The Present Moment Is Always Where You Are free essay sample

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year, and what may or may not happen tomorrow, the present moment is where you are always. Without question, many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things all at once. We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments, so much so that we end up anxious, frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. On the flip side, we also postpone ourgratification, our stated priorities, and our happiness, often convincing ourselves that someday will be better than today. Unfortunately, the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that someday never actually arrives. John Lennon once said, Life is whats happening while were busy making other plans. We will write a custom essay sample on The Present Moment Is Always Where You Are or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When were busy making other plans, our children are busy growing up, the people we love are moving away and dying, our bodies are getting out of shape, and our dreams are slipping away. In short, we miss out on life. Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isnt. In fact, no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow. Now is the only time we have, and the only time that we have any control over. When our attention is in the present moment, we push fear from our minds. Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future we wont have enough money, our children will get into trouble, we will get old and die, whatever. To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present. Mark Twain said, I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened. I dont think I can say it any better. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now. Your efforts will pay great dividends.

USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II

USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II USS Kentucky (BB-66) was an unfinished battleship that was started during World War II (1939-1945). Originally intended to be the second ship of the Montana-class of battleship, Kentucky was re-ordered in 1940 as the sixth and final ship of the US Navys Iowa-class of battleships. As construction moved forward, the US Navy found that it had a greater need for aircraft carriers than battleships. This led to designs to convert Kentucky into a carrier. These plans proved impractical and work resumed on the battleship but at a slow pace. Still incomplete at the end of the war, the US Navy then considered a variety of projects for converting Kentucky into a guided-missile battleship. These also proved fruitless and in 1958 the ship was sold for scrap.      A New Design In early 1938, work began on a new battleship type at the request of US Navy General Board chief Admiral Thomas C. Hart. First seen  as a larger version of the earlier  South Dakota-class, the new battleships were to carry twelve 16 guns or nine 18 guns. As the design evolved, the armament changed to nine 16 guns. In addition, the class anti-aircraft complement underwent several alterations  with the majority of its 1.1 weapons being replaced with 20 mm and 40 mm guns. Funding for the new ships came in May with the passage of the Naval Act of 1938. Dubbed the  Iowa-class, building  of the lead ship,  USS  Iowa  (BB-61), was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. Laid down in 1940,  Iowa  was to be the first of four battleships in the class. Fast Battleships Though hull numbers BB-65 and BB-66 were originally intended to be the first two ships of the new, larger  Montana-class, the approval of the Two Ocean Navy Act in July 1940 saw them re-designated as two additional  Iowa-class  battleships named USS  Illinois  and USS  Kentucky  respectively. As fast battleships, their 33-knot speed would permit them to serve as escorts for the new  Essex-class  carriers that were joining the fleet. Unlike the preceding  Iowa-class ships (Iowa,  New Jersey,  Missouri, and  Wisconsin),  Illinois  and  Kentucky  were to utilize all-welded construction which reduced weight while enhancing hull strength. Some conversation was also had as to whether to retain the heavy armor arrangement initially planned for the  Montana-class. Though this would have improved the battleships protection, it would also have greatly lengthened construction time.   As a result, standard  Iowa-class armor was ordered.   Ã‚   USS Kentucky(BB-66) - Overview Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  Norfolk Naval ShipyardLaid Down:  March 7, 1942Fate:  Scrapped, October 31, 1958 Specifications (Planned) Displacement:  45,000 tonsLength:  887.2 ft.Beam:  108 ft., 2 in.Draft:  28.9  ft.Speed:  33  knotsComplement:  2,788 (Planned) Guns 9 Ãâ€" 16 in./50 cal Mark 7 guns20 Ãâ€" 5 in./38 cal Mark 12 guns80 Ãâ€" 40 mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns49 Ãâ€" 20 mm/70 cal anti-aircraft cannons Construction The second ship to carry the name USS Kentucky, the first being the Kearsarge-class USS Kentucky (BB-6) commissioned in 1900, BB-65 was laid down at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on March 7, 1942.   