Author Archives: aviyer2010

Unknown's avatar

About aviyer2010

Professor

Global Trade, earthworms and potatoes

Posted on August 6, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Saturday essay by Charles Mann (Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2011) provides a fascinating story of the impact of stowaways as a party of global trade. He describes how earthworms made their way as part of the English dirt … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota’s Toyotag and engaging consumers

Posted on August 3, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (August 2, 2011) describes Toyota’s use of Toyotags – a “logo inside a ring” that permits customers with smartphones to get specific product information from the mobile bar code, but also permits use of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“Better Place” battery swapping stations in Denmark and the future of EVs

Posted on August 2, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 29, 2011) describes recently opened battery swapping stations by “Better Place” in Denmark. Oweners of electric vehicles lease batteries and drive into swap stations to replece batteries. A robot operated device removes … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Tide Dry Cleaners” as P&G takes downstream role

Posted on August 2, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (December 8, 2010) describes dry cleaning stores opened by Proctor and Gamble to popularize its Tide products.  A similar effort focuses on Mr Clean Car washing locations.  The goal is to use these … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

China’s new products – high end pearls using high tech methods

Posted on August 2, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (August 1, 2011) describes fine pearls being developed in China to compete with Tahitian pearls, but at 10-15 % of the price.   Using proprietary technology and custom equipment to sort pearls enables the Chinese firms … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making the case for “cost effectiveness” of new drugs

Posted on August 1, 2011 by aviyer2010

A story in the Wall Street Journal (August 1, 2011) describes the challenges in launching new drugs, given the “cost effectiveness” concern by health authorities. This means that new drugs have to be effective in treatment, but also deliver sufficient … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walmart’s plans to buy vegetables and fruits locally

Posted on August 1, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (August 1, 2011) describes plans by Walmart to double its local purchase of fruits and vegetables by 2015 – with local defined as purchases from the state the store is located.   Thus Walmart buys jalapeno pepper … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

WalMart’s “Sustainability Index” challenges

Posted on July 30, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Fortune article (July 25, 2011) titled “The Trouble with Green Product Ratings” describes the challenges faced by WalMart as it tried to deliver on its stated goal, two years ago, to provide an index between 1 and 10 for … Continue reading →

Posted in Supply Chain Issues, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Piccolo bello” fims in Italy and regulation

Posted on July 30, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (29 July 2011) describes the challenges faced by small Italian firms (“piccolo bello”) which form the backbone of the industry in Padua, Italy.  Firms face the need to work with 10 to 20 different government … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pipeline capacity location and demand-supply matching

Posted on July 30, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (29 July 2011) describes the reduced demand for pipeline capacity from the Midwest and Canadian locations to the Northeast (with capacity reported to drop by 44 %) as increased gas is shipped from the Marcellus … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment