关于Olympic food的argument

yuanzi15UID: 2308288

第一篇argument习作，求猛拍互改~
The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods:
“Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its 25th birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits.”


In this argument, the arguer assumes that efficiency of organizations leads to the down costs of color film processing. Besides, the arguer compares processing film with processing food, in order to find a useful method to minimize costs and maximize profits. However, neither of the assumptions is warranted. What’s more, the arguer takes for granted that cost is equal to profit.

First of all, the argument is based on an unfounded assumption that efficiency of organizations in color film processing is the main cause of down costs. Several other factors are neglected. For instance, it is possible that the cheaper costs of materials for printing decline, making the total costs down in 1984. Or perhaps it is the more advanced technique that causes the cost down. If the printer can print more films at one time, it can reduce the average cost per film. Except for these two factors, there may be others causes that should be considered.

Secondly, the argument unwarrantedly compares film processing with food processing. There are many differences between the two industries that could not be equalized. The two industries may have different main factors that influence its processing cost. For example, the cost of food and the salary of workers may play a vital role in the final cost of food processing. If the cost of food or the salary of workers is very high, then even long experience from the organization won't help to minimize costs. In addition, long experience may not promise the efficiency of processing. It is possible that the long experience only guaranty the flavor or diversity of the food.

Last but not least, minimized costs may not guaranty the maximize profits. Admittedly, cost influences profit, but profit will also be influenced by the revenue related. If the total revenue is not promising, even reduced costs won't give rise to a high profit.

In conclusion, the argument makes several unfounded assumptions, at the same time confusing cost with profit. Therefore, the conclusion is biased. In order to find the exact way to minimize cost, the mainly factors influencing the cost of food processing should be considered first.   

TyliayssUID: 185761

嘿嘿，还是只能评价说挺好的;d:

这个文章还能掰出一个点，就是25年的经历未必是长。。。。

yuanzi15UID: 2308288

噢，恍然大明白~呵呵，谢谢斑竹