The world of consumer electronics is a rapidly evolving marketplace, one where manufacturers have to deal with product price erosion and the challenges that come with selling into many layered vertical markets.

The life of a product and part does not have to end when failure occurs, according to a new Aberdeen report entitled Best Practices in Return, Refurbishment and Repair 2012.

The past 15 years have created a very different business environment, which has empowered consumers, commoditized many products and services, and dramatically compressed margins. Not surprisingly, these changes have forced businesses to operate differently. But exactly what kinds of companies have successfully transitioned to the digital age?

Ryder System Inc. has launched a new military-recruiting website, to help veterans match their skills with open positions at the provider of commercial transportation and supply-chain management services.

A recent S&P credit-rating report on the end-of-life of the U.S. merchant marine fleet over the next few years read more like an obituary than a financial analysis: "Weak credit quality, challenging capital market conditions and reduced access to government-guaranteed loans could spell doom for many U.S. shipowners," said S&P analyst Funmi Afonja.

Virtually every sales person today uses some kind of system for customer relationship management - whether it's a sophisticated, company-wide, cloud-based CRM platform, a simple file system with personal notes, or even their Blackberry with all contacts at their fingertips.

According to Interpol, the return on investment for counterfeiting pharmaceuticals can be over 20 times more than the return on dealing illegal drugs. In addition to making more money, counterfeiters usually face relatively lower penalties if caught.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s probe of possible bribery in Mexico may prompt executive departures and steep U.S. government fines if it reveals senior managers knew about the payments and didn't take strong enough action, corporate governance experts said.

Best Buy is viewed by many analysts as being in a desperate fight for its life. In previous years its stellar financial results were strongly fueled by the collapse of such competitors as PC America and Circuit city. But now Best Buy is the last man standing and its survival is entirely dependent on its own efforts to respond to marketplace shifts.

If you're a CEO who thinks lean and Six Sigma can be left to the plant manager or a continuous-improvement (CI) specialist simply to improve factory operations, think again.