Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay Example

Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management Essay This paper was done to cover the DDBA-8510-1 Seminar Global Supply Chain Management final seminar research paper. Supply chain management, is the active management of supply chain activities to maximize customer value and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It represents a conscious effort by the supply chain firms to develop and run supply chains in the most effective amp; efficient ways possible (Handfield, 2011). Global Supply Chain Management involves a business or a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. Companies have used enhanced technological advancement to improve their global supply chain. There are various advantages and disadvantages of global supply chain. Increasing globalization and companies willing to market and do business globally are facing some issues in regard to effective business productivity. With an increase in technology and most company going global for price reduction supplier relationships and management has been essential to productivity. Supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. This paper analysis and explores global supply chain management and supplier relationships. Global Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management includes all the activities that must take place to get the right product into the right consumer’s hands in the right quantity and at the right time – from raw materials extraction to consumer purchase. We will write a custom essay sample on Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Seminar in Global Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer SCM focuses on planning and forecasting, purchasing, product assembly, moving, storage, distribution, sales and customer service (Texas Aamp;M University, 2013). Global Supply Chain Management involves a business or a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. Global supply chain management involves various amounts of interaction between different companies in various countries. Global supply chain originated when companies migrated to looking for expensive part and labor globally for effective cost savings. The mean focus of companies participating in global supply chain management is cost. Companies focus on cost because it is a primary factor of dealing with local or overseas suppliers. According to Epiqtech (2012) while local labor cost may be significantly lower, companies must also focus on the costs of space, tariffs, and other expenses related to doing business overseas. In regard to cost, time is also an issue and factor when dealing with global supply chain management. The productivity of employees’ overseas and rickety shipping times can cause a negative or positive affect on the company’s lead time into product production. Effective supplier selection is also essential to global supply chain. According to Texas Aamp;M University (2013) for efficient supply chain management companies must make decisions about the number of suppliers to use. Fewer supplies may be easier to manage but could also lead to potential problems if one vendor is unable to deliver as expected or if one vendor tries to leverage its supply power to obtain price concessions. The main factors of company’s transformation to a global supply chain as we know is having external supplier globally to enhance supplier’s diversity which reduces cost and increase revenue while improving reliability. According to Nahla (2003) manufacturers typically set up foreign factories to benefits from tariff and trade concessions, low cost direct labor, capital subsidies, and reduced logistics cost in foreign markets. Companies have used enhanced technological advancement to improve their global supply chain. According to Nahla (2013) global supply chain management trend is evolving as new technologies emerge. Instead of vendors mailing their products and assuring its delivery, companies are now able to track the products exact location through GPS tracking devices. These devices are imperative for global supply chains. The farther the goods are from the final endpoint, the riskier its arrival. Before RFID scans, supply chain managers took inventory weekly or monthly to track sales and supplies. Now, many companies like Wal-Mart track their products with RFID technology. The RFID readers’ purpose is to cross-examine RFID. Advantages and Disadvantages of GSCM Some advantages of global supply chain management for businesses are to increase profit and sales, globalization increases sales because various market options are open, reduces the pressure of relying on local business, competitive advantage, enhance speed and efficiency, product cycle time reduction, and lowers supply chain cost. Some disadvantages of going global in regard to supply chain management is investment of money, time and resources, supplier selection and relationships can become very challenge. The norm disadvantage is as companies go global cooperating within groups and organizations could be very challenge. With cultural barriers, foreign tax laws and regulations companies going global should understand it may take years for supply chain to gain rewards and increase sales. According to Nahla (2013) the greatest benefits of global supply chain management are 1. As opposed to a poorly organized supply chain a global supply is extremely competitive and so you can obtain a really good price for supplies that will all be produced to excellent standards, without even having to search widely; 2. If you have sufficient contacts and suppliers internationally, then you can really reduce the amount of stock that you have to retain, which means that you will save costs in terms of storage/thefts/transporting goods etc; 3 The global supply chain really does operate on a 24/7 basis, simply because of the time differences in different countries; and 3. One of the most interesting factors of the global supply chain is that we can learn from others! Business is done differently in different parts of the world and we are able to learn new ways of doing business, new production methods and new distribution methods, if we keep an open mind and have a willingness to learn. Emerging Issues in GSCM Current challenges in the global supply chain are sustainable supply chain, resiliency in supply chain, shift toward multilocal operations, increase uncertainty and volatility, increased complexity, extended lead time, unnecessary cost, risk management, improved responsiveness, and integrated and empowered supply chain. Increase complexity; in coming year’s complexity of supply chains are predicted to grow, companies are expected to maximize complexity in locations of customers and product variations and decrease number of supplier and manufacturing locations. Extended lead times; company lead times are now highly effected by extended shipping times and foreign employee production. Unnecessary cost; reason companies are bearing unnecessary cost are poor infrastructure, inefficient stocking practices, inefficient transportation and poor monitoring of currency exchange rates. Risk management; supply chain risk consist of environment, process, culture, legal, political, demand, control, and supply risk which needs to be high maintain and controlled for effective production. Sustainability; key sustainability issues facing the global supply chain are working conditions, low wages, human rights, child labor, ethics, recycling, waste, air pollution and environmental green issues (Irshad, Lee, 2012). According to Irshad and Lee ( 2012) supply chains are shifting toward multilocal operations for balancing the trade-off in designs of supply and demand for local responsiveness and global economies of scale leading organizations are in favor of multilocal design, supply and support and furthermore companies are moving from a centralized model, towards a regionalized approach. Current Dilemma GSCM According to Industry Week (2013) many U. S. manufacturers are experiencing talent shortages in part because of an aging baby boomer generation that has begun its exodus from the U. S. workforce. In contrast to this issue there is a lack of students aspired to work in manufacturing. The loss of older knowledge employees and lack of manufacturing students enrolling in the manufacture field will cost major dilemma in companies supply chain management in the upcoming future. Another dilemma in GSCM is ethics. Ethic in the supply chain is essential when keeping track of supplier’s compliance history, selecting suppliers, assigning management to manage supplier relationships. According to Industry Week (2013) ethical challenges in the supply chain represent a huge issue impacting a company’s market share, based in part on customers’ perceptions of a product’s integrity and thus affect revenue. Important Issues GSCM Increasing globalization and companies willing to market and do business globally are facing some issues in regard to effective business productivity. According to Advance Distribution Services (2013) even though most companies do realize that better supply chain management can benefit their bottom line, too many of them are leery about pursing modernization and efficiency fully. Report shows that companies that have managed and adapted to supply chain innovations have been lowering cost and increasing profits by millions. The top 5 organizations with the best global supply chain are McDonald’s, Amazon, Apple, Pamp;G, and Dell. All four of these companies are effective in their global supply chain because they have implemented and focused on supply chain integration of product design, end to end approaches for managing its supply chain, effective customization, used cloud computing technological supply chain advancement, and all 5 companies focused on total supply chain cost and management. Research Topic (Suppliers Relationships) Background Supplier Relation Management (SRM) is the discipline of strategically planning for and managing, all interactions with third party organization that supply goods and/or services to an organization in order to maximize the value of those interactions. In practice, SRM entails creating closer, more collaborative relationships with key suppliers in order to uncover and realize new value and reduce risk (Esourcing. com, 2012). Most businesses and organizations usually address the idea that in dealing with suppliers and customers the best types of relationships are arm lengths. The closer your relationships are to your customers and suppliers the more control of your operations and business you have. Integrating a exemplary supplier relationship through partnerships, similar values, and trust leads to effective cooperation and product productivity. The relationships between suppliers are essential to any organization. According to Ameifo. com (2004) suppliers can directly impact the financial performance and profitability of a buying enterprise, as they influence product development cost, manufacturing schedules, inventory levels, and the timelines of delivery of goods and services. During the supply chain management process supplier relationships are essential to the buying organization during the production development process. If parts, materials, or services cannot meet required design deadline of production then the production process is usually tarnished and repeated. The six levels of supplier relationships through effective partnering are conduct joint improvement activities, share information intensively by selectively, develop supplier’s technical capabilities, supervise your suppliers, turn supplier rivalry into opportunity and finally understand how your supplier work. In order to incorporate a sustainable supply chain building strong relationships with partners and suppliers is essential to business operation globally. Strong lasting relationship with supplier on the global supply chain scale must focus on open communications consistent processes and requirements. Figure 1 shows the financial value scale of effective supplier relationship. From the diagram you can concur that financial value goes up when basic, core, strategic suppliers are in unison. Financial Value Scale of Effective Supplier Relationship: Figure 1: financial value scale of effective supplier relationship Supplier Relationship Areas of Debate Two current theories and debates hunting supplier relationships are, can companies answer the two questions; effective supplier relationship management can provide step change impact to a business or cannot provide step change impact to a business. The main factor in regard to the current debate is the key strategies of supplier selection that builds trust and maximizes value for companies. Theory proves that sustaining relationship with supplier goes further than management. If companies focus on supplier relationship through proper implementation it can provides essential competitive advantage. According to 4C Associates (2013) there are several reasons for the gap between the actual and theoretical benefits of SRM. Firstly it is difficult to reconcile the conflicting goals of two organizations. This is further complicated by the complex structure which frames many businesses. However, the key setback for the implementation of an effective SRM program remains the need for long term investment and the challenge of demonstrating tangible benefits. Suppliers Relationship, Management Technology Impact. Technology and innovations has really impacted supplier’s relationships in regard to SRM. In recent years companies have really moved to more technological advanced strategies and software to manage supplier relationships. Companies are investing significant resources in managing suppliers and the use of supplier relationship software is becoming more common place. Supply chain managers are increasingly using the web to collaborate and to communicate with supply chain partners (The Supply Chain Lab, 2009). All industries with supply chains operations will be affected and impacted by technological advancement in SRM. Companies need to evaluate if future suppliers meet their core standards, because with advance technology supplier selection is not just restricted to procurement departments in organizations. The impact of technology has a positive impact on SRM and this impact can be maximized by strategic implementation of effective SRM innovations. For maximization companies must act consistently act with a relationship mindset? Cloud technology has evolved and is changing how business is being done today. Cloud computing is design to and is changing the way companies use technology to service its suppliers and partners. CloudSRM is a cloud system build for supplier relationship management. In Figure 2 the CloudSRM program is described more detailed. The program evaluates supplier performance, collaborates between supplier and buyers through document sharing. The technological cloud system has proven to improve operational performance and produced procurement savings. Figure 2: CloudSRM integrates ERP applications (csc. com, 2013) Supplier Relationship and Management (Future Directions) One of the key advantages of supplier relationship is cost reduction. Cost reduction is essential to any organization. I believe an area for further research in this topic that would be beneficial is focusing on relationships to enhance cost reduction and better collaboration in the supply chain process. According to The Supply Chain Lab (2009) ccompanies should work together to solve supply chain problems and learn from one another. Better collaboration and communication will lead to increased sales. Improved collaboration can also lead to better demand planning and route scheduling. In regard to supply chain management global technology enhancement is orcing companies to require supplies that are result orientated. Another area of further research is organizations outsourcing to unknown countries. According to The Supply Chain Lab (2009) many companies have been burned when outsourcing manufacturing to countries such as India and China. Management practices that worked in one country are not necessarily going to work in another country and companies need to change the way they think and work in other markets. Supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. According to Lambert (2008) Customer relationship management and supplier relationship management provide the critical linkage throughout the supply chain. For each supplier in the supply chain, the ultimate measure of success for the customer relationship management process is the change in profitability of an individual customer or segment of customers. Conclusion As analyzed in the above contexts supplier relationships and management has a vital impact on the future direction of global supply chain management research. Global supply chain originated when companies migrated to looking of expensive part and labor globally for effective cost savings. Integrating a exemplary supplier relationship through partnerships, similar values, and trust leads to effective cooperation and product productivity in organization going global, in regard to supply chain management.

Operations Research Smu-de Mba Sem 2 Essays

Operations Research Smu-de Mba Sem 2 Essays Operations Research Smu-de Mba Sem 2 Paper Operations Research Smu-de Mba Sem 2 Paper Spring 2013 Master of Business Administration- MBA Semester 1 MB0048 –Operations Research- 4 Credits (Book ID: B1631) Assignment Set 1 (60 Marks) Note: Assignment Set -1 must be written within 6-8 pages. Answer all questions. Q1. Explain the scope of Operations Research. What are the features of Operations Research? 10 marks (300 350 words each) Q2. Six Operators are to be assigned to five jobs with the cost of assignment in Rs. given in the matrix below. Determine the optimal assignment. Which operator will have no assignment? Operators Jobs 1 2 3 4 5 1 6 2 5 2 6 2 2 5 8 7 7 3 7 8 6 9 8 4 6 2 3 4 5 5 9 3 8 9 7 6 4 7 4 6 8 10 marks Q3. a. Explain the Monte Carlo Simulation. b. A Company produces 150 cars. But the production rate varies with the distribution. Production Rate 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 Probability 0. 05 0. 10 0. 15 0. 20 0. 30 0. 15 0. 05 At present the track will hold 150 cars. Using the following random numbers etermine the average number of cars waiting for shipment in the company and average number of empty space in the truck. Random Numbers 82, 54, 50, 96, 85, 34, 30, 02, 64, 47. 5 +5 = 10 marks (200 250 words each) Q4. Explain the Characteristics and Constituents of a Queuing System. 10 marks (300 350 words each) Spring 2013 Q5. a. What do you mean by dominance? State the dominance rules for rows and columns. b. Find the saddle point of the following game and state the optimum strategies for layers A and B A B 1 2 3 4 5 1 9 3 1 8 0 2 6 5 4 6 7 3 2 4 4 3 8 4 5 6 2 2 1 5 +5 = 10 marks (200 250 words each) Q6. a What are the differences between PERT and CPM? b. A project has eleven activities whose duration is given in the following table: Activity 0-1 1-2 1-3 2-4 2-5 3-4 3-6 4-7 5-7 6-7 7-8 Duration (days) 2 8 10 6 3 3 7 5 2 8 3 i. Draw the network ii. Identify the critical activities and critical path. 5 +5 = 10 marks (200 250 words each)

Nursing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing - Research Paper Example For example, the abstract concludes by the statement that qualitative and quantitative differences in the sialylation of superficial glycolipids in CF epithelial cells may contribute to the colonization of CF lung by P.aeruginosa. This creates suspense on the reader and a desire to read more of the article. Introduction: The introduction provides sufficient information concerning the study since it identifies the significance of the study. This is portrayed in last paragraph where Saiman and Prince (1993) identify the purpose of the research as to prove that asioloGM1 is a receptor of P. aeruginosa and it plays a role in increasing the surface of CF respiratory epithelial cells (p. 1875). The introduction outlines the contents of the study, and it identifies various terms used in the study. Terms such as cystic fibrosis trans membrane and pulmonary failure are identified. The major weakness of the introduction is that it doesn’t identify the methods of conducting the study and the problem statement. The purpose of the study is clearly identified in the introduction that is to prove that asioloGM1 is a receptor of P. aeruginosa and it plays a role in the surface increase of CF respiratory epithelial cells. The authors have used the population and the variable of the title in the introduction and the body of the article. For instance, P. aeruginosa has been identified as the basis of the articles research in the introduction (Saiman and Prince, 1993, p.1876), and they give the properties of the medical condition. The authors have succeeded in highlighting how P. aeruginosa affects C.F epithelial cells by increasing their surface. Basing on this, the authors have succeeded in integrating the population and its variable in the text.... The article does not have a section labeled literature review, however, in the introduction part of the paper, the authors have used the term various â€Å"studies† to denote that they have used other sources in coming with the results of the study. A major weakness in this is that they do not mention the studies they are quoting in the introductory part; therefore it is difficult to know the source of their literature review. This article contains clearly labeled theoretical framework section and the framework seems appropriate since no framework from nursing libraries could be located to guide the production of this particular kind of study. From the study, there are three assumptions made by the two authors. The authors have not provided challenges and limitations they encountered while conducting this study. This study has a broad implication for many areas of nursing such as nursing education, administration and practice. In administration, the nursing fraternity should support the conduction of research in areas highlighted by the text, and nurses should be trained on how to deal with the mentioned medical condition. this is a well-structured article, with proper identification of the scope of the conducted research. The authors have partly achieved the objective of their study, which is to prove that asioloGM1 is a receptor of P.aeruginosa. The researchers have also properly used APA citation techniques, and all in text citations are in the references section and due to these facts, I will strongly recommend a colleague to read it.

