Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
LIMBA ENGLEZ
SEMINAR
CUPRINS
SEMESTRUL I
1. Grammar in Context ....................................................................... 5
2. Cultural Approaches concerning ................................................... 13
3. The European Union Democracy/ Global Business Relations .. 18
4. Microeconomic Terms ................................................................... 27
5. Banking Terms and Notions .......................................................... 35
6. Adjective Intensifiers ..................................................................... 47
7. Marketing Campaigns.................................................................... 53
SEMESTRUL II
8. Styles in Written Communication ................................................. 59
9. The Memorandum, The Report ..................................................... 69
10. Guidelines for writing business documents ................................ 78
11. The Pronoun and qualifying expressions .................................... 85
12. The contract: - types .................................................................... 94
13. Whos Who in economics .......................................................... 103
SEMESTRUL I
1. Grammar in Context
1.1. Communicative Situations
It is difficult to come to an understanding unless one has a grasp
of the full complexity of language, and hence of language learning.
Language is multifaceted to the extent that human activity is various.
There is an enormous variety of walks of life/occupations/lifestyles,
each of which has its own language and cultural setting. We may
divide the walks of life/occupations/lifestyles into two categories:
those that are common to everybody and those that are concerned with
specialized topics familiar only to a few.
Obviously, those walks of life/occupations/lifestyles that are
common to many people are concerned with everyday existence.
Examples of these universal topics are socializing, shopping,
travelling, eating out, telephoning friends, greetings and introductions,
and reading newspapers. So, when one learns a language, one must be
exposed to linguistic items relating to these universal topics.
Yet in addition to such topics, there is an enormous range of
specialized topics that are of significant importance only to sections of
the population. Examples of these are as follows: sports, hobbies and
interests, business, banking and finance, medicine, academics, literary
criticism, travel and tourism, biology, chemistry, physics, agriculture
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and law or military matters. The list is endless. The extent to which an
individual will need language pertaining to any of these specific topics
depends upon how important the topic is to him in his everyday life. If
the topic is not at all important for him, there is no need for him to
know any of the linguistic items pertaining to it. At the other end of
the scale, when we reach the stage at which any topic constitutes an
individual's profession, it becomes crucial that he have a mastery of
the specialized language pertaining to it.
Each topic will contain certain tasks, specific to it, which an
individual will need to accomplish and which require him to use
language. Here are some examples taken from different fields:
- University Professor: - Giving lectures, participating in
seminars, reading and writing papers for publication, reading and
writing books, discussing academic topics with students and
conducting examinations, oral and written.
- Businessman/businessperson/executive: -Giving presentations,
negotiating, participating in meetings, writing reports, press releases,
letters, faxes and memos, telephoning, note taking, socializing and
entertaining.
- Research Scientist: - Writing the results of experiments,
writing reports on the significance of the results, giving presentations,
participating in seminars, reading recent research.
- Army Professional: Training soldiers, discussing strategies
and tactics, giving instructions, writing reports, giving interviews to
the press
in
various
styles,
accents
and
registers,
speaking
communication
in
cross-cultural
context
and
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13
researchers.
Physical
proximity
promotes
frequent,
asked that they pass the information down the hierarchy in their staff
meetings. In many cases, they wrote a document to convey
information and either gave it to managers to give to their employees,
or made it available to employees directly (in email, mailings to the
home, or by publishing it on the company's internal World Wide Web
pages). Some also gave formal presentations to supplement the
document. When we asked information disseminators if they had
considered spreading their information through word of mouth, they
either had not thought of it or did not trust it. They were concerned
that information passed informally would be distorted and
misinterpreted and might not become available to all the intended
recipients.
Say whether the statements below it are true (T) or false (F).
Read the part that has helped you choose your answer:
The farther they are from each other, the more effectively
scientists can cooperate.
Sometimes interpersonal communication makes it difficult for
the team to concentrate on their specific tasks.
Corporate workers should be discouraged from engaging in
routine conversation during office hours.
Unfortunately, only sociologists recognize the value of
interpersonal communication.
Researchers interviewed dozens of employees in 500 U.S.
corporations.
15
The employees used to find out about the latest projects and
developments within the firm most of the time by talking to their
colleagues.
16
17
18
21
decentralize
government
to
regional
and
local
levels,
22
23
25
26
4. Microeconomic Terms
4.1. Definitions
Selected Glossary of Microeconomic Terms1
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28
because there is no way to exclude those who do not pay from using
the good or service.
Game theory: An analysis of interactions in which the outcome
a person faces depends not only on his strategy of action, but also on
the strategies of others.
29
30
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people who do not pay (free riders) from consuming the good or
service.
Quota: Limit on the quantity of a good that may be imported in
any time period.
Regressive tax: A tax that charges a lower percentage of income
as income rises.
Rent seeking: Efforts to obtain value through transfer without
providing anything in return.
Scarcity: The condition in which human wants exceed the
available supply of goods, time, and resources. In a world without
scarcity, there would be no economics.
Shortage: The market condition existing when quantity
demanded exceeds quantity supplied. Generally, an increase in price
will eliminate a shortage.
Speculation: Attempting to buy when the price is low and sell
when it is high.
Sunk cost: Is cost which cannot be recovered.
Surplus: The market condition existing where the quantity
supplied is greater than the quantity demanded. Generally, a decrease
in price will eliminate a surplus.
Tariff: Excise tax on imported goods.
Tax incidence: Taxes can be shifted from those who write the
check to the government to others. The study of tax incidence is the
study of who ultimately bears the burden of the tax.
Utility:
want-satisfaction.
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Utility function:
34
35
38
when you buy a Japanese camera, you do not deal in the foreign
exchange market, someone did in the process of bringing the camera
to you. It may have been the American importer, who would have sold
dollars to buy yen, and then used the yen to buy the camera. On the
other hand, it may have been the Japanese exporter, who sold cameras
for dollars and then sold the dollars for yen. In either case, dollars
were supplied to the foreign exchange market and yen were
demanded.
The exchange rate, or the price of foreign money, is an important
price when we buy things made in other countries.
Two things affect the price of the Japanese camera as seen from
America. The first is the yen price of the camera, and the second is the
dollar price of the yen. If either one increase: Japanese cameras will
become more expensive and Americans will want fewer of them. The
exchange rate also affects the price of American goods as seen in
Japan.
When foreign currency is cheap, foreign products are cheap in
dollars, and Americans will want a lot of them. To buy these foreign
products, Americans must buy a lot of foreign exchange. When the
price of foreign exchange is expensive, so also are foreign products
and Americans will not want many. Hence, they will not need as much
foreign exchange.
Let us consider what will happen if the United States increased
its tariffs. Because tariffs are taxes on imports, foreign products will
become more expensive for Americans. As a result, Americans will
want to buy fewer imports, which is usually the desired result of
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tariffs. However, if the exchange rate is: a floating rate, that is, one
that can take whatever value supply and demand dictate, the story has
not ended. Because of the tariff and the resulting decrease in imports,
foreign money becomes cheaper for Americans and American dollars
become more expensive for foreigners. If dollars become more
expensive, foreigners will find American goods more expensive. The
end effect of a tariff with floating exchange rates, then, is to cut not
just imports, but to cut exports as well.
If a country treats the foreign exchange market as any other
market, allowing the marketplace determine the price of foreign
money, it has a system of floating exchange rates. This is what most
of the Western world has had since the 1970s. However, governments
have often fixed prices in this market. In doing so they simultaneously
establish price floors and price ceilings--they will neither let the price
rise nor fall (except within a small range).
There are two ways a government can keep exchange rates fixed.
One method, which has been common in less-developed nations, is
called a fixed and unconvertible exchange rate because the exchange
rate is fixed, but domestic currency cannot be freely converted into
foreign money. Governments using it almost always set the price of
foreign exchange below the market-clearing price (which means that
they price their own currency too high), and thereby cause a shortage
of foreign money. The government prevents the market-increasing
price to eliminate this shortage by outlawing private transactions in
foreign exchange and requiring citizens who obtain foreign exchange
to sell it to the government. Because the government becomes the only
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legal source of foreign money, those who want to buy products from
abroad must obtain those funds from the government, which rations
these funds to those purposes it deems most worthy. Though this
system is hard to justify on economic grounds, and is often evaded
with extensive black-marketing, the system gives rulers a powerful
tool to reward friends and punish enemies.
The second method is a fixed and convertible exchange rate.
With this method a government does not abolish the private market
for foreign exchange, but fixes exchange rates by standing ready to
absorb any surpluses or to fill any shortages.
If the price of foreign exchange is set above the market-clearing
price, there will be a surplus of foreign exchange (and a shortage of
the domestic currency). At this price, people will want to sell more
foreign exchange than they want to buy. The government can prevent
this surplus from lowering price by stepping into the market and
buying the excess foreign exchange. On the other hand, if the price
that the government sets is below the market-clearing price, there will
be a shortage of foreign exchange called a balance of payments deficit.
