Planning New Product Numbers


1
2
3	Inter-Galactic Agricultural and Mechanical Corp.
4	Planning New Product Numbers
5	Note: The Blue Canoe pronunciation browser extension should work for you on this page.
6
7	Product Mgr.:	I’ve brought us together to discuss assigning product codes to our new Ganymede line..
8		Mr. ZXYTHRCK, one of our vendors from Io, will give us his perspective on numbering systems
9		We want to come up with a system that is easy for our vendors and our customers as well as for ourselves.
10	Marketing Mgr.:	I’ve brought Amy along to take notes for me if that’s OK with everybody.
11	Product Mgr.:	That’s fine. Could she take notes for the whole group and distribute them later?
12	Marketing Mgr.:	Sure.
13	Amy:	Gladly.
14	Customer Service Mgr.:	We need to do something.
15	Customer Service Mgr.:	A customer on Ganymede ordered earthworms and ended up getting milking machines.
16	Sales Mgr.:	Well, he said he wanted product D22-983.
17		“D” stands for “Dairy Farming”.
18	Customer Service Mgr.:	He wanted product T22-983.
19	Customer Service Mgr.:	“T” stands for “Terraforming”.
20	IT Mgr.:	I prefer numbers only. Letters just lead to confusion.
21	Mr. ZXYTHRCK:	And “numeric-only” can simplify the programming.
22		At home, we use citizen numbers rather than names.
23		We started the system on our first planet 109,283,487,556 years ago.
24		There is one, distinct number for every citizen born ever since.
25		In English, ZXYTHRCK translates as 347,129, 226, 903, 568.
26		And that’s so much easier to remember than a name!
27	Sales Mgr.:	If we use “numeric-only” my salespeople won’t be able to recognize the right products in our catalog.
28		That’s just how we humans work.
29	Mr. ZXYTHRCK:	How odd!
30	Marketing Mgr.:	We were very careful to name our 3 new machines like this:
31		B483, not just 7483. B is for Bundling
32		V483, not just 8483. Vis for Variety
33		and
34		P483 rather than 9483. P is for Pruning.
35		But people still get them mixed up!
36	Product Mgr.:	Well, alphabetical characters aren’t the only problem.
37		My employee number is 8 2-1000 (“ate”, “tuh”,” wun-tausand”).
38		I called human resources, told them I was taking Friday off and gave them my number.
39		Guess who was scheduled to be off last Friday?
40		Some engineer in the IT Division!
41		His number is 81,000! That’s eighty-one thousand!
42	Marketing Mgr.:	But that’s what you just said – 81,000.
43	Product Mgr.:	No, not 80! Just 8! Then 2. Then 1000.
44	Mr. ZXYTHRCK:	Your CEO was nice enough to send me a cake last week when I turned 90.
45		Don’t tell him but, when the bakery delivered it, it said “Congratulations on your 19th Birthday!”
46		What is it with humans and numbers?
47
48
49		© Copyright 2023, Margaret R. Jones
50
51		LINKS FOR PRACTICE
52
53		How to Read ANY Number in English! by Jack's English
54
55		How to Say Big Numbers in English By Mad English TV
56
57
58		Aeronautical Alphabet (Pilot's Alphabet) with pictures
59		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dz9vqEtbbk
60
61		Pilot´s alphabet TRAINING video with pictures by Captain Joe
62		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pecB32x6OXk
63
64		Phonetic Numbers ~ Airtraffic / Military / NATO (British Accent) (4:51)
65		Has examples, good for practice.
66		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NufAKh0ux8E
67
68		Phonetic Numbers for Pilots (American accent) – also has the morse code
69		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0kpCcYYDQw
70
71		Phonetic Alphabet ~ The NATO Phonetic Alphabet For Teaching (British pronunciation)
72		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f28fAVRL5Jg
73
74		Numbers (with Rachel) All her videos are good
75		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73mLHCUQAsU
76
77		Pilot radio communication basic examples
78		Nancy Bradshaw Pilot and Flight Instructor
79		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew63G3NGgpA
80
81		English Listening Practice \| Numbers (IELTS)
82		With Max. GOOD. The numbers are in sentences. British accent but useful.
83		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxMKymK9at4 Advanced
84		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAn-WpsT3pU Intermediate
85		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRomYOEnwi4 Advanced beginner
86
87		IELTS Listening Practice - Phone Numbers (With “The IELTS Coach)
88		A variety of types of numbers. Some with country code. Some no area code.
89		Good – in sentences.
90		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6U_QQ9Zg48
91
92
93		FROM: https://www.faa.gov/education/educators/activities/elementary/media/Aircraft-Identification.pdf