Childhood Obesity and Fast Food Essay examples - 1643 Words

In recent years there has been a growing epidemic of obesity, especially in America. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey posted on the Center for Disease Control website there are 12.5 million children from ages 2 through 19 that are obese. Many people are starting to complain that the commercials and ads for these restaurants are the result of such an incline in obesity. Although there have been current ad campaigns aiming at children to live a healthy life style there are still hundreds of advertisements that are putting restaurants in a sort of ultimatum position. Either restaurants change their advertisements or they improve their menus. In 1979 McDonalds debuted their world famous Happy Meals to the†¦show more content†¦According to Ken Yeager, a county supervisor, 2 it is unfair to parents and children to use toys to capture the taste of children when they are young to get them hooked on eating high sugar, high fat foods early in life. San ta Clara is not alone though. San Francisco is joining them with the ban of toys in the meals. With an out of the ball park vote of 8-3 by the citys board of supervisors, Happy Meals in San Francisco will also need to meet a certain standard in order for a toy to be added to the meal. And not to mention, there would also need to be an additional serving of fruits or vegetables. Aside from marketing toys to children restaurants have tried to hop on the health and nutrition band wagon and improve their menus. Wendys has added mandarin oranges to their side items, both McDonalds and Burger King offer some sort of apple slice side served with a dipping sauce, and all three restaurants offer milk as a drink instead of soda. It seems to be that the more and more parents and advocates approach a restaurant with the nutritional value of the food offered at their establishment; the more a restaurant feels obligated to improve their menu Even with the improvements in the menu the advertisemen ts continue to be the same. According to fastfoodmarketing.org in 2009 restaurants spent over $4.2 billion for television ads.Show MoreRelatedFast Food And Childhood Obesity1166 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Childhood obesity is a serious epidemic, affecting children across the world. In our country alone, 17% of all children and adolescents are now obese, triple the rate from just a generation ago† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). This drastic increase leads researchers and ordinary citizens alike to speculate about possible causes. Fast food consumption is one potential cause that has received widespread attention. Many researchers have looked at the relationshipRead MoreFast Food and Childhood Obesity Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesAdvertisement and Childhood Obesity ENGL/101-B25 Would you feed your children lard? The answer for most all of us is â€Å"No Way†. Most parents can safely say that they want healthy choices for their children and would never want to give them something that is bad for them. However, with many of the foods on fast food menus this is not far from the truth. We have all heard the statement that childhood obesity is on the rise, and has been for quite some time now. We have seen the heartbreaking storiesRead MoreChildhood Obesity Is The Consumption Of Fast Food970 Words   |  4 Pages Childhood obesity in the United States has been increasing for the last thirty years. Obesity is defined as an excessive amount of fat located in the body and it varies with the individual s height and age. For example, what is considered obese weight for someone may be different to another person. In addition, some of the causes of obesity are excessive junk food, lack of motivation to exercise and lack of knowledge about nutrition and fitness . Often times, children do not consider the nutritionalRead MoreFast Food Advertising and Childhood Obesity1870 Words   |  8 PagesFast Food Advertising And Childhood Obesity A rise in obesity has been observed in the United States in the last two decades. Obesity is one problem that gives birth to numerous fatal diseases, including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a survey and found that, â€Å"More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese†Read MoreFast Food and the Risk of Childhood Obesity Essay1774 Words   |  8 PagesThe fast food industry promotes childhood obesity by manipulating the young mind, putting them at risk for health complications such as hypertension and diabetes. The super-sizing of America is been a frequently talked about subject lately. Especially since it is seem to have negative effects on the health of children and adults alike through massive consumption of fast food. Health providers and other authority figures are now concerned abou t children’s obesity rates shown during the past 3-4 decadesRead MoreLinking Childhood Obesity to Fast Food Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pagesin the world. Our nation has slowly gravitated towards fast food, allowing for a new industry to explode and expand over the past few decades. This monumental fast food industry has become a symbol of America and our diets. Fast food is convenient, quick, and cheap, requiring hardly any effort. It is the perfect formula for our fast-paced nation and suffering economy. The problem is shown through our sky-high rate of obesity. Though fast food has some short-term benefits like saving time and a fewRead MoreIs Fast Food Really The Main Reason For Childhood Obesity?907 Words   |  4 PagesIs fast food really the main reason for the rise in childhood obesity? No, it is not their fault. In fact, I believe the main reason for childhood obesity is the parents. Most parents care about their kids but yet they allow them to eat unhealthy food, wa tch television for long periods of time, and reward them with food. Although, the cause of childhood obesity is debated. Two of the main causes is food choices and advertisements. Exercise is critical, it is an important part in keeping your bodyRead MoreChildhood Obesity: Fast Food Companies Are To Blame Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesSince the fast food industry is targeting America’s youth, providing healthier options on children’s menus will reduce the rate of childhood obesity and allow for a healthy future. According to â€Å"Burger Battles† from the Weekly Reader, obesity is defined as a person whose weight is 20 percent higher than recommended for their height (Burger Battles 1). When this condition begins to affect children lives, it is then known as childhood obesity. Within the United States of America, around 15 percentRead MoreMan Vs. Food : Fast Food Can Contribute To Childhood Obesity1267 Words   |  6 Pages Man vs. Food: Fast Food Can Contribute to Childhood Obesity The United States of America has always been a safe and well-constructed country. Over the past years, it has tried to progress in numerous ways. However, America is suffering daily from obesity issues that can be prevented. America is becoming uncontrollable when it comes down to the consumption of too much fast food. When fast food was introduced to Americans, it had many advantages. These advantages have suddenly converted into disadvantagesRead MoreFast Food Restaurants, Childhood Obesity, and Healthy Eating Habits3327 Words   |  13 Pages Fast Food Restaurants, Childhood Obesity, and Healthy Eating Habits Today, fast food restaurants are often blamed for childhood obesity. This is however a simplistic point of view, there are a number of factors that contribute to the current epidemic of childhood obesity. When all is said and done, the responsibly of teaching children healthy eating habits and encouraging regular exercise to mitigate this problem lies with parents. It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese

Assisted Suicide Essay - 1518 Words

