Costs saving measures are important for South African gold producers due to increasing energy costs and decreasing production volumes. Demand Side Management (DSM) is an effective strategy to reduce electricity consumption and costs. DSM projects have been implemented widely on South African mining systems such as pumping, refrigeration, rock transport and compressed air. Implementations have, however, been limited on gold processing plants despite the significant amounts of energy that this section consumes. The main objective of gold processing plants is production orientated and energy management is not a primary focus. This rationale is re-evaluated owing to high electricity price inflation and availability of DSM incentives. This study investigated the cost saving potential of DSM interventions on gold plants. Electrical load management was identified as a key opportunity that can deliver substantial cost savings. These savings were shown to be feasible in respect of the required capital expenditure, effort of implementation and maintenance of operational targets. Investigation procedures were compiled to identify feasible load management opportunities. The most potential for electricity cost savings was identified on comminution equipment. Consequently, a methodology was developed to implement electrical load management on the identified sections. The methodology proposed simulation techniques that enabled load management and subsequent electricity cost optimisation through production planning. Two electrical load management case studies were successfully implemented on comminution equipment at two gold processing plants. Peak period load shift of 3.6 MW and 0.6 MW, respectively, was achieved on average for a period of three months. The annual cost savings of these applications could amount to R1.4-million and R 660 000. This results in specific electricity cost reductions of 3% and 7% for the two respective case studies. Results from the two case studies are an indication of potential for electrical load management on South African gold processing plants. If an average electricity cost saving of 5% is extrapolated across the South African gold processing industry, the potential cost savings amount to R 25-million per annum. Although the costs saving opportunities are feasible, it is influenced by the reliability of the equipment and the dynamics of ore supply. This insight plays a decisive role in determining the feasibility of DSM on gold processing plants. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Costs saving measures are important for South African gold producers due to increasing energy costs and decreasing production volumes. Demand Side Management (DSM) is an effective strategy to reduce electricity consumption and costs. DSM projects have been implemented widely on South African mining systems such as pumping, refrigeration, rock transport and compressed air. Implementations have, however, been limited on gold processing plants despite the significant amounts of energy that this section consumes. The main objective of gold processing plants is production orientated and energy management is not a primary focus. This rationale is re-evaluated owing to high electricity price inflation and availability of DSM incentives. This study investigated the cost saving potential of DSM interventions on gold plants. Electrical load management was identified as a key opportunity that can deliver substantial cost savings. These savings were shown to be feasible in respect of the required capital expenditure, effort of implementation and maintenance of operational targets. Investigation procedures were compiled to identify feasible load management opportunities. The most potential for electricity cost savings was identified on comminution equipment. Consequently, a methodology was developed to implement electrical load management on the identified sections. The methodology proposed simulation techniques that enabled load management and subsequent electricity cost optimisation through production planning. Two electrical load management case studies were successfully implemented on comminution equipment at two gold processing plants. Peak period load shift of 3.6 MW and 0.6 MW, respectively, was achieved on average for a period of three months. The annual cost savings of these applications could amount to R1.4-million and R 660 000. This results in specific electricity cost reductions of 3% and 7% for the two respective case studies. Results from the two case studies are an indication of potential for electrical load management on South African gold processing plants. If an average electricity cost saving of 5% is extrapolated across the South African gold processing industry, the potential cost savings amount to R 25-million per annum. Although the costs saving opportunities are feasible, it is influenced by the reliability of the equipment and the dynamics of ore supply. This insight plays a decisive role in determining the feasibility of DSM on gold processing plants. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

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Yes / The NHS will need to make real term cost savings whilst maintaining and, where possible, enhancing the quality of essential services. The require-ment for efficiency savings to enable reinvestment in quality is estimated to be up to £21.1 billion by 2014 (Department of Health, 2010; Appleby, 2009.). This requires the NHS to increase productivity by 6 percent per annum (Appleby, 2010) while the Office of National Statistics estimates that productivity1 actually fell by approximately 0.3 percent per annum over the period 1995-2008 (ONS, 2010). Productivity is highly variable within the NHS and even within trusts (NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2004). Given these pressures, the productivity of healthcare organiza-tions is an incredibly salient topic; lean management is a particular pertinent and topical issue.

