Tag Archives: Cost

Coal supply issues, power supply and supply chain impact in India

Posted on April 26, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 19,2012) describes coal supply difficulties in India due to price controls on power, rising prices of Indonesian coal and lack of incentives to use natural gas. The impact – erratic power supplies … Continue reading →

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Toys “R” Us retailing challenges – competitor impact

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 7,2012) describes competitors to Toys”R” Us, and the resulting sales challenges. Target and Wal-Mart have slashed toy prices, with Wal-Mart allowing layaway. Amazon.com continues to be aggressive in the toys category while … Continue reading →

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Wal-Mart, the Environmental Defense Fund and sustainable supply chains

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 14, 2012) describes a partnership between the Environmental Defense Council (EDF) and Wal-Mart, as the retailer attempt to make its supply chain more sustainable. Wal-Mart would like to get to zero waste, … Continue reading →

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Service constraints abroad and market access impact

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 10,2012) describes restrictions on flight paths for UPS in China, and the consequent service disruption due to bad weather. The lack of route flexibility thus impacts service guarantees offered by UPS. Given … Continue reading →

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The potential impact of capping patient co-pay on drug prices

Posted on April 15, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 12,2012) describes efforts to cap the patient co-pay amounts to shield them from he high cost of specialty drugs – that account for 1% of the units sold but 17 % of … Continue reading →

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“Good African Coffee” – its supply chain and sustainability

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 8,2012) describes the efforts by Good African Coffee – a company that roasts coffee grown in Uganda, and brands the coffee rather than sell commodity coffee beans. Going up the value chain … Continue reading →

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China’s export mix and target region shifts and global impact

Posted on April 8, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (April 9,2012) describes a shift in China’s exports towards heavy machinery, cars and ships from shoes, consumer electronics and clothing. Inland locations with abundant labor, targeted government loans and a focus on emerging markets like Brazil … Continue reading →

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Pepsico’s “water positive” schemes and Jugaad Innovation

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

In a book titled “Jugaad Innovation” Radjou, Prabhu and Ahuja write about Pepsico’s water positive supply chain in India i.e., the company saves more water than it uses. The secret – enabling a “direct seeding” rice planting process, thus saving … Continue reading →

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Improving the competitiveness of Portugal’s ports

Posted on April 7, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the Economist (March 24,2012) describes the drop in prices per container from $1000 to $300 from Asia to Europe as ship capacities increased to 14,000 containers. Portugal’s deep ports can accommodate these ships but are uncompetitive for … Continue reading →

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What are GM’s choices for the Opel plant in Bochum, Germany ?

Posted on April 4, 2012 by aviyer2010

An article in the New York Times (April 2,2012) describes worker frustration at GM’s Opel plant in Bochum, Germany, with worries that it will be shut down in 2014. Wages at the plant are six times the wage rate in … Continue reading →

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