Category Archives: Operations Management

Mishandled Missioni line at Target.com and Impact

An article in the New York Times (Sept 14, 2011) describes the Target specific Missoni line offered at Target for a fraction of the price that it  regular line is sold at Bergdorf Goodman ($ 40 vs $ 12,000).   The … Continue reading

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Reducing automobile weight and mpg increase

A New York Times article (Sept 14, 2011) describes efforts by auto manufacturers to decrease the weight of their cars -Land Rover plans to cut 1100 lbs in 10 years, Audi by 175 lbs in 1 year, Toyota by 35 … Continue reading

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Two Tier pay in the US auto industry

A New York Times article (Sept 13, 2011) describes the practice of hiring new workers at $ 14 per hour while paying older workers twice that amount. These new employees permit manufacturing at price points comparable with global competition and … Continue reading

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Enforcing other country’s laws in the US

Another report on Gibson guitars in the Economist (Sept 3, 2011) describes the rosewood related production shutdown at Gibson guitars that we discussed earlier. But it claims that US manufacturers have to abide by every plant and wildlife regulation set … Continue reading

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Innovative use of wool as an oil spill solution

An article in the Economist (Sept 3, 2011) describes a businessman in a wool fabric producing region of Italy who have experimented with the use of wool to soak up oil from oil spills. Their tests show that coarse wool … Continue reading

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Managing an air traffic control tower from afar

An article in WIRED magazine (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/st_flybywire/) describes technology used in Sweden that can provide a 360 degree hid-def screen view of aircraft and detailed data around a control tower. The benefit is that a air traffic controller can be located … Continue reading

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Manufacturing Productivity and Small Business Survival

A New York Times article (Sept 7, 2011) describes the labor productivity increase for a small manufacturer with labor costs holding at $ 337 per hour from 2005 to 2010 but the number of employees dropping from 20 to 40 … Continue reading

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Plans to fix the US Postal System to avoid closure

A New York Times article (Sept 5, 2011) describes the financial crisis at the US Postal Service, which saw volumes decline by 22 % in the alst five years and is estimated to loose another 30 % of volume in the … Continue reading

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The “Job Creation vs Environmental Regulation” debate in the US

A New York Times article (Sept 5, 2011) describes the current debate in Washington between the Federal government’s planned pollution reduction regulation and purported industry impact. Some E.P.A. studies show that regulations such as the Clean Air Act have been … Continue reading

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Changing the mix of China’s automobile production

A New York Times article (Sept 4, 2011) describes a shift in emphasis in China from increasing manufacturing volume to higher mileage cars.  Car sales increased by 5 % in 2011 compared to a 33 % increase in 2010. Officials … Continue reading

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