Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health

Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health Abstract Solid Waste Management is perhaps one of the most important element constituting the environmental health and sanitation of urban developing sector. The management system has several components which are integrated as well as interdependent thus the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire system is affected when any of its functional component fails or does not perform up to the level mark of operation. Karachi metropolis has been growing in population and expanding in area since mid 1800s. The present estimated population has reached over 18 million with approximate daily generation of solid waste reaching quantities up to 9000 tonnes. There are 18 municipal administrative divisions (TMA) and in addition 4 cantonment areas in Karachi which are responsible for managing solid waste in their respective jurisdictions. Prior to administrative devolution (2001) Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) was responsible for the management of solid waste of the entire city. It is estimated that nearly 80% of the municipal solid waste is being collected and transported to the two designated disposal sites as proper sanitary landfill sites are yet to develop. Hence there has been an improvement in the waste collection and transportation system since 90s when only 2/3rd of the municipal waste was managed. The transportation mechanism is through garbage vehicles using either hauled or fixed container system employing crew for mechanical or manual loading. The number of garbage vehicles is inadequate and due to comparatively long haulage to disposal sites there are certain problems of frequent vehicular maintenance and high fuel costs. The role of informal sector in collection of waste from streets and removal of recycling items from the solid waste stream is significant. However this unaccounted component needs to be acknowledged and integrated in the formal solid waste management system. Hospital waste is another significant component to have environmental and health impact on the urban society. In Karachi around 30% of the total MSW may be regarded as of hospital origin out of which 0.6 tons per day is infectious. At source segregation practice is exercised at most hospitals and laboratories with few large private and public hospitals having their own in-house disposal facilities, incineration units. City district government has also facilitated centralised incineration operation for public and private hospitals (health care units) through private contract having a capacity of 1000 kg/hour. Improvement schemes have been proposed for Karachi solid waste management system. There is a need to adopt engineered approach in the redesigning of existing system such as; community bins and receptacles have to be designed and constructed for adequate storage capacities according to the generation rates, collection frequencies and safety requirements to control disease vector, over spilling and check unwanted access of waste-pickers. In most of the towns street sweeping operations have been mechanised and done by machinery operated by vehicles. Construction of Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) at number of locations within the city will cut the cost of transportation of waste to disposal sites as long haulages will be reduced. Material processing, recovery of recyclables, compaction, volume reduction, and increase in density will enable transportation of waste to disposal sites / landfills via long vehicles (bulk transport), minimising transport/traffic and environmental pollution re lated issues. Development of disposal sites into proper sanitary landfill sites are being considered and appropriate budgeting and planning is underway. Integration of informal (micro level) and formal (macro level) waste management system is envisaged to be a plausible working solution for an efficient and sustainable system achieved through integration of primary collection system and waste recycling adopted from informal system. It may be concluded that solid waste management system is undergoing a change over time due to constructive approach, positive policy and decision making. However more concrete steps are to be taken beyond planning stage. The impact of SWM on the environment and aesthetics of Karachis urban scenario have been significant due to growing and expanding city and also owing to administrative transformations occurring over decades. The shortcomings in the SWM system of Karachi are being gradually met and it is envisaged that if the political will is sustained it will soon meet its present requirements as well as shall be able to cater the future demands of the city. Introduction The title of this research paper is very profound, diversified and intricate when addressed particularly in context to the demographic features of the Karachi metropolis, quantities and characteristics of solid wastes, the prevailing issues of management system and practices of solid waste disposal in the city. Though it is difficult to encompass and comment on all the aspects in detail but an attempt has been made to highlight the most critical issues and recommend possible measures for improving the existing solid waste management system. Statement of the Research Problem Solid waste management (SWM) is an integral component of urbanisation and infrastructure development of cities and becomes more essential and critical in the domain of mega cities which are rapidly growing and expanding. The planning and design of solid waste management system which comprise of its components; storage, collection, transfer, transport, processing and disposal requires detailed studies, extending from physical surveys, demographic and socioeconomic data collection, solid waste generation estimates and characterisation analyses, various options for processing and disposal and finally technical and financial analysis for implementation and operation of the system. The present study is limited to defining basic components of SWM system that are functioning in Karachi. The problems and issues of the existing SWM of Karachi need to be identified with the suggestions of possible solutions for the improvement in functioning and effectiveness of the system. Hypothesis The hypothesis of the issue of solid waste management of Karachi can be expressed as sustained deficit in meeting the physical requirement of resources due to unprecedented growth in urban population resulting in uncontrolled and increasing quantities of solid waste continuously requiring restructuring of the management system, procurement and reallocation of physical and human resources and development of infrastructure which has not yet been achieved due to lack of priority and financial constraints. Significance of the Research The paper provides an overview of the general aspects of solid waste management in urban sector. The case study of Karachi shall be discussed in context to the functions of the SWM components and their infrastructure in effective removal and disposal of solid waste. The issues and problems associated with the management, operations and policy making is highlighted which will be significant to serve the purpose of this research document as well to serve as a baseline for further research in the area. Research Methodology The adopted methodology is simple yet comprehensive in defining and achieving the objectives of the research. The research statement has been laid so as to address the problem, issues and objectives of the research study. The scope of the study has been clearly delineated based on the objectives of research. A brief review of relevant literature encompassing scope and its research has been undertaken leading to identification of paramount issues with an analytical approach to problem solving in solid waste management. The conclusion outlines remedial measures, solution and recommendations for an integrated approach to Solid Waste Management in Karachi. Historical Background and Existing Scenario A substantial increase in the solid waste production, particularly municipal solid waste (MSW) has been observed over the past few years from nearly 6,600 tons per day in late 90s to 9,000 tons/day of solid waste being generated in the city of Karachi in 2005 (KSDP 2020). For over a half century, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has been administering the management of municipal solid waste of Karachi. After the devolution of the administrative structure in August 2001, the above service fell under the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK). Solid Waste Management within the City District is the combined responsibility of CDGK, the Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and Union Councils. Present City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has 18 towns and altogether 178 union councils. Each union council is responsible for providing waste collection services to an average of 9,500 households which is considered to be an ideal load for the management of municipal solid waste efficiently and effectively within its jurisdiction. In addition, the Cantonment Boards, Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Steel Mills carry out their own waste collection and transfer. The key agencies responsible for collection are the TMAs, who either use their own equipment or contract private sector operators in managing and operating the primary collection system. In many low income areas community based organisations (CBOs) are active in collection from households and transfer of MSW to community bins or katchra kundi. Also in many areas sweepers are operative and have organised to collect garbage from residences, neighbourhood and communal streets. Few high-income areas have house-to-house colle ction organised by appropriate garbage vehicles that transport refuse to disposal sites. There is an average population of about 560,000 coming under town administrations that are responsible for collecting and transporting solid waste to designated landfill site. District government is liable to provide and develop landfill site(s) for the city of Karachi at appropriate locations. It should also manage and operate those sites. Presently, there is as such no sanitary landfill site for Karachi. Only couple of designated pieces of land have been allocated for dumping of solid waste on daily basis. The CDGK is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the two official open disposal sites at Jam Chakro and Gond Pass each 35 km from the city centre. Any landfill developmental activity or standard sanitary operation practice on these dumping sites is yet to be carried out. it is estimated that of the total household solid waste generated daily within the City District around 4,500 tons is lifted and of this, not more than 2,000 tons makes it to one of the two designated city landfill sites actually open dumping sites. The remainder is either recovered for recycling (an estimated 1,500 tons per day) or is disposed of by burning or by illegal dumping into open drains or onto roadsides or open land (an estimated 1,400 tons)[1]. It is estimated that some 55,000 families depend on the informal solid waste recycling industry for their livelihood and with more than 1,000 operating units that the industry is worth some Rs 1.2 Billion per annum[2]. Hospital (infectious) wastes are co-disposed with the regular solid waste stream. The availability of incineration facilities is on a very limited scale hence most hospital waste is co-disposed with general waste, representing a significant health risk. Onsite incineration facility is available in 3 to 4 major hospitals operating in public and private sector. However CDGK has facilitated collection and incineration facility to hospitals through private contractor(s) operating at one or two incineration plants[3]. Literature Review Concept of Solid Waste Management The source of waste; the producer, its generation; quantities, volumes and characteristics of wastes all are essential to determine and critical for the designing, planning and operation of solid waste management system. Definition of Solid Waste It includes all types of semi-solid and solid waste arising due to human or animal activity as well as due to natural calamity(s) that is useless / undesirable / unwanted or regarded as discarded material requiring removal and subsequent disposal. Usually if not removed from the source of generation or disposed off properly may of potential hazard to environment (life and property). Waste is a relative term i.e. for one it may be useless or unwanted but for someone it may be a useful item (a commodity recovery, reuse, recycling) Defining Solid Waste Management It is the integration of various activities associated with solid waste into well defined and coordinated manner to optimise the use of human, physical and economic resources and to prepare for the future needs. Solid waste management are the principles and practices comprised of effective management tools applied to different components of solid waste processes which include; collection, storage, transportation, treatment and safe disposal. A comprehensive definition of SWM may be given as: It is a discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to public attitudes. There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely-used concepts include: Waste hierarchy refers to the 3 Rs reduce, reuse recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products throughout their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the market price of the product. Extended producer responsibility is meant to impose accountability over the entire lifecycle of products and packaging introduced to the market. This means that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture. Polluter pays principle (PPP) is a principle where the polluting party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste. Hierarchy of Solid Waste Management in Karachi Metropolis As defined above waste hierarchy means classification, according to the facet of desirability, of waste management strategies. The strategies could be to reduce waste or to reuse, recovery waste or intention to recycle waste, the 3 Rs of waste management. Another recent strategy is to rethink or review the present system for an improved system. Whatever the classification, the main and sole object of waste management is to treat and dispose waste completely or minimize it from the environment, to safeguard the health of the community. Concurrently, the supplementary object is to extract maximum benefits from the waste by turning it in to a useful product. In case of Karachi these elite goals are still to be defined and strategies laid as the primary task of cent percent collection of solid waste and its disposal i.e. providing waste management services to entire metropolis area is yet to achieve. Waste Source Reduction and Segregation No information from official sources is available on this subject. There is no scheme launched by the solid waste management department of the district government to promote waste reduction of municipal solid waste at household level neither citizens are encouraged to segregate the waste into recyclables or non-recyclables at source. However public in their own interest for some financial gain with collaboration and cooperation of informal sector domestic commercial waste producers segregate and sell their disposable or recyclable waste items to door-to-door collectors kabadis. Similarly, industries sell and dispose their waste to middle dealers and recyclers. Also a large volunteer force of waste pickers on mobilised on streets is operational as scavengers. These are mainly self employed labour of Afghan origin who collect recyclables from streets, community bins and open areas on daily basis sale to middle dealer to onward sale to recyclers. Hence a very strong system of waste rec overy from general solid waste stream and subsequent recycling exists in the informal sector which is playing its part in the management of solid waste and reducing the burden on the overloaded formal sector of SWM but unfortunately its role has neither been recognised nor acknowledged. Integrated Solid Waste Management System It is a methodology for solid waste management