Monthly Archives: April 2012

Did Apple’s agency model for ebooks enable collusion ?

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 12, 2012) describes a Justice department lawsuit accusing Apple and five publishers of e-books price fixing. Given declining e-book prices, five large publishers agreed to an “agency model” of pricing whereby Apple … Continue reading →

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“Good African Coffee” – its supply chain and sustainability

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 8,2012) describes the efforts by Good African Coffee – a company that roasts coffee grown in Uganda, and brands the coffee rather than sell commodity coffee beans. Going up the value chain … Continue reading →

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Pepsico’s “water positive” schemes and Jugaad Innovation

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

In a book titled “Jugaad Innovation”, Radjou, Prabhu and Ahuja write about Pepsico’s water positive supply chain in India i.e., the company saves more water than it uses. The secret – enabling “direct seeding” rice planting, thus saving 70% of … Continue reading →

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China’s export mix and target region shifts and global impact

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (April 9,2012) describes a shift in China’s exports towards heavy machinery, cars and ships from shoes, consumer electronics and clothing. Inland locations with abundant labor, targeted government loans and a focus on emerging markets like Brazil … Continue reading →

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The supply chain for songs

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New Yorker (March 26, 2012) describes the role of producers (who generate chord progressions, beats and computerized synths), “top-line” writers (who generate melodies, lyrics and hooks to attract listeners) – who then market to performers to … Continue reading →

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Pepsico’s “water positive” schemes and Jugaad Innovation

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

In a book titled “Jugaad Innovation” Radjou, Prabhu and Ahuja write about Pepsico’s water positive supply chain in India i.e., the company saves more water than it uses. The secret – enabling a “direct seeding” rice planting process, thus saving … Continue reading →

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Renewable energy server farms in Iceland

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (April 2,2012) describes a server farm on solid bedrock, close to the airport, in the midpoint of the Atlantic, fueled by renewable geothermal energy and cooled by fans that blow in cool air from the outside. … Continue reading →

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Improving the competitiveness of Portugal’s ports

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the Economist (March 24,2012) describes the drop in prices per container from $1000 to $300 from Asia to Europe as ship capacities increased to 14,000 containers. Portugal’s deep ports can accommodate these ships but are uncompetitive for … Continue reading →

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US Manufacturing rebound and prospects

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 4,2012) describes job growth at Master Lock, a manufacturer, and the 20% of the manufacturing jobs, lost during the recent recession, that have been added back to the economy. However, some of … Continue reading →

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What are GM’s choices for the Opel plant in Bochum, Germany ?

Posted on April 4, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 2,2012) describes worker frustration at GM’s Opel plant in Bochum, Germany, with worries that it will be shut down in 2014. Wages at the plant are six times the wage rate in … Continue reading →

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