I bought a new car on April 29. The dealer via the Philippines’ transportation bureau, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), gave me the registration papers twenty-seven (27) days later on May 26. The licence plates were finally released on June 17, twenty-two (22) days after the registration papers and forty-nine (49) days total from theContinue reading “Waiting for My Car’s Licence Plates—A Case of Urgency vs. Importance”
Author Archives: Ellery
Goodbye, Sky
My home’s solar panels don’t start generating until 8am every morning. A nearby high-rise building to the east of my home obstructs the rays from the rising sun, preventing my house’s roof-mounted solar panels from generating electricity. The same happens at 4pm when another high-rise to the southwest blocks the sun. My home, therefore, onlyContinue reading “Goodbye, Sky”
Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing
I had been using ‘we’ in my essays and in conversations. Priests & pastors after all use them often in their sermons. I had surmised that using ‘we’ provided an interpersonal connection with the audiences I address. Some advice gleaned from the Internet, however, tell me to avoid using personal pronouns and that I shouldContinue reading “Avoiding ‘We’ in Writing”
Solving Urgent Problems in Supply Chains
A shipping manager of a medium-sized consumer goods company is dispatching deliveries one morning. One of the company’s trucks unfortunately won’t start. The driver says the battery is dead. The truck is loaded with products a customer ordered and is waiting to receive. The truck is twenty (20) years old, and the manager already securedContinue reading “Solving Urgent Problems in Supply Chains”
Separating Facts from Inferences
When it comes to solving urgent problems, I use whatever information is already available. I don’t spend any more of my valuable time to gather or validate any more data. Time is of the essence. I’d like to remedy any adverse situation as fast as possible. In some cases, the remedy does the job. ButContinue reading “Separating Facts from Inferences”
Never Make the Boss Wait
A field sales manager was late in fetching his boss, the multinational corporation’s director of sales. Rumour had it that as a result of that snafu, the field sales manager was passed over from promotion and was eventually re-assigned to an obscure position at the logistics department. Some years later, the field sales manager resignedContinue reading “Never Make the Boss Wait”
It’s a…What Is It, anyway?
Subic Bay at Luzon island, the Philippines, is a former United States naval base. In its heyday from the 1950s to the 1970s, it was the Americans’ largest military facility in the Western Pacific. Subic Bay served as a logistics hub and port for the US Navy. Together with the nearby Clark Air Base, SubicContinue reading “It’s a…What Is It, anyway?”
What is the Problem in the First Place?
I went to a branch of a local drugstore to buy a small bottle of mosquito repellent lotion. The branch didn’t have any stock but the nice lady behind the counter checked her computer and told me to go to another branch which was a short five (5) minute walk away. I went to theContinue reading “What is the Problem in the First Place?”
Praising Unsung Heroes
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) administrator Jared Isaacman praised the United States space agency’s workforce for the success of the Artemis II mission which brought four (4) astronauts to orbit around the moon and back for the first time since the Apollo missions in the 1970s. Mr. Isaacman’s praises were noteworthy given all theContinue reading “Praising Unsung Heroes”
How Do Supply Chains Fit into Your Firm’s Priorities? (Wrong Question)
Supply chains are the lifelines of the products & services of enterprises. Hence, executives should manage their enterprises’ supply chains to ensure they will meet strategic goals. Nice answer. Wrong question. Supply chains don’t fit into the priorities of enterprises. It’s the other way around. Enterprises must fit into the supply chains they are linkedContinue reading “How Do Supply Chains Fit into Your Firm’s Priorities? (Wrong Question)”
Ellery's Essays 