Adarsh Dhatt's blog

Two power supply firms, Candu Energy Inc. (based in Canada) and China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd. (based in China) have paired up to build two nuclear reactors in Romania. This project would support Canada’s economy as well as provide high-skilled jobs to fellow Canadians (in addition to the jobs being created at the site of the reactors). Candu already operates in reactors in Romania (as well as many other places), therefore they have valued experience in the area and will be prepared for most complications.

In addition to this deal SNC Lavalin and the China National nuclear corporation have signed a deal in which they will attempt to eventually make the reactors run on recycled nuclear fuel. This will initially be tested on existing Candu reactors. This change will significantly reduce environmental impact by increasing output while using much less inputs (such as uranium), in addition this could lead to lower costs for the company as well.

Candu’s decision to be in these deals will be very beneficial to their company as well as the environment. This will improve Candu’s image among the public and perhaps lead to greater expansion due to the newfound reputation. Also, if successful, this will allow them to adopt a much greener value proposition in which they provide cleaner energy to the world. The reduced amount of uranium used will greatly decrease their variable cost (provided that other costs don’t increase substantially due to different processing) which in the long run will benefit them greatly. Overall these two deals have allowed Candu to expand, profit the Canadian economy, potentially provide cleaner energy, improve their image, reduce costs and reduce their emissions.

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/blogs/canadian-and-chinese-companies-partner-to-build-nuclear-reactors-in-romania-1.1260642 (external blog)

http://www.adventis.ca/candu-energy-welcomes-romania-china-letter-intent-nuclear-investment/ (1^st image)

http://www.design-engineering.com/general/snc-bullish-on-nuclear-division-46511 (2nd image)

Brenden’s blog outlines that with the vigorous work or school schedules that many find it difficult to make time for the gym or exercise at all for that matter. The solution he looked towards was to do the little things at work that give you a bit more exercise each day. This includes parking further away, moving office supplies further away from your desk so more of a walk is required.

While I agree that exercise is very important in numerous ways, I happen to disagree with the general premise of his article. His solution of simple workout tips at work while they may make a bit of a difference, they are negatively impacting the company that employ’s you. This is because you are wasting more time at work, time for which your employers are paying you to be working. A major premise in many businesses is that productivity must be utilized in the most efficient way possible. If you are, on a daily basis, purposely cutting down your productivity in order to take care of personal tasks then, you are knowingly hurting the firm. Doing this is not ethically right, as it could potentially be reducing the firm’s efficiency. An alternatives to this, and perhaps equally effective could be to take the principles of this article and move it to your home. This can be done by moving the remote further away, doing quick workouts during commercial breaks on television (or any other time you can spare a couple minutes). In conclusion, exercise is a very important aspect of life, however there are alternatives to letting it affect your work.

http://blogs.ubc.ca/blancaster/ (response to this blog)

http://mic.com/articles/51531/8-ways-to-work-out-around-your-busy-work-schedule (1st image)

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Working-Out-While-Watching-TV-11616456 (2nd image)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/life-at-work/improve-your-health-through-inefficiency/article21450003/ (link to original article)

I recently ready Daphne’s Blog post regarding targeted advertising through social media tracking. She had many insights regarding personal feelings on the matter; she stated the she did not like the idea of feeling as if she was being watched, as well as touching on other people’s reactions to experimental ad suggestions (without the users knowledge).

Nowadays much of our life is based online. Social media, stores etc. are all at the convenience of laptops (or even smartphones). Therefore the innovative and logical way to determine what consumer’s desire is to track their interests and decide what is the best product/service to offer each individual user. Before this there were other methods, however, in this day this is the perfect way to lure customers in a very strategic way.

An example of a company who has utilized this method is Netflix. My sister and I have different Netflix accounts and upon observation I noticed that each of our individual viewing needs was catered very differently. The top picks for us were different, they offered suggestions based on other movies we have watched and I even noticed that the categories closer to the top were very different (such as dramas being at the top for her and for me it was a ways down). By tracking us and delivering these suggestions, Netflix is keeping consumers engaged with their service to ensure it’s continued use.

