In emerging markets, regulations impacting trade and business differ greatly from country to country and changes constantly occur with little or no notice, says Mark Millar, managing partner at M Power Associates, Hong Kong. Because of this, trade compliance is an increasingly important issue for companies doing business in these economies.
There was a bit of good economic news last week, with the announcement that U.S. retail sales rose 0.8 percent in July. That was the biggest gain since February, and well above the 0.3 percent that economists had predicted. So is the economy finally recovering?
The ability of the largest U.S. companies to collect from customers and manage inventory improved just slightly in 2011, while payables performance worsened, according to the 14th annual working capital survey from REL Consulting, a division of The Hackett Group and CFO Magazine.
Jim Crowell, director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas, demonstrates why on-shelf availability is a critical metric for retailers.
As with a marriage, the success of 3PL partnership is largely determined before the union is sealed, says Harry Drajpuch, CEO of Weber Logistics. Clarity about mutual expectations and the nature of the relationship, whether tactical or strategic, are issues that need to be thrashed out well in advance of any commitments.
Newgistics Inc., a vendor of small-parcel delivery, returns-management and freight-shipping services, has acquired AtLast Fulfillment, a Colorado-based provider of fulfillment and warehousing services.
Anyone in the business of manufacturing automobiles, trucks and automotive components back in the tumultuous years of 2008 and 2009 might be tempted to put their metaphorical transmission into neutral, reveling just a little bit in the success that surrounds an industry that is experiencing something akin to a rebirth. But as sweet as that might seem in the short term, there are significant challenges facing automotive suppliers despite the improving production outlook.
After demonstrating significant success with lean manufacturing, Johnson & Johnson decided to apply lean principles for reducing waste to its supply chain.