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On November 20, 2016, TPA commented on WAIT A MINUTE, I WILL PRINT… YOUR EAR :

I find this post really interesting Iryna. As Nelly-Ange mentions in her comment, the possible uses are really diverse and have a positive impact on the healthcare industry overall. Having said this, I am curious as to how this could affect the normal procedure and operations of hospitals that would use this technology. Assuming that the process gets FDA approval and is easily adopted by customers, it would be interesting to see how the supply and demand develop and how production responds to the demand. My guess would be that it would have to be an on-demand production process, but maybe there would be ways to have “stocks” of organs for urgent use? Would people be able to order “security organs” just to be safe? And hence, how would this affect the traditional transplant procedures? I really hope we see this technology develop further, so it can be applied in a way that saves as many lives as possible.

On November 20, 2016, TPA commented on If the couch don’t fit, you don’t have to commit :

Really interesting post Mike! Given that this year was the first time that I had to buy furniture, I would have really appreciated the options that Wayfair is developing. Having said that, I find it really risky to invest heavily on an option that requires customers to have a VR headset, as it would imply a big barrier until the technology is accessible enough, which seems to still be far away. In addition, I would worry that going forward the cost related to the inclusion of each product into the virtual library may be too high, and hence economically unviable. Perhaps, the company could focus on the short term in improving the WayfairView App, and make it a central part of their business and operations.

On November 20, 2016, TPA commented on The answer is YES! Welcome to HB..X? :

Thank you for your post Angelica, it was really interesting! Although I agree with the previous comments in that I do not believe that the overall MBA experience could be replaced by this technology due to the importance of relationship building on-site, I consider the advances made really interesting for other uses. As Andres says, I believe this should technology should also be used to provide access to good education in places where it is now limited if not non-existent.
That being said, technology in education is increasingly a reality and I believe it will be important to understand both its strengths, but also its weaknesses. Is the technology needed to be part of this online classroom readily available to the people that need it? Will HBX be able to face the different technological issues that may arise? And finally, will HBX start competing in recruiting with other schools in Harvard?

Hi Eric, thank you for the fun post! As a big Disney fan I really enjoyed reading through it. I have not been to the parks since MyMagic was launched, but I have one main concern regarding operations with this new technology. Given that usually lines are an issue on the most popular rides, how can this platform solve for utilization in rides that are not as popular? I am having a hard time really understanding how could they “shift crowds from long lines to shorter lines elsewhere in the park” as you mention. Although they could motivate people to go to other rides, I am not convinced that the shift would be sufficient to reduce lines significantly. This being said, I think this platform is a step in the right direction. The data usage you suggest is what I believe will be key to the future of the operations, as they will be able to further understand consumer behaviors and adjust accordingly.

On November 20, 2016, TPA commented on Garmin: Lost in an Interconnected World :

Thank you for the post Michael, I find it really interesting as I use Garmin when running, and although I find their lack of interconnectedness a big issue, I still consider the to be a superior alternative due to their accuracy. Although I have seen how other products have gained traction in the market, particularly Fitbit as you mention in the post, I am curious if this is just a trend or if they will have a sustainable business model.
Furthermore, I agree with your proposal to focus on aviation and marine navigation. Although I believe their strengths would allow them to be successful in this areas, it appears as though the company may have to have a shift in culture, where it includes more of the consumers’ lifestyle into product development and R&D.

I find the article and the comments really interesting as they clearly define the fishing industry in Peru as a reactive more than a proactive industry. As it was clearly shown, all measures taken seek sustainability in the future but, in most part, do not address the fact that the change has already affected the industry and will probably do so in the future. I find Mike’s comments particularly interesting as it addresses the possibility of an opportunity from this situation. With this in consideration, I believe that research and development have to be a key part of the industry’s operation model, constantly trying to understand the effects of climate change on marine life and the possibilities the changes could entail for the fishing industries. Considering Peruvian anchovy is mainly used for the production of fish oil and fish flour, which is in turn used for agriculture, it would be interesting to study other species as a possible replacement or complement to anchovies.

Interesting article! What I find most interesting, and related to the previous comment, is the fact that Harley Davidson and BMW have already launched electric motorcycles in their market. I would perhaps argue that the lack of awareness created may be due to the fact that most BMW or HD consumers are people who do not necessarily use them for transport, but more of a social activity or as a hobby? If this were the case, couldn’t Yamaha position itself by providing electric motorcycles for the general day-to-day person who uses motorcycles as their main means of transport? To this end, the values that the brand would need to address would be different, and their efforts may have to be focused on developing technology that could address issues that this particular market could value, for example cost efficiency.

On November 6, 2016, TPA commented on It’s Time to Whine about the Future of Wine :

Although I believe that the NVVA is aiming in the right direction, I am not certain they feel the real pressure about the effects that climate change can have on this industry. The importance of research and further understanding of the effects of climate change could be key in making decisions of actions that could be taken today to mitigate future challenges. Considering Philip’s and Levi’s comments, couldn’t the NVVA take advantage of that “enthusiasm” and growth in tourism to generate more awareness and fund further research? Stress tests in different geographies around the globe could provide good parallels to the temperatures Napa could have in the future, and hence could help in defining possible actions to be taken.

On November 6, 2016, TPA commented on Levi’s, Cotton, and Climate Change :

Interesting article Rob! As you clearly state, climate change has a strong impact on textile manufacturing due to its reliance on different natural resources, in this case water. Reading Levi’s options, I find it interesting that they are not considering some kind of vertical integration towards cotton suppliers, but rather pushing the risk towards them. I find this very surprising, as pushing the risk could, in some cases, lead to suppliers being unable to manage their business profitably and hence to a shortage on suppliers and cotton which would further increase prices. Considering this point, investing in researching new water irrigation technologies that could help in volatility reduction could help Levi’s approach their dependence on water availability and further secure a constant supply of their primary input.

On November 6, 2016, TPA commented on Cruising to the Arctic? That’s Ironic… :

Really interesting article! I believe you have done a great job in explaining the tensions inherent to the new business opportunities for the cruise industry. Although I agree with the fact that Crystal should invest time and money to find ways in which to add value to the Arctic, are there no ways to leverage the coverage gained by the trip as a way to create awareness? I would argue that as long as they plan to continue to offer this new route, they should be partnering with researchers and NGOs in order to provide their facilities as a platform from which people could further understand the effect climate change has on this most vulnerable area. To my understanding, access to the Arctic is still difficult and expensive, so being the facilitator could better position them as a sustainable company although their own operations would have to be adapted in some degree to the needs of the partners they would choose.