What do you imagine making baseballs for the pros looks like?
You might be surprised when you see what really happens behind the scenes at Rawlings. Consistent quality is a priority, and much of the work is labor intensive and done by hand.
(Check out the effect of a pitch clock on Major League games’ cycle times in this OM in the News post.)
Video Spotlight:
The barcode’s origin story is somewhat in doubt. However, many people recognize April 3, 1973, as its birthday—making the barcode 50 years old.
On this day, the IBM version created by senior engineer George Laurer was approved as the industry standard. Shortly thereafter, the first barcoded product was scanned in Marsh’s supermarket near Troy, Ohio. The item was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum for $1.39.
The use of the barcode has greatly expanded since 1973. Barcodes are everywhere. The Universal Product […]
Cycle time is an essential part of operations management.
Using an industrial analogy like repetitive automobile manufacturing, cycle time can be defined in two contexts: the time it takes to perform one task, such as installation of the hood, or the cumulative time it takes to perform all tasks as a product makes its way to completion, such as a completed automobile.
Companies often seek to improve cycle time to increase output (inventory), support more sales, reduce costs, and capture more market […]
Will the traditional grocery store become a thing of the past, or will it continue in its current form?
In the not too distant past, virtually all shopping was done in-person in the store. Online ordering with either pickup or delivery was a novelty. However, COVID escalated the use of pickup and delivery of groceries (either retail delivery or third-party delivery, such as DoorDash).
Online grocery sales (pickup, delivery, and ship-to-home) represented about 12% of grocery sales in January 2023—up slightly over […]