Rolls royce anual report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rolls royce anual report - Coursework Example The external auditor of the company has given an opinion according to which the group financial statements of the company present a true and fair view for the financial year ending December 31, 2012. The auditor reports states that the group financial statements are adequately prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) and Companies Act 2006. It is also mentioned in the audit report that the financial statements of the company have been prepared in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) as adopted by European Union. The audit report forms an integral part of the financial statements of a company, especially a public listed company. The primary purpose of the audit report is to bring into the knowledge of the users of the financial statements whether these financial statements are prepared in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. [Readyratios.com (2011)] Users of the financial statement usually do not have the time to thoroughly analyze the authenticity of the financial statements. They take reliance of from the audit report that whether the financial statements are giving a true and fair view or not. ... 69% 3% Current ratio 1.33 1.2 1.70 Inventory turnover period 109 days 112 days 50 days Payables’ turnover period 247 days 262 days 20 days Gearing ratio 1.967 2.634 4% P/E ratio 7.1 16.43 9.0 x Answer to Question No. 4 2012 2011 Variation % variation Change in million ? Sales 12,161 11,124 1,037 9.32% Rise Operating Profit 1,373 1,186 187 15.77% Rise Share Price (pence) 874 755 118 15.66% Rise Answer to Question No. 5 During the current financial year, the return on equity (ROE) has considerably increased during the current financial year. The return on equity is calculated by dividing the net profit attributable to shareholders by the shareholders equity. [Investopedia, 2012] The ratio is quite essential from the investor’s point of view as it represents how well a company is earning on its shareholder equity, which mainly comprises of issued capital and retained earnings. The ROE of the company has increased during the financial year 2011 which is due to the fact that the net profit of Rolls Royce has increase by a staggering 170% as it increased from 848 million to 2,295 million. The main reason behind this increase in the net profit is one unusual item of 669 million which is due to the disposal of a segment of the business during the current financial year. It would also be worth mentioning that the sales and operating profit of the company has increased by 9.32% and 15.77% during the current financial year. These escalations in figures have further accentuated the return on equity during the current year. The ratio is better than the industry average which is a sign for positive financial outlook. The gross profit has increased marginally during the current financial year. The reason behind the marginal increase in the gross profit margin is the fact that

Microsoft and Antitrust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microsoft and Antitrust - Essay Example I therefore agree that Microsoft attempt is one of gaining monopoly power in the software industry. The windows operating system and the internet explorer browser are completely different products that should not be bundled together (Evans, 2002). Microsoft decision is thus one that denies fair competition from other browsers and their restrictive licensing is monopoly intended. In a pure monopoly one firm has the complete control in the production of their products because of barriers of entries for other businesses. There is therefore no competition in the industry and the pricing is not based on the forces of demand and supply. I am against monopoly structure because it promotes inefficiencies and discourages competition. Consequently, monopoly products are of low quality and are highly priced hence encouraging consumer exploitation. In a monopoly, prices and quantity demanded is set at the point of intersection of the marginal revenue and marginal revenue curve. If the marginal cost cuts the marginal revenue curve from the lowest point possible, it means that the firm is operating at optimal capacity and there is no room for expansion and it is at this point that the profit is maximized (Fellner, 1949). Since the demand curve is downward sloping, a reduction in price is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the quantity sold. The firm is therefore the price marker and therefore records high economic profits. Monopoly also deprives consumers their sovereignty of choice, as there are no substitutes for the company’s products. Failure or conditions that can halt the production of a company’s products will therefore result in acute shortages. Monopoly pricing coupled with artificial shortages to the society will result into dead weight loss to the society (2009). The locative inefficiencies in monopoly lead to loss by the society. Moreover, monopolies have been

Febrile Neutropenia Case Study

Febrile Neutropenia Case Study Consent: The patient consented for the use of the details of the illness in this report. 2.1 Patient History 2.1.1 History of disease Mr DW is a 50yr old male who was admitted to hospital on the 12th of February after suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea the previous day. He reported vomiting about 3-4 times during the day but only very small amounts of vomitus as he felt too unwell to eat anything but very small amounts of food. This was on a background of a 5-month history of multiple myeloma (MM), as well as chemotherapy induced pancytopenia. He received a Melphalan peripheral blood stem cell transplant on the 8th of February 4 days prior to his current admission His symptoms were managed by medication, but on the 15th of February he had a spike in temperature overnight. His mucous membranes became mildly erythematous on the 14th of February. He has experienced no other symptoms and overall his symptoms have gradually improved during his stay. 2.1.2 Past Medical History Relevant past medical history includes multiple myeloma which was diagnosed on the 9th of September 2016 which he has been undergoing chemotherapy for. He also received an autologous stem cell transplant on the 8th of February 2017. At the time of the diagnoses, Mr DW presented with vertebral fractures and symptomatic anaemia. Mr DW also has pancytopenia which is a consequence of his chemotherapy. Aside from hospital admissions related to the aforementioned conditions, Mr DW has never been to hospital and has no other relevant past medical history. 2.1.3 Medications       Drug Name Dose Indication Aztreonam 2g, IV, 8 hourly Antibacterial Prophylaxis Fentanyl 25mcg/hr (transdermal modified release patch) 1 patch, every 3 days Pain Fluconazole 200mg, 1 capsule, Oral, Daily Antifungal prophylaxis Metoclopramide 10mg, 2mL, IV, 8 hourly Nausea, vomiting Nystatin 1 tab, Oral, BD (twice a week) Antifungal prophylaxis Ondansetron 4-8mg, IV, 8 hourly Nausea, vomiting Pantoprazole 40mg, Oral, night Ulceration of oesophagus valaciclovir 10mg, Oral, bedtime Herpes Prophylaxis 2.1.4 Drug Allergies Penicillin Leaves the patient with a full body erythematous rash 2.1.5 Family History The patient had no family history of any conditions 2.1.6 Psychosocial History and Functional Status Mr DW is currently employed as a cinematographer and regularly has to travel around and to different states due to his line of work. He is a non-smoker, drinks approximately 1 or 2 standards in a fortnight and denies recreational drug use. He lives with his wife and 2 of his 5 children at his house and describes himself as feeling very well supported by his family. The diagnosis of multiple myeloma was a big shock for him and his family and he is quite concerned about his current prognosis. He stated that he has accepted it and is trying to stay positive and to continue living life as normally as possible. 2.2 Physical Examination Observation revealed a middle-aged man who was very bright, alert and sitting upright in a chair. Within the room there was a lot of flowers and cards. His vitals were normal (RR 18, SPO2 98% on RA, BP 115/75, HR 80, afrebile 37.4oC) On general inspection there was no visible bruising, scars, masses or other abnormalities except for some slight erythema around a PICC line on his right arm. His hands had no nicotine stains, nail changes or palmar erythema but there was palmar crease pallor. There was good dentition, mucous membranes were moist. 2.2.1 Cardiovascular Exam Pulse was palpable bilaterally and of normal rate and rhythm.Carotid pulse was strong in character. JVP was not elevated.Heart sounds dual no murmur.No audible bruits nor palpable thrills or heaves.No signs of peripheral oedema. 2.2.2 Respiratory Exam Trachea was midline.Chest expansion symmetrical and not reduced.Clear lung sounds throughout as well as normal percussion and vocal resonance.No signs of peripheral or central cyanosis. 2.2.3 Gastrointestinal Exam Abdomen was soft and non-tender.Spleen and kidneys not palpable.Liver of normal span (10cm)Bowel sounds were present. 2.3 Investigations X-ray Skeletal Survey Lungs and pleural spaces clear. Mediastinal contour and heart size are normal. Mild multi-level degenerative disc disease at the thoracic level. Normal everywhere else. Multiple small lytic lesions involving calvarium, proximal humeri and proximal femora bilaterally in keeping with MM Blood Cultures Results had not yet returned. Blood Test: Haematology WCC: 0.93*109/L (Low) Hb: 98 g/L (Low) PLT: 84*109/L (Low) HCT: 0.276 L/L (Low) MCV: 85.2 fL (Normal) RCC: 3.24*1012/L (Low) MCH: 29.9pg (Normal) MCHC: 351 g/L (Normal) Neutrophils: 0.89*109/L (Low) Lymphocytes: 0.03*109/L (Low) Monocytes: 0.00*109/L (Low) Eosinophils: 0.01*109/L (Low) *Non-listed results were within normal ranges 2.4 Diagnoses Based on his initial presentation and considering his recent stem cell transplant his treating team suspected his symptoms were likely to be due to side effects of his treatment as opposed to infection. Following the spike in temperature he was considered to have febrile neutropenia and was treated according to the guidelines (with a slight modification that shall be discussed later in report) and based on his symptoms as well as the mildly erythematous mouth Mr DW was considered to have mucositis. He is currently being managed with anti-emetics as well as prophylactic treatment considering his vulnerable state. They are also awaiting the results of blood cultures to ensure that he does not have any severe opportunistic infections. 