Tag Archives: Costs

“The Zara Gap” article

In an article in the “Sourcing Journal” (April 24 2015) John Thorbeck describes research with Warren Hausman on the persistent gap in the performance between Zara and other apparel retailers. Their results suggest a profit increase of 28% through adoption … Continue reading

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Does hospital consolidation increase prices or efficiency?

An article in Bloombusinessweek (September 11,2014) describes Partners Healthcare in Boston that is responsible for 28% of physician and hospital visit dollars in Massachusetts and that has seen a 60% increase in prices charged compared to competitors. The company now … Continue reading

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Growing food in the backyard to combat the rising cost of imports in Jamaica

An article in the New York Times (August 3, 2013) describes the growing cost of food imports, exceeding a billion dollars for Jamaica, and the response. The local population is encouraged to grow in their backyard, including grocery stores and … Continue reading

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A deeper Jacksonville port to accommodate larger ships through the Panama Canal

An article in the New York Times (July 27, 2013) describes a move to increase the depth of the Jacksonville port from 40 to 47 inches, through dredging, to accommodate the larger ships that will be passing through the Panama … Continue reading

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Will suspending trade privileges for Bangladesh improve local enforcement of working conditions ?

An article in the New York Times (June 28, 2013) describes the US administration’s plan to suspend trade privileges for Bangladesh because the country has permitted safety violations and not enforced labor rights, particularly for the apparel manufacturing industry. The … Continue reading

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Steel manufacturer’s competitive response to falling steel prices

An article in the Wall Street Journal (April 27, 2013) describes the decline in steel prices and the response by steel manufacturers. ThyssenKrupp is claimed to offer to pay freight costs to maintain market share. Further price discounts of 5 … Continue reading

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The potential supply chain impact of eliminating agency pricing for ebooks

An article in the Wall Street Journal (September 8,2012) describes a settlement by a set of publishers and the department of justice and elimination of the scheme whereby publishers set retail prices and paid a percent of retail price go … Continue reading

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Regulating Lithium Battery shipments as cargo and associated costs

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 31, 2012) describes a change in regulations by the FAA that barred transport of lithium batteries by air, without appropriate packaging, following a fire and associated crash of a UPS plane carrying … Continue reading

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Evolving landfills into alternate energy sources

A CNN video (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/11/30/javaheri-landfill-solar-methane.cnn) describes a landfill in Atlanta that uses a polyester based fabric with solar panels to cover up a landfill. the solar panels generate electricity that is fed to the grid. But the organic waster generates methane, … Continue reading

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Cross State Pollution Rules and Impact

An article in the Economist (Oct 15,2011) describes the issues surrounding CSAPR or Cross State Air Pollution Rule. The rule by the EPA requires power plants in 28 states to  decrease sulphur dioxide emissions by 27% and nitrogen dioxide by … Continue reading

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