Da Evil Deer Essay Example For Students

Da Evil Deer Essay It all started on the opening day of deer season. The beautiful day was just cold enough to want a jacket but, but hot enough to where if one was worn youd sweat to death! It seemed like a typical opening day. It wasnt though, it turned out to be quite different. I walked out to my favorite tree belt with my trusty gun at my side and waited for the buck I had been eyeing for months. I needed a nice buck this year. See I bet Buddy that my deer would be twice as big as his. Twenty bucks was up for grabs and I needed to buy a new paintball gun. As I thought about what kind of gun I wanted, the biggest buck I had ever seen showed up about 100 yards away from where I sat. That was my ticket to twenty dollars. I raised up my gun, put the deer in my crosshairs, and sat there for a second to admire its beauty. Thats not all I noticed though. The deer had red eyes, and below the red eyes, on the ground, set an AK-47 with a weird scope. I thought sweet! Not only will I get twenty dollars, Ill also get a new assault rifle that someone left lying around! Then it occurred to me that I was the prey. I got up and ran! Lead flung by me as I made my way to the Jeep. All of a sudden blood started squirting out of my leg! I thought cool, that didnt even hurt! B ut my leg gave out and I fell to the ground. As I was lying there, I devised a new plan. I layed their acting dead and waited for the deer to pick me up. He threw me over his shoulder, and I slowly pulled out my hunting knife. A quick slice and the psychotic, evil deer was laying on the ground out cold. The twenty bucks was mine! Then, as I was cutting the deer open, a button buck jumped out of the evil deer, and my monster buck disappeared! As the deer hopped away I noticed two things. It had red eyes, and on its butt was a sign. It read: Payback is a female dog. I cried that day. My prize deer was no more, and I lost twenty bucks. There was just one phrase lingering in my mind. Hell be back, I reassured myself. Hell be back. The End

Intellectual Property

Table of Contents Discussion Board Definition essay Reference List Footnotes Discussion Board The information article Intellectual Property, written by a group of authors under direction of Evan Davies, aims to define the concept of intellectual property (IP) and identify its key characteristics. Secondly, the authors give a brief overview of legal means that help to protect the right for IP.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectual Property specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the scholars, intellectual property can be defined as any tangible or intangible asset that results from the process of human discovery, creativity, and invention (Davies et al, 2003). The authors single out the two characteristics, which are typical of IP: 1) immaterial nature, in other words, this asset can be owned by a great number of people at the same time; 2) inability of the inventor to appropriate it for private g ain, since this kind of assets can be easily copied and transmitted (Davies et al, 2003). The key idea which the writers express is that contemporary legislation does not provide specific guidelines, regulating the use and transmission of intellectual property, for example, a person, who tries to sell a certain idea or invention, can easily be defrauded, and there is no way for him/her to prove his rectitude. These are the major issues, discussed in this article. Overall, it is quite possible to agree with the authors, when we are speaking about the use and transmission of intellectual property. At the moment, there are very few safeguards that can protect the author (inventor, designer, musician, writer, artists and so forth) from encroachment on his/her rights. In part, it is connected with the rapid development of Internet technologies which enable users to share copyrighted information (songs, videos, software, books etc) with any obstacle. Secondly, as it has been pointed out i n the article, in some cases, the author finds it very difficult to prove that he/she is the inventor of a certain device or the author of some television show. However, the definition, proposed by the authors can be disputed. Evan Davies et al focus mostly on the origins of IP such as invention, creativity, discovery, and so forth. Yet, very little attention is paid to the qualitative characteristics of IP. One may point such qualities as novelty and utility, which means that any asset, protected by the copyright law, has to have some new elements and may have some practical application. Besides, in this article the authors emphasize the so-called â€Å"weightlessness† of IP, which means that the term intellectual property refers to some intangible assets, yet under some circumstances, IP can be both tangible and intangible, for example, hardware, vehicles, and mobile phones, which can considered as both tangible and intangible assets. In this case, the intellectual property is not easily transferred from one person to another. One should not assume that this definition, advanced by the authors is inaccurate or limited.Advertising Looking for essay on intellectual property? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the given moment there are hundreds definition and interpretations of IP and its elements; they may focus on some specific characteristics of IP and one cannot say that these definitions are inaccurate or false since they just focus on different aspects of the same phenomenon. Overall, this article can be helpful to the students and other people who want to gain a basic idea about intellectual property. Definition essay The definition of such term of intellectual property has long been one of the most debated issues among lawyers and policy makers, since they need to compile a list of those objects or assets, which have to be protected by copyright law. This concept is so difficult to define because it has several components and several characteristics which are equally important. We cannot argue that the interpretation, provided in this paper will be conclusive, yet it give a more comprehensive view of IP and its elements. At this point, we can say that intellectual property is any tangible or intangible asset, deriving from human creativity, discovery, invention even contest[1]; it has such characteristics as originality and perceived value. In the following sections of this paper, we will try to justify our interpretation of this notion and its constituent parts. The term â€Å"intellectual property† is inevitably associated with ideas, designs, works of a person’s mind or intellect, but these ideas usually have some material representation. In other words, one should not forget about those devices which help to carry and store this information, for example, compact discs, audio tapes, floppy disks, audio tapes, DVDs and so forth (Barrett, 2008, 108). M oreover, some ideas or concepts can be inseparable from their material representation, for instance, paintings or drawings. In point of fact, in some cases, the value of idea dramatically declines if it is deprived of its original material form. Even the most meticulous copy of Van Gogh or Rembrandt cannot be compared to the original and it will never have the same commercial or artistic value. This case illustrates the point that intellectual property is not always easily transferable and that it cannot be owned by several people at a time. Furthermore, it shows that the importance of material representation should not be underestimated and one should not perceive IP only as some intangible asset since such a perception is just a common stereotype. A person, who tries to define the concept of IP, would have to focus on such characteristics as value and novelty. This asset or product must have some innovative elements, which differentiate it from similar products or assets. Furtherm ore, it may be of some commercial or aesthetic value. The aesthetic value is particularly important, when we are referring to works of literature, music, art and so forth. Again, we have to stress an idea that commercial and aesthetic value are quite separable from one another. In addition, the notion of aesthetic value is very subjective, and it cannot be measured in any qualitative or quantitative way. Thus, when we identified value as an intrinsic attribute of intellectual property, we referred only to the subjective opinion of a person, who has invented a certain device, created some work of art or made some scientific discovery. Intellectual property must have value or worth in the eyes of the creator or discoverer, rather than in the eyes of the public. This is the most important characteristic of this concept.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectual Property specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Those peo ple, who view intellectual property from legal or commercial standpoint, often refer to such a requirement as utility that has not been mentioned in our definition. Such characteristic as utility is more appropriate to some inventions, pharmaceutical recipes, new business models etc (Dratler, 1991, p 162; Bouchoux, 2001). Yet, this requirement is inapplicable to the works of art. Apart from that, the utility of many inventions were bitterly disputed when they came into existence. To prove this point, we can mention the alternating current system, designed by Nikola Tesla. At the end of the nineteenth century, it was widely believed that such systems could hardly find any practical application (Colladay, 1996). These are the reasons why such characteristics as utility or practical application have been excluded from the definition. Another important question which should be discussed in this paper is the ownership of intellectual property. As we have said, it derives from human disco very, invention, knowledge, or creativity. In the majority of cases, IP is the result of close collaboration, involving many participants, whose contribution is not always equal. In the thesis statement, it has been said that IP derives from invention, creativity, discovery or contest. The final component may seem slightly confusing at first glance, yet such copyrighted materials as broadcasts of football games are the result of competition and contest, yet they are also classified as intellectual property. Therefore, one can argue that while defining intellectual property one should not focus only on some scientific discoveries, technological devices and works of art. Such interpretation does not reflect the full complexity of this term because intellectual property can be just the result of mere coincidence, rather than some prodigious mental effort. The most important idea that can be derived from this discussion is that intellectual property can have several elements and charact eristics; however, the most important one is novelty. Moreover, it seems rather unreasonable to limit the notion of IP only to a specific list of intangible assets like books, pharmaceutical recipes, drawings, utility models and so forth. Such an approach can be suitable for commercial relations but it is not acceptable for philosophical discussion. Apart from that, we can say that utility, commercial value, and practical applicability are not inherent characteristics of the intellectual property. More likely, one has to speak about novelty and perceived value.Advertising Looking for essay on intellectual property? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reference List Barrett. M. (2008) Intellectual Property. Aspen Publishers Online. Bouchoux D. (2001) Protecting your company’s intellectual property: a practical guide to trademarks, copyrights, patents trade secrets. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Colladay. M. (1996) Introducing Nikola Tesla Throughout Some of His Achievements: Or, Prodigal Genius. Health Research Books. Dratler. J. (1991) Intellectual Property Law: Commercial, Creative and Industrial Property. Law Journal Press. Davies E. Bannock G. Uncles M. Trot. P. (2003). Intellectual Property. In  The New Penguin Business Dictionary. Web. Footnotes Contest and competition are important, when we are discussing sport events like football or hockey games. This essay on Intellectual Property was written and submitted by user Imperfects to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington essays

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington essays The film Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (dir. Frank Capra, 1939) emphasizes honesty verses falsehood. Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) has great honor and he upholds his integrity. Smith is always in constant danger because he lets his honesty take over. Fallacy and lies manipulate Smiths integrity to achieve their purposes. Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) and Senator Paine (Claude Rains) play great harm to Smith in the film. Taylor sharply utter, Ill break him so wide open theyll never be able to find the pieces. Taylor is an overall evil person that only cares about himself and his goals. He would destroy a person reputation or a thing to accomplish his objectives. Mr. Smith stands in the way of Taylors goals. Taylor and his partner, Senator Paine, use lies to corrupt Smith. They told the Senate that Smiths bill to build a boys camp is for his own profit. Smiths signature is sign on documents that Smith never saw before and Taylor knows who truly sign the documents. Smith main weapon is his honesty. At the end of the film, honesty prevails over falsehood. One of the Senators expresses his admiration for Smiths sincerity, But most of us feel that no man who wasnt sincere could stage a fight like this against these impossible odds. Smith came into the Senate not knowing such evil that could tear a person apart. He never let the lies and false statements break his spirit that is yearning for truth. A statement exclaim by Saunders, Smiths secretary,, Now youve been living in a boys world, Jeff, and for heavens sakes, stay there. Inside the mind of Smith, he is still a little boy but he has honesty. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington emphasizes honesty verses falsehood. Honesty triumphs over falsehood at the end of the film. Smith lets his honesty scuffle against Taylor and Paine false statements and lies. Smith does not surrender and he...

The Truth Behind the Alien Reptile Hoax

The Truth Behind the Alien Reptile Hoax In 1990, a former British soccer player named David Icke began sharing his psychic visions with the world. According to Icke, our planet is secretly being controlled by a race of humanoid reptiles from the Alpha Draconis star system, 300 light years away. Not only do these reptoids or reptilians live underground beneath the earths major cities, Icke contends, but they drink human blood and have the ability to shape-shift. Sadly, most of the worlds leaders have already been co-opted by these evil reptiles; Icke and his followers believe that former president George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II are both reptoids in disguise. Of course, Icke isnt the first person in history to ascribe supernatural powers to reptiles. Snake- and crocodile-like gods are common in ancient mythology, and there were some notable pop-culture reptilian references that preceded Icke (and may, in fact, have directly influenced his philosophy). In 1983, the hugely successful TV miniseries V featured an invasion by conniving alien reptiles disguised as humanoids. After Icke appeared on the scene, the most famous fictional reptilian is arguably the snake-like Voldemort from the Harry Potter books; however, theres no evidence that J.K. Rowling even knows who David Icke is. Are Reptoids Really Intelligent Dinosaurs? Its unclear whether or not Icke believes that his alien reptoids descended from, or were somehow responsible for, the dinosaurs that roamed the earth until 65 million years ago. However, bizarre conspiracy theories have a way of rapidly mutating, and the Icke cult has spawned a subset of enthusiasts who believe that dinosaurs didnt, in fact, go extinct, but evolved into super-intelligent reptoids- so super-intelligent, in fact, that theyve managed to evade detection to this day, except (perhaps) by ex-footballers prone to psychic visions. These conspiracy theorists have received an unintentional boost from North Carolina State paleontologist Dale Russell, who in 1982 published a paper speculating about