Supply management - Articles - Page 20

While Manufacturing Gains Strength in U.S., Remaining Competitive Requires Planning, Investment

August 24, 2012

Manufacturing in the U.S. is growing stronger, but maintaining and strengthening America's competitiveness in the global market will require a tremendous measure of planning, effort and focused financial investment.

Lenovo Sheds IBM Legacy With the Help of ... IBM

August 8, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Recently dubbed the world's second-largest maker of personal computers, Lenovo has adopted a new B2B sourcing solution from IBM for streamlining communications with logistics-management providers and contract manufacturers.

Kmart Australia's Supply Chain Goes Direct to the Source

August 6, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

As part of a program to cut costs and guarantee the lowest prices on the market, the big retailer seeks to boost its reliance on direct sourcing. But the change will require a major overhaul of its IT supply-chain infrastructure for dealing with key suppliers.

Open or Closed Supply Chains: Which Way to Go?

July 23, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Supply chains are just as susceptible to faddish behavior as anything else. We're social animals, so we tend to follow the crowd - especially if we believe that the crowd has a competitive edge. That's why so many companies flocked to China over the last couple of decades, in search of ever-cheaper sources of production. Or why outsourcing became such a hot trend over that same period of time.

Of Zippers, Matzos and Closed Supply Chains

July 16, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

We like the term "supply chain" because it suggests a tightly interlinked series of steps that results in the uninterrupted flow of product from the raw-materials stage all the way to the consumer. But the word "chain" also evokes a burden, and that's how many companies have come to view their operations in recent years. Hence the mania for outsourcing everything from design and manufacturing to logistics.

The Path to Success in Strategic Sourcing

July 16, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Tim Jordan, associate director for supply chain management with MAP Pharmaceuticals, talks about the key elements involved in setting up a strategic sourcing program for global companies.

For Pharma, One Supply Chain Doesn't Fit All

July 2, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Companies dream of one cohesive supply chain that can harmonize information and business processes worldwide. But what if your customers' needs in regional markets are so different as to make that dream impossible?

Use of Managed Service Providers May Help Keep Some Costs Under Control

June 21, 2012

Inside Supply Management

As supply management organizations strive to extend their influence throughout the company and impact the bottom line with ever fewer resources, some are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) to make the best use of their organizations' time and talents. MSPs, sometimes called consolidators, can be used for certain spend categories, such as energy or telecommunications, that traditionally have been difficult for mid-sized procurement organizations to manage effectively.