Wilkerson Company Case Essay Example for Free

Wilkerson Company Case Essay 1. The Wilkerson Company is in the business of manufacturing valves, pumps and flow controllers. The company has been experiencing profit losses due to price reductions as a result of heavy competition in the pump category, which is considered a commodity product. In the valves category, Wilkerson seems to be a market leader with a loyal customer base. The valve business is less competitive, with no price reductions, and therefore the company has maintained its gross margin target while not compromising market share. Similarly to the valve business, the flow controller category is not as competitive as the pump industry, hence Wilkersons ability to increase price by 10% without sacrificing volume. In addition, the company needs to take into consideration its increase in indirect expenses relatively to the direct labor expenses. All in all, the company has seen its pre-tax margin decrease from 10% to 3%. 2. Adopting a periodic expense approach will severe the already current problems with Wilkersons cost system by distorting even more the actual cost picture. The reason is that the periodic method would ignore the companys product mix as each of the 3 categories has a differentiated direct cost structure. This would therefore create an even more incorrect analysis of the companys profit structure. Although the current cost allocating system is not optimal (as will be discussed later), it is still preferable over the periodic system, which does not take into account any overhead costs when analyzing product margins and the margins effect on the overall profit. 3. Today, Wilkerson uses a simple cost accounting system which charges each unit of product for direct material and labor cost. Material cost is based on the component price, while labor rates are charged to products based on the production run times of each product. Then, the overhead costs are allocated to each of the 3 products as a percentage of production run direct labor costs (currently 300%). 4. Table 1: Activity Based Costs Drivers and Rates Table 2: Calculations of product margins based on current method: Table 3: Calculations of product margins using proposed Activity Based Costing: The shifts in costs and profitability seen above are driven by all the factors that are not taken into account in the current cost allocation system: production runs, number of shipments and hours of engineering work. We believe that these factors are optimal for estimating the cost per product. For example, if we look at the flow controllers, we can see that they have the least machine hours but the highest values of all cost drivers mentioned above. This dramatic difference distorts the cost analysis and favors the flow controllers on the account of the valves and especially the pumps. 5. There are number of options to improve the companys profitability: * Flow Controller Price Increase: As described in the case, Wilkerson has recently raised flow controller prices by 10% without effect on volume. This leads us to believe that it would be possible to further increase prices in order to improve the products losing gross margin (-10%). * Flow Controller Cost Reduction: In addition to a possible price increase, Wilkerson must find a way to lower costs. This may be done by lowering the number of shipments (cost driver) to customers. According to the current agreements with customers, products are packaged and shipped for just-in-time delivery. This method substantially increases the number of shipments and packaging related expenses. This change can be successfully carried out by offering customers volume related discounts in order to decrease the total number of shipments by increasing the size of each shipment. The rationale behind this recommendation is that the cost driver is the number of shipments, rather than the size of each shipment. * Company Product Mix: Based on our profitability calculations for each category, Wilkerson can improve its total profit and profitability by changing its mix to favor valves rather than pumps. Moreover, there is room to consider reducing or even stopping the manufacturing of flow controllers. 6. Our concern regarding our cost estimates used in the previous sections is that the data in exhibits 1, 2, 4, used for all calculations, is based on a single month and does not necessarily reflect a typical month. A more accurate way to estimate cost would be to rely on a longer period of time (perhaps annual). In order to improve our cost and profitability estimates it would be helpful to have information regarding GA, Selling and Marketing cost drivers so we could allocate them directly to each product cost as well. Lastly, we assumed it possible to further increase flow controller prices without affecting the sales volume. It would be helpful to have more data regarding changes in prices and effect on their sales volume. 7. A number of changes may be made to the current compensation method in order to improve profit: * Higher compensation for sales of high profit margin products in order to improve sales mix as mentioned above. * Relative compensation to quantity of sale. This will also promote the goal of cost reduction as it will decrease the number of shipments.

