Supply Chain Operations Management Assignment Essay

Supply Chain Operations Management Assignment - Essay Example Ownership upstream towards suppliers and subsidiaries of inputs to production is known as backward vertical integration, while ownership downstream towards buyers and distribution centres is known as forward vertical integration. Figure 1: Vertical Integration (Source: PPT) The disadvantages associated with vertical integration in achieving economies of scale can be highlighted as: 1. The costs incurred in forward and backward vertical integration are huge and can be used to expand production activities which would contribute more towards profits than that contributed through integration. 2. The core management time gets more involved in managing diverse structure of the organization as a result of integration. Such time could otherwise be devoted to core activities of management and contribute to organizational profits. 3. It is argued that production capacities, as a result of vertical integration, may become so large that customer demand might fall short and hence, economies of sc ale might not be fully utilised. Also, a lot of production time might get wasted in meeting a definite customer demand, thereby reducing scope for optimum utilisation as well. This becomes a major disadvantage because as a result of vertical integration, fixed costs sharply become so high that in times of slumps in demand, a fall in production might lead to a greater rise in per unit fixed costs rather than variable costs. Such a scenario makes realisation of breakeven point near difficult. Question 1b It is suggested that vertical integration decreases costs, but when it is viewed from the organizational point of view, vertical integration leads to higher cost in terms of managing different new organizational departments and also, backwards integration tends to reduce efficiencies of suppliers by eliminating competition, thereby increasing costs. When a firm decides over vertical integration, it invests significantly in terms of investments in the organizational process. These inve stments arise out of forward and backward integration and are done on acquiring firms. Such costs are capital expenses. Huge expenses made during integration reduce a firm’s capability to stretch production capacity at least for some period of time. In an unpredictable market environment, such inflexibility can be quite serious and might lead to loss of market share altogether. During the process of integration, a firm invests in high cost machines which are necessary to carry out production activities of the acquired firm. In the slump demand scenario, the machine might not be utilised to the fullest or utilised at all. However, the acquiring firm has made expenses for the machine and the costs of which shall get added to per unit produce. Variable costs, on the other hand, are incurred per unit of good produced and can be reduced during slack in demand. Additionally, such costs cannot be shared with the consumer owing to competition. Hence, we see how vertical integration c ontributes to higher fixed costs and lower variable costs. In such a scenario, a firm can explore alternatives to vertical integration for eliminating the disadvantages associated with the integration process. Only after due consideration of the competitive environment, efficient scale of production of the prospective firm to be acquired and its alignment with the company’

Article critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique - Article Example Key words: Pain management, Hispanics, culture â€Å"Estoy en un monton de dolor† Experiencing Pain from a Hispanic Cancer Patient’s Perspective Though there are many flaws in the healthcare system in the United Stated, for many migrants especially African Americans and Hispanics, the existence of such a system is a great blessing. Many vie for immigrant status and citizenship to enjoy the privileges of social healthcare. The United States is a country that stood for equality of rights for every man, no matter the race, culture, or belief; however, it is shocking and disappointing to find out that there are discrepancies in the pain management options given to migrant cancer patients especially with regards to Hispanic cancer patients. I have known and seen a lot of people who had different types of cancer in the course of my life and in the academic degree that I chose. I have seen the tremendous amount of pain they experience especially those in the late stages of the disease. The pain relievers prescribed to them helps in improving their quality of life but it is sad even just to imagine that there are countless others, who are in the socio-cultural as well as socioeconomic minority that are needlessly experiencing excruciating pain when they already have the access to proper pain management options via the government’s healthcare system. The study of Im, Guevara, and Chee (2007) gives us a glimpse of how pain is handled by Hispanics. It also gives insights to the different factors that contribute to the inadequacy of pain management interventions that Hispanic cancer patients receive. By examining their research in a qualitative way, we can get insight on the value of understanding the sociocultural dimension of a cancer patient’s pain management, and thus help equalize the disparities in treatment given to Hispanics and other migrants. This will allow us nurses to give quality patient care to all mankind, as is our sworn respons ibility. I. Hispanic Cancer Patient’s Pain as Described in the Article – Discussion and Critique As the authors’ examined the part that socio-cultural background plays in the experience of pain in Hispanic cancer patients, I was given a clear representation of how the healthcare paradigm works in for the case of migrants. I appreciate the effort that they gave in representing the â€Å"pain experience† as personal as possible by quoting actual forum responses of the cancer patients. This painted a picture that gets the reader to easily empathize with the patient and allows the reader to view how hard it is for Hispanic cancer patients to endure everyday with the pain that they bear. Although they presented the testimonies of their respondents well, there are certain aspects of their methodology that can be improved to make the implications of the study have more weight. (1) The sampling method used was convenience sampling which automatically results in b iased data. The title of the study indicates that the author’s wanted to show insights for Hispanic cancer patients’ pain experience all over the United States; however they did not get representative samples for different States which is indicative that the finding could not be generalized to bear implications to the whole of the United States and the whole healthcare