Manufacturers are airlifting Beanie Babies to get around supply chain logjams

[boingboing]

Originally published at: Manufacturers are airlifting Beanie Babies to get around supply chain logjams | Boing Boing

…

[gracchus]

“Math Beanie Babies” (i.e. Bitcoin) generate carbon emissions for no good reason, so why not regular Beanie Babies too.

Seriously, rather than question the fragility of the JIT supply chain system this is the short-sightedresponse. It’s MBA Myopia in practise.

[Papasan]

@gracchus

It’s MBA Myopia in practise.

Roger That

[Elmer]

@boingboing

To get out of using slow boats, the Beanie Babies manufacturer is booking cargo planes to get the plush toys to the States.

Thank God.

[HMSGoose]

Weird that they all of a sudden have all this cash on hand for airlifts, when they just seemed just so out of options when it came to updating their factory floors and workspaces for safety, or offering their workers additional benefits and protections.

[Mindysan33]

So it’s the stupid berlin airlift?

[generic_name]

I’m picturing people stuck on a desert island or in a remote desert, and a flies in to plane drop supplies, and they open them up to find nothing but Beanie Babies.

[atteSmythe]

@gracchus

Seriously, rather than question the fragility of the JIT supply chain system this is the short-sightedresponse. It’s MBA Myopia in practise.

I like that I consistently see this referenced this way. IMO, the difference between what we call “JIT” and the Toyota Production System that it’s based on is that the TPS is a fully integrated solution that works as well in restricted supply chains as it does under normal conditions. I’m glad not to see Lean and JIT lumped together.

But, Toyota is also shut down due to chip shortages! They are. My understanding is that they grew complacent and failed to put the same safeguards in place with the semiconductors they use as with other types of components. I expect them to correct that moving forward. I can’t find the article I read, but my understanding is that the BOD has been asking tough questions about why Toyota’s own production system guidelines were not followed in semiconductor specification and procurement. I anticipate some interesting developments in this area in the next 5-10 years.

To your point: slashing inventory without guaranteeing supply is a large part of how we got here. The labor shortages in transportation and what I understand to be very poor and lopsided economics of trade ports further complicate things.

[GilbertWham]

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

[Mister44]

Man, you guys wouldn’t think this was so stupid if your kid was asking for a specific Beanie Boo for Christmas (Look at these adorable eyes and tell them “no”.)

[howaboutthis]

[Narwalt]

I didn’t even know Beanie Babies were still, like, a thing.

I knew the company still made plush, sure, but I thought it just shrunk in stature after *shudder* Beanie Baby Mania, to be just another stuffie company.

[LurkingGrue]

I can’t wait for them to sell NFT’s.

[GagHalfrunt]

Beanie Baby math Beanie Babies?

[LurkingGrue]

I’m sure they could tie it to their tags. Did you know NeoPets tried to go NFT?

[Narwalt]

Better yet, they should sell unique pieces of paper with the physical location of a Beanie Baby on it.

You won’t own the actual Beanie Baby at that physical location, though, and if it ever moves from it, you’re screwed. But you and only you, unless you sell it, will have the rights to that document with that Beanie Baby’s location on it.