orlovskaya

The budget cycle is now a very tense three-week period. The company’s digital system lets everybody see immediately what the other people in the company are planning. The managers see comparisons of sales and expense forecasts relative to market size in other divisions and regions. The product groups see the numbers organized by product. The subsidiaries see the numbers geographically. The finance people see them in on a profit-and-loss basis.

In other words, information can automatically be analyzed and compared and summarized and brought to the attention of the people who need to know about it.

В.Подберите к каждому слову или словосочетанию в колонке Л соответствующее по значению из колонки В.

D. Составьте возможные словосочетания из глаголов в колонке А и существительных из колонки В:

1.compile

2.take

3.manage / organize

В

a.information

b.

understanding

c.decisions

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4.store / exchange / analyze d. ideas

Б. Составьте возможные словосочетания прилагательных из колонки А и

Упражнение 1. А. Назовите 10—15 ключевых слов и словосочетаний на тему «Electronic communication tools».

В. Speak about:

The role and importance of electronic communications tools in a modern company organization.

Text 4

Что такое логистика? Каковы последние направления в этой области?

А. Прочитайте текст и постарайтесь догадаться о значении следующих слов: retrieve, storage, package of services, to contract, totality.

Flexible Logistics Systems

Several organisations are expanding beyond their national borders as a strategy to improve competitiveness and their ability to offer diverse products to an expanded market. Many companies have become very proficient at supplying products throughout the world. The task requires not only the ability to recognize opportunities, but also an information

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system to co-ordinate the supply of goods and materials to places where they are needed throughout the world.

Logistics is supply, distribution and replacement of materials, goods

and personnel. It is a problem for all organisations, both public and private. For instance, there were tremendous logistics challenges of moving the US military — army, navy, and air force — to carry out the military operations called «Desert Storm», problems which were even more complex when other nations belonging to the United Nations assisted with the operations. Large logistical problems are faced by relief agencies which are trying to give public assistance to people during emergencies.

In a small warehouse, improvements can be obtained from better information systems, productivity improvements, inventory (инвентаризация) savings, reductions in returns (возврат, оборот, прибыль), space saving (10—30 per cent), and extra customer service profit. That is, for a warehouse of 80,000 sq. ft, 50 staff, and $100 million sales per annum, and inventory of $40 million, it is possible to save over $2 million per annum from improved methods. The costs of such improvements can be retrieved after just three months.

The logistics aspects of the distribution chain (цепочка) in any organisation relate to the use of information to manage more effectively the functions of transportation, storage, warehousing, and freight forwarding (пересылка груза). The information system has to co-ordinate a distribution network which consists of transportation services between suppliers to factories, factories to storage facilities, ports and warehouses, storage services in the warehouses, transportation services between the warehouses and buyers and linkages between countries. As a result of implementing an efficient information system and computer network, McDonald’s restaurants are able to receive food products from various suppliers, repackage them to meet McDonald’s specifications, and then deliver them to their restaurants throughout the world, and still maintain consistent (соответствующие) standards.

Some companies perform logistics services themselves, but many are contracting these services to specialists who have information systems to offer a package of services — from simple storage and warehousing to a

total package or complete service which might include consolidation

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(объединение) of cargo, transportation, storage and inventory management. Companies within the logistics sector distinguish themselves by the totality of the services they offer. Generally, smaller firms may have less sophisticated

information systems and may only provide services such as warehousing and transportation. Large firms have the resources and economies of larger scale to develop more sophisticated information and computer systems. However, developing a sophisticated and centralized information and mechanized warehouse may not necessary lead to a success.

Certain larger companies choose to rely on more flexible systems, which allow for learning and adaptation.

В.Подберите к словам в колонке А синонимы или близкие по значению слова из колонки В.

a.tremendous

C.Найдите в тексте слова, означающие:

1.help given to those in need and trouble

2.skilled, expert

3.get back, return quickly

4.spread out over a large area

5.a problem, difficulty

6.serious situation, needing action as soon as possible

7.a/per year

8.a building for storing goods before distribution

9.easily changed, adaptable for new needs or conditions

management logistics distribution inventory storage returns transported warehouse

1. We know (1) ... to be a detailed list of goods, parts, equipment, etc.

2. Small profits and quick (2)... is the motto (девиз) for shops that rely on large sales and quick turnover. 3. In the same way, Toshiba might contract with a (3) ... firm so that television sets and other products could be picked up from the factory, taken

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to a (4)... , perhaps repackaged, and then (5)... to stores in other countries. 4. Many companies are interested in improving customer service through better inventory (6)... 5. As a rule, an unproductive (7)

... chain results in a higher total inventory cost.

6. NAVAIR wants logistics data to be converted to digital form for storage in a «virtual» (8) ... facility — a single set of consolidated databases that could be accessed by sailors aboard ship, support engineers at shore and program managers.