what might have become of the dinosaur Troodon had the K/T Extinction not happened. Since Troodon was an uncommonly intelligent dinosaur, Russell surmised, its uninterrupted evolutionary arc might have resulted, tens of millions of years later, in a race of super-intelligent, humanoid reptilians. One common attribute of conspiracy theorists (not to mention religious fundamentalists and disbelievers in the theory of evolution) is to take the speculations of reputable scientists as established, carved-in-stone fact. Today, most adherents of the reptoid cult cite Russells paper as proving the existence of humanoid reptiles, and many uninformed readers have helped spread the word. Russell himself, of course, meant no such thing, and is doubtless embarrassed by the cult he unintentionally fueled with his research. Are Humanoid Reptiles a Scientific Possibility? Despite what Icke and other conspiracy theorists claim, theres absolutely no proof that a race of super-intelligent reptoids (or Martians, or swamp monsters) lurk beneath the sewers of Paris, New York, and Beijing. There is also no evidence that the earth has ever been visited by flying saucers or that reptilian aliens have tinkered with human DNA, or that Queen Elizabeth II is a lizard in disguise (though some Icke cultists claim to have seen a second eyelid flickering across her pupils, if you look really closely at slowed-down news footage). But is it possible that an isolated population of meat-eating dinosaurs (Troodon, or some other genus) managed to survive the K/T Extinction, and persist to this day on some remote island or in the middle of a dense rain forest? The odds are vanishingly small, but not zero. However, the chances are even more remote for a scenario in which these dinosaurs have evolved into super-intelligent beings, which would require (among other things) a huge increase in their population, making detection by (and competition with) contemporary human beings a certainty. The fact is that reptoids, reptilians, or whatever you want to call them simply dont exist, despite what David Icke and his followers claim.

The Pro's of Umbilical Cord Care (Triple Dye & alcohol) Research Paper

The Pro's of Umbilical Cord Care (Triple Dye & alcohol) - Research Paper Example Some of the methods were unsterile ad resulted in serious infections such as neonatal tetanus. Current umbilical care practices vary across different regions but have limited neonatal complications. Triple dye plus alcohol is one of the modern umbilical care treatments with several pros. The Pros of Umbilical Cord Care Using Triple Dye and Alcohol Regimen The kind of neonatal care given to newborn babies has great impact on the baby. Umbilical treatments aim at preventing infections during the cord separation. Umbilical cord is the cord that connects the baby with the placenta. It is mainly made up of blood vessels and acts as the connection between the mother and the foetus. After birth, the cord separates from the placenta, the cord stump dries and eventually falls, and the wound heals eventually. During the cord separation process, substances may collect and accumulate at the point of connection leading to infections. The cord takes about 5-15 days to separate. The umbilical stump provides a possible entry for bacteria. Therefore, there is need for use of appropriate treatment to aid the separation process, drying, and healing of the wound without infections. Antimicrobials are used to treat the umbilicus to fasten the cord separation and prevent bacterial colonization and other related complications of nursery infections as well as omphalitis. However, different antimicrobial work differently and may determine the time taken for cord to separate. Additionally, they may regulate the probability occurrence of any infections. Use of triple dye together with alcohol for treatment of umbilical cord is becoming a popular treatment for umbilical cord. The objective of this paper is to investigate the pros of Umbilical Cord Care using Triple Dye & alcohol. This analysis provides insights on how umbilical care impacts on nursing care. The paper will entail critical analysis of recent and relevant research related to the pros of using triple dye and alcohol in umbili cal cord care and make a conclusion regarding this method of nursing care. Triple dye is considered one of the most effective regimens for treatment of umbilical cord. A single application of the dye has been proved to prevent infections. However, the results are even better when triple dye is used together with alcohol. Studies have demonstrated that 90% alcohol is better in enhancing umbilical cord drying than other regimens such as povidone-iodine and Chinese herbs. Additionally, it has been proved that different regimen work differently in regions with different climatic conditions. However, some studies have shown that separation and healing occurs faster when Triple Dye is used together with alcohol. Discussion: Pro of Using Triple Dye Together with Alcohol for Cord Treatment    Umbilical cord care is one of the most important aspects of neonatal nursing care. This is because it greatly determines the health condition of the infant in the early stages after birth. Additional ly, the effectiveness of the care determines the survival rate of infants. The time taken for cord separation is greatly determined by the regime used for the care. Several studies have been done to establish the effectiveness of different regimes in determining the time taken for the cord to separate and the rate of infections following cord separation. The studies have established that the kind of regime used

Gene Silencing at the Nuclear Periphery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gene Silencing at the Nuclear Periphery - Essay Example Some epigenetic abnormalities have been identified in human tumors, offering tremendous scope for epigenetic modulation as part of cancer chemotherapy. (TY Kim, YJ Bang, KD Robertson, 2006) Histones are small, basic proteins which bind to DNA, to form nucleoproteins - this helps the DNA to be packed tightly into coiled coils. Histones are rich in the amino acids arginine and lysine. Unlike most proteins, histones are water soluble. The functions of histones include packing nucleoproteins for compaction, and chromatin regulation. Histones undergo modifications; this set of modifications which are interdependent and responsible for controlling gene activity is called the "Histone code". The histone code theory of gene regulation was articulated by David Allis and colleagues. According to this theory, expression of certain regions of DNA is turned on and off by histone code. Histone proteins are one of the most highly conserved proteins in eukaryotes, emphasizing their importance in cell biology. Heterochromatin is the condensed, dense form of chromatin, which is transcriptionally inactive; hence it is peripherally located. It is abundantly seen in resting or reserve cells. It stains deeply during interphase (resting stage). The heterochromatin part of a chromosome either lacks genes or has repressed genes. Heterochromatin is seen in both pro and eukaryotes. Euchromatin is delicate, thread-like, active form of chromatin. It is abundant in active, transcribing cells. The importance of euchromatin is because the portion of the DNA coil intended for transcription must uncoil, to permit reading of the code. It stains lightly and its gene concentration is high. It is usually under active transcription and hence it is partially or fully uncoiled. Prokaryotes have only euchromatin. NUCLEAR LOCALISATION - ROLE IN GENE EXPRESSION The vital facts about gene silencing are: (Shaklai et al, 2007) 1. Chromosomes rich in genes are centrally located in the nucleus. Conversely, gene poor ones are located in the periphery. 2. Inactive genes are silenced and translocated to the periphery. 3. If chromatin is moved to the periphery, it is silenced and rendered inactive. Gene silencing plays an important role in determining the fate of different cell lines during development and defining their temporal order. (Fischer, Merkenschlager 2002) cDNA MICROARRAY TECHNIQUE cDNA microarray (c -complimentary) is a tool which helps us analyze and measure the activity of genes. This is done using the process of molecular hybridization. Adenine and thymine are complimentary; Guanine and cytosine are complimentary. While studying two pieces of DNA, if they hybridize (bind to one another), then we can conclude they are complimentary strands - opposite strands of a single gene. Conversely, if they do not hybridize, then they are unrelated. Microarray expression technique has many applications - Gene expression profiling (comparing gene expressions in normal and abnormal cells), study of multigenic diseases like Parkinson's disease,detection of

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Supply chain performance Essay The contents of the paper comprise the case study of ACTAVIS BULGARIA EAD Sofia’s supply chain performance evaluation. It is elaborated in the paper that supply chain performance evaluation is not a simple concept; instead, it pertains to various drives, environmental factors, needs, technologies, and other forces. Managers must keep on evaluating the supplier’s performance in order to provide the company with competitive advantage. The evaluation and improvement of supply chain is somewhat oversimplified.   How the results of the evaluation will enhance the productivity of company is also discussed. Outline of Paper: The paper focuses on the supply chain management of the Actavis Bulgaria company and covers the following main points: The importance of measuring the performance of the organisations supplies chain (upstream and downstream). Key performance indicators to assess the company’s suppliers have been used. Critical examination of the possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain has been undertaken. Importance of Supply Chain performance evaluation: With the increasing globalization the competition between the firms is also increasing.  Ã‚   The Speed of delivery is becoming a key indicator of supply chain success. The dynamic nature of current and future operations requires constant analysis of medical materieldown to the individual item leveltransiting this pipeline. The goal of a supply chain should be to maximize overall supply chain profitability. Supply chain profitability is the difference between the revenue generated from the customer and the total cost incurred across all the stages of the supply chain. Supply chain decisions have a large impact on the success or failure of each firm because they significantly influence both the revenue generated as well as the cost incurred. Successful supply chains manage flows of product, information and funds to provide a high level of product availability to the customer while keeping costs low. Measuring the performance of the supply chain is critical to identifying troubled segments, determining success, and