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vannia varon

2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Tesla Model S - Motor Trend - 1 views

www.motortrend.com/...viewall.html

tesla Technology

shared by vannia varon on 11 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Tesla offers three lithium-ion battery packs for the Model S -- 40-kW-hr, 60-kW-hr, and 85-kW-hr -- that are claimed to provide ranges of 140, 200, and 265 miles, respectively. The base 85-kW-hr powertrain delivers a stout 362 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, while the performance version makes 416 hp and 443 lb-ft.
    • vannia varon
      vannia varon on 11 Jan 13
       
      its actually 160, 230 and 300 miles range
  • Tesla Model S Signature Performance version will nail 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and the quarter in 12.4 seconds at 112.5 mph, with a top speed of 133 mph.
  • giant touch screen in the center of the car that controls everything from the air-conditioning to the nav system to the sound system to the car's steering, suspension, and brake regeneration settings.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • The best energy consumption figure we've returned is 118 mpg-e for a 212-mile run
  • With a base price of $58,570 (before a federal tax credit of $7500), the 40-kW-hr Model S is competitive with entry-level Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Audi A6.
  • In terms of active safety, the Tesla Model S is at the top of the class.
  • Tesla claims the Model S outperforms federal crash standards, having been impact-tested at 50 mph (the mandatory standard is 35 mph)
  • Tesla's plant in Fremont, California, using Panasonic cells with nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathodes.
  • Markus Roder 5pts Dec 10, 2012 @LarryC213 Yes Larry - I agree with you. Clearly, only crowning a Ford F-350 or a revived Hummer as car of the year would have demonstrated Motortrend's lack of bias. I asked myself, though: Why is it, that the other car magazines like this car, too? But no worries, I came up with the answer pretty quiclly: All of them are in the pocket of the evil leftist homo-muzleem tree-hugging conspiracy, eh?  ShareFlag1LikeReply
  • Tesla recently unveiled the first five of what it calls its Supercharger stations along routes connecting L.A. to Las Vegas and San Francisco, and S.F. to Reno
  • These Superchargers are veritable electron fire hoses, delivering DC energy directly into the battery at rates up to 80 kW, bypassing the on-board 10-kW (or optional 20-kW) inverter(s), and gaining 150 to 160 miles in range in 30 minutes.
  • and it's permanently free to Model S owners
  • Tesla predicts 100 stations nationwide by 2015.
  • Tesla predicts 100 stations nationwide by 2015.
  • That the 11 judges unanimously voted the first vehicle designed from the wheels up by a fledgling automaker the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year should be cause for celebration.
  • The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year is one of the quickest American four-doors ever built. It drives like a sports car, eager and agile and instantly responsive. But it's also as smoothly effortless as a Rolls-Royce, can carry almost as much stuff as a Chevy Equinox, and is more efficient than a Toyota Prius.
laura kaczkowski

Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities - 0 views

www.cntraveler.com/...n-eco-friendly-hotel-amenities

shared by laura kaczkowski on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Mayakoba, Riviera Maya
  • uses no motorized vehicles throughout the entire property. Instead, guests can ride electric golf carts, bicycles, or electric boats on more than nine miles of canals.
  • Palmer House Hilton in Chicago
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • rooftop garden last summer to provide fresh herbs and vegetables to the hotel’s Lockwood restaurant.
  • “barefoot beekeeping” system, which is a chemical-free, low-impact, sustainable and natural approach to producing honey.
  • the greenhouses El Dorado Royale Resort in Rivera Maya, Mexico hope to produce 211,699 pounds of fresh produce this year
  • can tour the 100,000-square-foot growing space
  • plans his menu around greenhouse ingredient
  • oga Ranch in Napa Valley
  • the sheep make ideal groundskeepers because they are only 24 inches tall at full size, so they can’t reach tree branches or trellised grapes.
  • 2010, the resort has been collecting its compostable food products for the Upper Valley Disposal and Recycling Program, which then processes and shares the rich compost with area vineyards, farms, and resorts
  • Habana Outpost, where diners can ride a bicycle that powers the eatery’s blender
  • If they hop on the hotel’s exercise bike and generate up 100 watt hours of energy, they’ll earn a free meal
  • and is part of the hotel’s larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems.
  • their manure helps fertilize the soil,
  • At the Treehotel in Sweden, rooms are constructed without harming the forest, plus they have eco outdoor wood floors and use green hydroelectric power.
  • restaurant lights are powered by wind and solar energy; the staff provide glass flasks instead of bottled water;
  • The Hawaii Island Retreat on the Big Island’s north coast produces its own electricity through solar cells in photovoltaic panels on the roof of the property’s energy building.
  • Lake Nicaragua's Jicaro Island Ecolodge is operated by 2010 World Savers Award winner Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality
  • All of the wood used for construction or furniture came from trees downed by Hurricane Felix, which hit Nicaragua in 2007, and most of the wastewater is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants.
  • guests are given oxo-biodegradable bottles to use during their stay;
  • laura kaczkowski on 21 Sep 12
     
