Case applichem hbr

Applichem is a company that offers high product customization. Indeed, they provide solutions to specific customer problems, and then refine the product and process to arrive at a product with broader application. They created a product that was widely used: Release-ease. This product enabled the customers to clean easily the mold at the end of the process, which was a bottleneck in the former line. In 1982 the market research team expected little increase in the demand during the next five years. The sales and profit were strong through 1982. However Applichem has done little focused research on the product or process after 1953. There are several versions of Release-ease among regions. The different markets have peculiar particularities. Competition is harder in Europe where the quality and product specifications are more closely monitored. Customers usually consume the product within one year of purchase, and they buy the Release-ease powder in bags of 50 kilograms. In the US customers use the product as long as 3 years after manufacture and purchase the powder in bags of many sizes from ?  kilograms. In Japan, Applichem was the only company whose product had been approved by the Japanese regulators, even if some imported products could be sold by other companies. Applichem’s main competitor is a US-based company that only owns one plant in Luxembourg but had strong sales in Europe. A third company was competing on the shares in the US. However, Applichem owned by far the largest part of the market share and had a reputation because the company held the patent on the oldest version of Release-ease. Comparison of the 4 plants In Table 1 below, it is possible to see the capacity utilization and yield of the plants. All the plants seem to have excess capacity, so there doesn’t seem to have any need of implementing additional capacity. The average yield is taken from Exhibit 3, and we can see that both plants of Gary and Mexico could use their capacity more efficiently. For Gary, the yield is quite low for a plant of this size. It might be due to the number of product families (19) produced at the plant compared to the others.

MOD 2 ETH501 - Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MOD 2 ETH501 - Business Ethics - Essay Example The heart pacemakers were made because several people were in need of the equipment. The pacemakers helped people in maintaining proper heart beat rate to avoid deaths (Shanks, 1996). Although some people died out of incompetency of certain doctors while installing the gadgets, the risks and negative consequences were minimized. The pacemaker company maximized on the good it offered to its client, helping avoid deaths because of inability of the heart to beat. The deaths that occurred because of the lack of pacemakers were more than deaths due to the challenges of installing the pacemakers. This exemplified the need to maximize the greater good of pacemaker business while minimizing on the dangers faced. Saving human life is better than the financial gains that the transistor manufacturing company is against (Shanks, 1996). Utilitarian ethics is demonstrated by the transistor manufacturing board when they accepted to supply the heart pacemakers with the transistors they needed becaus e of a responsibility and duty to protect the rights of individuals in need of the pacemakers. Further, the board ensured that they minimized the negative implications of the business so that they balanced their trust responsibility to the company (Melvin, 2005). They did the right thing with maximum good in supplying the transistors to save lives and developed appropriate technical as well as testing standards to hold the pacemaker company against in an effort to minimize the harm. They reduced harm in the business and maximized on the utility while accomplishing the common good and protecting rights of people (Shanks, n.d.). What Jeremy Bentham, the father of utilitarianism, would have said about the Case Bentham would have argued that the board agreeing to supply the company making pacemakers was based on utilitarian business ethics because it satisfied human nature by avoiding pain that patients would undergo without pacemakers (Jones, 2005). In addition, he would have asserted that the appropriate action on the case would be for the transistor company to supply the other company as it was the right action based on the principle of utility. The good effects in the case involved supplying the transistors with a commitment to improving the testing and technical standards to balance the good and bad effects. This was a much better alternative than declining to supply the transistors to the pacemakers (Driver, 2009). Letting the pacemaker company not to run out of business by supplying the transistors was an instance of utilitarianism because it was a consideration of the good of all the involved parties without any partiality. How Bentham's suggestion that "We seek pleasure and the avoidance of pain..." might apply The board of the transistor making company demonstrated ‘seeking pleasure and avoiding pain’ when it initially declined that it would not supply transistors to pacemakers because it would face legal suits and challenges. The absence of appropriate standards by the pacemakers to measure their electronics would cause pain to the transistor company. The business deal would cause pain to the transistor company, and the board initially opts out of the deal. This would have not been proper for the welfare of the involved stakeholders (Shaw, 2011). In addition, all the other transistor making companies that pulled out of business with the pacemakers were avoiding pain in their business pursuit by trying to

Tourism the best seven countries to visit Essay

Tourism the best seven countries to visit - Essay Example Travelling to different parts of the world has its own pleasures and uses; it is quite a great recreational activity. One gets to learn plenty from the different cultures, places, and people one visits and comes across. I have short listed seven countries that I find interesting, places that I have visited and places which I would like to go to in the future. Each of them has their own geographical features that distinguishes them from other countries. The countries’ statistics that I shall be mentioning later include the capital cities, the historic places, the geographical map, the currency in use and other notable features. Qatar The country which tops the list is where I am originally from. Qatar is an amazing place, particularly during the months of November to April. This is when the scorching temperature lowers down and the weather becomes pleasant and cool, the level of humidity falls and there is even a little rainfall. It is, I think, better for the families to visit this country due to the country’s strict laws regarding how men and women are supposed to act in public. So it would not quite suit a couple, particularly those who are big on public displays of affection. Once there, the visitor should make sure to change their money to the local currency which is the Qatari Riyal. The country is famous for its shopping malls, which are relatively expensive places such as Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall and Safari Hypermarket. Other places to visit are: The Kingdom of Aladdin, The Zoo, Al Rumaila Park, Dahl El-Hamam Public Park, Khor Al Udaid Beach, Al Jassasiya, Oryx Farm, Water Sports and Cruises, Desert Safari. Travelling to these places, one may need to hire cars or get a cab or use a bus. (Orr, 2008) Thailand Another country worth checking out is Thailand, the place I visited last summer, which I was told is the hottest time of the year. Those who would rather not be vacationing in such heat should book the tickets for the months of Novembe r to February when the weather is relatively cooler. You can go to this country with your family or your partner. It has enough attractions for both, some of them being Koh Samuei, Hua Hin, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Pai and also Ko Tarutao, Ayuthaya, Ko Chang, Similan Islands. Shopping zones include Siam Paragon, Central Chidlom, Platinum Fashion Mall Prince Palace, Natural Ville and Sivatel Bangkok. Then, of course, there are the beaches Thailand is famous for. These can be reached through various modes of transport from motorbikes, bicycles, tuk-tuks to bamboo rafts. What is notable is that the prices are relatively affordable in comparison to the European countries; the currency used is Thai Baht. (Boraas & Tracey, 2002) India Another Asian country is India, which I would like to visit between the months of October to March since it would be cooler then. It is purely suited for family outings since the culture is Eastern and there are certain behaviorisms to be followed. But i t does not mean that one cannot enjoy the visit, this country does have a lot to offer like the shopping zones such as Dil Hatt, Chandi Chowk, Connaught Place, Hauz Khas and Atria Millennium Mall. Other places to see are: the Taj Mahal in Agra, the various temples, the India Gate, the forts in Jaipur, even the beaches in Goa in particular and Mysore. The currency is the Indian Rupee and its low value makes spending time in the country very cheap. One can go around the place in railways, rickshaws or taxis and even cars. (Singh, 2009) United States of America Everyone is familiar with this country which is so vast that one can visit this place at any time of the year, but September is the month most preferred. Again, a trip to the USA is suitable for both: family as well as couples. There are many tourist attractions, again, most of which we all are already aware of, some being the historic places, the Statue of Liberty, the Niagara Falls, the casinos in Las Vegas, etc. Some of the s hopping zones