Strategic Analysis Of The Automobile Industry Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2276 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? 1. INTRODUCTION The automobile industry involves large capital for a minor decision to be made. Making decisions can be difficult because there are many competitors and one wrong selection can cause immense failure. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Strategic Analysis Of The Automobile Industry Finance Essay" essay for you Create order The victory of any firm in this industry depends on the sales of the vehicles, meeting the customer demands and overall control and management of the finance with appropriate implementations. A total of 6 manufacturing firms were competing in the industry with variety of vehicle class. Each firm had a management team according to the Stratsim programme. The teams had to formulate strategies and make decisions for period 2 to 5. This programme had two basic objectives; to manage the short cash flow for a positive return for the shareholders and to adapt to the changing environment so as to manage long term returns to the shareholders. This report illustrates the analysis of firm A(amazing cars)with the strategic decisions and goals of the automobile industry according to the team 2. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Initially, the economy was fairly stable with the reasonable gas prices the demand for vehicles had increased creating opportunities for the manufacturers to have maximum vehicles sales. All the firms started at the same level which gave all he firms a fair chance to compete in the industry, creating market and value for their vehicles. 3. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS 3.1 INITIALLY STRATEGY Since all the firms had started on an equal ground, the main aim for firm A was to maximize the vehicle sales in order to overcome some of the debt by generating into existing markets for its vehicles with regard to positive customer feedbacks. Failure of any vehicle class would be discounted of produced in limited inventory while remaining resources can be used to develop and manufacture new/existing vehicle. 3.2 MISSION and VISION of Firm A (Amazing cars) Mission The mission was to develop quality cars in order to satisfy customer demands Vision The vision of the firm was to grow into the leading vehicle manufacture in the industry and produce a variety of other vehicles in the long run with competitive pricing so as to cover all the consumer market segments. 3.4 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.4.1 SWOT Strengths The team was working unanimously in all the decision making process by giving different strategies and various marketing, operational and technological tools to be used for the decisions. Our aim was to satisfy and overwhelm the customers by fulfilling the demand and requirements Weakness Decisions were made based on short- term returns thus causing financial loss at the end All the firms started at the same level with similar product specification, leaving no room monopoly of firm A The variety of the vehicles firm A offered was relatively less thus may not be meeting all the consumer market segments Weak financial position to start with as there was a debt and decision costs were high. 3.4.2 VRIO Value: initially the firm started with a positive cash flow to take the company forward. The decision to upgrade Alec and Alfa in period 2, was fruitful as it increased sales and there was a profit which helped to clear part of the debt Rareness: starting at the same level in the industry left rareness out of the box for firm A (amazing cars). The rareness came in the final decision when the new product AEV was launched, creating a need for it in the first three decisions made. Imitability: the imitability was relatively high in the programmes since any firm could duplicate other firms decisions because all the decisions were available on the web for the other firms to see. Thus there were high risk factors in the Stratsim programme. This programme had very little differentiating options to create uniqueness of the firms Organisation: the organisation started off well but due to mismanagement of the funds and weak strategic planning the decisions did not favour the organis ation resulting into the decline of the firms growth rate. At the end the firm had incurred a loss. (See appendix 1) The VRIO model was not practical at first due to the similar firm attributes in the industry but with the ongoing decisions and periods the model could come handy for firm A when undertaking strategies and decision making process. 3.5 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.4.3 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Critical success factors are divided into two; threshold factors and differentiation factors. In the case of firm A (amazing cars), we have tried to concentrate on the basics like vehicle performance, safety and durability. Example for the family and economy vehicle, safety has been the main aspect and performance for the truck. The differentiating factors can be fuel efficiency and interiors because 5 of 6 firms are competing with the same vehicle class making it difficult to differentiate the vehicles from one another. 