Kitchen & Bath SPOTLIGHT: Toilets

Following is a sampling of new products in the toilet market.

* Mansfield Circle 39Kohler. Circle 31* Sterling Plumbing Circle 43* Eljer Plumbingware Circle 37* Neo-Metro Circle 40* Gerberit Circle 387. Danze announces the introduction of high-efficiency toilets that use 25 percent less water than standard 1.6-gpf toilets. The new 1.28-gpf units are available in all three of Danze's decorative fixture collections: Orrington one- and two-piece toilets, Cirtangular two-piece toilet and Ziga Ziga onepiece toilet.* Crane Plumbing Circle 354. The Saile one-piece toilet offers a seamless, contemporary design highlighted by the sleek, fully skirted trapway. The Saile Quiet-Close toilet seat with Quick-Release functionality further complements the design of the toilet and features Dual Flush technology.Use the reader service card for more information on the following suppliers:Toto USA. Circle 326. Gerber Plumbing Fixtures has announced the availability of its latest high-efficiency toilet, the new Avalanche 1.28. The company's most sophisticated and powerful single flush gravity fed toilet, the Avalanche 1.28 uses only 1.28 gpf of water vs. the industry standard 1.6 gal.1. St. Thomas Creations' Quattro Flushing Technology is one of the most advanced flushing systems on the market. Nearly every aspect of the process has been reengineered, virtually eliminating clogging. Quattro is available in 35 water closet models. Shown here is the Arlington one-piece model.5. Aquia's wall-hung toilet's shape reflects the soft and delicate curves of nature that have inspired the aesthetics for this collection. This Toto USA toilet unobtrusively attaches to the wall with its tank hidden inside the wall and comes with a Dual Max Flushing System.* Saniflo Circle 42Gerber Plumbing. Circle 33St. Thomas Creations. Circle 28American Standard. Circle 30Caroma USA. Circle 29* Vitra USA Circle 443. H2Option, a new flushing innovation from American Standard, is the first truly siphonic dual flush toilet, with strong push and pull action created by forceful but quiet jetted action under the rim. Using as little as 1.0 gal. of water on the low setting, H2Option scours the sides of the bowl to remove every last trace of paper and waste.* Neptune Circle 41Danze. Circle 34* Duravit Circle 36

* Vitra USA Circle 44

Closet Works, Inc. Acquires Space-Metrics, USA, L.L.C.

Combined Entity Creates Comprehensive Offering for Dealers and Retail Customers

About Pfingsten PartnersPfingsten Partners is an operationally focused private equity firm founded in 1989. From its headquarters in Chicago and offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, the firm builds better businesses through operational improvements, professional management practices, global capabilities and profitable business growth rather than financial engineering. Since completing its first investment in 1991, Pfingsten Partners has acquired 67 manufacturing, distribution and business service companies. For more information, visit www.pfingstenpartners.com.The transaction closed on August 27, 2009. To learn more about Closet Works, visit www.closetworks.com.“This is an opportune time to grow marketshare, expand offerings, and improve operational efficiencies,” said Thomas S. Bagley, Founder and Senior Managing Director of Pfingsten Partners. “Closet Works’ conservative capital structure enabled us to complete the transaction and continue our strategic growth plan for the business even in this challenging environment for the building products industry.”“Immediate operational synergies will result in shorter lead times and certain freight advantages for dealers,” said John Starcevich, Managing Director of Pfingsten Partners. “The influx of capital and ability for these companies to share best practices will lead to significant business growth and development.”CHICAGO -- Private equity firm Pfingsten Partners, L.L.C. today announced its portfolio company, Closet Holding Company, d.b.a., Closet Works, Inc., has acquired Space-Metrics USA., L.L.C., a Montello, WI-based manufacturer and wholesaler of closet and home organization systems serving closet dealers.

Pfingsten Partners is an operationally focused private equity firm founded in 1989. From its headquarters in Chicago and offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, the firm builds better businesses through operational improvements, professional management practices, global capabilities and profitable business growth rather than financial engineering. Since completing its first investment in 1991, Pfingsten Partners has acquired 67 manufacturing, distribution and business service companies. For more information, visit www.pfingstenpartners.com.

Sysadmin Rock Star Status Has Its Perks, Including a Discount to the LISA '09 Conference

News Facts

-- The Sysadmin of the Year judging panel includes AEleen Frisch (author,
"Essential System Administration"), Doug Hughes (sysadmin community
luminary), Ben Kus (founder, BigFix User Group), Thomas A. Limoncelli
(sysadmin author, http://www.everythingsysadmin.com ), Johnny Long (founder,
Hackers for Charity, http://www.hackersforcharity.org/ ), Ryan Russell
(author, "Stealing the Network"), Robert Scoble (blogger, http://scobleizer.com ), and Amrit
Williams (blogger, http://techbuddha.wordpress.com ).-- Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/saoty09-facebook© 2009 BigFix, Inc. All rights reserved. All company and product names
mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.Founded in 1997, the BigFix®, Inc. solutions support a global portfolio
of A-list organizations in government, finance, retail, educational,
industrial and public utility sectors. BigFix revolutionizes IT
infrastructure management by replacing fragmented collections of
single-purpose tools with the industry's only unified visibility and
control architecture that consolidates up to 18 security, IT compliance,
decision support, and green computing functions. For more information,
visit www.bigfix.com , follow BigFix on Twitter @BigFix, or stay in touch on
the BigFix Facebook page, http://tinyurl.com/mvn9nu .About BigFix-- LOPSA: http://www.lopsa.org/-- Qualified System Administrator of the Year 2009 nominees and nominators
are eligible to receive a maximum of one $50 LISA '09 discount each
regardless of the number of nominations received by a nominee or made by a
nominator.Anne Dickison director of marketing for USENIX and the LISA '09 conference
said: "LISA focuses on creating a community for sysadmins that allows them
to share all of the practical information they need for success. We're
pleased to make the conference even more accessible to these rock star
sysadmins and their fans, who create and transmit the tribal knowledge that
make sysadmins indispensible to modern society."Contact: Nicole Colwell Citigate Cunningham for BigFix, Inc. 415-442-4022 Email Contact-- LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/saoty09-linkedinInformation Resources-- Take it to 11 blog: http://sysadminoftheyear.wordpress.com/-- USENIX: http://www.usenix.com/-- Sysadmins are the unsung heroes of information technology, keeping
computers up and running, defending infrastructures from malware and
hacking attacks, and helping end-users maximize their productivity.-- Twitter: @SysAdRockStar09-- The 2009 System Administrator
of the Year contest is rallying the sysadmin nation, with a rapidly
growing Twitter following and a rising tide of nominations that highlight sysadmin rock
star performances turned in 24 x 7 in cubicles, server closets and data
centers everywhere.-- LISA '09 Conference: http://www.usenix.org/event/lisa09/-- BigFix proudly sponsors the 2009 System Administrator of the Year
contest, which acknowledges the under-recognized rock stars of information
technology who are vital to the smooth functioning of business, government
and public services.-- BigFix, Inc ., in conjunction with the Large Installation System Administration 2009 (LISA '09)
Conference , is offering $50 off LISA conference registration for all 2009 System Administrator of the
Year nominees and nominators.Supporting Quotes-- The contest is also an opportunity for the sysadmin community to share
information on best practices and new ways to deliver value to their
constituencies.-- System of the Administrator of the Year home page: www.bigfix.com/rockstar-- Nominations are
open between August 25 and October 23, with contest winner and runners up
announced on November 4, 2009 at the USENIX Large Installation System
Administrator 2009 (LISA '09) Conference at the Baltimore Marriott
Waterfront Hotel.

Contact: Nicole Colwell Citigate Cunningham for BigFix, Inc. 415-442-4022 Email Contact

2010 Closets Expo to feature products, education and networking

LONG BEACH, CA -- The 6th annual Closets & Home Organization Conference & Expo will offer attendees a plethora of ideas and opportunities to position their companies for the impending economic recovery.

Find out more about the Closets Conference & Expo at closets-expo.com.The event is stated for Feb. 10-12, 2010, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA. It is sponsored by the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals and CLOSETS magazine.The event includes a three-day executive management conference and two full days of displays, including woodworking machinery, software, hardware, complete organization systems and more.

Find out more about the Closets Conference & Expo at closets-expo.com.

The Hospital That Could Cure Health Care

Cleveland Clinic is both highly effective and fiercely efficient. So why are its methods so rare?

''Russell branded 'closet Tory' after previous backing of selection

THE new education secretary has been branded a "closet Tory" after a draft version of a book he wrote showed he backed the re- introduction of selection in schools.

LINDSAY Roy, Labour MP and former Headteacher of Kirkcaldy and Inverkeithing high schools said: "Alex Salmond has put a closet Tory in charge of Scottish schools. He is walking where even Thatcher feared to tread.However, the text sent to Salmond was more radical: "We need a system which may use streaming, or a properly tailored and thought- through Scottish equivalent of city academies."Salmond's private notes to Russell dismissed the voucher idea as "VD", shorthand for "very dangerous".In an early version of his political tract, Grasping the Thistle, Michael Russell declared himself a supporter of "streaming" - a policy bitterly opposed by the SNP, which separates children according to ability.However, in early drafts of Grasping the Thistle, written three years ago and subjected to editorial cuts after correspondence with Alex Salmond, he challenged many key areas of SNP policy. Salmond vetoed the more radical sections of the book.When Russell sent his party leader a copy of the first draft, Salmond made it clear that a number of controversial passages had to be revised."Setting means recognising that pupils have different abilities in different subjects and helping them realise their potential. Streaming means kids are written off at an early age on the basis of some supposed assessment of intelligence."Moreover, his advocacy of a voucher system for schools was also much stronger in the proof copy of the book. Russell was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Education last week following the sacking of Fiona Hyslop.The published book also suggested that "setting" - where children are grouped according to ability in the same classroom - should be considered.A Scottish Government spokesperson said:"A voucher system is not on the Education Secretary's agenda. It forms no part of the government's thinking or policy."However, views expressed in his period out of Parliament are - by definition - not Government policy.Streaming is controversial as it involves educating brighter children in separate classrooms."Throughout his career, the Education Secretary has explored ideas and promoted debate.On vouchers, the final version of the book stated: "Many commentators have noted the success in Sweden of education vouchers and a debate about their utility in Scotland would be useful and instructive."Liz Smith, the Scottish Tory schools spokeswoman, said: "This is an interesting revelation, and Mike Russell is very close to our thinking. He is sensible in wanting an intellectual debate on education policy. The problem is that he has now been gagged by Alex Salmond."

"A voucher system is not on the Education Secretary's agenda. It forms no part of the government's thinking or policy."

Stocked and stowed: armed with new storage tech, one hospital simplified its space

With the dawn of a new year comes new motivation to clean out closets, reorganize supply rooms and, quite frankly, get your operations in order to perform operations more efficiently.

