Monthly Archives: January 2011

Rising prices in China and Global Supply Chain Impact

Posted on January 31, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (30 January 2011) tracks the impact of rising prices in China (“20 to 50 % increases for leather shoes and polo shirts” according to the article) on sourcing decisions and shipping. Wage increases … Continue reading →

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Upgradeable Cars – using software to improve performance

Posted on January 30, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (January 30, 2011) describes the role of software upgrades to improve car performance. Several trends – cars being held on for longer periods by customers, increased use of computer technology to improve performance of cars, … Continue reading →

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“Windmade” product labels – consumer and product impact

Posted on January 29, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (January 28,2011) reports a proposal in the Davos 2011 conference made by clean energy companies to introduce a “Windmade” label consisting of three blue swooshes.  The label will be on products that use … Continue reading →

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Apple’s Platform Approach impact on growth

Posted on January 29, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (January 28, 2011) describes the 71 % growth in quarterly sales reported by Apple and attributes it to a “platform” approach.  The claim is that Apple software (iTunes, the store and app software) … Continue reading →

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Are Boeing Dreamliner delays history ?

Posted on January 28, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (January 27,2011, B3) quotes executives at Boeing being optimistic that production of Dreamliners can be ramped up significantly over the next three years. The company claims that problems for the first few planes were due … Continue reading →

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Choosing Inventories when Economy Recovery is Uneven

Posted on January 27, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (January 27, 2011, B6) describes the challenges associated with choosing the right level of inventory given uncertainty in the US economic recovery. The article claims that Kimberly Clark managers cut production in the fourth quarter … Continue reading →

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Adjusting the Supply Chain for Girl Scouts Cookies

Posted on January 27, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (January 27,2011) describes changes being made to girl scout cookie supply chains to improve profits. First – variety is being cut to focus on just six SKUs which are estimated to save a penny per … Continue reading →

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Rethinking Federal Regulations and supply chain impact

Posted on January 26, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloomberg Businessweek( January 24,2011) analyzes a recent statement by President Obama to examine burdensome regulations.  Consider a few regulations and ponder their impact. The Department of Defense plans to rethink outsourcing of maintenance – now critical tasks … Continue reading →

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Testing milk for antibiotics – a tussle between farmers and the FDA

Posted on January 26, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (January 26, 2011, B1) describes a tussle between the FDA proposal to test milk for a wider range of antibiotics (than the six currently tested) and the diary farmers, who are worried that the associated … Continue reading →

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The Impact of competitors imitating each other

Posted on January 26, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York times article (January 25, 2011, B1) describes a decision by Sealy to start using a technology prominently advertised by its competitor, Simmons. The technology is a closed coil system used by Simmons, as against the traditional Sealy … Continue reading →

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