Dubai Ports World (DP World) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Dubai Ports World (DP World) - Assignment Example Like most companies, DP World seeks growth and profitability through strategic initiatives, judicious financial management, and conducting routine internal assessments of its strength and weakness and understanding the industry threats and opportunities. In addition, positioning itself where it can take advantage of new market opportunities and grow is one thing. Coming up with new ways to conduct current operations is another. Modernizing its information technology infrastructure, sustaining a commitment to community projects in which it operates, understanding the political, social, economic and technological factors that influence its business and providing a work environment that DP world supports through training and development will position DP World to take advantage of opportunities to grow and expand into new markets. Core Industry Dubai Ports World (DP World) operates in the international marine terminal business (port operations) providing development and logistics services (DP World, 2010). Specifically, the majority of DP World management is in container handling services as part of an overall strategy of managing container, bulk and terminal cargo. In addition to containers, DP World also operates general cargo, bulk cargo, Ro-Ro vessel (such as car handling), and passenger terminals. DP World also operates P&O Maritime Services, DP World Cargo Services and DP World Intermodal. According to the DP World website, P&O Maritime Services is a ``specialist provider of maritime services to industry and government`` (DP World, 2010). DP World Cargo provides stevedoring (loading and unloading) services. These services include containers, bulk, general cargo, project cargoes, car carriers, reefer vessels and passenger vessel stores and baggage handling. DP World Intermodal operates what it refers to as ``outside th e gate`` (DP World Intermodal, n.d.) services to help clients streamline their supply chains, specifically in the railway services industry. This service is more formally called Container Rail Road Services Private Limited, or CRRS for short (DP World Intermodal, n.d.). Its P&O operations are diverse and include government shipping services, cargo services, port services (including skilled crews, shore support staff and vessel maintenance), offshore specialized marine services to the offshore oil and gas industry, defence, chartering (including ship brokering and chartering for mining and bulk minerals) and agency services (including ship agency, chandlery and manning services) (P&O Maritime, n.d.). Chandlery services cover supplies and equipment. Key Substitute Products / Services According to an OAS overview (Rossignol, 2007, p. 7), companies in this strategic assessment include (with number of ports in operation, millions of TEU throughput): 1. HPH - Hutchinson Port Holdings (45, 33.2). 2. PSA – Singapore Port Authority (25, 32.4). 3. APMT - APM Terminals (40, 24.1). 4. P&O Ports (acquired by DP World). 5. DP World (42, 35.2 – when combined with P&O Ports). 6. Evergreen Marine Corp (240, 11.5). 7. Eurogate (10, 11.4). 8. COSC - China Ocean Shipping Company (34, 8.1). 9. SSA Marine (150, 6.7). 10. MSH - Mediterranean Shipping Company (215, 5.7). Global growth is a key vision for DP World and this variable could be used as one of the key strategic measures. Growth can be measured in terms of TEU units. TEU is short for twenty-foot equivalent units as this is the majority of the industry

Madonna and Child with Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine Essay

Madonna and Child with Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine - Essay Example We should therefore be highly inspired by such saints who influence artists and stimulate them to produce works of such high caliber. The legendary saints also influence the poetic and aesthetic abilities of human beings. There are a lot of sinful creatures in this world, many Christians believe that if the holy virgins, as presented in these works would appeal to the lord at his throne then everything will be fine. This is because they believe that these works of art are not just manmade pieces of art, they are in fact a peak into the heavenly figures. That’s why a lot of Christians find pleasure in producing and observing religious art. Many people did not know Saint Catherine of Alexandria until the crusaders used her name. They believed that she had helped in the Eastern Church and hence her name started being venerated. She was considered to be an epitome of wisdom and knowledge. To add to all of it, she had been of royal blood. Obviously, all these claims about her have been questioned but nevertheless her place in Art remains unquestioned and unopposed. A lot of scholarly Christians place her next to Mary Magdalene. Different ornaments that she wears symbolize different things. For example, the book indicates her learning, the crown represents her superiority, and sword represents her martyrdom. This picture has been praised globally. In this picture, Catherine is shown with a virgin and a child. She has an elegant and a dignified persona and she is wearing a princess dress. This picture is a very beautiful Madonna picture. In it, Saint Catherine is said to be representing a beautiful daughter of an artist. She is sitting at the ground, while the virgin is seated on a chair with a baby in her arms. Virgin and the child are sitting in a fenced-off area of a courtyard being surrounded by four very beautiful saints. Also, this picture symbolizes that Saint is being depicted as a beautiful woman rather than as a knowledgeable or scholarly one. She is in Uffizi. Because of her learned nature she is very often also shown accompanying Saint Jerome and other doctors of the church. Her other frequent companions include Saint Barbara and Mary Magdalene. The presence of St. Barbara in the picture is also a very symbolic one. While young, she was secluded and so she gave in to prayer and meditation. She is shown close to the virgin. Her personality is a reminder of God’s presence. This beautiful picture by Raphael is also kept in the National Galley and has gained acclaim. It shows saints to her knees, her right arm is folded around her breast while she has kept the left one on the wheel. She is looking at one spot in the sky with an expression of joy and relief on her face. The background also shows a delightful landscape. According to Passavant: "It is one of those works which nothing can describe; neither words, nor a painted copy, nor engravings, for the fire in it appears living, and is entirely beyond imitation" (Saints in Art Chapter VI The Virgin Patronesses and the Great Virgins of the Latin Church n.d.) In my opinion, these portraits cannot be classified as sins because they represent a close bond between the Christ and the saints. These pictures reflect love, devotion and care. These pictures should be treated with dignity. These pictures are also a source of information for us. By looking at them we get to know the true value of our ancestors and the much revered saints we hear of. These