The government can prevent the shortage from raising price by selling
foreign exchange into the market. The government can obtain this
foreign exchange from reserves it stored up when there was a surplus,
or by borrowing from other countries, or by selling assets such as
gold. It should be obvious that a government can only fill a balance of
payments shortage temporarily and that if it runs for too long; the
country will run out of foreign exchange to provide to the market.
Now most of the industrial world has floating exchange rates.
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6. Adjective Intensifiers
6.1. Expressions and Phrases
There are some words which can be used to 'intensify' many
adjectives 'very' 'really' 'totally' 'absolutely' 'completely' 'utterly'
'entirely'.
bone dry
brand new
crystal clear
dead easy
dead lucky
He's won three lottery prizes this year. He's dead lucky.
dead right
dirt cheap
I bought my car for a dirt cheap price from an old lady who
had hardly driven it.
paper thin
These office walls are paper thin. You can hear everything
said in the next office.
pitch black
razor sharp
rock hard
stark naked
stone deaf
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wide awake
wide open
Food Phrases2
If you 'bolt down' food, you eat it very quickly. This expression
is informal.
He bolted down the food. He really enjoyed it.
I'm so busy that I'm going to bolt down some food and get
straight back to work.
If you 'wolf down' food, you also eat it quickly but specifically
because you are hungry. This is also informal.
Did you see the way she wolfed down that food? She must
have been ravenous.
After the marathon, I wolfed down some fish and chips.
If you consume a lot of drink (usually alcohol) quickly, you
'knock it back'. This is informal and is often used quite negatively.
He was knocking back the champagne at the reception.
We must watch Bill carefully in the bar with the clients. He
can really knock it back.
If you eat an excessive amount of food, you 'pig out'. This is
informal.
2
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7. Marketing Campaigns
7.1. Case study: - Verity, - Impact ads, - Transworld
Definition: A specific, defined series of activities used in
marketing a new or changed product or service, or in using new
marketing channels and methods
Effective marketing is often what separates rapidly growing
companies from slow-growing or stalled companies that started at the
same time, serve the same market and offer similar merchandise.
Companies such as Gillette, Frito-Lay and Coca-Cola have succeeded
in highly competitive mass markets for consumer goods because,
while they certainly produce competitive products, they out-market
their rivals. If you expect your business to grow to any size, you'll
have to become an effective marketer, advertiser and promoter of your
business. In fact, you're likely to grow to the extent that you master
marketing, and no more
A marketing campaign isn't something that comes to you while
you're taking a shower. Successful campaigns tend to be carefully
researched, well thought-out and focused on details and execution,
rather than resting on a single, grand idea. Planning a marketing
campaign starts with understanding your position in the marketplace
and ends with details such as the wording of an advertisement.
Keep in mind that your plan for a marketing campaign is not
supposed to be a prison. You have to leave room to make changes as
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you go along because no plan can perfectly capture reality. But you
should also be able to commit fully to implementing your plan--or
some future version of it--if you want to take a strong step toward
growth.
Here are some ways to launch your campaign:
Speak at community events. Offering your expertise at public
occasions is an easy way to get the word out about your business.
You'll maximize your impact and lend credibility to your product or
service.
Ask customers for referrals. Generating referrals from current
customers is one of the best ways to market your business. Don't
forget to query your vendors (they're likely to have many contacts)
and explain to your customers exactly what kinds of referrals you're
looking for and how they can help.
Spend two days in your customers' shoes. To find out what
your customers really want, visit a wide range of businesses they're
likely to frequent. Observe how customers are treated, as well as the
kinds of services that appear important to them; then adapt your
business accordingly.
Offer free samples. If you can get someone to try your product
or service, chances are they'll buy it later. Have employees pass out
product samples in front of your business; if you provide a service,
offer free services on a trial basis.
CASE STUDY: I.
This is a conversation between the managing director Andrew
Hodge to Stephen Johnson, the assistant sales director who will
choose who will manage his company's marketing campaign:
CASE STUDY: II
Who we are: When John Weznik lost his job in 1935, he started
an advertising company from his own kitchen at home. Verity
advertising was born. Now Verity has 85 employees and offices in
London, Paris and New York. Still today, we keep to our founder's
principles of integrity, customer service, and dynamic advertising
campaigns
tailored
in
close
consultation
with
our
clients.
company
stresses
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it
will
generate
income?
