External Influences on Building Design

External Influences on Building Design Many people don’t realise how hard it can be to design something. Especially building, this is why architect’s job isn’t easy. The massing and overall design of the building is influenced by number of different factors and how important they are differs for each design. I would like to highlight the most important ones, and highlight which one of them cross reference quite often.       As Richard Rogers said â€Å"form follows profit, and this is aesthetic principle of our times†, unfortunately this is main factor impacting the design and all the other processes in architecture. Although it’s not the only one. Other example is often on the very beginning of the project – the site. Size configuration, topography this has huge impact on design. Sometimes we can change slightly topography, but site shape would be more of an issue. Often in extreme cases this becomes the asset of finalised project, like it happened in Tokyo project â€Å"A life with large opening† often called â€Å"gap house† designed by ONDESIGN. Next factor is often one of the most influential in good and also in the bad way. These are and include number of people, starting from client all the way to neighbourhood, which sometimes influences the design. Probably one of most important stakeholders is user/client, they often provide driving force for the design. As they may be personally involved in process of design and then construction. Possibly the best example of this could be STAMP HOUSE designed by Charles Wright Architects. This project in was directed and influence by various factor of which the most challenging was client, that desired carbon neutral, off-grid architectural statement that would be: â€Å"new face of tropical architecture†. Effectively this particular project was as highly influenced by client’s introduction of environmental design. Final design was to minimalize impact on environment (as client requested), so that ecosystem around it would not be affected. Therefore architect’s had to work very closely with experts and various organisations. Effectively this lead to zero carbon project that is level 5 cyclone proof and therefore classed as a cyclone shelter, additionally it’s flood proof and wouldn’t suffer from any natural disaster as it uses on sight solar panels and rain water collected in 25000 litres tank that is also located on the site. Another very influential stakeholders are neighbours and community groups. They often effect not only design but also whether building will be completed or not. Good example could be found in Manchester where public was picketing construction of new Manchester Metropolitan University campus building, the site chosen by MMU has previously been picketed by same group of people and that was probably what caused investment to fail. This time it was different partially due to professional manner of architect’s, MMU and local government. Although as many people claim the main role in this case was played by another influential and sometimes critical factor – economic status. As the economic crisis emerged rate of investment started drastically falling down, MMU used this fact to gain planning permission for Birley Fields proposal and convince authorities and residents. This just reinforces and relates back to famous Rogers quote â€Å"Form follows profit, is the aesthetic principle of our times†. This briefly mentioned local government as they are stakeholder representing local and public interests. They are often main body that appoints people to ensure, that building at it final stage is safe to use. Which obviously needs to be considered and included during design stage. Unfortunately not everything could be predicted like 9/11 terrorist attack. Although government and designers with engin eers do their very best to prevent similar disasters from happening. This includes meeting and exciding building regulations, fire regulations and many more. These also relatively strongly influences the design. Number of people work to make sure building is safe the most important and influential of which is engineer or team of engineers. They do all the hard calculations, and this is what they have done in case of WTC. Architects and engineers jointly admitted that they designed World Trade Center to withstand air plane collision. Although it was impossible for building to handle this with so intense fire inside it. This leads me to another factor that strongly influences design that makes it possible and functional. Even greatest building on the earth without sufficient services and structure to support it – is a disaster. This is why engineer and sometimes ME engineer effect design. Often especially in big projects architect and structural engineer work in collaboration to create final design. This is evolution from the sentence said by Louis Sullivan about his new Wainwright Building – â€Å"form follows function†. Even if architect and engineer work close together they are often limited by construction methods and processes, like it almost happened with Beetham Tower in Manchester. The design caused a lot of dispute on how and whether it would be possible to safely construct four-metre cantilever which is definite land mark in Manchester’s skyline. Frank Lloyd Wright found similar problem when he proposed Mile High Illinois which was proposed in 1956 and never been built, simply because construction methods wouldn’t allow it then and possibly even now it cou ld be challenging to construct this proposed building. Although this shouldn’t be a reason not to design it there are number of projects that has been designed and either not build or changed during construction because this coordination between architect and engineer wasn’t successful. Similar cooperation would be good between ME engineer and architects. Although services that ME is taking care of often are not of particularly important at the design stage and therefore sometimes they tend to be pushed to blank box where they should be placed or they not even included at all. Unfortunately this is often not enough place and highly effects aesthetics of interior. This wasn’t case in Pompidou Centre in Paris where all the services are on the external faà §ade and therefore services engineer strongly effected or actually created the appearance of this building. This innovative design created very industrial appearance, also its good place to realise how many serv ices and work goes into parts of building that are usually hidden. Possibly hiding all this causes people to think anyone can build a building and call it   architecture – and this is incorrect. Another influencing factor is definitely sustainability. This factor is more and more often mentioned in client’s requirements as its good for PR. Although due to global warming and heat island effect more and more government’s and authorities include some