Dr. Ed Schweitzer/ Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) Laboratories presentation at the 2024 I-90 Aerospace conference demonstrated a strength of character and values rarely seen in leaders today. He called for a return to the basics of a good solid education, limited government, foundational business systems, and free markets. Dr. Schweitzer [...]
Debra Mervyn- The Mervyn Group April 10, 2024 Thirty years ago, before NAFTA (Reagan, Bush initiated and passed by Clinton administration) began to outsource manufacturing to Mexico. More than twenty years ago, outsourcing kicked into high gear under the Clinton and Bush administrations U.S.-China Trade Agreement. Prior to these [...]
Debra Mervyn- The Mervyn Group March 7, 2024 Recently, shocking quality lapses appeared in multiple industries. Food is being recalled for contaminants. Cars are being recalled for software errors. New electric cars have more to repair than expected—fewer parts, but more complexity. Appliance design life, long known for planned obsolescence [...]
Debra Mervyn/ The Mervyn Group January 18, 2024 As described in our last article, many Elephants (risks and realities) in the Room are facing businesses in 2024. These are obstacles affronting the high-level strategy, mission, goals and objectives the organization intends to achieve. Tactical planning is one of the primary [...]
Will the Department of Defense and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have it both ways? Debra Mervyn, The Mervyn Group February 2024 Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s. Since PFAs do not readily biodegrade hence the nickname "forever chemicals". Never mind, [...]
My last business trip to Portland, Oregon was hard to take. Once a Rosy city (City of Roses) the riots and fires of 2020- 2022 and COVID lock-downs have turned into a bit of Detroit after the riots in 1967. What is happening in Portland now? As of November 2023, [...]
Presentations to the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance and Western Wood Preservers Institute March and June 2023 Debra Mervyn About 10 years ago, one of my clients was having problems with a China supplier quality and delivery. During my tenure at CH2M Hill, I learned of Activity Based Cost Accounting (ABC), developed [...]
Post Pandemic Procurement Article 2: Supplier Qualification and Partnering Presentation- Idaho Manufacturing Alliance- March 2023 Debra Mervyn/ Mervyn Group and Mike Schindele/ Axiom Electronics Introduction This Article (2) is the second in a series (See Article 1 Risk Management) describing the material I presented at the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance Supply [...]
In my previous articles on business role in education, I referenced Larry Martin’s work with the Multiple Engineering Co-op (MECOP) program at Oregon State University. It is still a well-kept secret but shouldn’t be, as K-12 and college education worsens. This article is a brief description of MECOP referencing Larry [...]
The Idaho Manufacturing Alliance hosted a Supply Chain Business Opportunities Conference March 14, 2023, Boise. The conference was well attended with a cross section of large and small businesses and service providers. I was invited to present on “Post Pandemic Procurement” strategies and tactics including risk management, supplier qualification and [...]