Sample on The Invention of The Air Bag - MyAssignmentHelp

Question: Describe about New Invention Car Airbag? Answer: 1. Corporate Profile and Product Profile A car airbag is an inflatable cushion designed to protect the occupants of the automobile from serious injuries in case of an accident or collisions. Airbags are an important part of a vehicles passive safety system and are made of a flexible fabric/rubber cushion that is designed with sensor devices in such a way that it inflates immediately in case of collision. When teamed along with seatbelts, the use of airbags can reduce fatality rates drastically. Front airbags, side airbags and knee airbags are the common airbag products designed in the industry. The working of an airbag can be depicted by the following figure. Today, airbags are a staple item installed in most cars and hence the market demand has increased significantly. Key players in the global airbag market include companies like Autoliv, Takata, TRW, and Delphi and so on. Autoliv is the global leader in the sixteen billion dollar automobile restraint market with 55% European market share and 25% US market shares. Takata is one of the worlds largest suppliers of complete safety system for vehicles and serve major companies like Honda, GM, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Toyota. Delphi produces a complete array of airbag systems with advanced performance characteristics and design features. 2. Research Objective This market research was carried out to analyze the airbag manufacturing industry in-depth and identify the key market trends, the key drivers of the market, the market growth rate, challenges to the growth of the market, key vendors and their strengths and weaknesses and the market opportunities and threats faced by them. It is aimed to classify and define the market of automotive airbag in terms of value and volume. 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Research Design After deciding on the objective, the research process includes the development of a questionnaire to gather the data required to achieve the research objectives. Sampling methods and sizes are then devised before launching the survey and results are gathered, analyzed and concluded to arrive upon the final report. Fishbone Diagram 3.2 Questionnaire design A self-administered survey including questions on market trends, competition, growth potential, strengths, weakness and opportunities was prepared along with questions on key vendors that satisfy the research objective is prepared. An online survey, delivered by email can be employed to enable speedy collection of data. The questions included: What are the key market drivers? What are the market trends? What are the challenges to the market growth? Who are the key vendors in the market? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the vendors? What are the market opportunities and threats faced? What is the market growth potential? 3.3 Sampling plan The sample is carefully chosen among individuals and experts from the industry who would be knowledgeable in the area. Random sampling technique is employed. 3.4 Method of data collection and analysis A number of individuals with knowledge about the area are targeted with specific questions relating to the research objective. Data obtained from the responses were then analyzed and tabulated to arrive upon a result. 3.5 Limitations Due to budgetary constraints, legal constraints and lesser time availability, the data obtained may be extremely accurate. Hence, the quality of the results may be imperfect and is limited to the test population. 4. Findings and Analysis 4.1 Univariate Statistical Analysis Market Trends (Source: Automotive Airbag and Seat Belt Market for Passenger Cars A Global Analysis: by Geography - Trends and Forecasts 2014 2019) The value of the automotive airbag market is projected to grow 23.6 Billion dollars in the next three years with a healthy compound annual growth rate of 9.7%. Market Growth Potential The automotive airbag safety system is growing at a significant rate worldwide and especially in the Asia-Pacific and ROW regions due to the increase in purchase power, increased standard of living, good GDP growth, vehicle sales growth and the increased safety regulations by the Government. In established markets like Europe and North America, there is constant growth in the airbag market in line with increasing vehicle sales. The demand for automotive airbags is expected to grow at a significant rate in the near future, especially in the developing BRIC nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China. (Source: Automotive Airbag and Seat Belt Market for Passenger Cars A Global Analysis: by Geography - Trends and Forecasts 2014 2019) (Source: Global Air Bag System Market: Key Research Findings 2011) Installation of side-impact airbags in European vehicles began in 1994 and according to an estimate by Autoliv, nearly eighty percent of the vehicles had an airbag for the occupant in the front seat and around ninety percent with a driver air bag in the following years. In 2004, about seventy percent of the European vehicles had chest protection airbags and around forty percent had side-impact airbag for head protection. Key Market Drivers The first and foremost driver of in the airbag market is federal regulation. Secondly, people are becoming more safety conscious and are more aware of the automotive airbag safety system. Development rollover, knee and side airbags, increased sophistication and competitive dynamics are among the important factors driving the growth of the airbag manufacturing industry. Federal regulation 17% Public Awareness 17% Increase in safety Concerns 17% Development of rollover and side impact systems 17% Increased Sophistication 17% Competitive dynamics 17% Key Vendors Autoliv (Swedish American) followed by TRW (American), Takata (Japan) and Delphi (UK) were found to be the key vendors in the automotive airbag market. Autoliv, a company established in 1956 is the global leader in seat belt and airbag market and has more that eighty plants in twenty nine vehicle producing companies. They supply safety equipment to almost all major vehicle manufacturers. Companies that supply with the fabric required for manufacturing airbags include Safety Components International, Inc., Milliken and Company, and Berger Safety textiles. Challenges to growth Operational and functional inefficiency is the major challenge to the industry. Another key challenge is the cost cutting strategies for the original equipment manufacturers. For instance, the Takata airbag recall issue. About 7.8 million vehicles by various automobile companies have been recalled. Companies that installed the airbags manufactured by Takata have recalled them because the airbags could deploy explosively causing injury to the occupants or may even be fatal. These issues need to be foreseen and taken care of. Key Strengths and Weakness The key strengths of the airbag industry include high growth rate, increased public awareness, and innovation and high entry and exit barriers. The airbag industry has seen high growth since the 1990s and increased the global airbag revenue by billions. The highest growth rate is expected in North America with Europe and Asia following closely behind. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a measure to ensure safety passed a regulation that all vehicles in the US must pass a side crash test that measures the impact to pelvis, head and thorax since 2009. With globalization, consumers are becoming more concerned about the safety and are more demanding of better safety system in their automobiles. One of the prime weaknesses is that the airbag industry is highly dependent upon the original equipment manufacturers which make it highly prone to market fluctuations in the automobile industry. The replacement cost of an airbag, once it has deflated is very high. Also, intense rivalry, increasing cost of vehicles due to increased use of airbags and high exit costs are some of the other weaknesses associated with the industry. Market Opportunities and Threats The developing countries offer a great opportunity for low cost of manufacturing the airbags. For example, Autoliv, considered the global leader in airbag manufacturing industry has nine manufacturing plants in China. A new segment for producing airbags for two wheeler vehicles also poses a tremendous opportunity in the industry. Since the entry cost capital investment required for plant and machinery is very high, the threat from potential new entrants is very low. But the competition in this industry is very high. Also, the problem of counterfeit bags is growing concern. According to a report, one in twenty five vehicles in the US have fake airbags. Since the replacement cost for deployed airbags is very high, counterfeit airbag companies are budding which poses a great threat to the industry. Apart from this, technological innovations are improving day by day. Active safety system may overtake the passive airbag safety system. 5. Recommendations 5.1 Marketing recommendations Marketing of any product should target the consumer population specific to the product. Todays public awareness requires extreme caution while marketing goods. Airbags can primarily be marketed keeping highlighting the advantages and the safety features enabled. Strategic marketing planning, budgeting, strategies to market via social media, strategic guidelines, large-scale marketing campaigns, global PR and research and development are required. Effective use of the internet to market via the social media, releasing of e-news and e-letters and so on may be a valid marketing strategy. Working systemically towards building of brand image and creating brand awareness through brochures, leaflets and posters are needed. A highly strategic and selective advertising program can be developed in addition to a targeted sales activity. It is important to understand the needs of the target market and develop a product satisfying the requirements. The automotive airbag manufacturing is no more confined to the local markets alone. It is necessary to expand the business globally and increase the reach of the product worldwide. Since the airbag industry is highly competitive with lots of key players, it is important to plan a precise and ruthless marketing strategy that meets with precise planning of responsibilities, deadlines and deliverables and make sure everybody involved are clear about the strategy. Constant analyzing of the marketing activities using a tracking and measuring system to determine the effectiveness is important and employment of the learning in future planning of marketing strategies. 5.2 Future Research Opportunities The most important component of the airbag industry is the technology. The future research options would involve innovative airbags and product development. The product development can be done in a way that reduces the product cost by lowering the cost of material used, simplifies requirement of logistics and facilitates ease of production. But it must be taken care not to compromise on the quality. The research must be aimed at a product with enhanced quality and user friendliness. Automotive airbag manufacturers are placing airbags in new areas of a vehicle and constantly coming up with innovations to transfer the airbags from being a passive safety feature of the vehicle to being the active part of the safety system. The advantage of the active system is that it would employ sensors and radars that help you avoid crashes in the first place instead of being the ones to support during a collision. Also, airbags can be fitted in more places than ever with inflatable seat-belt options . References 1. Day, J. (2012). IMS predicts growth in international airbag markets - John Day's Automotive Electronics. John Day's Automotive Electronics. Retrieved 11 February 2015, from https://johndayautomotivelectronics.com/ims-predicts-growth-in-international-airbag-markets/2. (2011). Global Airbag System Market: Key Research Findings 2011. Yano Research Institute. Tokyo.3. Kent, R., Funk, J., Crandall, J. (2003). How Future Trends in Societal Aging, Air Bag Availability, Seat Belt Use, and Fleet Composition Will Affect Serious Injury Risk and Occurrence in the United States. Traffic Injury Prevention, 4(1), 24-32. Doi: 10.1080/153895803098544. DURBIN, D. Auto industry acts globally _ except on recalls. Columbus CEO. Retrieved 11 February 2015, from https://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/apexchange/2014/12/24/us--global-recalls-expanded.html5. Segui-Gomez, M. (2000). Driver Airbag Effectiveness by Severity of the Crash. American Journal of Public Health, 90 (10).6. (2014). Global Auto motive Side Airbags Market: 2014-2018. Marketresearch.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015, from https://www.marketresearch.com/Infiniti-Research-Limited-v2680/Global-Automotive-Side-Airbags-8387810/7. Mannering, F., Winston, C. (1995). Automobile Air Bags in the 1990s: Market Failure or Market Efficiency? The Journal of Law and Economics, 38(2), 265. Doi: 10.1086/4673328. Montoya, R. (2013). The Future of Car Airbags - Edmunds.com. Edmunds. Retrieved 11 February 2015, from https://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/the-future-of-car-airbags.html

Personal Character College Essay Sample

Personal Character College Essay SampleYou are probably searching for a personal character college essay sample that is in the best of the best. Are you looking for a college essay topic to use for your term paper? Do you want a topic that will help you out with your grade? Here is some help on topics that will help you in the essay writing process.* If you are looking for a college essay that has substance, then you should try to find a topic that has something to say about your passions. Some examples of passions are sports, movies, books, and music. You may also want to pick up some ideas about your personality traits from other essays that you read.* If you are looking for a college essay topic that has some depth, then you may want to look at the topics in your class as well. What would your teacher say about a particular topic? Will it interest you?* There are two ways to approach college essay writing. You can use words that your mind makes up, or you can use words that come f rom your skills as a writer. If you use words that come from your abilities as a writer, then you are likely to write something that is great. However, if you use words that are not part of your vocabulary, then you may not come up with a great concept.* One thing that you need to remember about college essay writing is that you must be organized. Organizing your thoughts will help you come up with a more structured topic. Don't forget to take a break between paragraphs, this will help you think more clearly and not get so caught up in the whole piece. It is important to give yourself some time to finish a college essay.* Personal Character college essay sampleis one of the best college essay topics out there for you. These are subjects that many students enjoy writing about, so why not turn this into an essay topic? How do you make the topic fun? Write the essay as if you were talking to yourself, and using common words.One thing to remember is that while college essays can be very lengthy, these personal character college essay samples are shorter. You are going to want to come up with some good ideas that will not take too long. Don't worry too much about the length of the essay. Just make sure that it is something that will be fun for you to write.

Application of Six Sigma in Supply Chain Management Essays

Application of Six Sigma in Supply Chain Management Essays Application of Six Sigma in Supply Chain Management Paper Application of Six Sigma in Supply Chain Management Paper Application of Six Sigma in Supply Chain Management Anoop P. S. Abstract: This paper hypothesises that, whilst Six Sigma as a change and improvement strategy is delivering significant business benefit to practitioner organisations, it has not been successfully adapted to deliver similar benefits across supply chains. It demonstrates by reference to the literature that most published applications of Six Sigma in supply chains are related to the application of traditional internal Six Sigma methodologies to the internal processes of a supplier to the â€Å"Six Sigma Organisation†. In this paper, the issues particular to an application of Six Sigma in a broader supply chain context are discussed, with reference to specific supply chain issues. It is concluded that Six Sigma does have something novel to offer organisations over and above the contribution of existing approaches to supply chain improvement, and a conceptual model is proposed that is consistent with the literature and has potential to support such an introduction. Although rooted in the supply chain realm, SCOR adherents see a role for the methodology as the gatekeeper – identifying the projects most likely to render ROI using SCOR, Lean or Six Sigma. There is already a natural link between Lean and Six Sigma at the program and project execution level. The model integrates the Balanced Scorecard, SCOR model (Supply Chain Reference model) and Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyse and improve) methodology in a two-level framework. This is a strategic-level cycle, developing focused projects to generate maximum business benefit, and an operational-level cycle, applying Six Sigma and lean tools in a DMAIC cycle to deliver supply chain improvements. Cautions and requirements for the success in practice of such a model are discussed and it is concluded that the model should be tested in practice to validate and develop further the methodology. Keywords: Six Sigma; Supply chain improvement; Lean; SCOR model; Variability reduction 1. 0INTRODUCTION 1. 1 General Introduction Six Sigma Process Improvement is a rigorous approach to improving business processes by addressing the underlying causes of variation that lead to poor performance as experienced by the ‘customer’, who is the recipient of the outputs. The early exponents were Motorola and GE in the 1980s. Since then, many organisations ranging from manufacturing to service in all sectors, have successfully deployed Six Sigma to deliver measurable cost, quality and time based improvements. 2. 0 LEAN SIX SIGMA In the past, Lean and Six Sigma have at times been viewed almost as rival methodologies, with some companies choosing one or the other as their primary improvement vehicle. Two of the most powerful forces in manufacturing and now the broader supply chain are â€Å"Lean† and â€Å"Six Sigma. Traditionally, many companies have adopted one or the other as their primary approach to operational improvement, or in some cases used both but as fairly independent tools. Increasingly, however, companies are seeing the benefit of combining the two techniques into a more integrated strategy that uses the best of each approach, which can be highly complementary. Many believe this â€Å"Lean Six Sigma† strategy is the best w ay to improve overall supply chain results and tackle process improvement more holistically. Lean, the name given to the Toyota Production System in the book The Machine that Changed the World, has traditionally been associated with the elimination of waste in business processes. Lean was originally focused on improvement on the factory floor, but has since been used in some cases to power broader supply chain improvements. European retailer Tesco, for example, used Lean principles to engineer improved store replenishment processes. Six Sigma is a quality improvement methodology that in general seeks to reduce process and results variation. Originally focused on improving the quality of manufactured components, the approach has also been expanded for use in improving almost any business process. Drug wholesale McKesson, for example, has used Six Sigma to improve a variety of supply chain processes, such as inbound trailer cycle times and pick face replenishment efficiency. 2. 1 Adding Value With SCOR Developed by the not-for-profit Supply-Chain Council, SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) is a model that links process elements, metrics, best practices and features associated with supply chain execution. It helps to identify and quantify critical opportunities for improvements not only within the supply chains of a single company but also between multiple trading partners. It describes a continuum of processes: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver and Return. SCOR works best with companies that have an enterprise information platform that can carefully track this continuum through KPIs and scorecards or at least provide the data so that a qualified enterprise platform can acquire the data, analyze it and surface it to the people who need to see it. Although rooted in the supply chain realm, SCOR adherents see a role for the methodology as the gatekeeper – identifying the projects most likely to render ROI using SCOR, Lean or Six Sigma. There is already a natural link between Lean and Six Sigma at the program and project execution level. Six Sigma has the project tracking and financial accountability elements. Lean helps â€Å"surface the rocks† that become ideal targets for Six Sigma. The two combined provide a powerful results-driven program. The opportunities for Six Sigma and Lean application in SCM are numerous. Specifically in warehousing management you may want to look at metrics around fill rates, pick and pack defects and dock-to-stock or dock-to-bench type metrics. Start with Lean and look for opportunities to get the dock-to-stock (time from material unloaded on dock to put away on shelf) cycle times down (this impacts availability rates to the production floor). Take a walk through the warehouse and if you see lots of boxes and pallets sitting around, you know you have opportunities! Once your cycle times are lower, then take a look at defect rates in the other areas of standard warehouse metrics. Let me know if you have some questions I have extensive experience in this one. 3. 0 Bringing Lean and Six Sigma Together Industrial giant Honeywell was among the first to recognize the power of combining Lean and Six Sigma disciplines. When Honeywell acquired Allied Signal in the late 1990s, under the leadership of legendary CEO Larry Bossidy, it created a mechanism for combining Lean and Six Sigma that it called â€Å"Six Sigma Plus. The company hoped to improve processes and results by using Lean to streamline processes and eliminate waste, then improve the consistency and reliability of those processes using Six Sigma. 3M is another pioneer in the application of Lean Six Sigma. When Jim McNerney took over as CEO of the company in 2001, the former GE executive quickly helped drive a Lean Six Sigma program throughout the company. â€Å"Lean Six Sigma always starts by defining value from the supply chain from the eyes of the customer,† says Paul Husby, a former VP of Supply Chain Services at 3M. Every business has either an explicit or implicit strategy and needs the operational supply chain to provide specific performance to support that strategy. Lean Six Sigma has a primary goal of significantly improving operational excellence, and should also greatly improve a companys competitive advantage with key customers and markets. † There are several principles that drive the strategy of bringing Lean and Six Sigma together: Lean cannot bring a process under statistical control Six Sigma alone cannot dramatically improve process speed or reduce invested capital Both enable the reduction of the cost of complexity, but in complementary ways In the past, Lean and Six Sigma have at times been viewed almost as rival methodologies, with some companies choosing one or the other as their primary improvement vehicle. With Lean Six Sigma, that f alse conflict can be formally removed, and companies can benefit from the best of both approaches. The two methodologies can interact and reinforce one another, and there is much evidence that total improvements in a process is larger if Lean and Six Sigma are implemented together. The opportunity is to reduce the variability in value-adding processes,† said SCDigest editor Dan Gilmore. â€Å"Lean should eliminate the non-value added process steps, and then Six Sigma can be applied to tighten up the execution of those processes. † So, from a Lean perspective, what Six Sigma adds is the ability to reduce process variability. From a Six Sigma perspective, what Lean adds is often greater process and cycle time velocity, as well as lower operating costs. It can also be said that Lean focuses on reducing Time variability, while Six Sigma focuses on reducing Process variability. Lean tends to generate more â€Å"Quick Fix† solutions, while Six Sigma takes a more â€Å"Root Cause† approach. It is also possible to think of applying Six Sigma principles at the â€Å"pursue perfection† stage of one popular six-step Lean model. Some companies are taking the concept even further, adding in Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC) methodology as another tool, usually front-ending TOC before both Lean and Six Sigma. This three-way combination is sometimes referred to as TLS (TOC, Lean, Six Sigma). Companies that have focused on either Lean or Six Sigma as a primary strategy to the exclusion of the other, or that use both but as very separate tools, should consider whether there is opportunity to deliver better results from a Lean Six Sigma strategy. 4. 0 THINGS NEED TO KEEP IN MIND 4. 1 Is our data integrated, clean and in one location? Data sitting in silos, incompatible or duplicative data, and – most importantly – data that requires the intervention of the IT department to retrieve will make any business improvement program much more costly than necessary. A robust business intelligence solution is a must. 4. 