3.5.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS Political: the changing policies and government intervention on gas prices and pollution may cause the sales to drop because people may purchase fewer automobiles. Economical: financial crisis, economic instability and natural disasters may pop in anytime leaving the car industry in jeopardy. This is because cars are expensive and its not a necessity to have a luxurious automobile resulting into lower sales. Social: the change in taste and preference of the consumer may occur anytime due to the economic factors or rise in income which may lead to the demand of luxurious automobiles. Technological: the development in technology is increasing causing people to desire for new and eco friendly automobiles. The initial capital to manufacture cars is high thus the Firm may not be able to change and produce new cars all the time. Environmental: the automobile industry is always under great pressure as the gas emissions from these automobiles are harmful to the environment. In totality all aspects of pollution is covered like noise pollution is also another environmental factor which can and does affect the industry. Legal: the changing laws and regulations on traffic control and pollution may either favour the industry or not favour the firm thus causing a risk to the firm 3.5.2 SWOT analysis Opportunities Every firm started at the same level thus there was zero competition. Thus firm A had a fair chance to make its mark in the market with its strategies Firm A was manufacturing 3 vehicle class meaning that other market segments for the remaining vehicle class like AEV , minivan and luxury were untapped creating an opportunity for Firm A Appropriate use of the funds in research and development can lead to profitable long term returns. Threats Every firm had the advantage of being first mover in the industry since all the firms started at the same level making it a risk for Firm A. This is because the other firms can launch a new product before Firm A. Changing laws and regulations of the economy regarding gas emissions Economic instability like inflation and recession could lead to downfall in the vehicle market. The ongoing competition for the top manufacturer by the firms in the industry. 3.5.3 PORTERS FIVE FORCES Threats of new entrants: the threat of new entrants if low due to the high capital investment required for the manufacturing plant. Also the programme started at a fixed level allowing no liberty for new entrants Threat of substitutes: the threat of substitutes is low. 5 of 6 firms are producing similar products in industry and the period for competition is fairly less so there are very little options for substitutes. Manufacturing new product takes time so that is another contributing factor. Bargaining power of supplier: according to my knowledge car parts and necessities are manufactured by few specific suppliers for a single firm thus giving an upper hand to the suppliers. The other aspect it that there are very few suppliers in the overall industry making it difficult for a Firm to change/shift to other suppliers, therefore bargaining power of the suppliers is medium to high. Bargaining power of consumer: with 5 firms producing similar product in the market, the consu mers have their pick with the best vehicle available considering the major factors like price, quality, safety and efficiency. The bargaining power of the consumers can be a risk if other firms have competitive price range. Existing rivalry amongst firms: with the ongoing level of competition in the industry the existing firms are giving a stiff competition to Firm A. The fraction of differentiation between the vehicles is relatively less and the time frame of the programme limited product differentiation resulting in all the firms into using price differentiation strategy. Thus the existing rivalry is high in the industry 4. SIMULATION RESULTS Initially, in the first decision the management team upgraded 2 vehicles, Alec and Alfa. These were minor upgrades done in the area of interiors, safety, style and quality. The dealer were offered higher discount percentage so to increase sales and also dealerships in north and south were increased 10 and 20 respectively. The first decision brought significant profit and amazing cars was going on the right track. (Appendix 6.1) The family car did subsequently well and become the most preferred vehicle until period 4. The sales for both Alec and Alfa increased. Ace, the truck was upgraded in the 3RD period since the Firm had 2 development centre and only two products could be upgraded at the same time. In period 4, the sales dropped due to poor strategic planning. According to the decision in period 2, a new product was to be manufactured in period 4 but due to less funds and poor marketing decisions, the firm postponed the launch till period 5. This resulted into risk from other firms as firm D launched a car in period 4 using the first mover advantage. The team tried to market the products in the best way possible by increasing dealers in north, south and west regions so