No

Carbon tax, increased reactive power charges, tariff increases and the Energy Conservation Scheme (ECS) are some of the worrying electricity cost risks faced by large South African industries. Some of these proposed cost risks are not enforced as yet, but once approved could threaten company financial viability and thousands of jobs. Managing multiple cost risks associated with electricity consumption at several mines can be laborious and complex. This is largely due to circumstantial rules related to each potential electricity cost risk and unique mine characteristic. To limit the electricity cost risks for a mining company, clear strategies and focus areas need to be identified. No literature was found that provides a simplified integrated electricity cost risk and mitigation strategy for the South African gold mining industry. Previous studies only focused on a single mine or mining subsystem. Literature pertaining to potential risks is available, however the exact impact and mitigation on the gold mining industry has yet to be determined. The aim of this study is to accurately predict the impact of electricity cost risks and identify strategies that could alleviate their cost implications. Electricity consumption and installed capacities were used to benchmark mines and categorise them according to investigated risks. The benchmarked results provided an accurate starting point to identify best practices and develop electricity cost saving strategies. This study will highlight the additional benefits that can be obtained by managing electricity usage for a group of mines or mining company. Newly developed models are used to quantify savings on pumping, compressed air and cooling systems. To manage and report on the potential risks and mitigation, an ISO 50001 based energy management system was developed and implemented. The applied and developed models can also be adjusted to review and manage the potential cost risks on other types of mines. Derived risk and mitigation models were further used to quantify the impact on one of the largest gold mining companies in South Africa. These models indicate a potential annual price increase of 12%, while mitigation strategies could reduce the electricity consumption by more than 7%. Mitigation savings resulted from proposed projects as well as behavioural change-induced savings due to improved management. Over a five-year period the projects identified could result in electricity costs savings of between R675-million and R819-million. / PhD (Electrical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Carbon tax, increased reactive power charges, tariff increases and the Energy Conservation Scheme (ECS) are some of the worrying electricity cost risks faced by large South African industries. Some of these proposed cost risks are not enforced as yet, but once approved could threaten company financial viability and thousands of jobs. Managing multiple cost risks associated with electricity consumption at several mines can be laborious and complex. This is largely due to circumstantial rules related to each potential electricity cost risk and unique mine characteristic. To limit the electricity cost risks for a mining company, clear strategies and focus areas need to be identified. No literature was found that provides a simplified integrated electricity cost risk and mitigation strategy for the South African gold mining industry. Previous studies only focused on a single mine or mining subsystem. Literature pertaining to potential risks is available, however the exact impact and mitigation on the gold mining industry has yet to be determined. The aim of this study is to accurately predict the impact of electricity cost risks and identify strategies that could alleviate their cost implications. Electricity consumption and installed capacities were used to benchmark mines and categorise them according to investigated risks. The benchmarked results provided an accurate starting point to identify best practices and develop electricity cost saving strategies. This study will highlight the additional benefits that can be obtained by managing electricity usage for a group of mines or mining company. Newly developed models are used to quantify savings on pumping, compressed air and cooling systems. To manage and report on the potential risks and mitigation, an ISO 50001 based energy management system was developed and implemented. The applied and developed models can also be adjusted to review and manage the potential cost risks on other types of mines. Derived risk and mitigation models were further used to quantify the impact on one of the largest gold mining companies in South Africa. These models indicate a potential annual price increase of 12%, while mitigation strategies could reduce the electricity consumption by more than 7%. Mitigation savings resulted from proposed projects as well as behavioural change-induced savings due to improved management. Over a five-year period the projects identified could result in electricity costs savings of between R675-million and R819-million. / PhD (Electrical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / BACKGROUND: In order to improve the quality and efficacy of healthcare while reducing the overall cost to deliver that healthcare, it has become increasingly important to manage utilization of services for populations of patients. Healthcare systems are aggressively working to identify patients at risk for hospital readmissions. Although readmission rates have been studied before, parameters for identifying patients at risk for readmission appear to vary depending the patient population. We will examine existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) data at Banner Health to establish what parameters are clinical indicators for readmission risk. Three conditions were identified by the CMS to have high and costly readmissions rates; heart failure (HF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and pneumonia. This study will focus on attempting to determine the primary predictive variables for these three conditions in order to have maximum impact on cost savings. METHODS: A literature review was done and 68 possible risk variables were identified. Of these, 30 of the variables were identifiable within the EHR system. Inclusion criteria for individual patient records are that they had an index admission secondary to AMI, heart failure, or pneumonia and that they had a subsequent readmission within 30 days of the index admission. Pediatric populations were not studied since they have unique factors for readmission that are not generalizable. Logistics regression was applied to all data including data with missing data rows. This allowed all coefficients to be interpreted for significance. This model was termed the full model. Variables that were determined to be insignificant were subsequently removed to create a new reduced model. Chi square testing was then done to compare the reduced model to the full model to determine if any significant differences existed between the two. RESULTS: Several variables were determined to be the significant predictors of readmission. The final reduced model had 19 predictors. When analyzed using ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.64. CONCLUSION: Several variables were identified that could be significant contributors to readmission risk. The final model had an AUC on it ROC of 0.64 suggesting that it would only have poor to moderate clinical value for predicting readmission.