    In the article, "Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities" it talks about how many different hotels are doing their part and keeping the planet green. The first place that the article talks about is the Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, it uses no motorized vehicles instead the guests can use electric golf carts or electric boats to ride around on the nine miles of canal. "Each resort also has an onsite biologist to lead educational boat tours through the lagoons." At the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago they built a rooftop garden to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the hotel's restaurant, they are also considering making space to put several beehives, this will lead to a natural approach of producing honey. One of the most interesting and easy ways to stay green was at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley; they have sheep that eat the grass replacing all lawnmowers and on top on that, their manure helps fertilize the soil. It's a win, win solution! In New York they have a restaurant called Habana Outpost and you really have to work for your food, literally. At this restaurant you have ride a bike that powers the eatery blender and if they generate up to 100 watts of energy, they will earn a free meal, such an amazing and creative idea! This "is part of the hotel's larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems." At Jicaro Island lodge in Nicaragua, they used all of they wood from trees that were knocked down in Hurricane Felix and they also use a good majority of their wastewater that is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants. Before reading this article, I never knew that so many hotels were doing their part at staying green and I'm surprised by all the new and unique ways that they have come up with, it gives me hope for the future!
YIZHE YANG

e-business strategy - virtual value chain - 0 views

www.tutor2u.net/...-strategy-business-models.html

e-business； strategy ；chain； Ford Motor ； Porter's Value Chain

shared by YIZHE YANG on 30 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • YIZHE YANG on 30 Jan 13
     
    Over the years, some businesses have controlled almost all factors of production and distribution (Ford in its early days) whereas others have outsourced almost everything (Dell). In the early days of industry, large enterprises controlled and owned most factors of production and businesses like Ford Motor Company in the USA had their own foundries, railroad, forestry and electricity generating plants, In the UK, Cadbury's and Lever Brothers went so far as to build villages and amenities for their workers. The motivation for this vertical integration was varied but included cost and quality control, worker loyalty and protection of proprietary processes. As well as control of production, resources and employees, businesses like Ford also controlled the retail sales and service network.
  • YIZHE YANG on 03 Feb 13
     
    The virtual value chain, created by John Sviokla and Jeffrey Rayport, is a business model describing the dissemination of value-generating information services throughout an Extended Enterprise . This value chain begins with the content supplied by the provider, which is then distributed and supported by the information infrastructure; thereupon the context provider supplies actual customer interaction. It supports the physical value chain of procurement, manufacturing, distribution and sales of traditional companies. To illustrate the distinction between the two value chains consider the following: "when consumers use answering machines to leave a message, they are using an object that is both made and sold in the physical world, however when they buy electronic answering services from the phone company they are using the marketspace-a virtual realm where products and services are digital information and are delivered through information-based channels." (Rayport et al. 1996) Many businesses employ both value chains, including banks, which provide services to customers in the physical world at their branch offices and virtually online. The value chain is separated into two chains because the marketplace (physical) and the marketspace (virtual) need to be managed in different ways to be effective and efficient (Samuelson 1981). Nonetheless, the linkage between the two is critical for effective supply chain management.
Marcos Oliveira

LEED Certification and Other Green Initiatives Can Be Hotel Marketing Coups , by Carl R... - 0 views