3.1 Part A: Physiology Pancytopenia is an important entity encountered in regular clinical practice. It is not a disease but is instead a finding and can have multiple causes most of which primarily involve the bone marrow. Pancytopenia consists of a low haemoglobin count, low white cell count, and platelet count (Gayathri Rao, 2011). In Mr DWs case, his pancytopenia was caused by bone marrow suppression due to his chemotherapy treatment. 3.1.1 Platelet production and Megakaryocytopoiesis Currently the physiology of platelet production from megakaryocytes (MKs) are not perfectly understood. MKs are a type of nucleated bone marrow cells that studies have shown develop into polypoid structure via a process that is known as endomiosis followed by a maturation process before producing platelets in circulation (Machlus Italiano, 2013). Figure 1: Haematopoietic lineage(Deutsch Tomer, 2013) MKs are derived from haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) which are the precursors to all other blood cells (see Figure 1) and they themselves are derived from haemangioblasts. HSCs progress into becoming common myeloid progenitor cells (CMPs) that mature into either monocytes or granulocytes, or they can continue developing into MK-erythroid progenitor cells (MEPs) which go on to produce MKs (Deutsch Tomer, 2013). Figure 2: Platelet Production Pathway(Machlus Italiano, 2013) In the first phase of maturation MKs undergo nuclear proliferation and enlargement of their cytoplasm which is filled with platelet-specific granules as well as sufficient membrane to complete the platelet production process. The second phase involves MKs remodelling their cytoplasm into proplatelets and then into preplatelets which go on to release platelets through fission events (see Figure 2) (Machlus Italiano, 2013). There are a number of growth factors and interleukins that regulate the development of MKs but the primary and most potent one is thrombopoietin (a glycoprotein produced in the liver). It is crucial in the development and proliferations of HSCs as it stimulates the MKs to undergo hyperplasia and hypertrophy as well as stimulating the formation of the platelet projections from which release platelets into the circulation (Deutsch Tomer, 2013). 3.1.2 Erythropoiesis Erythrocytes are vital to the functioning of the human body as they transport oxygen to the tissues. As such the complex developmental process known as erythropoiesis has to be carefully regulated and managed (Luo et al., 2017). The process mainly occurs within bone marrow and begins with the differentiation of HSCs into burst-forming-unit erythroid (BFU-E) cells which are the earliest erythroid progenitors (see Figure 3). These cells then go onto become the colony-forming-unit erythroid (CFU-E) cells which undergo further differentiation and maturation to become mature erythrocytes (Luo et al., 2017). Figure 3: Overview of Erythropoiesis(Hattangadi, Wong, Zhang, Flygare, Lodish, 2011) Erythropoietin is produced in the kidneys and acts as one of the most important physiological regulators of erythropoiesis. It is produced primarily in response to hypoxic conditions detected by specialised interstitial cells in the outer medulla and inner cortex of the kidneys. Erythropoietin regulates erythrocyte production, prevents apoptosis and controls the rate of release. It also acts on CFU-Es (see Figure 3) which then go on to become proerythroblasts (Hattangadi et al., 2011). These cells undergo maturation to eventually become polychromatic, basophilic, and orthochromatic erythroblasts. The orthochromatic erythroblasts differentiate to reticulocytes and become mature erythrocytes (Luo et al., 2017). Mr DWs pancytopenia is consistent with myelosuppression and is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Normally HSCs from which blood cells develop are capable of self-renewal but chemotherapy affects cells within the bone marrow and greater numbers of HSCs are needed to be activated. Unfortunately, with the diminished capability production of the myeloid cell lines is unable to keep up and leads to low counts which is reflected in Mr DWs blood tests (see investigations) as he has low amounts of white cells, red cells and platelets. Unlike other conditions where there may be infiltration of bone marrow he still makes normal cells but just in a diminished amount, consequently, he has normal mean cell volume, mean platelet volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin. 3.2 Part B: Health Policies Fever in neutropenic patients occurs frequently early in a course of chemotherapy and in diseases which disrupt the bone marrow. In these cases fever could be considered a medical emergency as it requires immediate evaluation as well as the use empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics (Lyman Rolston, 2010). Patients with febrile neutropenia have mortality rates ranging from 5% 20% and mortality rates can be greater than 50% in patients who develop septic shock or pneumonia even with the use of antibiotic treatment (Kuderer, Dale, Crawford, Cosler, Lyman, 2006). The importance of managing febrile neutropenia swiftly and as effectively as possible cannot be understated and as such the guidelines around this area are extremely important. 3.2.1 Prince of Wales Febrile Neutropenia Guidelines Figure 4: Prince of Wales Initial Management of Febrile Neutropenia Guidelines(Health, 2015) The Prince of Wales hospital where Mr DW presented has a specific guideline for initial management of febrile neutropenia. Since he has a severe penicillin allergy he was treated following the guidelines with Aztreonam but his treating team chose to differ from the guidelines and gave him Vancomycin immediately. Mr DW did not have any of the indicators for the use of vancomycin (see Figure 4) but during a discussion with the treating team it became apparent that they believed it was safer and resulted in overall better outcomes to begin patients on vancomycin immediately. As such they believed that vancomycin should be used immediately in cases with any penicillin allergy and used following the dosing guidelines when theres no penicillin allergy. 3.2.2 Use of Empiric Antimicrobial Therapy In terms of the use of empiric antimicrobial therapy in the initial management of febrile neutropenia the Prince of Wales guidelines essentially perfectly follow the national recommendations. The changes that Mr DWs treating team wished to make to the guidelines is at odds with the current literature and guidelines (Freifeld et al., 2011; Paul, Dickstein, Borok, Vidal, Leibovici, 2014). Based on most studies into this topic, non-selective use of vancomycin reduced relative risk of mortality but was not found to be significant and there also was no significant difference in overall 30-day patient mortality (Lugtenberg, Burgers, Westert, 2009; Paul et al., 2014). 3.2.3 Recommendations The Prince of Wales guidelines closely adhere to the national guidelines and what the current literature deems as the most effective (Freifeld et al., 2011; Paul et al., 2014). Even so, its clear that the treating team for Mr DW felt that the current guidelines were inaccurate. It is difficult to assess which version is more effective specifically for the population they are dealing with at the Prince of Wales hospital but based on current research following the current guidelines (as opposed to modifying them) appears to be the best course of action (Lugtenberg et al., 2009). That being said, in specific cases where the specialists in this area strongly feel that they should act differently it may be best to defer to their experience and expertise. This assignment has been an interesting and thought-provoking experience. The most surprising thing I found was how the views of the treating team differed from the guidelines. I realised I place a lot of value upon their views and thus was very surprised when looking at the literature as it seemed to be contradict what they told me. Its clear that I was biased at the beginning but even after researching this topic Im still unsure if there is a correct view or side. Although, what this whole process has taught me is that more research, consultation, and evaluation in regards to current treatment guidelines and policies still can and should be done. This time around when doing the assignment again I tried to ensure that I took the advice and feedback on my previous assignment seriously. Finding a patient was difficult and I ended up with a patient that had similar aspects to a previous assignment but I tried to explore different aspects and it also allowed me to incorporate things that I did not include previously. There have been issues and difficulties with writing this assignment but I feel that overall, its been quite rewarding and that I hope to maintain a higher level of quality in my work going into the future. References             Deutsch, V. R., Tomer, A. (2013). Advances in megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis: from bench to bedside. British Journal of Haematology, 161(6), 778-793. doi:10.1111/bjh.12328 Freifeld, A. G., Bow, E. J., Sepkowitz, K. A., Boeckh, M. J., Ito, J. I., Mullen, C. A., . . . Wingard, J. R. (2011). Clinical practice guideline for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer: 2010 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical infectious diseases, 52(4), e56-e93. Gayathri, B. N., Rao, K. S. (2011). Pancytopenia: A Clinico Hematological Study. Journal of Laboratory Physicians, 3(1), 15-20. doi:10.4103/0974-2727.78555 Hattangadi, S. M., Wong, P., Zhang, L., Flygare, J., Lodish, H. F. (2011). From stem cell to red cell: regulation of erythropoiesis at multiple levels by multiple proteins, RNAs, and chromatin modifications. Blood, 118(24), 6258. Health, N. (2015). Initial Management of Febrile Neutropenia. Retrieved from Http://www.seslhnweb/powh/policies/default.asp Kuderer, N. M., Dale, D. C., Crawford, J., Cosler, L. E., Lyman, G. H. (2006). Mortality, morbidity, and cost associated with febrile neutropenia in adult cancer patients. Cancer, 106(10), 2258-2266. doi:10.1002/cncr.21847 Lugtenberg, M., Burgers, J. S., Westert, G. P. (2009). Effects of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on quality of care: a systematic review. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 18(5), 385. Luo, S.-T., Zhang, D.-M., Qin, Q., Lu, L., Luo, M., Guo, F.-C., . . . Wei, Y.