strategic capacity management

The Chronic Pain of Drug Shortages

Despite repeated warnings that critical drugs have been and will remain in short supply, corrective action has been painfully elusive.

A confluence of factors contribute to the persistence of the problem. These factors have been identified multiple times over the years, but addressing them and their effects on patients’ health requires overall system changes that call for full congressional and business cooperation. The current blog does not cover the policy changes needed for improvement; they are beyond its scope. However, it […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-04-03T19:59:23+00:00April 5, 2023|Tags: bullwhip effect, competitivness, continuous replenishment, flexible-manufacturing, inventory management, JIT, lead time, logistics, outsourcing, productivity, respsonsive supply chain design, safety stock, shortage, sourcing, strategic capacity management, supply chain management|

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|

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|

High-End Vets for the One Percent Pets

Some pets receive the royal treatment.

They are family, and therefore we treat them like family…or better! Responding to this sentiment, veterinary clinics have realized that the business prospects of offering the type of care humans wish for themselves are very good. Accordingly, vets have invested in large facility expansions and a diverse portfolio of services including exercise rooms, heated pools, and acupuncture. What does it take to get there and is this model here to stay?

Video Spotlight:

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-01-30T20:53:05+00:00February 8, 2023|Tags: competitivness, facility design, facility layout, order winners, service design, service quality, strategic capacity management, strategy|