THE BUSINESS CORNER    

Key Principles for Manufacturers         

(Access Archives for:  

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8)  

By Paul Hodges, International eChem 

The New Normal involves three major transformations in the nature of consumer markets:

• The increasing size of the New Old 55+ age group in the West.
• The number of young Westerners struggling with higher unemployment.
• The increasing number of people moving out of poverty in the developing world.  

They are the great opportunities for future growth, if our economy can be adapted to serve their needs. Chapter 9 of our new 'Boom, Gloom and the New Normal' e-book looks at the implications for chemical manufacturing.

Today, and in the future, we need to focus on the megatrends which will drive future demand growth.

In the fields of water and food, we should focus on reducing the amount of waste, and the output that is lost when product is moving to market.

In developing new products and services for the over 55s, we should focus on core needs, such as food, water, health, shelter and mobility.

This will enable us to 'do more with less'. We will reduce carbon footprint, and ensure that our output can be afforded by the maximum number of people.

These changes in market drivers will have a profound impact on how, and where, products are manufactured.

Manufacturing processes will need to change in many companies as we transition to the New Normal. Quality will matter more and more as we move away from the 'throwaway society' of the past couple of decades.

So will approaches such as Process Intensification. This involves reducing the size of chemical and plant equipment, and can often enable companies to lower capital and operating costs whilst reducing waste.

The chemical industry has long been an enthusiastic champion of the importance of Quality management. It was one of the first to appreciate the importance of the concept of the 'learning organisation' that was originally brought to the West from Japan.

But in the early 2000s, the Quality movement seemed to stall. Many of the people who had launched this revolution retired. More worryingly, some companies began to forget that Quality was a process, and had to be reinforced by senior management at every possible opportunity.

Now, we need to relearn that having the right corporate philosophy is the critical starting point. This includes a focus on benefiting wider society, good leadership, and on rooting out inefficiencies through getting everybody involved in processes and problem solving.

Chapter 9 will hopefully help companies to ensure that manufacturing delivers the competitive advantage that is required as we transition to the New Normal.      

 

Please go to www.icis.com/NewNormalEbook to download Chapter 9.

  

Chemicals and the Economy blogger. Watch Paul on ACS Webinars Chemistry and the Economy 2011 Year-End Review and 2012 Outlook.

  

Email us chemical business topics you would like us to cover in future issues.

  

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CONSULTING TIP OF THE MONTH

Consultant-Client Agreements  

By William Golton, Ph.D., Chemical Consultants Network

In my opinion, with few exceptions, doing business on a handshake is not a good practice. As pointed out in previous Tips, having a written agreement with your client can avoid a lot of problems, from misunderstandings and ill will to lawsuits. Not having a written agreement entails a lot of unnecessary risk.

So what should be in a written agreement?  

• Name and address of consultant (and consulting company, if you are incorporated)
• Name and address of client or client company
• Description of service. This could be a short statement. If a lengthy description of deliverables is required, consider making it an appendix to keep the agreement fairly short.
• Time constraints, where applicable. Specify when the project starts and ends if feasible.
• Fees and payment terms, including advance deposits and late payment penalties if any.
• Out-of-pocket expenses that you expect your client to reimburse. For travel and other large expenses, you might want to add a sentence specifying prior client approval.
• Proprietary information. Although clients will often require a consultant to sign a separate non-disclosure agreement, it can't hurt to commit to treating the client's proprietary information as confidential in this agreement too.
• Liability. Consider having a paragraph that waives liability claims once the client accepts your advice. Some consultants limit liability to the compensation they received. (This subject was discussed in detail in a previous Distillate article.)
• Applicable law. Although the possibility of a legal dispute might be remote, if one was to occur, it would be advantageous to you if it were in your state and not elsewhere.
• Special provisions may be needed for situations unique to a particular consulting practice. For example, if the consulting includes lab work, the nature of the work might be included under Description of Services. Or if the advice includes handling of hazardous materials, a provision requiring Hazmat certification might be added.
• Signature lines for you and your client.  

Although you should have your attorney review your agreement template, it need not be a lengthy document filled with legalese. Most of my agreements are a couple of pages, including the signature lines.

Some client companies may insist on their agreement, but in my experience this is the exception. If they do, try to get them to include your agreement in the text or as an appendix.

Many books on consulting include suggested templates for client-consultant agreements. Some of those references may be found here. 

A frequent contributor to The Distillate, Dr. Golton has written and lectured extensively on the subject of consulting. He recently retired as Vice President of The CECON Group, Inc. Prior to becoming a consultant, he held various positions at DuPont.

This monthly tip is brought to you in collaboration with the Chemical Consultants Network. Have a comment? Join the Chemical Consultants Network LinkedIn group and start a discussion!

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THE WRITING CLINIC - The Doctor is IN 

Verb Tenses      

By Kristin Sainani, PhD., Stanford University

(This month's QUIZ  to test your writing knowledge).   

