some relief is in order
Re: "are we missing something here?" Outbound (March 2008)
Mitch Mac Donald's idea [to funnel money from the economic stimulus package into badly needed road and bridge repairs] would indeed create employment for a select part of the economy— engineers and laborers, among others—but at the same time, would rely on a trickle-down effect to stimulate the entire economy.
When I studied economics, the "bubble" was made up of 70 percent consumer spending, not 70 percent road repair.
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of factors that go into that consumer spending, including the largest, consumer confidence. But at a time when a great deal of consumer savings is actually not zero but negative, I can't fault the government— which taxes me on my check and then further taxes me on gas and other everyday items after I've already been taxed on the initial check—for thinking that some relief might be in order.
Joe G. Kushner, Technical Systems Analyst - Distribution, Federal Mogul
simple and to the point
I just finished reading your story "destination: Europe" (March 2008). It is written in a wonderful manner—especially the intro. It entices a reader from the word go and leads one till the end.
The 3PL concept is explained very simply for readers, and Professor Langley's quote substantiates and sums up your point very well.
Keep writing and sharing good concepts with readers like me.
Kulwinder Singh, Head - Global Marketing and Communications, Satyam BPO Ltd.
let's get real about RFID
Re: "the future is now
All of these benefits are available today without RFID! Retailers already have POS [point-of-sale] systems that tell them what items are moving off the shelves. Why are these systems not linked with an auto-replenishment program to guide the restocking of their shelves based on actual sales? This would be an easy program to create, and RFID is not necessary.
I believe RFID is an expensive technology that is trying to make a case for itself, especially for item-level tracking. Affixing an RFID tag on a jar of baby food makes absolutely no sense at all. Is there a place for RFID? You bet. Placing that same tag on prescription drugs or expensive electronic components makes a lot of sense.
I'm not against the technology—I'm just for common sense. This includes not forcing suppliers into a situation where they have to invest in technology they receive little or no benefit from. This only leads to increased prices to us consumers for someone's dream of having their entire DC running on RFID. Once the major retailers guarantee me a 10-percent decrease in my costs as a consumer due to the much-heralded benefits of RFID, sign me up.
Matthew H. Booher, Sparks, Nev.
