Tag Archives: Supply Chain

Automobile OEM custom chips and Japanese supply bottlenecks

Posted on April 28, 2011 by aviyer2010

An International Herald Tribune article (April 27, 2011) describes the impact of the earthquake caused destruction to chip manufacturer Renesas Electronics with a 40 % market share of automobile microcontrollers.  The company was formed by the merger of three chip … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retailers compete by offering exclusive plants

Posted on April 28, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal (April 27, 2011) article describes exclusive plants offered by Lowe’s and Home Depot as they compete for customer spend. For every $ 1 spent on plants, customers are reported to spend an additional $ 3 on … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Conflict Materials Ban and Electronics Supply Chain Impact

Posted on April 27, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (April 27,2011) describes the impact of the portion of Dodd-Frank law that requires companies to inform the SEC if any if their sources of tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold are from the conflict regions in … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail paint price increases and titanium dioxide cost link

Posted on April 23, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Wall Street Journal (23 April 2011) describes a 16 % increase in retail price of paint.  The cause is an increased demand for titanium dioxide, a paint ingredient that is also used in toothpaste, paper and … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple and supply chain capability

Posted on April 23, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in CNN Money by David Goldman (http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/22/technology/apple_supply_chain/index.htm?hpt=T2) describes how Apple exercises its supply chain power. The author claims that since Apple has five main products (iPad, iPhone,iPod,Mac, AppleTv) and 15 variations total , and that these designs have … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Swatch sales growth and its component supply impact

Posted on April 23, 2011 by aviyer2010

A New York Times article (April 23,2011) describes the 42 % net profit increase and sales growth at Swatch, the Swiss watch company. The company is rushing to satisfy demand in Asia and expects to add over 2,000 employees in … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Smithsonian and “Made in America” requirements

Posted on April 22, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/smithsonians-made-in-america-mandate-not-easy-to-achieve/2011/04/13/AFFA2RqD_story.html?utm_source=eMail_OMNow_utm_medium=eMail_utm_campaign=OMNow__2011422) describes the impact of a “Made in America” requirement, spurred by Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep Nick Rahall, to require the Smithsonian to sell only products made in America in its gift shops. … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The diminishing impact of clusters in global supply chains

Posted on April 17, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in the Economist (April 16, 2011) describes the diminishing fortunes of clusters in Italy – cotton fabrics, jewelry, brass fittings etc.  Italy has over 100 such clusters, developed around generations of skill development and access to natural resources. … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Operations Management, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

US Companies ramp up to fill Japanese supplier delivery issues

Posted on April 15, 2011 by aviyer2010

An article in BloombergBusinessweek (April 11-17, 2011, page 18) describes the impact of the Japanese tsunami and consequent supply disruptions. US suppliers such as Microchip Technology claim to be ready to ramp up production to meet demand, with a preference … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Contexts, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rail Capacity shortages cause auto shipment delays

Posted on April 14, 2011 by aviyer2010

A Wall Street Journal article (April 13, 2011) describes the impact rail shipment delays on car manufacturer inventories. During the recession, railroads decreased their rail cars and cut their staff. The sudden expansion of car shipments has created a surge … Continue reading →

Posted in Operations Management, Service Operations, Supply Chain Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment