Global Supply Chain Management

Locating Airbus Plant in Alabama Could Lead to Dogfight with Boeing

July 3, 2012

EADS, the parent company of jet maker Airbus, has upped the ante in its long-running blood feud with Boeing, setting the stage for a messy battle between the two aerospace giants. According to a person with knowledge of the matter, the European conglomerate is set to announce the construction of a new manufacturing facility for its Airbus aircraft in the heart of Dixie - Mobile, Alabama.

Millennials' Grocery Consumption Patterns to Vastly Affect Food, Beverage Industry, Study Finds

July 3, 2012

AlixPartners

The confluence of changing demographics, economic factors and customer preferences has the potential to create a long-term disruption across the food-industry value chain that transforms where and how consumers shop for groceries as well as what products they choose.

Monte Carlo Simulation Means Quantifying Logistics Risks Doesn't Have to Be a Gamble

July 3, 2012

Fernando Hernandez, Consultant, Palisade Corporation

The expansion of global supply chains has meant an exponential growth of the risk of disruptions to those networks. Catastrophic events, such as the Japanese earthquake and Hurricane Katrina, have highlighted the need for analysis of disruption risk and development of mitigation plans to cope with them. In addition, trends such as globalization, heavy reliance on transportation and communication infrastructures, and lean manufacturing have led to an increase in the vulnerability of supply networks. Furthermore, nodes on supply chains are very often interrelated, causing these vulnerabilities to propagate rapidly.

Where Warehousing and Distribution Are Going

July 3, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Among the ways technology is evolving to bring greater productivity to the DC is in providing ergonomic features to forklifts and other equipment, says Bill Pfleger, president of Yale Distribution.

Labelmaster Releases Reference Tool for New OSHA Hazcom Standard

July 3, 2012

Labelmaster

Labelmaster, a manufacturer and distributor of products for complying with rules for the handling of hazardous materials, has released a GHS (Globally Harmonized System) Product Guide, to help companies meet the newly revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

For Pharma, One Supply Chain Doesn't Fit All

July 2, 2012

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Companies dream of one cohesive supply chain that can harmonize information and business processes worldwide. But what if your customers' needs in regional markets are so different as to make that dream impossible?

Is Google's U.S.-Made Tablet the Beginning of a New Manufacturing Trend?

July 2, 2012

The New York Times

Etched into the base of Google's new wireless home media player is its most intriguing feature. On the underside of the Nexus Q is a simple inscription: "Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A."

Prices of New Autos Drop as Inventory Shortage Caused by Japanese Earthquake No Longer a Problem

July 2, 2012

The Los Angeles Times

New car prices have fallen from a year ago, primarily because the inventory shortage created by the Japanese earthquake has been entirely erased.

Keeping Merchandise Moving Through an Acquisition

July 2, 2012

GENCO ATC

Mergers and acquisitions are common in the business world, but each move brings its own set of challenges. As a company buys key competitors or suppliers, it is often left with the task of consolidating very different warehouse management systems.

Can the U.S. Revitalize Its Manufacturing Infrastructure?

June 29, 2012

Industry Week

Pushing the limits of an aging infrastructure, U.S. manufacturers face a future of increasing costs and instability unless new technologies and new investments can rejuvenate the system.