Womens Progress in the Late Nineteenth Century :: European Europe History

Women's Progress in the Late Nineteenth Century Women didn't gain the right to vote until the twentieth century but great strides were made starting in the 1840s to help women on their way to winning legal privileges and responsibilities.   Below is rundown by year of the most important laws passed in England to try to help out the situation of all women, especially working and middle class.   Just imagine what life would have been like before these laws were passed.   We read all the time about women who complain about being helpless.   How often is that claim believed?   Women were practically helpless and almost completely dependent upon either family or husband in the eyes of the law.   Unless a girl became a wealthy widow or stayed a pitied spinster she had no chance of being independent.   But as you will soon see, the road to change is a rough and repetitive one.    1839- The Infant Custody Act is passed.   It states that any woman who can enter a suit and prove herself inoccent of adultery may have custody of children under seven years of age and periodic visitation with those under the age of consent (sixteen).   Of course most women weren't independently wealthy so they couldn't enter a suit and the act also kept justly, or unjustly, charged adulteresses away from their children with no similar provision towards unfaithful husbands. 1857- The Married Women's Property Bill (two versions)   One version of this bill declared that marriage laws needed a serious overhaul, that married women should have the same property rights as single women, and that women should have speedy access to the courts to gain protection for their property.   But this version dropped out of sight.   The other version didn't change the court system at all but did propose letting women control their own property after marriage, allowing them to dispose of it according to their will, and to apply the same inheritance rules to a deceased woman's belongings as to a man's.   This bill was approved on its second reading but dropped due to the passing of the Divorce Act the same year. 1857- The Matrimonial Causes Act- The Divorce Act, as it was called, gave courts the decision on who to award custody to.   This meant that women who had been found guilty of adultery could gain custody of their children if the courts   Ã‚  Ã‚   thought that was what would be best.

