Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

Are You Ready for the Next Supply-Chain Disaster?

June 11, 2012

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.

Recycled Energy Development Acquires CHP Projects at Dean Foods Facilities

June 5, 2012

Recycled Energy Development

Recycled Energy Development (RED) has acquired the combined heat and power (CHP) projects at Dean Foods' facilities in City of Industry, Calif., and Franklin, Mass. Each project will produce approximately 2.0 megawatts of electricity and 4.5 MMBtu/hr of thermal energy from clean natural gas.

Trends in Industrial Real-Estate

June 5, 2012

SupplyChainBrain

Strength is returning to the market for mid-sized warehouses, though vacancies remain high for facilities of 100,000 to 200,000 square feet, says Rob Wheeler, vice president for industrial services at Cresa Chicago. Cresa Chicago is a real estate firm that works only with tenants. With 55 offices in North America, it is "the biggest real estate firm you've never heard of," Wheeler says.

Gartner's Top Predictions for Global Logistics Organizations to 2016

June 4, 2012

Gartner Inc.

More than 60 percent of surveyed companies view logistics as non-strategic, yet expectations for near-perfect performance are placing increasing stress on global logistics organizations, according to research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.

Cost Savings Is Top 2012 Focus for U.S. Commercial Fleets, According to Survey

May 30, 2012

GE Capital, Fleet Services

Forty-six percent of fleet managers cite cost savings as the primary focus of executive management as it relates to their company's fleet operations, according to a recent survey conducted by GE Capital, Fleet Services. This was followed by on-time delivery and service, driver safety and resource productivity (all 15 percent).

Where Are the Standards and Metrics to Help Supply Managers Monitor Sustainability Efforts?

May 24, 2012

Inside Supply Management

Supply management professionals are uniquely positioned to influence a company's environmental sustainability efforts as well as the performance of supply base partners in this area. But where are the standards and metrics?

Apple Polishes Its Sustainability Credentials with Commitment to Renewable Energy

May 23, 2012

News Factor

Some Apples will be green. Apple data centers, that is. The technology giant has announced that its new half-million-square-foot data center in Maiden, N.C., will only use electricity that has been generated by renewable energy. The company said that the Maiden facility will be "the most environmentally sound data center ever built."

U.S. Orders Tariffs Beginning at 31 Percent on Chinese Imports of Solar Panels

May 22, 2012

The Los Angeles Times

The Obama administration ordered tariffs of 31 percent and higher on solar panels imported from China, escalating a simmering trade dispute with China over a case that has sharply divided American interests in the growing clean-energy industry.

Survey Details How Manufacturers Seek to Improve Their Supply Chains

May 18, 2012

IDC Manufacturing Insights

The key supply chain challenge today is the juxtaposition of complex and extended supply networks with increasingly fast and volatile demand networks - and the increasingly ineffective role for inventory as a way to buffer cadence mismatches.

Surging Domestic Energy Sector Puts New Demands on Transportation

May 18, 2012

Brent Hudspeth, Senior Director Consulting, Transplace

Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their impact on supply chain management. New customer expectations for green and ethical products and practices are transforming the way companies do business — and requiring more supply chain transparency than ever before. As solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are leveraging sustainability and CSR to stay ahead of the competition in their industries.