Tag Archives: Supply Chain

Free ecommerce shipping, online sales, supply chain impact

An article in the New York Times (Jan 4, 2012) describes the 15 % growth in ecommerce sales this year compared to last year. 92% of the online sites offered free shipping and retruns. The resulting surge caused FedEx to … Continue reading

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FDA restrictions on some antibiotics use in agriculture

An article in the New York Times (Jan 4, 2012) describes FDA plans to restrict use of cephalasporins in agriculture. These antibiotics are used to treat strep and bronchitis and by surgeons. But they are also used on animals, with … Continue reading

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Real time analytics and Schwan food sales growth

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 4,2012) describes Schwan Foods network of        6,000 home delivery drivers and their use of real time data analytics. Operasolutions, an analytic consulting company, mines purchase patterns to identify a … Continue reading

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EPA Dioxin limit proposal and food supply chain impact

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 4,2012) describes a propsal by the EPA to recommend a 64 picogram limit of dioxin for a 200 lb person. The EPA wants to ensure that prolonged exposure at this limit is … Continue reading

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Caterpillar’s US plant labor costs vs Canadian costs

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 7, 2012) describes Caterpillar’s assertion tha labor costs in its US plants are 50% of the costs in Canada. Given the Canadian plant’s lack of global competitiveness due to labor rule inflexibility, … Continue reading

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Corn Storage Capacity increase and supply chain impact

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (Jan 9, 2012) describes a significant increase in corn storage capacity at the farm level. The result, farmers hold their crop to sell at the best price, thus corn prices have increased 23 % over the … Continue reading

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Whirlpool dumping charge against LG and Samsung and possible supply chain response

An article in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 2, 2012) describes a claim by Whirlpool that LG and Samsung have dumped residential washing machines, at prices below production costs, and requests import duties to be levied.  Whirlpool claims that the … Continue reading

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Court Blocks California use of life cycle greenhouse gas estimation for fuel producers

An article in the New York Times (Dec 29, 2011) describes a Federal judge’s decision to block the state of California from computing the life cycle impact of greenhouse gas emissions by furl producers. The plan was to include the … Continue reading

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DEA, FDA coordination issues and ADHD drug shortages

An article in the New York Times (Dec 31, 2011) describes shortages of ADHD drugs and root causes. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) , concerned about use of ADHD drugs among college students as a memory stimulant, forecasts overall demand … Continue reading

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Defining organic agriculture – include sustainable water and energy too ?

An article in the New York Times (Dec 31, 2011) describes the growth in organic farms in Mexico that comply with US definitions of organic farming – a ban on use of synthethic fertilizers, hormones, pesticides etc. But Swedish certification … Continue reading

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