assessing operational capabilities. Measuring performance requires a metric that measures the time from demand creation to demand fulfillment at the customer level. Average customer wait time: a supply chain performance indicator Army Logistician, Nov-Dec, 2004 by David R. Gibson http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAI/is_6_36/ai_n8704513 From the managerial focus, the performance measurement can be defined as the information regarding the processes and products results, that allows the evaluation and the comparison in relation to goals, patterns, past results and with other processes and products. Also, it is important to highlight that a managerial performance evaluation system needs to be focused on results, which should be guided by the stakeholder’s interests. Beamon Ware (1998) affirm that the adoption of performance indicators should deal with the following questions: Which aspects should be measured? How to measure these aspects? How to use the measures to analyze, improve and control the productive chain quality? It is noticed that this is not an easy task, once there are several indicators available and it is necessary to align the used measures with the involved companies goals. In this direction, Maskell (1991) emphasizes the establishment of a relationship between the performance measures and the company strategic objectives. According to Beamon (1998), previous researches indicate that the exclusive use of costs as a performance indicator is common among the companies. This happens because the performance measurement through a single indicator is relatively simple. It should be attempted, even so, to the fact that this practice can provide very superficial information about the reality. Beamon (1996) also affirms that the chosen indicators should present simultaneously, inclusiveness (to include the measure of all the pertinent aspects), universality (to allow the comparison under several operational conditions), measurability (to guarantee that the necessary data are measurable) and consistency (to guarantee consistent measures with the objectives of the organization). On the other hand, it is not recommended to simply discard costs as a performance indicator due to its importance. The alternative would be the adoption of multiple indicators, involving a cost combination with time, flexibility and quality, according to the company competitive priorities. Traditionally, the performance evaluation is limited to an isolated company or productive process. For an effective SCM it is necessary to expand these concepts beyond the company limits, involving all the supply chain players. It is necessary then, the development of a performance evaluation system embracing all the business units. This can be achieved through the adaptation of the traditional performance evaluation systems. Currently Actavis operates in the country split into two divisions Operations and Sales Marketing. Actavis Bulgaria Operations is a holding company responsible for the management of the three factories providing first class generic products, mainly for the Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian and CIS markets. The Sales Marketing division is represented in the country by Actavis EAD, a company registered under the Bulgarian law. It employs about 200 people and operates three warehouses in the country. Actavis EAD is mainly focused on marketing the Groups products as first class generics on the Bulgarian market, which is the third biggest market for the companys own brand revenues world wide. Following its strategy for a vertical integration on the Bulgarian market Actavis recently acquired one of the biggest local distribution companies, Higia. It is expected that the combination of Actavis strong portfolio and Higias strategically important foothold in the distribution of pharmaceuticals will provide a more direct route to the customers and also provide a stronger platform for future growth. Commercial entities licensed by the Ministry of Health for wholesale trading with pharmaceuticals. Due to the corporate structure of Actavis AD (Bulgaria), the wholesale companies are the end-users of the company, since Actavis AD (Bulgaria) does not distribute its products directly to pharmacies and hospitals but through its distributing companies (wholesalers) to which â€Å"to the market† sales are made. The value added by the distributing companies to the overall commercial activities of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is defined both by the key position of our major partners in the whole pharmacy supply chain and by the ever improving logistics and warehouse capacities of the leading national distributing companies. The distributing companies are the company’s clients and at Actavis the customers are treated as a key to the company’s success†. The wholesalers’ role for the overall business of Actavis AD (Bulgaria) is extremely important also due to the fact that the key distributing companies (e.g. Commercial League, Sanita Trading, Kaliman) have developed vertical integration within the distribution channel, that is they own pharmacy chains. (Actavis, 2004) The generic pharmaceuticals industry is rapidly consolidating on a global basis with the key factors for future success being scale, geographic reach, product pipeline depth and access to low-cost manufacturing. The combination of Actavis and PLIVA achieves all of these crucial requirements and would create the third largest generic pharmaceuticals company