, long shoes. Each season Minitoes expands its extensive collec tion by adding new styles and collections. These change each season and some are only available in limited edition while others may be around for seasons to come.Check out what’s new this season. From easy on-easy off designs to the low profile, lightweight outsoles. Your kids will love the look, you’ll appreciate the supportive footbed and roomy construction and you’ll both flip for the super fun patterns. MOM2B Pregnant women want to feel pretty, attractive and comfortable in clothes that fit their style, their taste and their budget. Whether you are a pregnant woman or lady in plus size, MOM2B will allow you to discover the best clothes to wear during pregnancy whatever the size of your belly! Here’s an innovative range of apparel for expectant mothers. An irresistible ariety of styles that is trendy, traditional and sophisticated all at the same time fulfilling all of mom’s social and mood requirements. For her comfort Mom2B also offers customi zed accessories like stretch lowers and a variety of stretch-to-comfort materials giving a natural support and lift to the tummy. . Minnie Minors Outlets Minnie Minors Outlets offers what our customers know and love about us: unique quality and style—at all outlets. There are 59 Minnie Minors Outlet stores open at premier locations nationwide with the international corporate existence at London, Manchester, Dubai and Norway.HOME EXPRESSIONS Bareeze started Home Expessions in 1999. A commitment. Home Expression ranges offer you the luxury of designed bed/ bath/table accessories. Our linen Range Is produced using the best quality cottons and polyester -cottons,dyed with speacil skill,to ensure color fastness. The 100% percale fabric used is among the finest in world . Bed linen range is combine with the distinctive embroidery designsand colors. Cotton range offers applique range which is of   more luxury and parint range which is of daily use . The bed spreads are hand -made and the embellishmaent is â€Å"Zardozi†work.This involves Working on pure velvets ,silks organzas ,jamawars and net with the finest material avaiable . this range offers bed spreads. dulais. cushions ,rugs ,photo albums fancy trunks  and table accessories . Upcomming attraction for the coustomer is leather range which includes cushions ,rugs ,table accessories . Choosing the right kind of bedding means you are half way there to get good night sleep. you will find bed linen in a color and quality you love . KAYSERIA After bringing a revolution in embroidery, Sefam Pvt. Ltd. now launches another brand Kayseria – Magic in print.Welcome to the unique world of Kayseria, where every design is a masterpiece. Kayseria brings you a very special selection of pure silks and cottons in form of exclusive prints, complemented by beautiful and intricate embroideries and embellishments, to create a stunning array of fabrics, colour and designs. The designs crafted at Kayseria are t rendy yet traditional, encompassing the richness of our ethnicity and culture. If you want to pamper yourself, indulge in someone you love, or just feel special, take yourself to nearest Kayseria store. Kayseria gives you real designer clothes at affordable prices.LEISURE CLUB â€Å"Once upon a time, in a land of 180 million people, where locally made high quality, trendy clothing was not available, a compassionate and quality obsessed brand by the name of Leisure Club stepped forward to fill in the void. And so, on April 18th, 1997, hardcoded with the values of compassion, quality, integrity, and ingenuity, Leisure embarked on its mission. After 14 years of unparalleled excellence, Leisure Club has evolved into Pakistan’s no. 1 family fashion destination, featuring 3 premium sub-brands: Club X, LC Boutique, and LC Kids.Club X provides trendy urban street wear for young adults, LC boutique offers elegant eastern wear for the entire family, and LC Kids gives cool clothing opt ions for kids†. MOM2B Here’s an innovative range of apparel for expectant mothers. An irresistable variety of styles that are trendy, traditional and sophisticated all at the same time fulfilling all of mom’s social and mood requirements. For her comfort Mom2B also offers customised accessories like stretch lowers and a variety of stretch-to-comfort materials giving a natuaral support and lift to the tummy.Casual Wear Extra Support Accessories CAREER ARTICLE AND ADVICES Life at Sefam: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide employment to everyone regardless of their colour, race & gender. We believe our employees as our greatest asset and do not compromise on the potential and standard of our workforce. Our Philosophy: Continuous Learning Maintain High Standards Creativity and Innovative We are growing continuously and ensure our employees to share our growth with us and generate new quality standards for our competitors to reach. What we look for:While hiring, we look for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are creative and are ready to take initiative. What make our company the best employer is the healthy environment which we provide by allowing the staff to experiment and touch the new horizons. Career Development: Continuous development is our philosophy and we believe that every employee needs some kind of training or guidance to perform better. For this purpose we arrange annual and bi annual training programs in order to groom our work force. We also sponsor small courses for employees learning. How to Apply:To apply follow the steps given below: Look for the opportunity of your interest in the current vacancy List by clicking Current Openings Tab. Click   Details to view the job description. Click Apply for the application Form. If you don’t see an opportunity of your interest, click on the Apply Online Tab. Fill the Online Form and after completing it click Submit Hardwork Has No Substitute But It Should B e Focused And Followed By Tolerance, Forbearance And Fortitude, Highlights Ms. Neegam Qayyum, Executive HR, Sefam (Pvt) Ltd. Q. 1. What makes your company an attractive employer for the job seekers? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  Despite of the fact that the current market situation for employment is not very favorable, even in such conditions, Sefam (Pvt) Ltd continuous to grow and hire new staff. Sefam (Pvt) Ltd is a growing organization which has one of the largest retail chain networks nationwide. We have a diversified workforce working at all levels. We experience low turnover rate and the best thing is the location of our head office which is in the centre of Lahore and proves to be convenient for the employees. Q. 2. What is your strategy on work-life balance and how do you achieve this balance yourself? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  Sefam provides a very comfortable environment which helps our employees to balance their personal and professional life. Facilities like leaves, short leaves and t ime policy helps us to manage our work-life balance. We have relaxed and helpful environment which keeps employees motivated and enables them to manage their regular activities. In my views, the best way of achieving balance between professional and personal life is to prioritize the tasks according to their importance in our lives. Just set up your priorities and I am sure that there are very less chances of being left behind. Q. 3.Do you believe that Pakistani universities are creating an effective talent pool and what is your company’s strategy to attract the best talent in Pakistan? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  We can not say that our universities are not producing talents but there is lot more which needs to be done. Most of the graduates, after passing out of the universities, are not aware of their own skills and abilities due to which the candidates get confused in choosing an appropriate career. The lack of exposure of practical life which creates a greater challenge to fin d a job in such a competitive environment is another area to be taken good care of.The institutions need to bring out the confidence and help the graduate’s identity their skills and talent. They should be given the appropriate exposure of the market which will set them out to find an appropriate career. Career Counseling should be provided to all students on individual basis. Q. 4. Due to rough economic situation and soaring price rise, how does your company deal with keeping itself cost effective and attractive for job seekers? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  The economic situation has been very rough from the last couple of years and has affected every enterprise.However, even in such conditions Sefam has never stopped hiring and hasn’t gone for any sort of layoffs as yet. Sefam’s continuous growth has kept the spirits high. Sefam does not compromise on quality of our staff and products. We are working on more effective recruitment ways to keep our hiring costs low and retain our valuable employees. Q. 5. What are, in your views, the basic principles of success in a professional life? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I believe in: â€Å"Work , Work and Work† as said by our Quaid. Hard work has no substitute but it should be focused and followed by tolerance, forbearance and fortitude. Be open to learn new lessons, even if they contradict the lessons you learned yesterday†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   -Ellen De Generes Q. 6. How would you rate the success and importance of  online recruitment  firms such as ROZEE. PK? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  Online recruitment firms have made recruitment a lot easier, reliable and cost effective. However, it still needs to flourish and create maximum awareness in Pakistan. As the economic conditions get stable and new opportunities hit the market, online recruitment will be the most reliable one. ROZEE. PK has definitely made a mark in Pakistani job market and it has set up the trend of online recruitment in Pakistan.Q. 7. How has ROZEE. PK helped your firm regarding recruitment i. e. Have you tried any recruitment tools provided by ROZEE. PK e. g. Job Fairs/Job Postings/CV Search? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  We have been using various tools provided by ROZEE. PK and have also participated in their different Job Fairs. It has been very useful and effective in certain areas. It not only provides us with a good pool of candidates but also markets our company’s actual name in the market (We are known by the name of Bareez’e which is one of our famous brands). ROZEE.PK has always been helpful to make a pool of candidates which makes it easy to select best out of them Q. 8. What is the scope of Human Resource Management in Pakistan? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  As far as my limited experience is concerned, I believe that human resource is the ‘humane’ part of organization. It is the only department which is sensitive to life, emotions, and feelings. HRM still has a long way to go in Pakistan. I am sure that time will come when every firm and institution will invest in such a department. The future of HR is bright along with a tough competition among candidates. Q. 9. Tell us about your educational life?Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I earned my bachelor’s degree from Kinnard College in sciences and started working with The City School. Later on I realized that I need to develop myself and the career which suited my skills and abilities was, as me and my Mentor came up with , was HRM. After completing my Masters Degree in HRM from Punjab University, I worked wih Strategic Systems International for some time and later joined Sefam (Pvt) Ltd. I focused on creating and bringing new ideas to life. I have been lucky enough that Sefam provided me the opportunity to start things from scratch enabling me to learn the practical ways of the field.I have been an average student and always worked on expressing things in my own definitions rather than learning by rote. I always used to re ad, understand, and express in my own words. Even in examinations I hardly used extra sheets. My focus has always been on practical part of the studies. Q. 10. What is your formula of success in life? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I don’t believe there can be a formula for success but what has always worked for me is prioritizing things both, personal and professional, followed by hardwork, persistence and the utmost important blessings, of Almighty Allah.Q. 11. What are the biggest turn-offs in an interview of a job applicant? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  The biggest turn-offs of a job applicant as I have experience are: †¢ The candidates who are not sure of the area they want to work in †¢ Candidates who ask the salary package first rather than position and job description. †¢ Candidates who are not confident in their mother language and to overcome their deficiency they keep on speaking incorrect English language. Q. 12. What do you look for in a candidate during a hiring interview session? Name 4 key things? Ms.Neegam Qayyum:  The key factors I look for in a candidate are: †¢ Loyalty factor †¢ Optimistic approach towards career †¢ Relevant qualification and experience for passion to contribute Q. 13. Any good advice you want to give for the job seekers who want to enter and/ or prosper in the professional field? Ms. Neegam Qayyum:  I would rather suggest that job seekers should be aware of their inborn talent and creative skills before entering the Field and find a job matching their interest and set of skills. So that when they enter the practical life they sharpen up their skills rather than getting confused about their own abilities.

Albert Einstine’s theory of relativity

If my theory of relativity is proven correct, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew. – Albert Einstein – Address at the Sorbonne, Paris, possibly early December in 1929, in New York Times 16th February 1930. In the aforementioned quote pronounced by Albert Einstein it is visible that there is an existing correlation between his words and the current world. It also logically signifies some of the social issues which prevailed in the society during Einstein's days, such as the status he held in the world due to his genius intellect. His quote being discussed was said to have been spoken in the time of the Holocaust (World War II). Albert Einstein of all the physicists' to emerge from nineteenth and twentieth centuries, is one of the very few names known by almost everyone in the world. The German born theoretical physicist is also the originator of the great theory of relativity and many more which will be mentioned later on. Albert Einstein a Jew, born on 14th March 1879 in Ulm, Germany1 was one of the greatest minds in world history. He is known as a brilliant physicist who contributed more to the scientific world than any other person. His theories on relativity paved the way to how science currently views time, space, energy and gravity. Einstein was so advanced in his thinking that his studies and work set the standards for the control of scientific energy and space explorations currently being studied in the astrophysics. Einstein's many contributions to physics include his special theory of relativity, which reconciled mechanics with electromagnetism, and his general theory of relativity which extended the principle of relativity to non uniform motion, creating a new theory of gravitation1. His other contributions include relativistic cosmology, capillary action, classical problems of statistical mechanics and their application to quantum theory, an explanation of Brownian movement of molecules and many more. Works by Einstein include more than fifty scientific papers and also non scientific books. As a result of his service in theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect in 1921 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Moreover in 1999 he was named Time magazine's â€Å"person of the century†. The above mentioned quote conveys the idea of how the society views people with stunning success. He clearly highlights the words, â€Å"If my theory of relativity is proven correct, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world† (Albert Einstein, 1929). This illustrates how he is accepted throughout the world for his genius intellect; especially with regard to the theory of relativity. In addition these words also demonstrate how people understood the value of his theory. Einstein is known to have worked at many universities including, University of Zurich, Charles University of Prague, University of Berlin, Princeton University (New Jersey)1. It is said that even the geniuses accepted him as on of the greatest minds to ever set foot on this earth. By the time of World War II he was so well known in America that he would be stopped on the side on the street by strangers wanting him to explain â€Å"that theory†. He finally figured out a way to handle the incessant inquiries, by telling them, â€Å"Pardon me, so sorry, I am always mistaken for Professor Einstein.†2 This clearly points out how people in the society valued and accepted Einstein. Among the current issues in the world, social issues can be stated as one that causes the most damage to human life style. These issues can be classified under many sub categories; such as racial, political, religious, tribal, mythical issues, and also not forgetting colour bar. All these issues have one common reason which is, the virtual groups that humans have formed within their mind. As a result there were various consequences such as wars, exploitation, alienation, humiliation. The historical foundation for the quote in question is the mass execution of Jews during World War II. His quote unmistakably points out that if his theory proves untrue, how France will say that he is a German and Germany will declare that he is Jew. This also indicates how he would be discriminated against and he would not be accepted in the society that he was born in if he was an ordinary person as appose to a world renowned scholar. During this time people were physically and psychologically affected by the war. In an era like such Einstein spoke the word above mentioned twice, once in France and the other in the United States, which shows how bad the situation was at that time. Even today great researches, theorists, inventors exist. Some instances they are from developing or third world countries. They might be even from a particular minority from, a so called virtual group, where they suppressed, due to the status they are born in to or given to by the modern society. From the quote under consideration we could see how well such people are recognised by the world; and this quote sounds more or less a message to such people existing in the world to come up and present their ideas to the world so that the human kind would benefit from their ideas. Although this is the surface message there is also a deeper implication which is really important; and in the quote it is signified in a sarcastic tone. That is in reality people have themselves divided into groups and of which they should get rid off right now in order for the world to grow and prosper. In conclusion, even though Albert Einstein is not physically alive in the world today his inventions, theories and his words would live on forever. At a time of such turmoil in the world he discovered a way to enhance and bring more creativity to the world. As he sarcastically mentioned in this quote people need to diminish the sense of status in society and start accepting people by what they can offer to better the world. Unfortunately such actions take a lot of will power and unity in the world, factors that are currently not present in the world, thus, his quote holds importance today as much as it did in the past.

Homelessness and Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Homelessness and Health Care - Essay Example The burden imposed by substance abuse and mental illness are well recorded in homeless people. In addition, chronic diseases are common as many homeless persons have peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, hypertension, liver disease, and respiratory problems. Skin diseases are also not left out and are extraordinarily frequent leading to costly hospitalization due to cellulitis. Frostbites and hypothermia are feared life hazards in the streets and have been implied as risk factors for the premature demise. Other conditions, such as lice infestations, pellagra, and diphtheria may ultimately lead to endocarditis from the toxins produced by Bartonella Quintana (Badiaga et al., 2008). The persons caring for this cohort of individuals must marry medicine with aspects of public health since HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are endemic, communicable diseases outbreaks such as influenza, violence and trauma are somewhat implied in homeless people and infestations common in shelter. C heung and Hwang (2004) investigated on elevated mortality rates in the United States, England, Denmark, and Canada. A peculiar and disturbing observation made was the apparent absence of notable inputs of health insurance on the predisposition of premature mortality. Incredibly, in the US, there remains 40 million plus citizens without a coverage of health insurance. The rest of the countries had had for a long time universal health insurance. Even with the necessity for a universal coverage, the initiative appears to fall short in preventing early deaths in the homeless population (Cheung & Hwang, 2004). Fundamental improvement in health care delivery is crucial to address the existing health care disparities for such population at risk. The health care of homeless families and individuals poses a distressing challenge to our traditional models of health care delivery. The undying urgency of striving daily for warm meals and safe shelter relegates health care to a less-immediate pr iority (Wright & Tompkins, 2006). Injuries fester and common illnesses progress resulting to increased cases of emergency unit visit and acute care hospitalization. Treatment plans that are sensible to those with family and home support are often inapplicable to difficult, impossible to have bed rest, he homeless people; simple changes of dressing, hard to secure medication and properly store them and adherence to therapy especially those that require multiple daily administrations is flattering.

Organisations Design - Approaches and Applications Essay

Organisations Design - Approaches and Applications - Essay Example What attracts job seekers to want to join Google is the one of a kind working environment at the company. Google employees have coined a phrase to explain their modes of work – Googley. As reported by the NBC news, the company has also been rated by fortune magazine as the best American company to work for (Larson, 2011). The interesting thing about Google is that it has an organization structure that is flat as opposed to the traditional hierarchical system. One would expect that such a structure would prove counterproductive but Google has clearly proved management experts otherwise. Google is a company that embraces a work ethic that is anything but conventional. According to an NBC reporter, the employees at Google are â€Å"way too happy.† When doing an interview with the human resource personnel, the reporter posses a rhetoric question, â€Å"these people are too happy†¦.seriously, can’t I see a frown here? (Larson, 2010)† It is hard to have a frown as an employee of Google. The company offers the workers such a friendly working environment by providing them with all the luxuries they will need at no extra cost. For instance, the employees have access to a physician right at the office incase they fall sick, there is a gym at the office, they have chefs that fix them five star meals free of charge, they have luxury lounges and even beds to rest if they need to take a nap†¦the list is endless. This is arguably the epitome of mixing business with pleasure but contrary to what one would expect, it has worked to continue to make Google one of the most profitable companies Google’s structure seems to answer to the contingency theory. The contingency theory states that there is no blanket solution to management of a company. It is thought wise to allow different organizations to develop their own different structures that will work for them in their different environments (Sibbet,

Ethnocentrism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnocentrism - Essay Example Most social anthropologists and psychologists converge to the verity ethnocentricism is a root of wrong judgment, misconception as well as mistaken belief. Ethnocentricism is rampant in USA, research confirms that this vice has existed for a long time and it varies in severity from one generation and one region to another. Read (2002) argues that this syndrome is not only limited to America, but it is a pattern that has characterized all societies in the world. Nevertheless, America has experienced some of the most villainous circumstances of ethnocentricism. Read, (2002) noted that ethnocentricism occurs in several ways. In America, for instance there is general syndrome that its codes of belief, behavior, mode of governance, state of technology, education system, etc is the finest in the whole world. This feeling alone does not amount to a social evil. However, the feeling has led Americans in to believing that one nation and continents are inferior. As argued by Reynal-Querol (200 2), membership in an ethnic group is based on various factors such as religion, race, physical features, language and accent. Owing to this, there has existed internal ethnocentricism among Americans based on these attributes. One obtrusive paradigm in America has been on the basis of race.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Case study - Essay Example As part of the consultancy services, the bank has found three major underlying problems that led to the issues faced by Hole in the Wall. They are namely, equating performance of the employees with their pay, isolating employees from collaborating and preventing innovation in the process and avoiding conflict management leading to unsettled quality issues and personal enmity. The report analyses the three root problems in details, explores a host of possible solutions for eliminating the problems and recommends the best possible solution to the company for implementation. Equating performance with pay The salesmen are paid exclusively by the commission per window sold, which is often sacrificed while negotiating with clients. The production and fitting teams are also paid based on the number of windows produced and fitted respectively. While this model of compensation is aimed at motivating employees, it leads to unstable salaries, unhealthy sales model and shoddy workmanship (Solomo n and Podgursky, n.d.; Hamel, 2013). To earn maximum commission, the salesmen make unrealistic promises to too many customers without co-ordinating with other units and then to commit to these orders, components are procured in a rush and windows are produced as early as possible, leading to substandard products made from substandard materials. As a result, windows are sent back to the factory for rework, thereby increasing the number of unsatisfied customers. Also, since sales are low during recession, numbers of windows fitted are also less, which leads to falling income of the fitting team, perhaps which is why one of the three fitting teams quit. There are two salary models that can replace performance-based pay and eliminate its consequences: a fixed salary and a hybrid salary. In a fixed salary structure, the employees are paid a consistent remuneration every month. This means they do not have to worry about the financial hardships that their families will go through in the ev ent of bad performance in a particular month due to low sales, economic recession or poor market conditions. This creates stability in income and uniformity in the quality of life, thereby giving a feeling of financial security and contention to the employees. It also boosts productivity as they have more time to focus on work and no worries to make ends meet. In a hybrid salary structure, the employees receive a minimum base pay every month that creates stability in income and uniformity in the quality of life, just like a fixed salary structure. However, outperforming employees also get additional variable income based on their performance, such as, higher sales, more units worked upon or overtime hours done at the factory. Therefore, if an employee wishes for a pay raise besides the regular appraisal, he or she may do so simply by giving a little more attention to work instead of looking for another job with higher salary. It also improves the company’s performance without pressurising employees to deliver more (UC San Diego, 2013). While both the pay structures can solve the present problem of inconsistent monthly remuneration and unhealthy race against time to earn more, the hybrid pay structure seems much more viable for Mr. Barker.

Role of Technology in Education Research Proposal

Role of Technology in Education - Research Proposal Example With the rapid advancement of technology, the suggestions are expected to remain viable for a maximum of ten years. Research Methodology Research will initially be conducted by use of questionnaires. Learning institutions that are using technology will share their experiences before and after making the shift. The results will then be presented to technology experts for review. Scholarly materials will also be presented to them for viability checks and suggested improvements. Terminologies and Key Concepts Proposed These are computers, the internet, websites, teleconferencing and mobile devices. Computers are the fundamental interfaces between man and technology. The internet and websites will refer to the network of private and public connections and resources. Teleconferencing is the technology that allows geographically separated parties to speak while viewing the other person and any communications to be shared visually. Mobile devices, like computers, serve as interfaces between man and technology, only that they are portable and an be used while one is mobile. The Study and Literature Reviews Researches in the past two decades (Grauwe 9) and a report from the United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment have indicated that learning via computer and telecommunications technologies are the factors bridging the gaps between society and learning institutions. In this literature, most of the emphasis was placed on the relevance of what the education processes could offer with or without using new technologies. It was unanimously concluded (Grauwe 12) that the impact of technology in education was only beginning to be felt and teachers... This paper approves that the scope of this research will be restricted to primary, secondary and university education and how technology has shaped them in the past two decades. The study has been necessitated by the need to understand how education may benefit from the ever growing technology and impart better quality education to students. Material for the study will be sourced from scholarly journals, reports, websites and interviews. Interviews will include teachers, students and technology experts. This paper makes a conclusion that the research will initially be conducted by use of questionnaires. Learning institutions that are using technology will share their experiences before and after making the shift. The results will then be presented to technology experts for review. Scholarly materials will also be presented to them for viability checks and suggested improvements. while it is evident that technology is not attempting to replace education, it is time to ensure that each student owns a digital device for various beneficial reasons and have them in class, just like they have always had their textbooks. Most of the literatures used in this study suggest that the greater value of technology should be seen in the content it lends to learning experiences. Technology is part of the tools that makes learning more affordable, universal and interesting. To start with, digital devices are being developed exponentially and at affordable costs. Then, the quality and volume of digital learning content is bursting its borders and online interactive environments are getting more useful and easier to use and navigate through. The digital devices can be used to update and maintain portfolios, obtain grade updates, access information and news while managing the learning life.

