S and OP

WD-40 Faces Middle Eastern Supply Constraints

Prices continue to rise on everyday products that are made—at least partially—with raw materials and components sourced from Iran and neighboring countries.

Americans are feeling a pinch in their wallets as the US-Iranian War continues. WD-40, the globally known manufacturer of lubricating products, is experiencing increases in costs due to chemicals sourced from Middle Eastern countries and associated shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are affected given the Middle East has long been […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2026-08-19T06:58:30+00:00August 23, 2026|Tags: chemicals, constraints, cost increases, petroleum, sourcing|

GE Aerospace Experiences Surge in Demand

GE Aerospace, a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, as well as integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft, announced strong earnings growth in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The company saw quarterly revenue increase 18%, to $12.7 billion over the previous year. Additionally, the engine maker saw Q4 orders surge 74% to $27 billion, accounting for nearly half of its orders for the whole year. At the same time, GE worked to simplify operations […]

By James Kirby Easterling|2026-02-15T05:02:26+00:00February 15, 2026|Tags: bullwhip, collaboration, forecasting, production, quality, S&OP, sales and operations planning|

Causes of Japan’s Rice Shortage

Due to a number of factors, Japan is running short on rice, experiencing its lowest rice stocks in over 20 years.

For the last three years, production has not kept up with demand. Consumers are struggling to find enough rice on grocery shelves, and many stores have limited purchases to one bag per family.

Video Spotlight:

What’s behind Japan’s rice shortage? (Aug 27, 2024, NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

This post is based on the CNBC post, Japan’s […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2024-10-30T06:38:27+00:00October 30, 2024|Tags: aggregate planning, capacity planning, shortage|

Surge Pricing for Retail Stores?

Technology is making it easier to change prices. In some cases, prices can be changed in real time.

Restaurants are using digital menu boards to update their menu and prices. Now, stores are implementing electronic shelf labels or digital price tags to easily and quickly update prices. Kroger and Walmart are leading the transformation in the U.S.

One result of these changes is that dynamic pricing strategies can be used. This allows prices to change instantly based on a variety of conditions such […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2024-09-18T18:42:10+00:00September 18, 2024|Tags: dynamic pricing, retail, technology|