applied to all of the activities associated with the management of societys waste. The term integrated implies that the activities are interdependent and inter-related so as to formulate a comprehensive and effective waste management system. Integrated Solid Waste Management may be defined as: It is the selection and application of suitable techniques, technologies, and management programmes to achieve specific waste management objectives and goals. The basic aim of the integrated solid waste management is to manage solid waste in a manner that meets public health and environmental concerns and the publics desire to reuse and recycle waste materials. Hierarchy of Integrated Solid Waste Management A hierarchy (arrangement in order of rank) in waste management can be used to rank actions to implement programmes within the community. The integrated solid waste management hierarchy used may be sequenced as; Source reduction, Recycling, Collection Waste transformation and Disposal ISWM programmes and systems should be developed in which the elements of hierarchy are interrelated and are selected to support each other. The Functional Elements of Solid Waste Management. The Functional Elements of a Waste Management System may be classified as those activities which take place within the system to meet the targets and objectives defined for the effective management of the solid waste. The components are those which are acquired and or physically developed (work force, infrastructure facilities, resources, etc.) to facilitate the functions of the SWM system. The typical functional elements of SWM in an urbanised developed sector may be listed as follows: Waste generation Waste handling and separation, storage and processing at source Collection Separation and processing and transformation of solid wastes Transfer and transport Disposal Waste Generation It encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal. It is important in waste generation to note that there is an identification step and that this step varies with each individual waste. At present waste generation activity is not very controllable, however, it is expected that more control will be exercised over waste generation in future. As already mentioned that waste generation phenomenon is dependent upon the demographic characteristics of town or city particularly the changing demography i.e. the population due to growth and expansion with modernisation and urbanisation process. Solid Waste Generation in Karachi In case of Karachi the devolution of city administration in towns though ease off the administrative bottle necks to certain extent particularly in context to management of public services but with solid waste management which is more or less demographically controlled system the magnitude of the problem is not much reduced. It would therefore be appropriate to present the generation rates municipal solid wastes of different towns of Karachi in perspective of their respective populations for certain year of study and projected likewise. As established the quantities of solid wastes depend upon the demographic characteristics and its composition is highly variable factor attributed to socioeconomic features as well as waste management practices. The overall composition of solid waste determined at household level is given as follows: Estimated Per Capita Waste Generation Rate in Karachi According to survey carried out in 2005 waste generation rate is estimated as 0.3 to 0.5 kg/capita/day. It is to be understood that generally the waste generation rate depends upon a number of factors such as: Income level of waste producer Socioeconomic and living style Festive occasions Waste management policies and programmes Awareness education about environment and waste concerns Sources of waste generation in Karachi In case of Karachi, sources of waste generation may be categorized as under: Domestic Commercial, Green wastes Hospital Industrial The types of wastes or garbage generated are: household, commercial, institutional and street sweepings. On the basis of nature of waste it is classified as degradable (organic), non-degradable (recyclable / non-recyclable). The estimated figures given in the SWM document of Karachi Master Plan 2020 draft report 2005 are as follows: Major markets where organic waste is generated are: Vegetable market: 100 ton per day, Empress market: 70 tons per day High-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 60% Garden Waste: 12% Recyclables: 8% Low-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 40% Garden Waste: 5% (max) Recyclables: 15% The solid waste generate that is recovered at; Household level, Community bin level (prior to transfer / transportation) and Disposal site Waste Handling and Separation, Storage and Processing at Source Waste handling and separation involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Separation of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. The best place to separate waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Processing at the source involves activities such as compaction and yard waste composting. Collection Collection includes not only the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, but also transport of these materials, after collection to the location where collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be materials processing facility, a transfer station, or a landfill disposal site. In small cities, where disposal sites are nearby, the hauling of wastes is not a serious problem. In large cities, however, where the haul distance to the point of disposal is often greater than 15 miles, the haul may have significant economic implications. Where long distances are involved, transfer and transport facilities are normally used. Collection and Transportation of Solid Waste in Karachi Stages of collection of garbage is from house hold to community bin sites, (kachra kundi) and then to disposal sites. This is done in the following ways: Stage 1: From house MSW is collected by private sweepers and resident brought to temporary storage / communal waste transfer facility i.e. community bins. Stage 2: From dust bins municipality vehicles transfer and transport solid waste to disposal sites OR to unofficial dumping ground (Primary transportation, 2-3 trips a day which by definition are long trips) Problem Analysis This is the most uneconomical way of SWM because the haulage is extraordinarily long and several vehicles have to make this long trips several times a day. Hence due to shortage of infrastructure and physical human resources with handling of large quantities of waste required the SWM becomes inefficient in handling, transporting and disposing waste effectively. The following problems arise in Karachi in primary collection: Poor attendance of sanitary workers. Estimated number of employed sanitary workers employed in CDGK is 12000. Gradual decrease in number of community bins (4100), as a large number of garbage containers Katchra Kundi are in the workshop for repairs. Haphazard accumulation of garbage on streets, in open spaces and in drains. Uncollected waste usually finds it way in sewers, is eaten by the cattle, or left to rot in the open, or burnt on roadsides 15 to 20% garbage vans remain out of order. Total number of waste vehicles estimated is 560. Landfill sites are situated at long distance ranging from 10 to 70 km (up down) Hardly 300 to 400 trips of garbage vehicles are off loaded daily at landfill sites out of 1500 trips. Transfer and Transport This involves two steps; the transfer of waste from the smaller collection vehicle to the large transport equipment, and the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site. The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station. Although motor vehicle transport is most common, rail cars and barges are also used to transport waste. The two systems for transfer and transporting solid waste through roads comprises of hauled and stationary container system. Transfer and Transport of Garbage in Karachi Past Experiences In mid 90s an experiment of using train carriages was done for hauling MSW of Karachi by the name of Garbage Train project. The project was launched by defunct KMC in 1995-1996. Garbage from Saddar, Lyari and other adjacent areas was brought to Wazir Mansion Railway station for onward transportation to Dhabeji through railway. The system ran for about 4 to 5 months. Rs 27 Million were spent on the project. The system failed due to: High charges levied by railway authorities Wagons provided by the railway authorities were obsolete (not in good service condition) No proper infrastructure for loading unloading of garbage could be developed at transfer stations. Processing and Recovery of Solid Waste It includes the recovery of separated materials, the separation and processing of solid waste components, and transformation of solid waste that occurs primarily in locations away from the source of waste generation. The types of means and facilities that are now used for recovery of waste materials that have been separated at source include kerbside collection, drop off, and buy back centres. The separation and processing of wastes that have been separated at source and the separation of commingled wastes usually occur at a materials recovery facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities, and disposal sites. Processing often includes the separation of bulk items, separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, size reduction by shredding, separation of ferrous metals using magnets, volume reduction by compaction and combustion. Transformation processes are used to reduce the volume and weight of waste requiring disposal and to recover conversion products and energy. The organic fraction of MSW can be transformed by a variety of chemical and biological processes. The most commonly used chemical transformation process is combustion which is used in conjunction with the recovery of energy in the form of heat. The most commonly used biological transformation process is aerobic composting. The selection of a given set of processes will depend on the waste management objectives to be achieved. Processing of Organic Waste in Karachi An experiment A compost plant was established in the early 80s by a private contractor in North Karachi which remained operative for a short period and then was closed down due to following reasons: Supply of non-segregated refuse, gradually damaged the plant. Heavy operational losses. Gained favour during import of plant machinery and also acquisition of land for installation of the plant, as such there was not much financial stake of the contractor was involved. Deployment of untrained and unskilled staff. Non-cooperation from the municipal administration (informal sources). Disposal of Solid Waste It is the final functional element in the solid waste management system. Nowadays, the disposal of wastes through landfill or land-spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected transported to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residues from the combustion of solid waste, compost, or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities. A modern sanitary landfill is not an open dump; it is an engineered facility used for disposing of solids on land or within the earths mantle without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety. Landfill or more specifically sanitary landfill is an engineering term, which may be defined as: An engineered facility developed on a designated piece of land that principally receives waste as a fill over a period of time until the designated area is fully utilised. The development and operation of facility is usually cost effective while maintaining appropriate health, safety and environmental standards. Sites for Solid Waste Disposal in Karachi Only two official landfill sites available and are in use in the city are: Jam Chakro near Surjani Town (500 acres) Gondpass near Hub river Road (500 acres) In addition to the above two marked sites, CDGK also acquired Dhabeji Landfill site (3000 acres) through notification of 2006 for the purpose of landfill operations in 2007 but the operations could not commenced due to administrative and financial constraints. Earlier the project of the Transfer and Disposal of Karachi City through Garbage (Kachra) Train started in mid 90s which used open and closed cargo wagons to transfer collected MSW from garbage transfer station (Wazir Mansion) hauling it to Dhabeji site for open dumping / disposal. The project was also not successful and ceased due to administrative issues and financial

Demand & Forecasting

DEMAND & FORCASTING Founded as a single store in 1960, Domino’s Pizza today stands as the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. From the beginning, we have been dedicated to the best of service, quality products and delivery excellence. They currently have over 9000 stores worldwide, all dedicated to providing great-tasting pizza delivered directly to your door or available for carryout. They have pioneered the pizza delivery business, and sell more than 400 million pizzas worldwide every year.Domino’s Pizza is recognized as a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, and has been named â€Å"Chain of the Year† by Pizza Today, the leading publication of the pizza industry, three times (Dominos). Metuchen is a very small town in Middlesex County, NJ. It is located right in the middle of Edison, NJ. It is only 2. 76 square miles with a population of over 13000. The median income is around $90000. There is approximately 5300 household consisting of 2. 56 people. A nd 30% of the population is under 18 years old (US Census). This can be interpreted as there are mostly families with kids in this community.Currently, there are no fast food pizza stores or any other fast food restaurants in the town. Edison does have many restaurants including two Dominos, one in South Edison and one in North Edison. However, neither of them delivers to Metuchen. The only direct competitor in the area is Pizza Hut. Metuchenites often get to know their local merchants and get personalized service they find missing at large chain stores in the nearby shopping malls Metuchen). Based on the Metuchen demographic information, I chose the following variables: households, income, and price of complimentary goods.I believe households to be more relevant than population based on the fact that the town consists of families with one or more children. A household will consume one or more pies per visit. And people with children are more likely to buy fast food. I chose to use income because income along with the fluctuation of price is a major factor for the demand of pizza. Also we used the variable for the price of the complimentary good Soda. People almost always buy soda or some other drink with their pizza. Although, there are some family owned competitors, I did not include them in this analysis because they are a ifferent type of pizza store. Dominos specializes in fast food delivery. And many of the family owned does not. VARIABLES Year| Qd| price/pie| soda/ liter| population| households| Income| 2010| 125000| 5| 1| 13,574| 5,249| 88,241| 2011| 127000| 5. 49| 1. 25| 13,648| 5,376| 91365| 2012| 129000| 5. 99| 1. 5| 13795| 5491| 94,410| Elasticity refers to the magnitude and the direction quantity demanded changes in response to a percentage change in the variable. Based on the information collected, we determined that all of the variables are inelastic. The price elasticity is 0. 163 and the price elasticity of soda is 0. 64. This means that the c hange in price will result in a lesser percentage change in quantity. Basically this shows that the fluctuation in price will not affect the demand too much. This is also true for the income. The income elasticity is 0. 452. This shows that if income increases, the demand for pizza will increase at a lower rate also. When price goes up, the Qd will go down based on the disposable income of the families. The income is high enough to withstand the price increase. This is also true for the number of households. Household elasticity is 0. 661. ELASTICITY rice/pie| soda/ liter| population| households| Income| 0. 163| 0. 064| 2. 935| 0. 661| 0. 452| 0. 173| 0. 079| 1. 462| 0. 736| 0. 