SEMESTRUL II
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This type is the hardest one to define but the one that most
people write. It focuses on a technical topic, provides a certain
background on that topic for a specific set of readers who have
specific needs for it. This report does not supply instructions, nor does
it supply recommendations in any systematic way, nor does it report
new and original data.
Business plans
Technical specifications
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in
which
you
describe
your
group's
qualifications as a whole.
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Make sure that each specification receives its own numberletter designation. In sentence-style specifications, make
sure each specific requirement has its own separate sentence.
Graphics
and
tables
used
to
present
information
in
specifications:
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indicating
requirement.
Provide
numerical
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memorandum or
memo
is
a document
or other
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Origins of term
The origins of the term briefing lie in legal briefs and the
derivative military briefings.
Purpose
The primary purpose of a briefing note for decision is to
support decision making to help (or sometimes influence) a
decision-maker to make a better decision in a particular problem
situation than he might otherwise have made without the analysis.
This is the summary of a management consultancy report
commissioned by Chapman clothing.
Summary of Report
Situation analysis:
Chapman Clothing co has been selling clothes for the past 73
years. They have two factories making their product domestically, and
they use contract work from abroad. Their product is retailed at
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Market trends
Recently the market for their product has expanded, with a
greater proportion of the national income being spent on clothing.
As can be seen from chart 1A sales in the early part of the
decade have been flat, and even fell in the recent recession, but they
have since recovered strongly. Though there was a slight dip the year
before last, figures have climbed ever since, and there is no sign yet
that the market has peaked.
Outlook
Strong competition both at home and abroad has forced down
the cost of fabrics, and the company's buyers have closed a number of
very favourable deals, locking suppliers into long-term contracts on
very favourable terms. However, it appears the company's competitors
have done the same. This means that the market over the coming two
years will be very competitive. Therefore, it is important that
Chapman clothing find a strong selling point, either in terms of price,
style, quality image or some combination of these.
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Competition
As you can see from the pie charts, which show Chapmans
share of the market as a dark blue wedge, it can be seen that the
company's market share today (chart A) is less than it was five years
ago (chart B). In short, Chapmans has been losing market share. This
is mainly due to the expansion of the market leader Tommy Dee and
Andreas. The red wedge represents imported clothing from foreign
brands, and it can be seen that this sector too is expanding. This means
that smaller domestic companies, such as Chapmans are being
squeezed.
Questions:
1. Who is this report for?
- A newspaper
- Shareholders
- A management consultancy
- Company directors
2. What is the challenge mentioned in the sector headed
'Outlook'?
- To keep prices down
- To find cheaper suppliers
- To make the product distinctive
- To compete for two years
3. How would you describe the tone of the risks and
opportunities?
Critical
Optimistic
Pessimistic
Balanced
The Start
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to)
Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are
writing to, and have a formal relationship with.
The Reference
- With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 23 rd
March,
- your phone call today,
- Thank you for your letter of March 5 th .
Requesting
- Could you possibly?
- I would be grateful if you could
Agreeing to Requests
- I would be delighted to
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Enclosing Documents
- I am enclosing
- Please find enclosed
- Enclosed you will find
Closing Remarks
- Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in
any way.
- there are any problems.
- you have any questions.
The Finish
- Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're
writing to)
- Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're
writing to)
- Best wishes,
- Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)
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Sample Letter
Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr Flintstone:
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to
confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive
at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
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From the internet: site maintained by Patrick Burne, a retired business communication
consultant
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have one, bury this fact in the middle or the lower half of a body
paragraph of the application letter. The resulting letter will be honest
and complete; it just will not emphasize however weak points
unnecessarily.
Word or another software program, experiment with the font, ink, and
proportion sizes to center your company's name at the top, or move it
to one side. Below the name in smaller print should come your
address and contact information. You can design a logo to arrange this
information, and then use the logo.
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5. Phone pads, note pads, and other office forms can be created
by using the logo as indicated. You will need order forms, billing
statements, receipts, and bank statements that reflect your
company's image. You can also design a Website or start a newsletter
to get your company's name and image out into the community. You
want customers (and even potential customers) to associate your logo
with your name so they will remember it for the future. Keep colors,
sizes, and designs consistent when possible. Buy from the same
supplier for this reason, or match as closely as you can when your
current supply runs out. You may have to switch to another item
number or supplier if the items no longer match to avoid looking
unprofessional. In addition, you will need to get plain bond paper for
other types of forms and writing, along with file folders, a rolodex,
and storage boxes or cabinets for supplies and files. Keep plenty of
paper on hand, as you will need to keep good records for future
reference.
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Remove slang
Hillary totally flipped after the Speaker of the House ragged her in the
press.
First Lady Hillary Clinton became incensed after the Speaker of the
House criticized her in the press.
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The Presidents assistant checked out the incident and got back to her
the next day.
The Presidents assistant investigated the incident and reported to her
the next day.
Avoid contractions
The English Monarchy wasn't responding to the needs of the
population.
The English Monarchy was not responding to the needs of the
population.
air
pollution
increased
significantly
across
the
region.
In all the examples above, the writer believes that NATOs strategy
was poorly designed and carelessly implemented.
The phrases I believe, we argue, and you can see can all be found in
samples of academic writing across the disciplines. However, as
mentioned above, some professors believe I, we and you are not
always appropriate in formal written register. If you need to increase
formality in this area, we recommend you use impersonal structures.
This can be done in a variety of ways.
First, an opinion can be stated directly. It should be obvious what the
writer believes if she/he writes:
NATOs strategy was poorly designed and carelessly implemented.
The writer can also invoke authority.
Jane Kay has argued that NATOs strategy was poorly designed and
carelessly implemented.
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Many scholars believe that NATOs strategy was poorly designed and
carelessly implemented.
Whether the writer agrees or not with the opinion will become clearer
in the sentences which follow:
Jane Kay has argued that NATOs strategy was poorly designed and
carelessly implemented. This is confirmed by the catastrophic events
which followed.
Many scholars believe that NATOs strategy was poorly designed and
carelessly implemented. However, this paper will challenge these
claims.
Not
In 1976, he was assassinated. This was bad politically. Chaos
resulted.
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But
His assassination in 1976 resulted in political chaos.
Not
His assassination in 1976 resulted in political chaos as all three
opposition parties refused to recognise the presidents hand-picked
successor, and for several weeks the situation remained uncertain and
tense until a delegation from the OAU arrived in the country and met
with members from all sides in the dispute, and brokered a peaceful
resolution to the crisis before any violence took place.
But
His assassination in 1976 resulted in political chaos. All three
opposition parties refused to recognise the presidents hand-picked
successor, and for several weeks the situation remained uncertain and
tense. Finally, a delegation from the OAU arrived in the country, met
with members from all sides in the dispute, and brokered a peaceful
resolution
to
the
crisis
before
any
violence
took
place.
1 If the adjective (describing word) is one syllable, you can add -er.
For example, small smaller; big bigger; nice nicer.
2 If the adjective has two syllables, but ends in -y, you can change the
end to -ier.
For example, lucky luckier; happy happier.
3 With other English adjectives of two syllables and more, you can't
change their endings. Instead, you should use more + adjective.
For example, handsome more handsome; beautiful more beautiful
and so on.
4 When you compare two things, use 'than'.
"She's younger than me."
"This exercise is more difficult than the last one."
5 When you want to say something is similar, use 'as as'.
For example, "She's as tall as her brother" or "It's as nice today as it
was yesterday."
6 When you want to say one thing is less than another, you can either
use 'less than' or 'not as as'.
For example, "This programme is less interesting than I thought" or
"This programme is not as interesting as I thought."
7 Remember that some adjectives are irregular and change form when
you make comparisons.
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purchasing
contracts,
partnership
agreements,
trade
The person initiating or paying for the contract has a little more
bargaining power in negotiations even though the other party will act
like they can't accept risks. As the person negotiating a contract you
must decide what is the repercussions if I just walk away from the
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deal if you can't reach a common ground. If the other party is standing
their ground and you really need a term or condition in your favor
don't be afraid to tell them that you're going to cancel the deal. This
will get the attention of the other party and then open the line of
communication.
process,
intellectual
property
ownership
and
handling
of
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upon the
Governance
structure,
representation
and
reporting
requirements
- General conditions about security, privacy and warranties
- Set out the plan and schedule that will apply to the delivery and
implementation of the products and services specified in the
agreement.
- Provide a clear procedure for the parties to control changes to
the project and agree on the impact that any changes will have on the
timetable and the price.
- Set out the basis by which the customer will measure and
accept the services/products delivered and how the payment(s) will
then apply.
- Define the procedures to resolve any disputes promptly and
provide effective and commercially realistic remedies for both parties
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105
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107
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