as to get maximum coverage. We also offered extra discount to the dealers which would motivate them to sell more vehicles in order to earn higher commission. In the technological aspect no new development centres where launched as the cost were really high. The team was not ready to take the risk which probably caused the decline at the end. The portfolio analysis shows the vehicles are between question mark and dogs implementing that the vehicles need to either be enhanced to suffice the customer needs or further decline may cease manufacturing one of the vehicles. (Appendix 6.10) The launch of two new vehicles Altima (AEV) and Acra (minivan) is expected to boost sales and do well in the market. This will only be known in period 7 since the programme has been over with. Thus this remains suspense. 5. CONCLUSION The firms objective was to increase returns and become the largest manufacturer in the industry. The first two decisions made it a little possible but gradually the sales dropped (appendix 6.1) and the growth curve was going downwards. This may be because the firm wanted to play safe with the funds and did not invest in the right areas of technological aspect and marketing aspect. According to the performance summary the firm is forth out of five firms for Alec and Ace. Alfa did a slightly better and is rated 3 from the 5 firms In totality the firm started off well with high returns and declined towards period 5. This may be due to the lack of strategic planning. Although the firm has made a significant profit over 4 years as the initially opening cash balance was 485 million and ending cash balance was 616 million, but debt has increased to 14902 million. (Appendix 6.3 and 6.4) 6. APPENDIX 6.1  Performance Summary Period 5 Firm A Per. 2  Per. 3  Per. 4  Per. 5  Sales ($) $19,478.2 $20,132.7 $18,477.2 $14,461.6 Sales (000s units) 1,229 1,270 1,170 930 Market Share ($) 21.4% 20.5% 20.1% 15.2% Market Share (units) 21.5% 20.5% 18.9% 14.2% Net Income $120.9 $89.3 $-294.9 $-3,187.8 Cum. Net Income $805.0 $894.3 $599.4 $-2,588.4 Stock Price $29.54 $26.44 $20.61 $5.88 Market Value $14,771.0 $13,219.7 $10,305.9 $2,942.0  Return on Sales 0.6% 0.4% -1.6% -22.0% Return on Assets 1.6% 1.3% -3.8% -22.5% Firm Preference 19.0% 17.6% 16.9% 14.2% Dealer Rating 61 61 60 57 COGS 80.1% 80.9% 82.3% 83.2% Capacity Utilization 123.4% 133.0% 130.1% 120.1% Debt $3,897.0 $3,401.0 $4,795.0 $14,902.0 Stock Issue/Purch. % 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.2 Income Statement Period 5 Firm A $Mill. $Mill. Sales 14,462 100.0% Materials 8,259 57.1% Labor 3,768 26.1%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Gross Margin 2,434 16.8%  Marketing 240 1.7% Research and Development 929 6.4% General and Administrative 904 6.3% Manufacturing Overhead 580 4.0% Depreciation 800 5.5%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Income from Operations -1,019 -7.0%  Extraordinary Items -530 -3.7% Interest Income/Expense -1,639 -11.3%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Net Income -3,188 -22.0%  Tax 0 0.0%   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Income after Tax -3,188 -22.0%  Dividends 100 0.20/sh StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.3 Balance Sheet Period 5 Firm A Assets $Mill.  Liabilities $Mill. Cash 616 Accounts Payable 1,684 Receivables 1,128 Short Term Debt 14,902 Inventory 6,152 Long Term Debt 0 Plant and Equip. 11,714   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Total Liabilities 16,586 Depreciation -5,436 Stock ($1 par) 500 Retained Earnings -2,912   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Total Equity -2,412  Total Assets 14,174 Total Liab. and Equity 14,174 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   6.4 Cash Flow Statement Period 5 Firm A  $Mill. Starting Cash 485 Income from Operations -1,019 Plant Investment -3,714 Financial Operations 8,368 Adjustments -3,504 Ending Cash 616 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   Product Contribution Period 5 6.6 Firm A Product Contribution  Vehicle  Units (000s) Dealer Sales (mill.) Direct Sales (mill.)  COGS (mill.) Gross Margin (mill.) Adv  Ãƒâ€š Promo (mills.) After  Ãƒâ€š Mkting (mill.) Ace 185 $3372 $0 $2524 $848 $55 $793 Alec 286 $2857 $0 $2925 $-68 $60 $-128 Alfa 460 $8233 $0 $6579 $1654 $75 $1579 Total 930 $14462 $0 $12027 $2434 $190 $2244 Note: Dollar amounts are in millions. 6.7 Per Unit Contribution  Vehicle Per Unit Revenue Per Unit COGS  Per Unit Margin Margin Pct.  Ãƒâ€š Adv  Ãƒâ€š Promo Per Unit Contrib. Contrib. Pct.  Ãƒâ€š Ace $18243 $13654 $4589 25% $298 $4292 24% Alec $9998 $10235 $-237 -2% $210 $-447 -4% Alfa $17908 $14311 $3597 20% $163 $3434 19% Total $15545 $12928 $2617 17% $204 $2413 16% Note: Dollar amounts are per unit. StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.8 Distribution Detail Period 5 Firm A North South East West Total Full Coverage 200 250 150 200 800 Established Dealers 138 165 120 128 551 Coverage 69% 66% 80% 64% 69% Planned Openings -10 -20 0 -15 -45 Support/Dealer (000s) $86.1 $74.2 $96.9 $91.7 $86.2 Units/Dealer 1,509 1,679 1,634 1,944 1,688 Sales/Dealer (mill.) $24.9 $28.0 $26.8 $31.7 $27.8 Service/Dealer (mill.) $1.4 $1.4 $1.7 $1.8 $1.6 Gross/Dealer (mill.) $1.9 $2.2 $2.2 $2.5 $2.2 Dealer Rating 57 57 58 58 57 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304   6.9 Manufacturing Detail Period 5 Firm A Capacity (000s) 1,000 Coming on Line (000s) 500  Vehicle Prod. (000s) Sales (000s) Inv. (000s) Days Inv.  Comment Ace 224 185 125 246 Alec 353 286 94 120 Alfa 625 460 244 193 Total 1,201 930 462 181 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304 6.10 Portfolio Analysis Period 5 StratSim Ind:ind1 Firm:a Period 5 User gre9304