Case Study I COnsent, Safety, and Firefighter Culture Essay

Case Study I COnsent, Safety, and Firefighter Culture - Essay Example (p. 40) As such, â€Å"they offer a secondary, reconstructed set of meanings rather than the primary ‘life world’ ones† ((p. 40). Deetz was emphasizing the effects of developed specialized institutions eroding functions of the family and the community in structuring one’s needs in life. The implications on this statement are: (1) being aware that corporations have different goals from personal goals, one should be recognize that strengthening personal aspirations would enhance the preservation of traditional family values and encourage community ties; (2) one should recognize that corporations exist to partially fulfill personal goals and should be not completely construed as the sole provider of one’s personal needs; and (3) the family remains the basic unit of community and should not be replaced by the corporation where one has recent ties. Question 2: Critical theorists claim that in order to discover the deep structures of power in the organization, an individual must look at the influences of the economy, politics, and social systems as forces that shape the organizational culture. Why is this important and what modes of thinking should be adopted by the critical researcher? A critical researcher utilizes thought processes to evaluate information and appropriately applies conclusions to guide decision-making processes. The framework applied by a critical researcher is associated with modes of accuracy, logic, depth, fairness, credibility and intellectual clarity. As such, in discovering the forces that shape organizational culture, the critical researcher must be aware of the availability and accessibility of relevant information pertaining to the following four areas, to wit: (1) advances in science and technology, (2) global redistribution of knowledge, power and wealth, (3) competing political, cultural, and religious ideologies, and (4) sustainability of

Values of Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin Essay

Values of Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example But it soon became apparent that education was incompatible with chattel slavery, Mr. Auld wisely concluding that no educated Negro could ever truly be content with a life of perpetual bondage. When the wisdom of the statement became apparent, that self actualization in the interest of education would forever unfit him for slavery, young Frederick resolved to make that his mission. Most men, such as Benjamin Franklin of the prior century seek learning and knowledge that they might become something worthwhile. The man of ingenuity betters himself to become suitable for a future pursuit. But for Frederick Douglass, an ironic twist of his fate required that he educate himself to become unsuitable, that he might be useless in the life of menial drudgery under the overseers whip. Only by becoming worthless at his imposed vocation, could young Frederick succeed at becoming a self-made man. It was an unsuitability that would stay with him for the rest of his days and usher in his true lifes work. Douglass exemplified his commitment to progress, and self-improvement not only through his own advancement, but during his youth in Baltimore he aided in the education of others, such as his surrogate father whom he calls "the pious Lawson". He imparted instruction to other slaves that desired self-improvement, while at the same time receiving instruction from sympathetic white boys. For his entire life, Douglass wrestled with the common conceit among whites that African Americans are soulless animals without human feelings.