-Q. (2017). The Promotion of Erythropoiesis via the Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species by Lactic Acid. Scientific Reports, 7, 38105. doi:10.1038/srep38105 http://www.nature.com/articles/srep38105#supplementary-information Lyman, G. H., Rolston, K. V. I. (2010). How We Treat Febrile Neutropenia in Patients Receiving Cancer Chemotherapy. Journal of Oncology Practice, 6(3), 149-152. doi:10.1200/JOP.091092 Machlus, K. R., Italiano, J. E. (2013). The incredible journey: From megakaryocyte development to platelet formation. The Journal of Cell Biology, 201(6), 785. Paul, M., Dickstein, Y., Borok, S., Vidal, L., Leibovici, L. (2014). Empirical antibiotics targeting Gramà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ positive bacteria for the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer. The Cochrane Library.

Herman Miller Business Case Essay

1. Executive summary Herman Miller, an environmental leader in the office furniture industry that offers a wide variety of products including seating, systems furniture, filing storage, desks, tables and health care. In 1989, the company decided to adopt a triple-bottom-line philosophy, so it established and changed company’s environmental direction by adopting â€Å"Perfect Vision† initiative that targeted zero landfill, zero hazardous, waste generation, zero air and water emissions. In 1997, the company decided to implement a cradle-to-cradle (C2C) protocol based on eco-effectiveness vs. eco-efficiency and Waste equals food; which consisted of four key elements: biological and technical nutrients; green-yellow-orange list disassembly, recyclability and recycled content. The C2C approach focused on minimizing toxic pollution and reducing natural resources waste. After years of extensive work, in 2001, the company decided that it was time to implement a C2C design protocol on a product that would contain recyclable materials from beginning to end; Mirra chair project was launched. Herman Miller worked toward the design process, manufacturing, engineers, supply chain managers, manufacturing associates, design consultants, trained over 300 employees, worked with suppliers to find substitutes eco-friendly materials, performed raw material assessment, met with people from sales and marketing and discussed several options for closing the loop by recycling the material from Mirra chair. The major issue the company faced was determining the material that was going to be used for the arm-pad skin: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) versus thermoplastic urethane (TPU). PVC was known to be inexpensive and provided to be durable, scratch resistant and soft; but violated the standards of the C2C protocol. PVC had bad press due to its toxicity during manufacturing process and when it was burned or incinerated. In contrary, TPU showed that had acceptable quality characteristics; prove to be even more scratch resistant than PVC, but raw material cost was twice of PCV. Development and supply chain management teams preferred to proceed with PVC while the design for environment (DfE) team wanted to press forward with TPU. 2. Introduction 2.1 Company background Herman Milller was founded as a Michigan Start Furniture Company in 1905. In 1923 D.J. De Pree purchased it, renamed it after his father-in-law and grew the company into an internationally acclaimed furniture design house. Herman Miller is considered as one of the top four suppliers in the US office industry that offers suite office furniture including seating, systems furniture, filing, storage, desks, tables and healthcare furniture. In 2001 annuals sales were about $1.5 billion dollars. In 1989, the company decided to move toward environmental sustainability by changing company’s environmental policy and direction by adopting a cradle-to-cradle (C2C) design protocol for environmental sustainability. The cradle-to-cradle approach will emulate nature regenerative cycle at the end of the life cycle. C2C redesigned industrial processes by minimizing toxic pollution and reducing waste. In 2001, a Design for Environmental (DfE) team was formed to design and develop a new product. Mirra chair would be the most advanced and complete application of the C2C design protocol among any product manufacturer to date. 3.2 Identification of key issues facing the company * In 2002, the company suffered a decline in sales due to economic crisis and pre-internet-bubble where many of its customers cutback or dissolved. * The company realized that the ways its products were designed generated waste in the production process. * Cradle-to-grave process used by the company at the time, released toxic material into the environment. * Products were useless waste at the end of the useful lives. * The major key issue that the company faced when launching the design protocol of Mirra chair was to decide the type of material that was going to be used for the arm-pad skin: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) versus thermoplastic urethane (TPU) * Another relevant issue was the collection of Mirra chair after the end of its life cycle. DfE team were evaluating three alternatives: Herman Miller to collect chairs; retailers to collect the chairs; third party company would collect them or customer could return them directly. 