hotelexecutive.com/...s-can-be-hotel-marketing-coups

shared by Marcos Oliveira on 05 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • from becoming airborne. Green Seal is a non-profit
  • prevent particles from becoming airborne. Green Seal is a non-profit, third-party certifier
  • n the United States, hotels represent more than 5 billion square feet of space, nearly 5 million guest rooms, and close to $4 billion in annual energy use
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • January 2010, only 40 hospitality properties have achieved so-called LEED
  • certification.
  • LEED is a voluntary, third-party green building certification program that awards points to buildings for satisfying certain green building criteria. In order to be LEED-certified, a building has to implement a plan to reduce building operating costs, its environmental footprint, and resource consumption such as water and energy use.
  • developed by the U.S. Green Building Council
  • non-profit organization
  • intended to provide building owners and operators a basic framework for identifying and employing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions
  • LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations and LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance are the programs which have the most applicability to hospitality projects.
  • In addition, each rating system, including LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations and LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, is organized into six credit categories
  • sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality and innovation in operations.
  • Once the essential prerequisites are satisfied, developers can thereafter chose which optional credits to pursue in order to obtain certification. Certification levels start at Certified and increase to Silver, Gold and Platinum designations.
  • first hotel to receive LEED Platinum Certification was the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Proximity Hotel uses 39% less energy and 33% less water then a comparable sized hotel. In addition, the Proximity Hotel was able to recycle 87% of its construction debris
  • By using highly reflective concrete and/or open grid pavers, hospitality companies can help reduce the summer cooling loads for their building, which in turn reduces energy use and pollution generation.
  • installation of 100 solar panels on the roof, which heat about 60% of the hotel and the hotel restaurant’s water; use of geothermal energy for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment; and installation of the Regenerative Drive model of the Otis’ Gen2 elevator which reduces net energy usage by capturing the elevator’s energy and then feeding it back to the hotel’s electrical grid
  • Many hospitality companies have already introduced green initiatives, such as the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, offering linen and towel reuse programs as well as various recycling programs
  • Not only are these green initiatives environmentally responsible, but should a hospitality company at some future point seek LEED certification, these green initiatives would earn them points in furtherance of the certification process
  • Paving Parking Lots with Highly Reflective Materials or Open Grid Pavers
  • purchased 40% of the building materials and 90% of its furniture locally and even restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream. Proximity’s most impressive features, however, include:
  • Installing High-Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures
  • Landscaping with Native Plant Species
  • native plants reduce more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than traditional mowed grass due to their extensive root systems and increased ability to retain and store water
  • Green Cleaning – Using Sustainable Cleaning Products, Materials and Equipment
  • A green cleaning program may include the use of Green Seal Certified household cleaners, Green Seal Certified laundry products, micro-fiber cloths, and dual motor vacuum cleaners with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters that prevent particles from becoming airborne. Green Seal is a non-profit, third-party certifier
  • third-party certifier
  • Using Local Materials and Goods
  • While not every hotel or hospitality company may be in the financial position to seek LEED certification or undertake costly capital expenditures, there are numerous green initiatives that each and every hospitality company should be considering to improve their efficiencies while also attracting green conscious consumers
  • A simple Google search of “hotels” and “green initiatives” returns more than 27,000,000 hits
  • Marcos Oliveira on 05 Feb 13
     
    In the United States, hotels represent more than 5 billion square feet of space, nealry 5 million guest rooms and approxiamtely $4 billion in annual energy use. As of January 2010, there were only 40 hotels that were LEED certified. The acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a voluntary, third party green building certification program that awards points to buildings depending on their sustainable practice being implemented which includes building improvements, environemntal footprint and water and energy use. LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization. Its main purpose is to provide building owners and operators with a basic framework for developing and implementing sustainable practices. The first hotel to ever be certified according to LEED criteria was the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. This hote received Platnium status for being able to recycle 87% of its construction debris, purchasing 40% of the building materials and 90% of its furniture locally. Installation of 100 solar panels, use of geothermal energy for the restaurant's refrigeration equipment and instllation of a Regenerative Drive model for its elevators made the Proximity Hotel a benchmark hotel. There are several practices that can make a hotel conserve energy and make it sustainable such as using flourescent lightbulbs, offering linen and towel reuse programs, paving parkig lots with highly reflective materials or open grid pavers, installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, landscaping with native plants and using local materials and goods. These will not necessarily lead to LEED certification but will definitely earn points towards obtaining that accredidation. The use of sustainable practices not only helps conserve the environment but also saves money in the long run. Through water conservation techniques, recycling and linen and towel reuse programs, the hospitality industry wins two-fold,
natalieemmanuel

Alibaba has solved the one problem Amazon can't: B2B e-commerce - Fortune - 2 views

fortune.com/...alibaba-amazon-b2b-ecommerce

shared by natalieemmanuel on 11 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • Incredibly, many businesses today still buy and sell supplies and materials with paper invoices, faxes, and checks. It’s a huge opportunity on which the two largest e-commerce companies in the U.S., eBay and Amazon, have not focused. Both companies run marketplaces, but they specialize in consumer-facing goods, not wholesale items and business supplies. Amazon has been running AmazonSupply, a wholesale site, in beta for two years, as CEO Jeff Bezos promotes increasingly flashier schemes around drone delivery, TV shows, mobile phones, and publishing.
  • But there is one true giant in the category: Alibaba, the Chinese retail darling that last week revealed plans for a $21.12 billion initial public offering, which has dominated in B2B e-commerce. I was reminded of this over the weekend while listening to Planet Money’s entertaining explainer of the Alibaba wholesale market. Through Alibaba.com and 1688.com, the company provides to people everywhere access to the Chinese supply chain. This means tinkerers, builders, entrepreneurs, and small businesses can order custom motors and parts from Chinese factories without having to travel there, find a scout, and forge a relationship with a manufacturer before doing business.
  • natalieemmanuel on 11 Sep 14
     
    In the year2000 it was predicted that B2B e-commerce would be a trillion dollar market. However, what actually happened was underwhelming compared to the predictions previously made as the market only made about $559 billion. Surprisingly, most businesses still buy and sell products the "old fashioned" way using fax, paper invoices and paper checks. The big question is, why aren't the large e-commerce companies, including Ebay and Amazon, banking in on this market? Amazon has been testing a wholesale site called AmazonSupply for about two years. However, much like Ebay, Amazon specializes in selling consumer-facing goods. There is one e-commerce company who is dominating the market. Alibaba is a Chinese retail giant that is leading the B2B e-commerce world. Alibaba has succeeded by opening up the world of international suppliers to companies without having to form a relationship with the manufacturer before purchasing supplies. By using Alibaba as a mediator between businesses and suppliers, businesses can buy products in bulk without actually having to travel to China to do it. Alibaba has given businesses access to many manufacturers that they most likely otherwise would not have access to.
  • natalieemmanuel on 11 Sep 14
     
    In the year2000 it was predicted that B2B e-commerce would be a trillion dollar market. However, what actually happened was underwhelming compared to the predictions previously made as the market only made about $559 billion. Surprisingly, most businesses still buy and sell products the "old fashioned" way using fax, paper invoices and paper checks. The big question is, why aren't the large e-commerce companies, including Ebay and Amazon, banking in on this market? Amazon has been testing a wholesale site called AmazonSupply for about two years. However, much like Ebay, Amazon specializes in selling consumer-facing goods. There is one e-commerce company who is dominating the market. Alibaba is a Chinese retail giant that is leading the B2B e-commerce world. Alibaba has succeeded by opening up the world of international suppliers to companies without having to form a relationship with the manufacturer before purchasing supplies. By using Alibaba as a mediator between businesses and suppliers, businesses can buy products in bulk without actually having to travel to China to do it. Alibaba has given businesses access to many manufacturers that they most likely otherwise would not have access to.
  • danalbert on 12 Sep 14
     
    For an individual shopper, Alibaba has also created Ali Express, which gives an individual access to the same staggering number of products at near wholesale prices. They do indeed appear to have broken the code on B2B sales while still providing availability to the consumer. Win-win.
anonymous

HITEC Wrapup - Guestroom Energy Management Innovations Grab Most Attention :: Hospitali... - 0 views

www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-100655.html

Back in June companies attended HITEC the lodging industry's leading trade show. At this event about 400 exhibitors came to show off their technology. Several of them had same ideas when innovations. They were all focused on creating programs and systems

