Flexible manufacturing was popular in the 1990’s. Twenty years into the 21st century, we don’t hear much about it anymore. Instead, we hear a lot more about digital and connectivity. Amid a raging pandemic, people also talk about resilience. Whatever the buzzword, what matters in the end is how well enterprises deliver versus customer demand. Continue reading “Six (6) Principles to Successful Flexibility”
Author Archives: Ellery
The Terror Boss
Most of us will eventually encounter the Terror Boss. The Terror boss is that direct superior who shreds a subordinate’s self-esteem. He or she: Yells at you, with expletives and words not acceptable for children below 18 years old; Finds faults, never praises, never has anything good to say about you; Assigns lots of workContinue reading “The Terror Boss”
Managing Multiple Risks
Threats of fire, natural disasters, and supply chain disruptions don’t take breaks. They don’t necessarily come one at a time. Risks are mutually exclusive. They can occur simultaneously. Ongoing threats make our lives complicated. We are constantly stretching resources to keep workplaces and homes safe and secure from risks. We need to always consider thatContinue reading “Managing Multiple Risks”
It’s Time to Start Listening
Joseph Biden wins the American presidency. Donald Trump has lost. Many people are rejoicing. But the election results were close. Very close. So close that one cannot discount that nearly half of the American electorate voted for either candidate. While President-elect Biden garnered more votes overall, soon-to-be former President Trump won as many as 2,500Continue reading “It’s Time to Start Listening”
Six Elements to Find in a Digital Roadmap
A large producer of canned fruit items installed a brand-new radio-frequency identification (RFID) system at its manufacturing facility. The RFID system aimed to streamline the producer’s inventory management system. The canned fruit producer’s workers stuck RFID tags on every case of canned fruit and on the pallets where the cases were stacked. As forklift operatorsContinue reading “Six Elements to Find in a Digital Roadmap”
Ten (10) Examples Towards Building Better Supply Chains
For years, experts have cited the urgent need for supply chains to adapt and get better. In 2005, Paul Michelman via the Harvard Business Review wrote: “Threats to your supply chain, and therefore to your company, abound—natural disasters, accidents, and intentional disruptions—their likelihood and consequences heightened by long, global supply chains, ever-shrinking product lifecycles, andContinue reading “Ten (10) Examples Towards Building Better Supply Chains”
The Four (4) Priorities of Business
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is the largest business enterprise in the Philippines and is among the top 2,000 global firms listed by Forbes magazine. SMC’s gross revenue was PhP 384 billion ($USD 7.6 billion approximately) in 2018 earned from its diversified portfolio that includes food & beverage products, real estate properties, and infrastructure & energyContinue reading “The Four (4) Priorities of Business”
Do We Really Need New Capacity?
Do we really need a new highway? Metropolitan Manila, Philippines, has one of the worst urban traffic congestions on Earth (at least before the pandemic of 2020 forced people to stop travelling). This has led to a number of corporations and wealthy individuals to propose new roads, bridges, and tunnels. The proposals cite the obviousContinue reading “Do We Really Need New Capacity?”
Reducing Losses, Whatever the Type, Whatever the Scale
Material losses happen in every industry. From the time a raw material is mined, extracted, or harvested, to the point where it finally is transformed and delivered as a finished product, there will be some loss along the way. Not all merchandise that comes into an operation comes out 100% intact in the finished product. Continue reading “Reducing Losses, Whatever the Type, Whatever the Scale”
Hoarding and How to Discourage It
When people buy a little more than what they usually need, we call it speculation. When they buy much, much more, we call it hoarding. What happens when people hoard? Do the enterprises that supply the goods gain in sales and profits? Do hoarders make money? Hoarding happens when people perceive they might not beContinue reading “Hoarding and How to Discourage It”
Ellery's Essays 