form of sustainability in their building regulations. And therefore it’s definitely outside of architect’s influence. Although sometimes this as well as other restrictions allow great designs to be created and to emerge, similarly like it was with Pompidou Centre with services, they allowed it to be great building. Often sustainability of the building doesn’t cause huge effect on the design, although it has to be considered from the start. Another strongly influential factor that I would like to mention is time. As we know ‘time is money’ this is wha t Benjamin Franklin said, and it’s still valid. Different people need quick design for number of different reasons. No matter of reason this influences the design. It may be that because architect need to finish design very quickly and he can’t refine all the. It could be that someone works really well under pressure and therefore final design may come out brilliantly. In most cases where time is important factor client decide to use unconventional building process called ‘Design and Build’ this means that construction starts as soon as architect creates rough shape. That causes that some of the details can’t be changed as they may already been built. This isn’t something new, it’s happening for long time, one of best examples is Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, this Roman Catholic basilica designed by architect Antoni Gaudà ­, construction started in 1882, this is 122 years ago, and it’s still not finished. This wouldn’t be possible without this construction method, and hopefully if finished in 2028 as current estimates show it would be definitely one of the longest construction processes in the history. As visible on photo above it’s not surprising, because as its being build, the attention to the details and the beauty of construction is at the highest possible level. Other influential factor that in my opinion is fundamental is the function. The role of architect is to find the solution for many, sometimes very hard problems. This is what in my opinion defines good architect. It’s not only how ‘pretty’ the building is, or how tall, it’s about how well architect or even designer thought about potential issues and how he solved it. Otherwise building is just – a shed. Functional but without thought putted into it, althought because â€Å"form follows function† or at least it should, the design supposed to reinforce the function, an d definitely not to go against it. This is what many people claim that has happened in case of Vitra Fire Station designed by Zaha Hadid, even though she is great architect, specific to her design style. As many people claim, the sculptural fanciness of designer caused building to be not functional as fire station and had to be handed over, and now it’s â€Å"used for exhibitions and events and continues to be one of the highlights on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein.† And I’m not disputing fact that it’s obviously architectural highlight of the area. Although it’s definitely in its design more suitable for exhibition area rather than fire station, because in case of fire it was hard for fire engine quickly leave, to the extent that some people called it dangerous. And therefore I think it’s important to create great designs, but not to forget about primary needs of the place, even factory or storage buildings could be architectural statement not only a building. There are many, many more factors that affect architectural designs all over the planet. Some more and other less, it all depends on client , and situation that the building is being build, however definitely most important and most influential is function followed by site, money and the client. References: Shoebox dwelling. 23 Oct 2012. House in a Gap. [Online]. Available at:  http://shoeboxdwelling.com/2012/10/23/house-in-a-gap/ [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Ondesign. Unknown. A life with large opening. [Online]. Available at:  http://www.ondesign.co.jp/english/works/062/#workTitle [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Oxford Dictionaries. Unknown. Oxford English Dictionary – stakeholder. [Online]. Available at:  http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stakeholder [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014]   Charles Wright Architects, Unknown. Stamp house publication. [Online]. Available at:  ww.wrightarchitects.com.au/projects-2/contact/stamp-house/ [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Manchester Evening News, 26 Feb 2011, Revealed: New plans for Manchester Metropolitan University’s new Hulme campus. [Online]. Available at:  www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Manchester Metropolitan University. Unknown. Birley Fields campus publication. [Online]. Available at:  www.mmu.ac.uk/birleyfields [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] 9/11 Blogger. 21 Feb 2007. What the World Trade Center Building Designers Said: Before and After 9/11. [Online]. Available at:  http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2007/210207designers.htm [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] History, 25 Jan 2001. Unknown. 911 Facts with Hero and Victim – interview with Frank DeMartini. [Video online] Available at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl1GfcD3KZ0 [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] World Trade Center. n.d. [Image online] Available at:  http://www.photosup.biz/img/world-trade-center-new-york.html [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Beetham Tower. n.d. [Image online] Available at:  http://www.cityadvisor.info/[emailprotected] [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Wainwright Building. n.d. [Image online] Available at:  http://www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/STY-Sullivanesque.htm [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Frank Lloyd Wrights mile-high building. n.d. [Image online] Available at:  http://www.wbez.org/blog/john-r-schmidt/2011-08-25/frank-lloyd-wrights-mile-high-building-90793 [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Gagnon, B. 20 Sep 2009. Sagrada Familia 01. [Image online] Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Familia_01.jpg [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014]   SBA73. 21 Feb 2011. Sagrada Familia nave roof detail. [Image online] Available at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Familia_nave_roof_detail.jpg [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Zaha Hadid. Unknown. Vitra Fire Station Publication. [Online]. Available at:  http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/vitra-fire-station [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Anniina Koivu. 11 Jun 2013. Happy Birthday Fire Station. [Onilne]. Available at:  http://www.vitra.com/en-gb/magazine/details/184799 [Accessed: 22 Mar 2014] Form follows profit1200921975

