Can’t fight city hall is an idiom for any futile effort against a large institution like government. If you’re just one among millions of citizens who has a complaint about a government law or regulation, chances are you’d be unsuccessful, if not dismissed at the start. Paying taxes and fees to the Philippine government isContinue reading “Can’t Fight City Hall”
Tag Archives: enterprise
Being Proactive Requires Reviewing Our Values
My boss asked me to finish a report by Monday morning. I was planning to submit it by Wednesday next week but my boss wanted it earlier. Because he asked me on Friday, I had to cancel my weekend plans. Some bosses pile on work on their employees. The bosses would believe there is goodContinue reading “Being Proactive Requires Reviewing Our Values”
The Devil is in The Details
I was reading the San Jose Mercury News one morning while staying with my brother during a visit some years ago at San Mateo, California, USA and I noticed that the front page of the paper featured a repair of a road culvert. The culvert, a canal by the side of a main thoroughfare, wasContinue reading “The Devil is in The Details”
We Need Librarians More Than Ever
How relevant are librarians in the 21st century? In the 1970’s, when I was much younger, a library was that room of stand-alone shelves filled with books, spaced by a few tables and chairs. The librarian was the one minding that room, making sure we who visited kept quiet while we browsed through the titlesContinue reading “We Need Librarians More Than Ever”
Problems are Doorways to Opportunities
Since the start of 2021, semiconductor chips, which are used in cars, trucks, computers, and smart-phones, have been in short supply. Supply has been so short that automotive companies have shut down assembly lines and consumer electronics corporations have delayed roll-outs of new products. Bloomberg reported in its September 22, 2021 Supply Lines newsletter thatContinue reading “Problems are Doorways to Opportunities”
When Increasing Capacity Becomes a Priority
One Sunday morning, a homeless woman at a traffic intersection was approaching cars and begging for alms. Some drivers give but most don’t. But the woman persists anyway; she shows a sign saying she’s homeless and asks for money for food. I thought as I observed the homeless woman: if the government could spend soContinue reading “When Increasing Capacity Becomes a Priority”
When Idle is Not Necessarily Bad
A chief executive officer (CEO) of a large corporation was touring a manufacturing facility. As with all CEO’s touring a factory, he had an entourage of executives accompanying him as he walked and shook hands with workers on the production line. As he strolled through the facility’s main line where the most important manufacturing processesContinue reading “When Idle is Not Necessarily Bad”
Weather Forecasting vs. Demand Forecasting: A Case of Different Expectations
Meteorologists predict what the weather will be like, whether it be tomorrow or the next few hours. Demand forecasters predict what customers will buy and how much, whether it be next week, next month or next year. When a weather forecast is wrong, we don’t hold the meteorologist accountable. We may grumble about the inconvenienceContinue reading “Weather Forecasting vs. Demand Forecasting: A Case of Different Expectations”
Solving the Supply Chain Mystery
I once met a regional sales manager of a large consumer good company at Davao City, the biggest city on the island of Mindanao, 978 kilometres (608 miles) south of Manila, Philippines. As I was introduced, the RSM looked at me for a moment and smiled broadly. “You’re a supply chain consultant?” Before I couldContinue reading “Solving the Supply Chain Mystery”
Why We Need to Define the Bigger Problem*
When Apollo 13 astronauts reported an explosion on their space module, NASA’s Houston Mission Control contemplated on continuing the mission and land on the moon. It was only when NASA realized that the problems were life-threatening that it was decided to abort the mission and to have the astronauts return to Earth safely. We tendContinue reading “Why We Need to Define the Bigger Problem*”
Ellery's Essays 