Knowledge Management- Group case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Knowledge Management- Group analysis - Case Study Example Workers, particularly the scientists, are not willing to give up their current practices which they have been practicing since 20 years in the organization (Debowski, 2006). These employees were engaging in the behavioral evolutionary path to learning whereby past practices reflect current learning. Learning by doing was being practiced at an individual level through repetition of practices (Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2005). A major inhibition to knowledge sharing in this case is significant hoarding of knowledge by new staff that places greater emphasis on individual performance on job as opposed to collective performance. Also, as per the social learning theory, these employees lack motivation towards knowledge sharing at an individual level by considering it as lowering rather than increasing productivity. Furthermore, there the lack of positive reinforcement to reward â€Å"learning† behaviors is evident. As per the behaviorism view, ignorance of behaviors leads to their exti nction (Phillips & Soltis, 2004). This shows how lack of ‘group’ rewards has contributed towards the extinction of knowledge sharing practices amongst scientists who are worried about securing ‘individual’ gains. ... A few key recommendations may be offered in view of the above. Knowledge management must be viewed as an integrated process with an alignment of the new technology, HR and practitioners (employees) (Jashapara, 2004). Hiring a consultant is not enough; there needs to be a systematic process involving interviews, questionnaires and behavioral research to understand the practical issues employees face. It seems at present that there is nil cross-functional communication as far as project teams are concerned. Hence, team members must gather after a project team is formed to discuss the way forward. Managers handling past projects must be encouraged to devote time to sharing their experience with the new project’s team so that they can learn from past mistakes. Furthermore, employees who work on â€Å"eight consecutive projects† must certainly not be categorized as temporary employees as this way the company loses their crucial contribution to knowledge creation. The organiz ational structure ought to be redefined with specific terms of service attributed to temporary and permanent employees. Additional staff also needs to be hired because some employees are simultaneously working on two jobs which increases stress and leaves little scope for knowledge sharing. Keeping in view the geographically dispersed nature of projects in Engineering Division, the development of Communities of Practice (COPs) is encouraged. Finally, there is little attempt towards learning from the best practices of other similar firms. There seems to be no benchmarking which compares the organization’s progress against that of others. Knowledge-oriented firms often operate in a

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 2 Essay

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 2 - Essay Example Product scope description: Winsome Company is under the management of a sister company known as Winsome’s sister company. The products and raw materials used by the company are purchased from different manufactures. They brand the products, educate the sales representatives and market them to the targeted audiences. In addition, the team will be required to attend the quarterly branch manager sales events to present the new kind of product they will be offering in the market to their respective audiences. The results the project will produce will entail all these sales deliverables required for the launching of the new products through research into different departments and consultation with various department heads (Harrington & McNellis, 2006). Acceptance criteria: The acceptance criteria for the introduction of the new product into the market will entails creating product specifications, producing photographs of the product in question, producing their pricing structures f or the new products and highlight the sources of their marketing materials. Stages will be involved in the acceptance criteria as goals for the Winsome Company and the new product will be reviewed by the different departments and government bodies concerned. ... The new product will be passed through the review to confirm the manufacturing process and the test the new product to be released into the market. Lastly, the product will be passed through exit criteria for reviews which will involve changes, signatures and putting the deliverables under the configuration management system. Deliverables: The project deliverables for the business will involve set quantitative objectives for the team. Secondly, the composite sales objectives will be reconciled. Lastly, to create an efficient marketing plan that will involve adjusting the qualitative of composite objectives into marketing plan objectives (Hougham & Association for Project Management, 2004). Project Exclusions: The project will not produce other deliverables that are not concerned with the sales and marketing on the new product that will be produced by the company. Its major emphasis will only be centered to focus on the sales and marketing activities conducted by the company. Constrai nts: However, in writing for the company the scope statement, there are unforeseen barriers that might hinder my process and result to poor sales and marketing strategy for the product to be produced by the company. Lack of funds might affect the process because it will hinder the research process thus interfere with the formulation of the deliverables required for the sales of the new product into the market. Time might also be a barrier to the process because the project duration might not be sufficient enough to allow for a thorough research of the sales deliverables required by the company. Assumptions: Reconciling the sales objectives may however lead to a waste of the company resources or poor management decisions for the company and the entire sales

Challenges in Managing Multinational Company Essay Example for Free

Challenges in Managing Multinational Company Essay Assalamualaikum, One of the common challenges faced by Malaysian multinational company is cultural diversity. Culture is the learned, shared way of doing things in a particular society. It is the way, for example in which its member eat, dress, greet and treat one another, teach their children, solve everyday problems, and so on ( Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn 2003). Cultural diversity in workplace refers to the range of differences between individuals in an organization. It affects the way in which people feel, think and act, and frequently, people either refuse to see it, or dont want to see it. People from different countries always have different tradition and attitudes towards business. Some company decides to expand their organization globally but unsuccessful because they fail to realize one important thing. They do not change their organization to adapt to the new country. Malaysian multinational company can be successful if they evolve into a diverse organization which employs people from diverse culture. An international company needs to understand the host market. In order to have better understanding of host market, an international market needs to employ locals. Hence, in employing local resident international organization opens its doors to cultural diversity. When cultural diversity is not properly managed, it caused problem, misunderstandings, and conflicts will arise. I believed that to make Malaysian multinational company successful, it is important that they embrace the fact that the world today has no boundaries. Cultural diversity in workplace and elsewhere should be respected. Employees skills, talents, ideas, and values must be developed and improved. An organization must be able to capture the energy and ideas of all mployees in order to meet the challenges of the competitive marketplace. I also believed that Malaysian multinational company can be successful when it comes to managing diversity if they managed to bring people together from different cultural backgrounds and form a collaborative group. As future manager, the key to manage the cross-culture challenges is through developing respect for every person, regardless of his or her cultural background. They should also learn to be more open-minded. Instead of Judging people, they must learn to accept that every individual is unique and everyone can contribute to the success of the organization. Advancement in science and technology and the liberalization of trade under the Asean Free Trade Area and World Trade Organization (WTO) create an economic opportunity as well as new challenges to Malaysian multinational company. Malaysian nowadays is emerging towards a technology-driven and high-tech production-based pattern of development in order to meet the challenges of the competitive global marketplace. Although Malaysias competitiveness rating has improvements. The availability of skilled human capital in Malaysia is not sufficient for technological development to progress. Malaysian school and universities do not turn out to be problem solver and do not produce skilled, innovative graduates as technology companies demanded. Compare to China and India which produce tens of thousands of graduates per year, while Malaysias talent pool is tiny in comparison. Companies that do not keep up with technological changes soon will find their business outdated. This will result on missing new products and market opportunities. Demographic is the study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, occupation, and other statistics. The demographic environment is a major interest to marketers because it involves people and people make up market. The worlds population is growing at a very high rate. The worlds large and diverse population uncovers great opportunity as well as challenges. Thus, for Malaysian multinational company to enter certain market, they must keep close tracks on demographic trends and development in their market, both home and abroad. In example, if Malaysia multinational were to enter Indian market, they need to understand the trends and dramatic changes in demographic data in determining arketing decisions, to identify opportunities and to anticipate declining demand. The continuously increasing urbanization, rapid growth and use of electronic media have brought changes to the lifestyle and consumption attitudes in urban areas in India, known as middle-class population which has made some essential socio- economic changes -rapidly increasing emphasis on higher professional education, family system from Joint families to nuclear families (BiJapurkar,2007) and exposure to western lifestyle and customs. These factors created increasing demands of ariety quality of products and services, in example, branded clothing, restaurant, home appliances, travel, and so on. In some countries, government interference affects the operation of the multinational companies. It is a challenge that Malaysia multinational company has to face in the direction of going global. Conflicts and misunderstanding between multinational company and host country government has occurred in recent years.. Government interference takes the form of tariffs, quotas, and other non-tariff restrictions. The threat of nationalization (forcing a company to sell its local assets to the government or to other local ationals) or changes in local business laws and regulations can limit a multinationals power. Examples can be taken from the case of China restriction towards multinational company. According to New York Times, companies that have operated exclusively in China for years are being targeted with discriminatory policies. Contracts involving state secrets or business secrets are reserved for Chinese companies and Chinese bureaucrats have been given broad latitude to exclude companies with foreign owners even if the company has been set up in China and have all of its operations in the country. Tenggiling Puitis a. m. n