Farming In Denmark :: essays research papers

Denmark is located in the Central Northern part of Europe. It is part of the Scandinavian countries, thus it has a relatively cold weather all year long. 75% of Denmark’s land is used for farming. Because of it’s export of agricultural and industrial produce, it enjoys one of the highest standard of living in the world. This case study is meant to study the farming in Denmark. Types of Farming: Denmark is divided into 3 areas: Jutland, Fyn, and Zealand. Farming is found in all of those areas. Denmark’s types of farming are: Dairy farming, Crop farming, Animal farming, and Mixed farming In Jutland, the least intensive farming is found. There they mainly grow rye, oats, and potatoes. Pasture land is also found there. In Fyn and Zealand, the most Intensive farming is found. There they grow cereals with root crops, and pigs. Some areas in Jutland and Fyn are also used for mixed farming. Is the Land Suitable for Farming?: Denmark’s land wasn’t very fertile in the Nineteenth century. It had Sandy soils in the West and Clay land in the East. The government invested a lot of money into making those lands fertile. The low lying and relatively flat land in Denmark added to the existing fertile soils, and partially favorable climate (Winter frosts + Warm and sunny summer with rainfall over the average) makes Denmark ideal for cereal farming. Up till the 1870’s, Denmark was a major exporter of wheat and barley. But eventually, it had to diversify due to hard competition. That was when it realized the high demand for dairy products in foreign countries (mainly Britain), thus it started to export dairy products along with cereals. This meant it had to rely on pasture land for rearing animals Today, Denmark’s land is typical for the types of farming found there. The land remains ideal for cereal farming. Pasture land is also found for cattle. Pigs and poultry remain inside a barn all year long. The land is also ideal for growing potatoes and other root crops. Stalinization isn’t a problem in Denmark due to a high annual rainfall. Where in the World can Similar Farming be Found?: Mixed farming: Mixed farming can be found in North America (i.e. USA), in Asia (i.e. Russia), and in Europe (i.e. France and Spain). Mixed farming can be also be found in the rest of the continents. Dairy farming: Dairy farming is found world wide. It is found in Israel, Italy, USA, France, Britain, and many more.