Following the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the US Navy recognized that the need for additional aircraft carriers and other vessels superseded that for more battleships. As a result, construction of Kentucky was halted and on June 10, 1942, the bottom section of the battleship was launched to make room for Landing Ship, Tank (LST) construction. The next two years saw designers explore options for converting Illinois and Kentucky into carriers. The finalized conversion plan would have resulted in two carriers similar in appearance to the Essex-class. In addition to their air wings, they would have carried twelve 5 guns in four twin and four single mounts. Reviewing these plans, it was soon found that the converted battleships aircraft capacity would be less than the Essex-class and that the construction process would take longer than building a new carrier from scratch. As a result, it was decided to complete both vessels as battleships but very low priority was given to their construction.   Moved back to the slipway on December 6, 1944, construction of  Kentucky slowly resumed through 1945. With the end of the war, discussion ensued regarding completing the vessel as an anti-aircraft battleship. This led to work halting in August 1946.   Two years later, construction again moved forward though using the original plans. On January 20, 1950,  work ceased and Kentucky was moved from its dry dock to make space for repair work on Missouri.    Plans, But No Action Moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Kentucky, which had been completed to its main deck, served as a supply hulk for the reserve fleet from 1950 to 1958. During this period, several plans were advanced with the idea of converting the vessel into a guided missile battleship. These moved forward and in 1954 Kentucky was renumbered from BB-66 to BBG-1. Despite this, the program was cancelled two years later. Another missile option called for the mounting of two Polaris ballistic missile launchers in the ship.   As in the past, nothing came from these plans. In 1956, after Wisconsin suffered a collision with the destroyers USS Eaton, Kentuckys bow was removed and used to repair the other battleship. Though Kentucky Congressman William H. Natcher attempted to block the sale of Kentucky, the US Navy elected to strike it from the Naval Vessel Register on June 9, 1958. That October, the hulk was sold to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore and scrapped. Prior to disposal, its turbines were removed and used aboard the fast combat support ships USS Sacramento and USS Camden.

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

International Business - Assignment Example The World Trade Organization (WTO) is a post-war establishment, which was primarily set up as an attempt to liberalize world trade. Prior to this, trade settlements were conducted by International Trade Organization (ITO) and then by GATT. The end of Uruguay Round in 1994 led to establishment of WTO and this was a major departure from GATT on two main grounds. The first was inclusion of better dispute settlement measure in order to promote international cooperation and the second was inclusion of agriculture and services in the agreements to mainly promote progress of the developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of WTO in promoting economic development among nations. The system operates in the gamut of multilateral trade agreements to contribute to economic development and employment for all its member nations. The organization has its headquarters in Geneva with 159 member countries. China was one of the last countries to have joined WTO, which had significant impacts on the entire global trade (Faizel, 2005). One of the primary focus of WTO since its inception has been the promotion of free and fair trade through multilateral negotiations. The WTO involves all its member countries in the decision making process to ensure that outcomes from the agreements are fair for all. The economic rationale behind this idea is that international trade has a major role in alleviation of poverty. The WTO has realized that least-developed countries are the most vulnerable ones and therefore, commits to increase their participation in the multilateral trading system, thereby assigning equal importance to these countries (Klug, 2006). The task undertaken by WTO is a very complex one because its member countries have different political, legal and economical status. This means that developed countries are in a better position

Thesis and Content Outline about Art in south Africa Research Paper

Thesis and Content Outline about Art in south Africa - Research Paper Example A debate had been disclosed. In the coming years, there would be an extension amongst anti-apartheid forces, that there existed immense power in educational resistance. Therefore, whites planned an extensive marginalization of black ability, forcing upper echelons of the world art to exist (Peffer 43). 2. The use of sculptures, banners, dramatic sketches, poems, murals and t-shirts to express their vision resistance. Posters were everywhere painted black to mourn the dead, decorated houses to increase their villages, sculptures representing chairs. It was an art rooted in battle for liberation, extraordinarily rich, in opposition. 1. The whites’ schools restricted the black artists from their schools in priority to still life, oil painting, drawing from life and landscape studies. Whites were cautious in their arts, claiming they possess European convention naturalism â€Å"according to Skotnes†. Blacks were not allowed in theatres, cinemas or art museums through a separate part of amenities. 2. The art is set in commercial galleries and call the country. The works have been organized into pictorial formatted magazines, showcased in various museums in the world â€Å"New African Art Magazine for optima† which made it to centers of the art world, Paris (Williamson 14). In conclusion, the art of the world has a substantial contribution, which defines several aspects in distinct cultures. While some people set great reputations, others never get the opportunity because they do not master institutions and defining rules of ‘art’. Influential players within the art world include criticism, art history and art

Analysis Of A Linear Accelerator

Analysis Of A Linear Accelerator Nowadays patient with cancer are treated by radiation, surgery, chemotherapy or with a combination of these options. The radiotherapy treatment unit used to deliver radiation to cancerous cells and tissues is the linear accelerator, also known as linac. The linear accelerator has been defined by Khan F. M. (2003) as a device that uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to accelerate electrons, to high energies through a linear tube. The electron beam itself can be used for treating superficial toumors, or it can strike a target to produce x-rays for treating deep-seated toumors. The energy used for the radiotherapy treatment of deep situated tissues varies from 6-15 MV (photons) and the treatment of superficial toumors (less than 5cm deep) is between 6-20MeV. (Khan, 2003) The purpose of this essay is to describe a linear accelerator, analyse its components in the stand and the gantry of the linac, and explain the principles of operation and then discuss why it is best situated to the task for which it was designed. Some advantages and disadvantages of the linac will also be included in the discussion part of the essay. Main body: Figure 1:http://www.cerebromente.org.br/ As you can see from the schematic picture above, the major components of a linac are: Klystron: source of microwave power Electron gun: source of electrons. Waveguide (feed and accelerating waveguide): microwaves travel through the feed waveguide and then to the accelerating waveguide, where electrons are accelerated from the electron gun. Circulator: a device that prevents microwaves of being reflected back from the accelerator. Cooling water system: cools the components of the linac. Bending magnet: A bending magnet is used to change the direction of the accelerated electron beam from horizontal to vertical. (Hendee et al, 2005) X-ray target: electrons hit the target and produce x-rays. Flattening filter: even out the intensity of the beam. Ionisation chambers: they control the dose leaving the head of the linac. Beam collimation: shape the radiation beam to a certain size Klystron: There are two types of microwave power. The klystron and the magnetron. Magnetrons are used for lower energy linacs. In the high energy linear accelerator klystron is used. All modern linacs have klystrons. Both klystron and magnetron are special types of evacuated tubes that are used to produce microwave power to accelerate electrons. (Karzmark and Morton, 1998). The tube requires a low-power radiofrequency oscillator to supply radiofrequency power to the first cavity called the buncher. (Hendee et al, 2005) In the bunching cavity, electrons produced from the electron gun, are bunched together to regulate their speed. The microwave frequency is thousands times higher than ordinary radio wave frequency. For a linac to work, the microwave frequency needed is 3 billion cycles per second. (3000MHz) (Karzmark and Morton, 1998) Electron gun: The electron gun is part of the klystron. Here, electrons are produced and then accelerated to radiofrequency cavities. The source of electrons is a directly heated filament made from tungsten, which will release electrons by thermionic emission. (Bomford, 2003) Tungsten is used because it is a good thermionic emitter with high atomic number, providing a good source of electrons. Klystrons usually have 3-5 cavities, used to bunch electrons together and increase microwave power amplification. Waveguide: There are two different types of waveguides used in linacs. The first is the feed waveguide and the second is the accelerating waveguide. The first one connects the klystron to the main part of the linac. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is used in the feed waveguide, to stop the arcing of electrons, caused by the microwaves that create strong electric fields. A circulator is placed in the waveguide system, to prevent microwaves being reflected back. Microwaves travel then to the accelerating waveguide. The accelerator guide of a linac requires a high vacuum to prevent power loss and electrical arcing, caused by interactions of electrons with gas molecules.(Cook, 1998)The acceleration of electrons takes place here. The accelerator waveguide bunch and accelerate the electrons with the microwaves. Electrons travel with a high velocity to almost the speed of light. (98% of speed of light) Microwaves travel to the speed of light, so irises are used to slow them down, so that electrons can keep up with the microwaves and be accelerated. There are two types of accelerator waveguide: the travelling and the standing waveguide. The difference between the standing and the travelling wave accelerators is the design of the accelerator waveguide. In the travelling wave accelerator, electrons travel towards the machine and microwaves are absorbed, but in the standing wave accelerator microwaves are reflected back upon themselves. The standing wave accelerator is the main type used in medical linear accelerators. Bending magnet: The electron beam leaving from the accelerator waveguide continues through the bending magnet. This is used to change the direction of the electron beam, to exit through the treatment head. The bending magnet deflects the beam in a loop of 270o, or 90o. The most common degree of bending magnet used in linacs is the 270o achromatic magnet. The important property of this magnet is that the electrons are brought together despite the difference in energies. They are brought back together to the same position, angle, and beam cross section at the target, as they were when they left the accelerator waveguide. X-rays target: The target is made of tungsten because of its high atomic number. When electrons, with their high speed, hit the target, made up from a high atomic number material, they undergo rapid deceleration. This sudden loss of energy results in the formation of x-rays and photons. To maximise the X-ray beam intensity, the transmission target will be thick enough to stop all the electrons bombarding it but thin enough to minimise the self absorption.( Bomford, 2003) In order to switch from photon to electron therapy, the target is removed to allow the electron stream to continue into the head of the machine. Flattening filter: In order to make the beam intensity uniform across the field a flattening filter is used. It is usually made of lead, although tungsten, uranium, steel, aluminium, or a combination has also been used or suggested. The flattening filter absorbs more photons from the centre of the beam and fewer from the periphery of the beam. Ionisation chambers: Ionisation champers measure the amount of radiation leaving the machine, quantified in units Monitor units. Every linac has two ionisation chambers for safety reasons. The ionisation is a round, flat structure, filled with gas, divided into a number of segments, where each segment contains electrodes. When radiation passes through the gas, it is then ionised creating a high charged density that is controlled by the electrodes. The treatment terminates when the readings from the electrodes have reached a pre-set M.U value. Collimation: A primary collimator limits the maximum field size for x-ray therapy (40 x 40cm). It ensures that x-rays leaving the target leave in a forward direction in order to minimise radiation leakage through the head. The treatment field size is defined by the secondary collimator. This collimator reduces the transmission penumbra, since radiation must travel through the entire collimator thickness. It consists of four thick metal blocks, called jaws. There are two pairs of jaws, upper and lower jaws. With the use of asymmetric jaws, by moving each jaw individually, asymmetric field sizes can be produced. Half beam blocking can also be enabling. Different intensity patterns can be produced, from the standard flat beam profile, by moving during treatment. Multi-leaf collimators are finger like projections, 1cm thick. These fingers like projections move independently in order to form the field shape more closely to the shape of the planning target volume. By using MLCs, less radiation is given to normal tissues. Discussion: From the introduction of this essay, the definition of the linac was given. A linac is a high voltage machine, used for the treatment of cancerous cells and tissues. With the structure of a linac this is achieved. By radiating cancerous tissues, with daily radiation treatment, cancerous tissues can be destroyed and then replaced by normal tissues. Every component in the linac is carefully selected for the function for which it is designed. First of all, the klystron is used to produce microwaves, because it is better than a magnetron that is used for lower energy linear accelerators. Because linear accelerators have higher energy beam, klystron are used for production of x-rays. Continuing to the electron gun, tungsten wire or filament is