To understand policymaking in China, pay attention to the buzz phrases. The country's favorite economic slogan, "supply-side structural reform," just got its most international exposure so far, at the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou.
After selling 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phablets in just two weeks, Samsung has issued a worldwide recall and temporary hold on sales because of battery overheating issues and danger of explosion. Since two-thirds of those batteries are manufactured by Samsung SDI, a supplier to many of the top brands of portable computing devices, this development could disrupt the supply chain for new devices for the rest of the year. Samsung SDI is one of the suppliers listed by Apple in their 2016 Supplier List, published in February.
While the idea of B2B e-commerce has been around for some time, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to enable their digital selling channels. In fact, companies that are failing to invest in digital channels are quickly finding themselves uncompetitive in today business climate. Buyers have come to expect total omnichannel engagement.
CEOs around the world are eager for digital transformation. Most understand why their companies need to transform, and most have a basic understanding of what must be done. But a fundamental question remains: how do they make it happen?
The Federal Aviation Administration, citing fire hazards, has warned against using Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on aircraft. Three Australian airlines and the German carrier Lufthansa have outright banned their use onboard. But the threat of airliner fires is not limited to Samsung devices, which the company has offered to replace. And the hazard is far more than theoretical.
A lean, agile supply chain network is important in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, but this increased reliance on contractors and their subcontractors brings all kinds of increased risk and with it a heightened responsibility to closely vet and monitor supplier performance and behavior.
California, which now has the most aggressive carbon reduction targets in North America, will impose stricter limits on emissions from factories, power plants and vehicles under legislation signed last week by Gov. Jerry Brown.
An independent study published on Friday suggests ways to significantly improve the health, safety and welfare of workers in the global container port industry.
Over the last few decades, international trade has exploded, driven in large part by tremendous improvements in efficiency and transportation cost reductions related to the containerization of freight. However, success depends on an intricately orchestrated chain of events where the drayage fleets move containers from the shipyards to inland warehouses and from rail yards to consignees across the United States.