Loyalty Marketing

Customer Loyalty Program for Restaurants in a five Star Hotel:Customer marketing long since began when marketing practices started.   Loyalty marketing is not a new concept.   Best customers generate most profits an example was in the 50s when ‘mom & pop stores look after its best customers.   A good customer spends more than thirty percent and keeps coming back but worst customers are less loyal.Chris X. Moloney and Fred Reichheld noted that loyalty marketing has a new marketing discipline called â€Å"Customer Advocacy Marketing† (CAM).   This programme in marketing is strongly linked with loyalty and customer referral (Wikepedia).With the future, it seems that new technology can always be costly but it is a marketer’s friend.   Hence, technologies and techniques of the past in some tasks are most reliable and appropriate especially in the business of hospitality and restaurants particularly for tasks where attitudes and habits of consumers are difficu lt to change.I.   Customer Loyalty – its benefitsThe rapid advancement of technology, relations between the 21st century customer and supplier needs to be nurtured because of growing competition and new demands or high customers’ expectations.   Restaurant businesses grow faster than the rate of demand.   A business is building up then suddenly a new comer comes along.   For this reason, it made sense to nurture or retain regular good customers than to attract new ones.a. Long Term ProfitabilityMarketing is supposed to contribute long term profitability into a business but competition is intense.   Now it is important to regard its effort in a changing marketplace.First of all we must check how a loyalty program fits an establishment, how can it continue to progress, and how to encourage future investment for its continuous development or its expansion?Customer Loyalty Program is only one aspect of the comprehensive marketing techniques but it is the central pillar of the plan.   In the article written by Randolph Hobler he noted that only 5% of the top 130 restaurants in the US have loyalty programs (Hobler).   Sixty percent of consumers go to restaurants with rewards program.   However, despite of the knowledge that a good loyalty program pays back from the very beginning; (example is the Tesco’s Club Card who makes money from day to day). Still, only twenty five percent of the National Restaurant Association in the U.S. used loyalty program.To attain this program data must be collected and from these data a study or an intelligent interpretation should be provided to have much clearer picture on the customer base.   Most of the program will have this question â€Å"When is the payback begun to happen?†Ã‚   For some it happens right away but in some it will depend on the circumstances.b. Customer RetentionHigh performing companies retains customers and magnets other clients.   Businesses that retains its client s makes more money at lower cost than the one who constantly pays for advertisements just to invite new customers.   A loyal customer depends mainly on the good and sound practice of the business and its marketing schemes at all times.   Clients are normally easy to lose than to win.Retaining customers have simple principles:   know your clients and reward them.It is important to perform the following tasks:a. Study the peak-hour and plan to retain the number of customers at slow times.b. Make new menu items and take-out productsc. Provide functions activities such as parties with specialty drinksd. Up-sell products like value mealse. Provide incentives and encourage secure registering and loading of cardsf. Changing business operations for a greater profit must also be considered by creating an economic balance between getting the attention of customers and in giving them rewards.II. How to build customer loyalty – its factorsCritical factors to built customer loyaltyM arket Size or EstimationThis is a tool which gives very good guidelines to calculate market sizes reasonably of the member base who would receive loyalty programs or rewards.Trends and ForecastTrends means consumer behavior and spending patterns based on customer marketing initiatives and forecasts of future marketing campaigns.Best practices and InnovationsProblems with loyalty programs and practices will be examined like issues and pitfalls, corporate values and visions including inconsistent messages to consumers, comparing loyalty rewards from competitors and finding out what does not work.Best Customer Marketing Access Pricing and Customer Lifetime ValueAs it implies, directing good customers since they bring the most profit.   Since pricing strategy is the key features in every business, best customers should have access to discounted pricing throughout its lifetime.   Customers may collect points on their purchase on a frequent or everyday basis measuring loyalty’s effect on the customer’s lifetime value.Essential data or business models can be used to analyze CLV calculations.  Ã‚   â€Å"The most important factor in consumer loyalty program is the price†(Weiss). Although it is important not all people buy because of the price but sometimes because of   loyalty to the brand.Customer loyalty and analysis – New toolsWe do not develop loyalty tools from scratch but examine newer tools used by the loyalty rewards program.   Some of them are:   The loyalty token – it is the bit of the program that members carry in order to have contact with the program.   An advantage of this is to link the transaction with the database however those data can be transmitted to and fro.   Why?   It is important to search the true value and function of a reward, its properties, getting the most of it, and the reward redemption process.Human Aspect of the Loyalty programThe aspect of human loyalty is very important.   This is the cycle of customer – employee – shareholder/owner relationships.   These are actions and emotions that must satisfy every human condition.   This is also one way of keeping clients happy with a new policy since most of the time the front liners are the one who deals with customers closely and yet are the ones who are underpaid.Customer loyalty program for hotels, resorts and casinosOne reason why restaurants in hotels are not expanding on its reward program is due to the fact that almost 50% of visitors do not belong to any loyalty program.   The business is still an untapped market.  Ã‚   For instance the use of wireless consoles to summon waiters, loyalty programs with personalize services such as greeting the customer by the name and   seats the client at their favorite table with his usual drink etc.. Technologies are also employed to hasten meal preparations.The future of loyalty as what experts thinks:The best way of looking into the future is to examine what happened in the past and from that make a projection.   Though it is hard to make expectations because sometimes things happen when you least expect it.The trend for globalization will have two distinctive effects. One, there will be no division in the international border.   We will have a global macro-regional system as opposed to centralized system we have today.  Ã‚   Second, worldwide trend on customer loyalty will be more difficult to develop because of the ever changing consumer values. (Trend).The future is here today. It would be to the disadvantage of new marketers of today if they would not embrace the new technologies.We are expected to see in the future more sophisticated innovations and consumers will expect more points to buy items which ordinarily are out of reach.   Marketers who will not embrace this change will be at the least advantage state.Since the opening of Scala’s Bistro in 1995 a culinary of French and Italian countryside, the restaurants focused on list of primarily California and Italian selections of wine along with few French varietals.   Scala offers 10-15 choices by the glass and 150 selections by the bottle.   The restaurants serve culinary delights of both Italy and France; fresh local vegetables combine to a rustic innovative menu.   It has offered 18% of gratuity to parties of more than six.   One can be found at 432 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA. or search the web to find out comments of its satisfied customers.References:Hobler, Randolph. â€Å"Late to the Table.† 2006.Trend, Herman. â€Å"The Future of Customer Loyalty â€Å", 2007.Weiss, Allen. â€Å"Is Price *Really* the Most Important Factor in Consumer Loyalty?† 2007.Wikepedia. â€Å"Loyalty Marketing.† 2007.

