supply chain management – OM in the News

Wendy’s Adds Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger

Wendy’s has added a Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger and Queso Fries to the menu.

The chef-inspired cheeseburger begins with a quarter-pound patty with poblano queso, crispy corn, tortilla chips, chipotle sauce, American cheese, lettuce, tomato on a jalapeno cheddar bun. The burger is designed as a “nacho platter” on a bun. It took Wendy’s over two years to develop the burger.

The Queso Fries required over 20 iterations to develop. This is the first time that Wendy’s has made a complimentary side to go […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-09-27T07:36:29+00:00September 27, 2023|Tags: forecasting, inventory management, product design, product development, supply chain management|

Vertical Integration in the Grocery Industry

The importance of private labels for grocery stores is increasing.

Customers are looking for cost savings that many private label brands offer. However, some private label brands are moving to upscale products, only available through their store, using better quality ingredients and proprietary recipes to drive customer demand.

For example, Albertsons has an O Organics line, which offers an organic option to its customers. Target’s private label brand, Good & Gather, provides products without synthetic colors, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.

Another […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-07-26T05:58:05+00:00July 26, 2023|Tags: outsourcing, supply chain management, vertical integration|

The USPS Wants to Deliver its Operations Strategy

The USPS continues its ambitious transformation.

Although the first two years of the ten-year transformation plan have produced mixed results, the Postmaster General wants to forge ahead with the pursuit of excellence in quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility. Because revenues from mail delivery continue to decline, the USPS is targeting shippers, a bold move for a late entrant in the package delivery business. This strategy requires a complete overhaul of the organization. Modernization and streamlining of services and […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-06-19T21:16:03+00:00June 21, 2023|Tags: automation, bottleneck, carbon footprint, competitivness, delivery, JIT, logistics, process management, productivity, service quality, strategy, supply chain management, sustainability|

Burger King Enters the Spider-Verse

With the new Spider-Man movie, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” opening on June 2, 2023, Burger King has introduced two Spider-Man inspired menu items.

One is the Spider-Verse Sundae, a soft serve vanilla ice cream topped with red and black popping candy.

The other new menu item is one that definitely grabs your attention. The Spider-Verse Whopper stands out because of its bright red bun topped with black sesame seeds to match the Spider-Man colors. In addition to its bright red bun, it […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2023-06-04T05:16:32+00:00June 14, 2023|Tags: forecasting, limited time offering, product design, promotion, quick serve restaurants, supply chain management|