service quality – OM in the News

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|

A Pioneer of Online Journalism Falls off the Digital Platform

Another news organization is succumbing to the brutal demands of digital publishing.

BuzzFeed quickly went from an original and somewhat eccentric media outlet to a well-known publication with a respected news division. It pioneered ways of engaging younger readers, included serious articles as well as celebrity news, and exploited the potential for stories to go viral on social media with click-driven headlines.

As it expanded its news division, BuzzFeed failed to generate the revenues necessary to sustain a world class news operation. […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-05-05T00:46:08+00:00May 5, 2023|Tags: competitivness, House of Quality, job design, lead time, service quality, strategy, virtual service|

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 They have been replaced by boxy, sleek designs that reflect both cultural and economic trends.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|

Profits Over Patients: Here Come the Roaches!

America’s largest hospital company has been putting patients at risk.

To increase profits, they have cut their staff and shrunk maintenance budgets, resulting in higher occurrences of sentinel events, including patient deaths. Both doctors and nurses have complained about the situation, but there seems to be a disconnect between the clinical staff and the leadership. In fact, hospital critics have been reprimanded. Money that could be used to fix the problems is allocated to bed capacity increases which boost revenue.

Video […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-03-07T20:56:37+00:00March 8, 2023|Tags: competitivness, service quality, short term capacity, shortage, strategic capacity management, strategy, value, value analysis|