A whopping 94 percent of B2B purchasers surveyed in the 2012 hybris State of B2B E-Commerce study said suppliers need to create an online buying experience as simple as using a B2C website.
The reshoring of manufactured goods from Asia to North America is bound to take some import business away from U.S. ports. But there are other developing threats to the continued dominance of gateways like Los Angeles-Long Beach - specifically, a couple of upstarts to the north and south.
A survey that examines manufacturer and consumer perceptions about how products are made, sold, bought and consumed reveals a focus on quality, supply chains that are more transparent than ever but a decline in overall optimism, according to Underwriters Laboratories.
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.
When many doubted needed HIV/AIDS commodities could be delivered timely and qualitatively to hard-to-reach areas of Africa, an innovative approach to healthcare logistics proved them wrong.
Over the last two decades, businesses have worked feverishly to optimize their physical supply chains. Virtually every discussion about improving the supply chain has been centered on the physical movement of goods - the flow of products from raw materials to consumption. However, a growing number of companies are now taking a similar interest in optimizing the flow and management of the information related to these products.
When many doubted needed HIV/AIDS commodities could be delivered timely and qualitatively to hard-to-reach areas of Africa, an innovative approach to healthcare logistics proved them wrong.
The shift by manufacturers from offshore locations in Asia back to the U.S., Mexico and other parts of the western hemisphere is more than anecdotal, says David Kilzer, senior vice president of supply chain solutions with Idhasoft. He outlines the factors that are causing companies to rethink their supply networks.