Category Archives: Service Operations

Will Apple’s two different market segment phone offerings help or hurt?

Posted on September 16, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (September 11,2013) describes possible issues caused by Apple’s decision to offer the iPhone in a 5S and a 5C configuration, priced at $550 and $400. The cheaper model will have a plastic body … Continue reading →

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Auto supply shortages in the US and impact

Posted on September 3, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (September 3,2013) describes supply constraints faced by US auto dealers for cars made by Nissan, Ford, Toyota and Honda. Dealers report having significantly lower inventories, one car instead of the normal 15 in … Continue reading →

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“Disruption clauses” by Mississippi barge operators in contracts with shippers

Posted on August 26, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (August 27, 2013) describes the worries of barge operators on the Mississippi river who have been hurt by floods and the drought. The new disruption clauses shift the cost of delays and the … Continue reading →

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Tracking retail customer movements using their cell phones – a prerogative or intrusive ?

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 14, 2013) describes an experiment at Nordstrom, after informaring customers, that tracked customers “using the wi-fi signals from their smartphones”. But the cell phones unique signature also permits tracking customer repeat trips, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecommerce, Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paying Auditors to audit pollution compliance inspections

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (July 18, 2013) describes an experiment in Gujarat, India, to increase the correctness of the pollution readings by auditors. In the past, most pollution audits claimed compliance. But two experiments were conducted – … Continue reading →

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The US alliance vs the European accord’s plans for Bangladesh garment factories

Posted on July 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 14,2013) describes plans by an alliance of the US retailers to offer shared inspection reports of over 500 factories in Bangladesh, loans from a pool of $100 million to factory owners to … Continue reading →

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Can electric-assisted tricycles use for local deliveries become economical ?

Posted on July 7, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 7,2013) describes a company, B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery, that uses electric-assisted tricycles to make local deliveries hauled in a 60 cubic foot cargo box. The company coordinates deliveries in a local area … Continue reading →

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Selling more books vs maximizing profits – are Amazon’s decisions in sync with author preferences ?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (July 5, 2013) describes discount reductions on books by Amazon as the company’s share of book sales grows to 25% of the market. Several authors and small publishers claim that the lowered discounts … Continue reading →

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Will Tesla’s new 90 second battery swap increase electric car demand ?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by aviyer2010

A report in PCmag.com (June 21, 2013 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420802,00.asp) describes a demonstration of a 90 second battery swap by Tesla, thus offering consumers the choice of waiting and getting free battery charging or paying close to the price of tank of … Continue reading →

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Should Tesla be permitted to sell cars direct to consumer ?

Posted on June 18, 2013 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (June 18, 2013) describes the electric car company Tesla’s attempt to sell direct to consumer from its own stores. The company can do so in states such as New York, New jersey, Massachusetts, … Continue reading →

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