Although this era of advertising makes many uncomfortable (myself included), it is an essential piece to aid the marketing division (and potentially others as well).

http://www.netflix.com/WiHome

https://blogs.ubc.ca/daphnetse/ (response to this blog)

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-in-advertising-september-24-2014-9

http://nerdsmagazine.com/facebook-privacy-what-you-need-to-know/ (1^st image)

http://blog.designcrowd.com/article/489/10-alternative-netflix-logo-designs (2nd image)

 Swot Analysis:

                The world is constantly moving towards using technology to further convenience their lives. Bionym is striving to do just that with their new and innovative way of banking and in the future, possibly much more. Bionym and Royal Bank (RBC) are pairing up to introduce a new way of banking. Their design is a wearable banking device (wrist watch) with which transactions can be made so carrying of credit cards will not be necessary. They are also thinking of using this device to replace many essentials that we have to carry around, such as, alternative keys to your vehicle, passwords for computers, a key to check into your hotel room etc., to them the possibilities are endless. In addition, they have created an anti-theft technology in which it senses your electrical signals given off by a user’s heartbeat, so the product will only work for the owner of it. In this case Bionym is doing many things right; first of all they are fully aware of the continuing technological changes in society and are taking full advantage of this. In addition, they do not want to simply make banking more convenient, they are motivated to continue and develop this technology into something they believe will eventually be used to replace many things we use daily, all into one device on your wrist. However, there are still potential flaw in this concept, one being that it may not be stylish. As practical as this technology is, if the design is not appealing to consumers then the product simply will not sell as much; this aspect must be kept in consideration if this is to succeed. When looking at Royal Bank, they too are making great decisions. By deciding to partner with Bionym they’re differentiating themselves from other banks by offering a commodity that no other bank can. This offers incentive to make the switch as this new invention has the potential to eventually change the way the modern world operates.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/royal-bank-to-test-out-toronto-company-s-nymi-technology-1.2829259

http://www.techhive.com/article/2047895/maker-bionym-says-its-nymi-wristband-can-id-you-via-your-heartbeat.html (1st image)

http://www.darvinassetmanagement.com/globalclearingservices.aspx (2nd image)

” If the United Nations was fully funded why would we need the Arc or social enterprise”?

                The United Nations does a lot for the global community. They provide aid to numerous communities of different sizes and help make the world much better. If they were fully funded, yes this would allow them to do great things globally; they could build hospitals and schools, provide food and restore damaged areas. The possibilities are endless — however groups such as the Arc and social enterprise would still be needed as their services would be much quicker, efficient and more focused.

With a large group such as the United Nations, for a decision to be made there are many steps, such as drawing a proposal, approval, voting on whether or not to do it. With small groups they simply see change that needs to be done and work towards accomplishing it; without having to endure numerous processes and meeting to agree on something.

Additionally, these large groups  tend to (however not all the time) focus on issues on a large scale, while smaller organizations lean toward helping more concentrated areas and ensuring they are receiving everything they need in their location. When I was in elementary school, my school decided to build a relationship with a community in Venezuela, one in desperate need of aid. We, as a school, provided them with school supplies (among other things). This relationship carried on for a few years and we were able to make a difference in the community by allowing the children to learn as we do.

If there were no smaller organizations or groups of people willing to make a difference, then actions such as this may have never happened. Individuals are always told how they can make a difference, taking away all that individual passion and desire to help and leaving it all in the hands of a single organization would not be helpful.

http://www.chnook.org/partner/the-arc-initiative/ (1^st image)

http://nycparking.spplus.com/Destinations/Nyc-United-Nations-Parking.html  (2^nd image)

http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative

http://www.un.org/en/

I have chosen to discuss the current buzzing issue of whether or not the Enbridge pipeline will be built. Many first nations’ communities (particularly the Nak’azdli) have displayed their strong opposition to the pipeline project. This is in fear of potential oil spills that among other things will tarnish the health of their beloved lands, rivers and much of the wildlife in the area. Despite this external threat to their project, Enbridge has continued to ensure the construction will commence. In this case, much of the company’s benefits that it brings to the communities do not apply to the First Nations as much as it does to the general public as well the stakeholders involved in Enbridge. This external threat is essentially endangering Enbridge’s entire business and all those involved with the project to the point of possibly having to shut it down. This is why Enbridge is actively taking steps to ensure future support of the project from all oppositions. In addition to payouts, they have even taken to making these external threats a part of the company by offering shares. By turning the opposition into partners they are not only gaining the support of those who once opposed them, but are also actively involving them in the company, therefore strengthening their relationships between them. Although this offer is on the table, some groups are firm on their stand that they will not be bought off; to them the lands mean much more to them and they are not willing to put them at risk with such ease. This of course implies that Enbridge will still have a tough road ahead of them as they attempt to attain the support of all opposition.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html

http://www.enbridgeincomefund.com/Learn-about-ENF/Why-Invest/Our-Value-Proposition.aspx

