Erp implementation at maruti suzuki ltd

Erp implementation at maruti suzuki ltd Maruti Suzuki ltd. was established in 1981 in India as and since its establishment Maruti Suzuki ltd has been leader of the Indian car market. It is a subsidiary of its parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan. Maruti Suzuki Ltd is the largest selling passenger car company in India and controls more than 45% of the Indian car market. The company is headquartered in New Delhi. On 17th September, 2007 Maruti Udyog Ltd was renamed to Maruti Suzuki Ltd. It has two manufacturing plants in India; one is in Gurgaon and the other is in Manesar. Both units when combined can produce around 500000 units per annum. Till now the company has a portfolio of 15 passenger vehicle. It is listed on BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) as well as NSE (National Stock Exchange). What is ERP Every automobile company today has a very large amount of data to deal with. If the data is not integrated and is not available in consolidated form and at one place, it is very difficult for the users to access the data. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a basically a software tool for integrating the business as a whole with an aim of effective use of the management resources to improve the efficiency and working of the organization. It is a tool that integrates all the divisions and functions of the organizations into a single software program which runs on a single database and facilitates information sharing and communication among the various departments of the organizations. Need for ERP Every automobile company today has a very large amount of data to deal with. If the data is not integrated and is not available in consolidated form and at one place, it is very difficult for the users to access the data. In todays scenario, it is very important to share the data among the various divisions and departments of the organization in order to improve the efficiency and working. At every point or juncture, the information can be viewed and can be accessed. ERP is also used to integrate the value chain activities in the automobile industry. Enterprise Resource Planning also plays a major role in managing the inventory as it is one of the most important aspect in the automobile industry. Operational excellence is also achieved with the help of ERP. Thus, ERP has now become a necessity and need in the automobile industry and in companies like Maruti Suzuki ltd. Introduction Maruti Suzuki Ltd. uses Pre Implementation Before implementation of the ERP, the company used to depend upon its home grown, disparate systems to manage its business. But these systems were inefficient and were not able to communicate with each other and thus required a lot of manual work like entering data multiple times. And it was very difficult for the staff to generate the results and reports. There was a lack of control over processes. The company also added four new business sectors in 2002 which also required constant attention and human intervention and thus making it difficult to manage the system. Also, before implementing ERP company faced problems like poor information quality and huge turnaround time. There was no real time access to information which made it difficult for the company staff to access and obtains the latest, updated and correct information. Strategies for ERP implementation Maruti Suzukis Chief General Manager Rajesh Uppal said that the company was looking for an expandable and a flexible system that can be easily managed. Thus this will lower down the complexity of the system (IT environment) and also would reduce the dependence on some people to handle and manage the system. By implementing ERP there will be a single standardized Oracle platform and thus will also help the proper scaling of the system. The company adopted a phased migration strategy from its old legacy systems to the Oracle E Business Suite. Post Implementation There was a smooth transition from the old legacy systems to the newly adopted Oracle E Business Suite. The company selected Oracle Consulting to determine the companys requirements, to design the system, to develop the project plan, to deploy the software, to manage the parties involved and finally to provide the three months post implementation support to the company. The training programs were also designed for the employees. Under the training programs the user manuals were provided. There was also Train the Trainer program and Train the super users program under the Training programs. Financial Insight The company observed that with using the old multiple systems, there was lack of control over the data and information quality and processes. It was difficult to manage finances and the divisions lagged behind each other. But with the implementation of the E Business Suite, Maruti Suzuki was able to standardize on a single financial management platform. Standardization helped the company to keep and maintain tight control over the Accounts payable, accounts receivable and comprehensive general ledger. Also the efficiency improved and there was less confusion with the introduction of the standardized data formats and processes. Rajesh Uppal (Chief Manager IT) said that the completed the year end close on time without any hitch. Hyperion The company has been using Hyperion software for the last two years. It has been used to analyze the budgets across Marutis nine subsidiaries. It also helped the company to conduct financial reporting in compliance with the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) in India. The system is integrated with the Oracle Financial and is now being used by 10 (approximately) budgeting staff in the companys finance department. It has helped the company to improve their forecasts and also enabled Maruti to quickly respond to the changes in the market conditions thus enhancing their competitiveness. Hyperion can be easily integrated with the Oracle Financials Module. Procurement Oracle Purchasing was implemented by Maruti to handle the procurement of the services, goods and indirect consumables. Before implementing this Purchasing system, the companys subsidiaries either depended on spreadsheets or used the elementary or fundamental system to handle the process thus leading to rise in costs and excess of inventory. The major changes this system brought in the company was the cost reduction and better inventory management. It also helped to reduce the number of vendors thus reducing the costs. An automated workflow sends purchase orders along the chain and keeps the staff aware of the procurement activity. It has provided working staff the capability to track the process from order to payment. HR Workforce Management Maruti was quick enough to discover that the systems they were using were not able to manage the employees. Thus it felt the need of a single integrated system that could easily help them to manage the human resources. After the implementation of the Oracle Human Resouces module, Maruti observed that it had a better control over the functions such as leave and compensation management, payroll, recruitment and training and staff development. As the information is stored in a single database, the system enabled the staff to access the entire history and the details of the employees. Oracle self Service HR was also implemented which freed the HR staff from elementary duties (like changing details and addresses of employees). Thus, it helped Maruti to hire good quality people. Future Plans After the success of the HR, Procurement and Financials modules, the company can implement the Oracle Advanced Supply Chain Module and Oracle Enterprise Asset Management. The company can integrate more of its processes with ERP systems. This would help the company to access the real time information across all the different departments and divisions of the company.

