Operations Management - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Outbreak at Boar’s Head Disrupts America’s Deli Industry

October 25, 2024

Before causing the worst listeriosis outbreak in the U.S. since 2011, Boar’s Head was best known as one of the most recognizable — and most ruthless — deli-meat brands at the supermarket. The company started in 1905, when founder Frank Brunckhorst started selling deli meats out of a horse-drawn carriage in Brooklyn, New York. As it expanded into a $3 billion per year business, Boar’s Head made aggressive moves to protect its reputation for high quality. The company sued competitors Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Ethics, Manufacturing, Product Distribution, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

McDonald’s Tests Cash-Enabled Ordering Kiosks

October 8, 2024

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In 2016, McDonald’s attempted to speed up customer wait times by using touchscreen kiosks to take orders, but guests paying with cash still had to go to the register at the counter. After eight years of waiting, though, the fast food chain is finally testing kiosks that can also accept cash and make change. The cash kiosks are optional for McDonald’s franchisees, who own and manage 95 percent of the company’s more than 14,000 U.S. locations. So far, only 2 Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Product Development, Promotions, McDonald’s, Product Distribution, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Bad Weather and Competing Crops Hurt the Coffee Industry

September 20, 2024

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When it comes to global commodities like coffee beans, even the slightest change in the environment or the economy can drastically change prices and supplies. That’s what happened in 2021 when a sudden and severe frost in Brazil destroyed 500,000 acres of coffee plantations, sending prices for unroasted coffee beans soaring. The extensive damage reduced the country’s coffee production by more than 10 million bags annually for three consecutive years. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of Arabica beans, the Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Product Distribution, Agriculture, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] How a Cork Company Produces 22 Million Stoppers Per Day

September 12, 2024

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Although wine corks might seem like simple items, the video below shows why they’re anything but. Along with examining the production and manufacturing processes around cork, this lengthy video also explains how one company uses it to produce everything from flooring to footwear.

Questions:

What are cork companies like Amorim doing to address the shortage of skilled laborers needed for bark harvesting?
How did Amorim diversify its operations after a fungi infection nearly destroyed its cork stopper business?

Ice Cream Trucks Struggle to Keep Sales Sweet

September 6, 2024

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Although summertime is drawing to a close and jack-o-lanterns are already starting to appear, meteorologists say that most of the country can still expect plenty of hot days to come. And when the temperature is high, there’s nothing quite like ice cream to stay cool. That’s why for nearly a century, ice cream trucks have roamed neighborhoods across the country serving customers of all ages looking to beat the heat.

In 1926 Good Humour became the first brand to Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Franchising, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Seasonal businesses

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion

[VIDEO] How the Pandemic Began a “Pop-Up” Restaurant Boom

August 29, 2024

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The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic brought the restaurant industry to a standstill as countless kitchens closed and diners largely remained at home. But that didn’t stop some entrepreneurs from finding opportunities in this chaotic situation. The video below breaks down the boom of “pop-up” restaurants that flourished during the pandemic thanks to low overhead and mobile setups that met customers closer to where they lived.

Questions:

How did the pandemic change the restaurant industry?
What are some advantages Continue reading →

New Startup Markets Methane-Eating Microbes to Eco-Friendly Companies

August 21, 2024

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For decades, many big businesses have tried to go green by reducing their carbon emissions. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nike have made “net-zero” pledges over the years that promise to remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they put into it. While some firms try to go carbon-neutral by reducing their emissions directly, others pay for carbon removal projects — such as planting trees or building solar panels — to offset emissions.

But carbon dioxide isn’t the Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Product Distribution, Agriculture, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Climate change, Carbon Emissions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Microsoft Blames Delta’s Outdated Tech for Flight Cancellations

August 9, 2024

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Last month, we wrote about the global technology meltdown that impacted more than 8.5 million computers and caused at least $10 billion in financial damage. Triggered by the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, a faulty software update crashed Microsoft products around the world and in the process revealed how fragile our global technology infrastructure can be. Air transportation was one of the sectors affected most by the outage as airlines were unable to scan boarding passes or track crew members. Carriers canceled Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Ethics, Transportation, Travel, Legal, Product Distribution, Air Travel, Information Technology

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] 7-Eleven Reshapes Its American Food Operations to Be More Japanese

August 7, 2024

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For hungry American consumers, 7-Eleven isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for a variety of options. While the chain serves plenty of Slurpees, pizza, and hot dogs, that is about the limit of its domestic menu. But Japanese consumers have a different experience with 7-Eleven, which offers a wide assortment of fresh items ranging from tasty baked goods to rice balls and ramen. This video examines how 7-Eleven works in the Asian nation, and why the company wants Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Global, Retail, Japan, 7-Eleven, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Southwest Airlines Ends Its Open Seating Policy

July 30, 2024

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For more than 50 years, Southwest Airlines has stood out in the competitive world of air travel for a unique and equalizing perk: open seating. While other airlines required passengers to pick a seat in advance and pay more to upgrade, Southwest chose to do things differently. Instead of a seat assignment, passengers received a boarding position, lined up in order at the gate, and chose any available seat once on the plane. “It’s been a very egalitarian view of Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Global, Product Development, Branding, Transportation, Travel, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Southwest Airlines

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution