Documents, Papers, and Presentations

This is a collection of papers and presentations I have done over the years. Many are items I have created to fullfill class requirements. I posted items where I felt they could be useful to the community. I avoided posting anything that could be "turned in" in future semesters (where the teacher did not change requirements from one term to the next).

Web Server Path Selection Using Lowest Latency to Client

December 2002
A novel approach is presented to dynamically choose the lowest-latency path to a client from a web server. This approach works on a per-client basis and is based on inherent capabilities of the TCP and HTTP protocols and on the fact that high-availability datacenters contain multiple connections to the Internet. This method uses an established valid TCP connection to send duplicate packets, which in turn determine the link with the lowest latency. The costs of using this type of probing technique are explored, as well as ways to implement this different that would reduce the initial overhead in using this method.

Ethics at Arthur Anderson

May 2003
A study of ethics at Arthur Anderson and how this lead to the eventual downfall of the company.

Bank of America: Marketing Audit

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December 2003
A study of Bank of America's marketing strategy, structure, systems, productivity, function, focus, and competitive landscape. A SWOT analysis is performed of the company and recommendations are presented.

Cessna: Improvements in Operations Management

December 2003
A study of recent improvements in Cessna's operations management processes. Lean productions, reducing cycle times, implementing poka-yokes and the kanban system are discussed.

HR1115: Benefits of the Class Action Fairness Act of 2003

April 2004
The Class Action Fairness Act was passed by the U.S. House in 2003. Although the bill did not become law, it is possible that a similar bill will become law in the future. This bill could change profoundly the manner in which class actions are litigated. The paper takes a "pro bill" stance and discusses the benefits of the legislation and how it would change class action lawsuits for the better. Comparisons are drawn to other class action cases, including a Wal-Mart class action and the recent Bridgestone-Firestone class action.