Animal Abuse

Many people have taken animals for granted since a long time. Thomas Edison once said, â€Å"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. † Animal cruelty is an ongoing problem that many people disregard in today’s society. It is mainly caused by the use, neglect, and intentional mistreatment of animals, all of which can still be prevented by stricter laws, awareness, and education. It’s said that an animal dies in a laboratory every three seconds. An estimated 25 to 35 million animals are helplessly used in the United States each year for three main purposes; biomedical and behavioral research, education, and drug and product testing (Fox, 58). Animals range from mostly rodents to rabbits, cats, dogs, and monkeys. The conditions in which laboratory animals are kept in are not good at all. Cages are too small and the animals are deprived of social interaction (59). Three examples of the use of scientific research on animals are the Draize test, LD/50 test, and toy tests. The Draize test is the most common procedure to test for irritation. Animals used in this test are rabbits, mainly due to their extremely sensitive eyes. Because rabbits have no tear ducts, it makes it easier for scientists to observe because the rabbits cannot wash test materials out of their eyes. In performing this test, a rabbit’s head is placed in stock to prevent the animal from scratching or pawing at the eye in which a substance has been placed. The lower lid of one eye is pulled down and away from the eye. Then, the test substance such as nail polish remover, shampoo, or mascara is dropped into or smeared on the eye. The other eye acts as a control. Testers look for redness in the affected eye, swelling, and other signs of irritation. Corneal ulcers and blindness are often the result. After the test, the rabbits are either killed or used in another test (McCoy 47). The LD/50 test was developed in England in 1927, by a mathematician. This test is often criticized as unreliable and cruel. The objective of this test is to measure how much of a chemical is required to cause death. The majority of animals used in this test are dogs, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs. In just one single test, up to 200 animals may be used. Laboratory animals are force-fed toxic substances by a stomach tube. Then the animals are observed for two weeks or until death. The animals that survive are usually killed later, as if it’s nothing. Other procedures include the inhalation of a chemical or substance. Animals are forced to breathe the vapor or powder of a chemical or substance. Sometimes, these chemicals are applied to the skin of an animal. In all these tests, observers look for signs of poisoning, bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth, difficulty in breathing, tremors, paralysis, and coma (McCoy 106). Toys are often needlessly tested on animals to determine their safety. To test toy guns, manufacturers point the guns in animals’ faces and see if the plastic pieces discharged hurt the animal. Substances like modeling clay are force-fed to animals to test its toxicity. Other tests involve dropping toys on animals to see if any parts hurt them. Not only are these tests cruel, they are unnecessary. Most toy companies have new high-tech methods of testing their toys for safety without harming animals (Various Authors, 61). Animals weren’t created to entertain. Examples of this are the zoos, circuses, and rodeos. At zoos, large captive animals pace back and forth in small pens and other animals just lie around in their cages bored. Many healthy animals are snatched out of their natural habitats and brutally transferred to a cage, where they are prevented from following their most basic instincts, such as gathering food. When capturing chimpanzees, poachers usually shoot the mother and kidnap the child. After all this, statistics show that only one in ten baby chimps survive the journey to the zoo. Zoo animals also suffer from mistreatment. They lack privacy and cannot live according to their natural needs. Aquatic animals have very little water, animals that once lived in herds are alone, and animals of all types are prevented from natural mating, flying, running, climbing, and other instinctive behaviors. Animals bred in zoos are often sold to laboratories for experiments or to circuses. Some zoo animals end up in â€Å"wild game† parks or hunting preserves; where people pay thousands of dollars to shoot a lion or tiger at point-blank range (Various Authors, 64). Both the Draize test and LD/50 test should be banned. They are not only inaccurate, but the Humane Society of the United States stated that its results are of little value in diagnosis and treatment (McCoy, 49). The toy tests should just be completely banned because it is just plain mean and pointless. Many people don’t realize this but circuses are one of the greatest examples of people’s cruelty to animals. Not only are circus animals taken out of their natural habitats, they are confined in cramped cages. Sometimes they have inadequate food and drinking water. When it comes to training, they endure tight collars/muzzles and are whipped, prodded to perform senseless tricks for the sake of entertainment. Some circus animals are drugged to make them more obedient, and others have their teeth and claws removed. When circus animals have outlived their usefulness, they are usually sold to zoos, private collectors, game farms, or research laboratories. They don’t get a moment of peace, even after they are done performing (Various Authors, 65). Rodeos are basically defined as a demonstration of a person’s domination over an innocent animal, rather than their skill in riding. Rodeo animals suffer a lifetime of stress by being transported from one rodeo to another. These animals are captive performers, housed in tiny trailers and pens, then whipped into frenzy for the sake of a show. Electric prods, sticks, painful ointments, and other devices are used to enrage animals and keep them in line. Many suffer severe bruising, neck and back injuries, internal hemorrhaging, and broken bones. Several rodeos don’t even offer veterinary care to animals, which often undergo open wounds, skin infections, cracked hooves, and other maladies (Various Authors, 66). There are various and simple preventions to help stop animal cruelty. One being PETA; one of the many organizations for animal rights. PETA is responsible for ending the use of the Draize test. Their tactics consists of organizing boycotts, promoting shareholder resolutions and alerting the general public (McCoy, 47). Although the federal Animal Welfare Act was created, the animals being researched in laboratories receive little protection under this act because the United States Department of Agriculture does an inadequate job of inspecting animal research facilities, and an even worse job enforcing the law when violations are found. If this act is taken seriously, there would be fewer problems. There are countless alternatives to scientific research including non-animal laboratory tests, clinical tests on human beings, cell and tissue cultures in vitro; microorganisms and other species believed to have limited or no feeling for pain or suffering. There is also a large data base of ingredients and products that have been previously tested, as well as computer models that can provide answers in research procedures or techniques. This alternative would involve fewer animals per experiment/study and that leads to less pain and discomfort (McCoy, 52). Another easy prevention is education. Respect for animals is learned, not inborn. In reality, children have complex feeling about animals, including fear, and the potential to be cruel. Children need adults’ guidance and supervision when it comes to animals. It’s hard for children to understand because children are exposed at a young age, the stereotype of how animals are. Dogs, cats, rabbits are often portrayed as the good ones, while snakes, bears, and cheetahs are seen as the dangerous, bad guys. Despite these stereotypes, all animals are equal and should have the chance to be treated fairly. Other ways to teach children to be kind to animals are writing letters to companies that test on animals, and reading books about friendly animals (Harnack, 89). All these preventions are straightforward and simple to follow. Animal cruelty is an ongoing problem that many people disregard in today’s society. It is mainly caused by the use, neglect, and intentional mistreatment of animals, all of which can still be prevented by stricter laws, awareness, and education. Clearly, empathy is no longer understood or experienced. It is not too late to help animals who suffer every moment of their lives in unethical experiments and abuse inflicted on by humans.

