1. FLATTENER #1: 11/9/89 THE COLD WAR (1945-1991): -A CONTINUING STATE OF POLITICAL CONFLICT, MILITARY TENSION, & ECONOMIC COMPETITION BETWEEN THE EASTERN BLOC EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (RUSSIA) & THE WESTERN WORLD (AMERICA). -THE COLD WAR WAS A STRUGGLE BETWEEN 2 ECONOMIES: CAPITALISM & COMMUNISM. BERLIN WALL (1961-1989): -AFTER WWII GERMANY WAS DIVIDED INTO 4 OCCUPATION ZONES. -BERLIN BECAME THE CENTER OF GERMANY. -THE WALL BECAME THE SYMBOL OF THE IRON CURTAIN BETWEEN WESTERN EUROPE (NON-COMMUNIST) & THE EASTERN BLOC (COMMUNIST).
2.
3. THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL -THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL SYMBOLIZED THE END OF THE COLD WAR. -IT TIPPED THE BALANCE OF POWER ACROSS THE WORLD TOWARD THOSE ADVOCATING DEMOCRATIC, CONSENSUAL, FREE-MARKET-ORIENTED GOVERNANCE, & AWAY FROM THOSE ADVOCATING AUTHORITARIAN RULE WITH CENTRALLY PLANNED ECONOMIES. -CAPITALISM BEAT COMMUNISM & AS A RESULT MORE ECONOMIES WOULD BE GOVERNED FROM THE GROUND UP, BY THE INTERESTS, DEMANDS, & ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE, RATHER THAN FROM THE TOP DOWN, BY THE INTERESTS OF SOME NARROW RULING FACTION.
4. FLATTENER #2: 8/9/95 -THE NETSCAPE WEB BROWSER LAUNCHED PUBLICLY ON 8/9/95 & THE WORLD HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE. -IT POPULARIZED THE INTERNET & THE WEB AS TOOLS OF BOTH CONNECTIVITY & COMMERCE. -THE INTERNET BECAME ACCESSIBLE TO TO EVERYONE FROM 5-YEAR-OLDS TO 95-YEAR-OLDS. -15 DAYS AFTER NETSCAPE WENT PUBLIC WINDOWS 95 LAUNCHED & BECAME THE OPERATING SYSTEM USED BY THE MOST PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.
5. FLATTENER #3: WORK FLOW SOFTWARE -THE ABILITY OF MACHINES TO “TALK” TO OTHER MACHINES WITH NO HUMAN INVOLVEMENT. -THIS LED TO AN EMERGENCE OF SOFTWARE PROTOCOLS -SMTP: SIMPLE MAIL TRANSFER PROTOCOL (E-MAIL) -HTML: THE LANGUAGE THAT ENABLED ANYONE TO DESIGN & PUBLISH DOCUMENTS THAT COULD BE TRANSMITTED TO & READ ON ANY COMPUTER ANYWHERE. -THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH AS A RESULT OF THIS FLATTENER WAS THE COMBINATION OF THE PC & E-MAIL.
6. FLATTENER #4: UPLOADING -BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY FORMS OF COLLABORATION IN THE FLAT WORLD. -EXAMPLES: -BLOGS -WIKIPEDIA -“THE MOST DISRUPTIVE FORCE OF ALL” The Absent Minded Professor This blog will be a daily online journal for class. I will post notes about what we discussed in class, what we will be doing in the next class, and reminders of upcoming assignments. There is an old Chinese proverb that says: "Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself." This blog follows this proverb. It is my job to keep it updated daily; it is your job to follow through on the updates.
7. FLATTENER #5: OUTSOURCING - SUBCONTRACTING A BUSINESS PROCESS TO THE CHEAPEST, SMARTEST, MOST PROFICIENT PROVIDER WITH EXPERTISE IN THE PROCESS. -HAS ALLOWED COMPANIES TO SPLIT SERVICE & MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES INTO COMPONENTS. -EACH COMPONENT PERFORMED IN THE MOST EFFICIENT, COST-EFFECTIVE WAY.
8. FLATTENER #6: OFFSHORING -THE RELOCATION OF PRODUCTION, SERVICES, OR OTHER BUSINESS PRACTICES TO ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT OFFERS BETTER COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES (CHEAPTER LABOR, LOWER TAXES & FEWER REGULATIONS). 1) PRODUCT OFFSHORING: -RELOCATION OF PHYSICAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES TO LOWER-COST DESTINATION (MANUFACTURING). 2) SERVICES OFFSHORING: -SHIFT PRODUCTION OF SERVICE TO LOW COST COUNTRIES (CUSTOMER SERVICE). CONCERNS: -DISPLACED DOMESTIC WORKERS -LEVEL OF SERVICE
9. FLATTENER #7: SUPPLY CHAINING -A SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION, PEOPLE, ACTIVITIES, INFORMATION & RESOURCES INVOLVED IN MOVING A PRODUCT/SERVICE FROM SUPPLIER TO RETAILER TO CUSTOMER. -WAL-MART’S ABILITY TO MOVE 2.3 BILLION GENERAL MERCHANDISE CARTONS A YEAR GLOBALLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT EXAMPLE.
10. FLATTENER #8: INSOURCING -OPPOSITE OF OUTSOURCING. -THE DELEGATION OF OPERATIONS OR JOBS FROM PRODUCTION WITHIN A BUSINESS TO AN INTERNAL ENTITY THAT SPECIALIZES IN THAT OPERATION. -USED TO REDUCE COSTS, TAXES, LABOR, & TRANSPORTATION. -EXAMPLE: -TOSHIBA HAS CONTRACTED WITH UPS TO FUNCTION AS ITS REPAIR & MAINTENANCE OPERATION. -UPS EMPLOYEES USE UPS FACILITIES TO REPAIR TOSHIBA COMPUTERS FOR TOSHBA CUSTOMERS.
11. FLATTENER #9: IN-FORMING -ALLOWS PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO RESEARCH ANYTHING OR ANYONE ALL ON THEIR OWN. -ALLOWS PRODUCTS TO INSTEAD OF BEING PUSHED ON CONSUMERS BY COMPANIES TO BE PULLED ON CONSUMERS BY CONSUMERS THROUGH RESEARCH. -EXAMPLES (SEARCH ENGINES): -YAHOO, GOOGLE, MSN SEARCH
12. FLATTENER #10: THE STEROIDS -FRIEDMAN IDENTIFIES FOUR 21ST CENTURY FACTORS THAT AMPLIFY & TURBOCHARGE EACH OF THE 9 OTHER FLATTENERS. 1) DIGITAL -CONVERTING ANALOG DATA INTO DIGITIZED DATA (COMMUNICATION, PHOTOGRAPHY, ENTERTAINMENT) & CAN THEREFORE BE SHAPED, MANIPULATED, & TRANSMITTED OVER COMPUTERS, INTERNET, SATELLITES. 2) VIRTUAL -THE ABOVE CAN BE DONE AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS. 3) MOBILE -THANKS TO WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY THE ABOVE CAN BE DONE BY ANYWHERE. 4) PERSONAL -THE ABOVE CAN BE DONE BY YOU, FOR YOU, ON YOUR OWN DEVICE.