used, because of its high melting point, high atomic number, and it is ductile. With this features tungsten is a good thermionic emitter, is a good source of electrons and can be easily shaped into spiral, in order to create a larger surface area for the electrons to be emitted. In the feed waveguide Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is placed with the intention of stopping the arcing of electrons. At the end of the waveguide a circulator is placed so as microwaves cannot be reflected back. As we move on to the accelerating waveguide, and the standing wave accelerator used in linacs, we can see why the standing wave accelerator is used. The backward travelling wave interferes with the forward travelling wave, alternatively constructively and destructively. The resulting standing wave has a magnitude of approximately double that of the travelling wave, and the peak intensity travels along the waveguide at the phase velocity of the travelling wave.(Knapp et al, 1968) Following the waveguide is the bending magnet. Here we have the achromatic magnet where its main task is to change the direction of the electrons, but more important to bring the electrons together despite the difference in energies. A flattening filter is used to make the beam even from the central axis to its peripheral edges, to have homogenous distribution of the dose. Ionisation chambers are essential in a linac. They monitor the dose leaving the treatment head, so that the linear accelerator knows when to end the treatment. Collimation in a linear accelerator is necessary. Without the primary and secondary radiation a linac wouldnt be as suitable for the task for which it was designed. The field size and shape is vital in order to radiate only the cancerous tissues and not normal tissues. Nowadays with the advances of technology and the use not only of MLCs, but also IMRT and IGRT, survival rates of cancer have increased. Last but not least, a linear accelerator can treat a patient with different energy modalities. By removing the target, the electron stream can continue into the head of the machine and then be used for the treatment of superficial toumors. By leaving the target, photons are produced to treat deep-situated toumors. Nowadays most linacs have virtual wedges, compared to some decades ago, where there where only manual wedges. Now radiographers with the use of virtual wedges dont have to concern about manual handling, as they dont have to do anything. I believe that linear accelerators are not perfect. Linacs are extremely expensive to buy, so poor countries dont have the opportunity to treat their patients from cancer. It is hard to keep up with the advances of technology, as everything is very expensive to buy, and only wealthy countries can buy the latest equipment. A disadvantage of switching from photon to electron modalities is that applicators and blocks are used to direct the electrons and shape the beam. Applicators are very heavy. Blocks are made of lead which may cause lead poisoning if they are not handled with care. The only disadvantage with MLCs is that when conforming the beam shape to the PTV, some radiation will be leaking, even when using the tongue and groove effect. Last but not least the linacs to work efficiently they need daily quality assurance tests and maintenance from physicists. Conclusion: Linear accelerator is the main treatment unit used for the treatment of abnormal tissues. With its precise position of the beam, shaped differently for every patient individually, it certainly is the best machine for the treatment of cancer. A linac uses microwaves to accelerate electrons and then hit the target where x-rays are produced. This x-rays are collected and then form the shape of the beam. Nowadays with the rapid advances of technology, linacs in a few years time will be even more efficient than today. Definitely linear accelerators are best suited for the task for which they were designed. All the components of a linear accelerator are carefully selected for its needs. From the smallest to the bigger parts of the linac, are designed for the best outcome. References: BOMFORD, C.K., 2003. Megavoltage beam generators. In: C.K BOMFORD and I.H KUNKLER, ed. Walter and Millers Textbook of Radiotherapy. London: Churchill Livingstone, Pages 162-183. COOK, M., 1998. X-Ray Production. In: A. DUXBURY and P. CHERRY, ed. Practical Radiotherapy Physics and Equipment. London: GMM, Pages 21-26. HENDEE W. R., IBBOTT G. S. and HENDEE E. G., 2005. Radiation Therapy Physics. 3rd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Liss. KARZMARK, C.J and MORTON, R., 1998. A Primer on Theory and Operation of Linear Accelerators in Radiotherapy. 2nd ed. Madison, Wisconsin: Medical Physics Publishing. KHAN M.F., 2003.The Physics of Radiation Therapy.3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. KNAPP, E. A., KNAPP, B. C. and POTTER I. M., 1968. Standing Wave High Energy Linear Accelerator Structures. In: HENDEE W. R., IBBOTT G. S. and HENDEE E. G., 2005. Radiation Therapy Physics. 3rd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Liss.

Hager Shipley in “The Stone Angel” Essay

In Margaret Laurence’s novel, â€Å"The Stone Angel†, Hagar Shipley is the main character. Born the daughter of Jason Currie, she is one who possesses incredible depth in character. Mingling past and present, we observe the very qualities, which sustained her and deprived her of joy such as her lack of emotional expression. As well, inheriting her father’s harsh qualities, she exhibited pride that detested weakness in any form. Despite of her negative attributes she also displayed a positive mannerism through courage. Thus, Hagar is a cold, but strong willed woman. Such qualities give us a portrait of a remarkable character. Hagar’s most noticeable characteristic was her lack of feeling and emotion. Indeed there where many situations where she could not physically express what she felt in her heart. She did not cry at the death of her son John. That night she was â€Å"transformed to stone and never wept at all (Laurence 243)†. During Marvin’s childhood, she would impatiently dismiss him due to his slowness of speech. Once when an ecstatic Marvin told Hagar that he finished his chores, Hagar bluntly sends him away saying, â€Å"I can see you’ve finished. I’ve got eyes. Get along now  ¼ (Laurence 112)†. Even as a child she was lacked emotion when she could not provide comfort to her dying brother, Daniel. Daniel needed the comfort of his mother, but for Hagar, â€Å"to play at being her – it was beyond me (Laurence 25).† Indeed, Hagar’s deficiency in feeling or expressing emotion was a visible characteristic throughout the novel. As a result of her upbringing, Hagar possesses pride that despises weakness in any form. As a young girl she displayed this trait when her dad slapped her hand, â€Å"I wouldn’t let him see me cry, I was so enraged (Laurence 9).† As previously mentioned before, Hagar could not portray her mother to comfort her dying brother. She characterized her mother as â€Å"the woman Dan was said to resemble so much and from whom he’d inherited a frailty I could not help but detest (Laurence 25).† When Hagar brought upon the subject of marriage with Bram Shipley to her father he made it clear that â€Å"there’s not a decent girl in this town would wed without her family’s consent (Laurence 49).† Hagar rebelliously responded, â€Å"It will be done by me (Laurence 49)† and eventually marries Bram. Thus, throughout the novel, Hagar’s attribute of scornful pride is evidently exhibited. In contrast to her negative character, Hagar exhibits a great deal of courage. Following Hagar’s marriage to Bram, she immediately faced the reality of the life. The next day Hagar cleaned the house inside out. â€Å"I had never scrubbed a floor in my life, but I worked that day as though I’d been driven by a whip (Laurence 52).† Hagar also had the courage to leave Bram for the sake of her children’s future. Physically, Hagar did not lack courage. At the age of 90, Hagar was able to painfully endure her journey to Shadow Point. Thus, her courageous character classifies her as a strong willed woman. There’s no question that Hagar, young or old, is a cold yet courageous woman. She was deficient in physically expressing her feelings and emotions. She also possessed an unbending pride, which despised weakness in any form. However, despite of her negative attributes she still exhibits a positive aspect through her courage. Hagar’s character has such immense depth. She may not be perfect; nevertheless she is unique. Important Note: If you’d like to save a copy of the paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word processor. Please, follow these steps to do that in Windows: 1. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C. 2. Open your word processor and press Ctrl+V. Company’s Liability 123HelpMe.com (the â€Å"Web Site†) is produced by the â€Å"Company†. The contents of this Web Site, such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and all other material (â€Å"Material†), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Material or about the results to be obtained from using the Material. You expressly agree that any use of the Material is entirely at your own risk. Most of the Material on the Web Site is provided and maintained by third parties. This third party  Material may not be screened by the Company prior to its inclusion on the Web Site. You expressly agree that the Company is not liable or responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other subscribers or third parties. The Materials are provided on an as-is basis without warranty express or implied. 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Lean Accounting

Essay Question 1 What are the main benefits and challenges of implementing a lean accounting system in a lean manufacturing environment? Do you anticipate interest in lean accounting will grow, the methods will change, or the concepts will fade out and be replaced with another ‘flavor of the month’? How do you perceive lean principles affecting your career? Justify your answers. I. Lean Accounting Lean accounting often refers to more simplified accounting practices that focuses on eliminating waste, reducing production lead time, and producing products on customer demand. But Lean accounting does not stand alone. It is enabled by lean thinking and lean production methods. And lean accounting not only needs lean manufacturing, it also facilitates lean manufacturing. 1 That’s why lean accounting is always related to, but not necessarily have to be associated with lean manufacturing. Here are some specific positive reasons that lean accounting is important. 1. Reduces time, cost, and waste by eliminating wasteful transactions and systems. 2. A better way to understand costs, product costs and value stream costs. 3. Provides information for better lean decision making. 4. Identifies the potential financial benefits of lean manufacturing improvements. 5. Frees up the time for finance people to work on lean improvement. 6. Focuses the business around the value-added activities created for customers. 2 II. Benefits of Implementing a Lean Accounting System in a Lean Manufacturing Environment According to the positive reasons that addressed above, companies can be benefited from implementing a lean accounting system in a lean manufacturing environment in several different ways. 1. Eliminate Waste One of the most important objectives of lean improvement is to eliminate waste from the non-value-added . Chapter 2, â€Å"Maturity Path to Lean Accounting†, Practical Lean Accounting. 2. Chapter 1, â€Å"Why Is Lean Accounting Important? †, Practical Lean Accounting. activities and processes of the company. Companies can save costs, free up capacity and improve product quality through eliminating waste. Generally, most of the reduced waste translate s into available capacity. Then, companies can make good use of the freed up capacity to generate financial benefits. If the reduced waste saves costs, companies can reinvest the saved working capital into the business and make improvements in production. 2. Better Lean Decision Making Lean accounting methods for decision-making revolve around an understanding of the flow of production through the value streams, and the effect of these decisions on the value stream profitability and contribution. Why we need to manage the business through the value streams? It was repeatedly stressed that the primary importance in lean is the focus on the flow of the product from the customer order to its final delivery. 3 We can clearly analyze the performance of the company through three parts on a box score, i. e. , operational performance, capacity usage, financial performance. Then, it’s easy, clear, and quick to make decisions upon the specific information we need. Especially, the advantages are that we can change some of the information to see how they will affect the profitability and margin, like some of the exercise we did with the outsourcing decision, and the financial information is up to date, often to the current week. 4 3. Time Freed up Employees are often categorized into different value streams so that the time of employee has been freed up by lean accounting, meaning that companies produce the same level of product or services with fewer employees. And finance people do not have to spend a lot of time preparing the financial statements, because it’s simpler and straightforward, forecasting and budgeting. Another way to conclude is employees’ work efficiency has been improved. Companies will save money if labor cost is reduced, as labor cost is usually the highest expense in the companies. The freed up time not only saves cost, but also can be devoted to lean improvements to pursue the goal of continuous improvement. In addition, companies can use the available time to cross-train employees and create them more skilled. . Chapter 7, â€Å"Managing by Value Stream†, Practical Lean Accounting. 4. SMA (2) _Lean Accounting, Decision Making, P23. III. Challenges of Implementing a Lean Accounting System in a Lean Manufacturing Environment Although there are more benefits from the implementation of lean accounting, the challenges do exist. There are always two sides to a thing. And we can’t avoid some challe nges during the implementation process. 1. Senior Management Initiative This is the most critical part when implementing lean accounting in a lean manufacturing environment. Lean implementation across the company will not be successful if senior management is not fully committed. The same situation in Who’s Counting? , the company won’t achieve anything if the executives are not fully supportive. And there will be conflicts between different departments, because they are not on the same boat. 2. Short-term Profitability Companies may find out that there is no short-term financial improvement after implementing lean. And this causes comments such as: â€Å"We see wonderful results in operations, but they don’t show up in the financial statements. If lean is so great, why doesn’t it hit the bottom line? †5 So lean accounting faces with the challenge that how to present and convince the executive team with different perspective and make sure they don’t give up transforming into lean in the very beginning formation of lean. 3. Traditional Accounting System Stand in the Way For those companies who have already on the right track, it’s harmful for companies to still use the traditional accounting methods. There is a very common example of this problem. Using the traditional accounting methods do not show the financial benefit of lean manufacturing, especially hen there is a sudden reduction in inventory level which has a negative effect on company’s profitability. IV. Future of Lean Accounting Before this course, I didn’t even hear about lean accounting. But, after learning this new concept via different channels, I personally prefer the idea of lean accounting than traditional accounting. Now, people desperately find ways to make things simpler, and easier to understand and use. So, in my opinion, the future for lean accounting is promising in that it saves time and energy, provides understandable information for all others besides the finance . Chapter 4, â€Å"Financial Benefits of Lean Manufacturing†, Practical Lean Accounting. people, and is value-added. Lean production is a model for the future—it may well become an essential element of a sustainable global strategy. As Henry Ford so aptly noted, â€Å"Customers cannot be expected to pay for waste, nor can a worker be paid very much for producing waste. †6 Lean is all about eliminating waste and creates value for both customers and the companies. But there are some problems when it comes to the time needed to completely transform into lean. Recall this issue from Who’s Counting? , it takes time to implement lean accounting and see the anticipated outcome from it. And a most critical problem is that lean accounting requires proper environment, i. e. , a lean manufacturing environment, to work out. However, everything takes time and has its disadvantages. Maybe some changes will be added to it and make it happen without these problems. In a word, the best future for lean accounting will be figured out through more and more companies joining the implementation of lean accounting and those companies wanting the change. V. Lean Principles Affect the Career The five lean principles, to be simplified, are 1) Customer value; 2) Define the value stream; 3) Create flow; 4) Create pull; 5) Continuous improvement. From my understanding, I think these principles can be concluded by a concept in lean thinking, i. e. , PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act). First of all, there should be a short-term or long-term plan for my career. And the core objective is to create value for the work and the company. Second, implement those plans instead of just thinking; find the root cause to solve problems instead of running away from them; be proactive in work, that is to say, don’t wait others to push me move forward. Third, constantly check whether I am on my way towards the ultimate goal in my career and make changes accordingly. Fourth, be strict with myself. The organization should continuously strive itself to become better and better. So do I. I have to make progress every day in order to adapt to the changing environment. Seeking perfection can be the ultimate goal both in career and in life. 6. SMA _Lean Enterprise, Conclusion, P28. Bibliography [1] Tyler Lacoma, Demand Media, Accounting Differences with Lean vs. Traditional Manufacturing [2] Dan Antony, Demand Media, Benefits of Lean Accounting in a Lean Manufacturing Company [3] Dan Woods, Lean Accounting’s Fat Problem, 07/28/2009 [4] John Cleveland, Benefits of lean in the accounting department, Feb, 2005 [5] Brain Maskell; Bruce Baggaley, Practical Lean Accounting [6] SMA _Lean Enterprise; SMA _Lean Accounting [7] Karen M. Kroll, The Lowdown on Lean Accounting—A new way of looking at the numbers, Journal of Accountancy, July 2004