The National Council of Chain Restaurants is urging repeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), claiming it is disastrously costly for the restaurant industry, commodity prices and the food supply chain. The lobbying group released a 32-page report, which can be read in its entirety at http://www.NCCR.net.
In today's rapidly changing market, companies are increasingly competing on the efficiency, effectiveness and agility of their supply chains. Much has been written about the agility of Apple's supply chain - a recent article in The New York Times highlighted this when they described how Apple switched from plastic to glass screen six weeks before the launch - and in that time-frame they had to find a new supplier, perfect the fabrication of samples, and get to production-level volume. In a recent Gartner survey Apple was at the top of the list in key metrics, including inventory turns (Samsung's inventory turn was 17.1, while Apple's was 74.1).
China is transforming itself from a source of low-cost manufacturing for western consumers to a potentially huge market for domestic production. Ron Tarter, senior vice president and general manager of Flextronics, discusses how his company and others are adjusting to the shift.