BRIC Countries

While the United States and Japan still remains as an economic powerhouse, countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China, collectively known as the BRIC countries, are seemingly headed for that same route. According to a thesis published by Goldman Sachs Investment Bank, the economy of these four countries are slowly improving and is likely to surpass the existing developed countries in the world by 2050.Aside from these four, there are other emerging markets namely BRIMC (including Mexico), BRICS (with South Africa), BRICA (the four countries and Arab nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain), and BICET( with Eastern Europe as well as Turkey)(Prado, 2008). The Global Outlook Jim O’Neill, who was the economist who proposed the thesis, forecasted that come 2050, the BRIC countries would have constituted more than 39 percent of world population and generated a collective GDP of $15.43 trillion. At present, they only account for 15 percent of the world’ s gross national product (GNP) compared to that of the six industrialized economies of the US, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, and Britain. However, it is predicted that despite their growing population, the BRIC countries would overtake these countries and become the leading countries as far as increasing growth and spending ability is concerned(Prado, 2008). BRIC Countries 4Although not regarded as a political alliance (like the EU) or formal trading blocs such as the ASEAN, the BRIC countries have made great strides in strengthening their cooperation, in order to influence the stand of the United States on major trade treaties, such as the proposed nuclear partnership with India(Prado, 2008). Despite of their cultural and political variations, the BRIC countries have shifted their political system in order to be globally competitive in a capitalist world(Prado, 2008). A Second Goldman Sachs Report In 2004, Goldman Sachs published a follow-up to its first BRIC research.In the secon d report, it was found out that people who have a yearly income of more than the $3,000 threshold will be twice as much in a span of three years and 800 million in ten years. This shows that there is huge increase in the amount of middle class in these states. By 2025, according to the second report, the number of people with an income of more than $15,000 would surpass the 200 million mark(Prado, 2008). However, the follow-up report likewise indicated that despite the shift in the economic growth, the average income in developed countries will remain higher compared to those in the BRIC countries(Prado, 2008).Responding To The Development A report released by PriceWaterhouse Coopers believes that investors must now set their sights on the BRIC countries as it presents a bright future for growth potentials. Economic growth has shifted from the United States and Europe to emerging countries BRIC Countries 5 like China and India. This was based from an observation by John Hawskworth, chief of the macroeconomics division of PricewaterhouseCoopers(Gorringe, 2008). According to forecasts, China would emerge as the biggest economy by 2025 replacing the United States and sustain their growth to 130% come 2050.Similarly, the economy of India would surpass that of the US by 90% in 2050. Brazil will move to number four dislodging Japan. Russia, along with Mexico and Indonesia, may become larger than the economy of Germany and the United Kingdom(Gorringe, 2008). It is worth mentioning that other emerging economies have been included in the list of Pricewaterhouse Coopers as potential growth areas. Among them are Vietnam, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Philippines, and Turkey. Vietnam, in particular, has shown tremendous economic growth at 10% per annum.Come 2050, its economy would be 70% larger than the United Kingdom(Gorringe, 2008). Among the BRIC countries, China and India have shown the most significant improvement in terms of their economy. Although their population is over 1 billion, Chinese and Indian economy have grown rapidly. For China, the growth rate is at 10 percent per annum since 1980. India, for its part, registered a 9% growth in its economy in 2006. The combined output of the two countries went up from 6. 7% to 21. 3% from 1980 to 2005.According to predictions, world economy will be focused on China in the year 2015 and India by 2030(Gorringe, 2008). BRIC Countries 6 Over the years, the United States have become the major trading partner of both developed and developing countries. However, this is no longer the case, as many countries have now realized the potential that the BRIC countries have as a region of growth. For instance, the United States have long dominated the scrap market industry, but now China has become a major competitor in the manufacture and distribution of recyclable materials.India, likewise, is a new alternative as far as the scrap market is concerned(Sandoval, 2005). On the other hand, Russia and Brazil have be come a major source of raw materials. The significance of the BRIC partnership is that China and India can source their raw materials from Russia and Brazil(Prado, 2008). Although the economy of Brazil is still dependent on the United States, its local currency is doing well. In fact, during the past years, it has outperformed even the Euro(Mason, 2008). Conclusion Gone are the days when the United States dominated world economy.With emerging economies such as the BRIC, the time will come when the playing field as far as global economy is concerned will become level, with each country having their own share of economic growth. Pretty soon, the United States will eventually have to learn how to trade with other countries all over again. The emergence of the BRIC countries is a clear sign that potential growth is no longer concentrated on developed countries and that the balance of economy is veering away towards developing nations outside of North America and Europe.BRIC Countries 7 References Bustelo, P. The Economic Rise of China and India and its Implications for Spain. Real Instituto Elcano. 2007 August 8. Retrieved June 30 2008 from http://www. realinstitutoelcano. org/wps/portal/rielcano_in/Content? WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/Elcano_in/Zonas_in/DT+31-2007 Gorringe, J. Investors Should Look Beyond BRIC Countries, Says PwC. Law and Tax-News. com. 2008 March 10. Retrieved from http://www. lawandtax-news. com/asp/story. asp? storyname=30242 Mason, J. BRIC Is For Real. Seeking Alpha.2008 May 19. Retrieved June 30 2008 from http://seekingalpha. com/article/77727-bric-is-for-real Prado, T. The BRIC Thesis. What About Brazil. com. 2008 March 20. Retrieved June 30 2008 from http://www. whataboutbrazil. com/the-bric-thesis/ Sandoval, D. Shrinking World: The Growth of the BRIC Countries Is Making The World A Smaller Place(Brazil, Russia, India, and China). 2005 September 1. Retrieved June 30 2008 from http://goliath. ecnext. com/coms2/gi_0199-4753169/Shrinking-world-the-gr owth-of. html

