Quality & Metrics

Meeting the Challenge of Complexity

September 26, 2013

Complexity can be a headache for supply-chain managers, says Sanjiv Karani, head of global product marketing with Cincom Systems. But it can also be a good thing. He explains why.

To Grow, Manufacturers Must Address Ticking 'Biological Clock' in Talent Recruitment, Study Says

September 26, 2013

ThomasNet

At a time when technological innovations offer new growth opportunities for the manufacturing sector, a lack of talent from "rising generations" threatens its future vitality, according to ThomasNet.com's Industry Market Barometer research.

Unlocking Supply-Chain Talent

September 24, 2013

SupplyChainBrain

Dana Stiffler, managing vice president with Gartner, explains why supply-chain talent sits at the top of executives' list of things that keep them up at night.

Some of the Biggest Manufacturers Use 3D Printers, But Mass Manufacturing Is Not Endangered

September 24, 2013

The Economist

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing as it's often called, is not about to replace mass manufacturing. Even though the technology is improving, the finish and durability of some printed items can still fall short of what producers require.

When Things Are Bad, Can You Afford to Innovate? When They Are Good, Do You Need to Innovate?

September 20, 2013

CFO

In good times and in bad, companies often struggle with whether or not to invest in innovation. In a recent Accenture survey, only 18 percent of chief executives at 519 companies across more than 12 industry sectors in France, Britain and the United States said their investments in innovation were giving them a competitive advantage. Forty-six percent said their companies had become more risk averse when considering new ideas. And CEOs are supposed to be the optimistic ones.

Majority of Procurement Departments Focused on Supplier Collaboration Rather Than Lowest Cost, Survey Suggests

September 20, 2013

Consero

Sixty-seven percent of surveyed chief procurement officers say their departments are more focused on building collaborative relationships with suppliers than on obtaining the lowest costs, according to a survey by Consero Group, an international player in events scheduling for senior executives. The results were reported as part of its Fall 2013 Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Data Survey.

PeopleNet Partners With SafeKey for Asset, Driver Protection

September 19, 2013

PeopleNet

PeopleNet, a provider of fleet mobility technology, has partnered with SafeKey in a service to protect shipper assets and monitor driver well-being.

Could Sourcing 'Take Over' Supply Chain in the Next Decade?

September 18, 2013

Spend Matters

Procurement and supply chain have always been strange bedfellows in manufacturing organizations. There's a rather arbitrary dividing line between activities, which, academically speaking, should not exist in the first place, such as balancing inventory/order size with cost and risk.

Introducing the Digitized Value Network

September 18, 2013

Roddy Martin, Managing Director, Accenture Management Consulting

Warehouse Cost War Created from Survey Results

September 17, 2013

SHD Logistics

Nearly half (43 percent) of UK businesses regard reducing the cost of running warehouse operations as their most critical challenge for business improvement - even more critical than speed of fulfillment.