Classic Literature Essay Example for Free

Classic Literature Essay Writers also use a foil character as well as irony of circumstances. A foil character is used to create suspense because the reader doesnt know how the foil character will react in his situation, or how the other characters will react to him. Another element writers use is foreshadowing. Writers reveal some details in the story to lull the reader into thinking something is going to happen a certain way. However, when the writer uses irony of circumstances, the reader is caught off guard because the story didnt end the way the expected it. rs use foreshadow and irony of circumstances to create suspense in their stories. Kate Chopin uses foreshadow in her story Desirees Baby. In The Story of an Hour, she uses irony of circumstances. Lets first look at Desirees Baby. She uses foreshadowing to create suspense. Writers reveal certain things about characters to prepare the reader for the outcome. This creates suspense because the readers want to continue reading when they catch a glimpse of a character or the characters actions. Through these revelations, readers anticipate how the story will end, so they continue reading to find out what does happen. Kate Chopin uses foreshadow in Desirees Baby. When Desiree notices something different about her baby, she talks to Armand. He tells her that the babys coloring indicates only one thinghe is part black. Armand accuses Desiree of deceiving him. Chopin uses a certain passage to foreshadow things about Desiree that may reveal what will happen to the characters in the end. Desiree told Armand, Look at my hair, it is brown; and my eyes are gray, Armand, you know they are gray. And my skin is fair, Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand. These details show the reader that Desiree is lighter than Armand. The reader becomes confused and wonders what is happening. A writer uses foreshadowing to reveal certain details that lulls the reader into thinking a certain way. Then, through the use of another technique called irony of circumstances, a writer wants to surprise the reader at the end of the story by making an  unusual turn of events. At the end of the story, Chopin finally reveals that Armand is the one who is half white and half black and not Desiree. Just like Desirees Baby, Chopin uses irony of circumstances in The Story of an Hour. Mrs. Mallard is waiting of news about her husband, whom she thought might have died since he had been gone so long. When Mrs. Mallard is told that her husbands name is on the list of those who were killed, Mrs. Mallard is devastated. However, her attitude changes quickly because she is free to do what she wants. The reader is still held in suspense because he or she doesnt know what Mrs. Mallard is going to do until the end of the story. The reader is surprised when Mrs. Mallards husband shows up alive, and when Mrs. Mallard dies after seeing her husband. Even though Chopin uses foreshadowing, she still catches the reader off guard by using irony of circumstances.

Fuel Metering System In Si Engines

Fuel Metering System In Si Engines Carburetor: is a device which is used in automobiles, with spark ignition engines, for the purpose of fuel metering, i.e. to mix the appropriate amount of fuel with the incoming air which is to be supplied to the engine cylinders. The basic principle upon which the carburetor works is flow of air through the venturi. The fuel enters the carburetor through the air filter, which filters the air to remove any dust particles in the air; passing through the choke valve it enters the venturi (a converging-diverging nozzle), where due to decrease in cross-sectional area, the velocity of the air increases, decreasing the pressure in that area. A decrease in the pressure results in fuel flowing out of the float chamber and mixing with the air, hence forming an air-fuel mixture. Figure . Cross-sectional view of a basic carburetor Basic Requirements: In a spark ignition engine the torque and power output of the engine is controlled by controlling the amount of air-fuel mixture that enters the engine cylinder; and this is done by incorporating a butterfly valve (throttle valve) in the carburetor. In order to achieve complete combustion inside the engine cylinder and avoid the wastage of fuel into the exhaust, a stoichiometric mixture is required; which is a mixture that contains precise proportions of fuel and air required for the complete combustion of both the fuel and the air, which is equally important. In gasoline engines, this ratio is around 15:1. Even if this ratio is achieved, practically the mixture is still not combusted completely owing to the extremely short time available to the air-fuel mixture for combustion. The air-fuel mixture is unable to form a completely homogenous mixture resulting in exhaust gases containing traces of oxygen, carbon monoxide and some unburned and partially burnt fuel. The range of air-fuel ratio for ignitable mixture varies from 18:1 to around 7:1. The basic purpose of using a carburetor is to: Measure the airflow of the engine Deliver the correct amount of fuel to keep the air-fuel mixture in the proper range Mix the air and fuel finely and evenly The proper air-fuel mixture is required to be delivered to the engine cylinder at the various commonly faced conditions during the vehicle operation, namely: Cold start Hot start Idling or slow-running Acceleration High speed/high power at full throttle Cruising at part throttle The deficiencies of the elementary/early carburetor: At low loads the mixture becomes leaner; the engine requires the mixture to be enriched at low loads. At intermediate loads, the mixture equivalence ratio increases slightly as the air flow increases. The engine requires an almost constant equivalence ratio. As the air flow approaches the maximum wide-open throttle value, the equivalence ratio remains essentially constant. However, the mixture equivalence ratio should increase to 1.1 or greater to provide maximum engine power. The elementary carburetor cannot compensate for transient phenomena in the intake manifold. Nor can it enrich the mixture during engine starting and warm-up. The elementary carburetor cannot adjust to changes in ambient air density (due primarily to changes in altitude). Modern Carburetor Design: The changes required in the elementary carburetor for better and more efficient performance are: The main metering system must be compensated to provide essentially constant lean or stoichiometric mixtures over the 20 to 80 percent air flow range. An idle system must be added to meter the fuel flow at idle and light loads. An enrichment system must be added so the engine can provide its maximum power as wide-open throttle is approached. An accelerator pump which injects additional fuel when the throttle is opened rapidly is required to maintain constant the equivalence ratio delivered to the engine cylinder. A choke must be added to enrich the mixture during engine starting and warm-up to ensure a combustible mixture within each cylinder at the time of ignition. Altitude compensation is required to adjust the fuel flow to changes in air density. It is also necessary to increase the magnitude of the pressure drop available for controlling the fuel flow. Figure . Modern Carburetor design Basic Working and different parts of the Carburetor: Figure . Simple Carburetor with additional basic features 1) Float 2) Float needle 3) Float chamber 4) Main jet 5) Air tunnel(venture) 6) Throttle plate ( a. no-load operation) b. partial load; c. full load) 7) Air correction nozzle 8) Mixing tube 9) Mixing tube holes 10) Enrichment pipe 11) Jet (calibrated drilling) 12) No-load operation fuel nozzle 13) Idle run air duct 14) Idle mixture adjustment screw 15) Bypass drilling 16) Accelerator pump 17) Choke (for cold start) 18) Ventilation A carburetor basically consists of an open pipe, a throat/barrel through which the air passes into the inlet manifold of the engine. The pipe is in the form of a venturi; it narrows in section and then widens again, causing the airflow to increase in speed in the narrowest part. Below the venturi is a butterfly valve called the throttle valve (a rotating disc that can be turned end-on to the airflow), so as to hardly restrict the flow at all, or can be rotated so that it almost completely blocks the flow of air. This valve controls the flow of air through the carburetor throat and thus the quantity of air/fuel mixture the system will deliver, thereby regulating engine power and speed. The throttle is connected, usually through a cable or a mechanical linkage of rods and joints or rarely by pneumatic link to the accelerator pedal on a car or the equivalent control on other vehicles or equipment. Fuel is introduced into the air stream through small holes at the narrowest part of the venturi and at other places where pressure will be lowered when not running on full throttle. Fuel flow is adjusted by means of precisely-calibrated orifices, referred to as jets. Idle circuit: As the throttle plate is opened slightly from the fully closed position, the additional fuel delivery passages are uncovered behind the throttle plate. The low pressure area is created due to the throttle plate blocking the air flow; this allows more fuel to flow as well as compensating for the reduced vacuum that occurs when the throttle is opened. This smoothens the fuel flow through the jets when moving from closed throttle position to the open throttle circuit. This circuit plays its role when the engine is running on no load condition or is known as idling. The air enters from the idle run air duct, certain amount of fuel is mixed with this air depending on the no-load operation fuel nozzle and then goes into the intake manifold through the idle mixture screw path. This idle mixture screw is adjusted to regulate the amount of air-fuel mixture when idling. Main open-throttle circuit: When the throttle is opened, the vacuum inside the manifold decreases due to decreased restriction in the airflow. This reduces the flow through the idle and off-idle circuits. The airflow through the throat increases, and in accordance with the Bernoullis principle the pressure drops in the throat and the fuel flow through the jet, which is placed in the centre of the venturi, increases. Similarly, when the throttle is closed, the airflow through the venturi drops till the point when the lowered pressure is insufficient to maintain the fuel flow, and the idle circuit takes over. At times booster venturis are used to enhance the fuel flow out of the jet and into the air stream. Accelerator Pump: The inertia of the liquid gasoline is more than that of the air, which shows that when the throttle is opened suddenly during sudden acceleration, the amount of air that will flow would be far greater than the amount of fuel flow resulting in a temporary lean mixture, causing the engine to stumble under acceleration. This is not a desirable effect. In order to eliminate this unwanted effect, a small mechanical pump usually of diaphragm type is employed. It propels a small amount of gasoline through a jet, from where it is injected into the carburetor throat. This extra shot of fuel counteracts the transient lean condition during sudden acceleration. The accelerator pump is also used to prime the engine with fuel prior to a cold start. Excessive priming, like an improperly-adjusted choke, can cause flooding. This is when too much fuel and not enough air are present to support combustion. For this reason, some carburetors are equipped with an unloader mechanism: The accelerator is held at wide open throttle while the engine is cranked, the unloader holds the choke open and admits extra air, and eventually the excess fuel is cleared out and the engine starts. Choke: when the engine is cold, the fuel does not vaporize properly, instead it condenses on the walls of the intake manifold, and hence very little fuel is delivered to the cylinders. This makes it difficult for the engine to start. This calls for the need of a richer mixture to start and run the engine until it warms up, as the richer mixture is easier to ignite. Figure . Cross-sectional view of a choke To provide the extra fuel, a choke is typically used. It is a device that restricts the flow of air at the entrance to the carburetor, before the venturi. With this restriction in place, extra vacuum is developed in the carburetor barrel, which pulls extra fuel through the main metering system to supplement the fuel being pulled from the idle circuit. This provides the rich mixture required to sustain operation at low engine temperatures. Even in this era of advanced technology, cars like Suzuki Mehran still employ a choke which is connected to a pull-knob on the dashboard operated by the driver. In some carbureted cars it is automatically controlled by a thermostat employing a bimetallic spring, which is exposed to engine heat, or to an electric heating element. This heat may be transferred to the choke thermostat via simple convection, via engine coolant, or via air heated by the exhaust. More recent designs use the engine heat only indirectly: A sensor detects engine heat and varies electrical current to a small heating element, which acts upon the bimetallic spring to control its tension, thereby controlling the choke. A choke unloader is a linkage arrangement that forces the choke open against its spring when the vehicles accelerator is moved to the end of its travel. This provision allows a flooded engine to be cleared out so that it will start. Some carburetors do not have a choke but instead use a mixture enrichment circuit, or enrichener. Typically used on small engines, notably motorcycles, enricheners work by opening a secondary fuel circuit below the throttle valves. This circuit works exactly like the idle circuit, and when engaged it simply supplies extra fuel when the throttle is closed. Float chamber: To ensure a ready mixture, the carburetor has a float chamber or bowl that contains a quantity of fuel at near-atmospheric pressure, ready for use. This reservoir is constantly replenished with fuel supplied by a fuel pump. Float: The correct fuel level in the bowl is maintained by means of a float controlling an inlet valve. The fuel arriving from the tank is held inside a constant level float chamber. The liquid pressure head on the various jets is relatively constant. The float chamber level is kept constant by means of a fuel inlet valve, actuated by a float that follows free surface of the liquid in the float chamber. As fuel is used up, the float drops, opening the inlet valve and admitting fuel. As the fuel level rises, the float rises and closes the inlet valve. By having a high float level, a greater fuel quantity is delivered compared to the case with a low float level, under all operating conditions and for all of the carburetors circuits. Vent Tubes: Usually, special vent tubes allow air to escape from the chamber as it fills or enter as it empties, maintaining atmospheric pressure within the float chamber; these usually extend into the carburetor throat. Placement of these vent tubes can be somewhat critical to prevent fuel from sloshing out of them into the carburetor, and sometimes they are modified with longer tubing. Notch Pin: With this type of carburetor, the maximum depression zone is beneath the throttle valve (slide) which is raised and lowered by the throttle cable, controlling the speed of the engine. As shown in the drawing, the bottom of the slide features a tapered needle which fits into the fuel pick-up tube (needle jet) to meter the fuel delivery of the tube from about 1/4 throttle to 3/4 throttle. From 3/4 throttle to full throttle, the needle will not affect the fuel flow. At this point, fuel flow is metered by the main jet (position at the bottom of the tube). The setting of the notch determines the amount of fuel being allowed to mix with the incoming air; notch 1 providing a lean mixture and richer mixture as we proceed to notch 4. Figure 11. Notch Pin Types of Carburetors: Carburetors can be classified into three types: Float Feed Suction Feed/Diaphragm Constant Vacuum/Constant Depression/Zenith-Stromberg The difference between these is the way the fuel is supplied to the Air Stream. Float Feed: Float feed carburetors are so named because they maintain a fuel staging area at approximately ambient pressure with a float valve. Fuel level is maintained to tight tolerances because fuel metering is a function of float level. Higher levels make it richer. Figure 12. Operation of needle valve As the fuel is drawn for the bowl area the float drops, opening the float valve. Then the fuel pump pressure causes the bowl to refill, floating the valve closed. Under normal operations the float valve remains slightly open to very open, keeping the level constant. Floats can be concentric or eccentric. Concentric are levers, first or second class, whereas eccentrics are a slide float. Floats can be adjusted by shims under the valve or by adjusting a valve contact tab. Floats need to be carefully inspected for leaks and possible deterioration. The main source of fuel metering force comes from the pressure differential between the low pressure area within the venture and the ambient pressure in the float chamber, or bowl. This is called air metering force. Figure 13. Air-metring force being applied Idle circuits will exist that feed fuel through separate ports. These are located just downstream of the throttle plate; there may also be transition ports to assist throttle transition from idle to midrange. Idle and transition ports will only be active when throttle plate is closed or transitioning (they function only when the throttle plate is causing high velocity air or flow close to the port and once the throttle plate opens enough, the port stops delivering fuel flow); these ports usually form a completely separate fuel circuit from the main fuel metering. They may also have air bleed systems. Figure 14. Demonstration of relation between Idle circuit and main throat operation Most of these carburetors are up draft or side draft, and the systems are identical with the position of the fuel discharge venturis and idle circuits upstream of the throttle valve, regardless of the airflow direction. Figure 15. An up-draft carburetor Disadvantages: The three major disadvantages of float carburetors are: Various flight attitudes may cause the float system to malfunction. Carburetor icing is most prevalent with this type. Fuel metering and throttle transition is less accurate. Suction Feed: Suction Feed Carburetor is very similar to the float type. The one exception is there is no float to meter and control the level of fuel in the fuel chamber. The difference in pressure between the tank and the carburetor throat lifts the fuel up the fuel pipe past the main needle valve and through the discharge holes. Figure 16. Suction Feed Carburetor Figure 17. Cold Start Figure 18. Idling Constant Vacuum: The constant vacuum carburetor has a rubber diaphragm exposed to the cylinder intake stroke vacuum on one side and to atmospheric pressure on the other. The diaphragm moves against the inlet needle (cylindrical slide valve) allowing it to move from its seat. A spring returns the needle (cylindrical slide valve) to its seat when the vacuum stops. Figure . A typical Constant Vacuum type carburetor A few advantages of Carburetors: Carburetors are much easier to adjust/less technical skills required Cheaper to repair rebuild Less special equipment required. Problems with Carburetors: Have mechanical parts due to wear and tear needs periodic adjustments and maintenance. Flexibility limitations. Intake manifold length problems in the case of multi cylinder engines Carburetors arent very efficient as they cant make changes on the fly like fuel injection can. Conclusions: Keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of carburetor, regardless of the constant n continuous effort to improve the basic design into the most efficient one, the carburetors have finally been replaced by the latest technology referred to as fuel injectors. These fuel injectors are of various types, GDI being a personal favourite and the best technology available in the market. The fuel injectors efficiently meter the appropriate amount of fuel hence reducing the exhaust emissions, fuel wastage, the harmful pollutants and giving the best fuel economy possible.