Category Archives: Global Contexts

Are southern US states now the “least expensive production sites in the industrialized world”?

Posted on September 7, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (September 4, 2014) titled “The U.S. South Rises as a Manufacturing Hub” describes an article by BCG’s Harold Sirkin claiming that South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee represent the “least expensive production sites in the industrialized world”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Collaboration, competitiveness, Global Contexts, Operations Management, productivity, Supply Chain Issues | Leave a comment

Verifying conflict-free refiners proves difficult for the US Commerce Department

Posted on September 6, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (September 6, 2014) titled “Conflict Minerals Prove Hard to Track” descries the Commerce Department list of over 400 refiners with a statement that finding which smelters have minerals that can be tracked to … Continue reading →

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

Will the global package business model offered by “manyship.com” be sustainable ?

Posted on September 1, 2014 by aviyer2010

The website http://www.manyship.com describes a system in which individual travelers post their planned trip, shippers post their requirements and the available capacity is assigned to carry products between destinations. The company charges shippers $20 per pound and pays carriers $10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Air, Capacity, Cost, Ecommerce, Global Contexts, Liability, Service Operations | Leave a comment

Amazon’s 1 cent shipping in France

Posted on July 15, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in Slate (July 11, 2014), titled “France Banned Free Shipping. So Amazon made it cost 1 cent”, describes Amazon.com’s response to a new French law that bans free shipping and permits only bricks and mortar bookstores to offer … Continue reading →

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

Should “pay to delay” launch by branded pharma be considered illegal ?

Posted on July 11, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (July 10,2014) titled “EU fines drug makers over generics”, describes the $450 million fine levied in Servier, a branded producer of the blood pressure drug perindopril. The company is accused of buying up … Continue reading →

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

France’s laws to protect bookshops

Posted on July 11, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in the International Herald Tribune (July 10,2014) titled “The French do buy books. Real books”, describes two French laws, the “Lang Law” that says that book prices cannot be discounted more than 5%, and a new rule that … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Global Contexts, Service Operations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will the US catfish inspection program derail the TPP pact

Posted on June 28, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times on June 28, 2014 (“US Catfish Program Could Stymie Pacific Trade Pact, 10 Nations Say”) describes the Agriculture Department’s catfish inspection program that is being protested by Vietnam with support from Thailand, Philippines, … Continue reading →

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

Volvo’s concept of “Roam Delivery” that deliveries online orders to your parked car

Posted on May 24, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in BloombergBusinessweek (February 27, 2014) titled “Volvo wants your parked car to accept deliveries”, describes a system that would permit a one time key option to open parked cars to deliver packages to Volvos. Online shoppers would place … Continue reading →

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

Will drone ships become a reality anytime soon ?

Posted on May 24, 2014 by aviyer2010

A report in Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/rolls-royce-drone-ships-challenge-375-billion-industry-freight.html) on February 25, 2014, titled “Rolls Royce Drone Ships Challenge $375 Billion Industry”, suggests that drone ships controlled by land based captains can disrupt existing maritime shipping. By eliminating crew quarters and associated services, ships … Continue reading →

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

The supply chain for cordovan leather and shoe prices and availability impact

Posted on May 24, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal on May 24, 2014 (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303468704579572141307216318?mg=reno64-wsj) titled “Cordovan Shoes for Men Play Even Harder to get”, describes the over $2400 price points and six month wait times for cordovan leather shoes. The leather is … Continue reading →

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