mgt305 Potpourri

Summer 2009 potpourri (archives). Hotel ops at Marriott...How Microsoft is coping with increased competitive pressures...Printing money does not create wealth...Is Google's competitive advantage unsustainable?...Downsizing college sports programs...The 'China Price' is no longer so cheap...Surprise, surprise--problems with economic statistics such as GDP and productivity...Can you balance California's $24 billion budget shortfall?...A tale of two depressions...Do higher interest rates signal inflation?...How J&J's success persists...The skinny on Sysco (not Cisco)...Change in strategy for Mother Chip?...The CEO who's trying to keep Ford off death row...Why keeping large banks alive cheats small banks...The downside of industry regulation...GM is officially headed to bankruptcy court...We're trying to solve a debt problem with more debt...How excellent operators fall into a state of decline.

Spring 2009 potpourri (archives). Maqs may be back...Managing worker fear of layoffs...At cargo shipper Maersk, slowing down saves money...Assessing your readiness to invest...Accounting rule changes won't solve current economic problems...Info on Business Week's 4th annual evaluation of the top undergraduate b-schools...Extreme lean manufacturing is in...Is the Fed really hyperinflating?...Customer service in a shrinking economy...Maintaining good customer experience at Amazon...Phasing out GM's Saturn brand...Small banks saying no thanks to bailout bucks...Is Exxon weaker than it looks?...Customer focus in retail store layout...Possible turnaround in shipping rates...Current monetary and fiscal policy will likely destroy the value of the currency...Tough times for Barbie...Subway dukes it out with Domino's...Silicon is leaving Silicon Valley...Multinational bank retrenchment...Lessons learned from the US Air crash in NYC...Overcapacity in semiconductor sector...How Hewlett Packard got its groove back...A brief picture history of railroads in the US...Burlington Northern and other railroad companies are making a comeback.

Fall 2008 Potpourri. How long will this recession last?...A new New Deal infrastructure spending program in the works...Automaker bailout agreement pending...NBER declares that we've 'officially' been in recession since last December...Interesting profile on Apple's operations and SCM...Electricity demand weakens...More outsourcing as economy slows...PMI at lowest level since 1982...Citi to cut 50,000 jobs...Operations slow down at Starbucks...Unintended consequences of government intervention...Delta and Northwest are getting married...Wal-Mart cuts back 2009 expansion plans...The Baltic Dry Index has cratered, and US port shipping statistics have followed suit...Retailer Zara breaks rules in supply chain management...A shift towards frugal behavior as economic times worsen...Outsourcing and recessions...Credit crunch driving payroll cutbacks...The massive decline in mortgage equity withdrawals (MEW)...An open letter to all young taxpayers...Q&A with a couple of sharp minds regarding the bank bailout...'Peak oil' theory and its champion...Treasury Secretary says free markets are a 'dead end'...One view on the Fed's role in spawning the credit crunch...Impact of Wal-Mart price cuts on rivals...Why we consent to market intervention...Biggest bank failure (thus far) in US history...Merger in the works between Delta and Northwest...How business slowdowns hurt airlines...Nice anthology of recent events that will likely permanently reshape our economy and markets...Star manufacturer Dell planning to sell its factories!?...Great primer on the credit crunch and what may be next...Real estate costs make operating 'flagship' retail stores expensive...Interesting article on some of the operating decisions made by retailer J Crew...Many of Valero's refineries are located close to Gulf of Mexico crude oil supply...Location of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), which handles 10% of U.S. oil imports, increases energy price volatility during hurricane season.

Summer 2008 OM Potpourri. Louisville-based Yum Brands is the largest restaurant chain in the world...Meet Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, and understand their role in our current market problems...Despite slowing sales, Japan carmakers are adding capacity in their home base...A bank run throws IndyMac into FDIC receivership...Toyota will reduce truck and SUV production in US plants...Southwest Air's operating decisions support a low cost strategic theme...Two ways to estimate the value of a company...Slow and steady Honda...Hostile takeover of BUD, plus beer industry stats...Should the Fed save banks?...Investing during deflationary times...A masterpiece on where the US economy stands relative to inflation and deflation (read it till you get it)...How buying local produce reduces cost at Walmart...Trying to make sense of economic data...Semantics of inflation.