The mechanics of pipeline reeling

The mechanics of pipeline reeling An Insight Into The Mechanics Of Pipeline Reeling Abstract : Written here is a paper devoted to the mechanics of pipeline reeling. It contains an initial background into the various techniques used for rigid pipe lay, as well as a brief insight into the vessels used. The mechanics of pipeline reeling is discussed in detail, with the effect of pipeline ovalisation as well as a detailed understanding of the moment/curvature response and D/t ratios being defined. An insight into the material selection stage is given, before introducing one to the Recommend Practice for flaw control, involving Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA) as well as specimen testing. Finally the paper will be rounded off with an insight into future concepts and studies being carried out by the industry. 1. Introduction The aim of this paper is to address the mechanics of the ridged pipe reeling process, as used frequently in the offshore oil and gas industry. The use of pipelines to transfer goods or product is highly proven, having been utilised since the late 20th century where the potential for oil was first realised. The relentless demand for oil meant that the need to look past existing onshore reserves was realised, with experimentation into the offshore environment inevitable. Today, pipelines are considered to be one of the most economical ways to transfer petroleum products such as oil, gas and water, in large quantities and over vast distances both reliably and safely. The steady growth of the oil and gas industry ensures that boundaries are constantly widening regarding pipeline installation, with ever-greater challenges of water depth and location becoming apparent. Pipelines are highly versatile in this respect, aided greatly by the many devised pipe lay methods. The J-lay, S-lay, and reel barge allow installation of rigid pipelines in a vast array of different water depths, at different lengths and speeds. The reeling method of installation differs from the others in that it puts the pipe under reverse plastic strain deformation, resulting in increased potential for enhancing induced defects. This lay technique will receive the majority of report analysis. Reel lay of rigid pipelines is now a well-proven method of installation in the offshore environment. The issue of fracture control due to plastic strain under installation is generally very well understood, indeed to such an extent that it is already well standardised for both actual pipeline design and the treatment of fracture control during plastic deformation. These standards take the form of the DNV RP-F108 and DNV OS-F101 respectively. Whilst fracture itself in todays offshore pipeline installations is now unheard of, ductile tearing does indeed occur, especially in laboratory and finite element testing. There also appears to be no recent published accounts of in-service leaks as a result of fabrication flaws to date. An attempt will be made to analyse and understand these relevant topics through the mechanics of pipe reeling. As a final aspect to the report, an insight into future aspects regarding rigid pipe reeling will be given. As an example, flaw tolerances due to the introduction of new pipeline materials and the ever-increasing exposure to H2S (sour service) environments are known to cause material stress cracking. 2. Pipeline Installation And Field Overview Offshore pipelines come in many different forms, dependant on their location in the field. The further downstream they are located, the larger their potential diameter as more flow streams connect. Pipeline design is dependant on the findings of 3 main stages of design, namely conceptual, preliminary and detail engineering. Within the first stage the concept is evaluated for feasibility and all restraints are identified. Preliminary engineering focuses on the defining of the project parameters and goes into enough detail to order the pipeline. The final detail engineering breaks everything down to the finest detail for submitting as work tender to the client. Improved welding techniques, survey capabilities, anchor handling techniques and procedures have all helped contribute towards more fast and efficient installations. The main loading considerations during pipeline installation are hydrostatic pressure, tension and bending. Three main lay methods exist for the installation of offshore pipelines. These are the J-lay and S-lay methods, as well as the technique of reeling. S-lay/Steep S-Lay The S-lay pipelay configuration offers the ability to install pipeline in typically shallow to intermediate water depths. It gets its name from the ‘S shape, formed from the overbend at the vessel stinger to the sagbend before contact with the ocean floor. This can be seen in the following Figure 1. S-lay of pipeline involves a normal or semi submersible vessel with an attached stinger. The stinger, used to minimise curvature and thus bending stress, supports the pipe as it is being offloaded, housing rollers to allow smooth movement of the pipe as it moves off. Tension is typically provided in the form of track loop deck tensioners, and varies depending on waterdepth, submerged pipeline weight, departure angle and sagbend and overbend curvatures respectively. A ‘firing line is installed on the vessel, containing the welding stations and relevant inspection stages for pipeline assembly. S-Lay is ultimately limited in deeper waters due to tension capacity and thus high overbend strains. As water depth increases the stinger length required becomes unfeasible, with more buoyancy being required to support the longer pipe length for the steeper lift off angle. J-lay The J-lay configuration allows for the installation of rigid pipeline in water depths of over 500ft. The term ‘J comes from the shape the pipeline takes up during the lay, as seen in Figure 2, below. The J-lay method works via the use of a barge with an installed tower, used to provide the required vertical drop and lower the product. Due to its configuration, the J-lay method requires no stinger and thus overbend stresses are eliminated and lay tension is reduced. The setup typically suffers from slower productivity than a comparable S-lay due to the vertical setup on the vessel. This can often result in the method being more cost prohibitive. It is however easier to utilise smaller vessels such as smaller barges and support vessels due to the relatively compact tower arrangement. Improved motion characteristics of the majority of J-lay vessels also results in lower dynamic pipe stresses. Reeling Reeling of pipeline is a configuration often utilised for offshore pipelines as well as catenary risers. It differs from the previous two installation methods in that the pipeline itself is first welded together and insulated as required, before being spooled onto a large drum on a reel lay vessel, all onshore. Upon loading the pipeline onto the reel, plastic strain deformation occurs. Once the lay vessel is in location, the pipe is then unreeled and straightened using a straight ramp, before being layed via either of the above J-lay and S-lay methods, typically dependant on conditions such as water depth and vessel configuration, namely horizontal or vertical reel. Throughout the lay, the pipe is tensioned and anchored to prevent sagging. Once complete a pullhead is attached to the tail end, before an abandonment cable guides it to the seabed, with an attached buoy used as a location marker. Reeling can typically be used for pipe diameters of up to 16†, as well as for pipe-in-pipe installations. As the pipeline is not being created during the lay, reeling offers the advantages of short installation times which can be particularly advantageous in short weather windows. Reeling of pipelines also tends to be more cost effective for this reason, offering the potential for better safety as well as a better quality product as a whole, that can be fabricated from exotic steels, coatings and internal liners as required. Weld joints can suffer from fewer flaws due to enhanced onshore inspection, often from Non Destructive Testing (NDT) via X-ray methods before the pipeline is reeled. A possible downside to the reel lay method is that the pipe radius tends to restrict the length of pipe layed, typically around 3 to 15km. Because of this, if the pipeline is made up of multiple segment lengths, connecting the set can prove challenging after their initial lay, and multiple segments being layed many miles offshore can result in undesired transit time. The pipeline also comes under plastic strain deformation, potentially resulting in ovalisation of the pipeline as well as affecting maintenance and monitoring of the product. Buckling can also occur, being time consuming to correct and due to the occurring deformation throughout the reel lay process, traditional coatings such as concrete cannot be used. Reeling Ships/Barges Typically, reel lay vessels often take the form of barges, as well as modified drillships and bulk carriers. Purpose built vessels also exist, examples being the 1978 CSO Apache pipelay vessel, seen below in Figure 3. Depending on the vessel configuration, reeling can be horizontal or vertical. Horizontal reeling is typically used with the S-lay configuration, with the vertical setup used mostly with J-lay. The CSO Apache vessel however, is an exception to this rule, being a vertical setup for use with S-lay. 3. Mechanics Of Pipe Reeling The pipe reeling method produces high levels of bending strain on the product, often just slightly below pipe shell buckling strain values. The primary concern is that because of this reverse plastic strain from reeling on and off, the pipeline is being ‘degraded, being downgraded below that of conventional J-lay and S-lay an so producing a greater failure risk. This, along with the aligning and straightening processes required, modifies the pipe material properties resulting in uncertainty to its performance. Pipe reeling also produces uncertainty with regards to burst, collapse, and fracture of the pipeline. Collapse in particular is directly linked with pipeline ovality, a result of the installation process. Despite all this it is fairly obvious that if plastic reeling strains were such a concern then we wouldnt be installing flowlines with them! The reality is that there is no reduction in performance provided that certain items are carefully considered during the design, procurement and fabrication processes. As an example, poor understanding can result in a greater pipe wall thicknesses, but with the reeling method now extremely well understood, to such an extent that there are detailed standards for it, there are nearly always relevant procedures to follow. Pipeline Ovalisation The method of rigid pipe reeling is such that the inducing of ovalisation to the pipe is inevitable. Ovalisation is the deformation of the pipe from a near perfect circle to an elliptical cross section due to plastic strain deformation. The challenge with such an installation method is maintaining an ovality that is within acceptable limits during the pipe lay. Ovalisation can be increased with bending and external overpressure and also decreased with bending and internal overpressure. It is a non-linear effect that greatly increases as the material reaches its elastic range. Ovality is strongly influenced by material properties such as rate of strain hardening, as well as the pipe diameter over thickness ratio, D/t and the reeling geometry configuration. Also of particular concern, is the relationship that a variation in material properties between pipes can bring, mostly over the required welded connections. The concept of ovalisation is not concerned with the materials yield stress itself but depends on the material yield anisotropy, that is the ratio of yield stress in the hoop to the axial direction. In order to ensure that the pipe does not collapse during installation, it is important to ensure ovality is kept within set parameters, as defined in the DNV-OS-F101 Offshore Standards. This is based around the characteristic resistance for external pressure collapse, pc and can be seen below in Equation 3.1. afab is the pipe material fabrication factor and is used for manufacturing processes that introduce cold deformations, giving different strength in compression and tension. The maximum value this can represent is a value of 1 for a seamless manufacturing process. This reduces to as low as 0.85 depending on the fabrication method used, for example the UOE bending, forming and welding process. The ovality value, fo is outputted as a percentage and from the DNV standards is not to exceed 3% in a reeling application. It is critical in the selection of wall thickness during design stages and must be of large enough value to take into account not only the expected ovality but localised peaks. Too large a fo value will result in a pipeline being of thicker wall thickness than required. When a pipe is bent plastically to a positive curvature (i.e. when spooling) and back again (coming off the reel), most ovalisation is recovered when the pipe is straightened. If too high an amount of ovalisation is still present however, then external forces in the form of rollers can encourage straightening, though this itself can be disadvantageous due to the potential to damage any linepipe coating. Ovalisation is disadvantageous for certain tasks that will be carried out throughout the pipelines lifespan, such as pigging and through flow line (TFL) tools. Pigging, a form of linepipe maintenance for cleaning and inspection, can be carried out without halting product flow by using the pressure of the flow to carry the pig from its launcher to its receiver. However as they are designed to fit snugly in a round pipe, excessive ovalisation would cause potential blockage or incompatibility. Moment Curvature Another aspect for consideration in order to gain a further in-depth understanding of the reel lay process is the relationship between moment and curvature during pipeline installation. The moment/curvature relationship is based round that of the pipes physical geometry, as well as the relationship of stress and strain in the material. An example of a moment/curvature diagram can be seen below in Figure 4. The pipeline is initially spooled onto the reel resulting in plastic deformation, and thus is taken past the material yield point (A) to the extent that the maximum installation curvature (B) is experienced by the pipe. This curvature will be dependant on the radius of the reel being utilised, with the radius increasing as pipe is overlapped. From its reeled state, the pipeline is transported to the lay destination for unspooling. It is unreeled to the pipeline aligner, a stage that due to the pipeline weight and applied back tension from the reel, results in reverse plastic deformation (C). With the pipe now resting between these two points, it sits visually straight in its span. Passing the pipe through the aligner of radius (E) and towards the straightener, bends it in the same direction to that is was initially spooled. The 3-point straightener itself exerts a further reverse plastic bend (F) on the pipe. Taking it slightly past its initial curvature results in it sitting physically straight on the seabed when all tension upon it is relaxed. The delivery state to the seabed location will correspond to the relevant standards as denoted in DNV-OS-F101. It is generally considered that the maximum moment to be sustained by the pipe during reeling will be around that of (B), with this moment being less than the plastic moment. This is due to the fact that at this point the bending behaviour of the pipe is stable and so buckle is unlikely to occur, with moment still increasing with curvature. The plastic moment at any point