By Iván Baigés In the early 1990's there
were two basic printing technologies: dot matrix and laser. The development of inkjet cartridges revolutionized printing technology by offering laser-like quality at dot matrix prices
Inkjet
printers are affordable in part by the use of the disposable ink cartridge. The inkjet printers represent a very lucrative sector of the computer industry. Disposable cartridges have generated more than
30,000 jobs throughout the world. In your own hometown there is a large manufacturing plant of disposable cartridges for one of the most popular inkjet printers in the market. It is estimated that 45% of the
families in your hometown depend directly or indirectly on the economic activity generated by this manufacturing plant.
Although the components of the disposable cartridges can last from five to
seven years, it is more lucrative of the company to make them disposable than refillable (of ink). As a matter of fact, the profit margin on the printer itself is thin. The real profit is generated by the
sale of the cartridges.
The continuous disposal of the used cartridges is becoming a serious solid waste management problem for society. Some countries are considering regulating and
penalizing through taxes the use of these disposable cartridges. Such measures will be important in the design of future generations of printers.
The company that has a manufacturing plant in
your own hometown has just hired you. As a part of your new responsibilities, you will work at the company's Research and Development facilities in New York on a team charged with designing the next generation of
printers. The aim is to restore market share for your company since new competitors in the inkjet printer sector have been eating away at your company's profits for some time now. The next generation of
printers may not use disposable cartridges. But this could mean that the plant in your hometown could be downsized or even closed.
Discussion:
From an ethical
standpoint, what is the design problem here? Defend your answer. Imagine having to defend your answer before your new colleagues at the company's Research and Development facilities in New York. How
would you go about doing this?