Recent Scientific and Technological Innovations Essay

The quality of life is normally taken to mean the general well being of people and the environment in which they live in. it is undeniable that recent scientific and technological innovations have enhanced the quality of life for many. However, the developments of today that promise us a better quality of life are also the ones that can worsen the quality of life. Science and technology give their creators and inventors ever-greater supremacy and control, for good or otherwise, over the physical universe. Indeed, the possible dire consequences and impact of misused and misapplied innovations can affect the quality of life drastically. Technological innovations have resulted in an improved and well-established system of telecommunications and satellites. This leads to ease in access of communication system globally. International calls can now be made so readily that two people at separate ends of the world can now stay instantly in contact with a touch of the dial. But, with the onsl aught of the worldwide web and wireless communication devices, technology has in fact, drawn people away from each other. The presence of electronic email and short-text messages, gave busy people of this high-tech society yet another excuse to dismiss the need for face-to-face meetings and interactions. Humans have become overly dependent upon such gadgets and devices to carry out the basic task such as to communicate. What will result from the above phenomenon is that the generations to come will be lacking in inter-personal and interactive skills. Medical scientific and technological innovations have been largely beneficial. Death rates, infant mortality rates as well as diseases of the past that used to lead to alarming numbers of deaths, have been eradicated greatly. Modern drugs and vaccines have eased much physically suffering. But, the discovery of Euthanasia and Genetic Engineering have sparked off a series of moral questioning concerning the supposed death with dignity as well as issues that include abortion as the latter opens up possibilities of misuse. It is true that abortion practices ena ble pregnant women who are at health risk to remove the baby in the course of pregnancy but many have taken advantage of this procedure to rid themselves of the product of irresponsible actions on their part. Also, Euthanasia, despite being said to be death in dignity, nevertheless, opposes many religious and conservative views. Advanced military technological innovations have provided a higher degree of security for citizens in countries. This does actually contribute to enhancing the quality of life as cyber warfare, biological warfare and nuclear warfare help to create a new form of defence mechanism to protect the people. Conversely, advance military technological innovations have also empowered modern armies a great level of destructive potential and selective aiming targets. This results in civilians and innocent people ending up as the greater victims in wars. In addition, the use of chemical and biological weapons has diffused effects that make the clear-cut drawing of battle lines more complex and difficult. Hence, instead of enhancing the quality of life, humans’ vulnerability increases and security decreases in times of war. Another political and legal aspect in which scientific and technological innovations have helped to improve the quality of life for humans is the availability of knowledge. Indeed, the access to information enhances democracy that provides citizens with a more liberal political system. However, it should be noted that technology, though allowing easy access to the supply of knowledge, actually devalues the worth of information and knowledge. Today, knowledge can easily turn obsolete as focus is placed on the survival of the most info and techno-savvy society. Also, what is accessible from the wide pool of resources on the worldwide web does not always provide the correct and morally upright information. For instance, the wide pool of pornography corrupts one’s mind and worsens the quality of life as it presents an improper, inaccurate and unrealistic view towards sex. Next, computers and high-tech machinery have aided in improving many economies, especially those of the developing countries. For example, South Korea went from being a developing country to becoming a newly industrialized country because they have become more capital-intensive and technologically oriented in their industries. Areas ranging from manufacturing processes to the service sector have been made easy by the use of both the computer and machinery. Nevertheless, such gadgets have become such an indispensable and essential tool in modern life that the need for labour-intensive employment has greatly declined. This puts lowly educated and lowly skilled workers out of jobs. Such an over reliance branches into almost every type of human activity and the importance of human resources will eventually be lost with time. How can quality of life be enhanced when the technology is deemed more valuable and useful than human resource? Another area to ponder about is the environmental asp ect of life. Pollution and deforestation have both worsened the quality of life in today’s society. Health problems have resulted from air, water, soil and hazardous waste pollution. Governments of less developed nations, in their eagerness to improve their economies by employing technology in their commerce, are willing to forsake the importance of the environment in maintaining the quality of life of their people. Poor air quality in twenty megacities in the world, with population of more than ten million results in an increase in lung, heart and brain cancer. This is the effect of traffic fumes; industrial processes, new sewage systems and even open refuse burning. Water quality is greatly diminished by the pollution caused by petrochemical complex, pesticide and factories. The issue of deforestation is also linked to the worsening of the quality of life as basic needs of recreation, culture and leisure are greatly affected. Thus, it is evident that though busy industries can be an indication of a healthy economy that can increase the monetary aspect of standard of living, actually denies humans their basic right to drink clean water and breathe clean, uncontaminated air. In conclusion, the issues of the quality of life that are affected by scientific and technological innovations are urgent and require much reconsideration. The nuclear power that promised virtually limitless, cheap and non-polluting energy for future generations proved otherwise in the disastrous accidents such as those that took place at Three Mile Island and Chernoblyl. Furthermore, the down sides to the supposed enhancement of the quality of life as depicted by the double-edged sword qualities of science and technology like those presented in this argument have clearly shown that recent scientific and technological innovations can increase the quality of life as well as degenerate it.