of the pipeline is a function of the pipes diameter, wall thickness and yield strength respectively, with the post yield strain hardening as well as the section ovalisation also playing a less extreme factor. One issue that tends to arise with pipeline reeling regarding moment and curvature occurs with the use of different pipe grades during production. When pipe is requested by a supplier, it is done so by grade. The supplier will create batches of pipe to the specified specification, but due to manufacture no two batches will be exactly alike i.e. some pipe will be weaker than others and vice versa. Despite all batches of pipe adhering to a minimum specification, the mismatched material specifications each react slightly differently during reeling, potentially resulting in high local curvatures and in extreme cases, local buckling. In the case of a pipeline being reeled, the moment required to spool a pipe onto the provided reel is provided by that of the following 12m section in line. Should this pipe be of weaker grade than the initial one, the potential that the moment will not be sufficiently supported arises, resulting in a localised increase in curvature, producing the greater pot ential for local buckling. D/t Ratio The pipe diameter over thickness ratio (D/t) is of high importance in pipe selection, being directly related to that of buckling. Typically, as the D/t ratio decreases the pipe can withstand a higher strain before buckling. However this comes at the expense of a large increase in ovality to the extent that it may go over desired limits, affecting such procedures as pigging of the pipeline. This can be seen below in Figure 5. Figure 5: Plot of Allowable Strain and Ovalisation at Allowable Strain As a further example to the relation to the D/t ratio to ovalisation, research carried out on pipe of API steel grade X65 gave the following results, as found in the following Table 1. Material Selection Material selection for pipelines is highly important for several different factors, and can determine the standards to follow and installation procedure. For a carbon steel for example, the requirements for a reeled pipeline are not that far removed from the requirements of national standards, but for other materials such as high strength pipe grades, careful review may be required. All materials require a certain level of constraints to be effective, with control typically needed on factors such as tensile ranges, maximum diameter to thickness ratio (D/t) and inner diameter (ID) tolerances. By working with suppliers who understand the installation process, a the chance of a suitable product is greatly increased. DNV standards dictate several basic requirements for pipe reeling. A maximum yield strength value of no greater than +100MPa of the Specified Minimum Yield Strength (SMYS) is to be used, with a yield spread no greater than 100MPa. Wall thickness tolerance is considered to be dependant on the pipes actual wall thickness and a yield to tensile ratio of no greater than 0.90 is to be used. Strain aged testing of parent pipe material must also be carried out to the expected levels experienced during the reeling process. For the reeling of rigid pipeline, the choice of pipe material is strongly influenced by the manufacture method, both in terms of properties and geometry. Two main manufacturing methods exist, being submerged arc welded (SAW) and seamless (SMLS). SAW pipe is created by rolling a plate and welding the seam. It is a closely controlled method of fabrication offering tighter dimensional tolerances and better availability than seamless pipe. Seamless pipe involves the driving of a billet over a piercing rod, creating a hollow shell. This method typically offers better availability than welded pipe, at the expense of poorer tolerances in properties, in particular geometrically. Technip made an attempt to explore the variation of wall thickness in four 10km length pipelines of 6†, 10† and two 12† diameters, with stated wall thickness from 12.7 to 21.3mm. Measurements were taken at various points of each pipeline through their circumference, building up a broad cumulative distribution function for the thickness of each pipe. It was found that there was large variation in the wall thickness values throughout each pipe. Despite initial concerns, it was said to be almost impossible for a large to thin extreme of wall thickness to occur at a weld connection, due to the large variation of possible thicknesses in each pipe. It was concluded that the plastic moment capacity of seamless pipe was dominated primarily by the variation in average wall thickness through a pipes cross section. A highly exaggerated illustration of the deviance of each outside diameter (OD) for each type of pipe manufacture can be seen in the following Figure 6. The variation in OD of any pipe is closely related to ovality of the linepipe and can be obtained from additional analysis. An additional issue that tends to arise with pipeline reeling, regarding material selection, occurs with the use of different pipe grades during production. When pipe is requested by a supplier, it is done so by grade. When a grade is selected as being suitable for use, a supplier will ensure that the material supplied exceeds the grade, often level with the next grade up, in order to prevent rejection of the pipe due to it being under specification, which could cost them vast amounts of money. This results in welding issues as higher grade materials are more difficult to weld to standard, requiring overmatching (where the weld is stronger than the pipe itself) with the surrounding material. In order to prevent this, companies have been known for requesting material in the form of a YS/UTS ratio, yield strength over ultimate tensile strength, described in more detail below, keeping tighter control on what is produced. This comes at a disadvantage to suppliers due to the finer toleran ces involved. Reeling can also cause unacceptable strain hardening in certain materials, as well as large work hardening in higher grade steels. Strain hardening can be described as the increase in material resistance after previously exceeding its yield point from plastic strain. In ratio form it is YS/UTS, with lower ratio values indicating a greater material resistance after yield, and thus greater material stability under plastic deformation. A typical graph of strain hardening in a material can be seen below in Figure 7. The increase in material resistance can be seen from the positive slope produced. Work hardening, the increase in yield from repetitive straining is also of concern, but happens in fewer materials. Corrosion is an issue for pipelines in such areas as sour service. In areas such as hydrocarbon production pipelines, an inner liner, often of high-density polyethurene, is inserted as a form of corrosion prevention. This greatly enhances the life of the pipeline but issues have arisen with such a setup, including liner collapse. Liner collapse can occur when gas that is travelling through the liner becomes trapped between it and the outer pipe. During service this has little effect due to the pipeline operating pressure, but when the pipeline is depressurised, it can expand and collapse the liner. It has been shown that certain materials can experience increased resistance to fracture due to a growth in micro cavities and other such defects that can initiate ductile crack propagation. Due to the nature of the reeling method for pipeline installation this effect is given less attention however, instead aiming to reduce the chance of fracture via carefully selected material grade. This is due to the fact that reeling produces much smaller plastic strain levels than is ideal for the theory to work to great effect. Plastic Strain Effects On Materials And Welding The majority of load carrying structures in an engineering environment have cracks present in their construction, through either the linepipe material itself or the welding that was carried out through construction. It is more or less unheard of to have a pipeline with no defects at all, and it would be highly uneconomic to repair every flaw found. As such it is important to develop an acceptance criteria in order to establish defects that are acceptable and those that are not and have the potential to cause failure one that states a guaranteed fitness for purpose and integrity of the pipeline. Considering the two possible lay methods in terms of strain, that is plastic strain and elastic strain installation respectively, each has different assessment criteria to carry out. The standard procedures for elastic loading are not equal to plastic loading, being modified to suit. The severity of a flaw is dependant mostly on its size, location, loading and the material properties. As an example, installation methods involving significant plastic strain normally require high toughness materials in order to allow acceptance of realistic flaw sizes in the girth welds. An acceptance criteria must be carefully considered to ensure that it is not over cautious. It must be ensured that no unnecessary work is carried out with regards to weld repair, inspection and pre-weld treatments, and that no weld methods, materials or design are wrongly disqualified throughout the process. The industry as a whole accepts that flaws in structures are acceptable as long as they are accounted for and cannot cause failure. Modern pipeline design is based on a limit state design, with each failure mode designed for independently. One of the main failure modes in rigid pipelines for reeling is the fracture of girth welds. For girth welds, it is important to ensure that the strength and fracture toughness are well optimised, as this will help to prevent any present flaws from extending and thus affecting the overall pipeline integrity. It needs to be demonstrated that the pipeline has adequate resistance against crack extension by tearing and unstable fracture during its installation, as well as operation. This is done via an Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA), which was devised in order to help determine acceptable flaw sizes in girth welds. Recommended Practice For Flaw Control The standards by the DNV give a Recommended Practice to be used for cyclic plastic deformation as found in rigid pipe reeling. The Practice is made up of 3 key elements, namely a procedure for fracture resistance testing, an Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA) procedure and finally a validation testing procedure. Each of the three stages is expanded on below. The purpose of the initial element of the procedure is to characterise the pipe materials fracture resistance as well as the fracture resistance of the girth welds. This is done to help determine acceptable flaw sizes in the pipeline. There are two ways of carrying out such analysis according to the utilised BSI BS 7448, namely via the use of either a SENT (Single Edged Notched Tension) or a SENB (Single Edged Notched Bend) specimens. Due to the loading characteristics of reeling, the SENT specimen is the most frequently utilised, as it is considered to be the more representative of the two with regards to the crack tip constraint of girth weld flaws. Use of the SENB specimen results in conservative results. With regards to cyclic loading effects regarding fracture resistance, research carried out by both TWI and DNV has shown, through both small and large scale testing, that cyclic loading does little to affect the fracture resistance of both the pipe material and its welds. Due to this, the DNV standards recommend that the fracture resistance values are determined for later ECA analysis through the use of one-directional monotonic testing of the SENT specimens, before later being verified by small scale testing of Segment specimens, used to resemble conditions of a girth weld during linepipe installation. Characterise The Pipe Materials Fracture Resistance To begin with, monotonic testing of the SENT specimens was carried out, in order to characterise the materials fracture resistance values by J-R (or CTOD-R) curves. For this application the BS 7448 standard is followed, with exception to the use of the SENT specimen in order to account for obtaining a loading mode and thus crack tip constraint similar to that of a pipe circumferential surface or embedded flaw. No set standard is currently available for this configuration of SENT testing. The typical SENT specimen, as seen above in Figure 8, is of recommended dimensions B = 2W and contains a surface notch that is used to represent the relevant orientation for defects in girth welds. The aim of this testing stage is to evaluate results for all possible defect locations on a reeled rigid pipeline. The sample is to be either clamped in position or pin loaded for testing, with both methods being deemed acceptable for comparison of flaws in pipe girth welds. A minimum of 6 specimens will be tested, with each loaded to a tearing length of anything from 0.2mm to 3mm, in order to obtain an accurate J-R or CTOD-R curve. It must be ensured that no brittle fracture occurs before attainment of the expected maximum load value, or that of a stable crack extension of at least 1.5 mm, for the results to be effective. Testing is done at the lowest predicted install temperature the pipeline will foresee, with consideration also made for install temperatures of over 50 °c due to the p ossibility of a reduced stable crack tearing resistance. The J-integral is obtained from the relationship where Je represents the elastic area of the J-integral and Jp the plastic respectively. Perform An Engineering Criticality Assessment (ECA) The second stage of the procedure is based around an ECA assessment. An ECA assessment is used in order to help determine acceptable flaw sizes that will not cause failure during linepipe installation and later operation. It can be broken down into 3 basic stages, those being material properties, flaw data and material stresses. Having any two of the three available allows the third to be found, but the most common method utilised is establishing the maximum tolerable flaw size from material properties and applied stress information. In 2007, the DNV-OS-F101 standards had an Appendix A added, based on the BSI BS 7910 standards, in an attempt to clarify all existing information relating to ECA calculations. The previously found fracture properties, established from testing of SENT specimens, are used to ensure that no weld flaws will cause failure during installation. Failure itself is defined as a preset crack extension and final crack size being exceeded, as well as the occurrence of plastic collapse and unstable fracture. The crack size definitions are mostly recommended for study in the installation phase, giving desirable information on flaw size after installation, that itself being during the pipeline operation. The ECA assessment itself is described in the BSI BS 7910 level 3 tearing instability analysis, but for the purpose of pipe reeling is modified to suit. The method is fairly in-depth, but a summery will be given to illustrate what is involved. The initial requirement is to adjust the found stress/strain and curve data from the SENT in order to help create a Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD), used to help distinguish between acceptable results and those that would cause possible failure. This is done by plotting both brittle fracture Kr against plastic collapse Lr. A cutoff value for plastic deformation must be found, as the FAD cannot account for arbitrary large plastic deformations. An example FAD diagram can be seen below in Figure 9. Figure 9: Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD) It is also required to calculate the actual stress and strain concentration of the pipeline. The act

A Brief Analysis of The Steel Industry Essays -- Industry

Steel Industry In the early part of this century was a time when industry was booming with growth around the installation of major railroads. With this growth came the transatlantic cable, the telegraph, and a whole lot of steel. Steel would be needed in the construction of these new transportation systems and communications were now possible between businesses and industries. (Wren, 2005) This paper will first discuss the development of the steel industry. Next, it will examine steel, and in the impact it had on the transportation industry. Finally, it will discuss systematic management practices of this time and how they gave birth to the scientific approach that is still in use today. Steel The steel industry was needed for almost everything. Alfred D Chandler Jr. could see the potential market value early on. According to Wren: Chandler traced the history of various firms and delineated four phases in the history of the large U.S. enterprise: 1. The initial expansion and accumulation of resources 2. The rationalization of the use of resources 3. The expansion into new markets and lines to help assure the full use of resources; 4. The development of a new structure that rationalized the renewal of growth. For many companies, the phases started and ended at different times, depending on the state of technology and the firm’s ability to react and capitalize on market opportunities. Chandler further noted two facets of industrial growth: 1. Horizontal growth from 1879 to 1893- which occurred when producers of similar fields combined through mergers, pools, or trusts to gain economies of scale, and 2. Vertical growth from 1898 to 1904- which occurred when firms moved backward or forward in ter... ...vents/pande01.html English Online. (Ed.). (n.d.). The Industrial Revolution. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from English-online.com Web site: http://www.english-online.at/history/industrial-revolution/industrial-revolution-manufacturing.htm History.com. (Ed.). (n.d.). Andrew Carnegie. Retrieved April 23, 2012, from History.com Web site: http://www.history.com/topics/andrew-carnegie Kernsanalysis.com. (Ed.). (n.d.). An Overview of Management. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from Fredrick Taylor Scientific Management Web site: http://www.kernsanalysis.com/sjsu/ise250/history.htm Vectorstudy.com. (Ed.). (2008). Henri Fayol Management Gurus. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from Vector Study.com Web site: http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_gurus/henri_fayol.htm Wren. (2005). The History of Management Thought (5th ed.). Danvers, MA: Wiley & Sons. (Original work published 1976)

The Disadvantages of Smoking

10/12/2012 How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of Quitting The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of QuittingOne of the largest health disputes right now and for a prolonged period of time, has been smoking. No one seems to be doing much about the issue and the people who don’t care the most and should, are the smokers. The smokers are the ones who need to know how bad it really is. It seems the non-smokers are the people who oppose against this topic because they are affected by it too. Everyday 3,000 children start smoking , most them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for 90 percent of all new smokers.In fact, 90 percent of all adult smokers said that they first started smoking as teenagers. These statistics clearly show that young people are the prime target in the tobacco wars. (Smoking Facts, 2012) The dangers of smoking are many, but still cigarettes have become common; every third person, smokes these days. As elders smoke, young people also learn that there is no harm by smoking, so they do it at a very early age, which is called underage smoking. And it becomes a tradition parents do it, so children also do it.Apart from getting this habit from elders, some people smoke just because they want to show off or they just want to show that they are grown enough to do anything. (Maddox, 2011) Besides tradition and showing off, people smoke to release tension, but it’s useless as inhaling carbon dioxide cannot release tension. Science has also proved that smoking cause’s lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and tongue cancer just to name a few. These types of diseases do not occur in a day or two, but it requires smoking for many years. People who engage in underage smoking; would end up with diseases ery early in life and would have a very short life. Smoking for women is most harmful when they are pregnant the child takes the oxygen, and the child who is not born yet starts breathing carbon dioxide. It also slows the flow of blood which in return slows nutrients to a baby. Smoking not only damages lungs but it also causes breathing problems which remain permanent. (Admin, 2007) Tobacco use; remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $50 billion dollars.Passive smoke, or second hand smoke, affects the non-smokers too. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons. Every time someone smokes, poisons such as be nzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide are released into the air, which means that not only is the smoker inhaling them but so is everyone else around him. Many studies now show that this secondhand smoke can have harmful effects on nonsmokers and even cause them to develop diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. Secondhand smoke has an especially bad effect on infants and children whose parents smoke.A number of studies show that in their first two years of life, babies of parents who smoke at home have a much higher rate of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia than babies with nonsmoking parents. (Smoking Facts, 2012) Now we have electronic cigarettes, better known as E-Cigarettes which contains three essential components: A plastic cartridge that serves as a mouthpiece and a reservoir for liquid; an â€Å"atomizer† that vaporizes the liquid and a battery. It’s supposedly healthier then smoking a regular cigarette.However E-Cigarettes also carries the same risk as smoking a regular nicotine cigarette. The FDA did some research on the E-Cigarette and found that: * E-Cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death * The products may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans (FDA, 2010) Despite these statements, the advantages and disadvantages are very easy to compare.Some of the purported advantages include a sense of calm and relaxation during and immediately after smoking a cigarette. Smokers also frequently receive a number of short breaks throughout the work day to indulge their habit. Some argue that smoking cigarettes makes one look cool, sexy and mature. Finally, many smokers find that smoking cigarettes gives them something to do with their hands. (Wikipedia, 2012) However the disadvantages fairly outweigh the advantages. There are health disadvan tages which links the connection between smoking and early death is irrefutable and well documented.There is an increased risk of a number of cancers, including cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, cervix, kidneys, stomach, bladder and uterus, as well as leukemia. In addition, smoking increases the risk of emphysema, heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The last of these causes complications such as gangrene and tissue loss. Even if you don't develop any of these diseases, you will suffer from shortness of breath. Some men even suffer from impotence due to smoking. There are social disadvantages; one being, smoking has become increasingly unpopular in American society, so smokers face social difficulties.People seek to avoid smokers due to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke. Further, smokers often have to leave social situations to go outside to feed their habit, interrupting social interactions. Some people, wishing to avoid secondhand smoke and its attendant heal th risks, may choose not to go to your house if you smoke indoors. Finally there are financial disadvantages; one being smoking is an expensive habit. The website CostOfSmoking. com estimates that the average cost of a smoker's habit in 2010 is $1,500 a year. This is money that could be spent on healthy habits or even hobbies.Instead, smokers literally pay this much money every year for an early death. There are a number of other indirect costs, such as higher cost of health, homeowner's and life insurance. Smokers also earn between 4 and 11 percent less than nonsmokers, according to the same website. Smokers also on average pay more for the following: * Life Insurance * Health Insurance * Health Care * Home Owner's Insurance * Value of the House * Earn Less Money * Less Social Security / Pension Benefits * Cost of Cleaning * Dental Care (Savingadvice. com, 2012)One of the advantages of quitting is the physical benefits. After 20 minutes of not smoking, your blood pressure returns t o normal. After 48 hours, nerve endings regrow and smell and taste start to become enhanced. The long term benefit include: Five years after quitting, your chances of dying from lung cancer decrease by almost half. After 15 years, your risk of getting heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker. (Smoking Facts, 2012) As you can see, many peoples’ bodies become damaged by their addiction to cigarettes, but most people smoke indirectly.The passive smokers receive damage by people who smoke next to them. In many cases passive smokers have many diseases’ produced by smokers. Smokers suffer financial hardships every day. Smoking is not only a bad habit, but it will most likely end in certain death. Smoking is like a slow death, which can take a hard toll on one’s family so if you are smoker, you are at risk, you are dying, so be careful with that. Bibliography Admin. (2007). Can smoking relieve tensions. Ygoy. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://smoking. yg oy. com/can-smoking-relieve-tension FDA, U.D. (2010). E-Cigarettes: Questions and Answers. http://www. fda. gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm172906. htm. Maddox, N. (2011). Smoking Peer Pressure Facts. http://www. livestrong. com/article/245384-smoking-peer-pressure-facts. Savingadvice. com. (2012). The Cost of Smoking. http://www. savingadvice. com/articles/2005/11/17/10182_the-cost-of-smoking. html. Smoking Facts. (2012). Smoking Facts. http://www. smoking-facts. net/Teen-Smoking-Facts. html. Wikipedia. (2012). Smoking. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking.

