Capacity Adjustment through Contingent Staffing Outsourcing

International audienceFor a long time, contingent staffing was considered as the responsability of the Human Resource department. The high needs of workforce flexibility combined with disseminated agencies have led some companies to a great number of labor suppliers. This situation has produced important cost variation, poor quality of service, and important risk due to the mistunderstanding by local managers of legal considerations. To face this situation, companies have started to move from a HR consideration to a purchasing one. This paper deal with the problem of sourcing contingent workers as a supply chain mangement issue: to secure and optimise the sourcing of non permanent workers, companies need to involve different departments within the organisation and to develop an optimise business process with some prefered suppliers. A case study developped with Wincanton finally illustrates the benefit of identifying the needs and outsourcing to a unique service provider such a sourcing process

Calcium channels controlling acetylcholine release from preganglionic nerve terminals in rat autonomic ganglia

Little is known about the nature of the calcium channels controlling neurotransmitter release from preganglionic parasympathetic nerve fibres. In the present study, the effects of selective calcium channel antagonists and amiloride were investigated on ganglionic neurotransmission. Conventional intracellular recording and focal extracellular recording techniques were used in rat submandibular and pelvic ganglia, respectively. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials and excitatory postsynaptic currents preceded by nerve terminal impulses were recorded as a measure of acetylcholine release from parasympathetic and sympathetic preganglionic fibres following nerve stimulation. The calcium channel antagonists omega-conotoxin GVIA (N type), nifedipine and nimodipine (L type), omega-conotoxin MVIIC and omega-agatoxin IVA (P/Q type), and Ni2+ (R type) had no functional inhibitory effects on synaptic transmission in both submandibular and pelvic ganglia. The potassium-sparing diuretic, amiloride, and its analogue, dimethyl amiloride, produced a reversible and concentration-dependent inhibition of excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude in the rat submandibular ganglion. The amplitude and frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials and the sensitivity of the postsynaptic membrane to acetylcholine were unaffected by amiloride. In the rat pelvic ganglion, amiloride produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of excitatory postsynaptic currents without causing any detectable effects on the amplitude or configuration of the nerve terminal impulse. These results indicate that neurotransmitter release from preganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve terminals is resistant to inhibition by specific calcium channel antagonists of N-, L-, P/Q- and R-type calcium channels. Amiloride acts presynaptically to inhibit evoked transmitter release, but does not prevent action potential propagation in the nerve terminals, suggesting that amiloride may block the pharmacologically distinct calcium channel type(s) on rat preganglionic nerve terminals. (C) 1999 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd

Brazilian logistics: a time for transition Logística brasileira: momento de transição

This article describes the logistics dimensions that World Class Firms use to differentiate their capabilities from their more average counterparts. These dimensions, which have been identified through international research, yield logistically excellent firms. The dimensions are documented and described. Using these dimensions as a foundation, the article then develops the implications for Brazilian logistics managers as they are required to transition to a World Class level of logistical performance.<br>Este artigo descreve as dimensões da logística usadas por empresas de classe mundial para diferenciar suas capacidades em relação aos concorrentes. Estas dimensões, que têm sido identificadas por meio de pesquisa internacional, produzem empresas com excelência logística. Tais dimensões são aqui apontadas e descritas. Usando estas dimensões como base, o artigo desenvolve as implicações para os gerentes de logística brasileiros ao serem requisitados para a transição a um nível de classe mundial de desempenho logístico