The Fine Print Exposed

As Black Friday approaches, let’s take a look at the fine print.  The following article takes a dive into the world of holiday deals.

http://www.cio.com/article/637580/Holiday_Free_Shipping_the_Fine_Print_Exposed?source=rss_news 

Best Buy:  First up is Best Buy.  Did you know that free shipping doesn’t include "laptops, netbooks, iPads, iPods, Dynex TVs, video game consoles, major appliances, compact refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, grills, outdoor furniture, pergolas, fitness equipment, and electric vehicles”?  What else is there to order?

Staples:  It turns out that Staples’ ad on having a camera shipped directly to your door actually means shipping directly to your neighborhood Staples.

Sears and JC Penney’s:  You can get free shipping as long as you have the coupon code, in its entirety.

In conclusion, maybe free shipping isn’t all it’s built up to be. 

The Rise of the Robots

I read an article today about the Kiva Robots.  These “moving orange tortoises . . .scurry around warehouses and bring shelves of clothing, electronics, car parts—whatever a retailer sells—to specialized workspaces called packing stations”.  From there humans pack up the items and put them into trucks. These robots actually seem smarter than humans.  In their spare time, they will reorganize inventory based on work flow placing more high demand items in easier to reach places and lower demand items deeper in the back shelves.

As we saw at our site visit to Associated Grocers, the warehouse process can be incredibly efficient.  I wonder what it would be like if the robots took over there.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_47/b4204047877696.htm  

Today's Panel

The speakers in today’s panel were very interesting.  It somehow always amazes me when I hear them use terms straight from class. 

I believe it was with the outsourcing to Chili example that brought up something that interested me.  How do you encourage your IT staff that outsourcing is better for the company when they feel they can handle the project themselves?  Looking at Porter’s 5 forces, how do you make your IT staff feel like they have value when you are passing off projects to outside companies?  I think a lot of this plays on the article, “Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn’t Make.”  While your IT staff should not make the final decision on when to outsource, sometimes it is best to hear their side or include them in the decision.  This may allow them to realize for themselves that someone else can do the job better.

It can be a sticky situation, but the firm must rely on their core competencies.