On a show yesterday we had a speaker from a very large (the largest maybe) consumer electronics manufacturer. The show was for a producer of Supply Chain Management software which as far as I can figure out, controls the flow of goods from raw materials to, in this case, the shelves at Best Buy and the like. The speaker was noting how this software had revolutionized their ability to predict changing market conditions and ensure the right products arrive at the right stores in time. He was particularly interested in the flow of Plasma TV's which apparently were the hottest big-ticket items this Christmas. Claiming that California, Texas and Florida were the biggest markets for these TV's he noted wryly that "Florida's demand for hi-tech consumer goods peaks & troughs with the success (or lack thereof) of the drug trade!"
Now he didn't actually claim that they were using the software to predict such market conditions. However, it certainly demonstrated how ridiculous our "War On Drugs" has become when major manufacturers are factoring the narcotics trade into their supply chains! It begs the question, how many other industries are doing the same?
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