2. Work closely with the clinical staff when determining what items are stocked on the unit specific storage areas so you meet their routine needs and minimize the amount of calls for items that are not readily available.The process for charging a patient for supplies is incorporated into the system with the use of a simple touch screen. This process is so simple--and intuitive--most individuals require no training. The organization of the supplies is much easier to maintain, everything is easily visible, the clinical staff are much more satisfied with the layout and ease of use which has improved the compliance rate for charging for the supplies.HPN: Will you highlight some of the noteworthy improvements and innovations in storage systems you've seen within the last year or so and explain why you think they're needed?Healthcare Purchasing News Senior Editor Rick Dana Barlow learned that one hospital gained considerable control over its space by installing some new storage system technology.What are five take-to-the-bank decluttering/organizational strategies you would suggest to other hospitals in the midst of a recessionary economy?As demands change on clinical units, incorporating those requests into the PAR levels is quick and easy. The PAR Excellence technology is very user-friendly and provides numerous reports that the department managers can access at any time. These reports provide concrete data that helps materials management staff work collaboratively with the clinical staff so the correct supplies are available when needed and the inventory levels are maintained to maximize the appropriate use of our financial resources.Everyone knows how storage space for supplies is at a premium and the PAR Excellence system essentially eliminates wasted space. The way the bins are placed on the louvered panels allows you to design the layout in a very tight and organized manner. The traditional closed systems are too deep, forcing you to place items behind other items, which makes it difficult to find things and keep it well organized. There is a lot of open space that cannot be used for storage simply due to the design of the closed cabinets and the shelving structure.4. Minimize the bulky shelving and cabinets that quickly consume premium space and rapidly add up in cost.As products become more complicated and varied the storage and subsequent retrieval needs to minimize the potential for grabbing the wrong item.TRIMBY: Healthcare is so strapped for resources that any technology that improves efficiencies, reduces errors and adds to the satisfaction of staff that is overwhelmed with the demands placed on them, requires serious consideration. Reimbursement is lessening, the general public is becoming less able to pay for the care they require and labor continues to increase in cost.We will see facilities moving away from the ongoing capital lease arrangements for closed storage systems that can no longer be justified by improved capture of revenue because that revenue is no longer available with the changes in reimbursement practices.One difficult situation that healthcare faces is that the general public is constantly exposed to a multitude of advertisements for drugs, supplies and implants, each expounding on their respective attributes. Because of this intense marketing and the easy access to information on the Internet patients are demanding what they want used without regard for the cost. Additionally, there seems to be an expectation from patients and their family members that hospitals mimic hotel-like environments and amenities. Obviously, all of this comes at a cost and the resources are being consumed at a much faster rate than reimbursement is received.3. Incorporate simple approaches that capitalize on technology and minimize manual intervention. The simpler the process the more compliant and supportive your staff will be. Make certain the technology you choose provides robust reporting capabilities so you can leverage the data available to manage your inventory investment and your service to the end-users.5. Remember that you do not have to change everything overnight. A phased approach can allow you to gradually implement change without overwhelming your staff and your financial resources.What do you foresee as generating popular demand starting in 2010 as the next big development in storage systems? How and why will it improve operations and patient care?Efficiencies for the replenishment process have improved dramatically. We doubled the number of unit-based PAR levels without increasing staff. In fact, we reduced our staff by 1.5 FTEs. The overall operations of the central supply department are much smoother, and stock is getting put away more timely because the staff is able to complete the PAR level replenishment process much faster.With financial resources being very limited the PAR Excellence system offers a reasonable alternative to some of the other more costly supply storage and replenishment systems. The greatest feature that sold me on their system was that it combined the controls and efficiencies of the closed systems with the advantages of an open system that is far more flexible and maximizes the use of the available space.Closed structures still require a fair amount of manual intervention for the charging process as well as the restocking process. [But] the PAR Excellence system has removed the bulk of the manual intervention by incorporating the use of scales, which immediately transmit the activity to the system. The transmission adjusts the actual counts, whether it be an increase due to stock replenishment, an item being replaced because it wasn't needed or an item was removed for patient use.Storage systems will need to provide clean, simple layouts for quick and efficient access. Labor costs associated with supply chain activities will have to be considered when the systems are designed--ultimately finding every avenue to reduce manual intervention.Charging specific patients for every supply used has become less important over the years simply due to the impact of how hospitals are reimbursed. The days of receiving payment for every supply used are long gone. We need to scrutinize what the true value is of an item and how will it contribute to the care and recovery of the patient.1. As much as possible keep the supply storage areas on various units as similar as possible so like items are stored in the same location thereby making it easy to locate supplies regardless of what unit/ department staff is assigned.

5. Remember that you do not have to change everything overnight. A phased approach can allow you to gradually implement change without overwhelming your staff and your financial resources.