Cause/Effect of immigration reform - 971 Words

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Report Is To Explore the Option of Adopting Robotics Technology

Question: Discuss Report Is To Explore the Option of Adopting Robotics Technology? Answer: Introduction This report covers a case study of adoption of Robotics for an Artificial Intelligence company which is located in Brisbane. The company is planning to use robotics for its manufacturing, mining, and transporting operations across Australia and also aims to expand into Asian region. Robotics is proposed to be used for this expansion plan. A five year strategy plan for the same has to be developed. This report investigates the potential of Robotics, its advantages, disadvantages, and formulates this five year plan for its adoption by the AI firm. Based on this exploration, a plan for implementation of robotics in the company would be presented for the next five years. Robotic technology Robotics refers to designing, development, and use of machines that can perform a range of tasks automatically without much human intervention. Current use of robots Car industry was the first to adopt robotics in a factory environment for assembling such that manufacturing productivity can be improved. In the current century, robots are mainly used for completing hose tasks that are either tedious or unsafe for humans such as mining, military and transportation. Some robots are also used for home applications such as vacuum cleaning, gutter cleaning, and lawn moving, and so on(Cappella J, 2001). With growing dependence of the world on robots, work environments have started to change across the world. Considering the importance of Robotics, Queensland State Government has started a program to teach coding and robotics to students of State Schools from early ages. It is believed that thee programs have the potential to make students better problem solvers. Moreover, humanoids can help those learners who suffer from disabilities with development of communication and social skills. Today, robots have a wide variety of applications in multiple industries including telecommunications, military, medical, industrial, and consumers. In telecommunication applications, Robots can be used to control applications using wireless connections like Bluetooth, wifi, internet, and tethered connections. Such applications can be used for space exploration, hazardous area exploration, and biomedicals. Some examples of such robots include Mars Exploration Rovers, Invasive surgical systems, remotely operated vehicles, and Hubble space telescope(Bauml Hirzinger, 2006). Military uses robotics to reach places that can be unsafe for humans or for the purpose of safe exploration. Some examples of robotic systems used in military applications are Talon Robots, Dragon Runner, MPRS, MATILDA, T3, URBOT, REDCAR, and so on. ARTS is robotics equipment which is used for disposing explosive ordinance materials by military. Medical robots are used for general surgeries, gastrointestinal surgeries, cardiothoracic surgeries, neurosurgeries, radio surgeries, orthopaedics, paediatrics, urology, gynaecology, and cardiology. Da Vinci Robot is a three armed robot that carries miniature cameras to take 3D images of inside parts of human body. Other popular robots used in medical field include Robodoc, Robot injection device, and ZEUS Robotical Surgery System(Carroll, 2017). Consumer robots are usually made for entertainment or interaction with the owners of robotic devices. Some examples of consumer robots are Wow-wee Robosapien V2, AkaZawa's Desktop PLEN Robot, and Wow Wee Robopanda. Industrial robots are used for enhancing production outputs and performing repetitive actions such as welding, painting, ironing, packaging, palletizing, assembling, pickup, product inspection and product testing. Industrial robots can have different purposes and based on the same, robots can be categorized into small robots, low payload robots, medium payload robots, robots for heavy duty applications, and special models. There are many organizations that produce robots for industrial robots such as ABB, OTC, Hyundai, Panasonic, Toshiba, Kuka Robotics, and Janome to name a few. Types of Robots Robots can be classified on the basis of different criterion such as types of movement, application of robotics, architecture, and the brand. Following these criteria, robots can be divided into four types including articulated, Cartesian, cylindrical and polar. Articulated robots have rotary joints through which base is connected to a robotic arm. In such robots, movement can happen using any joint and thus, they provide a great deal of