UIS MBA 25

  The Return of Just-in-Time: What Retail’s Comeback Means for Inventory Management and Forecasting In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains and forced retailers to rethink how they manage inventory. Many shifted to stockpiling goods to avoid delays, but now, they’re going back to basics. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, retailers are returning to the just-in-time (JIT) inventory model, a strategy that depends heavily on accurate forecasting and efficient supply chain coordination (Young, 2024). This shift marks a renewed emphasis on inventory management practices, many of which are grounded in concepts taught in business operations courses. Methods like Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and moving average forecasting are once again at the forefront of decision-making, as businesses seek to lower costs while staying responsive to consumer demand. The JIT strategy aims to reduce inventory holding costs by ordering goods only when they’re n...

Why Companies Are Still Spending Big in 2025 — And What It Teaches Us About Smart Investment Decisions   In early 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported something surprising. Even as interest rates stayed high and economic uncertainty loomed, companies like Intel, Amazon, and Caterpillar were pouring billions of dollars into new factories, advanced equipment, and long-term projects. Many people wondered: why spend so much now when the future feels so uncertain?   The answer is simple but powerful—these companies are thinking long term. They’re making smart, calculated capital investment decisions. By focusing on cash flow, opportunity costs, and inflation, they’re betting on future growth. This strategy teaches us important lessons about how businesses should approach big financial choices.   Capital investment decisions, also known as capital budgeting, are about more than just deciding to buy new equipment or build a new facility. They’re about understanding where to s...

  The Importance of Time Value of Money and Discounted Cash Flow in Corporate Bond Markets In the fast-moving world of corporate finance, the ideas of time value of money (TVM) and discounted cash flow (DCF) are essential for understanding how to value investments and make smart decisions. Recent trends in the corporate bond market show exactly how these ideas work in real life. Corporate Bond Issuance and Refinancing Strategies At the start of 2025, corporate borrowers issued a record-setting $83.4 billion in dollar bond sales during just the first week. This was the highest year-to-date total since 1990 (Smith, 2025). Companies like BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Toyota, and Caterpillar rushed to sell bonds. They wanted to lock in low borrowing costs before political changes and possible shifts in Federal Reserve policies could cause market volatility. One reason for the rush was the need to refinance about $850 billion in high-grade debt coming due in 2025, and another $1 trilli...

Ferrari’s Price Hike: Why It’s Still a Power Move If you thought buying a Ferrari was already out of reach, buckle up—because some models are about to get even pricier. In response to a new 25% U.S. auto tariff, Ferrari is raising prices by as much as 10% on some of its cars (Dow Jones & Company, 2025). But here’s the twist: while some models like the SF90 and Roma will cost more, Ferrari is choosing to absorb the extra costs for others. That means they’re not just passing the full price hike on to customers, they’re being super strategic about it. So why does this matter? Well, this move is a perfect example of how luxury brands manage their image. Ferrari isn’t just selling cars, they’re selling a dream, a status symbol, a lifestyle. That’s what makes them a “specialty product” in marketing terms. These are products people go out of their way to buy, often without comparing other options, and they usually come with strong brand loyalty (Prentice Hall, 2009). Even though prices ar...

In today’s fast-changing world, companies need to understand their customers better than ever. One of the most important ways they do this is through m arket segmentation , which means dividing customers into smaller groups based on things like age, location, income, or behavior (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). A recent article from The Wall Street Journal explains how companies are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to make this process even better (Deloitte, 2024). Modern Customer Segmentation: More Dynamic, Personalized (Deloitte, 2024) What’s New About Market Segmentation? In the past, businesses used basic information like age or where people live to figure out what products to sell them. But now, thanks to AI and machine learning, companies can study huge amounts of data quickly. This helps them find patterns and predict what customers will want next, instead of just looking at what they’ve bought before. For example, stores can now use AI to see which customers are likely ...

  Business Ethics and the Fall of Elizabeth Holmes: A Lesson in Doing the Right Thing   Elizabeth Holmes was once seen as a rising star in the tech world. She was the founder of Theranos, a health technology company that claimed it could run hundreds of blood tests with just a few drops of blood. People believed she was going to change the world—and for a while, she seemed unstoppable.   But it was all a lie.   Holmes was recently found guilty of fraud. Her company’s technology didn’t work, but she kept telling investors, patients, and the public that it did. Now, she’s in prison. This story isn’t just about one person’s fall from grace—it’s also a powerful example of what happens when people in business forget about ethics.   Read the full article from BBC News   Why Ethics Matter in Business   Business is supposed to be a way to trade goods and services in a way that helps both sides. As explained in Esprit De Corps , people make deals because they ...