Global Supply Chain Management

Here Are Several Reasons Why You're Not Implementing Your CRM System Effectively

April 26, 2012

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.

Drug Counterfeiting Is Not Just a Third-World Problem

April 26, 2012

Manufacturing Business Technology

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.

Times Article Spurs Wal-Mart to Look Into Allegations of Bribery by Its Executives in Mexico

April 25, 2012

Business Week

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.

Rumors of Best Buy's Imminent Demise May Be Highly Exaggerated

April 25, 2012

RIS News

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.

The Evidence Is In: Continuous Improvement Programs Pay Off

April 25, 2012

Industry Week

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.

When in Doubt, Get a Consultant to Help You Make the Right Technology Choice

April 25, 2012

Technology Evaluation Centers

Buying a large enterprise software system is not something that many organizations do on a regular basis. While software vendors are constantly hyping the benefits of their particular system, buyers do not necessarily have the background needed to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Can Manufacturers Determine Retail Pricing on Imported Products?

April 24, 2012

Storefront Backtalk

Buy low, sell high. Pretty simple. But a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court tests whether manufacturers can prevent retailers from buying their products for the lowest price simply by, for example, printing the labels for the products outside the United States.

Five Keys to Better Project Implementations

April 24, 2012

Gerry Jeffs, Director, Project Mgt & Implementation Svcs, APL Logistics

It's often been said that "no one sets out to make a bad movie." But each year, even some of the world's most talented filmmakers succeed in doing just that. In much the same way, no one aims to pull off a less-than-perfect logistics start-up or transition; yet such "failures" happen all the time, even to companies with the best of supply chains and noblest of project management intentions.

You Can't Be Successful in China Without an Online Presence

April 24, 2012

Boston Consulting Group

In the past two years, Chinese consumers have opened their wallets and pocketbooks online. Online buying and selling, including group purchasing (through the Chinese equivalents of Groupon), is the second-fastest-growing activity, after microblogging.

Is International Business Expansion Worth It? For Most, Yes, Indeed.

April 24, 2012

Chief Executive

With sluggish U.S. growth, international business expansion has become a vital strategic pillar for many companies. Yet, an international expansion strategy is fraught with uncertainties, risks and other obstacles. So is it worth it? That is, are companies that grow faster internationally rewarded by investors with better share price appreciation such that the risks are worth taking?