Saluer - to greet, salute - French Verb Conjugation

Saluer - to greet, salute - French Verb Conjugation The  French verb  saluer means to greet or salute  but can also mean  to take ones leave. Find simple conjugations for this regular -er verb in the tables below. Conjugations of Saluer Present Future Imperfect Present participle je salue saluerai saluais saluant tu salues salueras saluais il salue saluera saluait nous saluons saluerons saluions vous saluez saluerez saluiez ils saluent salueront saluaient Pass compos Auxiliary verb avoir Past participle salu Subjunctive Conditional Pass simple Imperfect subjunctive je salue saluerais saluai saluasse tu salues saluerais saluas saluasses il salue saluerait salua salut nous saluions saluerions salumes saluassions vous saluiez salueriez salutes saluassiez ils saluent salueraient salurent saluassent Imperative tu salue nous saluons vous saluez Verb conjugation patternSaluer  is a  regular -ER verb

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire At the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan, somewhere around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, 1911, a fire began on the eighth floor. What started the fire has never been determined, but theories include that a cigarette butt was thrown into one of the scrap bins or there was a spark from a machine or faulty electrical wiring. Most on the eighth floor of the factory building escaped, and a phone call to the tenth floor led to most of those workers evacuating. Some made it to the roof of the next door building, where they were later rescued. The workers on the ninth floor with only a single unlocked exit door did not receive notice, and only realized something was wrong when they saw the smoke and flames that had spread. By that time, the only accessible stairwell was filled with smoke. The elevators stopped working. The fire department arrived quickly but their ladders did not reach to the ninth floor to allow escape by those trapped. The hoses didnt reach adequately to put out the flames quickly enough to save those trapped on the ninth floor. Workers sought escape by hiding in dressing rooms or the bathroom, where they were overcome with smoke or flame and died there. Some tried to open the locked door, and died there of suffocation or the flames. Others went to the windows, and some 60 of them chose to jump from the ninth floor rather than die from the fire and smoke. The fire escape was not strong enough for the weight of those on it. It twisted and collapsed; 24 died falling from it, and it was not of use to any others trying to escape. Thousands of spectators gathered in the park and streets, watching the fire and then the horror of those jumping. The fire department had the flames under control by 5 p.m., but when firefighters entered the floors to continue to bring the smouldering fire under control, they found charred machines, intense heat and bodies. By 5:15, they had the fire completely under control and 146 had died or suffered injuries from which theyd die shortly. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Index of Articles Quick Overview of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire1911 - Conditions at the Triangle Shirtwaist FactoryThe 1909 Uprising of the Twenty Thousand  and the 1910 Cloakmakers Strike: background​After the Fire: identifying victims, news coverage, relief efforts, memorial and funeral march, investigations, trialFrances Perkins and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Related: Josephine GoldmarkILGWUWomen’s Trade Union League (WTUL)

The geographical location where a child is raised can be influence Essay

The geographical location where a child is raised can be influence their development. critically evaluate the recent research regarding this claim - Essay Example The family, the school, and the neighbourhood are the main environment in which a child is nurtured. These three social constructs may give forth a suitable ground for a child to flourish or may pose challenges that threaten to compromise the normal development. Environmental factor such as diseases and surrounding physical features also influence the healthy development of the child (Espy, Molfese & DiLalla, 2001). A research conducted by Ferguson, Cassells, MacAllister & Evans (2013) illustrates how many children fail to reach their full human potential because of many factors including their geographic location. The factors influenced by the geographic location include toxics, noise, pollutants, housing, crowding, noise, neighborhood, and school quality, affecting both socio-emotion and cognitive development. Research confirms that the bigger population of world children reside in the in the developing world. As a result, most of the children seem exposed to poor physical environment leading to poor health among others. Additionally, they expound how physical locations exposed to toxins and pollutants tend to affect these children’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ). These may be regions with chemical drainages including mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and air pollution from the vast industrial growth. Majority of the children live in these industrial areas meaning they face exposure to all types of polluted air that poses a danger to their health. These children in the poor urban locations suffer from water pollution, sanitation, and access to a clean environment. There is a lot of noise in these locations especially from the factory that affect their learning environment. In addition, poor housing affects their living conditions and consequently their health and education value. The research article draws a good picture of how poor environment may introduce the child to chaos, crowding, and