3.3 Issues facing the company and/or industry * Herman Miller international market was significant. Most of Herman Miller’s customers were multi-national; therefore, tighter environmental regulations contributed to realize that the company needed to change its sustainability approach in order to stay ahead of the industry standard. * Moving toward environmental sustainability implied to review and redesign industrial processes that would generate less toxic pollution and deplete natural resources. 3.4 Opportunities for the company * Leader of residential, office furniture and workspace design. * One of top four suppliers in the U.S. office furniture industry. * Company offered innovative good designed and high quality products. * Sustainability strategy was one of their competitive advantages. * Company stay ahead of the game by setting new industry environmental standards. 3. Problem identification and analysis The company analyzed that the way their products were designed using the cradle-to-grave process released toxic material into the environment and generated waste that could be minimized or avoided. Tighter environmental regulations help to realized that in order to stay ahead of the game, they needed to change cradle-to-grave for a cradle-to-cradle process. In 2001, Herman Miller decided to implement a design protocol on a product from beginning to end, so Mirra chair project was chosen. In order to implement C2C protocol a DfE team was formed to develop environmental evaluation measures of the new product, redesign and change processes, create a database for suppliers’ materials using the Green-Yellow-Orange-Red list criteria and establish disassembly guidelines for the new product. Engineers, supply chain managers, manufacturing associates and design consultants worked together to change their processes. Over 300 employees were trained on the new design protocol. The design process was the first one to be reviewed. During the exploration phase, designers brainstormed on the basic concept of the product and outlined high-level specifications. Once the basic design was established during the development process, the product was divided into modules and different teams were assigned to each module. Each team developed a prototype of their modules, DfE team assessed the design, following the C2C protocol for material chemistry, disassembly, recyclability and recycled content. Scorecards (See annex 1) were created and feedbacks were communicated to the development team. The final DfE assessment (Annex 2) aggregated the material chemistry, disassembly, recyclability and recycled content scores for all modules and a scorecard for the final product was entered into Herman Miller’s material database for future reference. Each case was analyzed on a case-to-case basis; a final DfE score of at least 50% was typically required for product acceptance. Calculation of weight and scores were calculated using Exhibit 5 formulas and criteria (See annex 3a and 3b). The importance of these calculations was used to perform a material evaluation assessment. If final score were below 50%, the company would find alternate components that meet C2C protocol requirements or work with suppliers to find substitute inputs or completely new material. One of the major issues was the PVC material used for the arm-pad of the chair, it was classified as â€Å"red† material, and its final DfE score was 0% because of the toxins released during its manufacturing and disposal process. PVC is known to be extremely durable, scratch resistant, formable and cheap; but it doesn’t comply with the C2C protocol. Development engineers and supply chain group preferred PVC material because it was an inexpensive material and the tooling for the PVC arm pads had already been fabricated. Thermoplastic Urethane (TPU) was identified as an alternate and suitable material that meet the same product performance as PVC. Tests showed that TPU had acceptable quality characteristics and might be even more scratch resistance than PVC; however, raw material cost of TPU was twice of PCV and increased the cost of the arm pad assembly by approximately by 30%. To switch to TPU would cost over $100K in retooling or would try to modify the PVC tool to work with TPU. Modifications of the original tool were feasible, but it was unclear whether the part quality of the TPU arm pad skins would be consistent as the PVC skins. DfE team wanted to purse the use of TPU since it complies with C2C protocol. The closing loop of the Mirra chair was another relevant issue that concerned the company. Mirra team discussed several options of how to collect the recycling the material of the chair. Three basic options for collecting the chairs were identified: 1) Herman Miller could collect the chairs itself; 2) Retailers could collect them, 3) A third party company would collect them or 4) Customers could return the chairs to Herman Miller once they finished with their useful life or wanted to upgrade to newer chair models. If Herman Miller took the responsibility of collecting the used chairs, it would have to develop logistical support for handling the products coming back to the company. 