Course: Degree Project in Supply Chain Management, the Business Administration and Economics Programme, 4FE19E Authors: Matilda Engblom and Katarina Nyberg Supervisor: Arash Kordestani Examiner: Helena Forslund Title: Following the Recipe Brings Franchisees to the Table - A Case Study Consolidating Purchasing and Calculating Cost Savings at Franchisees Background: As a franchisor, Company X does not have insight or control in purchasing at their franchisees. Spend analysis is a tool used to identify current purchased volumes and costs. An aim with spend analysis is to decrease the cost and analyse the spend. There are four different types of consolidation that can consolidate the current purchased volumes and create purchasing cost savings. They are article, volume, supplier and transport consolidation. However, identifying the current situation can be hard in the franchise concept and therefore hard to create purchasing cost savings. It is therefore of need for the franchisor to have insight and control over their franchisees in purchasing. Purpose: The purpose of this study is mainly to identify how the current purchased volumes can be consolidated to create purchasing cost savings for the franchisees of Company X in the Middle East. In addition, calculate the purchasing cost savings that consolidation could lead to. As well as, investigate how a franchisor can regain insight and control in purchasing over their franchisees. Methodology: This case study had a mixed research strategy of explanatory sequential design. Empirical data was collected by both unstructured, semi-structured and structured interviews. The analytical methodology was based on pattern matching. Confidentiality has been of great focus during the study for ethical considerations. Conclusion: The current purchased volumes and costs were identified, enabling different types of consolidation and calculations for purchasing costs. The consolidation model (Figure 28, p. 43) illustrates four different types of consolidation, article, volume, supplier and transportation, which should be followed. Lastly, Table 38 (p. 85) presents actions for regaining insight and control over franchisees.

The main objectives of this thesis are to determine if the addition of an energy wheel in an HVAC system can improve the indoor air relative humidity (RH), and perceived air quality (PAQ), as well as reduce energy consumption. An energy wheel is an air-to-air energy exchanger that transfers heat and moisture between the outdoor air entering and the exhaust air leaving a building. This thesis uses the TRNSYS computer package to model two buildings (an office and a school) in four different cities (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Vancouver, British Columbia; Tampa, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona).<p>The results with and without an energy wheel are compared to see if the energy wheel has a significant impact on the RH and PAQ in the buildings. The energy wheel reduces peak RH levels in Tampa, (up to 15% RH), which is a humid climate, but has a smaller effect on the indoor RH in Saskatoon (up to 4% RH) and Phoenix (up to 11% RH), which are dry climates. The energy wheel also reduces the number of people that are dissatisfied with the PAQ within the space by up to 17% in Tampa. <p>The addition of the energy wheel to the HVAC system creates a reduction in the total energy consumed by the HVAC system in Saskatoon, Phoenix and Tampa (2% in each city). There is a significant reduction in the size of the heating equipment in Saskatoon (26%) and in the size of the cooling equipment in Phoenix (18%) and Tampa (17%). A cost analysis shows that the HVAC system including an energy wheel has the least life-cycle costs in these three cities, with savings of up to 6%. In Vancouver, the energy wheel has a negligible impact on the indoor RH, PAQ and energy consumption.