sourcing – OM in the News

Fordless Fords: Shortages Due to Regulatory Issues

Tribar Technologies is a Michigan-based supplier for Ford’s blue oval badges. Violations of an environmental protection regulation limited Tribar’s production in August, resulting in shortages of the badges for Ford’s F-Series pickups.

Ford has decided to ship many of the badgeless vehicles to dealers and retrofit once badges are available, which will increases costs for the automaker and dealers.

This part shortage is the latest in a year of supply chain crises and shortages. Ford has stated that it intends to “restructure […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2022-10-13T18:16:27+00:00October 13, 2022|Tags: downstream suppliers, lean production, sourcing, supply chain strategy|

Bacteria + Food Waste = Leather

With vegan leather, material circularity further confirms its growing role in product design.

The trend toward material circularity continues to expand from furniture to fashion. This article features Polybion’s use of bacteria and food waste to produce an environmentally friendly cellulose membrane. That membrane can then be tanned to become vegan leather. Not only is this leather easier to produce than competing fungi-based products, but it is also more versatile and scalable. Therefore, the product […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-04-13T23:03:44+00:00April 15, 2022|Tags: carbon footprint, location, product design, respsonsive supply chain design, sourcing, sustainability|

Neon Shortages from Ukraine May Increase Global Chip Shortage

Our chip-dependent world may be dealt another blow as supplies of neon may soon be in short supply.

Ukraine-based Cryoin, which produces the critical gas, is situated in Odessa and has been shut down since the war began. In addition, transportation routes are flooded with refugees and commercial shipments may have a hard time reaching and moving through borders.

With up to 90 percent of the neon used by U.S. chip manufacturers coming from the Ukraine, alternative sources may be extremely hard […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-03-15T07:41:45+00:00March 15, 2022|Tags: facility location, location, product design, sourcing, suppliers, supply chain management, vendor analysis|

Climate-Proofing Your Cup of Coffee

An old, forgotten coffee species may be the crop of the future.

Stenophylla, a coffee plant once grown in Sierra Leone, offers hope to small growers whose livelihood is threatened by climate change. A wild plant was re-discovered in the forest. Its natural hardiness and rich flavor make it a promising substitute for the arabica species enjoyed by consumers around the world.

Video Spotlight: Tasting the Lost Species That Might Save Coffee (April 24, 2021, James Hoffmann)

This […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2022-01-12T21:45:01+00:00January 14, 2022|Tags: shortage, sourcing, sustainability|