2 Can I quickly see what is working in quality programs? If you would like to report to Wall Street analysts that a Six Sigma initiative saved $1 million on a new product, do you need to deploy a portion of your staff to dig through information, or is that information readily available on a dashboard? More importantly, is the information up to date? Can a portal tell at a moment’s glance what the quality programs are doing for the company’s bottom line and how they compare to one another? 4. Can my staff visualize the results of quality projects? Six Sigma Black Belts parachute into departments they don’t work in. Being able to show how a process could be improved helps win over reluctant team members to the results of a project. An easily integrated visualization application is an important component. 4. 4 Do I have an application powerful enough to analyze and (especially when using Lean) forecast? Can my st aff – without any programming skills – create â€Å"what if† scenarios that will help identify the best methodology for improving quality and performance? Using SCOR to align corporate goals and develop and execute a plan for improvement targets, and then employing Lean or Six Sigma or both to the prioritized projects, is a way forward for companies that recognize that survival is truly the provenance of the fittest. Just having these methodologies under the roof isn’t enough. They need to be converged and integrated methodologies working off the same platform. A focus on integration will provide the organization with optimized yields and improvements. The trend toward converging methodologies is really about change management and its logical extension to platform status. After all, change is not a one-time event or even a series of one-time events but must be a culturally ingrained part of the organization’s DNA. Organizations want to embrace change, but doing so requires an integrated approach to using methodologies and a strong enterprisewide platform that goes beyond business intelligence to include data integration and analytics.

Vocation vs. Avocation

Vocation vs. Avocation Vocation vs. Avocation Vocation vs. Avocation By Mark Nichol In a recent post, I explained the distinction between vocation and avocation among discussions of a group of commonly confused words. Here, I delve into a little more detail about the antonyms (well, usually) and explore their synonyms and the connotations of each. Vocation originally had a religious cast to it; the word means â€Å"calling† (vocation and voice share the Latin root word vox, or â€Å"voice†) and described and still describes the inspiration some people receive to join the clergy or enter a religious community. Vocation also applies to the act of entering the priesthood or a religious order, though that use is rare. Over the hundreds of years since the term was coined, it has spread out into the secular world, where it retains the sober connotation of something that is more than a job a line of work that one has committed to performing. This gravity extends to senses referring to the body of people involved in a certain occupation or the occupation itself. (Compare the close synonym profession.) However, the force of the word was also diluted by association with the now-outdated phrase â€Å"vocational education,† which connotes blue-collar trades that require skills acquired by hands-on training, as opposed to professions one enters after a rigorous course of academic study. But this migration of meaning goes both ways: Profession originally referred to the practice of law or medicine alone one of two disciplines involving rigorous preparation and according the practitioners high social status. This term, from the Latin word for â€Å"public declaration† (thus the sense in â€Å"He professed his love for her on bended knee†), like vocation, originated in a religious context, and referred to the taking of vows. Now, however, virtually every category of employment has been promoted to the rank of profession. I’ve used several loose synonyms for vocation above (besides calling, a direct translation that needs no definition). One, â€Å"line of work,† is an informal reference to what type of employment one is engaged in. Another, trade, remains associated primarily with physical labor, as in â€Å"the building trades.† Occupation, from Latin, refers to any class of employment and is used in adjectival form in such ancillary phrases as â€Å"occupational therapy.† Employment, meanwhile, stems from a French word meaning â€Å"to make use of,† from the Latin implicare, or â€Å"involve,† which, as you might have guessed, is also the precursor of implicate. Employment, far from the idealistic value of vocation, is often used in mundane, bureaucratic contexts, and its close synonym work, akin to the Greek word from which ergonomics is derived, is even more suggestive of toil. A few other similar terms include career, from a French term meaning â€Å"street† or â€Å"passage,† with the implication of a chronological course or passage through a field of employment, and pursuit, a close synonym of vocation and calling, as well as metier (from a French word derived from the Latin term ministerium), which implies a specialty one is especially suited for by talent and temperament. Business (literally, â€Å"busy-ness†), by contrast, is associated with the pursuit of profit, though it can also generally mean a category of professional endeavor. Curiously enough, vocation’s antonym, avocation, is also used as a synonym appropriately enough, because one person’s avocation is another’s vocation though it more often applies to a hobby. (That word is a clipping of hobbyhorse, meaning a toy horse or a horse costume and apparently derived from the diminutive of a nickname for the common name Robert.) Another synonym for avocation is recreation (literally, â€Å"restoration,† because of its connotation of a refreshing diversion). Pursuit also applies to avocation as well as to its antonym. Though the two words are in a sense interchangeable, in a world far from the betrayed post-World War II promise of a shorter workweek, and one in which what we do for business and what we do for pleasure are seldom the same thing, to maintain a distinction between them seems like suitable employment for the two antonyms. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Woof or Weft?

