A fabricação de sabão artesanal como forma de proteção dos recursos hídricos e auxílio no combate à pandemia da COVID-19, por meio do ensino a distância

Pesquisadores demonstraram que o vírus SARS-CoV-2, responsável pela pandemia da COVID-19, apresenta membrana lipídica (gordura) em sua estrutura, e o uso do sabão durante a lavagem das mãos é uma das medidas mais eficazes para eliminá-lo, embora muitas localidades não têm acesso à água potável nem, tampouco, ao uso de sabão para higienização. Assim, com o apoio do Programa Hidrológico Intergovernamental para América Latina e Caribe, o Núcleo da Cátedra UNESCO: Água, Mulheres e Desenvolvimento (NuCat) desenvolveu um curso de extensão virtual com o objetivo de disseminar a metodologia de fabricação de sabão, que utiliza óleo de cozinha residual. O curso incluiu três módulos: 1) a importância do sabão e da higiene como auxílio no combate à COVID-19; 2) a educação ambiental como forma de proteção aos recursos hídricos; e 3) introdução aos princípios de empreendedorismo e cooperativismo aplicados à produção de sabão. Entre 18/05/2020 a 23/06/2020, videoaulas sobre o tema foram disponibilizadas no canal do Youtube: “Projeto Recursos Hídricos e Sabão Artesanal”, o qual alcançou mais de 360 inscritos naquele período. Uma sala virtual via plataforma de educação a distância Moodle também foi disponibilizada para os participantes que se interessassem em adquirir certificado. Os resultados mostraram, ao final do curso, mais de 4.400 visualizações no canal do Youtube e 80 participantes certificados. Os participantes deixaram feedback positivo, com 95% deles declarando-se satisfeitos ou muito satisfeitos com o curso. Palavras-chave: Meio Ambiente; Saneamento; Empreendedor; Ensino a distância Artisan Soap and Entrepreneurship: Virtual socio-educational actions for the protection of Water Resources and combating the COVID-19 pandemic Abstract: Researchers have demonstrated that the new SARS-COV-2 virus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has fats in its composition, making it so that washing hands with soap is one of the most effective measures for its elimination. However, many places do not have access to potable water or soap. Therefore, with the support of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, the UNESCO Chair Core: Water, Women, and Development (NuCat) developed a virtual extension workshop aiming at disseminating used-oil-based soap manufacturing techniques. This workshop comprises three modules: 1) the importance of soap and hygiene to fight the COVID-19; 2) environmental education as a way of protecting water resources, and 3) an introduction to the principles of entrepreneurship and cooperativism applied to soap production. Between 18/5/2020 and 23/6/2020, video classes on the topic were made available on a Youtube channel created for this purpose. The channel “Projeto Recursos Hídricos e Sabão Artesanal” reached over 360 subscribers during this period. A virtual room via the Moodle education platform was also made available to participants interested in a certificate. At the end of the workshop, the YouTube channel reached over 4,400 views, and 80 participants were certified. The participants left extremely positive feedback, with 95% of them declaring themselves satisfied or very satisfied with the course. Keywords: Environment; Sanitation; Entrepreneur; Distance learning

Three Generations of Haji Noor Ali Sowdagar and Sons Limited: SWOT Analysis of a Family Business

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors that lead to sustaining a business for three generations from the early 20th century to the 21st century. For this purpose, this study used a SWOT model and identified internal strengths and weaknesses; and external threats and opportunities of the Haji Noor Ali Sowdagar and Sons Limited, which is a soap manufacturing enterprise established in the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study reveals goodwill as the enterprise’s key strength while lacking of dynamic management as the major weakness. This study also found growing local competition as the main threat while expanding demand as the major opportunity for the enterprise. This study concluded that Haji Noor Ali Sowdagar and Sons Limited lacks a proper segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy and needs to revaluate it’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to adapt to the changing and expanding demand of the country.

A template-based approach to measure supply chain flexibility: a case study of Indian soap manufacturing firm

Purpose The purpose of this study is to quantify the supply chain flexibility for an Indian soap manufacturing firm and to measure its performance. The authors made an attempt to find key strategic and operational decision-making dimensions for developing effective supply chain flexibility environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors have extracted 11 supply chain flexibility dimensions through extensive literature review. The authors used a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to make causal analysis and prioritizing the dimensions. After DEMATEL analysis three major supply chain flexibility dimensions that seem to have significant amount of influence on supply chain performance of the firms were retained for further consideration. The authors have developed an excel-based template for quantitative assessment of flexibility performance indicators. Findings This study provides key enablers for the successful implementation of flexibility concepts in Indian soap manufacturing firms and gives a view how to measure the performance through designing template based on real data. This template can be used in other firms also by simply modifying the key attributes. Originality/value A flexibility index has been defined here with the purpose of assessing the level of flexibility vis-a-vis what is desired and is meant to be evaluated from time to time, to assess if the firm is improving its flexibility or not. The index assumes importance in view of the fact that it has been prepared based on feedbacks of both the upper and the lower management people of the firm engaged in policymaking and operations.

Examination of Risk Factors in the Healthcare Product Development Process by using Fuzzy based MCDM Method

Healthcare product development (HCPD) process is generally long and time taking process because of complex manufacturing systems. These intricacy systems, the amount of risks involved in product development is also high. It is very much essential in controlling/minimizing risk in this process. The aim of this paper is to investigate risks in an herbal soap manufacturing company under HCPD to suggest a ranked risk structure (RRS) portrayal for obtaining the subjective risk assessment to change the magnitude of risks. For transforming the linguistic data into numeric risk ratings, a fuzzy based MCDM technique is used in this paper and also computing the ‘Level of risk’ regarding crisp ratings, a method of ‘Incentre of Centroids’ for GTrFN has been used. Lastly, a structure to sort dissimilar risk factors was suggested based on the notable extent of risk ratings (crisp). Subsequently, an action strategy was proposed to provide instructions to company managers to effectively control risks. A case study tactic is employed.

Solar Industrial Steam Production for Soap Manufacturing Factory: A Feasibility Study

Industrial use of electricity in South Africa accounts for the largest consumption fraction, and the industry has the least renewable energy resource penetration rate. In the soaps manufacturing industry, steam is used to dry the semi-liquid soap mixture into solid noodles in the dryers. This process consumes 63047tons of steam per year, and the steam is produced by boiling water in the boiler heated using biomass and heavy fuel oil (HFO). Feasibility of the system to produce industrial steam using solar energy was to be determined using two platforms: Cost feasibility and Area feasibility. Area feasibility refers to the determination of whether the space available for collector field installation can match the area required to meet steam load. The optimized simulation showed that the required collector area was 17500m2, while the maximum available area on the roof was 12000m2, which implies that the space would not fit the required installation. As for the cost feasibility, the system has to have a payback period of less than 5 years for it be considered feasible and thus can be funded. The cost of installation was estimated to be USD $4 million, with an annual savings rate of $329000, hence a payback period of 12.1 years, which would be regarded as a long period of time for a savings project, therefore would be difficult for it to be approved by the factory administration as it is considered that a payback period of at most 5 years is favorable and the investment would be approved.

LEACHING KALIUM DARI ABU KULIT COKLAT (Theobroma cacao L.) MENGGUNAKAN PELARUT AIR

Recently much attention has been dedicated to generate of useful chemicals from biomass, such as potassium alkali from cacao husk. This potassium can be used as sources of alkali for soap manufacturing. The cacao husks were treated by leaching using water as a solvent to produce alkali potash. First step, the cacao husks and then were dried at 105 ºC for 24 hours. The dried of cacao husk was crashed using ball mill and resulting husk powder were burned in a furnace at 600 ºC for 6 hours and resulting the husk ash powder. The husk ash powder mass variables used in this leaching process were 5 g, 7.5 g and 10 g and the leaching time variables were 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes. Meanwhile the leaching temperature variables were 45 ºC, 55 ºC and 65 ºC. The best temperature condition in this process was 65 ºC and leaching time 60 minutes, with the result of potash concentration was 1,01 N and the amount of potash as a potassium hydroxide is 39,91% was analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscop (AAS).