shared by anonymous on 07 Feb 19 - No Cached
  • The following is a summary of the HITEC announcements having some type of “green” connection:
  • INNcontrol 5 energy management and guestroom automation control system.
  • INNcontrol 5 gives hotel operators better insight on how to optimize energy use by generating historical trend reports on room usage, seasonal fluctuations and other factors.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • The INNcontrol 5 system provides the open data exchange platform for Internet of Things (IoT) integration with centralized electronic locks, property management systems, in-room entertainment and other systems. INNcontrol 5 is also an entry point for consolidated Alexa voice control of compatible HVAC lighting, drapery and, amenity controls.
  • Honeywell also debuted and demonstrated its new Spectre guestroom solution that merges smart thermostat technology with guestroom lighting controls. Spectre combines Honeywell’s e7 occupancy-detection wireless thermostat with intelligent, programmable wall outlets and lights to extend energy savings to guestroom lighting. The thermostat senses when guests enter the room and instantly communicates with lighting controls via a 2.4GHz RF to activate a “welcome” environment. When the room is unoccupied, the lights and outlets are turned off within a 30-minute time period to save energy.
  • For hotel owners, the data and analytics supported by Honeywell Sentience and displayed in INNcontrol 5 helps make properties more energy efficient. For operators, artificial intelligence enabled by Honeywell Sentience can predict heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning problems before they occur.
  • Telkonet, Inc., creator of the EcoSmart platform of intelligent automation solutions, announced the release of its Symphony commercial IoT platform. Some of the key highlights of Symphony’s capabilities include the ability to see all room devices, including door locks, lighting, mini bars, shades, etc.
  • Just prior to HITEC, SONIFI Solutions announced a collaboration with Telkonet, Inc. to make hotel rooms smarter and more connected, by combining energy management solutions with in-room guest entertainment systems. Guests have the ability to change in-room environmental settings via SONIFI’s STAY Interactive Television interface.
  • Evolve’s New Evolve Guest Interface
  • a simple, yet powerful device that enables guests to control in-room climate, lighting, shading and drapery, as well as other functions to increase efficiencies for both guests and staff.
  • The eGI consolidates devices such as the guest-controlled thermostat, special devices for lighting and shading control, IoT gateway, USB charger, alarm clock, and platform for Guest Services applications—all within the device.
  • CIRQ+ & Its ‘Smart Room for Smart Guests
  • Mode:Green, a company focused on hospitality, specializing in technologies, including: HVAC, lighting, video surveillance systems, television, audio and voice on demand, motorized shading, Wi-Fi and networking, door locks, and more.
  • Verdant EI Energy Management
  • The system continuously analyzes changing conditions in each room—occupancy, temperature, humidity, weather, etc. and adapts in real time.
  • When hoteliers subscribe to Verdant EI, a dedicated energy management expert is assigned to the property with a simple goal in mind: monitor the Verdant system 24/7 and maximize energy savings.
  • Amana expanded on its guestroom energy management system with its new DigiWatt system that can control virtually any electrical circuit in a hotel room. Using a DigiSmart occupancy sensor to determine if a room is unoccupied, the system can shut off power to virtually any 115 volt non-critical electrical circuit(s) that are predetermined during design and construction.
  • INTEREL’S Guest Room Management Solutions
  • The Water Management System delivers precise digital water controls and enables the property or brand to set water flow and temperature policies. Guests can control multiple water outlets through one touch panel.
  • Site 1001 can monitor a building’s water supply system and warn when it detects a leak or conditions favorable to bacterial, viral or parasitic agents.
  • wireless control of temperature; smart LED light; instant-on alarm clock; Wi-Fi (ZigBee, Zwave); thermal occupancy sensor; Bluetooth speaker and Hi-Fi audio; 120 V AC and USB 2.1A charging plugs with optional (Qi) wireless charging; hotel services; and more.
  • AspirEnergy, an energy solutions company, was on hand to help commercial properties increase long-term value by reducing operating costs through sustainable solutions. AspirEnergy offers many services—ranging from lighting retrofits to energy management systems to assistance with renewable energy systems and energy procurement.
  • Coway USA, Inc. its Airmega and Aquamega air and water filtration systems. The Airmega includes a pollution sensor to show the air quality in real time.
  • When the air quality in the room remains good for 10 minutes or more in Smart Mode, Airmega conserves energy by shutting down the fan.
rderonville

Sheraton Suites Plantation Renovation Complete with Sustainable Guest Room HVAC Technology - 0 views

www.hotelnewsresource.com/article86717.html

renovation sustainable hvac Technology Industry sheraton suites guest room AirRevive ROI facility management

shared by rderonville on 19 Jul 17 - No Cached
  • AirRevive, the leader in sustainable HVAC refurbishment and re-commissioning services, is pleased to announce the completion of its guest room fan coil unit refurbishment project for the Sheraton Suites Plantation.
  • The South Florida landmark selected AirRevive to restore its two-hundred and sixty-four 1989 IEC guest room fan coil units as part of its guest room renovation.
  • Sheraton’s choice to include refurbishing its fan coil units and the added expense of an often overlooked and unseen guestroom amenity with its guest room renovation is a testament to its commitment to its guest’s comfort and satisfaction”
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Average airflow increased by an average 27% from 670 feet per minute (FPM) to 910 FPM.
  • The facility saves energy both in the guest room at the fan motor and at the chiller. “The combination of energy savings in the guest room and at the chiller is very powerful and provides a very attractive ROI to finance the project"
  • rderonville on 19 Jul 17
     
    This article provides information about a sustainable renovation that has revamped the Sheraton Suites. The HVAC technology that was constructed in the guest rooms has restored a fan coil unit refurbishment project. AirRevive, according to the article, is the leader in sustainable HVAC refurbishment and re-commissioning services. A 1989 IEC guest room fan coil was restored for the guest room renovation project. It is supposed to add about 1 decade to the lifespan of the units. Doing this renovation adds to guest satisfaction and comfort. These are the some of the most important factors in the hospitality industry. The indoor air quality is no loner compromised and will no longer leave guests susceptible to harmful allergens. The President of AirRevive states that this renovation is a cost efficient way to tune up. It saves energy and reduces operating expenses. There is an attractive ROI associated with the effective and efficient completion of the project.
dominiquecolas

