One could imagine European bankers emitting a collective sigh of relief over the latest election results in Greece, whose citizens last week gave a narrow edge to the conservative New Democracy party. In the process, they ratified the controversial $220bn bailout plan that is intended to keep Greece in the eurozone and avert economic disaster throughout the European Union.
You've seen it in movies, and possibly in real life as well. A desperate gambler, down to his last chance, stakes everything he has on one play. And while the scene makes for great drama, it rarely goes well. The lesson: never bet the store.
The maker of sophisticated medical equipment had reached a "plateau" in its efforts to boost customer service and optimize costly inventory within its global operation. Then it found a way to climb higher.
Each disruption in global supply chains seems to bring a new surprise. On March 31 of this year, it was an explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Marl, Germany. The incident at the factory of Evonik Industries resulted in the deaths of two workers and caused damage that will take all summer to repair.
Proforma IdeaPress has managed to remain competitive in the market for printed promotional items, even though its plants are in the U.S. and customer requirements can be extremely complex. Company co-owner Pratt Pande tells how it's done.
Once a new technology tool becomes embedded in the business world, one tends to forget the doubt and confusion that marked its debut. As anyone over the age of 30 will recall, companies once debated the value of having websites. Early users of the internet were actively hostile to the notion of a network that was created for the defense and academic communities being co-opted by the commercial sector. Now, of course, any business that isn't on the internet is either utterly clueless or not serious about being a success. Yet we seem to be having the same debate all over again, this time centering on the proper role of social media.