Упражнение 1. А. Назовите 15—20 ключевых слов и словосочетаний на тему «Logistics».

В. Speak about:

Problems logistics deals with. SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS

To be read after Text 1

Finding Opportunity in the Global Economy

Bill Gates says today if you had to guess (угадать) somebody’s approximate income (i.e., money you receive) and you were limited to asking one polite question, a good one would be: «What country do you live in?» That is because of the huge difference in average wages

(weekly payment for work) from country to country. But a generation from now, if you want to guess someone’s income, a more-telling single question might be: «What’s your education?» «This, at least, is my belief», B. Gates says. Future business opportunity will depend on educational opportunity — for everyone.

Compared to almost anything else in a developed society, the cost of investment in education is low — and the returns are high. Even the poorest of countries can develop better schools. Education is essential because electronic networks and software-driven technologies are beginning to break down the economic barriers between nations. The Internet and the availability of inexpensive, powerful computers are helping spread opportunity to developing nations.

International communication, which is certain to become extraordinary1 cheap in all its forms, will bring suitably educated people from every economic region into the mainstream of the world415 economy. Well-educated, enterprising individuals with access to information technology will do well no matter where they live.

Nearly a billion people in rural China may find their lives little

changed for decades, but tens of millions of the best-educated Chinese could earn more or less what similarly educated people in the United States or Germany do.

As technology breaks down the barriers of distance and national borders, it will be even more important that everybody be given equal educational opportunities. Eventually, being «poor» won’t be much a matter of living in a poor country as it will be a matter of having poor skills.

Assuming you want to develop those skills, what should you study? There are a lot of opportunities in the knowledge-based global economy, and B. Gates is particularly enthusiastic about the business he knows best

— software.

Because software is an almost pure expression of logic, the industry is a great field for almost anyone today. Just about every technical and scientific discipline will apply. The business side is equally exciting and challenging2 because the industry is so dynamic. And software jobs are among the highest-paid. It is not a win-lose industry, either. More software development in one region does not mean reduced software development in another. Rather, software development as a whole helps to grow the world economy.

The value and importance of the software industry — and its employees

— will continue to grow indefinitely. Software is transforming the workplace in industry after industry, increasing productivity and helping globalize the world economy.

Notes to the Text

1.unusually

2.interesting and difficult

To be read after Text 2, 3, 4

Ten Attributes of a Good Employee

Here are 10 of the qualities Bill Gates finds in the «best and brightest» employees the companies should attract and retain.

First, it is important to have a fundamental curiosity1 about the product

of your company or group. You have to use the product yourself.

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Second, you need a genuine (настоящий, подлинный) interest in discussion with customers about how they use your product, what they like or don’t like in order to know where your company’s product could be better.

Third, once you understand your customer’s needs, you have to enjoy thinking through how this product can make work more interesting.

These first three points are related. Success comes from understanding and caring deeply about your products, your technology and your customers’ needs.

Fourth, you as an individual employee should develop your own skills and those of the people you work with. If maximizing your next bonus2 or salary increase is all that motivates you, you are likely to lose an opportunity to benefit from teamwork3 that creates success in the long term.

Fifth, you need to have specialized knowledge or skills while maintaining a broad perspective. Big companies, in particular, need employees who can learn specialties4 quickly, so a willingness to learn is critical.

Sixth, you have to be flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities that can give you perspective. At Microsoft Co., they try to offer a person lots of different jobs in the course of a career. Anyone interested in joining management is encouraged (поощрять) to work in different customer units, even if it means moving within the organization or relocating to a different part of the world. Microsoft Co. has many employees working for their US subsidiaries in other countries. This helps them better understand world markets.

Seventh, a good employee will want to learn the economics of the business. Why does the company do what it does? What are its business models? How does it make money? And a company, in turn, should educate its employees in the fundamental financial realities of its industry.

Eighth, you must focus on competitors, i.e., you must think about what is going on in the marketplace. What are your company’s competitors doing that is smart5? What can we learn from them? How can we avoid their mistakes?

Ninth, you’ve got to use your head. Analyze problems to understand

the implications (скрытый смысл, последствия) of potential tradeoffs6

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of all kinds, including the tradeoff between acting sooner with less information and later with more. Use your head in practical ways. Prioritize your time effectively.

Finally, don’t fail to see the obvious essentials, such as being honest, ethical7 and hard working. These attributes are critical and go without saying.

Notes to the Text

1.strong desire to learn / know about smth.

2.addition to usual payment

3.combined effort

4.special activities, operations, products, etc.

5.skillful, clever (=quick in learning and understanding things)

6.compromise, compromising decision, choice

7.of moral principles

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