Monthly Archives: October 2014

One of the greatest sources of revenue that powers British Columbia’s economy is the extraction of metals from the vast reserves scattered throughout the province. However in recent years, as a result of expansion, companies have begun to encroach on lands in close proximity to reserves and cultural landmarks.

In the context of the New Prosperity mine, first nations members have banded together in an effort to conserve the land by declaring a large section of the Chilcotin as a tribal park. This would place restrictions instituted by the government on the extraction of resources and the level of industrialization that could occur in the park, which could potentially cripple the 1.1 billion dollar mining project. In a separate campaign located in BC, members of the Secwepemc nation have blockaded a road to gold mine Red Chris, preventing further development and garnering media attention.

These events, among others, have highlighted the social and political limitations that could hamper the economic growth of the mining industry in BC. As a result, fewer firm are willing to make substantial investments into developing in an area that is constantly under pressure from conservationists and First Nations groups. The constant external threats to mining operations have begun forcing firm to look to other parts of the world, taking with them valuable jobs and capital.

Sources:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html

Image from: http://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bc-mine.jpg

Within the aviation industry, Boeing and Airbus continue to dominate the market as the two largest producers of planes in the world. In the face of growing demand for air travel, both firms have increased their dependancy on outsourcing. Currently, Boeing and Airbus combined have an order backlog of over 10,000 planes valued at close to a trillion dollars. However with the forecast of output increasing by a quarter in the next ten years, increasing pressure has been placed on the supply chain manufacturers to keep up with increasing demand while maintaining the quality of their products. With the growing importance of operations in the aerospace market, suppliers have worked to consolidate the supply chain, with larger manufacturers subsuming smaller firms whom would have struggled if they were left financially independent. With only two main players in such a large market, one of the most important factors becomes specialization and efficiency, as there is a heavy reliance on external firms to produce much of the final product. With the continued demand, the power of external suppliers grows and as a result shrinks the margins for Boeing and Airbus. With no foreseeable change in supply chain structure, operations could be seen as the key to maintaining steady profitable growth.

Sources:

http://www.economist.com/news/business/21621851-fixing-one-supply-chain-problem-planemakers-may-be-creating-another-good-parts

http://www.freudenberg.com/en/Press/Pressereleases/Pages/Auftrieb-für-den-Airbus-A350

Image from: http://www.pageresource.com/wallpapers/wallpaper/clouds-sky-dreamline-planes-plane_140814.jpg

Response to the blog written by Kevin Kreigbaum titled ““Can blackberry achieve relevance with it’s new Passport?” Which can be found at https://blogs.ubc.ca/kriegbaum/

In the latest lecture we discussed brand positioning in relation to a companies success within the market, and with the entry of its newest product, blackberry looks to find a foothold in the industry it once dominated. However after having fallen down the “ladder” in the eyes of mass-market consumers, blackberry has repositioned its brand to appeal to “power professionals”. Having at one point a third of the market share in the US alone, Blackberry’s shift to the niche market allows it to gain traction in an increasingly saturated market that demands constant innovation by producers. By rebranding itself as a phone for professionals, blackberry repositions and realigns itself with the core values that made the company successful in the first place. Branching off into a separate sector of mobile users offers the ability for blackberry to focus more heavily on the aspects that business professionals need as opposed to playing a balancing act in an attempt to please a wider consumer base.

Sources:

http://www.cnet.com/news/blackberry-hopes-love-it-or-hate-it-passport-earns-it-a-second-chance/

BlackBerry Unveils A Gigantic New Square Phone Called The BlackBerry Passport

https://blogs.ubc.ca/kriegbaum/

Image from: http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2014/06/30/448444-new-blackberry-passport-a-tablet-with-qwerty-keyboard-killer-specifica.jpg