Category Archives: Global Contexts

Lost opportunity for Pakistan’s textile mills ?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (April 30,2012) describes Pakistan’s textile industry as one of the world’s largest,employing 20% of the country’s labor and $14 billion in exports. But in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad, that produces 50% of the output, power … Continue reading →

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

Dealing with rising prices of “down”

Posted on May 18, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 8,2012) describes the impact of rising prices of goose down ($12 per pound in 2009 to $28 now) and duck down ($9 to $19). The driver of these price increases range from … Continue reading →

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

Figuring out if Chinese solar panel manufacturers are dumping in the US

Posted on May 18, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (May 16, 2012) describes possible countries whose cost structure could be used to estimate costs in China. In the past, costs in India i.e., labor, material, rent, electricity have been used as a … Continue reading →

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

Will Exxon Mobil be less competitive by being more transparent ?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (May 14, 2012) describes efforts by ExxonMobil, among others, to eliminate a 1305 requirement under the Dodd Frank bill requiring timely disclosure of payments to countries when oil is extracted by US corporations. Such data would … Continue reading →

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

Apple’s global supply chain flow choices and tax impact

Posted on May 3, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (May 2,2012) describes choices made by Apple in the organization of its product flows to avoid taxes. Apple’s distibutors in Germany are called “commissionaires” and do not take possession of inventory. Thus German … Continue reading →

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

Oversupply of steel pipe in the supply chain ?

Posted on May 1, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 1, 2012) describes a plant expansion by Timken in Ohio and a new plant in Texas to be opened by Tianjan Pipe, both focused on steel production for pipe used by the … Continue reading →

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

Harmonizing trade regulations and supply chain impact

Posted on May 1, 2012 by aviyer2010

In an article in the Wall Street Journal (May 1,2012) Cass Sunstein, administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, describes steps taken by the US government to harmonize regulations across countries to reduce costs. Examples cited … Continue reading →

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

Rising palladium prices and drivers

Posted on May 1, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (April 25, 2012) describes rising prices of palladium, a metal used in gasoline car exhausts. It is the sister metal of platinum, used in diesel car exhausts. Rising sales in the US and … Continue reading →

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

The “Swissness” of watches made in Switzerland

Posted on April 28, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 28, 2012) describes plans to change the current “Swiss-made” labeling requiring 50 % of the value of movement to be made in Switzerland, with new 80% requirement. Swiass watches account for 3 … Continue reading →

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

The global garbage supply chain

Posted on April 26, 2012 by aviyer2010

An essay in the Wall Street Journal (April 18,2012) describes computers as the top export from China to the US, and garbage as America’s greatest export to China. With Americans generating 7 lbs of garbage per person per day, New … Continue reading →

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