4. Recommendations Based on environmental sustainability culture and the triple-bottom-line philosophy adopted by Herman Miller, I would recommend pressing forward with TPU material, which complies with C2C design protocol and continuous improvement policy of no inventory, no waste products and no waste parts and time. The company should promote a strong â€Å"PVC-free† marketing strategy to attract a bigger market share, taking into consideration that Mirra chair would be the most advanced and complete application of C2C protocol among competitors; and the first manufacturer to offer a product of its kind. Mirra chair project should be used as a base-line to determine the future of other Herman Miller’s products. If Mirra chair demonstrates to have a higher acceptance rate among customers, increased sales and elevated overall performance; the company should consider expanding its line of â€Å"green† products; or even switching from PVC products to PVC-free products over the course of the years. It is important to make a cost-benefit analysis comparing the two materials in order to have a better picture of the pros/cons and implications of any final determination. In addition, the company should hire a third party collector in order to avoid developing further logistical support and increase the cost for handling products coming back to the company at the end of its life cycle. 5. Conclusion Herman Miller’s corporate environmental goal was stated as to â€Å"become a sustainable business – manufacturing products without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations†. Therefore, final decision of pursuing PVC or TPU should be based corporate values and policies. The company needs to evaluate the possibility of the negative impact and consequences if it decides to launch a â€Å"green† product strategy but continues to include non-environmental friendly material on its products.

Why Fairy Tail Is a Bad Manga

Why Fairy Tail is a Bad Manga One of the most popular manga in circulation today is Fairy Tail. It is about a wizard guild named Fairy Tail, and the adventures of two of its members, a boy named Natsu and a girl named Lucy. In all, it seems like it could be a good story, but the writer could just not pull it off. Fairy Tail has one of the worst plots and character backgrounds of all the mangas still going today. To start off, we can review the problems with the main characters. Natsu, a boy who uses â€Å"Dragon-slayer† magic was found in the woods and brought up by a dragon.The dragon taught him too read, speak, and learn a secret technique that could be used too kill dragons! Not only does the author, Mashima Hiro, ruins the character background with an almost alternate version of â€Å"Tarzan† he also screws up the girl, Lucy, role in the story. She can’t really do anything. She just has a set of keys that summon magical spirits that she sends to fight for her . But, usually they are useless since she can only use each key on certain days. Her spirits also hardly ever follow her directions, so her whole character I completely useless.Her only real contribution too the story, is the comical situations that she is put in, and her figure, which consists of blond hair, brown eyes, and large breasts, which add sex appeal. Natsu on the other hand gains the ability to â€Å"eat† and control fire, from his â€Å"dragon-slayer† magic. The next problem in the story is the character development. In most well written mangas, the main characters either, mature or get considerably stronger while the story goes on. Yet, in for Fairy Tail, this is not the case. Instead, the main character remains the exact same way throughout, most of the story.For instance, Natsu, only gets stronger for brief periods of time every now and then, before going back too his normal level. Lucy acquires more keys, yet is still at the same level she started off a s, because her spirits hardly ever do anything right so she still ends up becoming useless. In other famous manga, the main sometimes, goes off for a couple years in the story, too do some kind of intense training, then comes back, extremely strong, like One Piece or Naruto. However in Fairy Tail the main characters disappear for seven whole years, and still don’t get stronger, as they were supposedly frozen in time!Finally, we have to look at the emotional aspect. Mashima Hiro, fails too bring out emotion in the reader. Whenever a bad something bad happens, it is almost immediately resolved. For instance, in volume 25 chapter 257, Lucy finds out her father has died, after the time skip. She starts crying, but not three pages later, gets over it, and goes on another adventure. Fairy Tails only good point in the whole manga, is its entertainment factor. If anything, it is funny and again, has a certain sex appeal, since most of the women in the manga have large breasts and wea r revealing clothing.It has a more upbeat kind of theme, were the villains practically say, â€Å"O well. You beat me too a pulp. I have now found the error in my ways and am going too join you/be good. † Besides its entertainment factor, there is no way; Fairy Tail would be as popular as it is now. The character development majorly lacks, the backgrounds of different characters are unsophisticated, and the author fails at creating emotion. So if you enjoy a manga, with a good plot and story line, please do not choose to read Fairy Tail, as you will be extremely disappointed.

Step by Step Guide to Tracing Your Family Tree

You have a little knowledge about your family history, a few old photos and documents and a consuming curiosity. Here are some basic steps to start you on your family tree adventure! Step One: Whats Hiding in the Attic? Begin your family tree by gathering together everything you have — papers, photos, documents and family heirlooms. Rummage through your attic or basement, the filing cabinet, the back of the closet... Then check with your relatives to see if they have any family documents they are willing to share. Clues to your family history might be found on the backs of old photographs, in the family bible, or even on a postcard. If your relative is uneasy with lending an original, offer to have copies made, or take pictures or scans of the photos or documents.   Step Two: Ask Your Relatives While youre collecting family records, set aside some time to interview your relatives. Start with Mom and Dad and then move on from there. Try to collect stories, not just names and dates, and be sure to ask open-ended questions. Try these questions to get you started. Interviews may make you nervous, but this is probably the most important step in researching your family history. It may sound cliche, but dont put it off until its too late! Tip! Ask your family members if there is a genealogy book or other published records within the family. This could give you a wonderful head start!   Step Three: Start Writing Everything Down Write down everything you have learned from your family and begin to enter the information in a pedigree or family tree chart. If youre unfamiliar with these traditional family tree forms, you can find step by step instructions in filling out genealogical forms. These charts provide an at-a-glance overview of your family, making it easy to track your research progress.   Step Four: Who Do You Want to Learn About First? You cant research your entire family tree at once, so where do you want to begin? Your moms side or your dads? Select a single surname, individual, or family with which to begin and create a simple research plan. Focusing your family history search helps keep your research on track, and reduces the chance of missing important details due to sensory overload.  Ã‚   Step Five: Explore Whats Available Online Explore the Internet for information and leads on your ancestors. Good places to start include pedigree databases, message boards, and resources specific to your ancestors location. If youre new to using the Internet for genealogy research, start with Six Strategies for Finding Your Roots Online. Not sure where to start first? Then follow the research plan in 10 steps for finding your family tree online. Just dont expect to find your entire family tree in one place!   Step Six: Familiarize Yourself with Available Records Learn about the wide variety of record types that may be able to help you in your search for your ancestors including  wills;  birth,  marriage,  and  death records;  land deeds;  immigration records; military records; etc. The Family History Library Catalog, the FamilySearch Wiki, and other online finding aids can be helpful in determining what records might be available for a particular locality.   Step Seven: Utilize the Worlds Largest Genealogy Library Visit your local Family History Center  or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, where you can access the worlds largest collection of genealogical information. If you cant get to one in person, the library has digitized millions of its records and made them available online for free through its free FamilySearch website.   Step Eight: Organize and Document Your New Information As you learn new information about your relatives, write it down! Take notes, make photocopies, and take photographs, and then create a system (either paper or digital) for saving and documenting everything you find. Keep a research log of what youve searched and what you have found (or not found) as you go. Step Nine: Go Local! You can conduct a great deal of research remotely, but at some point, you will want to visit the place where your ancestors lived. Take a trip to the cemetery where your ancestor is buried, the church he attended, and the local courthouse to explore records left behind during his time in the community. Consider a visit to the state archives as well, as they are likely to also hold historical records from the community. Step Ten: Repeat as Necessary When you have researched that particular ancestor as far as you can go, or find yourself getting frustrated, step back and take a break. Remember, this is supposed to be fun! Once youre ready for more adventure, go back to Step #4 and choose a new ancestor to start searching for!

Tesla Motors An American Electric Car Producer Essay

History of the brand. Tesla Motors is an American electric car producer and was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The company received most of its funding from the PayPal founder, Elon Musk, by injecting more than $30 million for Tesla’s research and development. However, in 2007, Tesla experienced bad sales that were not capable of supporting the business where Eberhard and Tarpenning had to leave the company in 2008, which caused Musk to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Schreiber). Furthermore, Tesla launched its first product called the Roadster in 2008 using an ion-lithium battery, which the firm had sold for more than 2,400 Roadsters throughout the world (â€Å"About Tesla†). In 2012, Tesla Motors introduced the world’s first prestige electric sedan named Model S. The car had a fully electric engine and built with a four-door style vehicle. 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