The right to assisted suicide is an intricate topic posed upon those in the United States and several other countries throughout the world. Assisted suicide proposes a controversy of whether or not a person has a right to solicit death through the help of a licensed physician. This issue has sparked an intense moral controversy. Assisted suicide has become apparent in various places around the world such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Oregon and Washington (Humphry). The increasing legalization of assisted suicide creates an even bigger controversy because it disrespects the beliefs of many who are pro-life. But, the act of legalizing assisted suicide in countries and states shows that people are starting†¦show more content†¦Assisted suicide must not be confused with euthanasia. There are two forms of euthanasia, passive and active. Active euthanasia is similar to assisted suicide in that it requires lethal substances to cause death in a patient. But, euthanasia differs from assisted suicide through passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia entails the death of a person from the withdrawal of treatments necessary for the continuance of life. In the United States, passive euthanasia is legal. How is it moral to allow the suffering and torture of a patient from withdrawal of treatment, and immoral to inject a lethal dose that causes a quick and painless death? When a family’s dog is found to be suffering and dying we do not just sit and watch the dog as it’s dying, we take it to the vet to be put down which relieves it from pain. So why is it moral to allow a human being starve to death, when a simple lethal injection can cause a quick, painless, and dignified death. Suffering is surely not a pleasant way to die. I believe that a person should have the independence and freedom to decide their fate, as long as it doesn’t cause harm on others such as family, friends, and the doctors involved. Because of the rapid and dramatic developments in medicine and technology in today’s society, it has given us the power to to save more lives, yet prolong the death of the patients whose physical and mental capabilities cannot beShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Assisted Suicide And Suicide1062 Words   |  5 PagesAfter researching assisted suicide I have more questions than when I started. The definition of assisted suicide is very factual: suicide facilitated by another person, especially a physician, who organized the logistics of the suicide, as by providing the necessary quantities of a poison (The definition of assisted suicide 2016). After much research I have learned that assisted suicide is an option one has to make depending on their moral standards, will to live, and how they want to die ratherRead More Euthanasia Essay - Assisted Suicide1579 Words   |  7 PagesAssisted Suicide/Euthanasia      Ã‚   Remarkably, few have noticed that frail, elderly and terminally ill people oppose assisted suicide more than other Americans. The assisted-suicide agenda is moving forward chiefly with vocal support from the young, the able-bodied and the affluent, who may even think that their parents and grandparents share their enthusiasm. They are wrong.    Thus the assisted suicide agenda appears as a victory not for freedom, but for discrimination. At its heartRead MoreDoctor Assisted Suicide And Suicide1585 Words   |  7 PagesDoctor assisted suicide is a topic that has recently become a much larger debated issue than before. A timeline put together by Michael Manning and Ian Dowbigging shows that prior to Christianity, doctor assisted suicide was something that was tolerated, and was not heavily questioned (2). Yet, in the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas had made a statement about suicide as well as doctor assisted suicide, and his words shaped the Catholic teaching on suicide into what they teach today. Beginning in theRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Should Be Legal1578 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the alternative options is Physician-Assisted Suicide; defined as the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician (â€Å"Physician-assi sted†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). In layman’s terms it means that a physician administers medications to the patients to use on their own terms, and it’s entirely up to the patient whether or not to ingest the medication. I know Physician-Assisted Suicide is a practical solution to terminally ill patients’Read MoreEssay Problems with Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide1262 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia Problems      Ã‚  Doctors do err on cancer patients survival times, so how can they say when the time is ripe for assisted suicide. A study in the July 1 issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, finds that doctors are often wrong in predicting how long terminally ill cancer patients will live. After studying the accuracy of doctors predictions regarding 233 patients with end-of-life cancer, the researchers found most doctors had a tendency to overestimate survivalRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Essay1214 Words   |  5 Pagesrelentless pain and agony through physician assisted death? Physician-Assisted Suicide PAS is highly contentious because it induces conflict of several moral and ethical questions such as who is the true director of our lives. Is suicide an individual choice and should the highest priority to humans be alleviating pain or do we suffer for a purpose? Is suicide a purely individual choice? Having analyzed and even experience the effects of physician assisted suicide, I promote and fully support its legalityRead MorePhysician’s Assisted Suicide1063 Words   |  5 Pagesthe question may arise as to whether or not third parties should be allowed to intentionally end the life of the patient or help the patient commit suicide. Physician’s assisted suicide should be a legal option for terminally ill patients all throughout the United States. Currently in the US there are three states that have physician assisted suicide laws in place. Oregon was the first state to pass a law allowing physicians to help end the lives of the terminally ill. This law was called the 1997Read MoreThe Legalization of Assisted Suicide1291 Words   |  5 PagesAssisted Suicide has through out history caused controversy among our society. There are two sides to this issue, one that passionately supports it, and those who religiously disagree. I believe that assisted suicide should become legal for several reasons. Assisted suicide gives individuals the right to end their suffering when they personally feel that their time has come to die. Assisted suicide should become legal because if one can decide to put an animal out of its misery, why shouldn’t thatRead MoreThe Choice Of Assisted Suicide1314 Words   |  6 Pag esthe law so patients are allowed to lawfully receive assistance to peacefully pass away. The acceptability to acquire â€Å"assisted suicide† has been designed into five factors. It is the combination of a patient’s age, curability of illness, degree of suffering, mental status, and extent of patients requests for the procedure. Moreover, no discussion on assisted suicide is complete without looking into the experience of Oregon, which was the first state in the U.S. to pass the Death with DignityRead MoreEuthanasia and Assisted Suicide1645 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are actions at the core of what it means to be human - the moral and ethical actions that make us who we are, or who we ought to be. Euthanasia, a subject known in the twenty-first century, is subject to many discussions about ethical permissibility, which date back to as far as ancient Greece and Rome. It was not until the Hippocratic School removed the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide from medical practice. Euthanasia in itself raise s many

Tattoos and Body Piercing free essay sample

That was what most people covered in tattoos and body piercing were nicknamed in an era gone by. Today, this widely common phenomenon is widely spread from young adolescence to the older generations and some still carry those nicknames. Tattooing and body piercing has come along way since the time of un-sterilized and unsanitary practices. Body piercing and tattoos are becoming a favorable form of self expression; one should consider the precautions and safety risks before making a hasty decision. Knowing what the processes are for body piercing and tattooing is a big step in understanding what these art forms are. Where the most reputable establishments are is a major key in getting the best results and staying safe when altering the body. Learning how to care for these adornments is a vital necessity in maintaining the integrity of the adornment as well as remaining healthy and infection free. The first question to ask when considering self adornment is, â€Å"What is a tattoo or body piercing? † A tattoo and body piercing are forms of skin adornments. (American Academy of Dermatology, 2004) A tattoo is the art of injecting permanent ink into the skin to form a picture or word. A body piercing is the wearing of jewelry through the skin. Tattoos should be performed by a licensed technician using a sterile inking gun to inject the colorful dyes or pigments into the first several layers of epidermis. With every prick of the needle, ink droplets are left behind to create a piece of art. Whereas body piercing is the puncturing of body parts and inserting body jewelry that can be changed or removed. This procedure is usually done by numbing the area first with a local anesthetic to reduce the pain on the participant. The equipment that professional technicians use for tattooing is a small machine with tubes containing dye that pierces the skin repeatedly—an action that resembles a sewing machine. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2007) Non-professionals have used needles, safety pins and other sharp instruments pushing India ink, ashes and pen ink through the skin, this practice should be avoided due to unsanitary conditions and the threat of infection or disease are more common. The American Academy of Dermatology (2004) has stated that there are five different types of tattoos. The first type of tattoo is, Traumatic. Traumatic tattoos are unwanted bedding of debrisand dirt. Road rash from an accident is one example. The second type of tattoo is Amateur. Amateur tattooing is performed by non-professional individuals that have had little or no formal training. This practice is done by inserting India ink or ashes under the skin using sharp instruments; example would include a jail house tattoo. The third type of tattoo is the professional. The professional tattoo is considered artistry and is among the safest practices for tattooing. Professional tattooists use sterilized guns that inject small amounts of dye under the epidermis creating works of art. Next, there is the medical tattoo. Medical tattoos are used for landmarks in certain treatments like radiation. Medical tattoos are placed by medical physicians. Last, the cosmetic tattoo. Cosmetic tattoos are used for permanent makeup such as eyeliner, lip liner, lipstick, and eyebrows. One cosmetic tattoo that most people are unaware of is to replace the nipple after a breast surgery. The equipment for body piercing varies from a surgical needle to a single use, sterilized piercing gun used for the earlobe. Body piercing is performed by pushing a hollow needle through the body part and inserting a piece of body jewelry. Before technology became so advanced, safety pins, needles and other sharp objects were used for these piercing. This type of unsanitary practice caused many infections and diseases for the person receiving the body jewelry. Body piercing can be on any part of the body; however the most common areas are: ears, lip, eyebrow, belly button, nose, tongue, nipple and genital areas. Female ear piercing has long been accepted in Western culture, but in the last 25 years male ear piercing and the piercing of body parts has become widespread American Academy of Dermatology, 2004) Just pick a location and a piercing can be done in that location. Where to find a reputable establishment? Local health departments can give information and licensing requirements on the body piercing or tattoo establishments in their areas along with which establishment is state licensed and inspected. Upon choosing an establishment, questions that should be asked to the technician prior to the body piercing or tattoo might be: Is this location licensed, what is the sterilization practices, is there an autoclave that is used to sterilize, how long has this location been in business, are there references and is there a monitored infection rate? The technician should not be offended in theses questions, unless they have something to hide. Only well established practitioners would welcome the questions without dismay. Along with tattoo establishments, body piercing can be done also at many beauty salons as well as mall jewelry stores. These types of retail stores should also be state licensed and inspected as well. Feel free to ask these locations the same questions that would be asked at a tattoo parlor. As professionals, they should not be offended and understand the safety aspect of the situation The consequences of not using a professional technician or licensed establishment could be tremendous. With the tattoo, there are infections, blood-borne diseases, such as Hepatitis B or HIV, and skin disorders to be aware of. One precaution to be aware of is that tattoos may interfere with medical tests like the MRI due to the iron oxide and heavy metal pigments in the tattoo ink. Tattoos can be removed by laser surgery, dermabrasion and surgical removal. However, these processes are painful and expensive and do not always work for complete removal. With body piercing, the things to watch for are: blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis B or HIV, oral complications, skin infections such as Staphylococcus aureaus, (staph infection), bacterial infections called pseudomonas, toxic shock syndrome, sepsis, and scars or keliods. Vascular growths, called pyongenic granulomas have also been known to develop due to body piercing. If a vascular growth appears, it must be removed for safety reasons. Embedding may also occur, which is skin that grows over the piercing due to a stud being too tight. The after care for a tattoo or body piercing is necessary to avoid any of the earlier mentioned consequences. According to the Mayo Clinic Staff (2007), an establishment that provides the body piercing or tattoo should give detailed instructions on after care of the body piercing or tattoo. The after care for the tattoo will depend on the type and extent of the tattoo. All tattoos should include the cleaning with soap and water, applying moisturizer regularly and avoiding sun exposure for at least the first few weeks. Tattoos can take up to several days to heal and the scab should not be picked off. For body piercing, the after care will vary depending on location of the piercing. For an oral piercing, use an antibacterial, alcohol free mouthwash up to one minute followed by brushing the teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush after each meal while the piercing is healing. For any type of skin piercing, use a cotton swab to remove any crusting, rinse with warm water and apply a liquid medicated cleanser to the area. The jewelry should be turned from side to side to increase the antibacterial distribution to the puncture site. Avoiding the use of rubbing alcohol or peroxide due to they dry out the skin. Once the piercing has healed, removal and replacement can be done with ease. The long- term care of a tattoo or body piercing is as important as the initial care. For the tattoo, a moisturizer should be used daily to keep the tattoo healthy looking and from drying out. Sunscreen should be used when the tattoo will be in direct sunlight. With a body piercing, the main objective for long- term care is to make sure the area is kept clean and to use good body jewelry. Jewelry made from brass and nickel tends to cause allergic reactions. Jewelry made from surgical steel, titanium, 14 or 18 karat gold or niobium, are the best choices to make. Tattoos and body piercing, may not be for everyone but to those who choose to have one or more of these body adornments, be wise in choosing a piercing or tattoo, it is a long-term commitment and the youth of today will have to adjust into adult hood and the business world of tomorrow. In conclusion, a tattoo and body piercing are forms of body art and adornment that should be performed by well established technicians that maintain a safe and sterile environment and provide after care instructions to all their patrons. Knowing how the body art is performed is important to having beautiful adornments and avoiding infections and diseases should be a major objective for a tattoo or body piercing. Following the after care routine should be in place and remain long after the body piercing or tattoo has been received. Years of enjoyment from the body piercing or tattoo can be reached if the rules are followed correctly. Have fun, be safe and enjoy those beautiful works of art.

The Eiffel Tower Essay Example For Students

The Eiffel Tower Essay The Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel tower is the trademark of Paris,France. With the tower being 984ft, its kind of hard not to noticeit. The tower has a restaurant, radio and television transmitterand more. Gustave A. Eiffel created the tower to enter it in theworlds fair. It was made with wrought iron and had medium wind resistance. Gustave started in 1889 and completed in 1910. Gustave A. Eiffel created the Eiffel Tower. Eiffel oversaw the construction with such success that in 1866 he foundedhis own company and soon became known for his wrought iron structures. Starting in 1872 he attracted foreign contracts, and in 1877 he createdover the Douro River in Porto, Portugal, a steel arch bridge 525 ft inheight. The Eiffel Tower is a landmark and an earlyexample of wrought-iron construction on a gigantic scale. It wasdesigned and built by the French civil engineer Gustave Alexandre Eiffelfor the Paris Worlds Fair of 1889. The tower, without its modernbroadcasting antennae, is 984 ft high. The lower section consistsof four immense arched legs set on masonry piers. The legs curveinward until they unite in a single tapered tower. Platforms, eachwith an observation deck, are at three levels; on the first is also a restaurant. The tower, constructed of about 7000 tons of iron, has stairs and elevators. A meteorological station, a radio communications station, and a televisiontransmission antenna, as well as a suite of rooms that were used by Eiffelare located near the top of the tower. Eiffels work combined expert craftsmanshipand graceful design. Completed in 1884, it was for a time the highestbridge in the world, winning Eiffels factory a worldwide reputation forexcellence. Eiffel cast Frederic Auguste Bartholdis colossal statueLiberty Enlightening the World, which was dedicated in New York in 1886. Soon after, he began work on his greatest project, the building of theEiffel Tower. It was completed in 1889 for the celebration of thecentennial of the French Revolution (1789-1799). Eiffel was not apopular man when he started building the huge steel-frame tower that wouldoverlook Paris. The structure was just too different and the critics didntlike it at all. In 1887, the leading artists of Paris signed a petitionto have what they regarded as a monstrosity torn down immediately. Fortunately for Paris, their call was ignored. And though Parisians didntlike it at first, they began to grow fond of the structure they initiallycalled a Cyclops and a skeleton. The Eiffel Tower was completed in1889, just in time to show off for the Worlds Fair, being held that yearin Paris. The tower was also a sign of things to come. Eiffel wastaking full advantage of a new building material, structural steel. Withit he took the first step in creating what would become the modern skyscraper. The imposing tower-constructed of 7,000tons of iron in 18,000 parts held together by 2,500,000 rivets rises toa height of 984 ft and continues to dominate the Paris skyline. Inthe early 1890s Eiffel gave up the daily management of his business andbecame absorbed in the new science of aerodynamics. Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin, thetwo chief engineers in Eiffels company, had the idea for a very tall towerin June 1884. It was to be designed like a large pylon with four columnsof lattice work girders, separated at the base and coming together at thetop, and joined to each other by more metal girders at regular intervals. The company had by this time mastered perfectly the principle of buildingbridge supports. The tower project was a bold extension of this principleup to a height of 300 meters, equivalent to the symbolic figure of 1000ft. On September 18 1884 Eiffel registered a patent for a new figurationallowing the construction of metal supports and pylons capable of exceedinga height of 300 meters. .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .postImageUrl , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:hover , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:visited , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:active { border:0!important; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 { 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; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:active , .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .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; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570 .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue49d31bd7368cb54d75325f6dfd04570:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Canterbury EssayEiffels clockwork precision had enabledhim not only to meet his deadline, but to build the structure with theloss of only one life, that of a worker who fell from the first platformwhile apparently showing off for his girlfriend after the bell had soundedending the working day. The Eiffel tower is the trademark for Paris. Even though The people of Paris didnt like the tower, they got to likeit, so did the tourist. Then they found out about the good transmittingwith the radio and the television. Now the Eiffel tower is a majortourist attraction, and one of the best standing structures in the world.

Master in Finance Application Essay Sample

Master in Finance Application Essay SampleAn important part of the application process is writing an essay on your Master in Finance application. Whether you are applying for a graduate or undergraduate program, it is a requirement to pass. The essays are written to answer a specific question and give more information about yourself, the degree, and why you want to be a finance professional. When completing this application, be sure to have a thorough understanding of how your essay will be evaluated.In most programs, finance is a broad subject that covers business, accounting, economics, and management. Master's graduates of an MBA or financial management program may also focus on a specific area, such as banking, commodities, equities, international finance, international trade, and insurance. Additionally, it can vary by school, but the focus is usually on the candidate's knowledge and experience, as well as professional goals. After answering the selection question on what you ho pe to gain from a finance degree, the essay comes next.The essay is considered part of the application and can only be used once. The essay is to be an individual reflection, and should address the major points of the application. There are many factors that may influence how the applicant will be selected for admission, including scores on the SAT and ACT, grades, extracurricular activities, and recommendations. In addition, it must also be typed and pasted correctly, and must be at least 500 words.As the application process goes through the selection process, the essay sample will be analyzed and studied thoroughly. This is where experience and knowledge of finance and other related subjects will help. Even if it seems like common sense, writing a cohesive essay should be simple and straight forward. With practice, the applicant will improve their ability to organize their thoughts, communicate them accurately, and write concisely.It is a given fact that the complete application i s the first thing that is seen by the admissions committee. This means that there is a greater need for writing proficiency than any other part of the application. The applicant's resume and transcript must match the essay format in order to be considered. A well written, structured, and comprehensive application is the perfect combination of preparation and performance.Financial writing is the language of finance. The process includes planning, presentation, editing, research, and rewriting. It can be an overwhelming prospect, but with good direction and practice, the student will enjoy creating a masterpiece.The process starts with the application itself. The student writes his or her profile, beginning with the academic details. It is a good idea to consult an editor before beginning the essay. They can offer suggestions to help make the essay easier to write and to write with a professional voice.If this step is skipped, the student may use a calculator or other exact numbers, b ut most banks and colleges require both precise and approximate information. Some students have trouble thinking outside of the box, but this is a helpful process to work through. The key is to gather information, consolidate it, and understand the flow of information required to write an essay, as well as how the bank and college would handle it.

The Electoral College System Is One Which Is Criticized Often. In Most

The electoral college system is one which is criticized often. In most of the countries in the world their leader is chosen by popular vote. This was true even in communist countries, although many times only one candidate runs sometime. This system of popular vote is not used in the United States, the country that is supposed to be the most democratic. The Electoral College, the constitutional system for the election of the president and vice president of the United States. It is the collective name for a group of electors, nominated by political parties within the states and popularly elected, who meet to vote for those two offices. Each party within a state selects a slate of electors numerically equal to the state's congressional delegation. The electors normally pledge to vote for the nominees of their party, but they are not constitutionally required to do so. When the American people vote for president and vice president, they are actually voting for slates of electors pledged to their candidates. Because the electors usually are chosen at large, the electoral vote of each state is cast as a unit, and the victorious presidential and vice presidential nominees in each state win the state's entire electoral vote. The candidates receiving a majority of the total electoral vote in the United States are elected. The electoral college system was established in ArticleII, section I, of the U. S. Constitution and has been modified mainly by the 12th Amendment. Numerous plans have been proposed for eliminating or altering the electoral college, including direct election of the president and vice president by popular vote. It extremely ironic that the what is supposed to be the most democratic government in the world, does not choose a president according to what the majority of the people want. The electoral college system generally gives all of a state's electoral votes to the winner in that state, no matter how slim the margin. Thus it has happened that candidates have been elected even though they received fewer popular votes than their opponents. Both Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison, in 1888, were elected in this manner. In the case of Hayes, a special electoral commission was called in 1877 to decide the contested returns. John Quincy Adams also received fewer popular votes than his opponent, Andrew Jackson, in the election of 1824, but his election was decided by the House of Representatives because Jackson failed to win a majority of electoral college votes. On several occasions the popular vote pluralities of the electoral college victors have been razor thin or even questionable. One instance was the election of John F. Kennedy over Richard M. Nixon in 1960. The feature of the electoral college most prone to attack is the requirement that the election go into the House of Representatives to determine the president and into the senate to determine the vice-president if the electoral college fails to reach a majority. There might be a paralyzing delay in determining the victors, and the president-elect and vice president-elect could be members of opposing political parties. The House was called upon to elect a president in the cases of Jefferson and John Quincy Adams, and the Senate chose Richard M. Johnson as vice president after the election of 1836. The possibility of this happening again remains very much alive. Should a third-party candidate carry enough states to prevent an electoral vote majority for any candidate, the House, voting by state delegation, might be prevented from reaching an absolute majority. Pledged electors generally have been regarded as legally free to cast their votes as they choose, and there have been cases of defection from pledged positions. No such deviation has had a clear effect on an election result, but the possibility raises an additional objection to the electoral college. In 1820 a New Hampshire elector voted for John Quincy Adams instead of James Monroe; in 1956 an Alabama elector voted for a circuit judge instead of Adlai E. Stevenson; in 1960 an Oklahoma elector pledged to Richard Nixon voted instead for Harry F. Byrd; in 1968 a North Carolina elector defected from Nixon to George C. Wallace; and in 1988 a West Virginia elector voted for Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. instead of Michael S. Dukakis. Because of this I will shown that the following, although improbable example is possble to happen. If every single voter in the country unanimously chose "candidate A" for president, the electors pledged to him still may rally against

Next Generation Plm an Integrated Approach for the Product Lifecycle Essays

Next Generation Plm an Integrated Approach for the Product Lifecycle Essays Next Generation Plm an Integrated Approach for the Product Lifecycle Essay Next Generation Plm an Integrated Approach for the Product Lifecycle Essay Proceedings of ICCPR2007: International Conference on Comprehensive Product Realization 2007 June 18-20, 2007, Beijing, China Next Generation PLM an integrated approach for the Product Lifecycle Management Julius D. Golovatchev 1 Oliver Budde 2 1) Detecon International GmbH, Managing Consultant for Enterprise Effectiveness PLM, Bonn, Germany 2) Research Institute for Operations Management at RWTH Aachen University, Germany Abstract: Consistent definition, categorization and operation of products (e. g. extended products, bundles, etc) delivered to global markets and customized for ifferent buyer segments is one of the major challenges for the Lifecycle Management. Each lifecycle encompasses the processes, information, support systems and people involved in delivering the related business functions. It can be argued that process supporting technologies/solutions like WFMS, PDM-System etc exist today for the creation of a seamless environment for accessing, ma nipulating and reasoning about product information that is being produced in fragmented and distributed environment. A holistic approach that is suitable for aligning the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) business requirements (like process flexibility, horter time to market etc) to the potentials of new technology driven concepts in the information management like SOA is nevertheless still missing. The authors give reasons why the holistic view on the product lifecycle management as well as the link between an inter-company wide information management is critical for an efficient PLM and present an integrated approach taking these aspects into account. In this paper four building blocks of Next Generation PLM are introduced. The PLM Meta Model makes up the first building block. It defines the constraints and rules for decomposing the roduct functionality into meaningful modules. The PLM IT-Architecture represents the second part and describes the IT-components and their interrelat ion utilized for the purpose of PLM. A PLM-Process methodology as a basis for describing the relevant activities is attached in the third building block. The final building block is constituted by the Lifecycle Value Management concept for steering the PLM- process on a strategic level like, among other things, by considering portfolio effects. The paper closes with the presentation of a short case study validating the proposed concept for a company in the ervice industry. Keywords: PLM, product lifecycle management, extended product, integrative approach, lifecycle value management 1. Motivation As Shark (2004) postulates, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the activity of managing a company’s products across the complete lifecycle, from the early stages of conception to the final disposal or recycling of a product. From this definition, a strong interrelation between the value creation process and the PLM of the company can be deduced. Taking the current globally changin g business environment into account the PLM can be considered as a strategic weapon for enabling he company to provide an additional value to customers and thereby gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. Especially in the telecommunication industry, which experienced a significant change in its environment during the last five years, PLM is considered to be essential for facing ever shorter innovation cycles (Wohler-Moorhoff et al. , 2004). In the following two sections, we introduce the main business drivers, which currently have the most impact on a company’s business model and are expected to do so in future. For each business driver specific PLM-relevant challenges can be derived. These challenges will be pointed out in detail in the last section of this chapter and will serve as motivation for our integrated PLM- approach in chapter 2. The validation of this approach is the goal of chapter 3 by introducing a case study. (1) Business Drivers Business Driver One: Management of the Extended Product The dichotomy between tangible goods and immaterial services is subject to change according to Saaksvuori (2004). In the service industry as well as in the traditional industries like manufacturing this development towards a hybrid or extended product can be observed. (Figure 1) Fig 1: Extended Product according to Thoben et al. , 2001 Following the argumentation of Mateika (2005) a critical success factor in the manufacturing industry is the ability to provide more profitable services in addition to the tangible good. But this combination of tangible and intangible attributes in terms of the extended product increases the complexity in managing the Product Lifecycle. (Saaksvuori, 2004) Another concomitant phenomenon of the so-defined extended product is the focus-shift to a horizontal integration along the value chain (Teresko, 2004), which can be achieved by considering product modularization oncepts. Business Driver Two: Globalization Global markets result in global competition that every company is confronted with. This barely new business driver forces companies to follow either a cost-leadership strategy by standardising their products or a differentiation strategy on a global scale by individualizing their products. In order to perform in the cost-lea dership role, companies have to implement efficient processes regarding the development of complex products and to handle the order management process. Simultaneously companies have to cooperate with numerous business partners, which results in a high effort or coordination. A product differentiation strategy implies processes that ensure short time-to-market on one hand and an effective degree of freedom in the process definition for staying innovative on the other hand. Business Driver Three: Legal Frameworks Increasing regulations such as safety, environmental and product reliability will influence company’s PLM- process. Especially the resulting effort for ensuring traceability will have an impact. Traceability has two dimensions in the PLM-context. First of all it is related to the PLM process itself. Effective measures have to be in lace in order to ensure the flow of transactions to identify where material misstatements due to error or fraud could occur (Sarbanes Oxley Act). Further, traceability in the order-delivery process is about tracking of an individual product units or even components. Legal frameworks like TREAD Act for the automotive industry in the USA or REACH for the chemical industry in EU can be subsumed under this dimension. Companies that need to respond to this kind of regulation must ensure that the implementation and the integration in the existing processes happen to be simple and at the least possible lifecycle costs. 2) Challenges Based on the outlined business drivers, challenges for companies can be derived for the strategy, the processes organization and the IT. An overview of these challenges is given in the following table. Tab. 1 PLM-relevant challenges Strategy Impact Impact on Processes Impact on IT Business Driver 1 Less vertical integration, more horizontal integration of the value chain Focusing on product modularization and utilisation of product platforms to enable the re-use of components Collaborative PLM-pr ocess with defined interfaces Process readiness for the management of complex products Data exchange standards IT-representation of complex products Integration of business applications Business Driver 2 Commitment to either a product individualisation or product standardisation strategy Improvement in the process automatisation Inter-company wide process standards Enterprise Application Integration with external business partner Workflow Management System Business Driver 3 Comply to regulations e. g. (Sarbanes Oxley Act, TREAD Act Support for traceability of products by standardised and well documented processes Support for traceability of processes Safeguarding data consistency Storage concepts for long-time archiving PLM is an essential component to support the value chain process in the company. In Aerospace industry, for instance, taking six month out of the development cycle can increase market share as much as 8% (Teresko, 2004). Due to the complex and multilayered challenges, that companies have to face, an isolated, non-integrative PLM-approach is not promising. Instead we recommend a more integrative approach that addresses the relevant dimensions of the PLM and thereby ensures an effective implementation. 2 Integrated PLM- Approach The integrated PLM- Approach consists of four components, depicted in figure 2. PLM-IT- Lifecycle- Value Management 4 Meta Model PLM Architecture PLM- Process Building Blocks Fig. 2: Four components constituting the integrated PLM-approach In the following paragraphs the different components are described further. (1) PLM Meta-Model Many present quality deficiencies in the product development (esp.. n the service industry) originate from a diffuse definition of products as well as from the inconsistent view on the object â€Å"productâ€Å". The product (or service) should be clearly and precisely defined to be developed, commercialized and to be understood from the customer. There should be a constant product definition ith the overall product lifecycle and for all business processes. The product as the main subject of the process needs to be defined and this definition should be taken from the customers? perspective. A product is an entity the customer perceives in its entirety and is characterized by being offered to a market place. It includes physical products, services and information (compare figure 1). The precise definition of the complete product range and their categorization still remain a problem especially in the service industry (eg. telecommunication, energy, finance industry etc. ). For example, in the elecommunication industry essentially four categories of products can be differentiated: market product (service), standard solution, customized (individual solution) and bundle. All offered products and services can be assigned to one of the mentioned categories. Product definition is not simply a reflection of the engineering design. It also includes the entire set of information that defines how the product is designed, manufactured, operated and managed on the market and finally withdrawed from the market. Product definition should be furthermore detailed by the company-wide specific PLM Meta-Model to decrease complexity costs. Such Meta-Model defines the product on an even more detailed level for the optimization of time to market and decreasing of resembling components PLM Meta-Model is the basis for standardization and modularization of products. Modular product data structure as core element of PLM Meta-Model ensures linking the sales perspective to the internal (production) perspective in relation to the offered products and services. The main aim of introducing a modular product structure is the optimization of the product development. and market Internal Portfolio branch Modules Components cat I Module cat †¦ in well management systems Realization systems and management Sales view production view Product Modules Module II †¦ †¦ Realization PLM as as stock in production order IT architecture: Product realization: PLM-Process Transfer payments Controlling: cost / revenue, product success accounting Production service: demand assessment, Marketing Portfolio invoicing target and regional resource planning and advance performance mgmt: structure Billing: Processes: input/ output, process quantities Fig. 3: Definition and requirements on product data structure The unique PLM Meta-Model and the corresponding processes should be implemented by considering the xisting processes, company structures, and cultures. Requirements from the affected functional areas flow into the definition of the product data structure. One master product data management fits all needs of the main processes and its interfaces. Using PLM Meta-Model leads to simplification and cost optimisation of â€Å"product engineering† throug