Financial Analysis for Jack in the Box Inc.

Financial Analysis for Jack in the Box Inc. Introduction The financial statements do not provide a comprehensive overview of the financial performance of the company. Therefore, it is important to use several techniques to evaluate the financial performance of the company. An example of such a technique is ratio analysis. Ratio analysis enables the stakeholders to evaluate the profitability, liquidity, and solvency of the company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis for Jack in the Box Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides, ratios provide a common base for comparing the performance of the company with other companies in the same industry. This guides the stakeholders in making decisions that relate to their association with the company. The treatise provides an analysis of the information presented in the balance sheet. It also carried out ratio analysis. Current assets The current assets in the balance sheet should be arranged in the or der of liquidity. This implies that the most liquid asset should be recorded first. In most cases, cash will be the first item because it is the most liquid. The balance sheet of Jack in the Box Inc. follows this order. The most liquid item that is, cash and cash equivalent is first in the list while the last item is other current assets. The balance sheet can also be prepared in order of permanence. In this case, the non-current assets will be first in the list followed by current assets arranged in order of permanence. The value of current assets declined from $231,181 in 2012 to $175,429 in 2013. The decrease amounted to $55,752. Total assets The company classifies the assets into current assets and records the non-current assets in separate lines for each of the items. Therefore, the current assets are listed and a total of the current assets is provided. The other assets that are listed on separate lines are property and equipment (at cost, accumulated depreciation and net book value), goodwill, and other assets. The total assets amounted to $1,463,725 for the year 2012 and $1,360,418 for the year 2013. Therefore, there was a decline in the value of total assets by $103,307. Cash equivalents Cash equivalents are investment securities that have low risk and low return. These securities are extremely liquid, they are short-term and have a great credit quality. The examples of these securities are corporate commercial paper, Treasury bills, and certificates of deposits. Current liabilities The reported amount of current liabilities at the end of the year 2013 was made up of current maturities of long-term debt ($20,931), accounts payable ($26,594), and accrued liabilities ($169,792). The total current liabilities at the end of that period amounted to $217,317. Further, the items that made up current liabilities for the year 2012 were current maturities of long-term debt ($15,952), accounts payable ($94,713), and accrued liabilities ($164,637). Thus, the tota l current liabilities at the end of the year 2012 amounted to $275,302. Therefore, it can be noted that there was a decline in the amount of current liabilities by $57,985.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Usefulness of the balances reported Analysis of current assets, total assets and current liabilities of the company is an important aspect to a potential investors, creditors and employees. The current assets and current liabilities give information on the working capital financing policy used by the company. It also provides information on the liquidity of the company. For example, the value of current liabilities exceeded the value of current assets. This shows that the company is experiencing problems in paying current liabilities. It may also imply that the company is using an aggressive working capital financing policy. This may not be a good indication to in vestors, creditors and employees. The value of total assets gives information on the asset base of the company. Growth in the value of total assets shows that the company is experiencing growth in performance. However, a decline in the amount of total assets does not provide a favorable sign to the potential investors, creditors and employees. Calculation of ratios The table presented below shows the calculation of ratios. The end year values will be used in the calculation. Ratios 2013 2012 Liquidity Current ratio Current assets / current liabilities 175,429 / 217,317 0.8072 231,181 / 275,302 0.8397 Quick ratio (Current assets – inventory) / current liabilities (175,429 – 8,203) / 217,317 0.7695 (231,181 – 7,752) / 275,302 0.8116 Receivables turnover Credit sales / accounts receivables 1,151,886 / 41,972 27.44 1,160,397 / 78,798 14.73 Inventory turnover Cost of sales / inventory 1,151,886 / 8,203 140.42 1,160,397 / 7,752 149.69 Profitability ra tios Asset turnover Sales / total assets 1,151,886 / 1,489,407 0.7734 1,160,397 / 1,529,650 0.7586 Profit margin Net profit / revenue 28,324 / 1,151,886 2.46% 45,174 / 1,160,397 3.89% Return on assets Net profit / total assets 28,324 / 1,489,407 1.90% 45,174 / 1,529,650 2.95% Return on common stockholder’s equity Net profit / shareholder’s equity 28,324 / 417,231 6.79% 45,174 / 411,945 10.97% Solvency ratios Debt to total assets Total debt / total assets (359,514 + 20,931) / 1,489,407 0.2554 (405,276 + 15,952) / 1,529,650 0.2754 Times interest earned Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) / interest expense 101,506 / 12,061 8.4161 times 89,704 / 14,962 5.9955 times Interpretation of ratios Liquidity The current ratio declined from 0.8397 in 2012 to 0.8072 in 2013 while the quick ratio declined from 0.8116 in 2012 to 0.7695 in 2013. The decline is not a good indication and it may discourage the debt providers, creditors and investors. It shows th at the company is facing problems in paying debts. Besides, it shows that the current assets cannot adequately cover current liabilities. Receivables turnover increased from 14.73 in 2012 to 27.44. The ratio shows an improvement in efficiency because the company can collect debt within a shorter period of time. The inventory turnover ratio declined from 149.69 in 2012 to 140.42 in 2013. The decline is not a good sign because it shows a reduction in the movement of stock. A supplier, debtor, debt provider, and an investor will be interested in these ratios because they measure the efficiency and management of liquidity. Profitability The asset turnover ratio declined from 0.7586 in 2012 to 0.7734 in 2013. The increase was attributed to a decline in the value of total asset. It shows that the amount of sales generated per unit of total assets increased. The profit margin declined from 3.89% in 2012 to 2.46% in 2013. The decline implies that the profitability reduced. It shows that the company is not efficient in managing pricing and the cost of running the business.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis for Jack in the Box Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Further, return on assets declined from 2.95% in 2012 to 1.90% in 2013. This shows a decline in the ability of the company to generate sales from the assets available. Finally, the return on shareholder’s equity declined from 10.97% in 2012 to 6.79% in 2013. This shows a decline in efficiency of the company in using the capital provided by shareholders to generate profit. Profitability ratios are important to all the users these are, debtors, supplier, investors, employees, government, investors, community, and debtor providers. Solvency The debt to asset ratio provides information on the leverage level of the company. The ratio declined from 0.2754 in 2012 to 0.2554 in 2013. This shows a decline in leverage. A potentia l investor and a debt provider will be interested in this ratio because it gives information on the leverage risk of the company. A low ratio implies that the company has a low level of leverage risk and this will attract investors. The times interest earned ratio measures the number of times the interest expense can be paid from EBIT. The ratio increased from 5.9955 times in 2012 to 8.4161 times in 2013. The increase can be attributed to an increase in profitability and a decline in interest expense. A potential investor and a debt provider will be interested in this ratio because it measures the solvency of the company. Conclusion The discussion above shows that the company experienced a decline in performance in the year 2013. First, the company reported a decline in total assets and current liabilities. It implies that the overall financial position of the company declined. Secondly, the liquidity ratios reveal that the company is experiencing problems in paying current obligati ons. Thirdly, the profitability ratios show that there was a decline in profitability in 2013. Finally, the leverage level and solvency of the company improved because the amount of debt reduced. Therefore, it can be concluded that the overall financial position of the company declined in 2013.

Essay Book of Faces

Essay Book of Faces Essay Book of Faces Amongst the greatest inventions of our century are the hordes of social networking sites made available to the entire world. Combining the capabilities of e-mail, instant messaging, journal writing, and picture sharing- they have allowed us to overcome communal differences and surmount even the biggest gaps between generations, cultures, and livelihoods. But even these social web innovations have their adverse effects. The ability to create a whole new persona with the simple strokes of keys and the click of a button has allowed for an even more dangerous field of unknown to be discovered by the people around you; almost as if everyone now wears a virtual mask to cover up who they really might be on the inside. This new height of pretense has crippled the idea of integrity. The people you see at school, at work, even at church may be the quiet and shy person you have come to know and accept. But through websites such as Facebook, you can have a peek into how they would really like to portray themselves- how they spend their time, who they spend it with, what they like and dislike, and all their preferences available and editable to their will. With the hundreds of ‘Friends’ people have connected to their online profiles, how many of them can really truly say that they know exactly how they act and what they think or like? And how many of those people can even answer without ever looking at all their online ‘Info’ first? These are the questions that result from such lack of truth. This is what happens when diving into the world of Facebook- everyone’s essentially a stranger. At school, almost everyone I know has somehow interacted with me on Facebook. As with all the new people I meet, I somehow always end the conversation with, â€Å"Alright, be sure to Facebook me!† or something along those lines. At work, my coworkers and I discuss the many different trending things happening on everyone’s ‘Walls’ or taking turns asking, â€Å"Did you see so-and-so’s status?† At church, and in local supermarkets, and on TV and the radio, all the buzz is about ‘uploading to Facebook’ or ‘Liking’ or ‘Poke Wars.’ Which proves only the fact that people everywhere- even in your very own community, involuntarily believe in the facades that they see after ‘Accepting’ someone’s friend request. The information that is shown on Facebook is fully customizable, so each and every user has the ability to show what they like and whom they want it to be visible to. This in itself is already masking out one’s true identity, whether or not all the things posted were accurate or not. Most people find it so regular to see that some people even have faces of celebrities as their own ‘Profile Picture.’ Why does everyone do that? To make themselves feel better? To feel special and important? Jose Antonio Vargas, renowned jour nalist of the Washington Post, wrote â€Å"The Face of Facebook,† an unexpected view of the founder of Facebook himself- Mark Zuckerberg. Vargas also sees that â€Å"Facebook profiles are always something of a performance: you choose the details you want to share and you choose whom you want to share with.† The most interesting part is that Vargas notes â€Å"Now, Zuckerberg, who met with me for several in-person interviews this summer, is confronting something of the opposite: a public exposition of details that he didn’t choose.† (Vargas) This information is of the highest level of bewilderment; the founder of Facebook himself does not even correctly portray who he is on his Facebook profile! With even the most popular individuals, groups, and organizations now on Facebook, how can we be so sure into trusting what they want us to see? Even at a comfortable level of familiarity with ‘Friends,’ when do you draw the line between the Facebook w orld and the real one? As a student, I am surrounded by people getting affected by this phenomenon on a daily basis. The people I talk to may seem to be one thing on their profile, maybe a nice, social, hipster kind of

Latin American Woman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latin American Woman - Essay Example Generally the cases represented in this scenario are the low class, middle class or the upper class and the variety of the classes of people has a completely direct effect between the people, their relative powers and status in the society (Ninenth, 2002). In the actual life situations, the members of the upper class always have more political power and influence on the decisions made within the society compared to all the other classes of people. This people include the politicians and the wealthy and stable business individuals in the society and issues to do with major decisions in the society. This population is small and comprises of about 1 or 2 percent of the communities mostly born within this social class. The middle class individuals fall in a category of the society which clearly faces the most of contention in relation to the societal perception because it falls within the periphery of the high class and the middle class and can either ascend to the high class or descend to the low class members of the society. They form the people of white collar jobs and either is working or the individuals with stabilizing businesses with good capital able to sustain almost their entire capital needs and demands. It is generally believed especially in Latin America that the low class individuals and families are living in crime ridden areas with poor infrastructure. The areas are perceived to be having decaying environment with almost zero civil services and the poor characterisation of basic amenities. The low class members of the society are characterised by the homelessness and the rampant and wide spread characterisation of unemployment of the individuals within the society. (Galeano, 1999) The social classes of the individuals has a completely great repercussion on the lives of the individuals plus the lives of their children for example the individuals social class will probably determine the kind of school an individual attends or the kind of facilities he is to use especially for learning and recreation and this will have either a negative addition to his learning or general development especially of the young individuals. The variety of the classes also has effect on the health of an individual in relation to the attention he obtains from the medical personnel and the ability to pay for better and more efficient health services. The jobs also vary according to the classes, those individuals in the middle or upper classes are always enjoying greater freedom in their jobs whereas the individuals in the low classes face job opportunities with great constraints hence don’t have enough freedom of issues herein. The courts and policing are also biased in relation to the social classes in the society favouring mostly the middle and high classes in relation to the low class. The women in Latin America face a number of issues especially of socio economic aspects like the deprivation of their human rights to education and their genera l empowerment to ensure that they fully achieve the ultimate goal of life. In Latin America women make up to 50 % of the HIV/AIDS patients while globally the percentage of the affected males is higher than the females and the examination of the prevalence in the Latin America is showing that the prevalence and rations of the infection of women to men affected in Latin America is significantly narrowing down (Hillary, Karen, &

Develop an interview methodology for a digital forensic examination Research Paper

Develop an interview methodology for a digital forensic examination - Research Paper Example It will depict the instructions and definitions for the forensic examiner. Examination: This phase is meant to facilitate the evidence visibility while providing an explanation regarding its origin and significance. The examination phase also involves the revealing of hidden information and the relevant documentation (Kohn, 2012). Developing the interview methodology is very critical in a digital forensic investigation. The major steps involved in the development process include preparation for the interview, selecting/determining participants, establishing a pilot test/study, Constructing the research question, following-up the question, implementation of the interviews, and data interpretation (Selamat, 2008). The first and one of the most important things to do is to initiate a preparation for the digital forensic examination interview. The interview preparation will help in breaking the forensic investigation process in such a way that any problematic circumstances are alleviated or exacerbated. Such problems usually occur after the investigation is fully implemented (Turner, 2010). The forensic examiner should determine the possible problems and establish a way of evading or dealing with them. The preparation should be done in such a way that unambiguous focus is established. This is meant to enhance the feasibility and the associated benefit of the digital forensic examination (Turner, 2010). To ensure an effective interview preparation, the forensic examiner needs to choose the forensic investigation setting. This choice of forensic investigation setting will ensure that the examination is done within a feasible context. The purpose of the forensic interview should also be explained effectively. Further, the confidentiality terms need to be addressed. This requirement is very important because respondents will require guaranteed safety once they provide