A brief history of point-of-sale (POS) | Vend POS System - 0 views

www.vendhq.com/pos

shared by dominiquecolas on 22 Sep 19 - No Cached
  • So in 1879, Ritty invented the “Incorruptible Cashier,” a device that registered transactions made at his business
  • In 1906, inventor Charles F. Kettering, who worked for NCR, developed the first cash register powered by an electric motor. The device made it faster and easier for cashiers to ring up sales and keep tabs on transactions.
  • In the 1970s, innovation helped traditional cash registers evolve into computerized point of sale systems. It was also during these years that devices such as credit card terminals and touchscreen displays were introduced.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • n 2014 a majority of UK retailers (53%) rated mPOS as the most important in-store technology for consumers. mPOS systems are also gaining market share.
  • lunky registers and bulky computers are being replaced by sleek tablets and phones. These devices not only look good and save space, but they also help retailers improve the shopping experience.
  • Advancements in mobile and cloud computing have also helped lower costs for retailers.
  • A traditional register can cost up to $4,000 compared to an iPad POS, which costs around $1,500 including accessories.
  • Cloud apps will enable retailers to better manage their sales, inventory, and customers across several stores and channels
  • “Managing a single product catalog means we’ve eliminated our problem of double entry into multiple platforms. Perfect inventory syncing saves many hours of cutting, pasting, and stock updating.”
  • While cash and credit cards likely won’t go away any time soon, we can expect consumers to adopt more payment options in the future. The rise of mobile payments and the EMV mandate in the United States will drive retailers to upgrade to more modern POS and payment systems.
  • dominiquecolas on 22 Sep 19
     
    This article describes the introduction of the cash register to the retail world after discovering a need to improve security of his cash transactions. Over the years, this evolved into our modern-day POS systems. Cash registers became more successful as technology improved. This meant anything from adding touch screens , to introducing sophisticated mobile technology. These advances benefit both the business and the consumer. Businesses are find affordable POS options at a fraction of the cost from decades ago, and customers are given convenient options for mobile ordering or self-service.
khadija2050

50 Facilities Management Tips and Best Practices - Camcode - 0 views

www.camcode.com/...gement-tips-and-best-practices

facilities management tips best practices practices

shared by khadija2050 on 23 Nov 20 - No Cached
  • Cut night site lighting. “Depending upon how your site lighting is operated and circuited, you can create an ‘economize mode’ for overnight when the site is at its lowest occupancy. Keep perimeter site lighting on around your property and all entrances and main drives lit.
  •  Replace older lighting with LEDs. “Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center chose LEDs to replace existing lighting in a parking garage open 24/7, halving the garage’s power consumption. Meanwhile, Mediapolis Community Schools in Mediapolis, IA, also embarked on a retrofit of LED exterior lighting.
  • Implement a sustainable facility design plan. “Sustainable design is more attainable and affordable than it’s ever been, especially when you think in terms of years instead of days and weeks. It’s also worth noting that sustainable design is very well favored among the public, which is an extra incentive for companies interested in reinforcing their reputation as socially responsible and environmentally concerned
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  • Know the total cost of all facility work done both directly and indirectly. “To the untrained eye, the facilities maintenance arm of a business appears to be a black hole of cost. The costs of these FM services add up, and unless discrepancies arise, that is where most of the business analysis ends. However, facilities maintenance managers, who are privy to all of the nuances that make up eac
  • h work order, understand the complexities and overhead involved in this sector of business.
  • Consider less obvious improvements that impact facility energy use. “Some energy-related projects will be more or less hidden from the users and primarily pursued to reduce energy demand, such as chiller and fan-unit upgrades. Such projects may end up providing the building users with better temperature control, but this is not the primary goal of the upgrade
  • Operational changes such as reducing the hours of HVAC and lighting operation, and changing setback temperatures, which require very little expenditure (if any at all) do not directly affect user experience, but can produce large reductions in electricity loads. In general, working with the building operations team to reduce energy use can produce impressive reductions in loa
  • his allows building and facility management professionals to determine whether the cost to improve a particular element of a building or a system in it against the cost savings over the same period. If the cost of an upgrade over its lifetime offers an advantage over the building operational costs it will save, then it’s generally considered a good investmen
  • “Finding the right suppliers to maintain your facilities can be difficult and time-consuming. From janitorial services, to groundskeeping and maintenance supplies, ensuring suppliers are providing apples-to-apples quotes, developing contracts with clear service levels, and validating that supplier quality
  • “Boilers today can reach efficiencies of up to 96 percent using condensing technology; however, a typical building, including new buildings, uses atmospheric type boilers which, for all intents and purposes, are only slightly more advanced than a science lab Bunsen burner. This technology is reliable and it works, but it is expensive to operate
  • An energy audit systematically identifies and develops opportunities to help reduce energy use in an institutional or commercial facility and, as a result, decrease building operating costs. Focusing the audit is imperative for maintenance and engineering managers.
  • “Commercial kitchens are high energy users, consuming roughly 2.5 times more energy per square foot than any other commercial space, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Of that, as little as 40% is used in the preparation and storage of food, says the UK’s Carbon Trust; much of the wasted energy is dispersed into the kitchen.
  • All commercial buildings are insulated; building codes make it mandatory to insulate up to  a certain level. Unfortunately, because most buildings are put up under strict guidance to budgets, they are usually put up with only the minimal amount of insulation
  • Develop performance measures for your PM process with an emphasis on measuring the amount of PM that is work completed compared to all other work. Total PM hours should be the highest percentage of all the department’s maintenance work. This goal might seem impossible, but over time, it is very achievable
  • “Preventative maintenance is all about planning, plain and simple. Every piece of equipment or machinery at your disposal or under your care should have a schedule of what type of maintenance it requires and when it requires that check-up.
  • “Failure modes are defined as “how something fails.” Let’s use a flat/membrane roof to show an example of what a failure mode is. On a flat/membrane roof, one failure mode may be “penetration of roof membrane,” and the causes of this failure mode could be many. Knowing the failure mode(s) of a specific maintainable item such as a membrane roof and its causes can be key to early detection of roof failure (not meeting the intent of the end user) so the repair can be made before it affects an operatio
  • “Catch small problems now before they become big ones. Addressing small details can add up to huge improvements in appearance and functionality. Ask your facilities services provider, janitorial company
  • You may schedule preventive maintenance based on meter readings on an equipment. However, equipment meters usually do not differentiate between work time and idle time
  • Greasing the rack and pinion of a beam saw, for instance, can cause grease and saw dust to solidify inside the gears over time, eventually preventing them from moving. If you’re unsure which tasks are beneficial to each piece of equipment, ask your equipment representative.”
  • Having spare parts and supplies around the time of a major preventive maintenance schedule is absolutely critical. Asset management software allows you to check the availability of the spare parts for dates when the work orders are due. This report can help you identify parts that are insufficient for the required work orders in the future. If you know which parts you are falling short on, you can order them in advance from suppliers rather than waiting till re-order limits are reached
  • “Appropriate repetition and reinforcement are necessary. The average person is bombarded with more than 300 messages while at work, and multiples of that outside of work, Finney says. Getting a message to land with an audience might take as many as 12 repetitions, in some cases, he says
  • Let’s get together: when you’re designing your facilities, design social spaces for your employees. These might be lunch or break rooms, games rooms, gyms, or even community gardens.
  • While other managers may work to manage clients or staff, your job is to manage facilities and all that occurs in them. Your corporation’s physical assets are just as important as your human resources, and you are the expert in this field. Whether it’s collating data or contributing to the organization’s bottom line, your input is a valuable part of corporate decision-making
  •  “Workplace inclusion has to be clearly defined before any initiatives can be pushed forward. One useful definition of an inclusive office is a workplace in which all staff are treated with respect and have equal access to resources and opportunities. Facility managers should build on this high-level description to create an idea of what concepts like equal access, diversity and fairness look like in their own facilities
  • Space costs money. Knowing that we are moving towards a working environment consisting of virtual or mobile workers, investing time in developing new workplace designs that can suit these new ways of working while increasing space utilization rates can result in impressive cost savings
  • Performing facility maintenance and engineering tasks is like sailing among icebergs. What technicians can’t see will sink them — or their facilities. Thermal imaging technology gives technicians the ability to see the unseen, making it easier to spot failing motors and electrical components,
  • This concept is broadly used to describe our attempt to formally identify in-house talent in many of our labor shops. We identify talent through a competitive selection process based on potential vs. skills and promote our selected personnel to the worker and helper level while training them to achieve appropriate full mechanic level with associated certifications/licenses
  • This directly leads to the client receiving a more fit-for-purpose solution and ultimately receiving greater value which grows a greater relationship.
  • In other words, there has to be a compelling reason based on our mission for why we would submit budgets for anything.” By presenting specific information on how and why you’ve chosen your budget numbers, you can help the C-suite see that your budget is well within reason
  • When you automate the work order process, you remove human error associated with it. Essentially, you’re taking the people out of the process and ensuring nothing gets missed or overlooked
  • “There are many different software options out there than can aid FMs in organizing and streamlining their everyday tasks. This ranges from software designed to help manage all maintenance activities to logging and tracking facility visitors for security purposes. 
  • uch smart sensors, operating costs are dramatically reduced, productivity is enhanced, and occupants’ comfort is improved.
  • “One of the most exciting features of Facilities Management software is the ability to manage heating and cooling remotely, or set a programmable thermostat to move set temperatures up or down throughout the day. Facilities planners love the ability to analyze and explore energy use from heating and cooling systems
  • “Maintenance and facilities administration systems must frequently abide by national and global regulatory requirements. All maintenance administrators face occasional random or audits inspections by regulatory authorities. Maintenance software enables you to prove regulatory conformity and decrease the amount of paperwork and preparation that is needed for an audit.
  • KPIs allude to opportunities and errors in your company. Paired with the Internet of Things (IoT) and energy management systems, KPIs can be used to highlight missed maintenance tasks, greater traffic area of your business or problems with machinery
  • “Closely monitoring energy and water use to reduce building-operating costs is another benefit. By allowing owners to monitor and analyze the performance of multiple systems—air-conditioning levels, lights on automatic dimmers, water usage
  • “A feature that’s gaining a lot of ground is using facial recognition technology to let people in and out of the building. It’s more secure than key fobs or cards, and unlike cards and fobs, you can’t forget your face at home. It’s like batting a triple, or killing three birds with one stone
  • You cannot do your job properly without the correct information. If you don’t have proper records on the state of your facilities, you can’t do your job as a facilities manager.
  • “A surprising number of facilities managers have no true system in place for managing their space.  More than a quarter of everyone interviewed – 28 percent –
  • . It may help significantly with compliance with various industry standards, such as HIPAA in the healthcare industry and Sarbanes-Oxley in the financial field. It can help to document best practices for avoiding accidents, or in the worst case scenario,
  • This method identifies how critical a piece of equipment or maintenance task is to your business and will ultimately show you where it should land in your prioritization process
  • Smartsheet is a spreadsheet that you share with your co-workers, but its features go far beyond Excel. This tool combines the traditional spreadsheet with project management tools, templates, and forms and allows you and your colleagues to access spreadsheets on mobile devices and work on them collaboratively
  • The business world is increasingly embracing a larger remote workforce. Offices are used as areas to collaborate, develop, and design new ideas. The day-to-day work can be, and often is, done from home
  • “Another possibility for cutting costs, say experts, is not just moving staff around, but moving work around also. This means carefully examining all outsourcing contracts to see if they can be scaled back and the work completed by in-house staff
  • “Verify assets from a minimum of two data points, such as the barcode and the item’s serial number.
  • After collecting data and developing a maintenance schedule for your assets, you need to plan for the long-term maintenance of your asset inventory
  • However good asset management and maintenance planning is, there comes a time when an asset reaches the end of its useful life and should be disposed of.
  • “If you’re trying to get a handle of your documents, the first thing you should do is an asset assessment. Detail the condition of all the main equipment and systems, and document those conditions
  • Strategic asset management integrates key relationships between planning and delivery activities.
  • Maximize your use of vertical cubic footage by placing seasonal products or those that move less frequently in harder-to-reach vertical storage areas
  • khadija2050 on 23 Nov 20
     
    the article highlights how companies can benefit from sustainable design and gives tips on preventive maintenance
lethannelson268

Meet the burger-flipping robots that may take over fast food kitchens - Los Angeles Times - 0 views

www.latimes.com/...fast-food-restaurant-robot-arm

shared by lethannelson268 on 25 Oct 20 - No Cached
  • The product of decades of research in robotics and machine learning, Flippy represents a synthesis of motors, sensors, chips and processing power that wasn’t possible until recently
  • Costing less to employ than a minimum-wage worker, Flippy is built to slip in right alongside humans on the fast-food line.
  • Off-the-shelf robot arms have plunged in price in recent years, from more than $100,000 in 2016, when Miso Robotics first launched, to less than $10,000 today, with cheaper models coming in the near future
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Miso can offer Flippys to fast-food restaurant owners for an estimated $2,000 per month on a subscription basis, breaking down to about $3 per hour
  • A human doing the same job costs $4,000 to $10,000 or more a month, depending on a restaurant’s hours and the local minimum wage. And robots never call in sick
  • So far, early versions of Flippy have put in time on the line at Dodger Stadium and at locations of CaliBurger
  • Jordan believes Flippy is poised to become a regular part of fast-food kitchens across the country in the next year, especially in markets with higher labor and real estate costs like California
  • Miso has raised more than $13 million in investment and is currently trying to raise an additional $30 million to fund its push into fast-food kitchens from small investors on the equity crowdfunding platform SeedInvest
  • lethannelson268 on 25 Oct 20
     
    This article discusses how Miso Robotics, an innovative technological company, invented and developed robotic arms that flip burgers and make fries. This robot, Flippy, is one that is the first of its kind in the restaurant industry, and was invented to work alongside humans. However, with its reduced costs and its efficiency, it may replace humans in the kitchen in the near future, especially with the turnover rate so high in the restaurant industry. With the invention of Flippy and testing it out at LA Dodger Stadium as well as CaliBurger, a fast food company owned by Miso Robotics, Miso Robotics are utilizing the ahead of the curve approach since Flippy is the first of its kind.
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