In this post, I want to begin analyzing SEA (South East Asia), starting with Vietnam.
Leave a CommentTag: Global Supply Chains
A note on why (and how) Apple is shifting their iPad production to Vietnam, and why is South East Asia an attractive destination for Supply Chains.
Leave a CommentI write about TSMC, the new (old) company that everyone is talking about: their origin story and why they matter now more than ever for supply chains and global security. I describe how learning moves upstream from cost to capability. Finally, auto supply chains and the ambitions of in-sourcing in the United States.
Leave a CommentUnited States’ global market share In chip manufacturing has shrunk from 35% to 12% in the slow march of supply chain capability moving up the value chain in China. I point out the need for building skilled labor force.
Leave a CommentWSJ reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest contract manufacturer of silicon chips, would spend $12 billion to build a chip factory in Arizona. I have been arguing on this blog for sourcing suppliers closer to the customer location (my first research paper was on dual sourcing and near sourcing) and building more plants in the US. So, I view this development as good news, but with a fair amount of caution. It is frustrating. News reports always seem to score these decisions based on how the political benefit will play out and this WSJ report is no exception. (This is an election year in the US. Which year isn’t an election year? In addition, US Senator McSally…
Leave a CommentRecently, Musk was again in news due to his tweets — probably not his most famous or costliest tweet ever — for threatening to move Tesla HQ out of California and manufacturing out of the Fremont CA plant. Supply chains and production has been sputtered in the US and elsewhere due to COVID. It is true that maintaining idle plants is prohibitively expensive. I take a look at how Fremont plant works well for Tesla, and how shifting capacity is complicated.
Leave a CommentSupply Chains ran our lives quietly and without fuss, but due to the pandemic, they have gained media attention.
The pandemic has created stress on business and efficient supply chains. Many journalists seek to write on why we are seeing massive stock-outs for some products and not for others. The best strategy would be to directly talk to supply chain experts and practitioners who deal with global supply chains. This post is a quick note arguing, no, toilet paper shortage are not due to asset bubbles like tulip mania. It is just supply inflexibility for a functional product, what we call as “bullwhip” in supply chains.
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