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| | ==Political Contributions== | | ==Political Contributions== |
| | Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated and its employees generally favor [[Republican]] candidates in terms of campaign contributions. In 2012, 53% of donations from the company (including employees) went to Republican candidates, vs. 47% to Democrats. 100% of major contributions from Wal-Mart [[Pharmacy]] associates went to Republican candidates in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000367&cycle=2012|title=Wal-Mart Stores: Totals|accessdate=2012-12-05|work=Opensecrets.org|publisher=The Center for Responsive Politics}}</ref> | | Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated and its employees generally favor [[Republican]] candidates in terms of campaign contributions. In 2012, 53% of donations from the company (including employees) went to Republican candidates, vs. 47% to Democrats. 100% of major contributions from Wal-Mart [[Pharmacy]] associates went to Republican candidates in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000367&cycle=2012|title=Wal-Mart Stores: Totals|accessdate=2012-12-05|work=Opensecrets.org|publisher=The Center for Responsive Politics}}</ref> |
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| − | =="Kanban" Just in Time: Interdependent Fragility of the Wal-Mart Distribution System==
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| − | The Wal-Mart chains of [[supply]] are lengthy and [[fragile]]. The Wal-Mart model is based on a "[[just in time]] delivery" or "JIT" or "Kanban" as the [[Japanese]] inventors called it in the [[1960s]]<ref>The [[Japan]]ese invented the "[[just in time]] delivery" or "JIT" inventory control system called "kanban" in Japanese.</ref>. The JIT inventory control of the [[retail]] and [[food distribution system]] is both [[interdependent]] and [[fragile]].
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| − | Wal-Mart is proof that we live in a fragile [[society]]. The kanban or "Just In Time" [[inventory]] system was developed in [[Japan]] and became popular in [[America]] starting in the 1970s. It is now ubiquitous in nearly every [[industry]]. The concept is simple: Through close coordination with subcontractors and piece part suppliers, a manufacturer can keep its parts inventory small. Kanban is a key element of lean [[manufacturing]]. Manufacturers order batches of parts only as needed, sometimes ordering as frequently as twice a week. Companies now hire Six Sigma consultants and Kaizen gurus, they buy sophisticated [[computer|data-processing]] systems, and they hire extra purchasing administrators, and these expenses actually save them [[money]] at the bottom line.
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| − | Just In Time inventory systems have several advantages: less [[warehouse]] space, less [[capital]] tied up in parts inventory, and less [[risk]] of parts obsolescence.
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| − | The downside is that lean inventories leave companies vulnerable to any disruption of [[supply]], for instance in the [[food distribution system]] or [[food production system]]. If [[transportation]] ([[UPS]], [[post office]], [[Fedex]], [[truck]]s, [[ship]]s, [[railroad]], and [[airplane]]s) gets snarled due to a [[Labor strike#Trucker Strike|trucker strike]] or bad [[weather]] or a [[disaster]], or if [[communication]]s get disrupted, or a parts vendor has a [[strike]] or a [[production]] problem, then [[assembly line]]s grind to a halt. Just one missing part means that no finished products go out the door.
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| − | The kanban concept has also been taken up by most of [[America]]'s [[retail]]ers (with Wal-Mart leading the way), most notably its grocery sellers.
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| − | ===Threats to the "Wal-Mart" System of Distribution===
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| − | Some examples of [[threat]]s to the Wal-Mart style goods and [[food distribution system]] include:
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| − | * [[Labor strike#Trucker Strike|Trucker strike]]
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| − | * [[Labor union]] [[strike]]
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| − | * Prices of a barrel of [[crude oil]] and hence the price of [[gasoline]] and [[diesel]]
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| − | * [[Man-made disaster]]s such as [[war]] and [[terrorism]]
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| − | * [[Natural disaster]]s such as [[storm]]s, [[tornado]]s, [[hurricane]]s, [[earthquake]]s, etc.
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| | ==Wal-Mart: America's Largest Arms Trader== | | ==Wal-Mart: America's Largest Arms Trader== |