EMBA 560 Executive position week 2 discussion 2 Essay

EMBA 560 Executive position week 2 discussion 2 - Essay Example He or she must be articulate, a good communicator particularly in face-to-face meetings with clients, a fundamental understanding of medical devices and equipment, and an affinity for the challenges of working in sales and marketing. Half of the job of being a good marketing professional is earning the trust and confidence of the client, so it is a vital requirement that the candidate for my position is honest and sincere, has a genuine affinity for people (that is, he or she should not have issues about not wanting to be among strangers), and could inspire a genuine trust in people. Things like these could not be faked. At the same time, my replacement should be forward looking and self-motivated, because marketing requires seeking out those who would benefit most from our products and bringing these products to them. It requires innovative thinking, because the obvious prospects are always already served. Creativity is needed to seek out potential customers, to approach them in a m anner that does not immediately alienate them even before you get to speak, and to find out what their needs are and match these needs with the product you sell, so that everyone comes out at an advantage. Finally, I will look for a sense of perseverance and fortitude. Marketing is both physically and mentally challenging work, so the successful candidate should be up to the task. 2.Consider the hypothetical situation in question #1.   What are the pros and cons of hiring someone exactly like you? While I was writing out the answer to the first question, I was wondering whether I fit the bill myself in the manner I set the attributes down. I realized that these are the qualifications that I would like to have, or that I would like to think I possess but do not actually. It is the best of what I want to be and what I think the position demanded. There are dangers to finding someone exactly like oneself, because there never is one. No two persons, not even twins, are exactly alike, and making oneself the role model for finding a replacement makes one almost doomed to fail. Then he would have to â€Å"settle† for someone a little bit less in his estimation (because nobody ever measures up to the ideal picture we have of ourselves), and this becomes a poor basis for beginning a working relationship, particularly between a supervisor and his subordinate. Another thing about finding someone like me to take over my place perpetuates the weaknesses that I had, at worse, and at best not have anything new to add to the position. There is a distinct advantage in hiring someone not like myself, in that they bring something new to the plate. New is always good, it is at least change, and after sometime the innovation would be adjusted to fit the job, enhancing its advantages while minimizing the disadvantages. Hiring someone for my old position who is exactly like me is a constraint on the new worker, if he knew that I hired him for that purpose. His tendency, as with all other subordinates, is to meet the expectations of his superior (myself), so he will try to do everything like me and think, what would my boss do if he were in my place? But this attitude does not foster growth, it does not free up the individual for the many initiative and ideas he may have for the job. Therefore, it were better that in choosing a replacement, I should not look for someone who was like me, for that reason.

Macro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Macro Economics - Essay Example The focus shifts from expenditure to save more of the current income for future spending. Thus in reacting to this less expenditure on the part of the consumers and the investors the firm will lower their production resulting in less output. Reduction in the wage rate of the workers in this circumstance will not contribute to the elimination of the huge unemployment rate prevailing in the economy. Simultaneous decrease in the interest rates in the economy will also not succeed in returning the economy back in the original track (Gwartney, Stroup, Sobel and MacPherson, 228). Wages and interest rates are considered fixed in the Keynesian theory. According to the theory even if there is a decline in the wage rate a negative impact will be exerted on the economy through the reduction in income and hence reduction in aggregate demand. Keynesian theory rejects the view of the classical economists that market forces will bring back the system of full employment in the economy. Equilibrium i n the economy will be reached when the total spending in the economy will be equal to the total output. Changes in output may drive the economy to a certain extent towards the equilibrium as opposed to price changes as suggested by the other stream of economists.

Green Logistics Management

Green Logistics Management Green logistics can be defined as coordinating the general logistical activities comprising freight transport, storage, inventory management, materials handling and all the relevant activities required to move products through the supply chain in a way that meets customer requirements at minimum cost with an environmental concern. The main objective is examining different possible ways to reduce the external costs of logistics associated mainly with climate change, air pollution, noise etc and achieving a more sustainable balance between economic, environmental and social objectives. 2. Literature review on green logistics Researchers have been working on various mathematical techniques, heuristics, combinatorial optimization and practical methods for developing new and more sustainable methodologies to reverse logistics for the collection, recycling and disposal of waste products. With the help of some illustrative examples, the project is focussed on developing basic understanding of how new techniques and the operating practices could contribute to effective domestic waste management. Peirce and Davidson (1982) used a linear optimization technique to formulate the problem of transportation routing among transfer stations, disposal facilities, and long term storage impoundments but limiting the model to determination of cost effective waste transportation routes. Jennings and scholars (1984) formulated the regional hazardous waste management system as simply a vehicle routing problem aiming for either reducing cost or risk. Zografos and Samara (1990) dealt with the problem of a single type of waste to achieve the objectives of minimizing transportation risk, travelling time and disposal costs but, the demerits are that each centre is affected only by its closest facility and all the different source points can send its hazardous waste to only one treatment facility. Hu et al (2002) made use of a linear programming model to investigate the cost reduction of decision making support system used for managing the multi source waste reverse flows again limiting the objective only to cost factor. Alumur and kara (2007) used Multi-objective mixed integer programming model with dual objectives of minimizing cost and risk factor in hazardous waste logistics. They focussed mainly on the factors that decide the appropriate location for treatment facilities, dumping sites and the relevant technology needed to route various sources of waste subject to constraints. The considered model was implemented in Central Anatolian region of Turkey. Their research shed light on using multi-period concept to the existing model to schedule the processing of different types of waste. 2.1 Domestic waste management Though the above research work was quite old, it contributed much towards the waste management. They made a foundation for further research where we can combine both the objectives of cost reduction as well as environmental benefits. Solid waste is a critical environmental problem in both developed and developing countries. The growing environmental concern from citizens, governments and various industrialists demand new methods and technologies to address the problems involved in waste management that pose a threat to the environment. Domestic waste logistics is one of the key areas that could have a huge impact on the environment with the growing population if not given enough attention. The very common problem in developing countries regarding solid waste management is lack of sufficient technical and financial resources. The available resources can think of only collection and logistics costs, leaving no resources for safe final disposal (Collivignarelli et al., 2004). The green logistics objective can be served in several ways addressing sustainable domestic waste disposal. Some of them are mentioned below: What collection system should be applied for easy disposal of different types of wastes such as recyclable and non-recyclable? Where to locate the garbage accumulation areas and collection points? How big the fleet of vehicles should be and how feasible it is to have multiple compartment vehicles to collect different sources of waste separately at one time? How many containers and of what type should be assigned to each area? Which are the most appropriate collection routes depending on the demand, traffic and other practical constraints? What frequency of collection should be applied to each area? There has been a significant amount of research work going on addressing one or more of the above problems with the green logistics objective. For an extensive discussion on green logistics objectives one can refer to Sheu 2007, which is the recent review published in this area where they used coordinated reverse logistics management system which was formulated as multi-objective linear programming model for treating hazardous waste. The time varying waste collection amount associated with each given waste type was regulated by reverse logistics system and this was further coordinated with other activities such as storage, processing, distribution and final treatment. By using these two factors, the author could successfully design a model that searches for system-wide optimization condition considering both the reverse logistics operational costs and also the environmental impact through risk constraints. The model saved 58% operational costs with the inclusion of green logistics ob jective comparatively with the earlier versions of other authors where only a cost factor was considered. Though the above research work proves to be beneficial from cost as well as environmental perspective, is it really the same in every case? As the objective starts shifting the full attention towards green, economical and more of an environmental friendly objectives, the long term results sometimes have to be compromised although it proves more costly. There are various functional elements involved in the waste management such as waste generation, collection, separation, handling, storage and treatment, logistics and final dumping. In general, the same problem requires different objectives depending upon whose requirement it is. From business perspective, the best solution would be the one with the least cost, while for the government the best solution would be the one with the least risk (referring to human life). Therefore, for any proposed mathematical model, there should always be a compromise solution considering these different objectives. Conceptual approach by Chang and Davila (2007) made a great success in diverting recyclables, green waste from the municipal solid waste streams to energy, composting and recycling facilities. They analysed the existing solid waste management strategies for better improvement using minimax regret optimization techniques with multiple criteria. Researchers also shifting their attention towards using Life cycle analysis for evaluating different strategies involved in waste management. Ahluwalia and Nema (2007) presented a life cycle based multi-objective model to support decision makers in integrated waste management. They evaluated the management budget and life cycle of different types of computer waste for different objectives of cost, business risk and environmental impact. The main idea of Life cycle approach is recycling computer waste which otherwise leads to the loss of potential resources and can have a huge impact on the environment as well. Sbihi and Eglese (2007) mentioned the importance of multi-time step model in Combinatorial optimization and Green Logistics. They highlighted the variation in waste generation at any source node with time and