Business Segments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Business Segments

Business Segments

NOTE 14. Business Segments

3M’s businesses are organized, managed and internally grouped into segments based on differences in markets, products, technologies and services. 3M manages its operations in five business segments: Industrial; Safety and Graphics; Health Care; Electronics and Energy; and Consumer. 3M’s five business segments bring together common or related 3M technologies, enhancing the development of innovative products and services and providing for efficient sharing of business resources. Transactions among reportable segments are recorded at cost. 3M is an integrated enterprise characterized by substantial intersegment cooperation, cost allocations and inventory transfers. Therefore, management does not represent that these segments, if operated independently, would report the operating income information shown. The difference between operating income and pre-tax income relates to interest income and interest expense, which are not allocated to business segments.

Effective in the first quarter of 2016, 3M made a product line reporting change involving two of its business segments in its continuing effort to improve the alignment of its businesses around markets and customers.

The change between business segments was as follows:

· Elements of the electronic bonding product lines were previously separately reflected in the Electronics Materials Solutions Division (Electronics and Energy business segment) and the Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division (Industrial business segment). Effective in the first quarter of 2016, certain sales and operating income results for these electronic bonding product lines in aggregate were equally divided between the Electronics and Energy business segment and Industrial business segment. This change resulted in a decrease in net sales for total year 2015 of $33million in the Industrial business segment offset by a corresponding increase in the Electronics and Energy business segment.

The financial information presented herein reflects the impact of the preceding product line reporting change between business segments for all periods presented.

Business Segment Information

	Three months ended
	March 31,
(Millions)	2016		2015
Net Sales
Industrial	$	2,576	$	2,656
Safety and Graphics		1,412		1,372
Health Care		1,383		1,329
Electronics and Energy		1,144		1,324
Consumer		1,049		1,048
Corporate and Unallocated		1		2
Elimination of Dual Credit		(156)		(153)
Total Company	$	7,409	$	7,578
Operating Income
Industrial	$	617	$	596
Safety and Graphics		345		335
Health Care		455		408
Electronics and Energy		208		285
Consumer		238		240
Corporate and Unallocated		(41)		(100)
Elimination of Dual Credit		(34)		(34)
Total Company	$	1,788	$	1,730

Corporate and unallocated operating income includes a variety of miscellaneous items, such as corporate investment gains and losses, certain derivative gains and losses, certain insurance-related gains and losses, certain litigation and environmental expenses, corporate restructuring charges and certain under- or over-absorbed costs (e.g. pension, stock-based compensation) that the Company may choose not to allocate directly to its business segments. Because this category includes a variety of miscellaneous items, it is subject to fluctuation on a quarterly and annual basis.

3M business segment reporting measures include dual credit to business segments for certain U.S. sales and related operating income. Management evaluates each of its five business segments based on net sales and operating income performance, including dual credit U.S. reporting to further incentivize U.S. sales growth. As a result, 3M provides additional (“dual”) credit to those business segments selling products in the U.S. to an external customer when that segment is not the primary seller of the product. For example, certain respirators are primarily sold by the Personal Safety Division within the Safety and Graphics business segment; however, the Industrial business segment also sells this product to certain customers in its U.S. markets. In this example, the non-primary selling segment (Industrial) would also receive credit for the associated net sales it initiated and the related approximate operating income. The assigned operating income related to dual credit activity may differ from operating income that would result from actual costs associated with such sales. The offset to the dual credit business segment reporting is reflected as a reconciling item entitled “Elimination of Dual Credit,” such that sales and operating income for the U.S. in total are unchanged.