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Title: Supply chain management for pharmacy services in the Northern Health Authority
Contributors: Kirsten Thomson (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), Cameron Egli (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Northern Health Authority, a healthcare region located in northern British Columbia, executed a case study to analyze the current distribution relationship between G.R. Baker Hospital Pharmacy in Quesnel, B.C. and Prince George Regional Hospital Pharmacy. The purpose of the study was to examine the organizational structure, personnel relationships, and business processes that exist between the two facilities, in order to determine which processes in the current distribution network are working well, and to learn which areas require improvement. In order to complete the case study, a brief questionnaire was sent to G.R. Baker Hospital Pharmacy staff to glean further insight into the positive and negative factors of the service they currently receive. Further interviews were conducted with the Pharmacy Manager at G.R. Baker Hospital Pharmacy to determine satisfaction levels with the services provided. Finally, an observation of shipping practices was conducted to analyze the time and cost requirements for providing such service. The study resulted in the identification of several factors that are working well within the distribution relationship between G.R. Baker Hospital Pharmacy and Prince George Regional Hospital Pharmacy, particularly with respect to the provision of pre-packaged and convenience packaged products. The study also identified problem areas, primarily with respect to the limitations on the number of days per week for ordering, and the early cut-off times required by Prince George Regional Hospital Pharmacy. The primary recommendation resulting from this case study is to use this case as a building block for subsequent studies into the provision of drug distribution services and the establishment of distribution relationships with other regional facilities, leading to more efficient supply chain management and better utilization of limited resources.--P.ii-iii.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2008

Title: Feasibility analysis on diverting regional waste to local business for waste to energy project
Contributors: Pamela Jayne Graf (author), David Connell (Thesis advisor), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: A commercial greenhouse fueled by community waste is a business model that could mitigate growing economic pressures on northern communities facing rising costs. A business initiative proposed by Woodmere Nursery (Woodmere) in Telkwa, BC, is to convert community waste into biomass for fuel to heat their greenhouses year round. Woodmere presented their proposal to the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), who is currently transporting their municipal solid waste (MSW) to two landfills within the region. The aim of this project is to do a feasibility analysis of the RDBN diverting MSW to Woodmere for their proposed waste to energy project, a thermal oxidization processing system. A few key sources were used to complete the analysis. An existing RDBN True Cost Accounting Study done on the RDBN waste management process in April 2006, the RDBN five year budget, and literature from EnEco Industries Ltd, which is the supplier of the waste conversion equipment were reviewed. The analysis showed a cost benefit to the RDBN and a significant benefit to extending the life of the Knockholt landfill. Although not the focus of this analysis, this study also suggests the Woodmere project has merit. There are possibly other benefits from this project, such as reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and possible revenue streams from the trading of carbon offsets, from the sale of MSW, and from the sale of excess energy. These are however, beyond the scope of this paper and are possible subjects for further research. --P. 2.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Evaluating a logistics proposal at the Port of Prince Rupert
Contributors: Nathan J. Lauer (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) is examining the feasibility of developing Ridley Island port land into a value added cluster of logistics service providers. At question is the kind of transportation model that could be created to link the Fairview Container Terminal and its deep sea container port capabilities to the logistics cluster on Ridley Island in a time and cost efficient manner. --P.1
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Inventory shrinkage in a chain retailer: a case study
Contributors: Salah Yousif El Sheikh (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Inventory shrinkage is a costly issue that confront retailers all over the world as it diminish their profitability. While many researchers have studied this phenomenon at an industrial level in general, however, only a few researchers have documented their findings based on store level. The retail study at store level can help better understand the operational parameters in a detail for making suitable practical suggestions to combat inventory shrink and that is the reason a case study is chosen as a method to examine and analyze inventory shrinkage in depth at a retail outlet level. --Executive summary.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2008

Title: Costing the production of OSB using fibre impacted by mountain pine beetle
Contributors: Patrick Smook (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The current outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB) in western Canada has killed millions of hectares of pine forest, but has created the opportunity for oriented strand board (OSB) manufacturers to utilize this forest resource. However, MPB - killed timber is dry, porous and brittle, thus posing significant challenges at various stages of the OSB production process. These challenges include increases in breakage in timber harvesting, production of fine wood material at the stranding operation, wear on stranding blades, and resin use. In this study, a simulation of a western Canadian woodlands and OSB manufacturing process was constructed using the operations based costing framework. Once the simulation was constructed, expected impacts of MPB fibre were introduced to the model in a hypothetical scenario where a mixture of MPB and deciduous fibre were used in the manufacturing process to determine the overall cost impact of the alternative furnish mixture on cost of production. This analysis showed that for the subject operations, the use of a 28.8% mixture of MPB and deciduous furnish would yield 3.6% overall increase in the cost of finished OSB. To eliminate this cost gap, OSB manufacturers could investigate the economic viability of increasing ponds capacity, increasing ponds temperature, sale of excess fines material and alternative resination processes to allow inclusion of fines in finished product. --P. ii.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2011

Title: Feasibility of composting municipal waste in the RDKS
Contributors: Robert Ziegler (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (RDKS), located in northwest British Columbia, has embraced the goals of Zero Waste and would like to adopt a zero organics strategy for its' landfills. The 2009 Waste Composition Study determined that 2002 tonnes of organic material is being delivered to the landfills in the Terrace Area. If this organic material were to be composted the cost to windrow compost wood and yard/garden waste would be $88.46/tonne or $44.23/m³. If food waste is incorporated into the feedstock costs would increase to $127.19/tonne or $91.05/m³, utilizing aerated bins and windrow composting. From a strictly financial perspective the costs of composting outweigh the benefits. It was determined that purchasing compost to be used as a final cover at the Thornhill Landfill from a supplier is more cost effective than producing compost from a RDKS composting facility. A diversion of organics from the Thornhill Landfill has no material effect on the post closure leachate treatment costs or on the extension of the useful life of that landfill. The benefits of diverting organics from the Forceman Ridge Landfill on the leachate treatment facility could not be monetarily quantified as that landfill is still in the design stages. The capacity of the Forceman Ridge landfill is 50+ years. An organic diversion policy will extend the useful life of that landfill but assigning a monetary value to a benefit that will be accrued 50+ years in the future was not done due to the inherent inaccuracies in predicting something so distant in the future. In anticipation of a zero organics strategy the RDKS should consider promoting backyard or decentralized composting and implement a pilot project of composting wood and yard/garden waste and a pilot project incorporating food waste. Unless the pilot project indicates otherwise any future composting facility should be established at the Thornhill Landfill due to the inherent transportation cost savings. --P. ii-iii.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Wood-based biofuel options to create zero-fossil fuel district heating systems
Contributors: Thomas Stephen Anselm Cheney (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Due to technological and economic limits wood-chip based heating systems typically operate as baseload units, leaving peak load and backup heat production to fossil fuel boilers. The techno-economic feasibility of greenhouse gas mitigation with SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) and FPL (Fast Pyrolysis Liquids or Pyrolysis Oil) wood based biofuels are examined in this study. Both fuels are feasible but SNG does not meet current natural gas quality standards but the matter is more regulatory than technical and FPL would require significant new infrastructure. The cost of SNG production varies from $10.72 to $56.29 per GJ (Gigajoule), depending on technology and wood costs. FPL production costs range from $17.40 to $24.66 per GJ. Emissions mitigation costs range from $155 to $1052 per tonne CO~'' (carbon dioxide). SNG being most viable due to fewer civil works required at the district heating plant. Larger-scale systems are most viable with costs. --leaf i.
Discipline: Natural Resources & Environmental Studies
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

Title: Impact of the Wellness Fitness program on employee absenteeism: a study of Prince George Fire Rescue: 2005-2011
Contributors: Clayton Sheen (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Workplace wellness programs have been gaining popularity in many private organizations as a corporate strategy. The implementation of wellness fitness into the public sector has been a slower transition. Literature shows that the implementation has the potential to influence and improve various organizational factors such as absenteeism. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the hypothesis that the Prince George Fire Department Wellness Fitness program has reduced absenteeism. This project looks at the three possible categories of absenteeism and evaluates whether they have been reduced since the implementation of this program. The results found are that post Workplace Wellness implementation participants have less absenteeism. --P. iii.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2012