Change Management †the One Right Way Essay

However the offer is often illusory, for particular change approaches usually apply to particular situations, and simple solutions sometimes ignore the complexities of real life. (Stace and Dunphy, 2001, p 5) To utilise a single change approach is to assume that all organisations, all situations and all internal and external variables and influences remain constant. It applies the same logic to all changes without consideration of the many and varied influencing factors. I generally agree with the statement presented by Stace and Dunphy but am interested in the reasons underlying the requirement for simple, easy and fast change interventions. Are managers and change agents lazy and only looking for simple solutions? Does management consider change unimportant? Do management really believe that a single solution is going to work in every case? What is behind this trend? Bold (2011) suggests that change itself is becoming the only constant or ‘business as usual’ in the modern business environment. With technological advancements over the past 10 years, organisation now have the ability to access, collect and process enormous amounts of business data very quickly. This has provided management with the ability to understand the current health of their organisational processes and track against set goals and targets quickly and accurately. Previously, managers may have waited for end of month or end of quarter reporting from all business units to be collated and presented to gain an accurate understanding of the current business position and gauge the results from previous decisions made. Now, when a manager wants to make a change, they want it implemented as soon as possible so they can assess the impact of the change. Due to the high amount of change occurring in modern organisations and management’s requirement for immediate solutions, I believe that pressure is placed onto the change agents to provide solutions, often without the resources or time to perform adequate analysis to plan and implement the best change approach. As Bold (2011) suggested, change is becoming ‘business as usual’ and management may expect change managers to be able to develop a change process (i. e. the one right way), in the way that other parts of the organisation develops other repeatable ‘business as usual’ processes. Corporate competencies for change management constitute the critical capacity that is needed to create a learning organisation which is flexible, dynamic and adaptable in a rapidly changing and volatile environment. (Turner and Crawford 1998) As recent as the 1990’s, research was being undertaken by Romanelli & Tushman (1994) that proposed an alternate viewpoint. Their punctuated equilibrium paradigm argues that relatively long periods of stability (equilibrium) are punctuated by short periods of more radical, revolutionary change. I believe that most organisational change researchers would now agree that this is no longer the case and further progression into the information age has meant that very few industries operate within a long term, stable business operating environment. Although many different change models and approaches have been developed by academics, consultants and practitioners, none has yet to be accepted as a standard that can be used for all change interventions. Bold (2011) argues that there is no right or wrong theory for change management. It is not an exact science. However, through the ongoing research and studies by the industry’s leading experts, a clearer picture of what it takes to lead a change effort effectively will continue to emerge. Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) agree that in the case of organisational change, there remains considerable debate over the speed, direction and effects of change and on the most appropriate methods and concepts for understanding and explaining change. Kanter, Stein & Jick (1992) found that it would be very difficult for a single solution or approach to meet all the types of changes required and to take into account all of the required aspects as organisations are fluid entities. In an attempt to provide a more broad solution, Stace & Dunphy (2001) proposed a situational approach or framework for change. They argued that there is no single path to successful change implementation that holds true in all situations. This framework however has been criticised by Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) for neglecting the role of organisational politics and the internal power relationships within organisations as shapers of the organisational change process. Pettigrew (1985) presented a holistic, contextual analysis approach providing a multi-level approach to encapsulate the complexities of change management. Pettigrew argued that strategic change is a continuous process with no clear beginning or end point. However, Buchanan and Boddy (1992) argued that the richness and complexity of the multi-level analysis presented by Pettigrew, while comprehensive, it did little to simplify or clarify the processes of change and thereby rendered the research as largely impenetrable for the organisational practitioner. Change within an organisation is ongoing and involves many variables which are covered by different change models, processes and frameworks. Variables include the type of industry, the geographical location, the organisations size, the style of management leadership, the capability of the people involved, the organisational culture, the local and global economic environment, timing in regard to other events, the organisational structure and many more. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but demonstrates the length and breadth of variables to be taken into account when assessing and managing change. Senior (2002) argues that the trigger for internal change is often in response to external influences which then links the internal and external drivers for change. Often, the change strategy or mechanism used by an organisation is chosen by the change manager and may not necessarily meet the needs of the organisation. This can lead to the change manager selecting an approach that may have worked before, that they feel comfortable with, or that suits their personality. This may not be however, what the organisation really requires. For example, a change manager may have had previous success utilising a consultative and collaborative approach which would take time to fully consult with all impacted parties while the organisation may actually require a fast, dictatorial type approach due to it losing market share which is putting the very existence of the organisation at risk. Kanter (1983) notes that managers sometimes make strategic choices based on their own area of competence and career payoff. A model of change strategies that seeks to develop our understanding of change processes is unfortunately restricted if it excludes considerations of anything other than management as some sort of ‘black box’ wherein environmental fit is sought. Stace and Dunphy argue that change managers need to develop a varied behaviour repertoire rather than remain fixed on a particular approach to change. They argue the compelling need for in our modern economies to create and build more dynamic and innovative corporations which can compete successfully in global terms. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – â€⠀œ – – – – – – – – – – – – – Remember that change involves people, is instigated by people and controlled by people. There are many internal and external influences and forces that affect change but the interests of the change agents themselves and their political interests must also be considered. You cannot expect a change manager to ignore their own self-interest when making rational decisions. (Dunford 1990) Stace and Dunphy argue that the critical requirement for longer term viability and success in the corporation of the future is the ongoing development of what is increasingly being referred to as organisational capabilities or corporate competencies. These are capabilities for the flexible initiation of new strategies and environmental responsiveness that reside in the corporation itself rather than only in the capabilities and skills of the individual members. This will allow organisations to respond quicker to changes and effectively make change management part of the organisational culture. Change would then be regarded as ‘business as usual’. Many of the change approach methods, tools and techniques proposed by researchers and practitioners have overlapping ideas and cover a lot of the same ground. Rather than working independently towards defining improvements to existing ideas or new ideas, it may be more beneficial to take a collaborative approach and create an international standard for change or a recognised body of shared knowledge that could be used as a guide for organisational change.