The Rise and Fall of the Briti essays

The Rise and Fall of the Briti essays Britain began to become an empire as early as the seventeenth century, and it lasted until the mid nineteenth century. The Empire survived many obstacles and rulers. Some rulers however strengthened the Empire and Britain in general. During the seventeenth century Britain fought several very successful wars against the Dutch, French and Spanish. As Kelley Ross claims in her article The Worlds Greatest Empires, these campaigns left Britain with much of the eastern coast of North America, the St. Lawrence Basin in Canada, parts of Africa for slave acquisition, areas of the Caribbean and political interests in India (24). At this point the British Empire had begun formation. The Empire lasted through many rulers, gathering more colonies and power with the passage of time. However, no ruler controlled and caused as much growth in the vast empire as Queen Victoria. The British Empire was formed with mercantilist ideas, headed by Cromwell and the Stuarts; however the empire was at its peak during the reign of Queen Victoria. But because of twentieth century superpowers like Germany and the USSR, as well as uprisings in attempts at independence by many of Britains colonies, the Empire fell in the mid twentieth century. The growth of the British Empire was due in large part to the ongoing competition for resources and markets which existed over a period of centuries between England and her Continental rivals, Spain, France, and Holland (Sears 23). Englands first empire was a mercantilist one, led by both Cromwell and the Stuarts. They outlined ideas for the further colonization of Europe, and their mercantilist views held true until the late eighteenth century. As R.A Huttenback, author of The British Imperial Experience writes, the first British Empire came to an end after the American Revolution. However the purpose and policies of the Empire stayed the same (26-27). They were to gain ...