A new Social media app is emerging, an app that allows instant messaging and live mass group chats, all without the use of either Wi-Fi or cellular connection. This app, Firechat, is labelled as an effective “off the grid” communication system. This messaging is achieved by sending the message, the message then travels using Bluetooth to other Firechat user’s phones and eventually finds its way to the intended user’s phone. In addition to regular chats and chat groups this app allows you to host mass chat groups of up to 10,000 users to share their opinions on topics. This app, although a promising idea, has many flaws. In the growing technological world we live in, nearly everywhere you go there is connectivity available, whether that be through cellular data or Wi-Fi, making the use of this app for the general public to be quite obsolete. The intended use for this app is for when you do not have any connectivity, such as in the wilderness, subway or crowded areas where signals are jammed. However this applies to a very limited use of the application and I do not see it growing into the staple for messaging. However, currently this product has been made useful by the protesters fighting the current issues in Hong Kong. Rumors were heard that cellular connection would be turned off, so protesters began downloading this app to continue conversation regarding the issues (100,000 downloads in 24 hours). Although it is rather successful in this circumstance, that does not give any credibility to future success hypothesis’. This is once again a very limited use of the application as it is a rare circumstance. It is an interesting concept, however, from a business standpoint, for the general public this app serves the same purpose as the countless instant messaging applications already in use.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/firechat-off-the-grid-messaging-app-what-you-need-to-know-1.2784271

Generally the topics of thermostats and their competitive markets has never been a buzzing topic, however in recent years two companies in particular have emerged to change this. They have created incredibly innovative designs and features to make consumers care which thermostat they own. Initially, in 2009, the much smaller company, ecobee created the first Wi-Fi controlled thermostat. This company’s innovation brought the emerging technological era into a product no one generally considers. This idea promoted competition and interested Tony Fadell who started a company called nest (eventually purchased by google) to rival ecobee. Now these two companies are similar to Apple and Samsung in their fight for the best thermostat. ecobee’s latest product is a thermostat with so many features and luxuries that consumers didn’t even know they needed. They have created an extremely sleek and stylish design, while incorporating many features; they have made it made it environmentally friendly, cost efficient for your energy bill, weather forecasts, auto learning and auto timing and many more. In addition they have a smart-phone controlled option to control individual rooms. All of these being specifications not expected from a thermostat; they have taken the thermostat, like Apple took the phone, added countless additional features, and are attempting to revolutionize the market and make it the staple, just as Apple did with the phone. However, with this revolution, there are rivals, Nest has also created a similar product, also with an eye appealing design and loaded with specs. These two companies have introduced a whole new market prime for development, improvement and serious competition over time. They have intelligently connected thermostats, something nearly all residents need and have, to the ever growing digital world we live in. It would not be a surprise if the future of this industry was changed due to these new and promising ideas.

https://store.nest.com/product/thermostat/

https://www.ecobee.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business

Air France is a very well-known major airline company. Recently a strike, led by the Air France pilots, took place and continued for 14 days until it finally came to an end. Initially the dispute was the workers objection to the new business plan set to take place. The plan entailed outsourcing jobs currently held to other countries with lower taxes and labor costs. In addition, they were also unsatisfied, saying even the current contracts sought for the low-cost carrier’s operations set in France were insufficient. Although the dispute is still unresolved, the workers decided to call off the strike anyway. This strike had a significant impact on all parties involved with Air France; the company lost their revenue streams for the 2 weeks, the company image was tarnished, in addition, it inconvenienced many in France and around the globe who had already purchased their tickets. It was estimated that the walkout cost the company approximately 20 million euros each day it continued. The French state actually owns 16% of the company, so this strike caused a hit for them as well. Air France is one of Europe’s biggest carriers and will surely continue to face the repercussions of this strike even following its end.  This strike took place in an attempt to display their objection to the plan, however when Air France offered to scrap a major aspect of the plan, which entailed shifting many of its European operations to Transavia (a low price, Dutch based airline) they were still not happy. In this case, Air France was attempting to lower costs to eventually increase profits, although from a business standpoint this appears to be a sound decision, however the collateral damage was what angered the employees. At this point the strike is at an end however the issue is still unresolved as the plans to lower costs are still in effect.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/air-france-pilots-end-14-day-strike-1.2780459

The news story I have chosen outlines the details of CVS drug stores decision to restrict the sale of cigarettes and tobacco related products. In this article it is made very clear that this will have a large impact on sales due to the amount of sales they currently transact by making this product available in stores. They have also stated that this will in fact lower the stock price of their company and cause shareholders to lose money. Although from a social standpoint this appears to be “the right thing to do,” it is in fact very wrong of them to do such a thing. This is due to business ethics; CVS is knowingly deciding to not only “spend the money of” (according to business ethics) every one of their branches, suppliers managers, possibly employees (less money = less raises) and more, they are also spending the money of their shareholders for a social cause they may not care for. It is their responsibility to make every business decisions with the objective to receive a greater return on their profits, that is what they are hired to do, that is what many depend on them to do. Although they may be trying to do the right thing, they are very wrong in using company resources to fund their personal social responsibilities.