flexibility. Cartesian robots are rectilinear and they operate using Cartesian coordinates. Linear motion is possible in these robots with prismatic joints. These robots are mostly used for applications like sealing, transferring, stacking, as conveyors, and so on. Cylindrical robots have both rotary joint that rotates with the base and prismatic joint that moves linearly. Polar or spherical robots have an arm connected to base with a twisting joint combined with rotary and linear joints. These types of robots are mostly used in industries to enhance productivity, increase efficiency, and reduce operational errors(Implement Partners, 2016). Expansion into Australian and Asia The use of industrial robots is on a rise in Asia. In 2015, the sales of industrial robots rose by 19% than previous year to 160,000 units. 43% of these sales were from China. 89% of the robots sold to Asia and Australia come from China, South Korea and Japan as per World Robotics Report 2016(Carroll, 2017). Thailand is a growing market for robotics in Asia and in 2015, 2,600 units of robots was supplied to the country. India brought 2,100 robotic units in 2015(IFR, 2016). Robotic technology Adoption Strategy Advantages Disadvantage of Robotics Use of robotics in an industrial organization can have several advantages including: Use of robotics leads to increase in throughput which enhances productivity of a manufacturing unit and thus, reduce the production costs With the use of robotics in manufacturing unit, production cycle times are reduced because of increased efficiencies of manufacturing processes As robots can perform actions with more precision and accuracy, the quality and reliability of products can be enhanced. The footprint of the work area is greatly reduced with robots and thus, space utilization is better Because of accuracy of robots, the material utilization is reduced and thus, there is less wastage in production As use of robotics can automate processes and thus, there are less delays and faster production schedules which would enhance customer satisfaction and thus, being in more revenues for the organization With robotics, multiple processes and activities can be integrated including welding, material handling, packaging, palletizing, cutting, and so on(JEVTIC ANDINA, 2007). There can also be some challenges in using robotics for a manufacturing unit such as: Robotics require huge investments which can leave the company with less liquidity and thus, it can have greater financial implications on the organization if it does not work as expected If the needs of robotics are not identified properly, it can lead to overdue of robotics or underuse. In any case, organization can either lose on money or productivity of the operations. As robotics is relatively newer technology, it is very important to provide training to all the people using it which needs significant time. However, if sufficient training could not be gathered then it can lead to problems (RObotWorx, 2017). Use of robotics can reduce the human intervention which on one side is good but on the other side, it makes people less equipped to handle things on their own as they become more dependent on robots If the investments on robotics have to be reduced then it would require humans to operate the systems. Though it would reduce the number of workers required but at the same time, it would demand a high level of efficiency from the people handling robot devices. Because of the complexities involved in technology, a high level of training is required which would be a major cost to the company besides the cost of implementation and thus, the total cost of adoption of robotics in a manufacturing organization can be significant. With increased use of robotic machines for managing operations, the maintenance would be required more frequently which would be a cost to the company. With robots taking over most of the work, the organization would have to let go of several employees which would put the company into bad reputation for layoffs. At work, the use of robots can make the environment safer(LIN, BEKEy, ABNEY, 2009). However, concerns are raised as robots in a manufacturing setting have the potential to take over jobs from human workers. Ethical concerns are also raised with a thought that humanoids can hurt humans or destroy their properties if they get hacked such that the attacker takes control over robots to commit crimes(Joordens, Eega, Jaimes, Jamshidi, 2008). Potential solutions for risks Major risks that can occur in robotics application include increased dependence on robots, loss of human employment, increased risk to humans and operations because of hacking, and high cost of implementation and training. These problems can however, be overcoming by taking following steps: Increased dependence on Robotics: An organization may only use robotics where repetitive or dangerous tasks have to be performed that do not add value to human learning such that highly intellectual work is taken care of by humans and the dependence on robots is reduced. Job Loss: Humans tend to lose jobs to robots but at the same time, people who are adept at doing multiple takes and handling multiple operations