5 Tips for Taking Notes - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

5 Tips for Taking Notes - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog 5 Tips for Taking Notes Taking notes is an essential part of studying at college. You’ll need to take notes when you are researching a paper, as well as in class and when you go to lectures or conferences. However, notes are only valuable if you can use them when revising or writing assignments. Here are our top 5 tips to make your notes super useful! 1. Make a Summary When you are taking notes, don’t try to copy down everything that you read. Instead, try to summarize the information in your own words, as this will help you remember it later. If youre taking notes in a lecture and dont have time to write everything out in full as youre listening, leave space at the bottom of the page so you can write a brief summary at the end. 2. Go Back and Highlight A great way to consolidate your notes when you are revising (or preferably before!) is to go back over them and highlight or underline important details. You can even annotate them with more information. 3. Organize! Revision is much simpler if you have filed your notes properly. You can group notes based on date, theme, author or suitability for certain projects. 4. Use Shorthand This doesn’t have to be the kind of technical shorthand used by journalists. Just having a few shortened terms that you understand, such as w/ for ‘with’ and ‘b/’ for ‘because,’ can save valuable time when you are trying to follow a lecture! 5. Don’t Skimp on the References! It may feel like hard work, but get into the habit of writing down the full references for whatever text you are taking notes on. This will make it much easier when you come to using your notes for writing a paper. You can then just copy the full reference into your bibliography as soon as you mention the author.

Feasibility & Marketing for small business Research Paper

Feasibility & Marketing for small business - Research Paper Example The location on Adelaide Street is ideal since there are few salons in the surrounding area. The street connects to other major streets in London, which makes the transportation of inventory and other commodities easy. The business site on Adelaide Street is a visible place just off the road with shopping malls on its opposite side. The malls increase traffic on the street, providing a better opportunity to reach out to more potential customers. The site for the business is 200 square feet, which is ideal for the various services that the business will offer. An additional 50 square feet is available as office space, enough to accommodate the managerial staff and business records. There is ample parking space of 280 square feet at the basement of the building. Considering the business viability of the area, this is a prime site. The business will incur site expenses at the rate of $9.50 per square foot (For Lease: Office / Medical / Clinic, 2014). For the total of 250 square feet, the business expects to spend a total of ($9.50) (250 square feet) = $2375. This cost is inclusive of building insurance and maintenance costs. The average annual expenditure on hairdressing and related personal care is $829 per household (Affairs, 2011). This expenditure forms 1.4% of the total expenditure of the potential customers (Affairs, 2011). These figures indicate a good market potential for salon services, which indicates that the salon business is an attractive opportunity in this area. The major direct competitors are Skin Care Nails and Spa, and Sheer Elegance Saloon and Spa. Skin Care Nails and Spa is a threat because of celebrity status and adequate resources at its disposal. Sheer Elegance Saloon and Spa has a wide variety of services and offers them at lower prices. The indirect competitors include Studio 83, which is 0.6 miles away, and First Choice Hair

Business Model of Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation Term Paper

Business Model of Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation - Term Paper Example The Odyssey team of chemical engineers and logisticians brings unparalleled expertise to the logistics supply chain in all modes of transport. The Odyssey Global Logistics Platform is a transportation management infrastructure that serves as the technology backbone to Odyssey's service offering. Odyssey International LLC is a licensed export freight forwarder and wholly owned subsidiary of Odyssey Logistics & Technology, managing exports to more than 80 countries. Odyssey Overland LLC is a wholly owned affiliate of Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation operating as a broker and domestic freight forwarder for bulk and package truck shipments in North America. The company is backed by investors Trident Capital, LogiSpring, Boston Millennia Partners, CMEA Ventures and RRE Ventures. Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corporation has a team of experts in Supply Chain and Logistics Management, commercial carrier management, logistics operations and execution, and supply chain technology. They use the Supply Chain Management (SCM) system to support these processes called the Odyssey Solution based on the Odyssey Global Logistics Platform that provides a single interface to the chemical and process industry logistics markets. Odyssey Solution is a Business Information System that stores information about the complete suite of logistics services in all modes of transport, globally. The company tailors its service offerings to meet its clients' needs, leveraging its technology platform and information systems to provide any service from a single point solution to a complete logistics solution. They own no transportation equipment or warehouses, allowing them to negotiate as an independent, neutral party in the marketplace, acting in the best interests of the customers. The Business Information System Odyssey Solution manages all aspects of the supply chain from inbound sourcing and delivery logistics through outbound shipment, handling, consolidation, deconsolidation, distribution, and delivery of end products. Odyssey can, through its integrated transportation management system, provide its clients with cargo planning, tendering, shipment visibility and configurable event management, freight audit and pay ment, and management reporting.