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Michael Westen goes through plenty of ups and downs during this episode of Burn Notice Alvin Kamara Youth Jersey , as the show seemingly leaves behind the flashy explosions with which it debuted, and concentrates more on showing the characters for what they really are. Even if the main character is a spy, and little is given about his whereabouts, the audience has the opportunity to learn more about his personality throughout this episode. In Depth Perception, Michael is called by Sam, who asks him for help in order to save Beatriz Marshon Lattimore Youth Jersey , the Colombian that saved him in a previous installment.


Apparently, Beatriz is chased down by a Russian spy, whose orders are to terminate her due to her involvement in some business smelling of Russian oil. Team Westen is forced to employ Anson’s services, which leads to a painful confrontation between Michael and the show’s villain, who tortures Westen, by asking him uncomfortable questions. Michael clearly feels disturbed and starts questioning himself Tre'Quan Smith Youth Jersey , and his actions, as the episode progresses.


Anson proves once again why any show needs a villain. He shadows all Michael’s movements, and he even states, with not even a tinge of regret or sign that he had a conscience, that he will manipulate Westen as he sees fit. While the deal is endured by Michael all throughout the operation, rumor has it that Anson will not give up on his hold on Mike. The true nature of his character is revealed when he simply pinpoints Sam as being a spy for the Russians Marcus Davenport Youth Jersey , a clear sign that the games are far from being over, when Anson is involved.


As any believable villain, Anson has his money stashed away in the Caymans Islands, and he is accompanied by Fi and Jesse to the bank, where he employs the services of a dirty banker to fake his death. The side story of this episode was not very interesting, but the interaction between Jesse and Fi was Michael Thomas Youth Jersey , as always, fun to watch.


As already mentioned, the audience has the opportunity to learn more about Michael Westen and his past. His father’s abusive personality is revealed, through Anson’s not so subtle hints at the role of a father figure played in Michael’s life. We learn more through Anson’s mouth about Michael than any otherwise. The profiler says that Michael became a protector of the weak, only to stave off the memory of the abuses he had to endure at the hands of an alcoholic father.


The role of Michael’s father, Frank Westen Drew Brees Youth Jersey , is, however, more complex. While feeding Anson with information on Michael, Frank also tries to apologize to his kids. But this is a tidbit of information that Michael learns when it is already too late, and Frank is long gone, death making it impossible for father and son to reach an understanding and an agreement. Again Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Womens Jersey , Anson is the one that points out that having an abusive father made Michael in what he is today, so, apologies delayed or not, the way things happened cannot be turned around, no matter how Michael views his father through the perspective of new found information may change.


An Evolving Operational Focus


In the past when companies pondered corporate strategy, operations had been peripheral to the discussion. Operations were considered a technical matter with one way of doing things and therefore not Erik McCoy Womens Jersey , strategic. Strategy is about products, markets, and competitive advantage with divergent possibilities.


Operations were seen as a series of puzzles with single best solutions. The realization that optimization of parts did not optimize the whole led to new focus - operational management went up a level from looking at individual tasks to looking at whole processes. During the 1960s, Japanese manufactures obtained competitive advantage by optimizing operational efficiency, which meant lower prices, flexible production capabilities and a reduction in lead times. Operational considerations became a key theme in strategic discussions.


During the 1990s Alvin Kamara Womens Jersey , companies like Dell took this further. The computer market was changing faster than any other market had done in history. Dell began managing operations by synchronizing functional activity into a single corporate heartbeat. An order instantly drove procurement, which drove production and then distribution. The result was a further drop in lead times, inventory requirements, and operating costs along with flexibility. Operational efficiency was Dell's sole source of competitive advantage and it reaped enormous market share gains.


Collaboration ? The Next Step


The historical trend is clear. The impact that one activity has on the next means they cannot be optimized in isolation. The result is that operations have become the key corporate strategic consideration. Yet the nature of competitive advantage is to elapse as competitors replicate it, which places a continual onus on companies to find new differentials. This begs the question - what next?


The answer lies in another step up in the way we view corporate operations. We need to look beyond the borders of the firm in our search for operational efficiency. Optimized company operations can only be achieved through alignment and coordination with the agents up and down stream. Collaboration with suppliers and customers is the essential vehicle of the 21st century for achieving competitive advantage from operations.


The benefits of Collaboration