Learn About Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, and Integers

Learn About Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, and Integers In mathematics, youll see many references about numbers. Numbers can be classified into groups and initially it may seem somewhat perplexing but as you work with numbers throughout your education in math, they will soon become second nature to you. Youll hear a variety of terms being thrown at you and youll soon be using those terms with great familiarity yourself. You will also soon discover that some numbers will belong to more than one group. For instance, a prime number is also an integer and a whole number. Here is a breakdown of how we classify numbers: Natural Numbers Natural numbers are what you use when you are counting one to one objects. You may be counting pennies or buttons or cookies. When you start using 1,2,3,4 and so on, you are using the counting numbers or to give them a proper title, you are using the natural numbers. Whole Numbers Whole numbers are easy to remember. Theyre not fractions, theyre not decimals, theyre simply whole numbers. The only thing that makes them different than natural numbers is that we include the zero when we are referring to whole numbers. However, some mathematicians will also include the zero in natural numbers and Im not going to argue the point. Ill accept both if a reasonable argument is presented. Whole numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. Integers Integers can be whole numbers or they can be whole numbers with a negative sign in front of them. Individuals often refer to integers as the positive and negative numbers. Integers are -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. Rational Numbers Rational numbers have integers AND fractions AND decimals. Now you can see that numbers can belong to more than one classification group. Rational numbers can also have repeating decimals which you will see be written like this: 0.54444444... which simply means it repeats forever, sometimes you will see a line drawn over the decimal place which means it repeats forever, instead of having a ...., the final number will have a line drawn above it. Irrational Numbers Irrational numbers dont include integers OR fractions. However, irrational numbers can have a decimal value that continues forever WITHOUT a pattern, unlike the example above. An example of a well known irrational number is pi which as we all know is 3.14 but if we look deeper at it, it is actually 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419.....and this goes on for somewhere around 5 trillion digits! Real Numbers Here is another category where some other of the number classifications will fit. Real numbers include natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, rational numbers and irrational numbers. Real numbers also include fraction and decimal numbers. In summary, this is a basic overview of the number classification system, as you move to advanced math, you will encounter complex numbers. Ill leave it that complex numbers are real and imaginary.

10 Words That Dont Mean What You May Think They Do

10 Words That Dont Mean What You May Think They Do 10 Words That Don’t Mean What You May Think They Do 10 Words That Don’t Mean What You May Think They Do By Mark Nichol As English evolves, word meanings shift and turn, sometimes reversing themselves altogether. These ten words have shifted their senses over the years. In some cases, we are wise to likewise be flexible; in others, we relax our vocabulary at the expense of useful distinctions: 1. Decimate The literal meaning of this word, as all you lovers of Latin (not to be confused with Latin lovers) know all too well, is â€Å"to reduce by one-tenth,† supposedly from the punitive custom of selecting one out of ten captives by lot and killing those so selected. But the senses for this rhadamanthine Roman policy have proliferated, so that now it means â€Å"tithed,† â€Å"drastically reduced,† or â€Å"destroyed† as well. 2. Disinterested Commonly employed to mean â€Å"not interested,† disinterested has a precise, useful meaning of â€Å"neutral, unbiased.† 3. Enormity Some people would reserve this word to mean â€Å"monstrously wicked,† but, in truth, it is properly invoked to refer to anything overwhelming or an unexpected event of great magnitude, and thus it need not be invariably corrected to enormousness except when it is clearly in reference to a loathsome occurrence. Refrain, however, from diluting the word’s impact in such usage as â€Å"The enormity of the new stadium struck them as they approached the towering entrance.† 4. Fortuitous This word means â€Å"occurring by chance,† but its resemblance to fortune has given it an adopted sense of â€Å"lucky.† For meticulous adherence to the traditional meaning, use fortuitous only in the sense indicated in this sentence: â€Å"His arrival at that moment was fortuitous, because her note had not specified the exact time of her departure.† Nothing in the context qualifies his arrival as fortunate; the sentence merely states that he arrived in time without knowing that he would do so. The informal meaning is expressed here: â€Å"His fortuitous arrival at that very moment enabled him to intercept the incriminating letter.† In this sentence, the time of his appearance is identified as a lucky stroke. 5. Fulsome This term originally meant â€Å"abundant, generous, full,† but that sense was rendered obsolete when the word acquired a negative connotation of â€Å"offensive, excessive, effusive.† Conservative descriptivists rail against the use of fulsome in a positive sense, but the cold, hard fact is that this sense has been increasingly resurgent for many years, and the adulatory meaning is now much more common than the condemnatory one. If you wish to stand fast before the tsunami of inevitability, be my guest, but fulsome as an exquisite insult has been consigned to the dustbin of history. Some commentators recommend that because of the word’s ambiguity, it’s best to avoid its use altogether. If you insist, make sure the context is clear. 6. Ironic The impact of ironic has been diluted because many people use it to mean â€Å"coincidental,† when its traditional definition is â€Å"counter to expectations or what is appropriate.† 7. Literally Some folks get exercised when this term is used in place of its antonym, figuratively. However, in a hyperbolic sense, that meaning is justified. Unfortunately, that sense is literally overused. 8. Notorious This term is occasionally used in a neutral sense, but that’s not an error, but the word literally means â€Å"known.† However, its dominant connotation is that the fame is a result of infamy. 9. Peruse This victim of definition reversal literally means â€Å"to use thoroughly,† and its first sense is that of careful steady or attentive reading. However, many writers (myself included) have employed it as a synonym for scan enough writers, as a matter of fact, that its second sense is â€Å"to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. Unfortunately, these mirror meanings mean that if you use the word, I advise you to support it with context that clarifies the intended sense. 10. Plethora Plethora originally referred to an excess of something, but that usage is rare now, and more often the sense is simply of abundance. The medical meaning of swelling caused by an excess of blood is all but unknown. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictThat vs. WhichHow to Style Legislative Terms

Research on retail market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research on retail market - Essay Example The first reason for this option emerges from the fact that my Company is new in the ICT market and due to limited financial resources Sole proprietorship provides the best option as a result of: Its simplicity; it is operated under a simple set up that involves fundamental business requirements for instance; the nominal costs associated with the initial stage of development are relatively low as compared to other business vehicles such as partnerships and incorporation. Another reason emanates from the fact that Sole Proprietorship requires only the payment of licenses and other basic operational fees for commencement of its activities. The third most imperative reason for taking this form of business operation is to ensure that I develop my management skills in ICT management. Sole Proprietorship provides the platform that will facilitate may career development in the field of ICT business. This occurs due to the fact that I will be responsible for all the activities conducted in the business hence improving my managerial skills. Consequently, this form of business operation would create a favorable ground for the development of my new business since cases associated with other forms of business vehicles like complex taxation processes will be avoided. That is, sole proprietorship cannot be differentiated from its original owner hence the method of taxation on such business is less complicated as compared to partnerships and incorporation. Moreover, other negative facets that may arise due to mismanagement that are usually experienced in partnerships and incorporation are also prevented. For instance; poor productivity that may arise due to poor modus operandi of one of the partners that lead to law suit are prevented in sole proprietorship. Sine the owner of sole proprietorship is responsible for all its management issues, much effort is

FINGERPRINTING Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FINGERPRINTING - Research Paper Example Statistical analysis in science is a tool that puts a numeric value to the â€Å"thing† being tested, it does not prove the validity of the actual science. The empirical study of fingerprints has taken place over the past 100 years and has proven that fingerprints are unique and individual. From the critical perspective, fingerprint comparison and identification methodology remains reliable and valid as scientific evidence and to this day has yet to be considered inadmissible as evidence in a court of law. Fingerprints are developed while the fetus is still in the womb. The friction ridge detail begins to develop on the hands and feet of a fetus during the 12th or 13th weeks of pregnancy (Ashbaugh, 1999, p.54). These â€Å"ridges do not run from one side of the hand or the finger to the other in a continuous stream, but are broken and noncontinuous. The arrangement of these ridges, like all natural things, is unique† (McRoberts, 1994, p.l). From the scientific perspective, early pioneers in fingerprint history are considered Sir William J. Herschel and Dr. Henry Faulds. Herschel is actually credited for â€Å"being the first European to recognize the value of friction ridge prints and to actually use them for identification purposes† (Aushbaugh, 1999, p.21). However, Alphonse Bertillon in Paris, France was first to devise the first truly scientific method of criminal identification, called anthropometry or Bertillonage. Bertillon â€Å"included fingerprints on the rear of his anthropometric cards as a final check of his identification. Upon Bertillon’s death in 1914, Bertillonage was discarded in France and replaced by fingerprint identification† (Ashbaugh, 1999, p. 28). In 1893, fingerprinting was added to the files at Scotland Yard, but anthropometry was still considered the primary method of identification until 1901. Sir Francis Galton, a British scientist, through testimony and demonstrations, was able to