Category Archives: productivity

Choosing queues to minimize wait time

Posted on September 17, 2016 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (September 7,2016) titled “How to pick the Fastest Line at the Supermarket” describes how choosing a line with one person with 100 items may be faster than a line with four people with … Continue reading →

Posted in Capacity, emb2019, imm2018, Operations Management, productivity, retailers, Service Operations, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

The productivity benefit of tiny wireless in TSA queues

Posted on September 17, 2016 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (August 16, 2016) titled “How Tiny Wireless Tech Makes Workers More Productive” describes use of wireless tracking in a test in Atlanta to speed up security screening by Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Passengers place … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer, emb2019, imm2018, productivity, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Alternate Future Scenarios for US trucking

Posted on June 24, 2016 by aviyer2010

An article in FleetOwner.com by Sean Kilcarr titled “Logistics outlook:last mile a major Choke Point” on June 22, 2016 describes four technology adoption scenarios outlined in the State of the Logistics report for 2016.  The technologies listed include the internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Capacity, competitiveness, Cost, delivery, logistics, Prices, productivity, technology, truck, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

The productivity benefits from Amazon ‘s Kiva robots

Posted on June 20, 2016 by aviyer2010

An article in Quartz (http://qz.com/709541/amazon-is-just-beginning-to-use-robots-in-its-warehouses-and-theyre-already-making-a-huge-difference/) claims that the “click to ship” time at Amazon has decreased from 60-75 minutes with human operators to 15 minutes using Kiva robots. In addition, with robots, warehouse inventory can increase by 50%, thus decreasing … Continue reading →

Posted in competitiveness, consumer, Cost, Ecommerce, logistics, Operations Management, productivity, Service Operations, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 161 Comments

Shopping cart robots at Walmart ?

Posted on June 20, 2016 by aviyer2010

An article in the website geek.com (http://www.geek.com/news/walmart-is-turning-its-shopping-carts-into-robots-that-follow-you-1658786/) describes a partnership between Walmart and Five element Robotics to assist Walmart shoppers using a personal robot. The goal is to have the robot gather things in the shopper’s shopping list and freeing … Continue reading →

Posted in competitiveness, consumer, Cost, Ecommerce, logistics, Operations Management, productivity, Service Operations, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The role of logistics competitiveness in Airbus’s Mobile, Alabama assembly plant decision

Posted on September 21, 2015 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (September 18, 2015) titled “First US Airbus Factory Gives Wings to Revival in Mobile, Alabama” describes parts being flown in from Europe for assembly of the A321 jet in the Mobile plant. But the article … Continue reading →

Posted in Collaboration, competitiveness, Cost, logistics, manufacturer, Operations Management, ordering, productivity, Railroad, Train, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Adjusting distribution centers for omnichannel success at the retailer John Lewis

Posted on September 21, 2014 by aviyer2010

An article in CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly (Quarter 2, 2014) titled “A Supply Chain Redesign for Omnichannel success” describes changes to the distribution center at the retailer John Lewis to ensure omnichannel success – a 7.2% sales increase in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Collaboration, consumer, Cost, Ecommerce, productivity, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

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