Inventory is evil. Inventory is essential. The two statements aren't necessarily contradictory. Not if companies can figure out a way to determine the absolute minimum amount of stock needed to keep customers happy, while maintaining a tight lid on costs.
Inttra, a global, multi-carrier shipping network for ocean freight, is now offering its shipper members access to cargo insurance from Lloyd's of London broker FP Marine Risks.
Perry Santia, senior vice president of Genpact, provides the "big picture" of how high-tech supply chains are coping with the challenges of serving customers today.
There is only so much that a single organization is going to be able to achieve to improve the impact it has on the environment or society, without collaborating with the wider aspects of its supply chain.
HP has published a list of the 195 smelters that have been identified within its supply chain. The move is designed to achieve a conflict-free supply chain for itself and to encourage the entire industry to move toward greater utilization of conflict-free smelters and refiners.
IBM announced a new predictive analytics solution to help enterprises identify and root out problems that could lead to asset failure. These new business consulting services and software are aimed at helping decision makers predict and prevent damaging supply-chain disruptions.
The cost of Somali piracy to the global economy has declined by 12.5 percent since 2011 as attacks fell sharply, a survey showed, but the cost of armed guards to protect ships soared. The annual report by the Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group estimated the cost of piracy at $5.7bn to 6.1bn in 2012.
The National Retail Federation estimates that nearly $9bn was lost by merchants in returns fraud in 2012. And according to a report from ThreatMetrix, online fraud resulted in about $3.5bn in lost revenue in North America last year.
A British supermarket chain has recalled a beef product after traces of the powerful veterinary drug phenylbutazone, which is banned from the human food chain, were found for the first time in an item that had been on sale in stores here.