473| Inelastic| Inelastic| Elastic| Inelastic| Inelastic| Smoothing techniques assumes that a repetitive underlying pattern can be found in the historical values of the variable being forecasted. The moving average is calculated by taking an average of past observations. The more observations included, the gr eater the smoothing effect. It gives the same weight to all the observations. The exponential model allows you to determine the weight of the observation between 0 and 1.Below we used four different smoothing techniques to forecasts the demand for pizza for years 2013-2015. The four models show the demand to be between 127500 and 128500. DEMAND FORECAST Year| Actual Demand| 5 year Moving Average| 3 year Moving Average| Exponential Smoothing w=0. 9| Exponential Smoothing w=0. 3| 2007| 126000|   |   | 126000| 126000| 2008| 129000|   |   | 126000| 126000| 2009| 131000|   |   | 128700| 126900| 2010| 125000|   | 128667| 130770| 128130| 2011| 127000|   | 128333| 125577| 127191| 2012| 129000| 127600| 127667| 126858| 127134| 2013| 128300| 128200| 127000| 128786| 127694| 014| 128100| 128060| 128100| 128349| 127876| 2015|   | 127480| 128467| 128125| 127943| The root mean square error is used to evaluate the accuracy of the forecasting model. The lower RMSE means the estimate is more accurate. RMSE RMSE|   | 811| 1933| 2790| 2377| Based on the RMSE for each of the estimates, I would estimate the 3 year moving average to be the best estimate. Although the 5 year moving average has a lower RMSE, I don’t think it is an accurate estimate because there are not enough years to get an accurate estimate. Based on the information collected, we could open a Dominos in the community and expect to do well.The forecast for demand of pizza seems to fluctuate between 127500 and 128500. Although the forecasts seems pretty stable, it doesn’t look like there will be too much growth unless the number of households and income have a larger increase that previously. The inelasticity of variables shows me that as price goes up, there will be a smaller decrease in quantity demanded. However, the income and the number of households are also inelastic. As incomes and households grow, so will the quantity demanded by a smaller increase. The price elasticity is sm aller than the income and household elasticity.So overall the quantity demanded should increase. WORKS CITED United States Census Bureau, US department of commerce, retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/34/3445690. html Income Tax List, retrieved October 27, 2012 from http://www. incometaxlist. com/new-jersey-income-tax-by-zip-code-33. htm Domino’s Pizza, retrieved October 27, 2012 from http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=135383&p=irol-homeprofile Borough of Metuchen, retrieved October 23, 2012 from http://www. metuchennj. org/brochure1999. pdf

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is software that potentially manages the various processes in business. Primarily, it works on a platform utilizing the various meanings of data within one database. Today, companies find that they have to creatively and conveniently respond to increasing globalization, critical changes in business trends, and the condition of the economy (Leyh, Gebhardt and Berton 913). Businesses need to be ready for changes in the government or society such as reducing financial compensation from both state and local governments. Therefore, organizations normally find that they have to come up with solutions that suit these conditions to enhance convenient administrative processes in business. Cloud-based ERP system Cloud-based computing gives the individuals who operate a database the access to software applications which are managed from the available computing resources like the memory through the use of the Internet. Since the introduction of this system, cloud computing has gained a massive reputation internationally. Over the past few years, several enterprises have adapted some of their resources into a cloud (Gunawan and Surendro 57). Notably, the trend is attached to the simplified accessibility to resources and easy facilitation of data sharing. In a significant number of enterprises, the management noted the system availed resources with the need of computing resources working directly in a specific system. The architecture of Cloud-Based EPR SystemCloud-based ERP system falls under the cloud software service. Typically, the average ERP involves installing the system in each terminal while the cloud-based type provides access to the resources without necessarily having the ERP installed on each computer (Gunawan and Surendro 60). Therefore, there is increased convenience on installation and ERP access although the integrity is maintained. An ERP system may also be regarded as the actualization of a blueprint availed by the framework of a business. In the case that the ERP transits to a cloud server, the architecture of the company similarly moves. As such, it is essential to provide configuration details about the technology architecture of an enterprise. Comparatively, the design needs to be defined by an enterprise as long as it uses a cloud computing model. Important to realize, this architecture should also depict better performance compared to the systems that do not entail the cloud-adaptin method. Consequently, to affirm that the ERP can migrate successfully, the blueprint proposed by the enterprise need to be critically evaluated as it is a fundamental need of the architecture. In comparison with the