globally, with the geographic scope and size necessary to compete with the largest industry players. Furthermore: * The two companies are a perfect fit which will enable a rapid integration process and create a business with a leading position in the key US, European and Asian markets and a robust portfolio covering the entire spectrum of generic and biogeneric pharmaceutical products. * PLIVA will become an integral part of the combined Groups growth strategy and benefit from increased investment and a strengthened infrastructure. Actavis plans to increase the number of employees in Croatia to generate stronger growth and greater success. Actavis intends to increase production and R;D activities in Croatia, which will ultimately lead to more jobs in the region. * The enlarged business will benefit from low cost manufacturing facilities, efficient distribution and enhanced supply chain capabilities. Actavis has a strong track record of being able to drive down manufacturing costs across the Group without impacting the employee base. * PLIVA will become the headquarters for a substantial part of the enlarged business, and at the same time benefit from Actavis global footprint and infrastructure. * Actavis will seek a stock listing in Zagreb to encourage ongoing support from the investment community in Croatia. * Actavis puts great value on PLIVAs Croatian roots and is committed to revitalizing the PLIVA brand and expanding its recognition in key markets. * Actavis has a high opinion of PLIVAs management team and envisages them playing a central role in the new company and sharing decisions regarding future strategy. 20. 04. 2006Actavis announces improved preliminary proposal to Pliva http://www.actavis.bg/en/News/Pliva+improved+proposal.htm Performance measurement of Actavis Suppliers: Supplier performance must be rated on each of these factors because they impact the total supply chain cost. Next we discuss how each factor affects total supply chain cost and how a supplier’s rating on the factor can be used to infer a total cost of using the supplier. 1.replenishment lead time: As the replenishment lead time from a supplier grows the amount of safety inventory that needs to be held by the buyer also grows proportional to the square root of the replenishment lead time. Lead-time performances by a supplier can directly the translated into the required safety inventory using equation 11.9. Scoring the performance of suppliers in terms of replenishment lead-time thus allows the firm to evaluate the impact each supplier has on the cost of holding safety inventory. 2. On-time performance: On-time performance affects the variability of the lead-time. A reliable supplier has low variability of lead-time whereas an unreliable supplier has high variability. As the variability of lead-time grows, the required safety inventory at the firm grows very rapidly. 3. Supply flexibility: Supply flexibility is the amount of variation in order quantity that a supplier can tolerate without letting other performance factors deteriorate. The less flexible a supplier is, the more lead time variability he will display as order quantities change. Supply flexibility thus impacts the level of safety inventory that the firm will have to carry. 4. Delivery frequency/minimum lot size: The delivery frequency and the minimum lot size offered by a supplier affect the size of each replenishment lot ordered y a firm. As the replenishment lot size grows, the cycle inventory at the firm grows, thus increasing the cost of holding inventory. For a firm using a periodic review policy, delivery frequency also impacts the required safety inventory. Thus, delivery frequency of a supplier can be converted into the cost of holding cycle as safety inventory. 5. Supply quality: A worsening of supply quality increases the variability of the supply of components available to a firm. Quality affects the lead-time taken by the supplier to complete the replenishment order and also the variability of this lead-time because follow-up orders often need to be fulfilled to replace defective products. As a result, the firm will have to carry more safety inventory from a low-quality supplier compared to a high-quality supplier. Once a relationship between supply quality lead-time and lead-time variability is established, each supplier’s quality level can be converted to the required safety inventory and the associated holding cost. The component quality also impacts customer satisfaction and product cost because of rework, lost material, and the cost of inspection. 6. Inbound transportation cost: The total cost of using a supplier includes the inbound transportation cost of bringing material in from the supplier. Sourcing a product overseas may have lower product cost but will generally incur a higher inbound transportation cost, which must be accounted for when comparing suppliers. The distance, mode of transportation, and the delivery frequency affect the inbound transportation cost associated with each supplier. 7. Pricing terms: Pricing terms include the allowable time delay before payments have to be made and any quantity discounts offered by the supplier. Allowable time delays in payment to suppliers save the buyer working capital. The cost of working capital savings for each supplier can be quantified. Price terms also include discounts for purchases above certain quantities. Quantity discounts lower the unit cost but tend to increase the required batch size and as result the cycle inventory.