New group to foster corporate innovation and competitiveness in St. Louis region
Imagine a 2010 remake of the movie “The Graduate”.Instead of advising the young grad to pursue a career in “plastics” today’s version would advocate, “operations”.It’s the buzzword for the 21st century and the key to running every successful business. Olin Business School faculty and a group of St. Louis business leaders dedicated to improving operations management have formed a new association to promote innovation, collaboration and performance through operational excellence.
Phoenix mission to Mars will search for climate clues
Raymond E. Arvidson, Ph.D., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the earth and planetary sciences department in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and a number of his student and personnel have major roles in the Phoenix mission to Mars. The space craft lands in the northern plains on May 25, 2008, and Arvidson is a key operations manager during the critical first week of operations. (Video available)
Managing the supply chain
If it is a surprise to Gap Inc. that some of its clothing manufactured in India was made by young children, then the company didn’t do a thorough job investigating the pros and cons of international outsourcing, according to Panos Kouvelis, the Emerson Distinguished Professor of Operations and Manufacturing Management at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.
Low price doesn’t always mean low quality, but it could mean a challenge to high-end products
Low quality threatens the high end.What company wouldn’t attribute its profits to the quality product it produces? The answer might be: the company that competes on price. According to research from Washington University in St. Louis, producers of lower quality products actually have better prospects for gaining market share and improving their bottom line. The findings indicate the Chinese manufacturers could easily gain an edge over American producers. More…
Consortium for Midwest companies forming March 22 at Olin School of Business
Executives will meet March 22 at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education CenterThe John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis will hold a half-day conference on March 22 for executives of large and mid-cap companies interested in partnering with the business school. William Finnie, Interim Director of ExecEdge Corporate Education at the Olin School of Business, said that the business school is forming a consortium of leading Midwest companies to partner with the Olin School in a wide range of areas, including executive education, degree programs, and career development.