Book Report on HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE 2010 The Forecast, The Challenge Term Paper

Book Report on HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE 2010 The Forecast, The Challenge - Term Paper Example IFTF enables organizations, companies, foundations, government agencies to make better, more informed decisions about the future, and it provides the foresight to create insights that lead to action. The book is a rare collection of thoughtful, insightful and robust forecasts covering almost all the crucial components of health and healthcare. This volume has been organized into logically sequenced eighteen chapters that cover a diverse set of topics ranging from historical trends to xenotransplantation. Each chapter includes self-explanatory and informative figures, graphs and tables. Aptly inserted sidebars in each chapter add another dimension to the text by facilitating a clear understanding of the chapter. I am of the opinion that this well researched and beautifully presented and an interesting book has been able to achieve its sole objective of providing the reader with â€Å"a description of critical factors that will influence health and health care in the first decade of the 21st century.† In the opening chapters, the book informs the reader about trends like widening economical divide, expanding and changing horizons w.r.t. nature of diseases from acute to chronic, mental and lifestyle oriented ones. It highlights the transforming demographic trends those are expected to have a far reaching effect on the evolving modalities of healthcare services delivery in America. The book also analyses the aspect of insurance in the changing scenario. Ever since the invention of the monaural stethoscope, technology’s role in medicine has been gradually increasing and today technology has secured a commanding position in almost all specialties of medicine. The book has discussed nine upcoming and promising technologies (and respective key barriers) those have the potential to â€Å"address intransigent issues and improve public health, extend our life

Lean Management and Value Stream - An Example of BMW Essay

Lean Management and Value Stream - An Example of BMW - Essay Example Automobile firms are trying to keep up with the market changes and shifts in consumer behaviour by designing an adaptive manufacturing process. Based on this consideration, the research will focus on the utilization of lean manufacturing and value stream mapping in BMW. As defined by Vokurka (2006), value stream mapping is implemented for identifying the state of the current status of the operations process and conniving a better process for future operations of the company. Wilkinson and Dale (2007) noted that most of the firms often misdirect their value chain process by focusing on the rectifying the mistakes in the existing operational process which also affects the layout designed for future process. The manufacturing process of BMW is basically run on a centralized structure which allows the company to manage the functions in all its subsidiaries. The international business of BMW is receiving its supply from only manufacturing units established all over the world (BMW, 2014). The manufacturing process of BMW is co-ordinated with by creating a holistic approach in all the manufacturing units of the business. BMW maintains their manufacturing process by creating demands for their luxury products and reducing the supply of the products (BMW, 2014). The growth of their product line has however now transformed from a luxury brand and has expanded their consumer base from niche market to the mass market also. However, Ballou (2007) criticised that often organizations tend to lose potential market space and consumer base by reducing their supply which hampers the brand availability of the firm. The manufacturing process of BMW mainly is formed on the basis of innovation in production, designing, and presentation of their products to the mass market. The process of production can be better explained by observing their Value Stream Mapping.