Title: Psychogeriatric services for the Northern Interior Health Region
Contributors: Karla Staff (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Arctic systems are expected to be impacted earlier and more severely by global warming than temperate ecosystems. However, much of the research on the impact of warming on arctic ecosystems has centered on plant communities. One objective of this thesis was to examine how passive warming would impact the root-associated fungal community at Alexandra Fiord, Nunavut. The root-associated fungal community consists mostly of mycorrhizal, dark-septate and hyaline-septate fungi, which are considered important mutualists in arctic ecosystems. The objective was to compare the fungal community from plots warmed by open-top chambers to ambient plots, using two methodologies: 1) fungal DNA extracted directly from root tips with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLPs) used to estimate variation, and 2) fungal cultures isolated from root tips to which PCR-RFLP techniques were applied to assess variation. T-RFLPs were used to examine the root-associated fungal community on Salix arctica. Differences between the communities were analyzed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Genotype diversity was tested using a 2-way, 2-stage, nested ANOVA. Warming did not significantly change genotype cumulative frequency or diversity of the root-associated fungal community, but cumulative frequency tended to increase on the warmed plots. Genotype richness was significantly different according to site, which was correlated with differences in soil chemistry. Again site, not warming, was the main factor that distinguished the root-associated fungal community of Salix arctica, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Cassiope tetragona, and Dryas integrifolia based on fungal cultures. Warming did not have a detectable impact on cumulative frequency and diversity, based on CCA and a nested, 3-way ANOVA. Fungal cultures were identified based on sequence analysis and morphology. Phialocephala fortinii was the most frequently identified taxon, but almost half of the fungal isolates remained unknown. The root-associated fungal community was examined along a glacier forefront characterized by a directional, non-replacement primary plant succession pattern. CCA was used to examine genotype frequency; linear regressions were used to test for changes of cumulative frequency and diversity as succession advanced. The fungal community on only one of the host plants increased in frequency and richness as succession advanced. The dark- and hyaline-septate endophyte communities were distinct on different host plants, providing evidence for host specificity and higher diversity than previously reported.
Discipline: Social Work
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 1997

Title: Forecasting future consumption of coniferous wood in India: a quantitative approach
Contributors: Krzysztof Sas-Zmudzinski (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Over the last few years, Canada has been very successful in increasing its trade in wood products with China. India however, still remains an elusive market. There is a large amount of peer reviewed literature on the specifics of the Indian wood market, and the potential for trade in softwood products. Whereas the majority of studies describe in great detail the opportunities and constraints in dealing with India, very little quantitative information is available about the trends and patterns that determine the Indian wood market. This study uncovered and described one such trend by identifying the relationships between the level of imports of softwood products and such factors as India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), domestic production, the price of lumber on international markets, tariffs, and the price of Teak logs as a substitute for softwood products. This study analyzed 13 years of quarterly data using the ordinary least square regression technique. Diagnostics were conducted using Akaike and Schwartz criterions, the Durbin-Watson test, and the Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey test for heteroscedasticity. Results suggest that the indicated variable collectively explain 74% of variability in import levels. Two variables in particular, real GDP and the price of Teak have a significant, positive impact on the level of imports of softwood products with 0.45 and 0.49 as respective elasticities. Continuing growth of India's GDP will ensure an ever increasing demand for imported wood products in the years to come. To maximize this opportunity, North American exporters should not compete with New Zealand's low quality pine, but should instead focus on competing with dark coloured tropical hardwoods that are becoming prohibitively expensive as world wide supplies of Teak and other tropical hardwoods continue to diminish. --P. i.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2012

Title: Necessary assets for an inland port: a case study of the City of Prince George (B.C.)
Contributors: Keith Hampe (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2006

Title: Facility relocation evaluation: Stella-Jones Inc., New Westminster operation
Contributors: Wayne Hingley (author), Balbinder Deo (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Business Administration
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2006

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