Dear Kristin: I was taught that you shouldn't mix tenses in the same sentence or paragraph. What tenses should be used in a scientific manuscript?

Answer: It may be OK to use more than one tense in the same paragraph or even the same sentence. Follow these guidelines for verb tenses in a scientific manuscript:  

1. Use the past tense when referring to completed actions:

Examples:

We found that... (the discovery occurred in the past)

The reaction time was... (the experiment is done)

The mice weighed... (the experiment is done) 

      2.  Use the present tense for assertions that continue to be true, such as what the tables show, what you believe, and what the data suggest.

Examples:

The data suggest that... (the data still suggest it when the reader is reading the paper)

Table 3 shows... (the table still shows it)

We believe that this is the first study... (you still believe it)

The findings confirm... (they still confirm it)

      3.  Use the active voice (subject-verb-object) throughout the manuscript except in the methods/materials section, where the experiment is more important than the experimenter.

Examples:

Passive voice: The chemicals were mixed. (OK for materials/methods section)

Active voice: We mixed the chemicals.

Passive voice: The data are shown in Table 1.

Active voice: Table 1 shows the data. (Use active voice for the results section).

Passive voice: Our conclusions are supported by the data.

Active voice: The data support our conclusions. (Use active voice for the discussion.)

Want more tips? Watch Kristin's February 2, 2012, ACS Webinars presentation  Have writing questions for Kristin? Email us your questions or tips you would like Kristin to cover in future issues.

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FROM THE LAB CORNER    

Tips for Having a Good Interview     

By Chemjobber

Recently, I solicited  my readers' best interview tips on my blog, Chemjobber. My personal interview routine is pretty mundane. I  wear a favorite suit of mine -- it's navy blue and I usually pair it with a blue shirt and a dark red tie. I always carry extra copies of my resume, a notepad, some pens, a laser pointer, my presentation (in various forms, both hard copy and electronic.) A silenced cell phone, my keys and some breath-freshening gum rounds out my list.

Naturally, my readers had much better suggestions: extra color copies of your research summary, for example. Extra batteries for your wireless mouse (if you brought your laptop) or for your laser pointer sound like a good idea. If your potential employers have provided you with a copy of the interview schedule, an annotated copy is always helpful. A polymer scientist likes to bring samples of his work (that's something that typical organic chemists can't pull off easily!)

A key part of any senior scientist's interview is the presentation. Readers emphasized the importance of understanding all the information you present, including the background slides. A well-timed presentation (not too long!) where you get to present some of your best work, answer your audience's questions forthrightly, with intelligence and confidence will go a long way to winning you your next position.

Chemjobber is a working chemist in industry and a blogger on employment in chemistry. 

Have lab/career questions? Email us your questions that you would like The Distillate to cover in future issues.

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• March 21, 2012 -  Women in Bio 2012 Annual Dinner
• March 25-29, 2012 - ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA 

    ACS Kids & Chemistry    

With the support of a grant from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the American Chemical Society has developed a science activity kit for teachers to use with their students. This kit, titled Chemistry: Investigating your World, is available to teachers who meet the following criteria:  

• They plan to use the kit with a minimum of twelve 4th-8th grade students.
• They request that the kit be sent to a school address within the continental United States.  

Request your FREE Science Activity Kit today!

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ACS Heroes of Chemistry Nominations    

Each year, Heroes of Chemistry are nominated by their own companies to recognize their talent, creativity, and innovation. Previous Heroes of Chemistry have excelled in innovation at prominent international corporations and developed commercial products that demonstrate strong financial performance.

Hurry! Deadline for nomination package is April 20.   

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Chemists Celebrate Earth Day

"How can industry participate in Chemists Celebrate Earth Day? Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) is an annual event in which ACS local sections, Student Member Chapters, and divisions take part. This year's theme is "Rethinking Recycling-It's Easy to Be Green!"   

Find out what your company can do to engage a general audience. Do you have more ideas about how industry can get involved in CCED? Send your thoughts to outreach@acs.org .

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It's Sew Inorganic!    

 

Read More >>  

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Like Chemistry for Chocolate.  

 

Read More >> 

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Send us your correct answer to win the lapel pin. Three winners will be selected for this popular pin. This month's quote was submitted by Julie Stambek from Pfizer.    

Email us (distillate@acs.org) your answer by February 13, 2011 to be entered into the drawing. Please use QUOTE for the subject line. The answer to the quote and the winners will be posted in next month's edition.

Congratulations to Diana Cristina Sinuco León from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Robert Zipkin from Conshohocken, PA, and Amy Koskinen from Pleasant Praire, WI. Winners were randomly selected from all the correct entries received. (Quote: Facts are the air of scientists. Without them you can never fly Answer: Who is Linus Pauling) Thank you to all who entered the contest.

Have a favorite quote? Please email us (distillate@acs.org) and if we use your submission, we will send you a prize. 

You May be A Chemist If...

 you don't drink water, you drink H2O

Have your own favorite? Send to us and we'll publish it next month!

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