about uncertainty with the data related to waste generation. In response to that, Ahluwalia and Nema (2007) identified the factors responsible for the computer waste and their contribution to the environmental pollution. Multiple objectives of economy, health and environmental risk involved with various computer waste management activities were assessed with the help of an integer linear goal programming based multi-time step optimal material flow analysis model. Several treatment and disposal facilities were selected and assigned optimum quantities of waste to them along chosen transportation routes, depending on different priorities to cost and risk. The uncertainty factor related to waste generation quantities also taken into consideration using Monte Carlo simulation. There are also some studies in the literature that are concerned only with the vehicle routing problem but the research objective seem to be very interesting from waste management perspective. These studies attempt to find the best possible routes for a given network with the objective of minimizing transportation cost subject to various constraints. Part of the model developed in our project uses a multi-compartment vehicle in which different sources of domestic wastes can be collected separately at the collection point itself using several vehicles EL Fallahi et al 2008. Using this concept of multi-compartment vehicle for waste collection might reduce the burden of segregating them later at the dumping site. This also might reduce the cost involved in diverting the recyclable and non-recyclable wastes to their corresponding processing centres, making the waste collection process not only economically profitable but can also make the recycling process more environmental friendly. Some times depending on the type of objective that is involved, constraints play a critical role. For instance, while dealing with the logistics of hazardous wastes, public safety is a serious constraint without which the model will be invalid. Highly toxic wastes like by-products of nuclear power plants needed to be transported to a safer environment. YW Chen et al (2008) planned safest transportation of nuclear waste by integrating the multi-objective (minimizing the travel time, transportation risk and the exposed population) shortest route problem having actual road network attributes of GIS (geographic information systems) with environmental systems research institute (ESRI). 8. The importance of environmental protection resulted in a set of new waste management goals in the reverse logistics system planning. Pati RK et al (2008) formulated a mixed integer goal programming to study the inter-relationship between the multiple objectives of a recycled paper distribution network. The objectives considered are reduction in reverse logistics cost; product quality improvement through increased segregation at the source; and environmental benefits through increased waste paper recovery. The model has been illustrated through a problem at paper recycling in India. It says that the model can also be extended to other areas of reverse logistics systems involving conservation of natural resources such as recycling of plastic wastes. This model can also be used for determining the facility location, route and flow of various types of recyclable waste paper in the multi-item, multi-echelon and multi-facility decision making framework. Future research Including non-linearities and stochasticity of parameters in the above linear model. Extending the model to other reverse logistics problem areas involving the environmental issues and conservation of natural resources such as recycling of plastic wastes. - Third report 1. Lund and Clark II (2008) highlighted various transportation technologies and the link to stationary power generation that may help to reduce the impact of both energy and transportation sectors on global warming and climate change. He made a point based on the past literature that no single technology appears to be able to solve the carbon footprint problem on its own. This special issue focussed on the methodologies and practices applied to the analysis of coherent sustainable energy and transportation systems in order to reverse the climate change. He focussed on the information available from literature review, mainly on the use of electric and hybrid technologies in the transportation sector with renewable energy source. But it appears to me that even with the mass introduction of these technologies, the impact on environment may again increase with more electricity generation (exception for wind and hydro electric power). He mentioned in his paper that Professor Woodrow Clark discussed how green energy from renewable energy sources can play a significant role in protecting the environment while providing power for building and transportation. This issue is based on the presentation from special session on Sustainable Energy and Transportation Systems which was part of 4th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, June 4-8, 2007, Dubrovnik, Croatia. 2. Siu 2007 reviewed a number of innovative light weight transit systems with the objective to serve as a reference to decision makers who are involved in the planning and design of sustainable transportation systems. Siu argues that building more roads to relieve traffic congestion achieves nothing more than encouraging more vehicles to use them, resulting in more carbon emissions. This paper again focussed on the use of latest technologies namely the battery-electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cells buses. It says that the electric drives are appealing the transit operators because of reduced or zero vehicle emissions and increased efficiency. With efficient use of these innovative transit technologies in the distribution and logistics sector would certainly help to achieve the goal of green logistics. 3. Wadhwa et al 2008 proposed a multi-criterion decision making (MCDM) model based on fuzzy set theory. It is a flexible decision modelling of reverse logistics system: A value adding MCDM approach for alternative selection which can be helpful in designing effective and efficient flexible return policy depending on various criteria. This fuzzy decision methodology provides an alternative framework to deal with the complexities involved in reverse logistics and giving the best decision strategy for product recovery system. It requires quantitative and qualitative evaluation based on criteria such as cost, time, legislative factors, environmental impact, quality and quality. This paper combines fuzzy based flexible MCDM and reverse logistics for alternate selections. Future research The model serves to enhance the progressive introduction of applying artificial intelligence future research in terms of developing a group decision support system. 4. EL Fallahi et al 2008. A memetic algorithm and a tabu search for the multi-compartment vehicle routing problem. Computers and Operations research 2008; 35: 1725-1741 A general vehicle routing problem where a customer can order different products which will be delivered using identical vehicles using several compartments, each compartment being dedicated to one product is considered in this paper. The author used two algorithms known as memetic algorithm with a post optimization phase based on path relinking and a tabu search to solve the above problem. Path re-linking is the method to combine intensification and diversification in tabu search. It mainly concentrates on the exploration of links connecting pairs of good solutions in search space hoping for better solutions along these paths. 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