Ops & Supply Chain Strategy

Exoskeletons Improve Job Design

A John Deere parts distribution center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, offers employees the use of exoskeletons to perform their jobs more safely and comfortably. Employees handle hundreds of packages every day with greater ease with the aid of these robotic devices.

Exoskeletons have the potential to impact many industries and improve ergonomics and job design in a variety of ways.

Video Spotlight:

How will exoskeletons be used in the next decade? (Jan 31, 2022, Interesting Engineering)

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-06-04T05:20:09+00:00June 7, 2023|Tags: automation, ergonomics, job design, productivity, safety, supply chain technology, work design|

Redwood Logistics Facilitates Nearshoring

Redwood Logistics is expanding its transportation operations to Mexico.

This move follows the nearshoring trend of manufacturers who are bringing production closer to home in order to be less reliant on overseas suppliers.

Redwood Logistics’ Mexico expansion allows it to become a logistic service gateway connecting the electronic, automotive, appliances, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries in Mexico with the U.S.

Video Spotlight:

What is Friendshoring, Nearshoring, Reshoring and Offshoring (Annual Meeting, Davos 2023) (Jan 5, 2023, World Economic Forum)

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-05-28T17:40:57+00:00May 28, 2023|Tags: competitive advantage, global supply chain management, location planning, nearshoring, operations strategy, outsourcing|

Tupperware’s Slow Descent into Oblivion

The Tupperware party may be over.

Tupperware may soon declare bankruptcy. Declining revenue, lower stock prices, and dwindling cash reserves do not bode well for the future of this iconic brand. The article and video describe how the company mostly relied on brand recognition and failed to recognize and adapt to a changing consumer and business environment. The company has now partnered with Amazon and Target to boost sales, but it may be too little, too late.

Video Spotlight:

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-05-16T22:21:28+00:00May 17, 2023|Tags: bullwhip effect, competitivness, House of Quality, product design, product portfolio, product quality, service quality, strategy|

Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange

Amazon launched a program called Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange (ACX) to keep counterfeiters off its e-commerce platforms and fake goods from entering its warehouses.

Retailers and others who are interested in stopping counterfeiting can share and receive information about counterfeiters on a database maintained by an independent third party. ACX’s collaborative data sharing helps to fight counterfeit crime in the online marketplace.

Video Spotlight:

What is Amazon Transparency and How to Use it as a Seller (Jan 8, 2021, AMZ […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-05-14T06:07:01+00:00May 14, 2023|Tags: counterfeit products, data mining, supply chain security, supply chain transparency|