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  • Now we're looking at the options for handling our on-line orders. They're going through

  • the roof and frankly the lead-time for delivery is blowing out. We need to improve our performance

  • in this area. Any suggestions?

  • Well, as I see it, we have three options. The obvious one is to employ more people to

  • do the job. Another alternative is to automate the system more - cut down on the physical

  • handling.

  • And the third option?

  • We could outsource.

  • What are the pros and cons?

  • Well, looking at increasing staff versus automation, we have to consider the cost. Automating has

  • a higher capital cost than putting on more staff. On the other hand, employing more people

  • is more expensive over a long term. If we keep growing, it'll cost more in the long

  • run.

  • How likely is it that we'll see continued growth?

  • I'd say it's a certainty.

  • I'd say a high probability. Nothing's certain in business.

  • So what about the third option?

  • Outsourcing? Well, it does take the problem off our hands. But we lose contact with our

  • customers.

  • What about the bottom line?

  • Outsourcing is the cheapest option, and the easiest - in the short term. But if we want

  • to keep the operation in-house, the best option is automating our system. The only down side

  • is, we're taking a risk that our business will keep growing.

  • Which we hope it will.

  • We certainly do. We've looked before at formal meetings. Today's

  • meeting is a more informal one, to discuss a specific issue. The discussion is more free-flowing,

  • or uncontrolled. Let's look first at some of the language used by Denise when she introduces

  • the problem. Now we're looking at the options for handling

  • our on-line orders. They're going through the roof and frankly the lead-time for delivery

  • is blowing out. We need to improve our performance in this area.

  • Denise says, "We're looking at the options."

  • Options are different solutions, or answers, to a problem. What is the problem? On-line

  • orders are going through the roof.

  • On-line orders are orders for goods received through the internet, and if they're going

  • through the roof, they are increasing in number very rapidly.

  • The lead-time for delivery is the amount of time it takes from when the order is received

  • to when it's delivered, and if it's blowing out - that time is becoming too long. We use

  • the expression blowing out for something which is becoming too great, in a bad way.

  • So to improve our performance means, in this case, to shorten the time it takes to deliver

  • goods.

  • Let's look at Tan's suggested options. Well, as I see it, we have three options.

  • The obvious one is to employ more people to do the job. Another alternative is to automate

  • the system more - cut down on the physical handling.

  • And the third option?

  • We could outsource. Tan describes three options. First he lets

  • us know that this is his opinion, by saying, "As I see it."

  • Practise with Tan some different ways of letting someone know that what you're stating is your

  • opinion. As I see it, there are three options.

  • In my opinion there are three options.

  • From my point of view there are three options.

  • As far as I'm concerned, there are three options. The three options are: employ more people,

  • automate, and outsource.

  • To outsource means to use an outside company. When presenting different options, we can

  • order them by numbers, like this. Firstly, we could employ more people, secondly we could

  • automate, and thirdly we could outsource.

  • We can also use phrases, such as 'one option is to' and 'another option is to'.

  • We can also use linking words, such as 'or' and 'alternatively'.

  • Or, we can use a combination of these methods.

  • Now let's look at the language used to discuss these options.

  • Well, looking at increasing staff versus automation, we have to consider the cost. Automating has

  • a higher capital cost than putting on more staff. On the other hand, employing more people

  • is more expensive over a long term. When considering two options, we are comparing

  • them. Barbara talks about increasing staff versus automation. She is saying that she

  • is going to compare these two things. Another phrase she could use is 'as against'. Practise

  • with her. Let's look at increased staff versus automation.

  • Let's look at increased staff as against automation. When comparing two things, we use comparative

  • adjectives.

  • Listen to Barbara again, and see if you can hear the two comparative adjectives.

  • Automating has a higher capital cost than putting on more staff. On the other hand,

  • employing more people is more expensive over a long term.

  • She says automating has a higher capital cost than putting on more staff. Higher is a comparative

  • adjective.

  • We often use 'than' for the option that is being compared. Remember for words of longer

  • than two syllables, we use 'more' for the comparative. Employing more people is more

  • expensive. Because Barbara has already said what the second option is, automating, she

  • doesn't need to say employing more people is more expensive than automating .

  • Notice that she uses the phrase 'on the other hand'. This is used to introduce another side

  • to an argument. Practise this with Barbara. On the one hand automation is expensive.

  • On the other hand it's more efficient. Another way of comparing two ideas is to use

  • linking words such as but , although and however .

  • Automation is expensive, but it's more efficient.

  • Although automation is expensive, it's more efficient.

  • Automation is expensive, however it's more efficient.

  • Now listen to the discussion about the likelihood of continued growth.

  • How likely is it that we'll see continued growth?

  • I'd say it's a certainty.

  • I'd say a high probability. Nothing's certain in business.

  • Denise asks how likely continued growth is. In looking at words to describe likelihood,

  • we can use these words: unlikely

  • possible probable

  • certain

  • So we can say: It's unlikely

  • It's possible And so on.

  • We can also qualify these with words such as: very, quite,

  • highly or reasonably

  • It' s very unlikely It's quite possible

  • Its highly probable It's reasonably certain

  • And in a different kind of sentence, we can use them as nouns:

  • It's a certainty It's a possibility

  • There's a probability There's a high likelihood

  • But we don't say, "There's an unlikelihood." We say, "There's no likelihood."

  • Finally, look at what happens when we compare more than two options.

  • Outsourcing is the cheapest option, and the easiest, in the short term. But if we want

  • to keep the operation in-house, the best option is automating our system.

  • Did you hear the superlative adjectives used to compare more than two things.

  • Listen again. There are three. Outsourcing is the cheapest option, and the

  • easiest, in the short term. But if we want to keep the operation in-house, the best option

  • is automating our system. Well our bottom line is that that's all we

  • have time for today so I hope it's quite certain I'll see you next time for The Business of

  • English.

Now we're looking at the options for handling our on-line orders. They're going through

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