h the re-use of the production modules, shorten â€Å"time-to-market†, avoiding overlaps in development and reduce technical variance, availability of the product modules range of all service lines (factories) for all division of the company etc. . (2) PLM IT-Architecture The foundation for moving a product through its complete lifecycle beginning with the product idea and ending with the product removal from the market is a solid PLM IT-Architecture, that is customized for the company-specific PLM- requirements. In our perspective, such a PLM IT- Architecture must support the PLM- process in the dimensions: (1) Decision support, (2) Operational support and (3) integration of supplemental business applications. A standardized off-the-shelf PLM-System is therefore not the tool of choice as Ausura and Deck (2007) point out. Instead we suggest to rely on a PLM IT- Architecture that re-uses, respectively ustomizes existing IT- components as far as possible. In the next paragraphs a description of the essential IT-components is given that build up the PLM IT- Architecture. Decision Support System (DSS): The main purpose of a DSS is to gather and consolidate data from operative systems in order to provide the senior management with aggregated information re garding the product lifecycle. The Computer Aided Selling (CAS) module provides functionality for the product configuration 1 and product pricing. The component Strategic Resource Management focuses on the long-term resource capacity planning on a strategic level. Product ortfolio management aspects are covered with the last Value Management component. Operational Support System (OSS) On the operational level the PLM- process execution is supported by the OSS. The Workflow Management Systems (WFMS) enables a higher degree of process automation. Especially in the context of distributing and releasing unstructured content like a product specification in cross-functional teams, the WFMS plays an essential role through a strong link to the Product Data Management System (PDM). The Product Modelling System and the PDM are closely coupled. The former defines the product structure, in which types of modules he product is decomposed into 2 . In the database context this functionality is sim ilar to the schema definition. The PDM-systems stores all product relevant data according to this definition and provides different views for each stakeholder e. g. marketing and engineering. The Multi-Project Management System as well as the Collaboration Tools are instruments for managing the product in different phases in a collaborative environment. Integration of supplemental business applications: A PLM IT- Architecture is supposed to hold the promise of seamlessly integrating and presenting all information roduced throughout all phases of a product’s life cycle to everyone in an organization, along with external business partners. For ensuring this functionality, an EAI-approach has to be implemented. According to recent research activities a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is most suitable to integrate the business applications from external partner e. g. suppliers as well as integrating the own business applications like ERP, CRM etc. in order to fulfil the promi se of seamless integration for becoming a real-time enterprise (Abramovici, 2002). Product-Marketing Management Exit Management CAS Strategic Resource Management Value Management Applications Supplier) Multi-Project- Tools Workflow- Product System Applications CRM CAD Decision System PLM- Process Business Customer) layer (Development Product Operational Support System Business (Management System Product-Data-Management System Collaboration Management Modeling System Business SCM ERP Support Applications (Integration-SOA) 1 The CAS module is also essential in the operative context for the order management. In our understanding CAS goes beyond the operative support and helps to steer the variant management in order to cope with the increasing product complexity nowadays. .For example hierarchies of assembly groups can be defined. Additionally constraints and rules can be modeled constricting the combination of specific modules. Fig. 4: PLM IT- Architecture building the IT-foundation of the PLM- approach (3) PLM-Process and Structure In this section the PLM-Process description will be introduced. The main design goals of this approach is to facilitate the execution of this collaborative process (efficiency goal) and equally important to align the activities with the strategic goals of the company (effectiveness goal). Our PLM-Process approach is based on three principles: Stage Gate Approach, Multi-Perspective, Metrics based Management. These principles are subject for further explanation in the following paragraphs. Principle One: Stage-Gate Approach The Stage-Gate Approach is both a conceptual and an operational model for the development, marketing and removal of a product during its life cycle. The PLM- Process consists of seven stages. This structure is oriented on the life cycle of the product and has been validated in several projects by Detecon Inc. primarily in the Telco-Industry. Every stage consists of a distinct number of activities (organized in perspectives, refer to the next ection), which have to be accomplished by specific process stakeholders at the given phase. The entrance to each stage is a gate; these gates control the process much like quality control checkpoints. Each gate is characterized by a set of deliverables as input, a set of exit criteria and an output. Gates are manned by senior managers that form the so-called Product Board. The Product Board acts as a gate-keeper that evaluates the results from one stage by a given set of criteria. Based on this evaluation, the product board can either decide whether the product idea proceeds to the next stage, e-starts at the previous stage or is archived. Principle Two: Multi- Perspective Product Lifecycle Management has always to cope with the conflict of objectives between the product marketing and the technical side. Several case studies have documented that this conflict often results in product failure in the market. Either because the product specification is too much technical driven and therefore far from the market demand or the product marketing has defined product specifications without collaborating with the technical department about technical feasibility beforehand. For solving that conflict of objectives three erspectives on the process have to be taken into account in order to ensure an efficient coordination and collaboration of the relevant d epartments or business partners. In the market perspective all activities are assigned to that relate to the product marketing. Referring to the service industry, typical tasks like the definition of product specifications and the management of the product on the market-place belong into this category. By contrast the technical perspective subsumes all technical or production- oriented activities. Additionally the financial implications of moving the product through the life cycle re grouped in the financial perspective. Principle Three: Metrics based Management In addition to the process definition the organisational component must not be neglected. Since products, and consequently the PLM-process, become more complex and involves internal as well as external partners along the value chain, there is a greater need to balance top- management control with the empowerment of self-managed, cross functional teams. As a prerequisite for achieving this balance, the company has to implemen t a metrics-based management approach in which teams are measured on strategic performance indicators such as evelopment cost, time to market and customer satisfaction. The definition and selection of the indicators is critical for the successful implementation of the PLM-concept. By setting the weights properly the teams will self-steer to the greatest short- and long-term profit, which results in less coordination effort and efficiency gains especially in the context of for cross- departmental teams. Evaluation Implementation Marketing Management Perspective Perspective Business Plan Implement Plan Technical Implementation Launch Product Go-Live technically Business Case Monitor Manage KPIs Monitor Ensure Product Process Controll Business Case Delivery Finalize 1 3 4 5 6 7 Gate 1 Gate 4 Idea Paper Description Report by Board Innovation- Management Planning Launch Exit Market Technical Financial Perspective Market Capabilities Analysis Technical Evaluation Financial Rating Market Roll-out Planning Develop technical concept Detailing Business Case Market Adjust Business Case Monitor Innovation-Market Exit Technical Exit Business Case 2 Gate 2 3 Gate Gate 5 6 Gate Detailed Design Product Launch Report Mgnt. Approved the Product Fig. 5: PLM-Process based on three principles (4) Lifecycle Value Management Life cycle oriented product planning is a necessity for companies on the competitive market and requires a robust and systematic process combined with the right organizational environment. Enterprises use Lifecycle Value Management to support the management of the product after launch through the growth, maturity, and decline stages of the product life cycle. In the overall value chain, Lifecycle Value Management ensures that the products and services which are developed and implemented fulfill the market requirements and reflect the market demand. Lifecycle Value Management requires permanent attendance for analysing and planning or ensuring the customer benefits and the alignment to all company functions. There are three different but supplementary building blocks of Lifecycle Value Management. PLM and Lifecycle Management Value Reporting Controlling Customer Needs Management Value Oriented Portfolio Management Fig. 6: Three building blocks of Lifecycle Value Management Value orien ted portfolio management (incl. IT-supported portfolio database) Increasing complexity of the product marketing without an appropriate and efficient data foundation will result in a lack of business transparency and low synergies in the value network. The modular structure of the portfolio promotes the use of common parts in the production processes, increasing the ratio mass production to overall production. Strategic alignment and value based product portfolio management enable an effective product lifecycle management. Focusing on clearly defined products makes a significant contribution to effective portfolio management. The products can be positioned without overlaps and in accordance with market demand. Value oriented portfolio management helps to prioritize product investments. Sales and marketing departments benefit from the increased transparency of the product range and he improved comprehensibility for the customers. Reporting and controlling process regarding the product lifecycle management process The referencing of different divisions (sales, resources and production planning; cost/profit accounting, etc. ) to a standard product definition lays the foundation for the application of important controlling instruments (e. g. product success accounting). The unambiguous correlation of the basic data to business management indicators along the lines of a standard product structure provides staff and management with precise and timely information about all of the critical success factors that elp staff and management to make the right decisions at the right time. Customer Needs Management Customer Needs Management incl. Requirement Management builds interface between PLM and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and gives input for the collaborative product design. The effective Customer Need Management ensures that product content matches customer requirements and allows delivering more personalized products by facilitating mass customization Implementation of these three building blocks combined with a modular product data structure ensures the â€Å"state-of-the art† Lifecycle Value Management: Individual product performance information available at real-time. Product Manager retains product accountability throughout life cycle. Strategy for product growth, maturity, and withdrawal stages is defined up front. Product replacement strategy also considered. Systematic (e. g. annual) review and clean-up/optimization of product portfolio. Supplier and customer are involves in the high collaborative integrated PLM 3 Case Study A renowned company in the telecommunications industry carried out an extensive restructuring program which would enable it to maintain its position in a deregulated market environment. The objective was on the one hand to convert the previously technical driven approach for the product design (i. e. , their orientation towards technical performance features) to an approach focusing on the customers’ needs and requirements. On the other hand, the aim was to develop and implement the integrated management approach, Next Generation PLM. In the initial situation the PLM and the platform was not â€Å"state-of-the-art† (e g. no withdrawal phase, missing of decision gates, long â€Å"time-to-market† etc). A portfolio management process was not designed and implemented. The current portfolio structure was oriented on the rganizational or technical structure and not organized from the customer’s point of view. The product portfolio was characterized by a large number of product variants and features. All these products needed to be handled individually from an IT management perspective. This broad variety of products needed to be realized and im plemented within all operative processes, IT-applications and –systems as well as sales information tools. This led to an enormous complexity that impedes the maintenance of IT-landscape and the management and optimisation of the processes. No integrated IT-solutions ere available at company and at its affiliates. During the project the integrated PLM approach valid for the company and its affiliates was developed. Implementation of Next Generation PLM at this company showed the valuable benefits for solid product development, marketing and strategy: PLM Meta-Model: Easier know how exchange and using of the â€Å"same language† during product development as well as fast and efficient communication between international partner Introduction of the harmonized product definition and product portfolio for all national and international affiliate companies The product portfolios across all of the company ere to be reduced by 50% and integrated into a modular structure. Adop tion of the product data platform at all international subsidiaries PLM Process and Structures Acceleration time-to-market up to 25% by several product groups Efficient cost savings along the PLM process by using standard support system and re-using of modules and components (process costs saving up to 170 m USD/year in the product realization phase) Effective and similar procedure of innovation and market management projects execution PLM IT-Architecture An implemented shared platform for document and project management. One physical server is used to support separate product lifecycle management processes in all divisions and subsidiaries Lifecycle Value Management Sound marketing strategy due to the early recognition of market needs and standardized information More detailed input for controlling for exactly allocation of revenue and costs to products Simpler allocation at cost centres and cost unit Introduction of the harmonized product portfolio for all national and international affiliate companies References [1] Abramovici, M. ; Sieg, O. C. (2002): Status and Development Trends of Product Lifecycle Management Systems. In: Proceeding of International Conference on Integrated Product and Process Development, Wroclaw, Poland, p. 2122. [2] Ausura, B; Deck, M (2007): The new product lifecycle management systems: whar are these PLM systems? and how can they help your company do NPD better? Visions Magazine. Online available at pdma. org/ visions/jan03/plm. html, last visit 26. 01. 2007. [3] 5 Mateika, M. (2005): Unterstutzung der lebenszyklusorientierten Produktplanung am Beispiel des Maschinen- und Anlagenbaus. Essen: Vulkan-Verl. [4] Porter, M. E. (1985): Competitive advantage: Free Press New York. [5] Saaksvuori, A. ; Immonen, A. (2004): Product Lifecycle Management: Springer. [6] Teresko, J. (2004): Auto Report: Information Technology The PLM Revolution. In: Industry Week-CLEVELAND OHIO-, Vol. 253, Nr. 2, p. 32–38. [7] Thoben, K. D. ; Jagdev, H. ; Eschenbaecher, J. (2001): Extended Products: Evolving Traditional Product Concepts. In: Proceedings of the 7 th International Conference on Concurrent Enterprising: Engineering the Knowledge Economy through Co-operation, Bremen, Germany, p. 27–29. [8] Wohler-Moorhoff, Falk; Dieter, Stephan; Schwill, Matthias (2004): Telco 2010. Telekommunikation im Wandel: Die Karten werden neu gemischt. Published by Detecon. Bonn