orthodox ERP, the cloud-based ERP comprises of a system where users can access resources through the Internet. However, the former relies on the availability of a Local Area Network (LAN) for the operation of the ERP in the enterprise. LAN connects computers from one organization within a single building by use of a network termed as an intranet. Multi-tenancy is a popular notion in software architecture mainly used in the cloud-based application. Significantly, it concerns a single set of applications used to manage the several users on one instance. The term implies that although the availed resources have a unique sole purpose, their design allows for them to remain mostly adjustable to satisfy the needs of the business. The potential to manage several users is achieved through sharing hardware and data storage. Despite the sharing of resources, the security of data needs to be upheld to avoid specific users from affecting others on the network. Therefore, there are four entities which have to be assessed. First, resource isolation is vital based on the fact that tenants make use of a similar infrastructure and code (Gunawan and Surendro 61). Second, the configuration aspects imply that data needs to have characteristics that are adaptable to suit various tenants. Third, the element of security calls for measurements to be put in place owing to the high risk sharing codes and data among tenants poses. Finally, the scalability concept appeals to the design and applicability of the software for to satiate conditions for reaching levels that can be measured. The most common approach for the multi-tenant concept is Separate Database. Arguably, it is one of the simplest models for isolating data as data for each user is kept separately. However, there is also a Shared Database approach where all tenants occupy similar database instances although they are all assigned an own schema. In this strategy, data from all users is kept in one database using a similar schema. The cloud-based ERP system allows its users to configure the service required from the host. This is necessary to fulfill individual needs and still upholding the integrity of data. The concept is entirely valid although the blueprint provided by an enterprise determines the architecture and necessary ERP modules. Such information is relevant for choosing the specific modules responsible for purchasing modules that contribute towards organizational development (Zhu and Dong 4765). The principal reason behind customization and identifying particular modules depends on the financial capability of companies. Importantly, the multi-tenancy concept allows the provider to avail specific packages in light os the needs of every tenant without having to alter the whole system software. Comparison to Recent Technological Developments While cloud computing is a significant step forward in business, many businesses have not yet adopted this technology. The ERP system focuses extensively on the infrastructure without considering the end-user. As such, it only enhances the reliability which is not as significant to businesses. The Blockchain industry is young although it is quite capable mainly since it offers solutions in the supply chain. The technology can implement logistics metrics concerning order deliveries. Unlike the cloud-based ERP system, blockchain overcomes the forth and back step issue. It empowers all members in a supply chain which fosters the development of all critical contributors within a system. A step forward in cloud-based ERP system implies two steps backward to the end user. The explanation relates to the reason why innovations are directed towards upgrading the interface and improving the performance. Companies Affected While many businesses are continually adopting the cloud-based ERP solutions, specific enterprises are employing the system given the minimal IT requirements it demands. Notably, this system is applicable for distribution, service, and nonprofit businesses. On that note, however, new startups and accomplished mid-sized companies stand a chance to benefit the most. Successful and established companies are likely to stick to the traditional technologies. Conclusion Cloud-based ERP system is one of the most successful software adopted by companies since the introduction. It allows users to access computing resources remotely although the Internet needs to be present. With a multi-tenant architecture, several users can operate a database in one instance without disruption. The enterprise specifications determine the nature of the system and the security of data needs to be sensitized. ?

How To Find Mass of a Liquid From Density

Review how to calculate the mass of a liquid from its volume and density. Density is mass per unit volume: density mass / volume You can rewrite the equation to solve for mass: mass volume x density Density of liquids usually is expressed in units of g/ml. If you know the density of a liquid and the volume of the liquid, you can calculate its mass. Similarly, if you know the mass and volume of a liquid, you can calculate its density. Example Problem Calculate the mass of 30.0 ml of methanol, given the density of methanol is 0.790 g/ml. mass volume x densitymass 30 ml x 0.790 g/mlmass 23.7 g In real life, you can usually look up the density of commons liquids in reference books or online. While the calculation is simple, its important to cite answer using the correct number of significant digits.