location – OM in the News

The Scoop on Tillamook’s New Factory Location

A Tillamook ice cream factory is opening in Decatur, Illinois, in 2024.

With a $50 million investment, Tillamook is upgrading an old Prairie Farms facility to better serve the growing Eastern US ice cream market. The Tillamook factory will revitalize the Decatur area with new jobs and economic development.

Video Spotlight:

Behind The Scenes at The Tillamook Creamery (July 27, 2022, Tillamook)

This post is based on the WCIA.com article, West Coast ice cream factory […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-04-12T07:40:04+00:00April 12, 2023|Tags: capacity planning, facility location, location|

Furniture Glut in Silicon Valley

One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

The rise of remote work, an economic slowdown, and tighter access to capital have forced tech companies to retreat or disappear. The situation is especially dire in the San Francisco area where prime office space has been vacated. Once destined to the landfill, the barely-used furniture is now finding new homes thanks to resellers capitalizing on the excesses of a certain corporate culture and oversized operations.

Video Spotlight: Is Herman Miller […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-03-18T16:54:05+00:00March 19, 2023|Tags: carbon footprint, competitivness, forecasting, job design, location, product design, strategic capacity management, sustainability, value analysis|

Efficiency or Identity? A Dilemma for Fast Food Restaurants

Minimalism is in; Googie architecture is out.

Red roofs, neon golden arches, and other bright-colored structures have practically disappeared from the fast food landscape. They have been replaced by boxy, sleek designs that reflect both cultural and economic trends. Whether or not these new designs are less aesthetically pleasing than their older counterparts is a matter of personal taste. Fast food chains’ primary goal remains to give customers what they want.

Video Spotlight: The Decline of Pizza Hut…What […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-03-14T23:06:07+00:00March 15, 2023|Tags: automation, competitivness, delivery, lead time, location, productivity, service design, service quality, strategy, value, waiting lines|

What Is the Future of Traditional Grocery Stores?

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 […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-03-01T22:22:31+00:00March 1, 2023|Tags: delivery, facility location, location, online order fulfillment, perishable inventory management, service blueprint, service delivery, service processes|