can still be retained in an organization even after robots take up some of their work. Thus, organizations should work on development of their employees to make them professionally equipped to handle robotics as well as other operations that do not use robotics with higher efficiencies. Increased competencies in human workers can help them retain their jobs even after the implementation of robotic technologies(Jackson Eddy, 2000). Security Risks: As robotic devices of today are mostly connected to internet, there is an increased risk of hacking which can disrupt critical infrastructure off company causing major havocs like power blackouts, data hacking, and loss of control over machines that can cause harm to the company and so on. Thus, it is very important that companies understand the implications of such security threats and deploy proper procedures and security measures to protect their systems from getting hacked. High Cost: Robotics does have high cost of implementation as well as cost would be incurred in training. It cannot be avoided but the returns can be gained that overcome this drawback by saving the company more money than invested my making efficient use of robotics. With proper planning, formation of implemetation and operational strategies, organizations can actually use robotics to increase their productivity, save operational costs, and enhance process efficiencies which would gain them more money. Moreover, with the implementation of robotics in applications like mining, production and logistics, the deliveries to customers can be made faster and more accurate that would bring in better reputation for the company in the minds of the customer them increasing their level of satisfaction and trust. This can get the company more trusted customers as well as good reputation that would bring in more customers helping company gain more revenues(businessknowledgesource.com, 2013). Conclusions This report explored the idea of adoption of robotics for AI firm that wants to implement robotic system for their mining, production and logistics operations. The report explored various industries where robotics is used as well as explored different types of robots that can be used for these applications. The report also identified specific advantages as well as challenges that the company can face while adopting robotics in the organization. It was found that robotics can have significant benefits for any manufacturing organization as it can help company increase accuracy, efficiency of operations, speed of deliveries, and save on operational costs. At the sometime, it also comes with a few challenges such as increased dependence on robots, loss of human employment, increased risk to humans and operations because of hacking, and high cost of implementation and training. However, most of these risks can be overcome by taking appropriate measures such that the company can make the b est use of robotics for its benefit. In the next section, a plan for implementaton of robotics technology in the AI Company for mining, manufacturing and logistics is presented highlighting the steps that company can take to go ahead with the adoption based on the lessons learned till now. Recommendations Based on the study conducted, certain recommendations can be made on the adoption of Robotics or mining, manufacturing, and transportation activities in the organization. The organization can follow below steps for implementation of robotics: Identification of Opportunities: The first step is identification of opportunities where robotics can be implemented considering mining, manufacturing, and transportation. In mining, robotics can be used for navigating through tunnels, automating loading and unloading, object detection, underground navigation, machinery automation, and drilling walls or mines for carving(Nanda, Dash, Acaharya, Mohrana, 2010). When considering transportation, robotics can be used for warehousing and distribution operations of the organization. Most factories use some kind of automation systems such as conveyors, sorters, and pickers and some of the components of these systems can be called as robotic systems. However, loading and unloading still has a scope for automation which can be done using robotic systems like Parcel Robot which takes care of sorting, packaging, loading and unloading. This robot has a chassis, a conveyor belt, 3D laser scanner, and a group system. The robot can unload items, sc an bar codes, analyze parcel sizes, and identify best unloading sequence for improved logistics(Kckelhaus, Huber, Niezgoda, Bischoff, 2016). Validate the Opportunity: At this stage, processes that are decided to be automated using robots would be analyzed for their adaptability. The analysis would be done for transactional and decision specific parts to understand what benefits each robotics installation would bring to the business such that appropriate design models can be formulated. These steps of identification and validation of opportunities should take around 6 months before an actual design model is made for robotics adoption. Select Appropriate Design Model: Based on the requirements for automation of mining, manufacturing and transportation operations, processes can be redesigns such that the scope for implementation of robotics could be maximized. Specific needs of the business processes would require customization of the robotics design model considering input capturing, building of codes, and upgrading of systems. The process of model designing would take another six months for the company. Developing Implementation Plan: At this stage, all the processes and scenarios would be identified that would be affected by the robotic implementation. The target would be to automate over 75% of the processes using robotics. The implementation plan can be prepared on the basis of the design model in a month. Deployment of the Pilot Phase: Before robotic systems are finally put to use in respective divisions, a pilot phase would be run in which stakeholders would be involved for assessing the potential of the new implementation such that any need for big fixing, modification or training could be met before the actual roll out of the system takes place. The pilot phase can be deployed in the next six month followed by the testing of the same to ensure that it is effective which could take 6 more months. Roll Out: A plan for training people on the use of robotics system in the company would be developed which would include documentation and actual training for employees. At this stage, some processes would be affected in a way that it would make the jobs of some people redundant and thus, management has to prepare for the big change by handing over the jobs from employees to robots and retaining only those employees in the company who still have relevant profiles beyond robotic capabilities. Actual roll out can begin with introduction of technology for one operations and in one division such that the entre process of implication and testing is repeated only after seeing the effects of implementation. Activities Milestones Opportunities identification 3 months Validation of opportunities 3 months Design model selection 6 months Implementation planning 1 month Pilot Phase I - Manufacturing 6 months Testing 6 months Roll out 6 months Pilot Phase I - Mining 6 months Testing 6 months Roll out 6 months Pilot Phase I - Transportation 6 months Testing 6 months Roll out 6 months References Bauml, B., Hirzinger, G. (2006). Agile Robot Development (aRD): A Pragmatic Approach to Robotic Software. Wessling, Germany: German Aerospace Center. businessknowledgesource.com. (2013). THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING. Retrieved May 8, 2017, from businessknowledgesource.com: https://www.businessknowledgesource.com/manufacturing/the_benefits_and_disadvantages_of_using_robotics_in_manufacturing_033176.html Cappella J, P. C. (2001). Rules for responsive robots: using human interaction to build virtual interaction. Cambridge University Press. Carroll, J. (2017, February 1). Industrial robots in Asia on the rise. Retrieved May 8, 2017, from Vision Systems Design: https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2017/02/industrial-robots-in-asia-on-the-rise.html IFR. (2016). Executive Summary World Robotics 2016 Industrial Robots . IFR. Implement Partners. (2016). Agile Robot Development. Implement Partners. Jackson, E., Eddy, D. (2000). Design and Implementation Methodology for Autonomous Robot Control Systems. International Submarine Engineering, Ltd. . JEVTIC, A., ANDINA, D. (2007). Swarm Intelligence and Its Applications in Swarm Robotics. Universidad Politecnica de Madrid . Joordens, M. A., Eega, S., Jaimes, A., Jamshidi, M. (2008). Applications and Prototype for System of Systems Swarm Robotics . WACONG. Kckelhaus, M., Huber, A., Niezgoda, D., Bischoff, H. (2016). ROBOTICS IN LOGISTICS. DHL Trend Research. LIN, P., BEKEy, G., ABNEY, K. (2009). Robots in War: Issues of Risk and Ethics . Ethics and Robotics , 1 (2), 49-55. Nanda, S. K., Dash, A. K., Acaharya, S., Mohrana, A. (2010). Application of RObotics in Mining Idustry: The Critical Review. Indian Mining Engineering Journal , 108-1112. RObotWorx. (2017). Advantages and Disadvantages of Automating with Industrial Robots. Retrieved May 8, 2017, from Robots.com: https://www.robots.com/blog/viewing/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-automating-with-industrial-robot

Oil Spills (873 words) Essay Example For Students

Oil Spills (873 words) Essay Oil SpillsOil is a product used by everyone, but sometimes oil is a problem. An oil spill is aleakage from an oceangoing tanker, pipelines, or other oil sources. Oil spills occur veryfrequently, and cause enormous ecological harm. About eight million barrels of oil arespilled each year. Tankers usually carry about five-hundred million barrels of oil. Many oil spills, large in land or ocean coverage, have had major impacts on theearth and its inhabitants. Many animals are die and some are injured in some way. Manyplants and animals are endangered, or are now extinct. The largest oil spill to occur waswhen the Exxon Valdez went aground and covered 4,800 square miles in Prince WilliamSound, Alaska. This spill killed 35,000 sea birds, 10,000 otters, and at least nine whales. The spill left pools of oil up to three feet on some beaches. In December of 1989, anIranian tanker leaked 70,000 tons, about 19 million gallons of oil off of the coast ofMorocco. In January 1990 a broken Exxon pipel ine leaked 567,000 gallons into the NewYork harbor. In June of 1990, another 260,000 gallons were spilled in New York Harbor. A tanker carrying 38 million gallons of oil caught on fire, and leaked oil into the Gulf ofMexico. This was a very serious threat to local shrimp nurseries and wildlife refuges. InFebruary of 1990, 300,000 gallons leaked from a damaged tanker off Southern California,fouling miles of shoreline. In the Niger River delta, in Nigeria, Shell pipelines haverepeatedly burst. In 1970 oil spilled across 8 square km, which remained contaminated forover 20 years. According to the U.S. Coast guard, the incident rate post is only 0.5 spills peryear. In fact, there have been no large spills over 5,000 barrels from tankers in the USsince 1991. The US Coast Guard data shows that the amount of oil spilled by tankers hasdecreased dramatically. Worldwide pollution from tanker spills is a relatively minorsource of marine pollution. It only represents a small fraction of the oil released to theenvironment, when it is being compared to industrial waste, non-tanker shipping, and oilseepage from natural resources. Ships are but one part of an overall safety system thatincludes charting, aids to navigation, the condition of channels, and the resources that theCoast guard can bring to ensure standards are being met. The United States suffers frommeasurable neglect in portions of its marine infrastructure. The Refuse Act, which was first enacted in 1899, makes it a crime to allow refuseto enter navigable waters. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, makes it a crime to kill certainbirds. These laws were not intended to apply to an oil spill, but prosecutors use them tointimidate and punish individuals without an obvious connection to a spill. The singlemost positive improvement that Congress can make to the legal regime, is to amend theRefuse Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, to make them inapplicable to oil spillscovered in the Clean Water Act. Oil Spill Wildlife Management (OSWM), in businesssince 1989, is a wildlife consulting firm. OSWM offers its clients an alternative to thewildlife dilemma. Donjon Environmental Marine Services is a synergistic organizationcreated to provide the maritime industry with responsive, and cost-effective answers tomeet the requirements of The Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Garner Environmental Servicesprovides a 24 hour emergency response for any type of pollution incidents. GarnerEnvironmental Services specializes in the management of disposal of waste streams, andmaintains a fleet if equipment and drivers to transport these waste streams from industrieson the Gulf Coast. Clean Venture Inc. is a leading contractor in handling waste, andhazardous oil materials. Since, its establishment, Clean Venture Inc., has responded tomore than five thousand oil and hazardous material spills and has performed over tenthousand projects, ranging in size from 1,000 to 3,000,000 dollars. How can we prevent oil spills? The US oil and natural gas industry, supplies morethan 65 percent of Americas energy. ?By nearly every measure, the volume of spills inUS waters has been on a steady downward trend since 1973,? states Captain James D. .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .postImageUrl , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:hover , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:visited , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:active { border:0!important; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:active , .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282 .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7273ce8e679ff15bc62db1cb32ac7282:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Education and Society Essay Spitzer, the chief of the US Coast Guards Office of Investigations. Most spills that occurare usually small, based on data from the US Coast Guard. In 1997, more thanthree-fourths of the spills in US waters were under ten gallons of oil, which is less than acars fuel tank can hold. From the year of 1989, the year of the Exxon Valdez accident,the amount of oil spilled in US waters has declined from fourteen million gallons to 1.1million gallons spilled in 1997. Every part of the modern petroleum industry hascontributed to the progress being made. Exploration and production facilities useadvanced materials and techniques, with plenty of back up safety systems. Pipelines usecomputers, electromagnetic instruments, and ultrasonic devices to detect weak spots, sothey can be repaired before it is to late and a leak develops. Marine terminals and vesselsare being made differently. Tankers are being built with double hulls. Storage tanks areconstructed of special materials to withstand corros ion. People play important roles inprevention, by signing petitions, striking companies, and some boycott, which isntsuccessful because oil is an everyday use. Everyone can become a part of theconservation and prevention of oil spills. Science Essays